Pinewood Derby

One of the highlights each year for our Cub Scouts is the Pinewood Derby Race.  This year we had three boys building cars - it can be an incredibly time-consuming for little guys to cut, sand, and paint their own cars.  Thankfully the pack held a Derby workshop with lots of tools and spray paint available.  All 3 knocked out the majority of their building in just a few hours and easily put on the finishing touches at home.  They (rightfully) were so proud of their creations! 

Tesfaye crafted a Batman Car.
Davis created a Skateboard, complete with a Luke Skywalker rider.
Hendrick built a Lego Car. 

We love having our boys so involved in the building of their own cars.  It gives them such a great sense of pride.  We have never won a single derby race (in our 3 years of scouting), we are definitely not master builders, but we've had some very creative cars.

The Derby Race is not about having the best car, it's a great opportunity to learn good sportsmanship, to cheer on our friends, and to have a fun time.  Our boys certainly had a fun time.  

And bonus, both Tesfaye and Hendrick were awarded trophies for design!

Laundry

As a family of 10, we go through a lot of laundry.  With normal necessary clothes washing as well as the added cleaning needed as a result of 8 very active and busy kids, we regularly wash 2 loads each day.  To try to save a bit on our electric bill, we limit machine drying.  We hang dry.  

Upstairs, we have an open landing overlooking the kitchen.  On one end, we've curtained off a "nursery" for Maclaren while the other side stays busy with our clothes drying racks.  We have four. 

The kids each have weekly chores.  One of the chores is to hang up with wet laundry.  Hiwot is our current expert.  She is very good at laying the clothes on the racks without wrinkles. 

After the clothes are dry, it's time for the next kid's job.  Hendrick and Tesfaye alternate weeks sorting the dry laundry.  We have a system of baskets, set out on shelves next to the drying racks, in the upstairs hallway.  The bins are all labeled, one for each person.  

Then a few times each week, when the bins are full, we have what we call a "laundry party."  The kids all take their bins to their rooms and are each responsible for putting away their own clothing. 

The bigger kids are expected to help in putting away Maclaren and Kolpin's clothing. 

Our system isn't perfect, but it works really well making the overwhelming laundry of our household manageable.  We almost never have matching socks, the kids clothes are often mixed up, and the kids drawers are seldom neatly folded, but in the grand scheme, does that really matter? 
Hopefully our children are learning valuable skills at very young ages.  We absolutely need our kids to play a major part in the successful running of our home, and we're really proud of their hard work.

Besides, we think are laundry baskets are pretty darn cute : )

Squatter

We have an unwelcome guest roosting in our house . . .

A Woodpecker!

We have had an unsuccessful attempt to evict our noisy guest.  This noisy bird, roosting outside the boys room has been waking us up each morning with it's pecking.  Wildlife control tried to capture what we believe is a red-bellied woodpecker.  Our elusive bird was not captured but it's hole was boarded over. . . only to have it return to make a new hole! 

We're hoping to get this bird out of our house soon.  We are worried about more unwelcome guests moving into these house holes - please, squirrels, stay away!

NINE

9 years ago, our lives changed forever thanks to the sweetest gift.

Happy Valentine's Day, and Happy Birthday Hendrick!

Our adventurous, nature-loving, creative, big-brother at 9-years-old:

 favorite thing to do inside:  mostly play with legos or computer games

favorite thing to do outside: build forts, climb trees, play with friends, ride bikes and skateboards

favorite animal: amphibians and reptiles

favorite thing to learn about: anything nature

favorite place to go: Ethiopia

favorite school subject: science

favorite science kit: Snap Circuits

favorite movie: Lord of the Rings trilogy, The Hobbit, Captain America

best part about being a big brother: I get to stay up later than anyone else 

and I like to take care of the baby

most proud of: having a baby sister

favorite food: Chinese food and Ethiopian food. 

favorite dessert: cookie cake

favorite drink: root beer

favorite household chore: dishes

place most want to visit: Brazil's jungles, because I really want to see an anaconda

future career aspiration: work at a nature preserve or study oceanography

favorite book: Diary of a Wimpy Kid series and the Big Nate series

most prized possession:  my Lego minifigure collection

best qualities: I'm a good friend and I work hard around the house

We're so thankful for and so proud of our son Hendrick.

Cake

 She liked her cake : )

And we liked watching her : )

ONE

Happy First Birthday Maclaren!

.  claps!  .  giggly girl  .  loves attention  .  sleeps 12 hours at night  .  wears 12 mo. clothing  . 

.  raises her arms for "so big!"  .  plays with toys  .  puts everything in her mouth  .

.  loves to eat (banana, cheerio, carrots, potato, cucumber, avocado, injera, beans, pizza crust : )

.  nurses 4 times each day  .  comforted by her pacifier  .  snuggles with a blanket at night  . 

.  snuggle baby  .  cruises  .  busy body  .  chatty  .  9 teeth  .  happy girl  . 

.  happy to be toted around by siblings  .  drums  .  gives open-mouthed kisses and headbutts  .

.  our entertainment  .  says "mama" and "dada"  .   

It seems like just yesterday, our sweet baby girl was born.
This first year has been an absolute joy.  

We can't wait to see all the growth and changes she'll experience this coming year.
Our Maclaren is a blessing!

Entertainment

The best entertainment around . . .

 Thanks Maclaren : )

Funny

 Funny things heard in our house:

"What is ANTI-cue?"  (antique) - Hendrick

"How can you tell Maclaren is a girl?  She looks like a boy."  -Burke

"That hurt like a nugget!" - Davis

Burke's favorite reindeer: Dasher
When asked why: "Because he's first"

The kids put on a sock puppet reenactment of the Battle of the Blamo - they all wanted to play the part of Santa . . . I think they meant Santa Anna

"How much does daddy have to pay to go to work?" -  Tesfaye

"Stay her on the floor!" (telling her sister to put down  Maclaren) - Hiwot

"My hair is so long because i brush it." - Maegli

All the kids are certain the reindeer's name is "Cubitz."  No point in trying to tell them the name is "Cupid."

"Why does Santa have jelly beans in his tummy?" - Maegli

"Why is Uncle Stilkskin to mean?"  (Rumpelstiltskin?) -Burke

"dandy dane" (candy cane) - Kolpin

After we said grace, Tesfaye said it was time to "Dig up" (dig in)

Tesfaye said he had two tongues; one for Ethiopian, one for Spanish (more accurately, English)

"My-eye-niss" (mayonaisse) - Hendrick

"Get-sy-burg" - Hendrick

"Can you spell 'I cup' for me?  I.c.u.p." (hendrick)
"What does a doll like to eat for lunch?  barbie-cue"  (hendrick)

"Knock knock, boo, why you crying?"  (which comes out sounding like "dying") - Kolpin

During a language arts lesson with Hendrick working on the plural forms of words: goose to geese, fly to flies, deer to. . . "herd."

When looking though old picture books, Davis kept incorrectly using the phrase "busted" - whenever he saw anyone in a picture - "Tesfaye, you're busted!"

Davis and his new, cool, slang lingo : "Oh Dude, man"

"A 'boogie' is where you hurt someone." - Tesfaye (I think  he actually meant "noogie",but hopefully they don't hurt!)

"You cant break bones but you can break your heart" - Hiwot (very wise)

Wonder Woman by Maegli

Slack line

A new backyard adventure: we have a slack line!
We have a lot of practicing in our future . . .
and hopefully good teamwork : )