The Kassel Family Project Life 365

Today, I washed the kid’s car seat covers.  John stepped on his new booster chair cover with muddy shoes and so I just threw the covers for Laura’s seats into the washing machine too.  Since they can’t be machine dried, I put them on the back deck to dry.  It was bright sun and I figured it wouldn’t take them long to dry.  After placing them outside, I went into the house and cleaned up the kitchen.  I was inside maybe ten minutes total.  I stepped onto the back deck to check on the covers and one of Laura’s had been pooped on by a bird.  I thought, “What the hell?  Ten minutes is all I’m gone and it gets pooped on?  All this space to poop and the bird had to hit THAT.”  So, back to the washing machine went that particular cover!  Never fear…all covers are now sparkling clean and back on the car seats!

Easter is always a long day for the Kassel Family, and this year was no exception.  The day began for me at 4:30 am and at 5:30 am for the rest of the Kassels.  We go to Easter Sunrise Service at St. Andrew’s Lutheran Church, and it starts at 6:30 am.  It’s a great service that is held outdoors weather permitting.  This year proved to be a beautiful Easter morning.  It was such a nice service in the Memorial Courtyard.  He is risen!  He is risen indeed!

After Sunrise Service, it was off to Bob Evans for our traditional Easter breakfast.  The food was great as usual and we very much enjoyed breakfast.  Because we had a bit of time to waste between breakfast and the Church’s Easter Egg Hunt, we headed to Shelter Gardens for a walk through the beautiful park.  The kids loved every minute and we got some great pictures.  We even saw a rabbit to which John exclaimed, “But he’s supposed to be at our house!”

Our little budding photographer took this picture of Andy and I.  Laura is getting quite good.  My new pocket camera is much easier for her to use and she truly loves taking pictures.

After an hour or so of wandering through Shelter Gardens, it was time to return to St. Andrew’s.  We checked out the church construction (the expansion is looking just amazing!) and then the kids raced for the Easter Eggs.  It was so fun to watch all the kids.  John would exclaim, “I found one!” with each egg.

By the time all the morning festivities were complete, the Easter Bunny (Thanks Jenna!) had visited the Kassel household and we headed home.  The kids immediately found their Easter baskets on the family room couch.  We had to hold them back just so I could take a picture!  They were quite excited with everything and tore through their baskets in about 10 seconds flat.

The Easter Bunny was extremely creative with the hidden Easter Eggs.  We found them in cups, in our chandelier, on top of a lamp, on top of the rocking horse’s head, on top of our gas meter, and in many other places.

The kids had just a great time looking all over for the eggs.  Upon opening the eggs, there was even more excitement.  John was gasping with every egg he opened!

Laura was most excited over getting all kinds of new Lalaloopsy dolls and a carrying case.

After all the excitement of the morning, we spent a few hours relaxing in the afternoon.  The kids played and Andy mowed the lawn.  I did some laundry and prepared Easter dinner.  The Hendersons joined us for Easter dinner, which was a lot of yummy food.  By the time, the kitchen was cleaned, I was exhausted and it was early to bed for all of us.  🙂

It was a busy day.  First, it was off to Kid’s Workshop at Home Depot.  We hadn’t been in three months because we were always busy on the first Saturday, but we made a point of going today.  As usual, both kids were very excited to get to build.  There were three projects to chose from and John chose the “Lil Toolbox.”  Daddy helped him first while Laura chatted with one of her school friends who was also building.

Laura chose the “Heart Box” and also chose to paint her project.  She chose pink, of course.  Is there any other color?

After a quick lunch, we headed to Stephens Lake Park for Kyler’s 9th “Angry Birds” Birthday Party.

Laura and John were very excited to see all their friends and get to play for a while.  Unfortunately, it was raining, but that sure didn’t stop the kids from running around and having fun!  John discovered why you don’t go down a slide when it’s raining.  His mishap led to Andrea digging out some of Kathryn’s old purple pants for him to wear.  🙂

Weather aside, it was still a fun time!  After the party, we headed home for a date with comfy, warm clothes, the couch, and a movie!  It was early to bed because it’s Easter Sunrise service tomorrow!

On the first Friday of every month, Unit A at Ridgeway Elementary has “Munch and Read.”  Students, along with Parents, Grandparents, and younger siblings, snack (munch) and read books.  I have been meaning to go all year and have never gotten there.  I’m embarrassed to say that last month I forgot and Laura was VERY upset with me.  I had said I would be there and then I didn’t show up.  This month, I corrected that.  I arrived about 5 minutes early and she smiled and sent me a big wave when she saw me waiting in the hall.  When I walked into her classroom, she came on a run with a big hug for me.  We sat down on the floor with her book tub and she immediately picked out a book and said, “Mommy, I can read this to you.”  I was amazed to hear her read the entire book.  Then, she proceeded to read me *five* more books.  I was so excited to watch her!  I, in turn, read her two books, but it was nowhere near as exciting for me as listening to her read.  I’ll definitely be going next month!

Today, John joined Cherry Hill Dental’s “No Cavity Club.”  We now have two proud members.  Laura loves going to the dentist, but John falls in the “not so much” category.  While it was touch and go with John at first, the Dental Assistant brought in a stuffed monkey with big teeth and a giant toothbrush for him to play with and all was well after that.  That monkey had super clean teeth when John got done brushing!  He even let Dr. Mary look at his teeth and he didn’t complain.  He was especially excited to get his first “No Cavity Club” t-shirt and a Bubble Gun.

Another exciting thing happened with John today too!   I got a call about 1 pm from Cheryl.  She put John on the phone and he told me that he went #2 in the potty ALL BY HIMSELF!  For anyone who understands our struggles with potty training, this is something to be *very* excited about!  John simply has not cared at all about potty training.  For him to go into the bathroom at daycare and go #2 in the potty without being prompted is awesome!  I’m so tired of buying diapers/pull-ups!  It’s been very nearly seven years of that…..

After a hard day of working in the yard, this is the place in our garage that Andy visits.

It’s the garage beer fridge, otherwise known as my old dorm refrigerator from college.  For as long as Andy and I have lived in Missouri, it’s been our beer fridge, or rather *one* of our beer fridges as we have one inside the house too.  The one inside is for the “good” beer – Samuel Adams, Guinness, Molson, etc.  The joke with the garage fridge is that it’s supposed to have good “yard working” beer in it.  Generally, that means crappy beer (or what *I* consider crappy) – Schlitz, Stag, Old Style, etc.  Today, though, I changed it up and loaded it with Leinenkugel’s Summer Shandy!  It’s still a great yard working beer, but even *I* drink this kind because it’s just good summer beer.  I’m just hoping that Andy doesn’t pass out from fright and think he’s at the wrong house when he sees it.  😉

Oh, and Dad? – Normally, the garage fridge holds the Lacrosse Lager, but we only have one can left.  We need a delivery pretty please!  (Yes, I do consider Lacrosse Lager to be crappy beer, Dad, but Andy loves it.  Really, *he* needs the delivery, pretty please!)

Well, John had gotten too big for his current car seats.  Today, I went to Target and purchased “big boy booster seats.”  He was so excited when he saw them!

We went to Bob Evans for dinner because I really didn’t feel like cooking.  John rode in his new booster seat and he was so happy.  How am I do with this change, you ask?  I’m okay for the most part, but this is just another “hit me in the face” realization that my baby boy just isn’t a baby anymore.