Lanie's Homework

Lanie decided she had to do her "math" homework, and got a tea towel out from a family friend who lives in London. She proceeded to begin to "copy" the Magna Carta.

 Versus Sam who has Strep that won't go away, attempting to keep up with school work.

Stuck Dog

Jack frequently gets stuck on the window sills. Maybe he's part cat. But now I know how the tension rod curtain keeps falling down.

Boxes

My briefly organized cellar is now a home to arts and crafts and a disaster. But at least it's a creative, productive disaster. 

Vivian at Ballet

First time dressed like a "ballet student" since the ballet year began in September. Usually she favors sweatpants and a t-shirt. She's completely unpredictable. Last year she decided she would do her end- -of- the year recital and to the point where I paid $50 for the costume. Then she decided she wouldn't participate the week before it. The day of I tried to get her to at least go and watch and she laid on the floor and refused. To be fair she did get sick that day and spent the afternoon asleep. This year she is refusing to do the recital again and I'm afraid to not get the costume in case she changes her mind (because of course Lanie wants to do it). 

But she likes class and enjoys dancing, which is the important part.

Spontaneous Ice-Cream Trip

It was 70 degrees in January this weekend, but stopped for ice-cream on the way home from school on Monday, when it was about 38 degrees and damp and cold. The older kids at first sat away from Lanie and I in the bar stools and I thought they had decided they were too old to be with us. But they came back and joined us.

Sam's usual photo block. Since he was about 3. Some things don't change.

Counterfeit Cards

I got a little color printer on Black Friday, because I haven't been able to print at home for ages. I was very proud of myself when over Christmas break, I finally got it to work and synced it wirelessly with not only my laptop but also my phone. And all the kids were home during my project!
Today Sam wanted to make a color copy, so I showed him how. He copied a playing card and I thought nothing of it, but I did tell him it was for single copies and that color ink was super expensive.
Later in the day, I found Vivian putting two cards into her backpack, that "Sam gave her." That's not uncommon, except usually she doesn't take them to school.
Then I overheard Sam asking her "where the cards were that he had made."
I put two and two together and confronted them. They had made fake trading cards, taking old, "worthless" cards, color copying the "valuable" cards, and gluing the copies on the front and back. They looked quite good.
Except they were going to take them to school and sell them.
So that operation got shut down. I might have told them it was illegal and people go to jail for things like that.
Sam did try to tell me he'd give me some of his profits for color ink and materials.
I am a little bit proud of their industriousness.

Lanie Not Sleeping

I found Lanie sitting straight up in bed last night when I went to the bathroom at 2:00 am, looking around, dazed.
"What are you doing?" I asked.
"I am seeing that my blankets are very messy," she answered.
"It's time to sleep," I said.
"So, it's too messy around here," she told me.
"Good night Lanie," I told her.
"I think your room is not messy in your bed," she said.
"Yes, my room is messy. My bed is very messy."
"I'll just check," she told me.
Lanie 1 point, me 0.
Can't argue at 2:00am.