Introducing the Lolli Lice

At school last month Fisher participated in an Invention Convention. The kids were asked to identify a problem, then invent something to fix the problem. They had several weeks to work on this project which culminated in a day of presentations and learning about innovation and patents.

True to form, Fisher stressed himself out to no end about this project. We spent a week just brainstorming and talking about it a little each day. His frustrations came from too many great ideas and not being able to choose just one.

Here's what won out:

Problem: The kid sitting next to me has lice
Solution: Something that will keep the lice from jumping on to me
Invention: The Lolli Lice



It's simple -- a head band with removable lollipops inserted into the top. When you know you (or your seatmate) have lice, you simply unwrap a couple of Dum Dums, insert them into the Lolli Lice and voila the lice will not jump onto your friend, but rather will be lured by the sticky sweetness of the lollipop and will be stuck there until death.

Here's a video of his presentation. It's nearly four minutes long but worth the watch for the special jingle he sings at the end!

Payback

The twins are sitting side by side on the couch thumbing through the toy catalogs that came in last Sunday's newspaper. Here's what I'm hearing over and over again:

Mommy I'll pay you back if you get me that (insert name of toy).

It's so dang cute. They are so excited. And it's giving me some good ideas for both birthday and Christmas gifts!

Rite of Passage: School Pictures

I know they aren't glamour shots or anything, but I always purchase the smallest package available of my kids' school pictures. They just make me smile, and I love lining them up side by side to see the changes in the kids.

You'll probably notice that I told them I wanted to see their teeth in their photos this year? Last year Emma was tight-lipped in her picture and it just didn't seem like her. This year, well, we went to the other extreme. And once again Fisher picked his own outfit. He always insists on dressing up for his close-up. Tie and all.

So without further ado (drumroll please...) here are the 2010 school photos of Emma (4th Grade) and Fisher (2nd Grade).

How in the world...

So you know that children's song that says:

It ain't gonna rain no more, no more
It ain't gonna rain no more
How in the heck can I wash my neck
If it ain't gonna rain no more

So in our family we encourage the kids to say something other than "heck". Like how in the world... So they made up alternate lyrics:

It ain't gonna rain no more, no more
It ain't gonna rain no more
How in the world can I wash my hurl
If it ain't gonna rain no more

It's a great song to hear your four-year-olds singing first thing in the morning. BUT I have to say that the funniest part about it is that the kids came up with these alternate words together the morning after Fisher had spent the night, um, hurling in the tent on a recent camping trip (don't worry, that's a post I'm working on -- stay tuned). As they were singing Jarad and I were, quite literally, trying to wash Fisher's hurl.

Chinese Spanish

I was just teaching the twins some Spanish (OK I was teaching them how to say "chocolate milk" does that count?)...

Tess: Now people will think we are Spanish!

Case: No because we're not from China.

This is clearly the result of too much Dora the Explorer and Ni Hao Kai Lan. Thank you, Nick Jr., for this excellent teaching opportunity to de-confuse my children.

She's A Ten!

Emma turned TEN last week! She is officially a tween. And believe me, she is ALL TWEEN. For her "party" she got to invite a couple of girlfriends for a GNO. We took them to the movies, then the boys went home and the girls hung out at the mall for a while longer. It was so fun kind of being a fly on the wall watching Emma with her friends. They thought they were so cool walking down the "streets" of the outdoor mall with each other - on a Friday night, no less. I stayed a few paces behind them so they thought they were being all independent. We must have spent 45 minutes in Claire's trying on EVERYTHING, and then we made our way to DQ for some ice cream. For all their grown-up-ness, they sure didn't hesitate to ask for Build A Bears as we walked by. I guess she's not quite as grown up as she thinks :).

Sure do love that girl though. As is my custom, here are ten things I love about my ten year old (I'm thinking I may have to change this custom as the kids get older -- will I even be able to think of 16 things I love about her when she's 16??)

1. Her independence - ask me how much I love this in a couple years, right?
2. Her sense of humor - things don't get past this one. She's gaining a rather sophisticated wit!
3. Her love for reading! Like mother like daughter!
4. She loves music. The same song. Over and over. But it's fun to see her explore different kinds of music and love it. It's easy for me to say this because she's currently in an 80s groove!
5. Her sense of fashion. She got her first pair of Vans for her birthday. Right about the same age I got my first pair :) (see the mother/daughter/80s theme here?)
6. She's a great big sister.
7. She loves her family - one of her favorite things to do is have a family movie night. She also loves visiting Grandma & Grandpa in UT and her grandparents and cousins here in AZ.
8. She makes friends so easily. I know I've said this before but she is a friend to everyone, and she's a good friend at that.
9. She loves school. How many fourth graders come home from school to report they had an AWESOME day EVERY SINGLE DAY? I think it has something to do with the social aspect of it, but I know she likes learning too. :)
10.I love how she tries to be so grown up sometimes, but other times she is just a little girl. I guess that's why they call them tweens, right?

I'm laughing so hard right now. Tess just walked in and I asked her "Tess what do you love about Emma?"

Tess: Nuffing! She just be's mean to me all the time!!"

Ah sisterhood. I just smile with the knowledge that they'll be BEST FRIENDS in 15 years or so.

We love you Ems, and can't imagine our world without you. Happy Tenth Birthday!!

An Inconvenient Storm

The twins and Fisher (home sick today poor guy) are having quiet time and are watching The Magic Schoolbus on Qubo. The National Weather Service has been coming on every five minutes to tell us to watch for the thunderstorm on its way. I'm not sure which is louder -- the distinctive honk of the NWS emergency bulletin or the twins moaning and groaning "oooooohhhhhhhh, not agaaaaaaaaaaaain!!"