The First Boy Scout

Michael joined the Cub Scouts this year. He is technically a Tiger Scout. I have honestly never seen him so dedicated or enthusiastic about anything! The first night that we got Michael's uniform and Scout Handbook, he asked to wear his uniform to bed. He also requested that I read to him from his handbook as his bedtime story. He has been diligently working on his Tiger Scout electives at home. For every 10 electives, he earns a bead to wear on his uniform. He has also completed the requirements to earn belt loops for baseball and soccer.

(Doing the Cub Scout salute)

At Michael's first Pack Meeting, the boys had a no-hands Twinkie eating contest. I'm not really sure why, just something fun to do, I guess. Katie was at the meeting with me and asked "What's a Twinkie?" I'm kind of proud of myself that my kids have never heard of Twinkies, but can identify 3 different kinds of squash. I'm sure their grandparents will hook them up with Twinkies very soon. :)

(Michael didn't win. He's a very delicate Twinkie eater)

Visit from the Tot Fare

Poor Michael had 4 teeth pulled yesterday. Don't worry, between the Nitrous Oxide and the oral sedation, he was feeling no pain and was actually quite entertaining. I think he was putting the moves on the cute hygienist - he kept calling her "bebbeh."

Michael was very excited that he had now caught up to Katie on lost teeth and he would be getting his first visit from the Tooth Fairy. The Tooth Fairy left Michael some cash and a little note. He came into our room at 4:30am to tell me that the Tooth Fairy had left him a "Twenty Dollar Buck!!" I sent him back to bed.

Of course, Katie couldn't just sit by and let Michael get something she wasn't getting! So she made up little gifts and notes for the Tooth Fairy to try to get some money of her own.

This gift/note says: Der Tot Fare. Tacs For The 20 Dlr Bil. *heart* Katie

(Dear Tooth Fairy, Thanks for the 20 Dollar Bill. *heart* Katie)

She hasn't received a 20 dollar bill from the Tooth Fairy. She's thanking her in advance so the Tooth Fairy will feel obligated to leave a $20. Clever!

Another note for the Tooth Fairy.

This one says: Your a God Prsin Bcus You Giv Pepol More Mone For Tir Tot

(You're a good person because you give people more money for their tooth)

I guess Katie believes that kissing up to the Tooth Fairy will get her some cash. Katie made so many gifts and letters for the Tooth Fairy that they were spilling out from around her pillow! The Tooth Fairy left Katie a very nice note thanking her for all the lovely gifts, but also explaining that the Tooth Fairy has little wings so she can't carry them home. She left no cash and Katie was a little miffed. She searched under all her blankets and pillows then checked her whole room in case the money just fell out. Tonight, Katie plans to make the Tooth Fairy some small notes that she would be able to carry in hopes that she will leave some cash under Katie's pillow.

Katie is a Peer Model

Katie has been selected by her school to be a Peer Model in a friendship group. Katie would be in a group with kids who have some social problems and Katie would model appropriate social interactions for these kids. I'm very proud of her and I know she will do a great job!

Glad I Could Help

Michael: Mom! Mom! I can't find my invisible rubberband!
Me: What???
Michael: I can't find my magical, invisible rubberband!
Me: Uh ... It's... right here. *holds out empty hand*
Michael: Oh, thanks Mom!

The Becher Scouts

Oh Boy! Sometimes parenting genius just hits you out of the blue! On Saturday, we formed the Becher Scouts. Michael and Katie were so excited about earning badges for Girl/Boy Scouts this year, sooooo why not capitalize on that at home? I made them each a banner out of construction paper, then I color up "badges" on little squares of paper. The kids just glue the badges onto their banners. Michael quickly earned his Picking Up The Back Yard So Daddy Can Mow Badge and his Cleaning Up The Trash Badge. They both earned I Love Reading Badges for reading 2 books. They can earn stickers under their badges for repeating a task.

Here are a few of Katie's badges on her banner. I couldn't get the picture of Michael's badges to upload from my phone. His are randomly stuck all over the banner, unlike those of Miss OCD.

Tonight, the kids earned Movie Night Jamboree Badges by watching some movies up in the playroom. I hooked them up with popcorn, candy, drinks and flashlights. The kids were invisible for 2 whole hours!! Yay!

Liberty Belle

Meet Liberty Belle, the newest addition to the Becher family. She's a 7-week-old lab puppy we adopted today. The kids are SUPER EXCITED!!

First Day of School!!!

Michael and Katie had their first day of First Grade today! They were so excited to start school. Michael woke up at 5:20 this morning - a full 3 hours before school starts. Not so with Katie. I had to get her up.

I drove the kids to school. They would not let me walk them to their classrooms. They wouldn't even let me get out of the car. *sob*

When I picked them up for school, Michael reported that 1st grade was soo great and he can't wait to go back tomorrow. He told me every detail of his day - indoor recess, lunch with Aiden, etc. Katie shrugged and reported that school was fine. She couldn't remember what she did or who she ate lunch with.

They already have homework. They have to bring in a paper bag filled with things that tell about themselves. Then they'll do a presentation for the class.

Here they are decorating their homework bags. It looks like they're getting along, but they are actually fighting over paint.

I'll Drink to That!

Katie was so excited today when she found some little drinking glasses on the counter that were just her size! She promptly filled them both with water for herself and Michael.

On a side note, it's a little surreal to see your six-year-old walking across the kitchen with two shot glasses filled with clear liquid.

TV Stars!!

Michael and Katie were on the local news in Harrisburg, PA. They went to see the City Islanders play Soccer. Their Uncle Billy is the coach.

http://www.fox43.com/videobeta/watch/?watch=527490d8-4562-4966-b7c5-de2021a9ed23&src=front

PS - This is my first time trying to embed a video. Hope it works.

Soccer Camp

The kiddos are having fun in Pennsylvania. They have been to some place called Chocolate World where they got to see how chocolate is made. Michael was trying to tell me about it, but he was talking so fast I couldn't really understand him. I could only make out "Chocolate World" "Neat" and "Awesome." I'm kind of picturing the Willy Wonka factory with that river of chocolate.

Michael and Katie are attending their Uncle Billy's soccer camp during the day. Here they are in their Lower Dauphin soccer shirts. I believe Lower Dauphin is the county where Uncle Billy coaches.

Michael appears to be in his third trimester.

Sweet, Sweet Freedom

The twins left yesterday for 2 weeks in Pennsylvania and Connecticut to visit their cousins. I don't have any video of my celebratory booty dance, but believe me - I shook it HARD! Yay!

Steve and I went out to a local bar last night for beer and fried food. I'm a cheap date! We are hoping to get in as many date nights as we can while the kiddos are gone. Paying $8/hr for a sitter doubles the cost of any date so we don't go out much.

We had to put down our beloved dog, Norman, on Thursday. Steven, Katie and I are taking it pretty hard. Michael doesn't seem to care much. I think he's just behind Katie, maturity wise, and he doesn't really get the finality of it all. Katie has a new stuffed doggie and she's put Norman's collar on it. I'm hoping this trip will distract her from missing Normie.

Boogers in the Outfield

Coolest Kiddie Pool EVER!!!!

You know I love entering contests and the kids love helping me enter. Today, we are trying to win the most awesome bounce house/kiddie pool ever to grace a backyard. Look at this thing!!!
It's called the Pirates Bay Inflatable Play Park from Playhouse Bouncers . You can try to win one of your own (or give it to me!!) at a cool blog called J. Leigh Designz. The kids are kissing up and down my arms as I type. I am totally feeling the love right now. I hope I win!!

Matching Wits

This is why you never try to match wits with a child.

Me: Katie, quit bouncing on my bed.

Katie: I'm just bending my knees up and down really fast. Your bed is the one bouncing me.

Me: I..wha...huh? NO!

I think kids are so great at arguing because there is no argument too rediculous or implausable that they wouldn't give it a try. They simply have no shame.

CSI - Overland Park

Michael and Katie have been playing detective. I taught them about how everyone has a different fingerprint and told them how the detectives dust for fingerprints. Here are some pics of the the kiddos dusting the kitchen for clues. Notice the latex gloves to prevent tranferring their own fingerprints to the crime scene.

.

(I have no idea what that white thing is behind Michael's left hand)

More Bowling

Another day of free bowling!

(If you lean to the right, the ball goes to the right. Right?)

The Ice Cream Parlor

Michael went to a laser tag birthday party tonight, so I took Katie out for a treat at a little ice cream parlor near the house. After what seemed like hours, she finally chose a waffle cone dipped in white and milk chocolate and two scoops of ice cream - cotton candy and cookie monster. Yum!

A Little Too Much Honesty

The kids and I had this little conversation a few days ago.

Katie: *grinning* Mom, you're chubby!
Me: What??
Katie: *still grinning* You're chubby!
Me: Katie, do you know what chubby means?
Katie: No
Me: It means kind of fat, and that's not a nice thing to say.
Katie: Oh, I didn't know. I'm sorry. I didn't know.
Michael: I didn't say you were chubby, mom.
Me: Okay, Michael. But Katie didn't know what it meant.
Michael: I didn't say you were chubby ... even though I think you are. I still didn't say it.
Me: Yeah, thanks Michael.
Michael: *cheerfully* You're welcome!

Fishing at the Lake

I took the twins fishing today at the lake behind our house. They got fishing poles for their birthday and were very excited to try them out, finally. Unfortunately, we could not locate Michael's fishing pole anywhere. I improvised by tying some fishing line to a long dowel and he was happy.

We took the fishing poles, worms, hooks and bobbers out to a nice spot by the lake with lots of reeds where fishies would want to hide. I got them all set up and only stabbed myself with the hooks twice. I should mention, Katie was very disappointed that worms don't bleed when you put them on hooks. Mom's do bleed when you put worms on the hook. Luckily, I packed more first aid supplies than tackle in Katie's little Barbie tackle box.

After about a minute, Michael's bobber starting going under. He squealed and pulled up a little fish. Seriously, he caught a fish with a dowel and string. We released the little fishy back into the pond. Katie was determined to catch a fish, too. She moved over to Michael's little spot and fished harder, if that's even possible. A few times, her bobber was pulled under but there was no fish. Then it got pulled under hard and she pulled up a little fish of her own. She grabbed that fish and held it up with pride!

Game On!

Katie had her first t-ball game last night. Her team is the Hot Shots. Their uniforms are hot pink with rhinestones for extra bling. Kindergarten t-ball is pretty generous to the players. Everyone bats until they get a hit. Runners who are "out" stay on base and continue to run the bases. Each inning lasts until every player has batted. All games end after an hour and 15 minutes. I have no idea if anyone keeps score.

They rotate the players to let them play all the positions. Katie played in the outfield, 2nd base, and catcher last night. Apparently, being the catcher in a t-ball game involves sitting on your butt and making piles in the dirt. She did pick up one ball and promptly threw it into the opposing coach's face.

The girls had their team pictures taken before the game. I got Katie showered up, put her hair in little pigtails (too cute!) and put her visor on her head. When we got to the picture area, some of the girls didn't have hats or visors yet, so the coach decided to take pics without them. Katie's hair was still wet when I put on her visor, so her bangs were crushed and matted to her head. No amount of spit or clips would fix them. I convinced the photographer to let Katie wear her visor for her individual picture, but I had no luck getting them to leave it on for the team photo. *sigh* I got a good look at the goofy faces she was making during the photo shoot. They may want to just photoshop her out of there all together.