another snowy day

 
It's snowing again! So why not give people a taste of summer?

 
A bargain or a ripoff? You decide.

 
Someone is coming!

 
Theo blows bubbles to draw attention to our stand . . .

 
while Gus yells "Lemonade for sale! Get your fresh squeezed lemonade!"

 
Our youngest, and most confused, customers.

 
Theo was put on stirring duty after he yelled "Hey? You got money?" to our dry cleaner. The dry cleaner said, "yes," and kept walking.

 
It was a fun twenty-five minutes, with only light flurries.

 
And profitable. Though one customer asked us if we were donating our earnings. Is that expected these days? Can't a kid just try to earn a buck?

But we did not set out to make money. Making lemonade was something I suggested to the boys to distract them from what they really wanted to do. And then they came up with selling it, like Curious George.

 
Before making the lemonade, Gus and Theo spent, I kid you not, two hours making this bird feeder. And I do realize I spelled squirrel wrong. I'll blame it on being preoccupied with making the message fit on the box.

 
Gus, Theo, Amy

 
Bluebird, "chirpedee" and cardinal

So after the bird feeder was complete the boys wanted to go out in the garden and dig up worms to put in it. I was a really good sport all day. "Yes," to looong games of checkers. "Yes," to pulling out sand shovels from deep storage so we could make levers to fling stuffed animals. "Yes," to using the shovels as lacrosse sticks. But there was no way I was digging for worms in the sleet. So lemonade it was.

poor theotheo couscous

 
Root-ee Mooty Schoenfeld

Theo is not having luck with his fish. TheoTheo Couscous is no more. I discovered this too late for Jonathan to pick up a replacement, so he is going to break the news to the boys in the morning.

During his brief five days with us (one more than TheoTheoTheo!), Theo accepted him as his pet and started calling him TheoTheo. Gus continued to comment on his size. "Mum, I think TheoTheoTheo is shrinking!"

I did not bond with this new fish. In a letter Gus dictated to me today he commented that TheoTheoTheo was swimming funny and had stopped, and it didn't occur to me that something might be wrong. I thought he was talking about the old TheoTheoTheo. So confusing.

So for now it is just us and Root-ee. He seems pretty hardy. Knock on wood.

purim carnival

 
We spent Sunday morning at BZBI's Purim Carnival. I snapped this picture of the guys from the bean bag toss booth I was working.

 
Gus was "King Purim" this year and willingly wore the costume that I could not bribe him to put on in 2008 or 2009. So glad that the crown Anna made for him for his second birthday still fits!

 
In a few years I guess he will look more like this guy.

Theo had a costume but put it in the stroller after the moon bounce.

 
He was "King Crab." Glad I took a picture before I went to setup. Yes, he was watching tv.

adieu, theotheotheo

 
TheoTheo Couscous

TheoTheoTheo, the beloved beta fish of Theo, bit the dust yesterday. He looked ill when we went down for breakfast, and I swear he was pleading for me to help him, but there was nothing I could do. It was awful.

Since we only had him for four days, I thought it better to just replace him than to explain to Theo that he died. I don't want them thinking when they get a pet it is going to die in a few days. So Jonathan picked up a new red beta on his way home from work. A very small, very red beta. It was the largest one they had. Jonathan felt sure the boys would know it was not the same fish. I was considering telling them it was a replacement. At dinner Gus did ask me if we cook Root-ee and TheoTheoTheo for supper some night, so he would probably be okay. But poor Theo. It was his namesake.

So this morning we go down to the kitchen, Theo walks over to his fish bowl and says, "Good morning TheoTheoTheo. Hey! That's not TheoTheoTheo!" Hmmmmm . . .

This evening while we were getting ready for supper Gus asked "Mum, how did Theo's fish get redder and smaller?"

And then Theo heard Gus calling the fish TheoTheoTheo, and he said "That's Couscous."

So Theo seems to have accepted that TheoTheoTheo has been mysteriously replaced by Couscous, but I am thinking we will have to come clean tomorrow before Gus starts worrying that he himself may shrink and change colors while sleeping. His imagination has been a little wild lately.

kitchen woe

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

go, gus, go

 
It is finally Go, Diego, Go day! Gus has been planning this party for months.

 
Kitchen ready.

 
Living room ready.

 
Theo ready!

 
Chloe, Gus and Elli decorating binoculars.

 
Pin the tail on Baby Jaguar was a big hit but unfortunately was not photographed and was cut short due to some poor sportsmanship on the birthday boy's part. It is hard being the birthday boy.

 
The spider web game was a little too advanced for the four and under crowd.

 
But the kids enjoyed looking for the hidden lizards.

 
Noah, Ellie, Jake, Zach, Gus Nate.

 
Pinata. It would have been wrong to beat Diego with a stick so we went for pull strings.

 
Right before the lollipops fell out.

 
Pizza and/or lollipops for lunch.

 
Mira, Sheri and Ava.

 
Elli, Zach, Ellie and Gus. Note that Elli and Zach are not reaching for the same hat, but rather for a car that is on the hat. Notice all the hats on the table. NO MORE HATS. This time I mean it.

 
Grandpa couldn't believe how many boots were our hall.

 
Max couldn't believe Gus was sitting across from him with a lollipop.

 
Jonathan, Raj and Michael.

 
Theo with part of his stash. (I found three lollipops down the back of his diaper.)

 
Diego cupcakes and the number four candle.

 
Taking in the singing.

 
The big moment!

 
Frosting!

 
Jake.

 
Ellie and Hannah.

 
Ava and Max.

So it was not the spooky scavenger hunt that we had planned for the 6th, but I heard no complaints from Gus, so as far as I am concerned the party was a success. And I am so glad Grammy, Grandpa, Grandma, PopPop and Uncle Michael were able to join us.

pets

A few weeks ago Gus said to Grandma, "I'm almost four and I don't have a pet." So pet options were discussed (actually I think only fish were discussed) and today two fish arrived, courtesy of Grandma and PopPop, just in time for Gus's 4th birthday party.

 
Gus admiring his blue beta fish, Root-ee Mooty Schoenfeld. ???

 
Theo named his red beta Theo-Theo-Theo. Glad to know Theo likes his name.

Thanks Grandma and PopPop!