A Snowy March

Well, it’s the last week of March, and we’re still getting snow.  If it doesn’t melt in the next few days we may have a white Easter.  We normally get snow in March, but I don’t remember getting it this late before.

The picture above was taken on one of our sunniest days in March that we had snow.  It was so bright that we all needed sunglasses.  Ethan is wearing his new hat that my mom made and mailed over.

Building a snowman with Daddy

Before I know it I won’t be able to hold them like this anymore!  They are growing up SO quickly!The finished snowman

Basketball Tournament

ICSB has a basketball tournament every February.  Gary was away teaching both this year and last year during the tournament.  With Sienna only having an afternoon nap now we were able to attend some.  Ethan enjoyed watching the first game, and Sienna was content with me holding her.  However, Ethan had seen a bunch of kids playing in an area when we walked in, so after the first game he wanted to go play with the “big kids”.

I’m not sure what Ethan and Kate were doing in this picture, but it looks like they are having a serious conversation.

Sienna was up for playing some with the “big kids”, but she mostly wanted to be around me.

This tournament is one of our community highlights with lots of people attending.  Schools from Ukraine, Russia and Romania came for the tournament this year.

We went on Ethan and Sienna’s actual birthday.  One time when I went to check on Ethan, the coach of a team from Russia walked by and said, “Ethan, are you four?  And, is she (pointing to Sienna) two?”  The coach then looked at me and said that Ethan had told him like 10 times.  I was shocked that this coach from another team even knew his name, but I shouldn’t be surprised knowing my little social butterfly.

More Fireman Creative Play

Ethan still enjoys playing fireman.  

 Above is one of his fire trucks.

Ethan, Sienna, and Mommy took turns “driving” the fire truck. 

The hose changes (it’s the little broom under Ethan’s seat), but his helmet mostly stays the same each time he plays.

I love seeing him use his imagination to come up with the equipment and trucks.

Birthday Party

We celebrated Ethan and Sienna’s birthdays the day before my mom left.  Gary led the kids in a number of games, etc. 

Ring Around the Rosie (Sienna loves this!)  

Simon Says

Dancing and jumping around to a song and freezing when the music stops.

Thanking God for lunch (home-made pepperoni pizza and BBQ chicken pizza)

Glad to find an easy gender-neutral birthday cake to make (and thankful that I can get by doing it once a year…at least for now).  Ethan didn’t want the icing because of it being so sweet (he did the same last year on his birthday).  This was Sienna’s first time to ever try chocolate.  After trying the cake, she didn’t want it.  So, once again I was a very happy Mom! 

We sang Happy Birthday to Siennaand then to Ethan

My mom made these Elmo cut-outs to put on the birthday hats.

More games… Memory

I’m thankful for these four years God has given us with Ethan and the two years with Sienna!

Time with Grandma

Mom has gotten into knitting, so while she was here she made a scarf for Ethan and Sienna (as well as me). Ethan “helping” Grandma with his scarf 

There is a season in Hungary that is before Lent (starts on January 6th and ends on Ash Wednesday) called Farsang.  It’s called Carnival in many Western European countries and Mardi Gras in the  States.  Around the end of the time period the children dress up, etc.  So, many of the stores have costumes.  Ethan saw this Spiderman outfit while we were in one store and really wanted it (more than toys he had seen), so Mom got it for him as a birthday present.  He has no idea who Spiderman is other than he has underwear with superheroes on it and has learned all of their names.

Sienna wasn’t sure what to think of the mask.

Last day hug with Grandma

Ethan’s 1st Time to Ice Skate

We were excited to be able to take Ethan ice skating while my mom was here.  She went with us and stayed with Sienna in a warm area.  We went to a small, indoor rink that we’ve never been to before.  It was weird trying to find it because it’s located inside an old warehouse. 

Ethan needed to hold onto us the whole time, but he did well and even caught on somewhat to how he should move his feet.

Ethan didn’t want to stop skating or take a break until I mentioned that it was almost 6:00.  Ethan looked at Gary, and said, “It’s almost 6:00!”  A few minutes later when it was 6:00, Ethan said he was ready to go home.  It was very interesting because he hadn’t wanted to take a break or anything, but he knows that 6:00 is the time we eat dinner, so he did not want to continue when it was “dinnertime”.  We went into the room where Mom and Sienna were and told Ethan that we would just skate around the rink one more time, the two of us, while Grandma helped him take his ice skates off.  He didn’t like that at all and wanted to go back around the rink with us.

Finger Painting with Grandma

Mom did finger painting with the kids one morning while she was here.  Sienna is probably still a bit too young for it since she puts everything in her mouth, but thankfully the paint is non-toxic!

 Don’t think I like this stuff on my hands!

Somehow Ethan managed to only get paint on one hand for a long time. But that finally changed and we got some handprints.

Bring on the paint! 

Now I’m getting more into this and liking it!