Garden State Discovery Museum

 Look at these kids! Having a blast here at the Garden State Discovery Museum!

 Making giant bubbles!
Fishing from giant ships!

 Trenton had off from school for MLK Day... as did the rest of the state... so the place was crowded. But we got there very early and stayed for FOUR HOURS. The kids got to do so many hands-on activities. Below, they create their own Peace Prize medallion,

 Trenton smartly brought his own camera, so that he could take pictures, too. I have to upload them to this post soon. See him down there? I was taking it from the top of the castle.

 Hockey rink! Trenton played defense like a pro.

 The dinosaur room was the newest addition since last time. They got to participate in a real-life dig! Below, they manipulate bones to create a puzzle.

 They also liked this construction area. Above, Oliver simulates an earthquake's wrath on some 'buildings'. Below, the under-construction-house that T and Ollie helped 'build'.

We are TOTALLY going back again soon. Groupon had an amazing half-price deal... ;)

We Are Now Members...

It costs around $10 for a year long subscription...
Every day, when Oliver wakes up from his nap, all stretchy and bed-heady, and breath sleep smelly, he asks me to watch JibJab. "Momma? Can we turn on the computer and watch the Elves on JibJab?"

I'm telling you, it is borderline obsession.

So now, at least, we have many, many more choices. Like the following:

Personalize funny videos and birthday eCards at JibJab!

Commencement

Last week, Monmouth University held their second Winter Commencement. Although I technically finished and received my degree in August of 2011, I "walked" with the class of 2012. The ceremony was held at the new athletic center on a Friday afternoon. 

That's me walking up on the podium below. The kids got a kick out of seeing me on the Jumbotron!

 And these are the people I cannot thank enough: my parents (above), my husband, and his parents (below). Without all of their combined efforts, I would not have been able to physically attend classes at MU or drive to numerous different co-operating schools to implement my lessons. Their babysitting services allowed me to complete (an excessive number of)  research papers while enjoying complete quiet.

Although it took five years, I really enjoyed my 'one class a semester' routine. I've met many fantastic educators through the Reading Specialist Program at Monmouth and still keep in touch with many. 

My plan WAS to take this year off from studying... but I was approached by a former professor who asked me to consider teaching an online graduate course. It was actually my favorite course to take as a student-- Multi-cultural Literacy. I interviewed and accepted; class begins this week. Not bad, going from a student to a professor in a few months! I'm looking forward to continue my path as an educator :)

Pet Update

It looks like the snail might be dead. No movement in over two weeks. Algae growth on his shell.

Fishy does not seem to mind.

Trenton & Fishy from Sheryl K. on Vimeo.

Welcome Baby Samantha!

Congratulations to Amy and Dave on the birth of their first child, Samantha Jane! This peanut weighed in at 4 lbs., 9 oz. We're so happy for you guys, and I can't wait to meet her in person this weekend!

T's Pics, January 2012

 Oliver is always ready to have his picture taken when Trenton pulls out his camera.

Other things that caught his eye...

The Mario Brothers pajamas were a big hit!

Food For Enjoyment

 I love the kind of gifts that hold a promise in the future... Jim's folks ordered for us some Honeybell Oranges, a whole crate of them, delivered just this week, at their peak freshness. These pieces of fruit are huge, delicious, juicy, and are begging to be eaten. They even provide bibs for you to use! Oliver dug in right away ;)

Lest you think that I always feed our boys completely healthy things, you can reference the picture above. Tonight, I let them take letter cookies and dunk them in frosting. Yup. And it was DARN GOOD. 

Happy New Year! Welcome 2012

 What the WHAT?
It's a good thing we got out the camera to capture this one.
Jim decided to do it up Mohawk-style for his hike in the Shenandoahs this winter. Upon arriving at the Bluesteen home in Burke, he trimmed up his hair into THIS:

 It stayed like that overnight. I'm guessing he didn't sleep with a hat on.

 While the daddies were out climbing a mountain, sleeping on the side of it, and boiling noodles in a pan, Shairna and I were home with SEVEN children. Nora and Oliver, the two youngest, played together so nicely.
The older kids did stuff like this:

 In case you aren't Wii savvy, you should check out Just Dance Kids on this video here. I swear, all of the kids absolutely loved it. Good gift idea, Santa. Nice way to keep the kids moving and engaged while still playing Wii ;)

 After a trip to IKEA to feed SEVEN children for free (suckers!), we returned on New Year's Eve to celebrate with the rest of the crowd. Above, Oliver gets ready to party like it's... 2011!
This is because each year we show them the ball drop on YouTube from the year prior's celebration. They know nothing else!

 Man, they're getting older. And taller. And nosier.

Wait! You're not that old! That'd better be water with a cherry in it, mister.

Many thanks to Shairna and Chris for hosting us for a few days. We love ringing in the new year each time with good friends!