This week we purchased a video camera.  Yup our very own video camera.  If you want details about it you’ll have to talk to Damion.  All I know is that it is a Canon HF11 with HD capabilities.  Once Damion figures the editing software and teaches me how to upload videos we’ll share our kids’ cuteness & funniness with you!

Yesterday we took the camera to the park and shot some footage while the kids played but unfortunately our time there was shortened by Jack pushing Anna into a slide which resulted in blood from her bottom lip getting on her, Damion and the slide.  For the record we are not sure if the push was intentional or not but at bed time Anna accepted the not present apology from Jack.  This morning the lip was a bit swollen but seems like it will heal okay.  

The one thing that came to light while watching the video from yesterday is that Jack squeals a lot!  I know he makes noises (boy he likes making random noises) but the amount of squealing surprised me.  Guess I’ve learned to ignore it.  Yesterday afternoon I mowed the backyard while the kids played.  Jack took Anna’s stroller, with Baby in it still, from her and proceeded to mimic me.  He went back and forth in the yard and when I stopped he stopped and when I shut off the mower a couple of times he too stopped and came closer to us and ran back to the stroller when I started the mower.  Today he once again stole the stroller, with Baby in it again, and pushed it around the yard.  Any guesses as to who is getting his own outside push toy this weekend?

Tonight per Anna’s request, she and Damion will be camping out in the backyard.  We even got her a youth sleeping bag.  She is excited.  She didn’t understand why she could nap in the backyard.  After our walk to Starbucks (fewer calories if you walk to get it :) ) we put the kids down for a short nap.  Damion took that time to lay out the tent so Anna can help put it up later.  He said while doing that he looked up and saw Anna in her window looking out at him.  They said hi to each other, he told her she should be napping and she walked away.  Too bad she’s not excited, eh?

Oh, and let me not forget a public thank you to Adam!  He saw my previous post asking for somebody to watch Anna & Jack so I could go scrapbook supply shopping.  He proposed a night out for all of us.  Adam & Damion took the kids to Gander Mountain & Guitar Center while I spent an hour and a half at Scrapadoodle.  I got a bunch more stuff bought for next weekend.  So, THANK YOU ADAM!!!

Much to Damion’s annoyance I let the kids play with stuff (read as dirty dishes) in the sink while I’m making dinner or doing anything that puts me in the kitchen for an extended period (read as more than 5 minutes).  Today the task was making cookies and phase one of dinner.  At one point Anna got down to get a cookie and cookie dough (for the record I think she prefers the cookie dough over the cookies) and went back to her spot at the sink.  A bit later she got my attention and said, “Mommy, your cookies make me happy.”  What a sweetheart!

Today I took on the task of mowing the backyard, seriously I think the kids could have gotten lost in it, okay maybe it wasn’t quite that bad.  We usually bag our clippings but out of pure laziness I decided to let the mower “mulch” the clippings.  Now when I was going to do this the kids were going to be in the backyard playing.  Apparently Jack didn’t get the memo about the playing part.  He spent a portion of the time walking beside me and making the happiest little noises he could make.  At one point I stopped the mower to talk with Anna and Jack ran to the mower and held onto the handle part with a great look of determination.  Is he to young to have mowing our lawn, of course you have to overlook the fact that he can’t push the mower.

Also, if anybody is in the area over the next two weeks and want to watch our kids for an hour or two, let me know….I have some scrapbook shopping to do.

Two posts in less then a week!  Can you believe it?  Everybody breathing okay now?

Friday night we had an Unbirthday Birtday Party for Damion .  It was a surprise party that remained a surprise until he got home from work.  I was so impressed that he didn't find out about it.  Anna & I were planning to have a party for him on his actual birthday but as you may or may not recall, that was was three days after he rolled the ATV and a day after he got home for DC. It was a time when he was enjoying the benefits of prescription painkillers. Basically it was not a good time to have a birthday party, which Anna was all excited about having.  A couple of days after his birthday Anna was still wishing Damion and happy birthday. Damion proceeded to advise Anna of the term Happy UnBirthday. From that point on she's been talking about an UnBirthday party for Damion.  So, Friday night was the night for fun with friends and family and friends that are like family.

Today we made a decision regarding Anna.  After two and a half years of Anna growing her curly hair we decided to "tame" it by getting her hairs cut and giving her hair shape.  We took her to a place that specializes in doing kids' cuts.  They have fun chairs for the kids and a small area to occupy siblings.  Anna got to pick a movie (I selected Finding Nemo) to watch while getting her hair cut and got to select which chair she wanted to sit in (she selected the pink car).  Anna sat in the chair like she'd had her hairs cut several times already.  My little baby girl looks like a little girl now.

I also have to complain about something.  Last week while making lunch I burnt my onearm (Some might call it a forearm but I only have two arms and since I count left to right my left arm is my onearm and my right arm in my twoarm.  Quite simple don't you think?) on the pizza sheet that I had used to cook our fun hot dogs (our Schwans man prefers I call them mini corn dogs).  It created a burn about four inches long.  It is healing well, thank you for asking.  The problem is that it is SUPER itchy and all I want to do is scratch it but I know that's not good for it so instead I think I shall go get some sugar snap peas or watermelon and watch Firefly and try to ignore my itchy onearm.

No update since March 7?  No pictures of activities in March?  It’s March 29^th!  I’m such a slacker……okay after a second of thinking about it I’m not a slacker, just a busy person.

The beginning started fairly normal.  See a doctor about Damion’s foot and play phone tag with the nurse to discuss the diagnosis a bit more.  Repair the broken drier (thank you Handy Man Damion for keeping it under $50).  Buy a new grill.  Watch the kids play with the two horseys we found on the curb.  Play outside with the kids in weather that was maybe a bit too cold some days to be outside and also on gorgeous spring days. 

The middle was the challenge.  Our friend Adam’s mom was hospitalized and had several procedures done, TO HER BRAIN.  Since she was in ICE her grandson (Connor, 15 mths) couldn’t be there.  So Keri, Connor’s mom, accepted our offer to watch Connor.  Needless to say it was interesting having three kids until 3 in our house.  During that time Jack seemed to work hard at increasing his vocabulary and Anna was the gracious host full of hugs for Connor.  Fortunately all three got along well.  Momma is doing better and has been home for a week, which happens to be how long Connor has been back with his mom. 

 The end is still being written.  More playing outside as weather allows, what’s with the forecast of snow?  Damion threw up his hands at repairing his truck at thanks to his brother now has a Volvo 960.  I spent yesterday at Traffic School (43 mph in a 30 mph, honestly I thought it was a 35 mph).  Yesterday Jack also got his first haircut.  Today I also uploaded a ton of pictures for everybody with more details about the little things over the month.  Enjoy!