If You Believe...

This year Alex has really paid attention to the Easter story as each day we read new scriptures telling the different events that led up to Christ's resurrection. She has also paid a lot of attention to what her older friends at school have said regarding the Easter bunny. After the whole leprechaun discovery she's been quite suspicious and wonders what else we might be "stretching the truth" on. So when your 6 year old asks you if the Easter Bunny and Jesus are real, you know it's time to differentiate between fact and fiction. Alex found out Easter Eve, I would've preferred to wait until after she received her basket of goodies but it was necessary to set things straight. The first thing she did was thank me and Brad for everything we ever got her as Santa or the Easter Bunny. How funny she would think of that. Brad and I both talked to her about the importance of keeping such a grown up secret and to not tell anyone (especially those younger than her) because it's fun to pretend. We even told her not to tell other adults and that if someone asks you about it you just say "If you believe, you shall receive!"

The Great Easter Egg Hunt!

Yeah! Spring is here, the sun is shining, the kids are wearing shorts

and candy-filled eggs are hidden around the yard.

It's great to have cousins near by to celebrate with!
Johnny, Ethan, Alex, Aiden, Logan, Westin and Brayden

Too cute!

Game Two...

A few pictures from soccer game #2 on Saturday. Easter pictures will be coming tomorrow and there are a lot. Johnny's still having a hard time holding up whenever someone brushes shoulders with him in the soccer game. One girl used him to brace her fall and almost knocked him over, he never quite recovered. Alex did great and made a few goals of her own. I have video, I just haven't had a chance to go through everything yet from this weekend. Then today, after my chiropractic appointment for my back, some imitrex for my migraine and a speech assessment test for Johnny, the day has flown by. Johnny had a (very long) story for every picture the therapist showed him and had her laughing through most of the test. He can definitely talk your ear off if you let him. She'll call after she has a chance to score his test and I don't think he'll qualify for assistance but maybe she can give me some pointers on how to help him improve so I'm not translating for him all the time.

Soccer Season!

The kids had their first soccer games this weekend!
You can see a video of Johnny here:

Johnny's first soccer game

And one of Alex making a goal here:

Alex's first soccer game

You might remember Alex's first experience with soccer 2 years ago. Needless to say, we gave it a break last year and decided to give it another try this year since Johnny was also old enough to participate. Alex is now on an all girl's team (which she enjoys) and is much more aggressive with her footwork. It helps that she has a friend on her team that she knows from church and school. They have a larger field, corner kicks and throw ins to make it feel a little more like a real soccer game. Our goal this year is to teach her teamwork, not to kick the ball out of her teammate's feet and that a goal from anyone on her team is a goal for the whole team.

Johnny loves soccer practice but for some reason once the game started he became quite reserved. Granted he had a morning game with icy cold wind and he had to be bundled up for his game. He had also had a rough morning and once he starts crying over something, anything can make him break down. So he was a little sensitive out on the field. It took him awhile to get into the spirit of things and stop complaining about his knee...or elbow...or whatever else he hit when his body hit the ground or the fact that the other kids were running faster than him. He's so accustom to falling that he usually doesn't pay much attention to the side affects until he's looking for an excuse out of something. At one point the coach was holding his hand, guiding him around the field after the ball (seriously Johnny?) So, after a few pep talks, a kiss on the knee and a fruit snack bribe he got in there and even made a goal. Granted, he actually kicked it just outside of the goal, picked it up with his hands, placed in front of the goal and kicked it in. But they counted it and he got high fives all around.

We have high hopes for next week's games and I'll keep you posted!

Truth

The truth is, my kids both wear mismatch PJ's every night. Alex, makes a conscious decision to mix it up, to show her "creative" side. Johnny just reaches into his draw and hopes to pull out one top and one bottom. Apparently Alex was a little embarrassed about her PJ choice this morning and willingly lets me pick out her clothes every school day. Since there was no school today though, they are watching Pocahontas in their PJ's this morning and Alex asks me "is this story true?"

Me: "Yes, Pocahontas is a true story"

Alex: "So sometimes they makes stories that are true and sometimes they don't?"

Me: "Yup"

Alex: "Like they make Santa movies and those are true!"

Me: "Um.......Ya!"

Last month her teacher made a big deal out of leprechauns at school. A couple of times the leprechauns came and trashed their room leaving green glitter everywhere and turning the room upside down. The kids all took it very seriously and were keeping a look out for leprechauns every second of their school day. Some of them (including Alex) even brought in leprechaun traps to put in the classroom so they could catch one and get their three wishes.

Then one day after school (the leprechauns had visited their classroom that day) Alex tells me "I know that leprechauns aren't real." I thought about playing it up and carrying on the charade but I just answered with a "oh ya, how's that?" Then she very simply and to the point tells me that she prayed to Heavenly Father and he told her that they aren't real. Can't argue with that one, I'm so glad I didn't try to carry on the lie. Now I'm just wondering if she'll be on her knees next Christmas asking about her faithful friend in red.