I often think that Thing 3 is from another planet. He is truly an original as you have seen. Today he provided yet another clue.
We were watching Backyardigans, having nothing to do with space travel, when out of the blue he offered this:
Thing 3: I want to go on another planet. I don’t like our planet. I want to go to Mars. Mars is good.
Me: Why is Mars good?
Thing 3: Because Mars is the best planet. Because it’s so red. Because it’s a ball.
Where on Earth, or Mars, does he get this stuff?
We’re always looking for new activities. The more active the better. Today we found a new place called Rebounderz. Two giant trampoline arenas, video games. What more could you want?
First, they got instructions and the rules.
Then they got to jumping. For an hour non-stop. I have never seen them so sweaty.
After a while of practice, maybe they can be as good as this guy.
This is what Thing 3 looked like at the end.
Often overlooked this time of year, when we are choosing gifts for our kids, is the amount of work required to assemble the gifts.
Last year it was the basketball hoop in the driveway which took 400 pounds of sand to fill the base. Yes, 400 lbs that I had to cart back from Home Depot in 50 lb bags. Then there was this debacle a couple years ago. And with the kids getting older the problem only seems to be growing.
This year I thought it would be good to get them a Foosball Table for Hanukah. But not just any table. I wanted to get one that would last many years, providing enjoyment all the way through high school. Did I mention I was a bit of a foosball aficionado back in the day?
I found a table on Amazon. It looked great in the picture and had good reviews. What I didn’t realize, until the guy delivered it on a packing crate, was that it weighed over 200lbs. And there was assembly required.
This is what it looks like on Amazon.
This is what it actually looks like after you manage to get the 200lb box down the basement stairs.
Four hours, 3 finger blisters, and a sore back later, we’re ready to unveil it tonight. Blisters are what happens when you don’t have the electric drill charged and you need to fasten dozens of wood screws by hand. I’m looking forward to the cute deluxe play kitchen I will be assembling on Christmas Eve. This time I will charge the drill ahead of time.
The winter shows at preschool have become an annual tradition. It’s always unpredictable. Who will sing? Who will have stage fright? Who will run to us crying?
This year, Thing 3 had his best performance yet. He stayed on the stage the whole time. A little bit of stage fright, one silly outburst, but overall a good showing.
This was Thing 4’s first show. She’d been practicing and seemed excited about it. But the excitement quickly turned to fear, and she ran to SuburbanMommy’s lap to watch her classmates. Oh well. At least she looked cute.
One of these suspects took my doughnut. Which one of you is guilty?
Do you use coupons? Of course you do. It’s free money.
You probably get pages of coupons with the weekend newspaper. How many coupons do you end up tossing away because your family doesn’t use the products?
What if there were an easy way to trade the coupons you don’t want, for more of the ones you do? What if it were absolutely free? Enter Coupon Whirl. A free online coupon exchange that makes it easy.
Coupon Whirl is SuburbanDaddy’s latest side project. I conceived it while watching an episode of TLC’s Extreme Couponing with SuburbanMommy. (Before you make fun and take away my man card for watching TLC, realize I have 4 kids and lost that card a very long time ago).
Give it a whirl and let me know what you think.
Tonight we decorated the Christmas tree. You might picture a warm family setting, fire crackling, festive music, laughter, and everyone loving and helping each other. That would be an episode of Happy Days.
Despite the pictures you see here, what happens when we put ornaments on the tree is quite different. Imagine four sharks at feeding time, wearing matching pajamas, each trying to push their way in front of the others. Except these sharks cry when they don’t get their way.
But the end result, a decorated tree and a glass of wine for SuburbanDaddy, always turns out well. Plus we have these seemingly calm memories captured on film to remember.
Thing 1 is a fan of the New York Jets.? Fan may be too mild word.? It’s more an obsession.? Not just with the Jets, but with football in general.? I’m not sure how this came about.? We live in Northern Virginia, deep in the heart of Redskins country.? Here is a video demonstrating his knowledge of the Jets.