We've Got a Bleeder

Josh Oliver had a music program Tuesday night.

He made it through the first two or three songs and then he rushed off of the stage/altar and down the aisle covering his nose and mouth.

Bloody nose.

By the time I made it out of the pew, Josh was already at the back of the church with our favorite girl, Val--the school secretary.  

She said as soon as she saw that it was Josh, she immediately knew to get some Kleenex ready!  It's a common occurrence for him!

He sat out for several songs until he got it fully stopped, then he headed back in for the last few songs.

While we were in the back, one of the Kindergartners had to step out because of the pukes and another boy lost his tooth.

In other words, it was quite eventful!

Home Sick

Henry got sick at school yesterday.

Within an hour of dropping him off.  

That's the second time we've sent a boy to school only to have him throw up shortly after getting there.  

It's a terrible feeling--for all of us.

He was down and out most of the day yesterday.  We kept him home today to get over the last bits of it.

I dread the thought of anyone else coming down with it--especially with Spring Break coming up.

Winning the Race

This year, the Pinewood Derby snuck up on the boys--Ben just had a lot of stuff on his plate.

He gave himself about 2 days to quickly get something thrown together.

Oddly enough, this was the year he made his fastest car.

Luke went with the car he made last year with Ben.  One of the weights was set a little low, so it dragged a bit.  They fixed that issue and it was good to go.

Henry and Josh Oliver went with identical cars.  They each painted them up different, but otherwise they were the same.

During weigh-in the night before, they were a bit to heavy.  When Ben was drilling out some of the weight, he drilled clean through Josh's car.

He. Was. Mad.

Guess who's car totally killed the competition?  Ungrateful Ollie's.

He got 1st in his Den and 4th in the Pack!

Luke's ended up 2nd in his Den, 6th overall!

Henry, with the twin to Josh's car, ended up 2nd from last in the Pack.

He was really disappointed, but he was a good sport about it.  It's funny how a minor difference or two can make such a difference.

Maybe next year will be his year!

Their Addiction

Today was absolutely gorgeous out!

The kids and I took the dogs on a walk and stopped for a bit to play at the park.

They spent the rest of the day holed up in the basement playing Minecraft.

A total waste.

This seems to be the downfall of only letting them play it on the weekend!  

Scout

Josh Oliver has been desperate to get a dog all his own for several years.

He lives and breathes dogs, and wants nothing more than to have one that will sleep in his room and follow him around everywhere.

It's been at the top of his birthday and Christmas wish list for....I don't know how many years.

One year, Santa gave him a large stockpile of dog treats and toys and told him to work on winning over one of the two dogs that we already have.

No luck.

Following him around was no problem, but getting them to sleep with him was just too much of an uphill battle.

I had absolutely no intentions of getting Josh a dog anytime soon.  Two dogs are plenty, and the ones we do have are great!

This past weekend, however, I had a weak moment and Ben knows just how to take advantage of those opportunities!

He found a sweet 2 year old beagle--my favorite!--in a shelter in Newton.  He told me about him and then went to bed.  By the time he woke up, I had already scheduled us to meet him the next day and he was as good as ours!

That's pretty much exactly how we ended up with Maggie.  (He definitely knows how to get what he wants!)

We didn't tell the boys about him.

When they got home from school on Tuesday, Ben told them that I had a present for Josh.  They had no idea what was in store for them!

The boys were completely and totally shocked...and instantly in love!  

It was fabulous!

He is such a great dog.  

He listens amazingly well!  He's house trained--bonus!  He is super, super friendly, and he already likes to sleep in Ollie's room!!!

Cooper and Maggie are doing well with him.  Cooper mostly ignores him.  Maggie's been a little jealous, but she's let him know where he stands.  He's fine with it, so they are friends now!

Also, while his face looks like a beagle, he's definitely taller than one.  As soon as Gretchen saw him she said he was an English foxhound.  A quick google search, and he's a dead ringer!

Beagle mix or Foxhound--we love him!

Snow

Sunday was yet another snow filled day.

Huge flakes.  Blowing wind.  Icy roads.  Love it!

As a total bonus, school got canceled for Monday!  

We took advantage of it by being completely lazy--the best way to use up a snow day!

The Dangers of Sledding

We've had snow on the ground for over a week.

A lot of snow!

We haven't gotten to have quite as much fun with it as we did last year--as known as some of the funnest days of my life!--because it was bitter cold for the first few days and we were weenies!

This weekend, though, it warmed up a bit and we figured we better get some sledding in before it all melted away.

I took the boys out to Lake Afton which has the funnest hill EVER!!

It's tall and steep-- a killer to walk up, but totally worth it!  It's also a two-tiered hill, with a bump running across the half way point.  Roller coaster effect?  Yes please!  The greatest/most terrifying thing about it, though, is that it has a little ditch that you hit JUST AS YOU REACH THE BUMP creating an amazing built in ramp to launch any sled into the air!!

I'm a total chicken, but I couldn't resist!

I went down once.  Made it safely!  

Went down a second time.  Nearly died!

Luke and I went together while Henry raced us.  Unfortunately, our combined weight gave us quite a bit of speed. To make things worse, we were backwards when we hit the ramp! 

I DO NOT like flying through the air!  

I skidded to a stop thanks to the shoulder/neck/face part of my body, and then I was immediately in a fit of laughter.  As I collected myself up, I realized that not only was Lucas laid out--I apparently rolled over him on my way to the ground, poor kid!--but Henry also did not survive the race.  He got the wind totally knocked out of him and just laid there like a rag doll for awhile.

I tried to check on him, but I was laughing so hard that I was really no use.  He eventually made it up, but not before they gave me the "Good Mother" award!

Luke and I decided we deserved a warm up in the van.  Henry's hard core, though, and immediately trekked back up the hill.

It was so much fun!!

Sadly, my battery ended up dying, and I had to call and wake up Ben to come rescue us. It was a bummer at first, but the boys ended up sledding for way longer than we would have, so none of us were too upset about it--well I'm sure Ben would have preferred a solid sleep, but he was a good sport!

I did end up going down a third time.  This time though I went down by myself and dragged my feet like a chicken, but I did go down!

I really wish Ben would have been able to go with us, but it was a heck of a fun outing even on our own!  

How can sledding not be fun, though!!