ben's leprechaun trap

Look what Ben made the other day {all on his own, of course!}. Determined to catch one of those wee folk, he found some boxes and green tissue paper and went to work. Lollipop sticks and toothpicks were glued together for the ladder on the side. He sat it on his bedroom floor so the leprechauns would see it when they came to scatter gold chocolate coins.

A jewel inside to tempt the little guys...

This way, you say?

A-ha! The jewel!

Little do they know about the looming pit hiding beneath the green tissue paper.

Despite Ben's good efforts, I'm sad to say that no leprechauns were caught this year. They are just too smart and quick! They did bring gold chocolates though, and a box of Lucky Charms and green milk. They even turned the toilet water green!

wee leprechauns

Look what I pulled out of the spring decorations box, haha! Ben and Hannah made these a few years back, when Nina was just a baby. I need to go buy some more green craft foam so Nina and Olivia can make some too.

Here's the project in case you are feeling both Irish and crafty this week.

P.S. This old Irish potato dish is what we have for dinner on St. Patrick's Day every year, along with a rainbow fruit salad {because everyone knows there's a pot of gold at the end of the rainbow}. Just a big platter of strawberries, oranges or mangoes, bananas, kiwi, blueberries and purple grapes, piled into a rainbow shape. Sometimes we do green veggies and dip too.

We are hoping the leprechauns will bring us gold chocolate coins and Lucky Charms and green milk for breakfast again!

:)

Tonight Nina said that if she found a pot of gold, she would use it to buy gold chocolate coins.

something from nothing

Look what Ben made for me out of a paperclip.

He's so sweet and so creative. I love you Ben!

where's all my tupperware?

Oh, of course. It's in the freezer! Ben does this all the time. He takes the big ice chunks outside and either builds castles with them, or shatters them on the pavement. Sometimes he freezes little figurines in the ice for added fun.

ben's valentine box

Ben made this all on his own, and as you can see he won "Most Creative" in his class!

the bridge project

There's a little canyon up behind my parents' house where my dad built a bridge last summer. It allows access for hikers and mountain bikers over the river there. In the fall he cleans it up, scraping the mud out of every crack, in an effort to preserve the bridge for as long as possible.

For school, Ben was assigned to participate in a service project. He decided he wanted to help Grandpa clean up the bridge. He worked so hard, digging dirt out of tiny crevices and sweeping everything away. I love that he was able to spend that time with Grandpa.

Ben earned 100% on the service project and presentation poster. His teacher, Mrs. Lindsey, was really impressed. She wrote on the side of the grading sheet, "How fun that you were able to work on this with your grandpa!"

eleven? already?

But wait! That's not fair! Didn't I just take these pictures...last week?

I'm about a week late posting this, but it's true. Ben is eleven. I am his mom. So therefore you can deduct that I am OLD.

I love this boy so much...we have so much fun just hanging out in the kitchen, laughing about dumb stuff. He's such a good little friend. I can't believe how much he helps me out (when he's in the mood!). Like yesterday he helped me load up a dresser into the van to take to my sister, then he babysat Olivia while I took it to her. Sometimes he just comes up from behind and gives me a hug and a kiss on the cheek. He's such a sweet kid. And I'm so happy I get to be his mom.

I can't believe how fast the last 11 years have gone. I can't think about it too much or it makes me a little sad. In 11 more years he will be almost the age I was when he was born! Yikes! See? I just can't think about it.

So for now I am just grateful that even though he's eleven, he is still a kid. He still loves candy and Legos and video games.

{Then again, so does Clayton.}

We just had a low-key birthday this year. It was a beautiful, HOT day for September 30th. Spent some time at the park with little cousins, went to IKEA with the family to pick up a new dresser for his newly decorated room {finally!}, made his favorite Chicken and Wild Rice Soup, and ate banana splits together while watching Diary of a Wimpy Kid. Funniest movie I've seen in a while by the way!

Happy birthday Ben, we love you.

every badge in the book

Check him out. That Cub Scout shirt is plastered in badges. This was taken a few weeks ago, just before he received his "Arrow of Light" at pack meeting. That's the equivalent of "Eagle" in Boy Scouts. He earned a ton more badges that night too, and so many belt loops that they won't even fit on his belt. Ben, we are so proud of you!

Clayton is the Cub Master, and he did such a great job on the Arrow of Light presentation for Ben and one other boy in our pack. He did it Indiana Jones style, complete with the theme music and an antique looking map he made out of a paper bag. He said, "You Cub Scouts are always prepared, right?" which was the cue for one of the leaders to hit the lights. The boys said, "Right!" as they each turned on a flashlight. Obviously, Clay told them to have flashlights for the thing beforehand, but it added to the Indiana Jones feel, like they were in a cave looking for a treasure.

This is Ben's last month in Cub Scouts since he is turning 11 on the 30th. He's sad to leave it, but excited to move on to the Boy Scouts stuff...like camp outs!

junk and a glue gun

Ben's so crafty. Give that kid some junk and a glue gun, and voila!

P.S. Last week he heated up the glue gun, then headed outside to trap ants in hot glue...evil! "Look Mom, they're like those bugs that are trapped in amber at the dinosaur museum!" He even caught one that was carrying a big crumb.

ben's bedroom update

The inspiration for his new room, from Land of Nod.

For about the past year, Ben has been asking for a new bedroom. Apparently his room is too babyish, to the point of being embarrassed to have friends over. "Mom, the walls are baby blue." I can't believe I have kids old enough to feel that way, but okay.

So we've been looking in catalogs for new ideas for non-babyish boy rooms, and we finally found one that he loves. So first we made a checklist to get his room cleaned up, and now we are in the process of painting walls and furniture and making new bedding. I decided to make a new duvet cover rather than pay the $100 to the Land of Nod, and I'm almost done. In the meantime, Ben's been sleeping on his mattress in the basement, with all his dresser drawers spread out across the floor (and Olivia constantly pilfering them). He can't wait to move into his new room! Hopefully it won't be much longer. I'll post the "after" photos as soon as it's all finished.

tater tots

Ben

Hannah {and Aunt Cami}

Nina

Olivia

Every kid has the right to wear Mr. Potato Head glasses at least once

in their life, don't you think?

chrumpits and other fine works of art

"I hav thes litl sisr hr name is Nina she mac's me lafe she is 1 yestrday she got into the pot's and pans hse mad same suop."

-Ben, 1st grade

"I shuvled the drivwa." -Ben, 1st grade

"I got a pocitnife for Christmas." -Ben, 1st grade

"Yestrday I want to the cabin. I was helping bild the pipes and (it) was raning. And I did some of the alekchrek (electrical work)." -Ben, 1st grade

"I think I'm a good bildr." -Ben, 1st grade

Ben's 2007-08 Reflections Contest Winner! "I Can Make a Difference By Planting Seeds."

2nd grade

A little Norwegian paper doll Ben made for his Norway report, 2nd grade.

Hannah's drawing of musical instruments, age 6. "Chrumpit, Xilafon, Dram and Peano."

A self portrait on the potty, by Hannah, age 5. She is saying, "Wipe me mom." Nice.

A menu by Hannah, age 6. "Rabeyoley (ravioli). Pasta. Coorn chawder. Pancacks. Eggs. Sallid. Froot. Hot Dogs. Toast. Barbecoo. Pizza. Vegeys. Sasejes. Metbolls. Hambergess. Timato."

What the heck? Some love and a hot dog, by Hannah, age 5.

"do NOT come in I am doing somthing and you are not alowd to come in and that means you Ben! But you can come in Mom!" -Hannah, age 6

"Pig With a Moustache" -Nina, age 3

"Our Family on the Couch" -Nina, age 3

"Eeyore" puppet (from Winnie-the-Pooh), by Nina, age 3

Last week I decided to finally tackle the eyesore in the corner of my bedroom...the overflowing box of kids' artwork collected over the last few years. I reeeally let it build up this time! I managed to get it all organized over a couple of days, keeping just the favorites. But still I kept a lot. This stuff is just to funny to part with. At some point, I'd really like to use this great idea with their art.

The kids came in and looked through it with me, and we were all practically peeing our pants from laughing at their old drawings. When I read "chrumpit" I had tears streaming down, it just was so hilarious to me.

Here are a few samples for you, enjoy!

P.S. Clayton's mom recently gave us a fat binder of his elementary school work, and it was filled with good stuff too. My favorite was an "About Me" sheet where he filled in the blanks:

"When it is time for Parent Teacher Conference, I.....want to die." Haha!