All Things Birthday

After great debate, Cosette had a party this year. Four friends made it (it was Easter weekend after all).
The novelty of the LiteBrite Cube and Cozy's hide-a-way could have entertained the girls the entire time!
Hot Dogs and Cheetos for lunch!
This is the look you get when all the candles are lit and a breeze blows them out before the birthday girl does...We symbolically lit another candle so she could make her wish.
After the guests left the party really started - scooters for everyone! Happy Easter!

Snow

There's snow today. It's been falling since this morning. There's something wrong with this Spring picture.

Cosette is 7!

Cozy had been asking for a helmet for a while now. Guess she got tired of the black/red one she'd had. This helmet will look nice with the razor scooter she's getting this weekend.
Thanks to Gma and Papi for the Lite Brite cube! She can work on it on her table in her room with a friend on the other side.
Cozy turned 7 Monday. She was thrilled to have a friend that spent the night Sunday. For breakfast she'd requested Danishes we'd tasted at Costco. Birthday dinner was Mac and Cheese that she insisted she cook herself.

Where has the time gone?!

Finished Product

It's taken a couple of weeks, but it's finally done! This is how the bed looks put together. You can see the brace on the back wall that the table slides onto.

Cosette's table has been painted with chalkboard paint so she can entertain herself that way. The cushions are covered with a very detailed paisley type fabric. We hope she's as excited with the finished product as we are. Thanks to good friend Jodie for helping Emma sew the cushion covers (or curtain covers if you're asking Isaac.)

Ethan loves his letters and "homework" books. Here he is thumbing through an activity book in his room.

Spider-man

We found these jammies at DI for a couple of dollars. I can't think of a boy who's more excited than this one, especially when he discovered the spider wings! He flies through the house doing chores with these wings.

Building Adventures

Lowe's has a bi-weekly "Build and Grow" program for kids. This was their first project, a fortune teller. Inside the hole is a dice that says things like "yes", "no", or "maybe". Think Magic 8 Ball...The kids loved it! They have their own goggles and apron now to help on construction projects.

During Spring Break Emma and Cosette started work on a cardboard doll house. This is what we came up with. Cosette has had fun with it, especially now she has a special place to play.

This is the latest in Wood construction endeavors. We'd seen this concept in a picture, but the bed would have been $600. Instead, we found the bunk bed on Craig's List and made our own table/chairs for under the bed. The table comes down and will lay flat in the open section. The cushions (which is the last thing to do) will slide down into the twin bed mattress.

"Rob never ceases to amaze Emma in his ability to look beyond a simple purchase. He is a master craftsman (in his own mind)"

Happy Leafy Day

Pocatello had a great opportunity to host Temple Grandin. She's a champion of autism as she has autism herself. HBO created a 7 Emmy award winning movie last year called "Temple Grandin". Rob was the interpreter at the event that overflowed into 3 other auditoriums.
Cosette watched the movie twice. When we told her there would be a babysitter because we were going to meet Temple Grandin, she told us she wanted to meet the "real" Temple Grandin because she did watch the movie two times. How can you say no to that logic?

There was a Q&A session. Cozy asked Temple why she "Only liked yogurt" - it's in the movie. She did it all by herself. Wouldn't let Emma help or even walk to where the mic was at all.
Here we are eating cereal with green milk on St. Patrick's Day. The kids were up at about 6:30am following the trail of Gummy Bearies (jelly beans). Isaac couldn't figure out they were jelly beans no matter how many times Cozy told him.
Isaac made this hat at preschool. He was always waiting for "Leafy Day" because that's what is on the calendar at school (a shamrock). We love his interpretation of the world.
Not only did the Leprechauns turn the milk green, they left these headbands and small pots of chocolate coins for each of the kids.

If you ask Ethan what he knows about Leprechauns, he'll tell you they're "tricky" as he wiggles his fingers in front of his body. The time of make believe and wonder is fantastic!

The request has been made for baby pictures. Isaac took this picture of Emma at 30 weeks. Only 10 more to go!

Isaac

Here's our dear sweet Isaac. He's growing up so fast it's unbelievable. All of a sudden he's not a "little" boy anymore. We have found his favorite food - orange jello salad made with cool whip and cottage cheese. The bowl you see here is at least his 4th helping of the same size.

The other day we asked the kids what they wanted on their pizza. Isaac requested "cheese and peppermint"...then he said, "what are the red circles called?" Rob and Emma had a good chuckle over that one.

Crafting

Every once in a while Emma gets crafty...and finishes a project. This one is even hung up on the wall!!

Welcome Home Reese

Reese joined our family last week. Emma wasn't sure she wanted to take on another "kid", especially with one on the way. Reese is an adult dog that is basically potty trained, so it has been tons easier than trying to handle an 8-week old puppy.

The kids love Reese. Isaac always wants her to sit on his lap. He'll just say, "I love Reese" out of the blue. If he's pressed for a reason, it's because she is furry.
Cosette has taken to strange sleeping arrangements. Here she is sacked out on her Princess table...for a while she was sleeping in the far back corner of her room under the map...and now she pushed her trundle out about 2 feet and sleeps under the bed in the recess it leaves.

National Girls and Womens Day in Sports

For the last 12-13 years ISU has hosted this day of sports for girls aged 5-12. They get a chance to try sports they might not otherwise participate in. This year Cosette did Rock Climbing, Fencing, and Golf.
Way to go Cosette! You're up there pretty high! Fencing - learning to lunge, advance, and retreat. They are 45 minute sessions.

The poor boys sat with Emma the whole time wishing they could play...but they behaved themselves well.

Friday Date Night at the Wood's

S'mores

Isaac loves the snow, especially eating it. Here he is giving his dinosaur a bath.
FHE last night found us eating s'mores for treats. Cosette had asked for them a couple days ago. We had initially thought of pulling out the fire pit and having a go outside, but Cozy spiked a fever yesterday. The kids really didn't care. Yummy!

Snow Delay...again

Ethan drew this picture for us a couple weeks ago. See if you can find the bee, grass, airplane, and sunshine. Emma drew the flower.

We're having our second snow delay for school - 2 hours - in as many weeks. It's not that there is a ton of snow on the ground, but enough the plows can't keep up. The cool thing about snow at night with a full moon is it never really gets dark. You could walk around at 1am and still see everything like twilight.

2010 book

Click here to view this photo book larger

Christmas

The kids were bent on making gingerbread men with grandma. Afterward Isaac says, "I know how to cook. I made gingerbread with Grandma." In this picture, everyone is preparing a special treat that Gma used to share with her Grandmother...cinnamon sugared pie crust. Yum.

Isaac wasn't much for pictures this Christmas. Cozy and Ethan are showing off Santa's cookies and chocolate milk. Santa sent Cozy a voice message that especially requested chocolate milk this year. We also gave an apple to the reindeer.
This is Rob's new favorite hat - it's an Aussie hat!
Aunt Sara and Aunt Nicole made the kids superhero capes and Cozy a crown and bracelets. Ethan ran around shouting "I am super Ethan!"
To break up Christmas day, we took a walk up Red Hill to show off the Pocatello Valley to Gma and Gpa. It was a nice excursion. Isaac had to bring his new monster truck. All the kids received a water bottle holder and Isaac's showing his off here.
New Year's Eve was low key for the Wood family. Cozy went to Salt Lake with her cousins while Rob, Emma, and the boys stayed in watching movies and a friend's baby so they could head to the theater.