Spring Fun!

It hasn't been much of a spring so far. We have been hibernating in the house for so long, it seemed like it would never end. One good thing about being inside -- we learned that the kids LOVE cup stacking. Hours of fun with 20 cents worth of plastic cups.

Today, however, was lovely. I took the kiddos over to mom and dad's for an outdoor adventure. They wanted to wear their rain gear, despite dry conditions. So I let them, and the photos turned out really cute. ENJOY!

Forever Friends (and a little birthday fun)

The last couple of Fridays, Shawna and I have been getting the kids together for a play date. It is so fun that our kids have been friends for their whole lives. When they are together, very little is required of Shawna and I. We usually enjoy some coffee while the kids amuse themselves.

Last week was also a special day for a special PawPaw. We took ourselves and the kiddos to mom and dad's house to celebrate! The kids especially loved blowing out the candles on Dad's cake.

Celebrating old friends!

I feel like I keep starting every blog with "these last few weeks have been hectic" or some variation thereof. But in our life there are seldom weeks where things are not crazy.

A couple weekends ago was especially jam packed with events. One of Corey's best friends Noel was in town for one night and one night only--so his great wife Mandy threw him a surprise party. The Jabbours live in Minnesota right now, so it is always a treat to spend time together. It was really GREAT to get to celebrate Noel turning the big 3-0!

The next day, an extra special visitor arrived at my mom's house from Argentina! Omar was an exchange student that spent a year in the U.S. 16 years ago. He was a student at the same high school my sister attended and the two of them were really close friends.

So when Omar didn't particularly like his host family, he came to stay with us. And then he ended up staying for the summer too. He was one of those people that made you smile no matter what. He and I spent a LOT of time together--no idea where the rest of the family was, but it always seemed to be me and Omar hanging out. He loved 80s music, so I would write down song lyrics for him (also helped him learn English).

Now Omar is a software engineer in Buenos Aires. He hasn't visited since 1998--which means he had met none of our kids or husbands or anything. Joe loved him immediately. It was great to catch up. We just started off right where we left off... Hope it doesn't take another 13 years to have a visit! Libby will be graduating from high school around then (AHHH) for now though--she is just styling in purple shades :)

Staying sane :)

We are in the thick of things right now. School stuff is piling up. Viruses are circulating around. Weather keeps changing from winter to spring and back again. But the Bozic household has been doing what it can to keep spirits high and stress low. One of my favorite activities is cooking with Libby. She is quite the helper. We both have to wear aprons and she pushes her stool next to the counter. Stirring and measuring are her favorite.

Getting out of the house is also a key part of sanity. We visited Grandma and PawPaw last weekend and it was great. Then we went home and had a fun movie night. You can read about it at my blog here.

We have also just been really silly lately. I laugh at Joe all the time (except the times when I am pulling out my hair because he is stubborn). He is a crazy kid sometimes :)

Fun things...

We have been busy, but with a new camera, I have also been taking more pictures. The winter chill is still upon us, so we have been staying indoors. That doesn't mean we haven't been having a blast. I'll let the pictures tell the stories (and captions).

Precious moment captured post-bath.

Libby helping me make roasted squash and ricotta stuffed shells.

She LOVES to cook and eat. Look at the tongue stuck out in concentration!

Joe in big boy underpants. He is NOT potty trained, but we are moving in that direction.

Family movie night. The kids got the comfy chairs, candy and strawberry milk.

I got the couch and a Care Bear movie (I think they won in this scenario).

Joe trying to coax daddy into another horsey ride.

Joe weighs right at 40 lbs, so the horsey can only go so far.

Cute kiddo feet. This is mainly me playing with the camera :)

Ball race in the basement. This has become a favorite activity for the kiddos. Libby makes me whistle to start the race.

A fun weekend away (for everyone)

Last weekend, Corey and I headed to Pigeon Forge/Gatlinburg TN area to stay in a cabin with the Taylors. The kiddos, however, stayed in Webster Springs with Corey's aunt and uncle. They had a BLAST!!

There was dress up

And tea parties

Joe got bored with the tea party eventually

We heard there was also a Valentine party complete with streamers and cupcakes. The weather was nice so Debbie and John took them to the river to see the fish and throw rocks. Libby got to take naps in the tent--which made her SO happy. Thanks so much guys! We had a great time relaxing, and our kids were WELL taken care of.

My favorite things these days

Our camera is close to dying, so the only photos I have were taken on my phone. But I wanted to share a little about the kiddos and us as a family. Things have been CRAZY in the Bozic household for the last month. Getting in the groove of a new semester is usually stressful enough, but now Corey has band practice twice (or more) a week, I am trying to have play dates with other kiddos and work and study -- you get the point.

BUT...we are here. We are learning to appreciate the little pieces of time we have together as a family, and I am loving the time I have at home with the kids (especially on Friday when I am not doing any school work). We have dance parties and tea parties and movie nights with popcorn.

Here are a few snapshots of my favorite things these days...

Libby writing her letters and making Valentine's for her friends. She can write all of them, but when she gets bored, she writes "stories" which are squiggly lines on paper. This story was about snakes... very appropriate.

Joe being my cuddle buddy while I study. He throws fits and can cry on command, but MAN this kid is sweet. He gives the best hugs and makes you feel like a million bucks when he runs to you and says "Oh Mommy, I missed you so much." Makes me melt.

The kiddos will be off for an adventure in Webster County soon, so I will definitely update then.

The new things

The newest thing in the life of Libby is this GIRLINESS! I am not very girly. So I am always confused when everyday she asks to wear a long dress and wants to have tea parties, take care of babies etc. The new girliness means that we watch Angelina Ballerina, wear her ballerina dress and shoes as often as possible and twirl (we twirl alot).

Joe in the other hand is fascinated by the drums. He is crushed when the drum sessions have to end. He makes all sorts of things into drums-tupperware, tables, Libby. I will try to write a longer blog about all their many new adventures and anecdotes, but I thought this short post would tide everyone over for a moment :)

Getting settled in...

Every semester is an adjustment. This one is no different. But we have already had some adventures that I will share. First, the kiddos had their well-child visits (6 months late). Libby weighed in at 31.5 pounds-Joe 38. They both measure 37 inches tall. Dr. Tony was really pleased with how well they are both doing!

Another adventure has been Corey joining two bands. One is a wedding band, the other four guys that like to play music and hang out. The wedding band is serious business though, and because they have a gig in a couple weeks, he has been practicing A LOT. While I knew marrying a drummer would require me to listen to him practice, everyday for an hour or more is more than I bargained for. In an effort to be supportive, the kiddos and I joined mom and dad at the women's basketball game yesterday (to give Corey 3-4 uninterrupted hours to practice). The kids had a great time. Libby loved everything-especially the food. Joe was harder to please, but I think he had fun.

Libby and Dad walking to the car. I always think these photos are sweet.

The Rest of the Holidays

We had a great break and tomorrow I go back to school. Our first order of business after our Webster trip was to make some fun craft projects to give everyone for Christmas. Libby and Joe had a great time making paintings for everyone. Libby especially loved the purple paint-go figure!After our Webster trip, we celebrated Christmas with the Bozics--complete with the best pepperoni rolls! Libby got a Dora house that she had been asking Pappy for since long before Christmas. And Joe got a tool bench that he calls his "Handy Manny". He loves it! It was great to relax and let the kids play for the evening. Christmas Eve was spent with my family. Everyone was in town and it was CRAZY! But the kids had a blast. I don't have many pics from here because Dad made me take photos with his camera all day. Christmas morning was spent at home--for the first time ever in Corey's life. The kids woke up to find more presents under the tree. Joe loved his train set and Libby loved her princess dolls, but the favorite for both was probably the $5 microphones we put in their stockings. We've had so much fun watching Libby perform. Later that morning, the family all headed over for brunch. Corey had an omelet station going and I made coffee with my new French Press. It was a great day. The rest of break has been pretty great. I took the kids out in the snow a couple days ago. Joe was not a fan, but Libby loved it. She made snow balls and angels. She wanted to make a snow man, but it was just not wet enough snow. Maybe next time.