HAPPY CHINESE NEW YEAR

The kids have been learning about the Chinese New Year this week at preschool. Hailey's class painted an art project on Monday and made rice on Wednesday for a cooking project and watched the movie Ni Hao Kai Lan the new Nickelodeon kids show which we let the class borrow. Daniel's class watched the same movie Celebrate With Kai-Lan today at school and they were learning about different buildings this week at school for the letter B so they built tacos from scratch as a cooking project. His job was to bring the black olives to school today. On another note for anyone who hasnt been watching CNN and doesnt know one of Alaska's volcano's Mt. Redoubt is about to errupt. It will be the first time a volcano has errupted in Alaska since 1992. It is about 100 miles southwest from us in Anchorage. Of course it is crazy her on base and in town and kinda reminds me of hurricane preparation when we lived in Florida. Our commisary is actually sold out of bottled water. They had a false alarm earlier today around 1130am thinking it errupted but it hasnt yet. They say its getting closer and closer to errupting and will probably errupt in the next few days. Everyone here is just hoping it doesnt errupt on Sunday cause everyone is looking forward to the superbowl. We are stocked up on food and water here and spending a nice quiet weekend indoors.

HAILEY OUR GYMNASTICS SUPERSTAR

Hailey has really been advancing in her gymnastics class. She has been doing gymnastics since she was 18 months old and she will be turning 4 this May. At first it was alot of playing around for her but now she is really starting to get all the concepts and working harder and harder each week to achieve. She can almost do a handstand all by herself without her teacher's help. She can do a sommersault by herself on the mats. She used to be only able to hold her chin ups for 6 or 7 seconds the most. Last night she held her chin up for the full 10 seconds and their were only 2 in the class that could do it for the full 10 seconds. She also was very brave last night and tried some exercises on the high bar. Alot of the other kids in the class would not even try they were too scared. Hailey put her full trust in her teaching knowing she would not let her fall and attempted the high bar. We are very proud of her progress and happy that she has found an activity she really enjoys doing and we could have a future olympic gymnast in our family.

READY FOR THE SUPERBOWL

Well Mommy is getting the kids jerseys nice and cleaned for this Sunday. We are definitly rooting for the Pittsburgh Steelers to win. Sorry any Arizona fans. Daniel's teacher is also a very big steelers fan and she said if they win the superbowl she will be wearing her jersey on Monday and told Daniel to do the same. Also check out this link for a cool Steelers superbowl song. Here are some pics of the kids dressed in their gear the other day for school.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6bxXaIqO6zs

HAILEY'S FIRST HAIRCUT AFTER AN INCIDENT WITH HER BROTHER AND SCISSORS

Hailey's new do Hailey just got her first haircut

She did not like it at first

Mrs. helen cutting Hailey's hair the right way

You can see very well while wet how long it was at one point

The school scissors Daniel used to cut his sister's hair

He butchered her poor hair

Hailey's haircut by her brother

Daniel gave his sister her first haircut (that will be a story when she grows up to tell her children)

Well What can I say the things kids do. Ive been pretty much laid up and off my feet for the last week as I mentioned in an earlier post. I pulled a muscle in my back and after seeing the doctor possibly passed through a kidney stone. Justin has been home helping and taking most of the daily house responsibilities and the kids were definitly taking advantage of the situation of mommy not being able to move around alot. Two nights ago Justin was downstairs cleaning up our bathroom and kitchen and I was resting on the couch. It was about 10pm and we had put the kids up in Daniel's room to watch Kung Fu Panda. Well I guess they watched that movie one too many times and it wasnt getting their interest because Daniel decided to take his school scissors and give his sister a haircut. I had gone upstairs to check on them for bed around 1030pm and saw locks of Haileys hair lying on the top of the stairs floor. I go to their room and Hailey says brother cut my hair and he said Hailey asked him to give her a haircut. Needless to say she was talking about pretend play and didnt mean for him to really cut her hair and he actually cut her hair. She was very upset when she couldnt make her normal pigtails and yelled at her brother and told him never to touch her hair again. We went to the beauty salon and Hailey got a really cute bob style haircut. It is short but at least its even it will take awhile but it will grow back long again. She looked like she was going to cry after the lady was done. She said mommy I look like a boy and I told her no you dont you look like an adorable little girl. So we went to the Bx and Hailey picked out a pretty pink headband and a hello kitty necklace and she was all happy and said she was a girly girl again. Everyone seems to like Hailey's new do and I myself am starting to get used to it too. Here are some before and after pics.

MR. BEANS OUR NEW DOG

Mr Beans

Mr Beans wondering why Daniel was in his cage

Hailey and Mr. Beans

Storm, Zack, And Mr Beans all together

Daniel and Mr Beans

Mr Beans rubbing up to Zack

They have become good buddies

Well our new 1 year old chiahuaha Mr Beans had surgery today. We got him neutered because he was marking his territory way too much with the other 2 boys Zack and Storm in the house. He is doing really well. He has been sleeping alot today and im sure hes in a little pain. Him and me are pretty much going to be laid up the next few days. He was a trooper and the nurse said he was the most active dog she has seen that after his surgery while still very groggy he was trying to play and jump around but was falling over cause he was still pretty much knocked out. Hopefully his potty training issues improve now. Zack was very worried all day today while beans was gone he was looking around for him and wondering why his cage was empty. He got very excited and even went to lick Mr Beans in the face when he came home. At first Zack was unsure of another dog in the house but they have become close and good friends. even storm likes Mr Beans now. He hissed and clawed him when they first met but now Storm comes downstairs and lays by Mr Beans crate. We definitly have a new member of the family who will be staying with us for hopefully a long time.

JUST ANOTHER DAY

Well for those of you who don't know Mommy has been out of commision the last few days. I don't know how I did it or what I did but I have seemed to pull a muscle in my back. I went to the doctor today to get x rays and should find out tomorrow if anything more is wrong besides a pulled muscle but they believe its just a bad pulled muscle. Justin has been home the last few days helping me out alot with the kids and they kinda understand mommy can't do much with her bad back. Daniel has learned what buttons to push to put my heating pad on the right level. Unfortunatley the doctors say it can take anywhere from 2 weeks to six weeks till I totally get healed and im not supposed to lift more then 10 pounds. It is going to be a very long month. I dont realize how much day to day stuff I usually do around the house that now im not able to do right now. On the good note, we got our plane tickets today for our vacation this summer and we cannot wait. We all need a much needed break. Everyone is making fun of us asking why we would want to take a one week cruise of Alaska and not a week in the sunny tropical caribean when we have lived here for 6 and a half years but this is mainly for my dad because he has always wanted to take the Alaska cruise as long as he worked for the cruise company and this is his retirement cruise and we are very happy the whole family is able to be there to attend with him. The kids are looking forward to going to kid camp for the week. Daniel loved it on our last cruise and Hailey wasnt potty trained yet so she wasnt able to go but she is very excited to be able to be enrolled in camp this summer. We are also looking forward to spendng a couple days in Vancover. When we first drove up to Alaksa we really didnt get to sightsee and see Canada. We pretty much just quickly drove through.Unfortunatly its still five months away but definitly something for us all to look forward to now if mommy can just get on her feet. Hopefully I found out tomorrow my x rays are normal and its just a bad pull and it heels quickly. Also go steelers. The kids wore their steelers jerseys today to school in honor of the win on Sunday and we are rooting for them to go all the way to the super bowl and win the superbowl, at least beat the crap out of Baltimore on Sunday cause they are the team that took our Dolphins out of the playoffs.

HAILEY LOVES HER GYMNASTICS CLASS

Hailey at gymnastics class

Waiting for class to start

Hailey trying to do a handstand on her own

Jumping on the big trampoline

Getting ready to do a cartwheel

Hailey doing a handstand with help from Mrs. Kennedy

Hailey started a new 8 week session of her gymnastics class. She was so excited to go after school today. She even got a new pink Strawberry Shortcake leotard to wear. She was very excited to see her teacher Mrs. Kennedy after a 3 week break between sessions. Hailey is in a different class this time and its a smaller class. There are only 5 kids in this class so she gets alot of extra one-on-one attention and practice. Her old Tuesday class had 9 kids. The only difference is her friends from school Bella and Nicholas arent in this class but she has made new friends with the kids in her new class. Here are some pictures of our superstar.

NEW YEARS WELCOME 2009

New Years Eve End Of 2008

Daniel New Years Eve

The kids with their hats and blowers

Hailey dancing to Hannah Montana on Tv

Hailey getting dressed up for New Years

Hailey New Years Eve

Hailey and Alex playing with spike the dinosaur

Daniel ready for 2009

Daniel and Alex playing with spike the dinosaur

We had a very good New Year's Eve. We went to our friends Nate and Jamie's house. The guys spent some time working in the garage getting ready for the New Years Day trail run they are doing in the morning. Jamie and I hung out watching MTv new year's eve and Dick Clark Rockin New Years Eve. Hailey loved seeing Miley Cyrus on Tv AKA Hannah Montana. She was dancing along with the Tv. The kids all had fun playing. Alex got spike the dinosaur for Christmas which Daniel has been wanting so he had alot of fun playing with it at Alex's house. We wish we were at the big party at Aunt Joni's and Uncle Larry's back home but it was great to talk with everyone. Cousin Jordan we were looking for you on Tv since your in New York. Hope you had a great time in Times Square. We toasted in the New Years with some sparkling apple cider and the kids finally went to bed around 1230am. We hope everyone had a great New Years. We are ready for 2009 and hope to have a great year.