Bubbie

Ally tells us all sorts of things about Bubbie (formerly known as Baba).

Bubbie is afraid of water.  He doesn't even like baths, because he doesn't like the feel of the water on his stuffing.

I found this surprising considering Bubbie is so good at canoeing that he taught Ally how.

Move over, Bacon

Ally holds a grudge.  And she doesn't understand references to 80's commercials.

When we were at the waterpark in the Dells we went miniature golfing.  When it was my turn to golf, the kids were all standing around where I had to putt, so I jokingly shooed them away, saying, "Move over, Bacon."

An hour or so later, Ally had to go to the bathroom.  She asked me to help her wipe.  I came in the bathroom and, as I always do, I teased, "Okay, bend over, Stinky."

She looked at me, furious, and exclaimed, "Ugh!  Don't call me things!  First you call me 'Bacon,' and now 'Stinky!'"

Ally with Daddy in a go-kart selfie

A little like Mommy

When I'm having a day filled with Kate's angst, Anna's hyper-activity, and Ally's intensity, I'm grateful for Luke's easy-going personality.  I tend to credit Dave's genes.  Thankfully, Luke is like Dave, I'll think, I'm glad he got Dave's easy-going temperament.

That's why the following situation made me laugh.  I guess Luke got something from me, after all.

Luke, Ally, and I were leaving the bathroom at the waterpark and we had to walk through a big puddle.  Ally joked, "It's like a pool in here."

Luke scrunched up his nose a bit and said, "Yeah, a germ pool."

I guess that he, too, got something from his mom.

But, he still gets his looks entirely from his daddy.

Arcade games

We were walking through the arcade and Kate asked to play a game.  I said no. But it was late, so Ally didn't want to take a no answer that easily.  She went over to the one that looked most appealing and said, "Please!  I really want to play one of these games!"

Riddle

What would you call someone who's named Luke and is also one who walks across a skywalk?

Luke looooved this joke.

Answer:  Luke Skywalker

Go, Ally!

I've been crazy-afraid of heights for nineteen years, since I fell from the tree and ended up messing my arm up so badly I needed surgery.  (My knees would freeze up even trying go up "see-through" steps, as I call them.). But this little girl wanting to do this led her mommy to finally suck-it-up and do this!  Kind of momentous!  And all because of one determined little five-year-old.  

She's got game

When Kate was really little, she tried ballet.  She looked adorable, and was always cooperative, but it wasn't really her thing.  

Later, she got into gymnastics.  She was really good, but she wanted to stop when she got to a level where she'd have to start competing.  

Since I loved yoga, I took her with me a few times.  She was also really good at that, but she wasn't all that interested.

Then last year, after Dave got her really into watching the Milwaukee Bucks, she said she wanted to try basketball.  I secretly thought of her height, or lack of, and wondered if there wasn't something she'd have more success pursing, but I signed her up.

It took her a little while to gather her confidence, but she's doing really well out there now!  The Nicolet Recreation program she's in asked me to take pictures of all the players for the banquet at the end of the year.  Here are a few I took of Kate in her games yesterday.

Doesn't she look like a little pro!?

Stripes and dots

Last Monday Luke had a playdate to celebrate his half birthday.  His friend B didn't seem quite right, but when I asked him about it, he said he felt fine.  We later learned B had step throat.

Tuesday night, Luke came in our room in the middle of the night, crying inexplicably, and he awoke  Wednesday morning with a fever.  He later tested positive for strep.

I didn't want to find a sub to teach that night at Awana, because I'd missed so many days since Thanksgiving, so I left Luke at B's house, and took B's healthy siblings to church with us.  Luke and B had a little strep party.

This Wednesday, with everyone healthy and back at school, B's mom and I planned to get together and have tea.  An hour before I was to meet her, school called and said they had Luke in the health room with a rash.  I told her it was most likely a reaction to the amoxicillin he was on for strep, and I asked if he could go back to class until I got there and checked on him.  The nurse said it was too bad to send him back to class.

I texted B's mom and told her that school had called because Luke had a rash, and even though it was probably just from the amoxicillin, I think I'd have to bring him home.  She replied, "I'm here for the exact same reason."

When I got there, I found Luke and B in the health office lifting up their (and each other's) clothing and comparing spots.

I brought Luke home and gave him Benadryl.  When the Benadryl did nothing to lessen the rash, I worried if it might not be a reaction to the amoxicillin after all.  I called Dave to see if it might be scarlet fever.  He assured me it wasn't, but Luke must have overheard me.  I brought him to Awana that night and left him with a group of other kids and leaders to go make copies.  When I came back, I found that he'd told the others not to worry; he just had scarlet fever.

I ran into B's mom shortly after this and told her the story.  I shook my head in embarrassment.  She told me not to feel bad, B had told everyone he had leprosy!

I brought my class upstairs to check them in.  They get one point each for attendance, uniform, remembering their book, bringing a Bible, and dressing according to the theme, which was stripes or dots that night.

I checked in a couple kids and got to Luke, "You're here, check; you're wearing your uniform, check; you have your book, check; and you're wearing stripes, check."

"And I have dots, too!" he exclaimed.

"Yes!  Yes, you do!" I said, laughing.

B was next.  He'd forgotten to wear stripes, but he showed me his dots.  I gave him a point!

The boys' dots.

Luke's rash on Wednesday.  look at his eyes.

Thursday was even worse.

Anna's birthday party

Anna somehow talked me into letting her have a sleepover birthday party!

It was a lot of fun! 

We decided to let them watch the Minion movie, so we made some minion crafts.  

First shirts...

Then, after dinner and presents, we made some minion twinkies!

And then we beat a minion to death to get some Hershey kisses.

Even Anna's cake was adorned with minions!