Field Day and Easter parties

Luke had his first field day and it was a big hit!  Although it was FREEZING...the coast had a three day cold spell and it was cold in the morning.  Luke had a great time doing all the field day activities.

Addison's Easter party/egg hunt at the Children's House was the same morning so we divided out our time and thankfully between Daddy, Mommy and Grandpa Steve-everyone had an adult present at their activity.  The coldest Egg Hunt EVER in south Mississippi.  Addison wanted to know why I put her "polar bear" coat on that morning.  I told her today it was her "bunny coat" and that seemed to appease her.  At least she was cozy warm.

Mouth full of chocolate :)

What would Easter be without oodles of bunny cupcakes?  50 of them this year to be exact.  I thought I would get away with just making them for Luke's class this year but Amelia looked so sad that I caved and made them for both classes.  Now I have three cupcake decorator helpers so making them should be easier right?  Wrong, wrong, wrong.  3 helpers means 3x the mess and it takes 3x as long.  Daddy kept mumbling, "This year should be the last year we make these."  It's like childbirth though, after a year passes, I forget how bad it really was and I am game to try it again.  (Let me be clear mom, willing to try Easter bunny cupcakes again, not pregnancy). 

MISSISSIPPI!!!!!!!!

Fourth grade in Mississippi brings a rite of passage called "Mississippi My Home!"

The children perform a singing, dancing, acting extravaganza of Mississippi history and fun facts.  It was adorable and for me, a Yankee, very informative. Amelia had a speaking part and a musical performance and as you can see by her costume she was "the Southern Belle."  

Featured parts were Native Americans, Explorers, Rock and Roll, Gospel singers, Southern Belle and Jefferson Davis.  Yes, the head of the Confederacy army.  Big deal down here.  

Amelia with some of her school buddies.  

Amelia's featured part.  She was so stinking cute, I could barely stand it.  

"Mississippi is the Home that I love."

She did awesome handling that big dress and hoop skirt.  Just like Scarlet O'Hara:)

Amelia's big finish!

Who knew our little Chicago born baby would be a southern belle someday.  Great job Mimi!  

Egg Hunt

The kids and I had plenty of activities last weekend to keep us busy while Daddy was at work.  Four birthday parties and an egg hunt to be more specific.  The kids were spastic on sugar by the end of the weekend.  This is the big kids waiting to start their egg hunt at Treasure Oaks Country Club. 

Ready, Set, Go!  And the little ones are off and running.  Look at my littlest one, leading the charge, knocking over babies to get to those eggs.  Just kidding, she ran right past the babies.  

Happily egg hunting.

This is the closest I could get to Luke this year.  

I caught Mimi, but look at her still searching while trying to pose for a picture on the run.  It was a great weekend, filled with lots of spring fun.   Everyone is getting super excited for Easter and Luke sang in the First Praise Choir on Palm Sunday.  "Sing to the King, He is coming to Reign!"  All three of the kids also processed down the aisle at church waving their palms....Hosanna!  Hosanna!  

Kayak fun

Thanks to all who contributed to the Boskovich Kayak Fund!  Stephen and I have been hoarding Dicks sporting goods gift cards until we could buy this fun toy.  As you can tell, Amelia was all smiles after school,  ready for a kayak trip in the bay.  

Lucky for us, this is our backyard so it is easy access.  Addison even has a perfect, little toddler seat.

Beautiful spring days are made for this.  

Successful first day on the water. 

At least they keep me laughing...

I keep a journal for each of the kids.  I started with each of their birth stories and then wrote to them every three months their first year of life.  After their first year, I wrote them every year on their birthday (or as close to it as this busy momma could handle).  I also try to add some of the funny things they say.  Here are some entries that have been included in the last few months...

-Addison couldn't see in the dark when I put her to bed so she shouted to me, "I just gotta let my eyes get dressed mom."  (I always tell her to let her eyes ADJUST).

-Luke came down the stairs after getting in trouble previously in the day and sat down beside me very seriously.  "Mom, me and dad were discussing my punishment for being sassy to you and I told him a month without playstation...but I've been thinking that is WAY too long.  I think I should have said a week."

-Luke started guitar lessons not long ago and after his first lesson with his young 20 something teacher, I asked him how the lesson went...he said excitedly, "Mom, you know how my guitar made that rattling sound?"  "Uh, huh."  "Mr. Aaron shook the guitar and it was an old, dried up piece of cheese."  

- As I was closing Addison's door saying goodnight to her, I said, "I love you Addi."  I was making my way down the stairs and I heard her little voice yell, "I love frosting cheerios."

-We were taking the dogs for a walk looking at empty lots near our house and noting the price.  Amelia said, "Geez, at least our lot came with a house."

-Addison often can be heard yelling to Amelia and Luke, "Don't ERUPT me."  

Addison yelled to me, "Mom, come see what I spelled!"

M-O-M for those of you who can't read domino.  

Pretty Addison

This is what Addison would prefer to wear to school everyday or some variance of this.  

She just doesn't feel "complete" unless she has her lipstick on.  For a little girl who is so persnickety about staying in the lines while coloring...she sure doesn't feel the need to keep the lipstick in the borders of her lips.  

We recently went to the doctor for a yearly check up and as a reward for being so good, I let the kids go to The Dollar Tree.  They were more excited than when we told them we were going to Disneyworld.  I wish I was kidding or exaggerating.  Luke and Amelia hemmed and hawed for 30 minutes about which three items they were going to buy.  So many treasures!  Addison walked down the first aisle; placed this hat, purse and bracelet on and came up to me and said, "Mom, I just HAVE to have this stuff."  

Do Si Do Anyone?

Fourth grade in Ocean Springs means mandatory square dancing!  They practiced for 8 weeks and then invited the parents for a performance.  My thoughts:  

      :Amelia's great-grandparents were award winning square dancers so surely Amelia would be a natural. I would have given anything to have my Grandma Romaine show up all those little 9 year olds.

: In fourth grade, we were forced to play the recorder, I think I would have rather square danced.  Although, I am pretty sure my dancing skills were as poor as my recorder skills.

:God bless 4th grade P.E. teachers.  I got to the gym early due to miscommunication and had to listen to the "practice" for an hour.  Listening to the dude on the CD drawl out, "Bow to your partner, now Do Si Do and Promenade" over and over and over and over for 8 weeks.  Wow.

Promenade your partner.  Amelia was explaining to Luke that it was required to hold hands during square dancing.  While Luke was convulsing in pain thinking about this prospect, Amelia said, "Luke, it's not THAT gross."  Ahhh!  I want her to think it's gross to hold a boy's hand for at least another decade.

Spring Weather brings out the Explorers in Us

What are little boys made of?  Slugs, and snails, and puppy dog tails.  That's what little boys are made of.  

Hmm, in our house that is what little girls are made of too.

Exploring all of our neighbors docks is a big pass-time in our family.  

Addison is always my little artist.  As we gathered all of the oyster shells she created an art project.  

Spring  beach time is THE BEST!  Not too hot and not too cold-LOVE, LOVE, LOVE!

Add in some ice cream from the ice cream truck and I become the world's best mom:) 

Doesn't this make you want to visit the Mississippi Gulf Coast?  Come on down y'all!

Nature vs. nurture...both can stink

Addison's favorite part of the day...when Amelia gets home from school.  

Amelia loves being a "teacher" so this is the kind of play she enjoys with Addison.  That afternoon, they worked on opposites, addition, subtraction and all of the states.  Some of my favorite moments are when I am in the background observing my children interacting.  Well, let me rephrase that; when they are interacting positively with each other.  It is very fulfilling as a parent to see my children love each other, even for a moment.

Oh Mimi.  This genetic experiment of her parents may have gone terribly wrong.  A little history here is needed.  I was the child that did assigned projects the day they were assigned.  Even through college, I would have reports done weeks before they were due.  It was the only way to control my anxiety.  I was annoyed with myself if I got a question wrong on a test, one question.  Anxiety to me meant that I earned that "A."   My darling husband was the child who came down the stairs at 10 pm on a Thursday night and told his mom he forgot he had to write a 12 page paper on the history of Indiana farming by tomorrow and oh by the way, I need a posterboard and some glue.  He would still earn that "A" but the only anxiety felt would be by his poor mother.  Amelia, we realized has the worst of both of our traits.  She has my terrible, over-achieving anxiety and Stephen's ability to "forget" about projects until the night before.  In the case of the Severe Weather Report, she gave us two nights, and oh by the way, "I need a posterboard and some glue."  She pounded it out though, a poster and a two paged typed report on Tornadoes.  But it was late nights around here for Mimi, late nights and tears.  Okay, so the tears might have been by me when I thought the computer had lost all of her research but one frantic phone call to the ER to talk to Stephen and that little glitch was solved.  I also got a reprimanding text that day, "When you called, hysterical about the computer, I had three critical patients dying in the hospital."  Whatever, dude, this was a critical home emergency! Crisis averted, project done, hopefully lesson learned about preparing ahead of time.  

Everyday busyness...

I realize the blog content has been a little sparse and rather boring as of late.  Sorry about that.  Although, really, that is like apologizing that our life has been a little boring as of late.  Sometimes, I feel like I have been so busy but I couldn't tell you with what.  The days keep chugging along as I wonder where another day went.  As I typed my title today, "Everyday busyness..." I misspelled "busyness" as "business."  Although really, that is my job, my everyday busyness is my everyday business.  And sometimes, that job, just entails keeping everyone alive and on course for another day.  So, my busyness as of late has been...

1.Figuring out this little one's whole body rash.  Tried to catch a picture of her cheeks being flaming red but it didn't quite show up.  Five days of all over rash and not one other symptom (no fever, itching, running nose, nothing).  Addison kept asking  me, "Am I going to be pink forever?"  Secretly, I think she might have been hoping I answered yes.

2. Keeping Sadie off the furniture.  We have had the dogs for years now, I think..has it been that long?  I don't know, whatever.  But recently, Sadie hops up on all of my furniture to sleep as soon as I leave the room.  She is so sleuth about it that I will often walk by her many times and not even notice her.  This picture I took while at my computer.  See her just look at me, she looks a little guilty but not worried at all that I caught her.  She didn't even jump off when I caught her.  She just waited, hoping I had changed my stance on no dogs on the furniture.  I HAVE NOT!

3.  Putting out fires.  This thankfully, has not been literal yet but someday I expect it will be.  But figuratively, I like most parents, feel that is what I do all day.  "FREEZE, don't run in the street!" "FREEZE! Don't step in the glass" "FREEZE! Don't jump off of there!" The following words actually came out of my mouth at church dinner last week, "That's fine boys, you can have fun but that cannot involve choking each other."  So putting out fires, that's what I've been doing.  Along with pick up kids, drop off kids, throw in laundry, unload dishwasher, make beds, clean up house, dogs, kids and REPEAT, REPEAT, REPEAT!!

Football!!!

Three generations of Boskovich men:)

Luke taking the handoff at flag football.  Yesterday was Luke's last game and it was a fun, little season.  The boys are still relatively tame, although sometimes grabbing of a flag would turn into a tackle, but overall, pretty mild.  It helps when the players are still tiny enough that when they get too rough, a coach just plucks them up like a kitten by the scruff and moves them.  Problem averted, too bad they can't do that in the NFL.  Luke did great and had a fun time but my favorite moment of the season was when his team was all lined up ready to take the snap and he yelled over to me, "Mom, they are going to give me the ball!!"  

BRRRR!  We experienced some real football weather.  It was only in the high 40's and we were FREEZING.  As you can tell, Addison is thrilled to be cheering Luke on.  

It's all worth it for the trophy:)  Good job big guy, we are proud of what a good sport you were the whole season.