Palm Sunday

We started our Easter week celebrations yesterday on Palm Sunday. Geoff's sister Ingrid and her family are here all week, too. The kids are in hog heaven with cousins to play with all day.

After talking about why Jesus rode into Jerusalem on a donkey colt, and why palm branches were strewn in front of him, we acted out the Triumphal Entry. All of the pictures of the acting turned out blurry (they were very enthusiastic yelling "hosanna") but afterward all kids wanted a turn riding a donkey...so I have a few shots of the post pageant fun.

Ladybug Land

Ceci grew some ladybugs these past weeks, and let them go today. I'm pretty sure I was the most interested in the changes these little bugs went through to become ladybugs, but Ceci spent a good hour playing with them before sending them on their way this afternoon.

Ceci with her Ladybug Land

She kept exclaiming, "They like me! They know me!"

Tenn is 10 in 2010

Tenn is 10 in 2010 was repeated more than 10 times yesterday as we celebrated Tennie's 10th birthday. Last year Tennie was clinging onto young girlhood with all her might; complaining that she didn't want to grow up. Nothing of the sort has been said this year. Three months ago she announced that she already felt like a 10-year-old, and she has a teenage attitude most days as of late. Our little Tennie is not so little anymore.

We've been handing over more and more responsibility to her the past few months. She interprets it as "freedom" and is a little huffy when she is accountable for her choices. Who can blame her? Unintentionally we have done more than our fair share of making up her mind for her, and we're now trying to allow her to grow up. Sometimes we cringe at her choices, and worry about her inexperience. Then we look at ourselves and notice we are just as clumsy at "giving" freedom as she is at "getting" it!

Sunday night we had a family dinner to celebrate her birthday. As our tradition goes we went around the table and said things we love about Tennie, and there wasn't a shortage of things to share. She is a leader. People want to be around her and do what she does. She loves and includes everyone, even those who don't have any other friends. Everything is more fun when she is around. She has great ideas, and the ability to draw others into the magical world of her imagination. She is sensitive and generous and thoughtful. She is helpful. She is eternally optimistic. She is exuberant and fun and has a laugh that is contagious. At an age when boys and girls usually don't mingle she has as many guy friends as girl friends. She loves the outdoors and is a steward over all living things. She is creative, she is endlessly curious, and she has an incredible memory (except for her math facts!) She has a huge heart with enough of it to share with everyone. She is affectionate, and loves to give love physically, with words and with actions. She has a strong desire to do what is right, and she is deeply spiritual. She is really an amazing little..er, I mean big girl! Geoff and I feel privileged to be her parents.

Yesterday morning we served her breakfast in bed, and did all of her chores for her. We didn't have school so she played all day. If there is anyone who loves to PLAY it is Tennie.

In the afternoon we went on a little walk along a nearby canal. Tennie loves adventure...

...crossing raging rivers...

and navigating a grassy swamp. She came home with a 6' stick. She always comes home with a stick.

Last night the girls had a Willy Wonka performance. We had the cast sing her Happy Birthday before the show and we passed out chocolate chip cookies.

The love continued today as she received some cards and gifts in the mail. Thank you to all who called and sent happy wishes her way...she loved all the attention!

Oomap Loompas

As of this writing we are three shows down, five to go. We are all a little sleep deprived, but the girl's have made 60 new friends, feel so proud to belong to a great show, are gaining confidence in themselves, sing the same Willy Wonka songs over and over, and are asking when and what the next play will be. Geoff and I have been working back stage and are having a great time getting to know all of these fun kids.

Our three Oompa Loompas

Keenan and Mesha came to see the show Saturday night. Here they are with Adele, our friend Spencer Sanders (who plays Augustus Gloop), and Veruca Salt

Our week at a glance...

It was a bursting full week...all good. To kick it off Ceci's bunny Milkshake escaped. Adele and I went out to look at the bunnies one morning and noticed that the floor had fallen through Milkshake's (free) hutch. Milkshake was gone. Adele tore off to the house to sound the alarm and soon we were all searching the property for any sign of Milkshake...and hopefully not the remains of her! Tennie, a faithful believer in prayer, said a prayer the moment she heard the news. After about five minutes into the search Ceci sat down discouraged wondering aloud to Geoff how Heavenly Father could bring Milkshake back. Not 10 seconds after Ceci expressed her distress did Milkshake come hopping out of the back corner of the barn. Kipper saw her just as Geoff and Ceci did and chased her around until she was nice and hidden again, but we knew where she was. Geoff spent some time securing the hutch and Milkshake is safe again. All is well.

We celebrated my dad's birthday by eating hamburgers, chips, corn on the cob and soda (Orangina was the request this year) in his honor. A few weeks ago we all went to gelato in honor of my mom on her birthday (the girls love that their grandparent birthday celebrations!)

Tennie and Adele go to a homeschool co-op once a week, and this week they had a crazy hair day. Tennie hadn't finished her school work so she didn't make it, but Adele loved the idea. Ceci wore her hair a little crazy for our errands.


Tuesday Tennie and I had a day out by ourselves. This doesn't happen very often so it was a treat! We did a little shopping for some warm weather clothes, she got her annual short haircut, then we went to get her ears pierced. I don't mean to give that last bit "in passing" because it was a long-awaited event! Geoff would love the girls to stay pierce-less forever, but we agreed that on their tenth birthday they could choose to pierce or not to pierce. They have all chosen and are simply waiting for their own big day. Tennie was brave, excited, and looked for mirrors whenever possible. Her sisters have been pinching their ears to build up necessary pain tolerance, and they've put stickers on their lobes to get Tennie's look.

Waiting for the pierce...

Ta da!

St. Patrick's Day wasn't much more than all of us wearing green, and a green breakfast. Good thing, too, because that is about as much attention as I want to give the holiday.

We've been working on expressing and demonstrating love in our family the past few weeks. One activity to encourage love was making some little "warm fuzzies". The girls then ran through the house doing little acts of kindness and love, leaving a little warm fuzzy to let others know a kindness was shown.





They were everywhere (and still are). It worked, but the maintenance of love is going to take more than gimmicky games. We're making progress slowly but surely.

We've been up to our ears in Willy Wonka songs and lines, costumes and hair. More on that later.

Circus and Fine Art

Life slowed down a little this week, thank goodness. We got into a nice rhythm. I stayed equally as "busy", but less frantic; less busy with things outside the home. Geoff and I have been taking a "Love and Logic" parenting course (which has been really insightful and helpful) and we're undertaking a lot of changes at home. Having a slower pace allows us to follow-through with those changes, and not add additional stress to the girls (or ourselves!) All around we welcome the slower speed.

The next few weeks will rev back up again, though! The girl's Willy Wonka play begins next weekend. They'll have eight performances in two weekends, and in preparation they'll have four 4-hour rehearsals between today and the final weekend. Both rehearsals and plays are 30 minutes away. I'm sure we'll all be pretty tuckered out! Tennie's 10th birthday is in the mix! So I'll still try to post a little hear and there, but it may continue to be a little sparse.

Tennie put on a one-man circus the other night. We have only a few pictures:

She put on a great clown act

Ceci was invited up to do a quick stunt

She did a dance...

with characteristic full-body expression...

and awesome facial expressions manifesting intense concentration

And the girls did some painting yesterday. Their creations always delight me.

A weekend away

Last weekend I took a trip to Phoenix to meet with a group of great women for a motherhood retreat. It was a great weekend. We always leave a little better (and definitely a little more refreshed!) for having been together.

I stayed an extra day with our good friends Heidi and Riley Horlacher. It was so fun catching up with them, seeing their busy lives with four kids (The last two are twin 1-year-olds!), and having a lot of good laughs.

The girls love when I go away because dad serves up chocolate cake waffles and ice cream for breakfast. The dishes had been piling up, and chocolate waffles had to wait until they were cleaned up. He documented their hard work.

Evidence that mom is out-of-town

Evidence that dad is still in control

Evidence that children will do anything for chocolate cake waffles and ice cream for breakfast!

I came home to three bunnies, an inherited fish, a clean house, two days of school completed, and very happy kids. Nice work (and THANK YOU) Dad!

Meet Star, Perfect and Milkshake

After working and saving, and working and saving some more, the girls were finally ready to get their bunnies. The hutches they found were out of their price range, so they researched some bunny hutch plans online, drew sketches of what theirs would/could look like, made some measurements (Geoff acted as a consultant), and then took a trip to Home Depot to price-out materials to build their own. They had their little notebooks jotting down prices, and comparing materials. They discovered that it was advantageous to their purses that they build their own hutch. Another trip to Home Depot and they came home with wood, a roll of wire, nails and hinges, and a lot of enthusiasm to get on with the project!

Geoff deserves a medal for his part in this process. He guided the girls but allowed them to make mistakes, not an easy thing to do when a project already takes an overwhelming amount of time. But this wasn't about time, it was a "school" project in our eyes. So the girls nailed on the legs in the wrong places, split the wood while hammering a nail, and learned the many uses of duct tape.

Tools laid out and ready, dresses on, let's begin sanding!

Ceci and Adele required frequent breaks

It's coming together...

Voila! Ready for bunnies!

Halfway through the building of the hutch one of the girl's friends said her family would give us their old hutch. The girls proudly said they were building their own. Later it would become Ceci's bunny's hutch. More on the later...

While I was away for the weekend the girls finally made it to the bunny store. They were so excited that they could surprise me with their bunnies when I returned home. Only Tennie and Adele had saved enough to buy the bunnies and their supplies. Poor Ceci was left out of all the hoopla. While in line at the farm store Tennie and Adele were making sure they had everything the needed, and Ceci wailed, "I'm going to go home empty-handed!" The store manager took pity on little Ceci's distress and said, "We'll have to do something about that."

Two very happy sister's, and one very sad one in the background

Tennie adores her bunny on the car ride home

The bunnies watched a movie with the girls their first night home

Kipper was introduced. With all the excitement he was wondering if his "Top Dog" status was in jeopardy

Adele's bunny Star, and Tennie's bunny Perfect

A few days later Penny, the farm store manager, called Ceci to say she had some new bunnies for sale. Ceci wisely asked how much they were. Penny said she would like to give Ceci one for free! Oh, the elation! Ceci had enough saved to buy the food, hay, water bottle, etc., the hutch could be picked up from their friend, so she came home with "Milkshake".


Since, the girls spend hours outside checking in on how their bunnies are doing, sharing food scraps with them, doing a "lock check" each night, and generally treating them like live playthings. They have scratches all over their hands, necks, and faces from bunnies who try to wriggle free.

Ceci sad at a big scratch on the face

Her sisters try to show a little solidarity

Their friend Addy Florence (donor of Ceci's hutch) came over to play. The girls were acting like they were pregnant.

"Oops! My baby is escaping!"

Mission accomplished. Three happy girls with three bunnies they love to show to anyone and everyone they know. Adele is taking hers to church today for "show and tell"...

Now we just wait until they are to the age of being "fixed"!!!