Days with the Dorans

 Ali LOVES dance.  Sean LOVES Ali.  The other day after Al's class, she decided to practice her dance in the kitchen.  It wasn't long before her little shadow ran up beside her and started dancing with her (and yes, he knows all the moves). It was so cute and I found myself calling for Jeff and starting the song again to recreate the moment.  Sean was a bit distracted and didn't stay with Ali step for step like he did the first time, but it was still great!  I took a video of it and posted it on YouTube, but at first it wouldn't work (they said the song was copyrighted).  It was still funny without the sound, so I added an explanation (for why there was no sound) posted it again and wouldn't you know~ it posted fine and WITH the sound.  This is certainly something we'll want to watch again.  Ali is doing a great job this year and I can't wait to get another video of her performing this song (without her little shadow). Enjoy it ...

Thanksgiving was early this year and I loved how annoyed my children were with those who had their Christmas lights up before Thanksgiving.  After the holiday though, I asked the kids if they were ready to put up the tree.  Shockingly, Joe said, "Mom, why don't we wait until December?  We don't want to have it up too early..."  When I pointed out that we were actually not stepping on any other holidays and that Christmas was the NEXT holiday, Joe was already bringing up the Christmas decorations! I have decided again to NOT put up my beloved Dept. 56 villages.  I'm tempted to put up my Christmas in the City, but fear that my North Pole village will be too tempting for Sean (who still has a bit of terrible two left in him).  Joe pulled up all the decorations for our front (living room) Christmas tree (or MY tree) and I got to work stringing it with white lights.  I took the advice of Pinterest on both of my trees and strung them top to bottom (i...

Joe has always been a bit of a musical soul.  Perhaps he will take after his namesake (my Grandpa Jonasen) who was an amazing Jazz pianist and organist (I am finally ready to part with his beloved orgran~ free to a good home should you want it or know someone). We've talked about getting Joe started on piano (thinking it's a great foundation and so important to learn how to read music), but we've been dragging our feet, mostly because of our busy schedules of soccer and dance.  Joe used to always hear beats and play to music using pretzel sticks, forks or anything he could get his hands on really... But last Saturday, Jeff decided to put something new in his hands.  He asked Joe if he wanted to play guitar.  Jeff plays the guitar ALL. THE. TIME. and he loves it and is really good.  I'm not sure if I want another guitarist in the family but I may have no choice.  Jeff handed Joe his electric and started to show him some things. Joe did quite well ...

After I got home from the Turkey Trot (and showered of course), we packed up and went over the river and through the woods to Grandma's house (Joe literally told Z that so after we went over the river and saw some trees, he knew we were close!).  It was wonderful because all of the cousins were there waiting for us!  It is no secret that I am no cook, but thankfully all the other Doran ladies are! The house smelled divine and the kid tables were all set and ready.  Naturally there seemed to be a 'Big' and 'Little' table (though I think JD, WHO WILL BE 19 SOON!!! ate downstairs with the guys).  Mary's boyfriend, Chris, also came. The Little's table was exciting... Cole yielded a turkey sword and at one point I did see some food fly (but stopped that quickly, since Sean is a parrot lately).  Tyler sat at this table too, but was camera shy so ducked out right before I snapped any pictures.  After dinner we had some yummy pie!! Evan and Cole wait...

 The Turkey Trot has become a wonderful tradition for my friend (and coworker) Chrissy and I.  This year, the weather was awesome!  Still, it was hard waking up in the 5's and getting to my folks' by 6:00am.  We meet there and then drive with my dad to my brother's to get him and his wife (and their kids).  I really enjoy our drive every year!  My dad gets to talking about the good old days at CC (where Chrissy's boys all go to school) and I learn all these fascinating back-stories about my dad's past (and get an ab workout because it's usually pretty funny).  He was talking so much this year that he actually missed the turn to my brother's, so we ended up just meeting them downtown.  To his credit, it was a bit foggy but...  When we got downtown, our usual FREE parking spot was no longer free and we had to pay ten bucks to run the race!  When I called my brother to tell him this, he thought we should look for another side stre...

As I have mentioned in the past, the hardest part of having my job is that I can't go to those special school functions of the kids because often I am busy with my other kids (the ones I teach).  While I was doing a special Thanksgiving play with my students, Zach was busy having his Kindergarten Pow-Wow!  I knew all about the Pow-Wow because I was able to go when Joey was in Kindergarten.  I was on maternity leave and I remember how wonderful it felt to escape for an hour and be 'a mom'.  This year I relied on my mom (and dad who watched Sean).  She went to Z's school, helped a group visit different "stations" and of course snapped some pictures in the process.  Zach tasted different foods and had to hold up a smiley face sign or sad face sign to show if he liked the different foods.  He told me he liked everything.  He also got to paint his outfit, and decorate his headdress.  He chose to make a pattern that went gold, blue, gol...

Joe started out typing with his hands in home row. Joe is not a math kid... He is a literacy kid all the way~ inhales books, loves writing comics and can't get enough of building and creating things.  When it comes to math (or math homework) he sighs and complains that he's bored.  His attitude was reflected in a recent test score (which thankfully wasn't his sole grade).  He rushed through it, showed no work and soon had his nose in a book (he didn't even turn in his test!). So when he heard he had a math project, he was less than thrilled. The assignment was to measure anything in as many ways as you could using both standard and nonstandard measurements. I suggested he try to measure Sean.  He rolled his eyes at me, but when it finally came time to do his project, Sean was indeed the subject he chose.  I also told him he could make a poster or book or perhaps I could teach him  how to make a movie.  He rolled his eyes at me... Though...

I thought it was going to be a typical Sunday... As always we got to Sunday School two minutes late (I always roll into church at 9:32 no matter how early I think I'm going to be~ there's always a lost shoe, a diaper that needs to be changed... you name it).  Now that Sean is three, he stays with us in the beginning of church before leaving for Children's Church with Zach.  We go to a contemporary style worship- a come as you are- guitars and drums type of place.  Sean loved the music and immediately ran to the front (only about three rows up from where I was sitting with the kids) to dance.  He was hilarious and while he was fully enjoying himself, I did worry that he took away from others' experience but I couldn't get him to stop.  I finally took him out for a while and he cried, "I need to go back to church!  I need to dance!"  It was quite funny actually but after a donut hole, I managed to get him back to church and somehow made it to the pa...

Joe reading Zach's library book to him. Sean checking out trucks. Ali getting sucked into yet another book... There's nothing wrong with no TV Monday through Friday... Overall I think there's more talk, more laughter, more family and more fun!

My Dear Joey, Ali Jane, Goose and Sean, I love that I have this blog to communicate to you and it has been fun (now that the Bigs are old enough to really dig into OUR history) to listen to you read your story and chuckle along to some of the fun things you've done.  I realized that I wrote about the election four years ago (when I first started this blogging thing) and thought I should write about the one we just had.   So here we are in 2012 and President Barack Obama has been elected for another term.  You were all quite funny last night as we talked a bit about the election.  You each were able to tell us who your friends were voting for (but of course you Ali correctly pointed out that your friends can't vote until they're 18) and you each were rooting for one of the candidates (the same one) which was funny for me.  You would watch as some of the states lit up and you'd cheer, or you'd sigh.  It was during this time that we had a good tal...