Drew and Jr. Iditarod musher Jeff at the kickoff for our homeschool Iditaread program a few weeks ago. Both boys picked a musher and we read over 1,100 pages to reach Nome before our mushers. It was a lot of fun to track our mushers and learn a ton about the Iditarod in the process.
Our first attempt at owning golfish has already come to an end! We acquired two little feeder goldfish a couple weeks ago at MOPS. They were used as our centerpieces and we gave them out afterwards. So we took two to try our hand at raising a few fish. So we named them Linus and Lucy from Charlie Brown. They were great and fine, but as the days wore on Lucy started to turn brown and Linus was just great. But one morning just 5 days after we brought them home, we found Linus floating at the top... We thought Lucy was gonna be a gone-er, not Linus! So we flushed Linus with the boys and I standing around the toilet bowl. As I carried Linus in a cup to the bathroom, the boys were running after me yelling, "We didn't say our last goodbyes!" So they said their goodbyes and that was that. I warned them, that Lucy looks sick and that she might die too.
A few minutes later, I found a sad Drew sitting at the bottom of the stairs. I said, "Are you sad about Linus?"
"Yeah.." he said in a sad tone, "Mom, I remember his first poo-poo." (They stood around forever fascinated by the pooping habits of Linus!)
It was SO hard not to laugh, but I said, "I miss Linus too, bud."
So a couple days later, it was Lucy's turn for the big plunge. But I promised them I would get them a Betta, which I hear are much easier to take care of... So that night I brought home a deep red Betta which we named Rerun. (In the newer Charlie Brown cartoons, Linus and Lucy's little brother's name is Rerun!)
We've already beat our record of 5 days with the other fish, so we're feeling pretty confident about our fish care abilities. Plus, my friend's two golfish from MOPS died already as well, so we don't feel so bad.
Last night was our first ever MOPS sleepover! It was so fun just to relax with these ladies outside of normal MOPS. We had about 20 women out of the 70 some that come to MOPS twice a month. We were silly and running on empty. I got 4 hours of sleep, and I still don't know what I'm doing awake!
Dance Dance Revolution anyone? We need lots of help. 
Cousin Peyton and Morgan playing Calico Critters together. What fun to be two!
Anita came over a couple nights ago for a movie, pizza, and cookies night. We made the cookies and she brought all of the cookie fixin's. Fun fun! But we watched Lake House which is WAY confusing... but a good flick. It was my second attempt at understanding it and I think I have it now. I think.
This is my face right now that is really saying despite the smile, "I don't want to work out at all tonight. But I guess I will, I'll be glad once I start." Here goes...
Our little princess displaying her fabulous new box of Cinderella Pull-ups. (did you notice that she is sitting in the box?) She is only slightly potty trained at this point, but they were on sale. So Daddy decided to surprise her one night after work. She loaded and unloaded them in and out of the box, then into her shopping cart, and after a few days of carrying them around she stacked them in her closet where we keep the diapers. There are only two different pictures on the front of them, but each one she gently lifted from the box amidst oohs and awes. Each time she picks one out to wear, she always picks the one with just Cinderella on it as she is displaying for you below! Oh, and need I mention that she is way into dress-up??
Day Two...
The other day the boys had dentist appointments. Their first ever.. oops. But all went well, no cavities. So to prep this little Gavin "funny", we are reading Dr. Dolittle the chapter book for Drew's school. And the boys love it.
Gavin had just finished his cleaning with the dentist and had already said thank you to him, said his name etc... Then we went next door where Drew was just starting his cleaning and Gavin asked the same dentist, "Dr. Dolittle are you going to brush Drew's teeth?"
I asked the dentist if he had heard what Gavin called him and he replied, "I only wish I could talk to animals!" Pretty funny. Gavin didn't even realize he said it.
Gavin the Quarterback 
The Stokes Family out for a visit!
A snowy hello from Drewy.
Grandma and Morgan enjoying milkshakes together. 
Drew, our little photographer, caught Mama on camera.
He caught Daddy too.
Morgan pouring over a Pottery Barn Kids catalog. That's my girl.
I found this picture on the web this week when I was searching for pictures of snowflakes for MOPS this week. It is a snowflake from 1976 that was preserved in super glue by a Japanese scientist! I am fascinated by snowflakes. And there sure are plenty of them to be fascinated by in my neck of the woods!
Good evening! As I sit here in the quiet, on the couch, and the DVD menu of the movie I just finished plays over and over, I thought I'd take a moment and catch this blog up to our lives.
Lately Drew has been making all sorts of "clubs" for all of the toys they play with. For example, the Playmobil club, Lego club, etc... and whenever he's upset at Gavin, he always comes back with, "Well then if you won't do (fill in the blank) you're out of the Playmobil club!" Ouch, huh? (He gets in trouble, by the way, for talking so ugly to his brother.) So tonight as were getting ready to tuck them in their bunk beds and pray, Jeremy and I hear screams coming from their room. Gavin is bawling and Drew is cowering. Drew threw a pen from his top bunk down at Gavin and hit him in the ear. (how rude!) So Gavin was a mess, and we hear him yell, "You're a bad boy, you're out of the club!" 
They really are best buddies. This morning, as I was dreading getting out of bed, Drew had come in and was lying on the floor next to my bed. Gavin came in, so he of course pretended to be asleep! Gavin was rubbing his back saying, "Buddy! Buddy! Buddy wake up! Buddy, buddy, buddy! Hey, Buddy!" It was so cute, I hadn't heard him call his brother buddy before! Heartwarming as it was, it still didn't get me out of bed. It's usually when I hear Morgan calling, "Mommy! Mommy, come on! Mommy up!" That forces me to put on my glasses and greet the morning. The boys play so well together in the morning. They used to get into arguments and fight in the morning when they woke up.. and that turned me into Monster Mommy real fast at 8am. But now, it's much more peaceful.
This morning, the first sound I heard was Drew saying, "Mom, I love you. I love you so much!" While he was rubbing my arm to wake me up.
"Hi bud."
"I love you even more than Satan." he said.
"Well, thank you!" said I.
"But Mom, aren't we supposed to love God more than people?"
"Yep, you're right!"
"Well then if God loves everyone, shouldn't we love Satan too?"
"Hmm... how about we find out about that one in the Bible"?
"Okay, can I have my computer time?"
Then just a few minutes ago, he came up to me and said, "Mom, can we watch the movie about Bill the Ancient Dolphin?"
"What???"
"Just kidding, I made it up!"
It doesn't stop there... the boys are in the bath together right now and I overheard Drew giving Gavin a sermon:
"Gavin it's not all about you... it's about GOD! If you think it's all about you, then you believe in Satan! God's the best, and he's better than you! He has super powers, can walk on water, he can heal people... It's real, Gavin. He's in heaven, but he used to be here. "
"God's better than you, got it? He's better than anyone!" He said all of this in a forceful get the point across voice. I think he needs to work on his tact though... tee hee.
"Do you want to pray to God? Okay, I'll pray first..."
"You can say amen, or in Jesus' name amen, or Ahhh-men."
What a silly little man. That's all I have to say!
