Valentine's Weekend

Friday was Valentine Party Day at school, followed by our annual Winterfest. The teachers have to stay and work the booths, so the plan was for Tony to bring the kiddos to eat, play, work, and then go home. A mix-up left the PTO without anyone to get the food going for the evening and desperate. Since Tony cooks for the Men's Club, I called him into help. So, Tony grilled burgers and hot dogs, while Andrew and Aidan had free rein in the gym, and Sophie was passed from hip to hip as I worked my booth. Thank goodness the boys are responsible and that I had good parent helpers! It was crazy, but the kids had a good time and Tony saved the day, so it worked out well for everyone. (Other than being totally exhausted when we finally got home) Tony had the kids in bed by the time I stumbled in. We ordered a pizza ( didn't have time to eat Tony's masterpieces from the grill) and watched the Olympic Opening Ceremonies. You can insert any number of Canada jokes here. I heard them all sitting next to Tony.

Saturday morning we got up and Tony took Andrew to testing for Tae Kwon Do. This was a big one for him. Up to this point, he has been a "karate kub". By passing this round of testing, he gets to skip a belt level AND move into the regular classes. He is so excited! We also treated him to his patches and embroidery on his uniform for sticking with TKD and doing so well. Here he is with his jacket. I'll post more pictures after awards on Thursday. After testing, all *3* boys got haircuts and we treated the kids to lunch out (gourmet - McDonald's) before naps.

Saturday night, Tony and I celebrated Valentine's. We went to dinner at the New Albanian Brewing Company Bank Street Brewery. It wasn't our first choice, but in the end it was the best thing that could have happened. Everywhere else had a wait time of 2+ hours. We walked right into the NABC and sat down. They have a wonderful chef, plus Tony loves the beer so we were both happy. After dinner, we used Mom and Dad's tickets to see a concert at IUS. The group was called the Five Browns. They are five siblings from Utah who play Steinways together. They were amazing, as was the fact that there was half a million dollars worth of piano within my reach. We bought a cd and had it autographed. You can learn more about them on their website.

It's a good thing we had a good time on our date, because the night went downhill fast. While we were out, Tony's mom babysat. Tony's sister came over with her boyfriend and his son for a kiddie Valentine party. The kids had a blast! Unfortunately, the boys were still awake when we got home at 11. Andrew was complaining about his stomach. When we got them settled in bed, Sophie woke up and wouldn't go back to her own bed until about one. Then at two, Andrew woke up and threw up. Happy Valentine's Day, right?

Thanks to our late night, we decided to go to the late Mass this morning. Here's my little sweetheart in her Valentine's attire!

This afternoon, the boys had their first basketball game. We don't have uniforms yet, but that didn't slow the kids down. This is Aidan's first year playing for St. Anthony. Last year when he played at the YMCA, he could never make a basket. There was a lot of time spent laying on the floor, and his very tall coach would pick him up so he could make a basket. Aidan told me he didn't want to play this year if he couldn't reach the baskets. Well, lucky for us, by some miracle Aidan made THREE baskets and had a really good time. Andrew also played well, and takes it so seriously. He towers over the other kids. The pictures below aren't great, but I'll take some more when they're in uniform.

Hope everyone had a wonderful Valentine's Weekend! We definitely did. On a side note, I may have spoken too soon when I dubbed last week "snowmaggedon". That's what a get for being a smart aleck. As I sit here, they are calling for 6-9 more inches of snow starting tonight and lasting through Tuesday. I love snow, but I'm finished. I'm tired of missing days of school, I'm tired of coats and boots. However, the kiddos and I have had some really good times at home together, so I can't complain too much. Rest assured, if we are out tomorrow (and some schools have already cancelled) I will post more snow pictures!