February

A roundup of some of our February 2014 activities:

One or two Battle of the Books competitions per week for Joseph:

Basketball games every Friday night for Joseph, in which we were able to see him put into practice many of the new basketball skills he has worked so hard on:

I am still trying to get copies of pictures of this, but the first weekend of February we attended Aubrey's Children's Theater performances. The youth performed snippets of Shakespeare plays. Aubrey did a fantastic job!

Joseph and I were enraptured by the Olympics. (The rest of the family watched some of the coverage, but weren't as obsessive about it.) I think Joseph and I together watched almost every interesting minute of coverage (we did fast forward through the cross country, lots of the bobsled, and some downhill skiing.  We especially liked the Snowboard cross, the Halfpipe, and the jumping. And I loved the ice skating.) Joseph would hold out a blanket and ask me if I wanted to watch Olympics and then I would drop whatever else I was supposed to be doing and we would snuggle on the couch under a blanket and take in the spectacle. I was so sad when it was over. There really isn't anything else we can or do watch which has appeal to a 9 year old and a Mom!

Our annual Valentine's Day Dinner, which took place a few days after the Love Holiday (because Aubrey had rehearsal and Bailey was babysitting on Valentine's Day evening).

 

Cupid's Love Potion . . . . mmmmmmmm

 Valentine's morning each of the kids got a special treat: 

 
Joseph was required to make a creative Valentine's box for school. Many parents get really into this and help their kids create a robot or an instrument for something else uber-creative. We copied an idea from Joseph's good friend and made a Lego.  Easy and cool!

 I was able to help at Joseph's school Valentine's Day party. I love having a grade schooler!

 The kids did crafts and games before opening their Valentines.

Bailey has become very health-conscious, and her AP Environmental Science class has taught her much about the value of eating whole foods and the types of ingredients we should be avoiding in our foods. In addition to high quality grains and proteins, she eats lots of fruits and vegetables every day - she is an example to all of us.  One day in February Bailey and I had way too much fun at Trader Joe's, stocking up on some healthy (or "healthier") foods.

And, February was a month in which we had a chance to be involved in some important service to people we love who have been going through some real challenges. One of the things we were able to do was make some meals. Some days it got a little wild and crazy around our kitchen. This day I had to snap a picture of the disaster area remaining after I had delivered dinner and before we started cleaning up. Wow - I'm not sure how I managed to fill every inch of countertop with stuff and leave almost every drawer and cupboard open!