Soccer Class

Will had his sports class today at school - they learned all about soccer.  Will didn't seem to have quite as much energy as he did at the basketball class and he asked me if it was time to go a few times... but I think that might have been because he knew we were picking up Jimmy Johns and visiting Oma after class.  They practiced kicking, dribbling, and passing.  They also got to take a few shots on goal.  (Note: the girl he is holding hands with part way through the video is Emma)

Adventures in the Sugar Bush

On Monday afternoon, I took Will to Blanford Nature Center to do their Story Time Hike. It's maple syrup time! We got to watch a short puppet show where they talked about how you get maple syrup from trees. Then we went on a hike around the center to see how it was done. Will got to drill a hold in a tree, see lots of buckets collecting sap, and watch them boil it down in the sugar house. We got samples of fresh maple syrup and maple sugar along the way. It was a very fun outing - he seemed to really like it. Originally, Alex was going to join us but the Hofmeyers got back from Florida early and Aunt Mara offered to stay with Alex. It was for the best - it got a little cool on the trail and it was a little icy. I'm sure he had more fun playing with her than being lugged through the woods!

In the Sugar House



After our sample of fresh maple syrup

Watching the sap drip

Pioneer method for carrying sap

Drilling a hole for the tap

Mickey Mouse!

This weekend Grann came into town because we had tickets to Disney on Ice. She gave Will tickets for Hanukkah and it was finally show time! We all went out to dinner on Friday night and the boys had fun playing with her before the show on Saturday. Will absolutely loved it. He hasn't seen many Disney movies but he really liked seeing Mickey Mouse and thought the ice skating was really cool. Alex was on his best behavior for about the first half but then needed snacks to make it through the rest. But he still did great considering he was sitting in my lap for almost 2 hours! On Saturday night, Grann babysat so Phil and I could go out to dinner.

On Sunday afternoon, we had some friends over to watch the Michigan Basketball game. Go Blue! Both Will and Alex had a few friends over as well and they all had fun playing. The big kids did quite well together with only a few arguments over game token colors.

The Happy Mousketeer!

Intense game of Candy Land

More Snow and Basketball

We had another big snow storm last night. We went out after dinner yesterday to play with Aaron and Sam while it was still coming down. This morning, the boys went out again for quite a while before Will's basketball class at school. Unfortunately, I only had my phone so I have a lot of video clips instead of a "best of." It is an 8 week class and they will focus on a different sport each week. He seemed to enjoy it.

Had to climb the tree!

The snow was almost as tall as Alex

The day before the latest snowstorm - painting the snow with spray bottles

Making his own snowman

Brothers on a walk

Taking a knee

 

We have been reading chapter books with Will - the Magic Tree House series. He loves them. This Lego project was based on Mummies in the Morning.  Inside the structure are his Lego zookeepers who he decided where the two main characters - Jack and Annie.  He also built a set of stairs (key to the plot) and put a black cat in there.  He wanted to build torches but we didn't have the right pieces.   

Banks, Glow Sticks, and Glasses

We had a pretty low key weekend. On Friday, we took the kiddos out to dinner. On Saturday, we played around the house in the morning. Phil had a noon tea time for the Ice Tee Classic on Reeds Lake. They set up a 9 hole golf course (drill holes in the ice) and have teams come out to play to raise money for charity. It was cold and snowy but he seemed to have fun. On Saturday evening, some of Kristen's former coworkers came over with their kids for pizza and a short visit. On Sunday, we went for sled rides and Phil and Will went to the playground for a bit to play in the snow. Then we went to the mall to let the kids run around for a while. After naps, Phil and Will went to Calvin College to walk the nature trail.

On Thursday, Will's school had a program sponsored by PNC Bank and Sesame Street to teach kids finances.  Kristen and Will (and Alex tagged along) got to play games in the big room and make 3 banks - one for saving, one for spending, and one for sharing.  Will emptied his entire piggy bank into the sharing jar and says he wants to spend all his money on his friends and family.  So sweet.  

Alex and Will had their first joint "glow bath" on Thursday night. Will has had them before but it was Alex's first time.  They stayed in the tub for over 30 minutes and probably would have stayed in longer if we let them!  They are good little buddies.   

Our little book worm

The Boys

Four Eyes

Alex's first glow bath

I caught him hard at work at school

Night at Grann's

Kristen, Will and Alex took a quick overnight trip to Detroit to visit Grann. We drove down early Monday morning. We stopped at her condo for a potty break and to play for a bit. Then we met her at Somerset (she took a half day off work) to ride the escalators, moving sidewalks, and have lunch. Then we went back to her house for an afternoon of playing. We were even able to take the dogs for a nice walk since the weather was fairly warm. On Tuesday morning, we played for a bit and got back on the road around 9am. It was a fun visit!

Strutting on the Sky Walk

Big Dog, Little Dog



Mickey Mouse Club Before Bed

Will got some new Wii games for Valentine's Day: Nick Jr. Fit and Dora/Diego Dance Party. He seems to enjoy them!

William Maguran - Professional Bowler

At least according to Wii. And technically, he lost his pro status on the very next game when he barely broke 100, but for a brief moment he was a pro and had the fancy bowling ball. He was very proud of himself as you can see from the photos below. We also went "regular bowling" this weekend. Will always has a good time.

I included a few of the pictures that were sent out in the Generations newsletter showing the fun stuff they do at school.

Chicken Dance in the Big Room

Snow in the Sensory Table

William reached Pro Status in Wii Bowling

The game that got him to Pro Status

Watching Big Brother Bowl

Nice Throw!