Spring is in the air, and I'm a flower with nothing interesting to say

The snow has finally started to melt. I'd say it was a lovely sight but in this part of the world melted snow just reveals all the cigarette butts and bear bottles people have been throwing in there all winter. Mostly I was just glad that I could once again drive the car without having to navigate the giant snow maze that was our parking lot.

Hi there. This is The Flying Chinaman here to report on Jason's month. Jason continued to log overtime at work for special projects including income reconciliation for Vanguard Australia and manually undoing and redoing some accounting for a mutual fund that was done incorrectly by a newly installed automatic system. I don't know what that means. He also took Adri skiing one warm day in early March. Jason and Adri were 2 of about 20 skiers on the slope that day, and it was PERFECT! Though Adri never wanted Jason to let go of her to ski by herself, she loved "skating" down the hill at unsafe speeds between his legs. She only went down the bunny hill with him one time, then insisted on the intermediate slopes for the rest of the day. She was constantly asking him to go faster. This is the opposite of the experience he had when he went skiing with Annie.

飛行的中國人

St. Patrick's Day

The kids and I have been keeping to the same old routines. Ballet on Mondays, story time on Thursdays, visits with friends and trips to the museum. We finally got to watch Adri dance during observation day at ballet. I thought it went well but Jason was very disappointed with the teacher. At least Adri is enjoying herself. I also went to register Adri for kindergarten. It's kind of surreal signing your first kid up for school. The experience was made worse by the fact that her school only offers full day kindergarten. Half day is available if you can find 17 other parents who want it as well but the school does a good job of not mentioning that option if they can help it. I'm in the process of fighting the system but I'm not sure how successful I'll be.




Once the first day of spring rolled around we waited in line at Rita's to get some free water ice (Rita's is a glorified slushie store in the East - water ice is delicious). Everyone else in town had the same idea as us plus they got there earlier. We waited in line for a good 45 minutes before we got our stuff. I was wondering if it would be worth it what with both of my girls doing a potty dance 30 minutes into the wait. Lucky for me Jason left the baby potty in the van (for Adri to use during their ski trip) and we were able to obtain our water ice and make it back to the van before anyone wet their pants. It was totally worth it.

Luke tried some water ice too but mostly he just likes Cheerios.

Mmmmmm, delicious Cheerios.

We took Luke to the doctor for his 9 month check-up. His two bottom teeth have come in and his top teeth are on the way. He weighs about 20.10 pounds and I think he is in some percentiles for some stuff, I'm not really sure. I weighed the girls as well. Adri comes in at a hefty 28.8 pounds while Juliet trials at 26.6 pounds. I think they are all technically in the same diaper size.

Luke shows off his front teeth and is disappointed to learn he will probably need braces.

I am doing my best to be a good mother of three but at times I reach my breaking point. One day Juliet had been whining nonstop and I had been cleaning up after the kids all day when Juliet spilled milk all over the floor and table. I nearly started to cry (yes, cry over split milk) when Adri told me everything would be okay and not to worry, she would clean up all the milk for me. Well, she didn't clean up the milk but her consolation certainly gave me what I needed to keep going until bedtime. Go Adri! I'm trying to start doing yoga again to make sure my head doesn't explode from all the kids stuff I do all day long. I've even convinced Jason to join me a few times. It is adorable.

Adri draws a picture for Grampa Rand that, for some reason, reads, "Happy Christmas"

Also adorable was when Adri said the prayer in her Sunday school class and mentioned that she was thankful for make-up. Sunday is a day when I'll put a little make-up on the girls before church so I guess it was on her mind. The teachers thought it was hilarious and even understandable. I mean come on, most girls really are thankful for make-up but who actually thinks to say that in a prayer?

At our house it's stylish to wear a Halloween bib and Christmas pajamas in the middle of March



Guess where I found Luke again?

Cousin Jenna came to visit us one day so I thought I'd snap a picture of that baby who refuses to sit up with the baby who refuses to crawl.


Luke made sure Jenna was safely tucked in before she left.

Quotes:

Juliet: I'm holding my breath. This is my breath (shows her folded hands).

(Juliet is always talking to inanimate objects.)

Juliet: Stay up there okay?

Annie: I don't know what you're talking about.

Juliet: I'm talking to the skys. Stay up there okay? They said okay.

Annie: Oh, good.

Annie: What do you want for breakfast?

Juliet: Potatoes and milk and hot chocolate and meatloaf.

Annie: How about oatmeal?

Juliet: Oh yeah, oatmeal! I want oatmeal.

Adri: (after a rainstorm) Will we be able to see a rainbow?

Jason: No, you can only see a rainbow on days when there is sun.
Adri: Like on Sunday?
Jason: That does not compute.

Adri: (worrying over Luke at a restaurant) Mom! Dad! Our child is having a chip!!

Juliet: (looking at a chihuahua at the pet store) Look! It's a kangaroo puppy!

(Regarding the lyrics to a song, "I wanna be Bobby's Girl, that's the most important thing to me")

Annie: What's the most important thing to you?

Adri: To take care of things. Like flowers and baby puppies.

Annie: I needa vacuum.
Adri: We already have a vacuum.

Annie: No, I need TO vacuum.

Adri: Why do you need two vacuums?

Jason: Juliet, go ask Mom for two Q-tips.
Juliet: Mom, Daddy needs . . . Q two kicks.

Jason: Young hearts beat free tonight! You know who sings that?
Annie: Uuhhh . . .

Juliet: Robin Hood!