Was last day of swimming lessons today. So, they got to go down the big water slide. I held them, and kinda went under when we got to the bottom. Hanna didn't mind, but it scared John a bit. I took another little girl down who wanted to go. We signed them up for another term, but will be at separate times.

I took John to the bacon and egg playplace last night. We went on a couple of coin-operated kiddie rides too.

It is quite nice here today, must be getting near 50.

Last night after supper, I was playing with John down in the family room, and he got out a ball we have, and he wanted me to sit down across from him. I don't know if he did this at Sue's house, or just how he thought of it, but he rolled the ball across the floor to me and said one of the names of the Thomas trains. So, I rolled the ball back and said another train name, and he rolled it back and said another name, etc... and we went back and forth like that for awhile. That was fun!

They built a snowman at Sue's house yseterday, so at supper Hanna was pleased to tell us about it. And she also told us they built a snowfort, too!

Last night Rhonda took John to Walmart where they got a lot of stuff. At the same time, I took Hanna over the bacon and egg play place at Northtown Mall. (The place was lousy with kids.) John has been acting up a little lately at times with Hanna. He'll kind of seem to get angry with her and push at her or something.

So, we thought maybe we need to make more of an effort to give him, and Hanna, some more individualized attention. Sometimes Rhonda will try to hold John, but Hanna will often will stand there and cry and want to be held to, and that's not fair to John, that he has to put up with that everytime he wants to be held. Or, when Rhonda goes to pick them up at Sue's house, Hanna will usually get to Rhonda first, and so maybe John is trying to express some frustration with that kind of thing. Who knows. So, we'll try to do things that more often.

Hanna did have fun though. The difference between the boys and girls was noticeable. Hanna was more laid back. I heard someone else there call a little girl "Makenna". Not sure how they would've spelled it though.

I have orchestra practice tonight, we play this coming Sunday.

One more week of swimming lessons for the kids. On the last week they get to go down the big water slide at the Y. I'm sure they'll like that! We have them signed up for another term, but we couldn't get them in at the same time.

Just found out we'll be getting a very nice bonus at work.

Rhonda got a book from the library called Little Black. The cover says it is by the guy who wrote the Black Stallion stories. This one is for kids (only 137 different words used) and John just loves it. It has good illustrations. A sign that he's getting older, that these more complicated stories interest him.

Hanna has been playing a lot with our rock n' roll Elmo. The Elmo is as big as her entire torso, but she likes to wrap it up in a blanket and carry it around. She's such a little mommy, she'll lay Elmo down for a nap, give him a kiss, etc...

Another busy weekend at home with the kidlings. They are both still sniffling. Hanna coughs now and then.

They have a new game, there's a big pillow on the living room floor, and we put a stool by it, and John climbs up and jumps onto the pillow. Then, we started holding little stuffed animals out and they catch them as they jump down.

When I put Hanna to bed, she's been giving my nice kisses on the cheek. She's a little pistol. Rhonda gave her an old purse, and Hanna just loves to carry it around. She looks like a little lady, the way she tucks it under her arm. And she loves to carry a little pair of toy sunglasses we have in the purse.

John is in more of a pretend stage, where he likes to call himself and me different names. Like he'll say "You're Baby Bach, and I'm Baby Van Gogh." Then we'll walk around and talk to each other like that. Or, sometimes he'll use names from Winnie the Pooh. He's usually Roo and I'm Kanga.

A veritable heat wave here. Was a shade over 40 here yesterday. At least upper 30s today again. But, some gloppy snow is supposedly headed our way tonight.

When I got home from work last night, John was happy to see me. He took me by the hand and we walked and played all over the house.

Hanna's nose has really been running the last couple days. She's a little under the weather, and as such, I think she gets a little cranky now and then.

A deacons mtg tonight. I gotta count money again on Sunday. It always seems like everything always comes at once in the same week.

This morning on the way over to Sue's house Hanna was singing "God Made Me." I joined in once and Hanna said "stop singing." Oh, okay. I stopped, and she resumed singing again. Ha. She also said "Macdonalds", and I said yeah, you like to go to Macdonalds, don't you, and she said "ice cream." Oh, that's what she likes.

Rhonda took John to the library last night to get some new books, and she said that John went over to the area in the kids book section where there are some risers, and there are some cushions there, and John made a bed out of them, and he was singing, somewhat loudly, the "Good night, sleep tight..." song that Grandma sings with him. He knows all the words too. And, Rhonda said there was some guy standing over by one of the computers, and he heard John and was singing along with John! Ha.

I watched the Hound Group last night from the Westminster show. They said a dog from the hound group has only won Westminster three times. A travesty. My favorite, the Irish Wolfhound, came in fourth.

On Saturday we went to a sweethearts banquet for the church. The entertainment was a Christian comedian, was pretty funny. Anyway, the ladies got helium heart-shaped balloons and roses. We got two balloons, and took them home for the kids. They have had a ball running around the house with them, watching them float to the ceiling, etc... (John can just barely reach up and get the string, Hanna needs help. Frequently) This morning one of the balloons seems to be running out of steam, and wasn't floating very high. John looked at it and said "It's not working." ha.

When John got up this morning, he was still a bit sleepy, and he yawned, and then he said "I'm yawning because I'm sleepy." Hee.

We're still working our way through the Westminster Dog show I taped. We already know who won, but it's fun to see all the dogs. The next group we have to watch is my favorite, the hound group. My fantasy is to get an Irish Wolfhound and a Scottish Deerhound. And maybe a Russian Wolfhound (Borzoi).

Light traffic today, what with so many people getting the day off.

Hanna several times over the weekend would say "swimming lessons!" She likes the swimming, and was eager to talk about it. John really like the ice skating.

Lately Hanna has been shampooing my hair. She gets this little pill box from their little doctor kit, pretends to pour some shampoo into her hands, then rubs her hands together like a professional stylist, then washes my hair. ha.

Both John and Hanna have had some coughs and sniffles lately. John had a bit of a fever, but he seems to be much better now.

This is another busy week. Mission board mtg tonight, orchestra practice on Wednesday, deacon mtg on Thursday, and the writing group on Saturday.

We had an enjoyable day. We went ice skating down at that indoor rink in downtown Minneapolis, in the restored old train station. We met that guy I work with and his wife. It's a mite pricey, 7 bucks per adult, and 5 bucks per kid, but the kids loved it. We had skates for John, but he was a little wobbly, and there only two of those trainer devices for rental (that the kids can hang to while they're skating). So, we just put his boots back on him, and he and Hanna just walked around the rink in their boots. We left there a little after noon, and all of us then went up to the Mcdonalds near the house and had lunch. The kids played on the slides, of course.

It started off rather cold this morning, near 10 below. But, will warm up a bit, and by Tuesday or Wednesdays temps should be in the mid 30s. It's that time of year when temps kinda bounce around.

Weather could be nice today. At least nicer. Temps are supposed to get up to maybe 35 today, before cooling off again over the weekend. Hopefully it gets warm enough so I can scrape off the layer of snow and ice that has accumulated on my driveway with all this recent snow. Sixth snowiest February on record they are saying.

Swimming lessons again tomorrow for the kids. They always look forward to that.

Lately Hanna will make this sad face. She kinda scrunches up her nose and pushes out her lips, it is the cutest thing.

John has been a bit under the weather lately. A little sniffle, cough, sleeps more, not quite as active.

The other day, we were in the kitchen playing around, and John said something "one soggy foggy Friday, rain was falling from the sky", which is the first line in the Splish Splash book both John and Hanna really like. I said yea, that's from Splish Splash. Well, Hanna disappeared and I thought nothing of it. And a short time later, she comes back into the kitchen holding the Splish Splash book! ha, just from that one mention she went running off and found that book! Then, yesterday, we were in the family room, and John said something like "zizzer zazzer zuzz", and I said yes, that's from the Dr. Seuss ABC book he likes. Well, Hanna went running off and I thought nothing of it, and a short time later she came back with that ABC book! Just from that one mention again she went and found the book who knows where. I wouldn't have known where it was. She's a little genius.

Last night had the kids outside. Went down on the sled a couple times, and played in the drifts. John brought me a triangular-shaped piece of snow, and said "throw the pizza, Daddy" so I threw the chunk off into the yard and John said "oh no, the pizza is gone!" ha. So, I did that with John, and Hanna of course, for a little while.

John was still asleep when I left for work today. I called later and talked to him on the phone. He said "You had to go to work." Sounds like they were going to play Musikgarten. John was tooting on a flute and banging around in the background.

A bit warmer here today, but sounds like more snow and cooler weather is on the way. We will be well over the average snowfall by the time this winter is done.

I took Hanna outside with me when I shovelled the driveway. She loves to push the little red shovel around. Then, both kids had baths.

We keep the bag with all the swimming trunks, towels and stuff in the closet. And, when I come home from work Hanna likes to untie my shoes, then pulls me upstairs cuz she knows I change clothes then. She always runs into the closet then and points at the bag and says "swimming lessons." Ha. One day I changed shirts, and then was doing something else, and Hanna went and got the sweatpants I usually put on and dragged them out and said "pants". ha, she knows my routine!

Yay, back at work again. Grr. Got some snow overnight. Will have to shovel yet again.

John was a little clingy this morning. Wanted me to hold him several times. Not sure what was bothering him.

Hanna was singing on the way to Sue's house. She was awake!

In the Splish Splash book Hanna likes, about a girl getting ready for a bath, there's a page where the girl is wriggling out of her pants, and Hanna always points at it and says "poopy diaper." Ha.

We had fun at nursery last night. It was just us again. John got out some railroad tracks and had fun putting them together and driving stuff around on them. Then, we were playing catch with some balls. They liked that.

Kids had fun in church today, and as always John had fun flushing toilets in the bathrooms there. On the way we stopped at Cub Foods to load up on groceries. From the deli we got some fried chicken for lunch. Mmm, was that ever good. John just gobbled it down.

It's cold and windy here today. Brr. Yesterday was in the 20s and sunny, a very pleasant day. Now, yuck.

After their naps yesterday (well, John didn't sleep) I took the kids outside. They went down the hill on the sled, climbed around the huge snowdrifts. After awhile Hanna had had enough, so she went inside. John was riding his little white bike around, and I put the little red shovel behind the seat and helped push him around. John just giggled, he liked that. So, we went around the driveway quite a few times like that.

For supper Rhonda whipped up a batch of Swedish meatballs and mushed potatoes.

We have nursery duty tonight. The kids always enjoy that chance to play around in the nursery.

Kids had another fun day at swimming lessons again. John cried a bit when it was time to go. We came home and had some yummy soup. Hanna asked for more. "More soup!" she said. Then, she was playing with one of her dollies, she was pretending to put it to bed, and she covered it with a blanket.

Last night I took John outside with me. I shoveled the driveway and he played around. I helped him up onto the high snowbanks, and he had fun crawling around up there. Then, I got out the sled and he slid down our driveway out into the street. There's enough of a snow layer that he could slide easily. Oh my, he just loved that. He went down quite a few times.

The other morning when I got the kids up, I got Hanna up first cuz John was still kinda snoozing. When we were done I said we had to go get John now, and Hanna went running into John's room and she said "John, how are you?"

I still got a story to read through for tonight's meeting. I gotta get cranking on my own stuff. I haven't written much for awhile.

Temps are downright balmy here. Should get to mid 20s this weekend.

Been quite busy at work. In a testing/fix bugs cycle which is timeconsuming. Next week starts another two week development cycle.

Was thinking, some commentators on the end times think that the US isn't really highlighted in the Bible, that most of what is mentioned centers on Israel, countries of the "north" (Russia? etc...) and maybe the countries of Europe (old Roman Empire?) I was just thinking, maybe that's because so many people in the US are taken in the Rapture that the US can't play much of a role? Who knows, just something to wonder.

Haven't been here for awhile. Had a very nice with Grandma. The kids enjoyed the visit and the attention. Lessee, what all did we do. We ate at that new Carol's Kitchen near the house. Nice little place. Had a little birthday party Saturday evening. Sunday went to church and had Dino's for lunch, it's tradition. Watched the Super Bowl. Man was it trashy this year. Monday I took the day off and stayed with kids. We took them to Macdonalds. They had fun on the play equipment. There were a couple of girls in there, and I don't think they wanted John to play with them. I'm not sure what they said, but John was saying "I'm not short, girls!" And he sounded indignant, ha! Was too snowy to go anywhere that day. We got probably 10 inches or so. Then, last night we went to that Moscow on the Hill restaurant. mmm, was that ever good. Yummy winter food. It's a small place, only a few tables. Then, we drove by the Ice Palace. Impressive place.

Cold here again this morning.