Puzzle Master

Little Shane has become quite the puzzle master!  This is a direct result of his attempt to do everything his older sister can do!  And while it was a bit frustrating at first, she does have that two year age advantage, he focused on the task at hand and can now do all the puzzles in the house!  He first started doing the 25 piece puzzles Faith was doing...

Upon realizing that Shane could now do these, I figured it was time to buy Faith a few more challenging puzzles.  But of course, Shane wasn't far behind!  He quickly took over the 60 piece puzzle that was hers.  And then it was the 100 piece Under the Sea puzzle!

He probably does this puzzle five or six times a day!!

Here he is in action!  And  he does it all by himself!!

Today he pulled out a 48 piece horse puzzle.  I was curious to see how he would do with it as he had never done that one before.  But within a matter of minutes, here was the result...again, with no help!!



Random happenings...

It seems as though nothing "big" or especially exciting has been going on in our family lately, but there have been a few little things of note...

Today we signed Faith up for soccer.  It doesn't start until the end of August, but sign ups are now!  This is one of those times in life that I am very glad I have friends who have kids older than mine so that I was aware of the (crazy!) fact that fall AYSO soccer sign ups are in May!!  This is something Faith has been asking to do for a long time, so it will be interesting to see if she actually enjoys it!  Since receiving a soccer ball for her birthday from Aunt Joan and Uncle Roger, we have been doing some practicing in the back yard!

Speaking of doing new things, I have started taking a few classes at a local Brazilian Jiu Jitsu gym!  It is something I never imagined ever trying (or wanting to try!!) or even liking, but I have really enjoyed it!!  It is extremely challenging - both mentally and physically - and being a person who can get set in her ways, I am enjoy this new little adventure!! 

This is Shane today!  Warmer weather always tends to bring popsicles to our house!  And just recently the kids discovered that there are these delicious things called chocolate popsicles!  Yes, the older they get and the more observant they get, the more their horizons are expanding! 

Pajama Day!

Yesterday was Pajama Day at preschool.  And guess which lame-o mom forgot??  Yes, it was me!!  Poor Faith arrived at school and quickly realized that all her friends were in the comforts of their pjs, while her mother had dressed her!  Of course, I had a coffee meeting right after dropping her at school, so I could not immediately correct the  mistake!  Thankfully, I think this little life blunder was harder on me than in was on Faith!  And after my meeting, I immediately brought her some pajamas!  Since Shane has to be exactly like Faith, he stayed in his pjs too for most of the day as he was the one who had not been dressed in the morning!  He was thrilled to ride in the car wearing them!  Oh the things that excite a two year old!  It ended up being a good day...and one we wont soon forget!!

Preschool Spring Program

Tonight was Faith's preschool spring program!  She has been looking forward to this for weeks as her class prepared songs to sing!  After the program we also were able to visit Faith's classroom to see some special art work she created.  All in all, it was a fun night of celebrating Faith and her classmates!  Faith preformed well, as usual!  She always seems to be in the front center, and I can always hear her!  While often entertaining, it is nice to see her enjoy performing! The pictures did not turn out all that well (my camera battery was running low, which made the quality go down a bit!)  And it was very nice that Grandma Poelstra and Aunt Joan were able to come to the program as well!!

Posing for pictures after the first of four songs Faith sang

Getting ready to sing - I love the different expressions the kids are displaying!

Faith did all the motions to the songs!

More motions...."Jesus Rock and Rolls my blues away..."

Finished singing for the night!

I just thought this one was kind of funny!

Mother's Day

Happy Mother's Day!  I hope that all the mothers reading this had a day filled with love and appreciation!  Given that my kids are just 5 and 2 1/2, I was pleasantly surprised by their acknowledgement of the day! I was showered with many "Happy Mother's Day mommy" and "I love you!"  Faith even sang me "Happy Mother's Day" to the tune of "Happy Birthday"!  I thought that was pretty cute!   Since Steve had to work, the kids and I went to Steve's brother Russell's house for the day.  It was an extra special day for Grandma Poelstra as it was also her birthday!  So we had a great time celebrating moms and grandma!

One of the highlights of the day for the kids was seeing Uncle Russell's new puppy Josie!  They loved playing with little Josie, and Shane even had her sit on his lap - with Grandma's help, of course!

Again, Shane and Josie! 

And by the end of the day, Shane wanted to be Josie!  I didn't get any pictures of it, but Shane was even playing fetch - and would carry the ball back in his mouth!! 

This picture was taken on the prior Friday.  Grandpa Poelstra was over for the afternoon, so he and Steve and Faith rode bikes to a local diner called the Busy Bee to get hot fudge sundaes!  Shane and I could not pass up the opportunity for ice cream, so we met them there!  And Shane showed once again his love of all things sweet!!

Faith loved her sundae too!  Apparently it tastes better if she leaves her bike helmet on!!  She actually finished her sundae first and tried to help Shane with his!!



Sunday in Santa Barbara

We spent a beautiful Sunday in Santa Barbara yesterday!  We started out by going to church and out for lunch, but the real excitement was spending the afternoon at the Santa Barbara Fair!!  The kids were especially excited as they reminisce weekly about going to the Ventura fair last year!  And since Grandpa and Grandma Bruinsma were still in town, they joined us on the adventure!

Faith getting ready to swing!

Since Shane was too small to go alone, he convinced Grandpa to join him!  Apparently Shane said over and over again "This is fun!!"

Kids driving in the car together

Steve took the kids into the petting zoo area where they fed the goats!

Once he got the hang of it, Shane loved feeding the goats!  After a goat would take the food from him, Shane would say, "He likes it!"

After Faith was finished feeding them, she would go around and brush the animals and give them hugs!  It was cute!





The kids are officially counting down to the Ventura fair now!  Only 3 months to go!!

Family Birthday Party

All good things must come to an end...including celebrating birthdays!  This weekend we celebrated Faith's birthday with our family and friends, capping off a week of celebrating!  It was a beautiful day for a barbecue, and we enjoyed an afternoon of just hanging out!! 

The birthday girl was naturally very excited!!  She loved seeing all the "cousins", which for our kids are dogs!!!  The kids love animals and were excited that their aunt and uncles bring them!

Present time!!

A pillow pet!!  I have been hearing about these for a long time as Faith has been wanting one for a long time!

"Happy Birthday to you!"

Everyone is excited it's time for cake!!  Especially Shane!

Dino Shane

Shane has a new obsession.  Dinosaurs!!  While he still is really into Buzz and all things Toy Story, he is really into dinosaurs right now!  His favorite show: Dino Dan!  And then he found this shirt...which he has worn now three times this week!! 

Faith's New Ride!

One of the things that Faith wanted for her birthday was a bike.  So we got her one...that attaches to our bike!!  Last spring we bought each of the kids seats that attached to the back of our bikes.  It turned out to be one of our most fun purchases as we had a great time riding our bikes to the beach with the kids.  We knew that Faith had outgrown the seat, so this type of bike seemed to be a natural progression!  Our biking to the beach days can still happen!!

We had mentioned to Faith the idea of getting a bike for her birthday, which she thought was a great idea.  Well Steve went and picked up the bike this morning, and then picked Faith up from preschool on his bike with her new attachment on it!  She was beyond excited!  Since I knew what was happening, I was ready with my camera to capture the moment of them arriving home on the new bike!

She's already a pro at it!!

They did a few passes in front of the house so I could get a few pictures!!

All smiles!!

Our plan was to go to In N Out Burger for lunch with the kids after Faith was finished with preschool.  Faith loved the bike ride so much that she and Steve also biked to In N Out!!!  It was so fun for Shane and I, driving, to see them in action on the road! 

Coming home from lunch!  And if that wasn't enough, they went for yet another ride after the kids had their swim lesson this afternoon!



Happy Easter!

Happy Easter!  What a privilege it is to serve a risen Savior!!  The glory and hope revealed in the events of Easter can not be matched!!  With the kids, I love that each year they glean more of what Easter entails!  We enjoyed a nice Easter Sunday.  Some of the highlights...

• listening to Faith sing "Christ the Lord is Risen Today" in church.  She didn't know the words, but quickly caught on to the "Alleluia" parts!
• seeing Faith and all the other children in church singing "Jesus Loves Me" at the front of church before heading out to Sunday School
• Singing the "Hallelujah Chorus" in church
• the kids loving their new Easter clothes!  Shane loves his "handsome clothes"!
• not having ham for dinner!!!  Being one who does not care for ham, we had Tri-Tip on the barbecue since I was planning the menu!!
• Spending the day together as a family

Birthday Party with Friends

Tonight we celebrated Faith's birthday with her friends!  A few months ago I gave Faith the choice of going to Disneyland or having a party with friends.  Obviously, she chose the latter.  I was hoping for Disneyland!  We decided to have the party at a very fun place called Clubhouse Fun Zone with her buddy Bodie, who has a birthday on Saturday.  While I stressed the days leading up to the party, the kids had a blast, Faith LOVED it, and it was a joy to see everyone having so much fun!  It makes it all worth the stress and work that goes into planning it!!

Here is Faith with some of her preschool friends

Shane insisted on wearing his Buzz wings!  Originally, he wanted to wear just the wings, as in no shirt underneath!  So we compromised in him wearing a shirt and keeping the wings!!  And he wore them the entire time!

Prepping for "Happy Birthday"!!

lighting candles for the birthday buddies!

After watching me make cupcakes today, frost them, and then seeing then at the party, Shane was more than patient in waiting to eat one!!

Enjoying their party!!

Shane was thrilled to have his friend Miles there!  They play so well together and have great fun!

Happy 5th Birthday Faith!!

It is hard to believe that our little girl turns FIVE today!  Wow!!  Time seems to fly every year, but for some reason turning five seems like a monumental occasion!  We are so thankful for each day that our lives have been blessed by this little girl!  Leading up to this day, I have really been noticing those moments where I can see her acting older.  From her wanting to order her own food at restaurants, asking the librarian who the author of a book is all on her own, and thanking me for serving carrots for dinner because it is a good source of vitamin C, I am constantly reminded that she is getting older and more independent!!  While I love seeing this independence, it also makes me realize that she is only going to become more so, which really is a good thing, but also hard at the same time for me!

So today we celebrate Faith and who God has created her to be!!  We celebrate her helpful personality (I am always amazed at how much she wants to help Steve and I out!!), puzzle-making skills, curiosity about learning new things, love of books and music, and her love for her family.  May God continue to bless you, Faith, this year and many, many more!!  We love you!

Easter Traditions

Over the past week, many friends have been posing questions about Easter traditions with kids.  In light of those conversations, I decided to share two of the traditions I do with Faith and Shane.  The first is Resurrection Eggs. 

We started this tradition a few years ago as a way to tangibly teach the kids about the Easter story.  The kids LOVE this!!  And I am always amazed how much they absorb and can retell!  With the Resurrection Eggs, starting twelve days before Easter one egg is hidden each morning.  Inside the egg is something related to the Easter Story.  For example, on the first day a donkey is in the egg.  And the finally on Easter morning is an empty egg symbolizing the empty tomb. 

So the next tradition is one that I am starting this year.  It is called Resurrection Rolls.  On Friday (since there is no school!), the kids and I will be making them!  I am excited to once again create a way to reinforce the concept of Easter!  Here is the recipe for the rolls...

Resurrection Rolls
Ingredients:
•1 can refrigerated crescent roll dough

• 8 large marshmallows
• Melted butter
• Cinnamon
• Sugar
Directions:
1. Give each child one triangle shaped section of crescent roll. This represents the tomb.
2. Each child takes one marshmallow which represents the body of Christ.
3. Dip the marshmallow in the butter and roll in cinnamon and sugar mixture. This represents the oils and    spices the body was anointed with upon burial.
4. Lay the marshmallow on the dough and carefully wrap it around the marshmallow.
5. Make sure all seams are pinched together well. (Otherwise the marshmallow will "ooze" out of the seams)
6. Bake according to package directions.
7. Cool.
8. Break open the tomb and the body of Christ is no longer there!!
9. Celebrate God's love!