Time flies

So yesterday I took little ben to kindergarten registration!!! I can't believe how old he is getting.  There is a charter school around here that has a dual immersion program where the kids are going to be learning in both english and spanish.  It is actually supposed to make them smarter kids in the long run.  We decided to try and get him in it because spanish would be a very useful language to know, plus then the bens could talk bad about the rest of the family without us knowing ;)
Anyways, I called them up and they told me when registration was, but that Ben would have to test into the program.  That worried me because he does really well with numbers and reasoning, but he has no patience for letters or writing.  His only writes Ben and the "e" is backwards.  You cant tell him that though because he will get mad at you.  He only identifies half of the alphabet too.  So I was worried that maybe he was behind, but that we would try anyways.  So yesterday we went over to Summit Charter Academy and waited in line for 4 hours (there were a lot of other parents wanting to get their kids into the school).  He went back to be tested (not sure on what, they wouldn't let me over there) and then we were told that we would find out by the end of the week.
This afternoon I got a call from the school telling me that he was accepted into the program!  So exciting!  He will be at a good, safe school in a good program.  Because he will be learning in both spanish and english, they said that the first couple of years his scores might be lower than the other kindergarten class, but that he should catch up after that and then surpass them.  It should be fun.

Brynna is up and up

I took Brynna in for another blood test on Friday.  Her levels are 219! She has to be tested again in one month and if they are still normal, then she gets released. (their words not mine, i'm not sure what they are releasing her from)
She is even beter enough to get her 2 year old shots in a couple of weeks.  I am sure she is excited! :)

Valenties

For valenties day, i made heart shaped pizzas for the kids.  Once they were cooked, they looked more like blobs, but the kids were super excited and ate more than usual!

After dinner, we decorated heart shaped cookies. The kids love anything to do with frosting and sprinkles!

testing the frosting

such concentration

cheese just let me eat it

yes there are multiple layers of frosting and sprinkles

so happy

Family

Mid January my mom and grandparents came to visit for the day.  We ate round table pizza (my favorite!) hung out and played with the kids, and then went out for dinner at El Tapatio's.  Here are some pics!

reading books

so happy!

cheese

Ben and Ethan got Go Fish! and Old Maid cards for Christmas.  Grammie, Mom, and I sat down with the boys to help them play.  Ben was on Grammie's team and he lost every time (She didn't help him "cheat", just helped hold the cards.  Mom helped Ethan and I used my knowledge to whoop their butts!).  This is his Old Maid face!

All of us!

EEEEEEKKKKKKK!!!!!!!! The Beach!!!

So after I hadn't been to the beach for 5 years, and another 5 before that, I finally went to the beach!  My hubby had the whole week after New Years off still, so my family, and the Wilder family went to the beach!  We went to see the elephant seals who come to this beach every year to have their babies.

The sign says "don't feed the wildlife"  Too bad I didn't have them pose with it!

Brynna was afraid to sit on the railing because she thought she would fall over and be eaten by the seals!

OK I'll smile if Daddy holds me!

After checking out the seals, we went to a different beach called moonstone further down the coast.  There we had a picnic and we played.  

Ethan

 Brynna

Ben

Everybody (not sure about ben's face and mine i will blame on the sun!)

Ben climbing a fun pine tree with Addison

Proof that I do really exist

So Ethan was climbing on this railing that was the only thing between him and the ocean beneath the cliff.  I told him that he needed to get down or he would fall and drown in the ocean.  OK, maybe that was a little dramatic but keep in mind that I am about 50 feet away from him at this point.  

So after we all finished eating and playing up on the grass, we went down to the beach.  

This is as close to the water as ethan got.  After this point, he started screaming bloody murder that we all needed to get away from the water or we were going to drown.  He then spent the next 30 mins up on the beach, bawling that everybody was going to die, we all needed to go home, the seals were going to come eat us, we were all going to drown.  He was a bit freaked!  After we got him calmed down, he played up in the sand (far away from the water) and the rest of us explored.  

 Ben checking out tide pools.

The hermit crab I found.

Ethan in the sand with Addison, Vincent, and Grandma Wilder

Worn out after a long day!

We had tons of fun and hope to go back soon to do it again.  This I know for sure, I will not be waiting another 5 years to go to the beach!

Christmas

Before bed on Christmas Eve, my kids got to open one gift, pjs of course!

Christmas my kids woke up to this

New chairs to watch TV/ read books in!

Christmas morning line up

Yippee!!!

We opened lots and lots of presents and the kids really enjoyed getting stuff.  Ben would open one thing just to give it one look and one smile and then ask for the next thing.  I guess this year we need to work on being less greedy.  

They got rain boots because the grass stays wet here all winter long.  This way they can play outside without ruining their shoes!

Ben got a bloody nose towards the end of presents.  That kid gets bloody noses at the drop of a hat!

Playing with their leapfrog tag pens. 

Trying to put her new "baby" on the potty.  Silly girl!

Christmas was really great.  We were able to relax and take a break from all of Brynna's ITP.  The kids had a blast and we really enjoyed the family time.  

Pre Christmas fun

This year we decided that instead of transporting 3 kids and 5 sets of presents anywhere, we would spend our first Christmas at home.  It was soooooooo wonderful!!!  We had a party with our friends, the Wilders the week before Christmas to decorate "gingerbread" houses (we cheated and used graham crackers).

Daddy is whistling while helping Brynna

Addison and Nicholas Wilder

Ben and Eliza (Vincent and Sarah were there too, just camera shy :)

Brynna ate more frosting than she put on her house

Ethan working hard

Daddy helping Ethan

John Wilder helping Ben

Tada

My husband helped, cant you tell :)

Christmas Eve we made a snowman pizza.  The kids thought it was hilarious.