Happy Birthday Ishmael

He's 12! Of course he didn't want a birthday cake. This year he opted for Brownies A La' Mode.

He love music and his playlist is very random. He likes everything from blues and R&B to some Heavy Metal classics. He is not usually a fan of top 50 hits, but he makes and exception for Eminem.

When he grows up he wants to be a U.S. Marine or a football player.

House Hunting

The next house I looked at is very charming on the outside.There is a screened in porch (to the left in the picture -out of frame). The white part of the house is an add-on living space. It looks cozy from what I can see through the windows. ha! I have an appt to do a walk through tomorrow.

It has some storage and a very large backyard. The neighborhood is as old as the house, but it seems nice and quiet. The rent is more than we were looking to pay, but I think the location will make up the difference in gas savings.

Cons:

- The landlord is looking to get someone in the house before April 1st.
- It is located within city limits. I've learned that I can have chickens in the city. There are a lot of hoops to jump through.

Fuzoodles

I knew we were going to be spending a very long day in the car, house hunting. So we stopped in at Walmart to pick up some activity books and snacks. I could not find where they moved the coloring books. They were not in the toy section or on the book isle. I did find these funny looking things. I've never heard of them before. I wavered, thinking that only Jeremiah would have fun with them. When Joshua said he'd like to have them too, I tossed them in the buggy.

We have had so much fun with them, that I'm thinking about picking up another set. Maybe the one with the animal pieces.

I finally said, "Okay, let me see what I can do." Ta-da!

Ishmael was not feeling well that day, so he didn't come with us. He stayed behind with his big sister. The boys brought in the Fuzzoodles to show him and see what he would make.

I bought a little storage box and we keep them in the car. They were well worth the splurge.

House Hunting

We are looking for a new rental home. The pickings are very slim. My goal is to find a house in the country with enough land to garden and raise chickens. I'd like for the house to have a comfortable kitchen and plenty of storage. We still need to live close enough to Leon's job to not kill the gas budget.

The first house we looked at was only 4 minutes from his job, but it is in the city. It has a very large back yard with enough storage space.

There is even the bonus of a very nice deck.

Cons:

-teeny tiny kitchen (the washer/dryer go in the kitchen to make up counter space)

-monthly rent is about $100 more than we can afford

-it is in the city, so no chickens
-it is next to a working railroad track

Roller Skating

I love roller skating. I have loved it since I got my first pair of skates when I was 9years old. They were white with purple laces. I'd skate around in our garage and play Debbie Gibson. When we moved to North Carolina, my friend Summer and I would go to Skate World almost every weekend. We'd skate from the time they opened, until they kicked us out at closing. 

Joshua is an old pro now, since he earned his Roller Skating Beltloop last summer.

Leon was a speed skater as a kid. I never knew that.

Jeremiah had a really hard time at first.

But then we took his skates back up to the counter and asked the lady to tighten his wheels a little. After that he got the hang of it real quick.

This was Ishmael's first time at the skate rink. He's played on roller blades before, but 4 wheel skates are a tad different. He adjusted very quickly and had a great time.

Of course, half the fun of skating is buying treats at the snack bar.

Kelsea is so stinkin' cute. I want to kiss her. In front of people.

Emu Egg

My friend, Stephanie, has a farm. She now has emu and shared an egg with us, so we can give them a try.

The kids didn't believe it was real at first. It does resemble a dinosaur or dragon egg. I was going to make an omelet, but decided to make cheesy scrambled eggs instead.

They cooked up super light and fluffy.

Jeremiah loves emu eggs.

I don't think Joshua even really tasted it. He took his obligatory bites. He couldn't get past this being something new and strange.

Kelsea didn't see what all the hype was about. She came downstairs, got her plate and ate breakfast. She said, "it just tastes like any other kind of egg."

Ishmael didn't like the texture. I admit, I prefer my scrambled eggs to be a little more solid and dense. This egg was definitely light and super fluffy. The flavor was just fine.

Valentine's Day

Leon surprised the kids with treats on the table.

Our traditional Valentine's cup cakes.

Leon hacked my camera and he and the kids took these pictures for me.

I love my family.

Oops He Did It Again

He wont the chili cook off for the Big Game Event.

Carolina Hurricans v/s Atlanta Thrashers

Ishmael won tickets to the Canes game by filling up his Boy Scout popcorn order form. He also earned a $30 gift card to Walmart, and a marshmallow crossbow shooter.

This was both of their first hockey game. The Canes won 4 to 3 in overtime.

Happy Chinese New Year

I received a free teaching kit from Panda Express. It included activities, a short dvd, and coupon cards.

On the back of the above card is the coupon for a free kid's meal with the purchase of an adult meal. Unfortunately there is not a Panda Express within reasonable driving distance from my house. We plan to make a special trip into the town closest to us that does have a Panda Express.

The kids made lanterns and New Year envelopes. The tradition is that an elder gives their children (or usually grandchildren) a red envelope with money. The money must be an even number. Odd numbers are considered unlucky (so is the number 4). The child recieves the envelope with both hands and wishes their elder a Happy New Year in Chinese. They wait until the elder leaves to look inside and count their money. I had fun surprising the kids with their envelopes.

We did end the day with Chinese food. We had egg rolls (to represent wealth) and fried rice (to symbolize harmony and plenty).

Chinese New Year lasts for 15 days. The last day will be February 18 and is the day of the Lantern Festival.