Love is in the Air

Yesterday was Valentine's Day.  In the morning we rushed out the door to get to a baby blessing for our good friends.  So we waited until later to have our traditional cinnamon rolls with pink frosting.  Matt was in charge of getting the kids a little candy and a small toy.  I thought it was so funny that his idea of a Valentine's present was hillbilly teeth, farting putty, and a whoopie cushion.  The kids have been having a lot of fun with it though.

For dinner we had our 2nd annual family candlelit dinner.  We had pasta, breadsticks and strawberries. The kids thought it was a lot of fun.

Hank must have still been feeling the Valentine's spirit today because when I went to pick him up from nursery at church the nursery leaders told me that  when a little girl got hurt Hank gave her a hug and then kissed her on the lips.

Before the bunk beds Hank was sleeping on the crib mattress on the floor.  We would bend down to hug him and he would give the best, tightest one armed hug.  The new hug angle in the bunk bed hasn't led to too tight hugs but now he will ask during the day when he hugs me, "Too tight?"  It's so cute.

I went to parent-teacher conferences this week.  Jane and Jack are both doing great.  Jane's teacher gave me a big valentine's card that Jane had made for Matt and I in the classroom.  It started out so sweet and ended so hilariously.  I was a little embarrassed that the teacher had probably read it and wasn't sure what to make of Jane saying we don't always care about her yet also admitting that her cries are fake.  Too funny.

I think Hank has really come out of his shell in nursery.  Not just because of the kiss, but because when I went to get him he was wrestling with the male nursery leader and was dragging him to the ground.

Jack picked out an Angry Bird pattern to make with melty beads on Monday. He spent a long time at the kitchen counter putting on beads. He asked me often, probably every few minutes as least something like, “do you think this is going to be cool” “do you think this is so awesome?” He was so excited about it and just wanted constant verification that it was indeed, awesome. What a cutie.

Jack told me he likes being Dad's "Juney handyman".  He meant Junior handyman, of course.  Here he is helping Matt get the water out of the sprinkler pipes before a freeze.  

Hank went to the ENT this week.  They gave him a tympanogram, which from what I gathered is a little ear bud placed in the ear that changes the air pressure of the ear and then measures the ear drums response.  A normal ear drum would move in response to the air pressure but Hanks showed very little movement because he has fluid built up behind the ear drum.  So he is going to be getting tubes at the beginning of March.  We are excited for him to be able to hear a little better and hopefully it will help him talk more clearly too.

Hank is pretty much done with napping.  But if we go anywhere in the car after about 4:30 he will totally fall asleep.  This was after a 2 minute car ride.

We just got back from the Sabin's house.  Two exciting victories took place.  Matt and I were both at nine points in Settlers of Catan but since you have to win on your turn, I knew I had to win before my turn was over or Matt would win on his turn.  I was about to admit defeat when I realized if I could just get someone to trade me for a wheat that I could win.  But no one trades someone with 9 points so I begged Max to trade me.  In my desperation I added, I will give you all of the gum that's left in my Cherry Sour Patch gum pack.  That did it!  I won!  But I do feel bad about the less than legal victory.

After that game Max went downstairs and he and Leah played Mario Smash Bros against Jane and Jack.  Somehow Jack has gotten really good at that game.  Jane and Leah were both out of lives so it was down to Max and Jack who each had one life left.  Max kept throwing Jack off the cloud but Jack would miraculously fly back up without dying.  Jack kept swinging a hammer and hitting Max and it was neck and neck.  Jane and Leah were cheering and screaming like crazy and Jack was all business.  Eventually Jack's player did a special number where a big cauldron came out and he cooked up Max.  Everyone thought it was over and Jack and Jane were cheering but then out of the blue Max was still alive.  Jack quickly grabbed Max's guy, spun him around and then hurled him off the cloud.  Jane and Jack went WILD!!!!  It was hilarious. Later I told Jack, "I can't believe you were able to beat a bigger kid, Jack."  Jack said,  "We were playing on the TV, you know that, right?"  As if I got confused and thought Jack and Max were hurling hammers and cooking each other in cauldrons in real life.