Three days and counting!!

We leave for our annual Bennett Spring trip on Sunday....the whole famdamily is going, even my brother, for the first time ever! After spending four days with four little girls(Amelia will be there) and having no time alone, he may be ready to return to his quiet apartment.

Spray Park

This picture just makes me smile.

Memorial Day Weekend-Sunday-KC ZOO

We became official "Friends of the Zoo" for the first time this weekend. The new tax that was passed makes the memberships, and daily admissions, for Clay and Jackson county residents super cheap. We bought the membership that has unlimited train/tram/carousel rides. WORTH EVERY PENNY. It was a super hot day and just riding the train around for 10 minutes gave our legs a break and blew a nice breeze across our sweaty selves. The tram ride was priceless as the walk to and from Africa feels realistic! Jane rode the carousel THREE times because she kept finding different animals that she just had to ride on. Kate rode it twice. That adventure alone would have cost us $15....well, actually no it wouldn't have, because we would have never let them ride it that many times! We played at the zoo for over four hours and the girls had a great time. As you can see below, Jane even got up close and personal with Nikita the polar bear, giving him a "high five" every time he swam by and pushed off for the his lap around the pool. That bear was an entertainer.

Memorial Day Weekend-Saturday-Martha Lafite Nature Sanctuary

Why We Have No Money

Manic Monday

1. My brother the rock star....don't ask

2. Tess's fourth grade Missouri Project. The project required her to creatively display places in the state and present it in front of the class. There were projects made of wood, clay, food......Tess chose to make a pillow. She was uber proud of herself and I have to agree that it is pretty stinking cute.



Here is the "key" to her map. Just in case you don't know what all the points of interest are on the front of the pillow.



3. a money tree I made for a co-worker who is getting married. Andy and I are each thinking of getting re-married. It seems like a pretty financially lucrative idea.

4. Kate, Jane and I got to keep Amelia Rose this weekend(Andy and Tess were AWOL). FUN! She is still mesmerized by the circus that is our family.

5. Celebrated Mother's Day and My MIL's birthday yesterday with a family lunch. It was a beautiful day with lots of good food, great conversation, laughter, gifts, and relaxing on the deck. God is so good.

6. Friday night we went to watch our Bailey graduate from high school. Time flies. So proud of her and her success. Clearly her across the street neighbors had something to do with that success. 

7. Jane finished her first year of preschool on Friday and was really irritated that "Pretty K" didn't start up today. Waiting all summer is going to be rough.

8. Today is the last full day of school for Kate and Tess. Kate had a field trip to Shatto Dairy, Tess had a day full of irritating her teacher, I guess. I have no idea what the teachers could possibly do today to entertain the kids. They just do not get paid enough. period.

9. Friday was an awards assembly for Tess and Kate. Kate got a reading award and a physical fitness award. She also got a Kindergarten diploma which she is pretty sure is legit. Tess got a reading award, a physical fitness award, and the coveted Academic Achievement Award(or was it called The Principal's Award?) for having ALL As FOR ALL FOUR QUARTERS. So proud of her.

10. We were driving in the car as a family, talking about something/someone when we hear Kate say "yeah, he's a real lame ass".....I guess you get the content of our discussion, right? So we had to do the discipline while trying not to laugh with yet another one of our children. It is their ability to use it in the correct context that just blows my mind. Such skill for their age. Turns out "wit" is hereditary, I guess.

11. The house is still for sale. Booooooooo.



School Day at the K

School Day at the K was an awesome event for science and weather geeks like the Martens 5......combine that with our favorite sport and our favorite baseball team and it becomes a wonderful family field trip.

Storm Chaser vehicle from the tv show...Reed Timmer was also there

I had to add this picture of Jane. This playground was packed with a zillion kids, most of them in the 3rd-5th grade range. Notice this did not stop our 3year old from getting her play time. She climbed right with those big boys and made them clear a spot for her at the top.



Part of a ginormous "wave" in the stadium full of school kids. Kate was thrilled.



My beauties. So proud of how well they did, considering we were at Kauffman Stadium from 9:30-4:30. There were a couple of meltdowns, but nothing that a walk around the concourse, a snack, or a trip to explore the bathroom couldn't fix.

This is Ms Ann, a preschool teacher from Joyful Noise, that all three of my girls have had as a teacher. She is wonderful and a well deserved recipient of the Buck O'Neal Legacy Seat. The even cooler part was that when they were showing pictures of Ms Ann working with the preschool kids, there was a great picture of her and Kate! Our whole family started screaming and pointing, which caused a stir in the crowd around us.....eventually everyone in the section noticed that there was a star in the crowd! Kate still smiles when she talks about it. She went to school today saying she hoped they got to journal in class, because she totally had something to write about.

Manic Monday in pictures

Thanks to my dear sweet husband, I now know how to post pictures again.

~Hooray~





1. Jane making a shadow elephant.

  

 

2. My favorite family across the street. Our Bailey graduates from H.S. this Friday night and our Samantha is home from college for a couple of weeks. Their parents, Paul and Shelley, are pretty fantastic too. Love this family and so thankful to have them in our life.


3. We found out that the potentially interested buyer for our house can't afford our house. crud. Such a let down. This process is so frustrating that I have decided that once we get this house sold I am NEVER moving again. Better plan to make our next home be THE ONE to last a lifetime.....
4. This is the girls last full week of school. Jane's last day is this Friday and the girls get out at 11:45 on Tuesday the 22nd. Can't believe Jane will be in "Pretty K...which is almost K" class next year. Tess had a field trip yesterday, Kate has a field trip next Monday. The end of the year awards assembly is this Friday and Tess is singing with some friends in a talent show on the last day. We go to School Day at the K on Thursday, which means the girls get to "skip" school. They are beyond thrilled. Too bad all they are missing is Field Day. tee hee.
5. We went to Kate's kindergarten music program last Thursday evening. Love watching the social dynamics of this age group. Some kids are there to perform, some kids are there only because they have to be. Some kids are hy-per(!) other kids are laid back and look bored. The girls are singing like it is Broadway, the boys are more interested in making exaggerated movements and hitting the person next to them. My Kate sang like an angel, did the motions with passion, and turned to smile and make eye contact with us after each song with the "Didn't I do a such good job, mom?' Martens family tradition--after the musical program we all went to Big Burger and got ice cream.
6. Speaking of Big Burger. We now have one in town, which is awesome. unfortunately it is right across the street from the fire station which is not awesome. Pretty sure this business being successful is a direct result of my husband's monetary support .
7. Really looking forward to this summer. I feel like it is going to be a good one. Starts with a vacation to Bennett Spring with the entire Famdamily...including my brother! Between three camps and swim lessons and tball games and acro class and piano/voice lessons and VBS and trying to sell our house and a parents only trip in August....it will be time to start school again.
8. I just had a grown woman come to an appointment in Mickey Mouse shorty pajamas and Winnie the Pooh slippers, carrying an unlit cigarette between her fingers (we are a smoke free campus) and drinking a Red Bull. 

Mother's Day 2012

Mother's Day necklace made by Jane

Lawn and Garden bag from the girls

Three girls = great decorations (and lots of homemade cards and pictures) to celebrate my day.

The only thing missing from my day was having Andy around. He had to work, but spent Saturday cleaning the house for me and helping the girls plan my special day. My mom and I went shopping on Saturday and had so much fun. It felt so good to shop and spend money, two things I haven't done in a long time. We started at 9am and didn't get home until after 6pm....still didn't make it to all the stores on our wish list. On Sunday I got breakfast in bed from the girls, a decorated living room, and some gifts all before church. That afternoon we watched Royals baseball with my brother and then ate supper with my parents. It was a such great weekend. Next Sunday we are going to celebrate with our mothers by having an extravaganza at our house.

Manic Monday

This list of randomness may be short and sweet. We are busy, but doing what? I don't know. It is too hard for my brain to remember and I am too lazy to write it down.

1. This weekend we went to Des Moines to watch our Samantha play softball for Drake University. We sweated our nuts off but had a great time. We are crazy proud of Samantha and it was fun to see her and her team play well. Kind of embarassed that she is finishing her junior year and this is the first time we have made the trip. ((sigh))
2. On the way home from Des Moines we met a very friendly gentleman named TROOPER Christiansen. After Andy got his ticket and the window rolled up, Kate burst into tears. She was so scared and upset, "because I love you so much" and didn't want to see him get in trouble. I did not share those exact emotions..although I did find it funny that every time Kate could see the speedometer she would tell Andy "dad, you are crossing the speed limit again!"
3. We all got some variation of sunburn on Saturday. Thankfully we were diligent to keep sunscreen on the girls and put them under umbrellas for the second game. I always feel like such an idiot when I get a sunburn. I have had skin cancer for pete's sake! The girls pink-ness has already browned up, Andy and I still look a little rosy. Sunscreen really does work if you use it, as evidenced by the odd sunburn pattern on my arms and Andy's legs.
4. While we were watching our Samantha on Saturday, our Bailey was getting ready for her Senior Prom. Hate that we couldn't be in two places at the same time. I have seen some pictures and she looked beautiful, of course. I hope she had a fun time, haven't seen her long enough to ask. Love our Bailey. Geesh, we are going to miss her.
5. Thankful for another showing last Friday night. The buyer has been asking a lot of questions of our realtor, so fingers crossed and prayers lifted, please!
6. Signed Kate up for her first Acro class yesterday. As she was reading through the list of class options, her eyes lit up with excitement. Mine lit up with dollar signs. We decided to try one class this summer and maybe look into trying two classes this fall. cha-ching!
7. This week is Nurse's Week and Children's Mental Health Awareness Week. Since I am a nurse, and I make my living helping children with mental illness, I deserve double the gifts and acolades, right?
8. Jane-ism of the week:
We were all sitting at the dinner table when Jane says "wait for it.....wait for it...." and then lifts her rear off the seat sideways and farts. We were all so stunned that she thought maybe we didn't hear her, so SHE DID IT AGAIN. My three year old can fart on command.

Happy Monday!!