Go, Go, Goers!

What's this I see? Is it grass peeking out from underneath the snow? In case you haven't been keeping track, MN is in the midst of one of the snowiest winters on record. I'm not sure what number we're up to now, but the last time I watched the news, we were at #8, with only a few more inches of snow needed to bump us up several spots on the list. But, never fear, the sunshine is here! A good percentage of our front yard has lost its snow melt due to the warmer, sunny days this past week. Pria doesn't know where to go or what to sniff each time she heads outside! It's refreshing to think about the walks we'll be able to take now that the ice has melted off of most of the sidewalks (those north facing lots just don't get the warmth needed to get rid of those pile fast!) We just wrapped up the last week of school for both kids before spring break. We are not going anywhere on vacation, but I did take next Friday off to spend the day with the kids (not sure ...

I am so proud of our little G! Friday is generally when the majority of the week's assignments/tests come home in his take-home folder. Imagine my surprise this weekend when I pulled out several assignments/tests with perfect scores! He's doing so well in school and is working really hard at keeping his high emotions in check. I know it's so hard for him, and he slips up, but he tries to calm down quickly and apologize after an outburst.  Ava had a concert band concert on Monday night, and also participated in the 9th grade area-wide band festival at a high school across the cities on Wednesday. They stopped at the MoA for lunch/shopping on the way home. Seems like a pretty grand way to spend a day in the middle of a winter week! Not sure this is a comfy position to watch a movie, but...ok! Last night, I chose a non-funny, serious movie for Ava and me to watch. G was off watching YouTube (but asked a question of me this morning that let me know he was paying a little attent...

Both kids exceled at something new this week. Ava picked up my old Xbox Soul Calibur II game and had a blast kicking butt (literally) in the game - both mine and Scott's! It was fun to bring back the memories from years ago when I played it, but I clearly don't have the patience (or time) to sit down for several hours and refine my skills. But, Ava had fun, and that's what matters! G has been practicing multiplication, and he got a perfect score on his timed test. We have been practicing with flash cards, and the hard work paid off. We're so proud of both of these kids, and are pleased with how things are going for them in school, as well as their extracurricular activities.  We've had a lot going on this week with a jazz band concert, swimming, taekwondo, tax prep, school dances, a sleepover, and family visits. This weekend couldn't come fast enough! Don't forget to spring forward an hour tonight...it's daylight savings again!

Not too much to report at this time...we've been busy with life and family, and I realized I haven't taken many pictures over the last few weeks. However, the kids have been sitting (no, not literally) on their taekwondo green belts for a while, without any movement towards getting any stripes. Imagine my surprise when this week, Ava's name was called out at the end of class, and she earned her first stripe for her green belt! I did see that G had some good 1:1 time with Mr. Jake during that same class, and he encouraged them both to practice so they could continue to move up in the belts. G might be able to test for his first stripe soon! We're very proud of G. February is "I love to read" month at his school, and their class goal was to have all students read 1,000 minutes (outside of school.) He accomplished that goal, and never complained about it! I'm so happy that both of our kiddos love to read. I can imagine what a struggle it would be if a child d...