The Minton Family.com

I got an XBox 360 for Christmas (I’ll let you figure out if this is Bill or Jackie writing this post) primarily to play a new basketball game called NBA Live 2K11. This game was different than recent versions because Michael Jordan decided to allow the powers that be to grace the presence of it with his virtual self. Given my appreciation for all things basketball & Michael, it was a no brainer I’d want this game. Even enough to get a console just to play it.

Ben was already an XBox 360 gamer and once he got the game, we began playing online against one another. I think Jada’s recent involvement in YMCA basketball increased her interest in the game, and she began asking to play. At first, I’d held her off because she hasn’t played many video games yet, and controlling all five players was a little outside of her gamer grasp. Finally though, I gave in and let her play.

At first, I set her up to play as one person in practice mode so she could learn to move the player around and take shots. 20 minutes or so later, I let her practice with other players, and shortly after that, she played her first game.

She lost the game but had fun. At this point, she was ready to play Daddy. We played our first game just before bedtime, and with Jordan and his team at her command, she pulled off a victory. She couldn’t have been happier. Even at bedtime, she was reciting “her” Jordan’s stats to Mommy.

When I went in to give her a goodnight kiss, I told her she and I could play together against Ben once she got a little bit better, to which she replied “When Grammy comes up this weekend, do you think she could bring Ben with her?”. Ben is over 30.

Christmas was  a crazy time here!  Did you expect any less?  All of the kids got skates from Santa.  We haven’t been skating yet, but I’m sure it won’t be long.  Levi got his coveted “water building”, but the pots and pans work better for him.  The girls got Build-a-Bear dogs and a couple of games.  Jada really likes playing Yahtzee.  After we checked out our gifts and had our Christmas morning cinnamon rolls, we headed to Grammy’s.  We came home on my birthday and we all went out to dinner at O’Charley’s.  The kids went back to school last week, much to their dismay.

Lana started gymnastics again last week.  She really had a good time and is excited to go this week.  The other 3 have swim class at the same time.  Last week, the small pool heater was broken, so the boys didn’t have class.  Jada got to swim though and she was thrilled.  Jada and Levi start basketball next week.  Levi doesn’t really “get” that he will be doing it, but Jada keeps asking “When does basketball start?”.

Mom and I went to Columbia, MO to watch Gail’s team play Mizzou.  Texas lost, but Mom and I had a great time at the game and visiting with Gail.  We went to dinner with Sonny, Jan, Colleen, Glen, Devon & Sean afterwards.

While we were gone, Bill was on Daddy Duty.  He packed the kids up and headed to Marion for the weekend.  It sounds like the kids had fun shopping and playing with Aunt Tracey’s dogs.  I think Daddy had fun playing x-box games with Ben.  He said the kids were really good while they were gone, which is so nice to hear.

According to the weather report, we are supposed to get 3-5″ of snow tonight, so I bought the necessary ingredients for snow ice cream…so BRING ON THE SNOW!

After Daddy, Jonah, and Levi get hair cuts this morning, we’re going to go to the mall to see Santa Claus and tell him what we want. Hopefully it won’t be too crowded, Jonah isn’t a big fan of waiting in line for things. Patience isn’t really his thing.

My poor daughters have no pajamas!  Sad, but true…they sleep in old shorts and a tank top, or sweats!  Last week Lana had a pajama party at school and we had to call Madelyn (the little girl next door) and borrow a pair of winter pjs.  Today, Jada’s class is doing a project with the Polar Express and had to wear their pjs, so we called Madelyn again!  I sure hope Santa brings these neglected girls some jammies!

Bill’s work Christmas party was on Saturday.  We had a nice time visiting with people. Bill looked really nice in his burgundy shirt…not a white shirt this time!!!!!

The boys have been enjoying the myriad of Christmas shows on TV.  I just had to turn it off and send them to their room to play!  I did enjoy rockying with them while we watched Special Agent Oso, though!  Jonah pulled my head down and gave me a kiss on the cheek and said “I love you, Mom”…..awww…how sweet!!!!  I hope he will still do that in 15 years!

As always, it is non-stop action around here!  We just got back from Thanksgiving in Marion.  As always, it was great spending time with family.

Lana spent the entire weekend with ear pain. She was on an anti-biotic for a sinus infection, but she actually had an abscess in her ear canal.  So, she is now on a different kind of medication.  On another note, she is doing okay in school, but having some difficulty with her math and punctuation.  We try and work on the math every night, along with her reading.

Jada is going well in school.  Her teacher has started to give her more challenging work to keep her from getting bored.  She received recognition at school for a writing assignment.  The top items on her Christmas list are 1. a cell phone and 2. a real dog…poor girl is going to be disappointed!

The boys had preschool today.  When we walked into Levi’s class, he informed the teacher that he looked really cute with his hat and gloves on today!  She got the biggest kick out of his expression when he told her!

Jonah is pretty well potty trained.  He has some issues with going #2 on the toilet.  He starts to go in his pants and then finishes on the toilet.  Even though he isn’t totally there yet, he’s got a great start!  I am SO excited…no more diapers!!!

The boys have their Christmas program on December 20th.  I’m sure it will be cute!  Jonah keeps singing “Mary rode a donkey”  over and over…I hope he sings it when he is supposed to!

The Christmas tree is up with the decorations centrally located thanks to my little helpers!  The other holiday nick-nacks are out too, but the boys keep relocating them.  Most of the shopping is done (I hope), but only a couple of things have been wrapped!  Bill’s work Christmas party is on Saturday.  I am looking forward to a night out.  I know a lot of the people he works with and/or their spouses, so it will be a good time.  We are using a new babysitter, so hopefully the kids won’t scare her off and we can use her again!!!

To top it all off, Levi has now figured out how to pop his tongue like his father. Billy is just tickled pink about that, that his “big boy” was the first to learn to do it, but the rest of us? Not so much!

I’ve put in my application for 2 teaching positions.  Hopefully, I will get one of them.  Although, if I do, the kids will be in for a shock.  They have gotten used to sleeping until 7:30 in the morning, and so have I

For Lana’s 7th birthday, she wanted to visit the American Girl Store.  So, over Labor Day weekend, we went to visit Grandpa and Gram in Schaumburg.  We got in around 9 on Friday night and the kids played will all of the fun toys that Grandpa and Gram have until very late!  The next day, we all took a train ride into the Windy City.  Then, we got to ride in a “taxi car”, as Jonah likes to call it!  The American Girl Store lived up to the girls’ expectations.  With their money that had been saved from birthdays and allowance, Lana bought a new doll, which she named Dakota, and Jada bought an outfit and glasses for her dolls.  Gram also bought them each and outfit for their dolls and got the dolls’ hair fixed.  Josefina REALLY needed a new do!  On Sunday, we did a little shopping and went to the park…it was a perfect day!  We headed home on Monday and stopped by to see Jennifer & Patrick’s new baby, Derek.  All of the kids were begging to hold him (he’s only 8 days old) and didn’t want to give him up when their turn was over!

Levi & Jonah started school at St. John’s Lutheran Preschool today.  They were very excited to get into the van and go!  We hung up backpacks and went to Jonah’s room first.  He gave me a kiss and was on his way.  Then it was Levi’s turn.  He was more timid when it was time for me to go.  After I signed him in, I realized that I hadn’t signed Jonah in and had to go back to his room.  When I got there, he was standing alone looking at the firetruck that someone else was playing with…when he saw me, he said he wanted to go home and got very clingy.  Finally, the teacher took him and redirected him to the toys.  After school, they both said that they had a good time, and Levi had a good note home.  He did admit that he cried because he missed me

The girls are back in school..WOOHOO!  They both got their preferred teachers and are so far doing great!  I took popsicles to Lana’s class yesterday to celebrate her birthday since she has a summer birthday and can’t bring in treats then.

Having the boys at home during the day has been…well, interesting. We have spent some time outside when the weather has been nice, including a trip to the park.  Right now, Levi is taking his turn on the iPad while Jonah colors and I’m making lunch.

I took the boys to meet their teachers this morning.  They were both surprisingly clingy for the first little bit, but then neither wanted to leave!  They will officially start next Wednesday!

We are heading to Grandpa and Gram’s in Schaumburg for Labor Day weekend.  The girls are looking forward to the much awaited trip to the American Girl Store in Chicago and getting to visit with Grandpa and Gram!

We had a great time in KY the first part of August.  Jada and Dale spent most of their time in the pool!  Levi got brave enough to let go of the side of the pool and doggie paddle around (his swimsuit has a floating part to it).  Jonah loved playing with all of Dale’s cars!

Jackie went out of town for the weekend to visit her cousins and after going to the park, walking through the woods, and some Baskin Robbins ice cream, I decided to take the kids to see a movie; Toy Story 3. This was the first time in the theater for both boys. They did really well, even Jonah (still 2). When we walked in, Levi’s first words were “That TV is huge!”. It was pretty funny. At the end of the show, the credits hadn’t yet started, but most adults knew the movie was over, and everyone in the theater was quiet when out of the blue Jonah hollers “It’s over!”.

They seemed to have a great time. Levi wanted to take the popcorn home and to “tell them thanks”. I told him the $60+ we spent was thanks enough.

So much has been happening lately…

1. We are having no luck getting people to even look at our house, and there have been no offers.

2.  The contingent offer on the Summerwood house expires the 7th which is probably good because

3. I don’t have a job for next year…yet

4.  The girls are out of school for the summer!  They are spending this week at Grammy’s.  From all of the pictures and emails we have gotten from them, I’m guessing that they aren’t going to want to come home tomorrow!  Grammy is bringing them home tomorrow and then heading back to Marion on Sunday. The boys have asked about the girls a lot.  On the way to Janet’s this morning Levi said “I’m sad”.  When I asked him why he was sad, he told me that he misses Jada and Lana.

5. The boys love mud.  I know, big surprise, right?!  We have had a lot of rain lately and there is a mud puddle/pit that just doesn’t want to dry up.  Every day the boys have their cars going through it.  I bought them sandals last weekend and they have been a godsend..it is so much easier to wash those every night than it was the gym shoes!

6.  We are trying to plan some things for the summer.  Lana wants to go to Chicago for her birthday.  We are also trying to coordinate a trip to Holiday World with my brother and his family.  And, we are planning a weekend at their house in August.

7.  Bill got an iPad as a late birthday gift….it has become another appendage…

8. Levi turns 4 in a few weeks….time sure does fly!

Yesterday was Jada’s 8th birthday!  I’m not quite sure how she got to be that old.  I remember bringing her home from the hospital…so tiny and perfect! Now she is a big girl with the brains and attitude to match!

Last night Bill took her to Dick’s Sporting Goods.  She got a new bike for her birthday that she picked out.  It is turquoise and it has hand brakes.  She was skidding all over the place.  The weather was pretty good.  It was sunny in the afternoon, but pretty breezy.  Typically it is cold and rainy on her birthday.  The day before was gorgeous!

She had requested people send her money instead of gifts so she could put her money together and get another American Girl doll.  However, she had changed her mind by last night…so who knows what she will do with all of her cash.

On Monday, she came home from school and informed me that she gave out birthday invitations.  The only problem was that we didn’t have a party planned!  So now we are having a party at Chuck E Cheese!