Erin turns 7!

 Happy birthday, Erin!

Lordy, lordy, Brian is 40!

Birthday time!!  Brian turned 40 today.  We started out with tons of friends and a BBQ at a nearby park yesterday.  Here is the rainbow unicorn cake (unicorn was not yet put in place) that was partially smashed by Robin reaching into the back seat to grab the unicorn:

We got the sports package from parks and rec.  All the kids - and many adults - had fun!

Our friend, Patrick, helped indoctrinate B to his 5th decade with some prune juice…. to keep things "running smooth."  Sage advice. 

Of course there was BBQ!

Then today celebrated with multiple soccer games and a dinner at B's parent's house. 

And one challenging game of "Sorry":

Nothing says "40" like a delicious homemade super chocolate cake:

And because his lungs are, well, 40 years old, he had help blowing out the candles. 

Happy 40th Brian*!!!!

* and David!

MadLibs with a 6 year old

are awesome!

And yes, it is from the limited edition Napoleon Dynamite Book. 

Precocious Art Critic?

Erin (getting ready to do an art project):  What can I draw you?  I can draw people!
Brian: Draw me the Mona Lisa.
E: What does she look like?
B (looks up the picture on his phone): There!
E: Wow. Why is she smiling?
B: …….  !

"Take 10 Interesting Pictures"

We have an "I'm Bored" jar - a jar with about 50 little slips of paper with different activities on them.  If any kid says, "Mom, I'm bored." she gets to pick out a slip and has to do the thing on that.  Some are chores, like "help fold laundry" some are fun like "do hopscotch outside".

This morning Erin was bored and got the "Take 10 Interesting Pictures" assignment.  Here they are:

Girls with Power Tools

For the first time, our school's girl scout troops get to do their own pinewood derby. Look it up. It's cool.  Because (a) girls are good at design (b) girls are good at using tools and (c) girls are good at applying physics concepts. 

Erin learned how to use a sawzall:

Chiseling: 

Belt sanding (not shown) and other cool stuff. 

Robin was content to color her block rather than shape:

And then gave us all a riveting rendition of the "Roses are Red" poem, beat-poet style. 

I love Girl Scouts!

Kid Date Night

Erin and Brian went to the Daughter Dance at her school:

Robin and I went to the Hofbrau for some corned beef and hot dogs. 

Fun was had by all.