Oh Nuts!

Emma: Mom! Justin kicked my in between!!
Me: What is an in between?
Mia: Her NUTS!!

We Think We're Funny

At Church they are spotlighting families each month. April was our turn. We had to answer some questions and submit a picture. I filled out the first question with Mia. We had to list the members of our family. She said "Dad, Mom, Justin, put 13 in parenthesis, Emma (11), Mia (8), Toby..." I added (dog), Kitty (kitty), at this point I start giggling to myself. I wished Greycat was still alive and I could have put Greycat (cat). I told this to Charlie and we laughed. He said he wanted to do something "special" for our picture. We thought of a few fun ideas, but didn't have the time to make it happen. In the end Charlie decided to look through all our pictures and find the worst one and submit that. He was laughing the whole way to church. This is the keeper he chose.

Story Time

Mia asked me what the Passover was. I decided to start way back when Joseph was sold into Egypt. The kids all gathered around and listened. They would get excited and interject stories they knew. Mia asked to sit on my lap "because I love you." Mia and Justin told parts of Joseph's brothers being jealous. Mia said "They gave him to Egypt and he got a new dad. His new dad (Potiphar) had a wife that wanted to marry Joseph. He didn't want to marry her so he hid. He was REALLY good at hiding and she couldn't find him." I said she was kind of close and told her the actual story. Then we got to the part where Joseph interprets the butler's and baker's dreams in prison. Justin told this story and said the baker would be executed. Mia scrunched up her nose and said that was bad. We eventually got to the part where the Pharaoh decides there are too many Jews and that sons will be killed. Mia gasped. I was telling Charlie about this and he said bible stories are scary.

Truth Hurts

Me: Mia, I am so glad you are in my family.
Mia: I am so glad you are in my family.
Me: I am so glad I get to be your mom.
Mia: I am so glad you are my mom.
Me: I hope I don't mess up too much.
Mia: Oh, you do, but I like it.

Washingto DC in pictues

Library of Congress

 We had a great trip to Washington DC at the end of October. Justin and Emma are both learning about American history this year so we thought it was a great opportunity to teach them something. When Justin was in 5th grade the teacher wanted him to know the zip code of the NY Twin Towers and said DC as part of Maryland. So we decided not to leave their education solely in the hands of the public education system. We were nervous with the government shutdown and almost canceled the trip, but it reopened a few days before we got there. We saw just about everything:: Air and Space Museum (both locations), American Indian Museum, American History Museum, Spy Museum, Ford's Theatre, Washington Monument, White House, Lincoln Memorial, Jefferson Memorial, Korean War Memorial, Vietnam Memorial, US Bureau of Engraving and Printing, Gettysburg, an Amish Farm, the Capitol, sessions of both the House and Senate, Supreme Court, Hishhorn Museum, Freer Museum, Postal Museum, US Botanical Gardens, WWII Memorial, and the Library of Congress. We couldn't go in the Washington Memorial or the White House. The White House reopened for tours after a long hiatus about a week after we got home. I probably forgot something, but as you can see we packed a lot in . We wore out the kids, but they enjoyed riding the subway and I think a little bit of what we were trying to teach them sunk in. They all kept journals of the trip. Justin's favorite part was Hishhorn Museum, Emma and Mia loved the American Indian and Spy Museums. My favorite was the Amish farm and Ford's Theatre. Charlie liked the Air and Space museums and the Amish farm.

Library of Congress

American Indian Museum

American Indian Museum

Air and Space Museum (Downtown)

Korean War Memorial

The Capitol

US Botanical Garden (1000 bloom chrysanthemum)

US Botanical Garden

Natural History Museum

Natural History Museum

Air and Space (Dulles location?)

Gettysburg

 

American History Museum

Natural History Museum

Natural History Museum

Mia's classmate asked for a picture of "all of DC"

Smithsonian Castle in Legos

Smithsonian Castle

Hishhorn Museum

Air and Space Museum

Air and Space Museum

Air and Space Museum

Air and Space Museum

Gettysburg

Gettysburg

Amish Farm

Amish Farm (plates I had as a kid)

Amish Farm Lancaster, PA

Amish Farm

Amish Farm

Capitol

Capitol

Capitol (Helen Keller)

Capitol (Frederick Douglas)

Capitol (Brigham Young)

Capitol ceiling

Air and Space Museum (Dulles)

Air and Space Museum (Dulles)

The day after we got home was Halloween

The Most Powerful Man in the Universe

Charlie brought some food to school for Emma's class party. A kid saw him and turned to Emma. She said "Wow, is that your Dad? He is huge!" Emma said "yea, he is strong. One time he showed us his muscles and they are GIGANTIC!"

The Power of Love

Emma came home with a school assignment to list around 50 talents she has. She listed "art and horse back riding". She told me she needed some help thinking of more. I listed a few then said she is loving. She said "love is a powerful thing... love is a powerful source." When she says things like this she tries to be really serious and heartfelt. Her voice gets all soft and weird. I couldn't hold it in and burst out laughing. Then I was yelled at.