Presidents' Day Party

So, as a just released YW president I was invited by the youth to go sledding at Fort Benjamin Harrison. I had told the kids we would go sledding, but we hadn't had enough snow or time, or the one day we thought about going, it was single digits outside and we weren't that die hard. With Monday off of school, we went with some Sorensens, Dunahees, Biglers, Arnolds, and Lewises. Everyone lined up and holding on. Mark! Set! GO!!

It was so much fun!!! I don't think us Scotts had been sledding in two years.

Fort Ben, as we call it, has a specific sledding hill that is long and steep enough to make the ride worth it, but not so long that it takes forever getting back up once you've gone down. Neta went down with me once and didn't like the snow flying in her face, so she decided to stay at the top of the hill and play and watch. With only one sled, we lent and borrowed so everyone had chances to slide. Graigry couldn't get enough and he and Ro had a hard time sharing our sled.

Graigry at the bottom of the hill.

Nate went down with the youth and had a good time with Brother and Sister Arnold. Once he and Graigry went down together and hit the jump made out of hay. It wasn't very big, but it made them fall off and bump heads. That they didn't like much. They made sure the succeeded flies down the hill were not in line with the bump.

Nate the Great is 5!!

I know I'm a month late, but that's just how it works around here. I wanted to show a few pictures of Nate's birthday. On December 31st, we went down to cousin Jayden's house for some play time with cake and ice cream. The school kids don't get to go there as often, so it was fun for them and all the kids had a good time with each other. We had lunch and then did cake and ice cream. I tried to make a race track with M&M's and tootsie roll cars. It didn't turn out that fabulous, but the kids liked the extra chocolate on their cake.

So after I took a picture of Nate and his cake, I pulled it off the table and started cutting up pieces for the kids. Guess what I forgot to do BEFORE cutting up the cake???

Yep, we sang "Happy Birthday" and let Nate blow out candles AFTER a row of cake was gone. Oopps!! My bad!

That night, I had pizza dough in the overn rising, but by the time Eric got home, he wanted food NOW, so we packed in the car and went out to eat. First Nate said pizza and then said McDonalds, which I thought was a great idea as the kids could burn off some energy. Well, Eric took the pizza choice and we stopped at a pizza place in Irvington called Jockamo's. (By the time we got our pizza, I could have had our homemade pizza done, just saying.)

We ordered our pizza and then waited until it came to our table. During the wait, we opened the presents from Grandparents Hibbert.

I think Graigry was more excited about the Bakugans than Nate.

They've had fun playing together.

Nate waiting patiently for Mom to pull another present out of the bag.

Mommy choking Nate with his new toy.

He thought the thing was pretty cool. Some sort of a moon rover thing with different attachments on it's legs. Came with a figure too.

Nate loves cars, and this little one was a remote control.

Poor thing didn't last long though. The wheels pop off, which are easy enough to put back on, but then boys decide to do other things and well, you know what happens.

Finally PIZZA!!!

Grandparents Scott ended up getting back from Tennesse earlier than we expected and joined us for the last part of our dinner. I think it was a good day for my great Nate. He was happy to finally be five and now keeps asking when he gets to go to school because we've been telling him after he turns five he can go to school. Now it's after he's five and the new school year starts.

Introducing Thor

Thor dressed up as the Easter Bunny instead of a Christmas Bunny

Having a new pet is like having a baby in the house. Kids and parents are all excited about it and fight to take care of it, but then the excitement wears off and it's just another job. Well, I, being the excited parent, took a few pictures and videos of our new addition. He's still fun to watch hop around and I enjoy holding him, today he jumped into my lap while I was sitting at the desk and that was a happy suprise.

During Christmas, his favorite spot to hide was behind the Christmas Tree. Then it was the green hard to recline recliner. He was safe from little hands, and big hands, unless someone tilted the chair up while another grabbed or poked him out of his little burrow. That was his spot until Eric built stilts for the chair.

Thor still rests behind and under the chair, but as you can tell, it's easier access for any hands that want to access the soft little rodent.

However, like all new babies, he has a very annoying habit that he hasn't grown out of yet, and I say yet in attempts to be optimistic that one day he will learn to use the "potty." Bunnies are potty-trainable, but after almost two months, he doesn't seem to care whether or not the potty is in his preferred spot in the livingroom, he doesn't use it unless I catch him right before the act, scoop him up, and put him in the bunny toilet, which is kind of like a litter box. As far as little rabbit turds, each kid has a day for picking up poop (and I sweep up whatever is left unnoticed). Nice thing is, the little poop balls are dry, as long as he hasn't had too many real veggies that day. Then it gets a little squishy.

He is exploring more and more. He enjoys going up the first three steps. He also likes to chew on the fourth step, which ticks me off, so I try to make sure he gets a good scare or a quick scoop up off the platform when he decides to go up. (I worked hard on those stairs and don't need a cute little rodent chewing up my project.)

Bunnies chew on EVERYTHING!!! Thor likes drywall and we have enough of that exposed that he gets his fill, unless we catch him and bop him on the nose. I can tell when he's had a little too much because the powder gets up his nose and he spends the next 30-60 seconds sneezing. That makes me laugh. It's a good thing we want to put up a half wall of nice paneling because where the new electrical is, and left the finished, painted drywall accessible, he's ripped that up and chewed on it too. He's a little motivator to put some finishing touches on the house, I guess.

I've tried several time to put up a little video of him during Christmas break, but it won't download. I don't think blogger likes me. Anyway, he's zipping around one of the tree skirts that I hadn't put away yet. Thor's so funny to watch when he gets in his exercise mode. He zips back and forth on the tree skirt then and now it's on the couch. After his 20 seconds of sprints, he spreads out on his belly and kicks his legs out behind him.

It's nice having something soft and semi snuggly to hold. Thor doesn't come when called, like a cat, but will let you pet and hold him, like a puppy. I think I'm looking forward to a dog that is more of a playmate (but don't tell Eric that, yet).