Back Blogging....Joe's Birthday

On April 22, Joseph Edward turned the Big 5!  His birthday was celebrated on four separate occasions.

On his actual birthday, we went out as a family to a restaurant of his choosing....he chose SUSHI!  The sushi chefs sang him happy birthday and shot us with water guns and spray bottles!

Then we had a Transformers birthday party at the house with all his friends.

Not a big affair.....just 18 or so kids!

The next week we celebrated at school.

Ruby got to join Joe in his birthday snack.

Then we had a family birthday celebration at grandma's.

There was plenty of sugar......

Tons of gifts........

And fun with the cousins on all of grandma's cool toys.

And Uncle Sam wrote and sang him a song about being 5!

(Now just have to learn how to upload videos)

Kindergarten.....Here We Come!

Yesterday I attended Joseph's preschool graduation.  I am so thankful for the wonderful start he got in preschool.  I was never really worried about his academics, but wanted him to learn about the rules and routines of a classroom and how to interact with his peers.  I have seen him grow and mature as a student.  From this little guy, on the first day in August of 2009 (where he ran into the classroom and didn't even say good-bye):

To this big kid, ready to move on to kindergarten in just 12 short weeks:

He has had wonderful teachers and made some great buddies.

We are so proud of him!

So with diploma in hand, regristration completed, immunizations updated, physical and dental paperwork turned in, and teacher request submitted..............kindergarten here we come!



Blog lag

Well, it has been almost 2 months since my last blog post, but I will not be racked with guilt!  I am holding firm to truth that "There is therefore now no condemnation (even for blog neglect) for those who are in Christ Jesus." Sometimes there is so much life going on, that there is not enough time to post about said life wth cute quips and well-cropped photos.  In the last 2 months the Bronsten Bunch has been up to....well, a bunch!  And I am hoping to "back-blog" on some of them, like.....

Registering Joe for kindergarten and Ruby for preschool
The end of t-ball season
Joe celebrating the big 5
Ruby making big girl changes into a big bed and potty training

Add in a couple of holidays, out of town trips and a stomach bug that wiped out a week of our lives and you can see why blogging just wasn't on the radar! 

Muddy Fun

Rain Water + Sand Box = Muddy Fun!

Coupon Education

Anyone that knows me a little bit knows that I am a coupon using gal. If spending some time clipping, organizing, and planning my shopping trips (and carrying around a big coupon binder) means that I can save money, stay out of debt, and stay home with my kids....I am going to do it.  Plus, I think it is kinda fun to put scenarios together and try to get the most for my buck. 

Every once in a while there's a little glitch....sometimes on my end, sometimes on the store's end.  Today, I had such a glitch at my local drugstore (which will remain nameless, but there's only one drugstore in our little town....so you could probably figure it out) and I had to "educate" a manager.  Just thought I would pass on the information:

a.) a coupon is a form of payment.  When a store receives a manufacturer's coupon the manufacturer reimburses the store the value of the coupon PLUS a handling fee.  I AM NOT STEALING FROM YOU WHEN I USE A COUPON, you will get the full price plus some once you turn in the coupon.

b.) If someone buys something and uses a coupon, and then decides to return it with a reciept, you cannot deduct the coupon amount from the return unless you dig into your drawer and give me my coupon back....THAT COUPON IS MONEY HONEY!

Don't worry, I didn't raise my voice or make a big stink, I just wanted what was fair.....either return my coupons or give me the money for the items, it is all the same to me.  He finally did see what I was saying once he visited the all-knowing higher ups in the back of the store, or something.  I thanked him for his time and patience, and I hope he doesn't cringe when he sees me again.  But then again I hope he will think twice about blowing hot air in my face to try avoid making a situation right. 

I think a lot of retailers would do better if they saw couponers as an asset.  I frequent that store (never did before I couponed) and encourage others to shop there with coupons and taking advantage of their promotions.....people who might not have ever gone there for much before....just sayin', you might want to listen to this Crazy Coupon Lady! 

How Does Your Garden Grow?

Well, mine grows something like this:
1.  When my birthday gets near and I begin to smell orange blossoms in the air, I start dreaming and planning what I want to plant in our little horseshoe shaped veggie garden.

2. I go outside to dream a little more and am struck by this mess:

We purchased star jasmine at a nursery.  And this is what grew....huge enormous palms, go figure!

and this overgrowth of weeds and the much-hated mint.  (Warning to all potential gardeners: mint should never be planted in an open bed.  It must be contained, contained, contained.  It spreads and infests everything around it and no matter how you try to irradicate it, it somehow always returns.  It is like an overplayed, annoying, yet catchy pop song that you can't get out of your head....but I digress)

3.  I remember that I have ignored the garden for several months (like I have EVERY winter since the garden was created) and now have many hours of work ahead of me before I can even think about planting anything.

4.  I enlist the child labor at my disposal, and make a considerable dent in the weed, rotten tomatoes, and petrified bean mess.

It was great being out there with them.  It makes me excited for my favorite time of year, when we live outside and it is not blistering hot.  The garden is such a wonderful place for the kids and I to work together.  They are being helpful contributors to a family project, getting a chance to explore and interact with their environment, and best of all getting dirty!  And I am a firm believer that dirty kids are happy and engaged kids!

And best of all, they are much more inclined to eat the veggies we grow than ones I purchase and plop on  their plates!  I have a fond memory of Joe as a toddler eating "woo-gala" (arugula) straight out of the garden.  When we were cleaning up out there we found some green onions that had survived all the weeds and the kids picked them immediately and started eating!

Looking forward to a lot of fresh veggies this spring and summer once I get the garden cleaned up! 

T-Ball Antics

Joe had his first t-ball scrimmage last night.  And if it was any indication we are going to be laughing our way through this season.  Where to begin......
When the other team was at bat, Joe was suppose to be in left field, but as the game progressed he inched his way into the infield.  He spent most of his time alternating between playing in the grass as a ball rolled right past him and running after every ball even if it was on the other side of the field.  He even had a wrestling match with two other boys from HIS TEAM over who would get a ball!  Oh yeah, and right after this picture was taken he started doing the pee-pee dance and Dan had to rush him to a tree or something because there wasn't an available bathroom within a 200 yard radius.

His first time at bat, he walked from the dugout to home plate, hitting his batting helmet with his bat.  So much bravado for such an inexperienced player!  He insists on facing forward when he bats no matter how many times his coaches crane his body to a sideways position. 

 After a swing-miss-twirl with the ball on the tee, he made contact and started running, but before getting to 1st base he threw himself down on the dirt and laid there face down until a coach came and got him up.



I don't know if you can see him laying there.  I was laughing so hard I am surprised I got a shot at all!

When the next boy came up to bat and hit the ball, Joe ran towards 2nd base, but kinda curved past it and went to straight to 3rd.  When the next player came up and hit, Joe just stood on 3rd base until he was lapped by the boy behind him and got a clue that he was suppose to run home!  His second time at bat was a little more conventional, although I cannot for the life of me understand why he thinks he needs to slide into every base and have a dramatic tag.  

 So, if you want to see #8 in a game and laugh along with us, here's his game schedule:

3-5 @ 2pm

3-7 @ 5:30 pm

3-12 @ 1:30 pm

3-14 @ 5:30 pm

3-19 @ 10:30 am

3-21 @ 5:30 pm

3-26 @ 9:00 am

3-28 @ 5:30 pm

4-2 @ 9:00 am

4-4 @ 5:30 pm

4-9 @ 1:30 pm

4-11 @ 5:30 pm

4-16 @ 1:30 pm

4-18@ 5:30 pm

4-25 @ 5:30 pm

You can cheer with Joe as he chants, "T-Ball!  T-Ball!"

Trip to Grandma's

We recently took a 3 day trip to Grandma's that was packed full of fun and activity.  Not all of them were captured on camera, but here are a few:

We took the kids to a place called "Sky High" that has several rooms with trampolines for floors.

Joe (no stranger to trampolines) got his jump on.

Cousin Addy showed off her cheer moves.

 They had a foam pit that Addy and Joe dove into.....Joe had to be fished out. =)

 I didn't think that Ruby would set foot on the trampolines since she is afraid of ours at home,

but she really got into it and had a lot of fun.

 It was a great way for the kids to get out their energy on a rainy day.

 As soon as the sun shone its face (the last day of our visit), we got outside to a local park

 with Addy and Grandma.

 

In between we went to a science museum (along with everyone else in the Bay Area who was trying to find something to do with their kids on a rainy Saturday).  It was really fun, but a little too hectic keeping track of the kids, so no pictures were taken.  We also spent a substantial amount of time playing the Wii and eating tons of delicious food.  We even got in a visit with some of Dan's old high school/ college buddies. 

Oops!

Oops!  I have let almost the entire month of February go by without a blog post!!  Eek!  Here's a rundown of what has been going on with the Bronsten Bunch.

* Illness has been lingering in the Bronsten household, especially for our little Ruby. =(  Besides her ear infection, she has had a couple of feverish/ flu-like days about 2 weeks apart and another round of antibiotics for a sinus infection.  I am cautiously optimistic that we are free and clear of illness for the time being.

*In between illnesses WW3 sibling edition was waged.  Joseph and Ruby have been at each others throats, tormenting each other, and causing havoc.  Not easy for mom to blog when her children are having a knock down drag out fight! Why can't we all just get along?!  Or at least steer clear of each other?  But I am starting to see signs that a peace treaty is in the works as they are starting to play together a little more often.  They are currently playing "parade" as I type. =)

*Joseph has started t-ball.  I will do a seperate blog about that soon, but just FYI: his team is called the Dodgers (he wanted it to be the "Race Cars", but lost the vote).  It has been a whirlwind of glove-buying, practice-going, team-mom sign uping......yes, you read right I signed up to be a team mom (one of two), did you have any doubt I would jump in with both feet?  Here's a first glimpse at our little slugger at his first practice....the outfield is a bit slow for his taste, can you tell?

 * We had a great Valentine's Day weekend.  We started on the 12th celebrating my niece's 1st birthday and tacking  on 3 more birthdays (including mine) while we were at it.  My cousin had a bounty of fun activities for the kids.  They enjoyed all the frosting and painting and performing they got to do on their visit.  Thank you Robyn!

  Dan and I celebrated on the 13th with dinner and a movie.  Here we are, enjoying our evening.

On the 14th we had a family Valentine's celebration.  Heart shaped food abounded.  Heart pancakes, heart cookies, and heart pizza.

*The following weekend, President's Day, since Joe had some time off of school, we headed up to Grandma Bronstens for a visit.  We had a great time and did so many fun things with Grandma, Grandpa, Aunt Emily, and cousin Addy.  But I think I will do a seperate post just about that trip, so be looking for it!

Lesson from the Two Year Old

What a week!  We have been slammed by a cold/flu bug landing everyone but the mama with trips to the doctor and antibiotics. By the end of the week I was wiped out and frustrated at the ongoing struggle with the family's health.  I was poised at the keyboard to deliver a nice, long-winded vent that would be sure to illicit sympathy from my two readers. =)  Then my little Ruby leaned over the table and said, "Hall-loo-lah" ("Hallelujah" for those who don't speak Rubeese) in a sing-song voice.  That got the kids and I singing, "Hallelujah (Your Love is Amazing)", one of our favorites on a kids' worship CD that we always play in the car.  What a change that was in my heart and perspective!  A verse in James came to mind that a friend and I had studied, "Consider it pure joy, my brothers, when you face trials of many kinds."  We had struggled with it a bit.....I mean PURE joy when you are dealing with neverending coughing and middle of the night wakings, pain and green boogers, PURE joy, really?!?!  But as we dug into the verse, and other "joy" verses, it became clear to us both that the joy isn't in the trial, but in our ever-present loving God that is with us through it all.  This cold bout isn't the most difficult trial we have faced, or will face in the future.  But it is an opportunity to have joy in our Lord and Savior Jesus, to focus on Him and to give Him praise.  And that is the lesson I learned from this wonderful little 2 year old blessing.

In the words of Coach Grant Taylor from the movie "Facing the Giants" (changed to fit our circumstance):

If we are healthy, we praise Him,

And if we are sick, with icky green boogers, we praise Him.

Either way, we honor Him with our actions and our attitudes.

Amen!

Reason 527

....why I love my husband.

Dan is a wonderful dad.  He has always allowed the kids to come play with him when he's in the garage.  It is a time for them to learn about how things work, to explore, invent, create, and just get dirty!  They love being out there with him.

Last night he invited the kids into the garage with him so that I could peacefully clean up the kitchen after dinner.  There was a lot of laughter going on in there, so I decided to investigate.....

Here's what I discovered:

A potato, past its prime, had been punctured with the nozzle of an air compressor to make.....

Potato Bullets!

Then the bullets were loaded into the air compressor and sent sailing toward the garage door...

with an emphasis on shooting safety, of course.

Ruby didn't shoot any, but had fun blowing things around on the floor with the compressed air.

And yes, I realize my children are running around naked in the garage, but their tendency to be half (or less) dressed between the hours of 12 -7 pm is a topic for another post.

Catching Up

If the time between my first and second post is any indication, I am off to a rough start with this new blog.  I had hoped to post at least once a week.  For excuses I submit the following:
a.) I wanted to start with a "where are they now" post about the members of our family, which would require recent photos of all of us.  Circa Christmas is not recent enough. 
b.) I had to give up the idea of getting pictures of the parents of this family because, well, we both don't really like getting our picture taken.  Who wants to look at us anyway!
c.) Getting pictures of the kids.... like cute, staged, up close ones is like herding cats.
d.) I realized  I don't have the best camera, or maybe I am just a horrid photographer because many of the pictures I took were blurry/ out of focus and I considered taking them again and then remember point c. 

So, anyway......Here's a post of what we are all up to now:

JOSEPH

Joseph is nearing his 5th birthday in April.  He is a spirited guy and is constantly talking and telling stories.  His preschool teachers have a hard time getting him to stop interjecting when they are talking or telling a story.  He is very friendly and makes friends wherever he goes, and if he had his way he would have scheduled playdates at least twice a day.  I am tempted to add "McGyver" as his middle name, because he is always asking if he can used this or that from around the house to make an "invention".  If he is not working on making an invention from found objects, he is building something out of his array of building toys.  The newest being Trio blocks and "big boy" legos.  He has quite a display going on in his room.

He is working hard learning his letters and numbers at school and writing his name.  I will have to take a picture of his writing to show his progress.  His newest adventure will begin in February when he starts t-ball.....I think he is more excited about being on a team with a bunch of his friends than the actual practice/game thing, but I am hoping it will give him an outlet for his energy and give him another opportunity to be in a structured environment where you need to listen to instruction and follow the rules.  Just trying to make it easier on his kindergarten teacher next year!

RUBY

Yeah, blurry, I know, but it was one of the only ones I got of her without her eyes closed.  Ruby or "Woo-ee" as she calls herself, is almost 2 1/2.  She has really started to blossom with her talking.  She loves to chat and ask questions in her broken, halting sentences.  Most of the time I understand her, but sometimes I need to translate for others.  She is fiercely independent, and can be very strong willed.  She wants to do everything from getting dressed, to going potty, to clicking herself in her car seat by herself.  It has been a lesson in patience for me to give her the space to try and wait for her to ask for help.  She has a spunky and quirky personality.  She likes to run around and sing nonsense songs and she will demand weird things like always thanking God for corn at bedtime prayers. (Last night she actually cried because we forgot to thank God for corn during prayers.)  While she is able to be very rough and tumble with Joseph (most of the scratches on Joe's face are Ruby induced) she is very much a nurturing girly girl who loves to put her babies nigh-night.....

and cannot get enough of lip gloss and nail polish.

I love to see her personality start to come out and am looking forward to seeing how God uses that strong will and determination along with that sweet spirit for His purposes.  



DAN AND BETH

I know, not a recent pic, but really how much has changed in almost 10 years?  A few pounds, different hairstyles, and more casual clothes and there we are!  So here's what us parents are up to:

Dan is a hard workin' man.  He puts in his hours and then some at his job as an engineering manager and then he comes home to work on one house project after another.  The most recent 2 leaky faucets and installing a tankless water heater.  Ahhhhh, neverending hot showers are pure bliss!  When he isn't fixing something at our house, he's helping out a neighbor, church member, or complete stranger through a program called ACTION (Area Christians Taking Initiative On Needs) with their projects!  We he has time off he loves hanging out with the family and playing with the kids.  He loves going off-roading or shooting with the guys.

I (Beth) have been doing this stay-at-home mom gig now for almost 5 years and still don't feel like I have a clue.  Along with the cooking, cleaning, cooking, cleaning, cooking and cleaning, I attempt to keep the kids alive and enriched.  It is by far the hardest job I have ever had, but I am grateful for the opportunity to attempt it, and fully relying on God to survive it!  I try to keep my foot in my old life as a teacher by tutoring a few local students and volunteering in a friends classroom when Miss Ruby is in an agreeable mood.  I had even started subbing a little bit.  I have been an avid couponer for the last year, and am known by all the employees at our local Rite Aid.  I am still coordinating the Kids' Church program at our church and this fall started a Mommy and Me type Bible Study with a few other lovely mommies.  I still love a good book or movie to relax after a crazy day.   

Wow, that took a while.....hopefully post will be quicker and shorter from here on out.  If you got through this whole thing, you deserve a medal or something.  But since I am fresh out of medals, you will have to just accept my thanks!