On Your Mark, Get Set, Go...

Brady participated in his first Pinewood Derby race today through Boy Scouts. He and Jason used a "funny car" pinewood kit to create their piece of art on wheels. Brady placed second in his den, and we were very proud of him. This was not what Brady was hoping to accomplish today as he saw the trophies glistening on the judge's table. At one point, caught up in the moment, he came up to me and said, "Mom, I'm ready to quit Boy Scouts." He learned a hard lesson today--facing defeat and accepting second place is not easy. Secretly, I am happy he placed second and learned this difficult lesson. He is now trying to convince Jason and me that we should build him a pinewood derby ramp in the basement so he can continue to race his car and be better prepared for next year:)!

Snowed in for 3 days=Cabin Fever=Go Skating!

We knew we had to get out of the house today! Northland Rolladium in Liberty has a special on snow days...$2.00 per person for 2 hours. We took to the rink to get out of the confines of our home. Neighbors, Aubrey and Nick, went with us and friends, Katlyn, Peyton, and Lizzy met us at the rink. Elaine showed us her dance moves. She is pictured here jamming to the Cha Cha Slide and Single Ladies. Brady had fun spending some of his own money on candy and toy trinkets (AKA junk!) Serena coasted along with her friend in tow! We had a great time at the roller rink, and it brought back great childhood memories for me!

A Lost Tooth and Cupcakes

Brady lost his second front tooth last night leaving an enormous gap in the front of his mouth. The tooth fairy brought him $2.28.

After being back to school for a teacher work day, I came home to make the snowpeople cupcakes that I have been dreaming about. The kids thought they were great, and Brady was the most eager to help. The girls ran off to play with the neighbors, but everyone was around after dinner to sample. The idea is from a book I received as a Christmas gift called "Hello, Cupcakes!" It has some really cute ideas. Our snow boys and girls also fit the mood at the dinner table really well as the kids learned that school has been cancelled tomorrow due to slick roads and frigid temps! I guess that means more baking and decorating for the Hawkins family!

Lazy Snow Day

More snow last night and more on the way this week. This is crazy! It was a perfect day for reading, playing with the neighbors (Elaine enjoyed a lunch date with the neighbor, Nick), and sledding before heading back to school this week.

Losing Our Marbles

Today we traveled to Bonner Springs, Kansas, to visit the Moon Marble Company. Brady is now a marble fanatic after being introduced to marble shooting at a recent Cub Scout meeting. We viewed a display of an artist crafting a marble. Brady left wanting to own a toy store and be a marble crafter when he grows up (rather than the Lego designer he was planning on being.) Brady taught his sisters the game of marbles when we returned home this afternoon.

We had lunch at a pizzeria and shared our New Year's resolutions. Serena is hoping to eat more fruits and vegetables, while Elaine would like to be less angry (smile!). Brady shared that he hopes to eat more junk food and show more anger toward his sisters in 2010...brothers are so exasperating! We had a great family day!