My friend asked me recently when is it inappropriate to continue to use the "spring ahead" time change as an excuse for your children's bad behavior? Although it has taken us all a few days to adjust to being an hour ahead, I have to say that this year I really appreciated the time change more than ever. I felt like I was operating in darkness constantly. Various sports practices across town in the late afternoon/evening hours had me feeling like I was living a majority of life without the sun.
Evelyn is now a member of the Westside Metros soccer team. After months of asking-dare I say begging-us to let her play, we finally allowed her to try out; and lo and behold, she made the team.
Practices are no joke: they are outside, in the dark, rain or shine. Evelyn doesn't seem to mind and she doesn't dare complain. I was always against playing club, but because she wanted a more competitive soccer environment, we decided to allow her to try this team of the Spring season.
And just as the boys finished out their basketball season, baseball try outs began almost the same day. The boys made the AAA team, which is the more advanced level of play. We are excited to see what they will do this year on the field.
February flew by. We had a long anticipated trip to Illinois over Presidents Day weekend which resulted in great family memories.... and four children passing around a terrible virus.
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| Grandpa knows how to build snow forts! |
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| James is almost too big for GG's lap |
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| Long awaited Christmas gift giving! |
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| Roller skating was a hit on a cold, winter day |
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| A snowy zoo day with second cousin Mara |
At the beginning of March, the kids had their Hoop-a-thon fundraiser at school, which is really a fun event, culminating in a big assembly with raffle prizes. This year Caleb put all his tickets into the electric scooter basket. He talked about winning this prize for weeks.
As always, he put his whole heart and soul into shooting hoops again this year. There is always a little competition between the three boys. Although he truly tries the hardest, he never quite gets as many hoops as Levi and James.
However, this year as I pulled up to carpool line, what do I see there standing next to him:
the electric scooter.
He indeed won it.
John was out of town that entire week before, so we picked him up at the airport with our van packed for the weekend; we then drove the two hours to Long Beach, Washington to begin our treasure hunting adventure. We arrived late to a cold and damp little cottage. Lucy was very excited to come along on this trip.
The first morning, Caleb and I jumped into the van in search of breakfast, landing on a little local McDonalds. Egg McMuffins would do!
After a satisfying breakfast, we followed the little path from our cabin to the beach front.
Running in circles, digging holes, eating sand; she was truly living her best life as a beach dog. As John and I watched her zoom around the sand, we heard in the distance an incessant beeping sound. The kids crowded around a particular spot near the water, digging digging digging with their little shovels.
They were eagerly trying to uncover what was causing the metal detector to react so excitedly.
Their shovels hit something.
John stepped in and helped in the effort, as the sand was heavy and digging was exhausting.
Finally, it was uncovered: a metal stove grate buried deep in the sand for who knows how long! Bizarre but truly rare, and I was just happy we found something on this treasure seeking weekend.
We spent the day lazy in the cottage and when the sun poked out, we ventured to the beach again and found a little river where the kids built sand castles and panned for gold. I was chilled to the bone. At one point I laid back in the sand with my coat over my head, trying the allow for the sun to warm me. As I lay there soaking up the sun, Lucy started dry heaving and threw up her entire breakfast, which John promptly buried in the sand. Sand is not kind to her digestive track.
After a few hours of me huddling in the sandscape and the kids playing happily, we convinced them it was time to clean up and find some dinner.
This trip really confirmed that I am NOT an Oregon coast person. Although pretty, the sand, wind and chill...and more sand... is not my idea of an exhilerating time. The dog was a mess and I'm glad it wasn't my house I was going home to yet.
We traveled back home Sunday, and I was glad that we had lost a whole hour.
Everyone was a bit off for a few days with the time change.
On Sunday, a neighbor invited the boys to their house to practice some baseball batting at 4:30. The boys gathered up the their things and traipsed across the neighborhood at 4:15.
45 minutes later the father of the boy texted us, asking if our boys were coming to batting practice. Confused, John and I told him they left 45 minutes ago, less than a 1/2 mile walk.
And so, a bit concerned, I got into my car to go look for them.
And sure enough, as I turned down a street I saw them mosing casually down the road. "Where have you been?" I asked Levi, who looked surprised to see me.
"We were at the park playing baseball. Now it's finally time to go to batting practice." He pointed at his watch. 4:15.
Well it WAS 4:15, an hour ago. Levi forgot to change his watch, and so he was running an hour behind schedule!
We were able to laugh about the mistake, grateful that that was the reason they never showed up to practice!
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And finally, we end the Spring term with the long await, highly anticipated West Hills tradition of the Patriotic Program. In 3rd and 4th grade, the students partake in a term-long project where they research a patriot, write a speech and then perform this speech in character (along with patriotic songs) in a culminating evening show.
This year with had Ulysses S. Grant (Levi) Daniel James "Chappie (James) and Billy Sunday (Caleb).
The boys worked so hard, and they did an amazing job.
I am so grateful to watch my kids salute the troops and honor God and country. It's a fading tradition these days, and it brought a tear to my eye. I was one proud, happy mama.
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| Billy Sunday ready for a great show! |
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| Ulysses and Daniel |
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| God bless America! |
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| My boys had xylophone solos! |
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| Daniel James "Chappie" |
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| Billy Sunday giving his speech to attentive parents |
