Science Night

The boys had science night at their elementary school earlier this week. Both boys are HUGE fans of science, not English - much to the dismay of their English teacher mother! However, I'd like to know how any English teacher, no matter how phenomenal, can compete with: fire, explosions, critters, electricity, dirt and so much more! (I just can't let the science teacher that I work with know how much fun I thought it was! I always tell him that English is the best and most important subject ever!)

How many of you could fit your entire body through a regular sized sheet of paper and then include 7 of your friends?

How about some marshmallows frozen in liquid nitrogen?

Austin got to test out how clean his hands were after he washed them by putting them in the GLO BOX. He actually passed :)

The room I neglected to pay attention to the sign before I walked in contained this!!!

For those of you who know me well, you know that I am DEATHLY afraid of snakes. I about had a heart attack when I realized that there were 3 MONSTROUS (just look at the size of this one) snakes in the room that could have attacked and killed us at any moment! It's a good thing my camera has a good zoom on it! I had to stand at the doorway to get this picture of Carter.

Austin had some fun in the recycling section. The Ames Power Plant brought in different colors of recycled glass that had been crushed down into sand particles. He got to fill a little jar, layering it with whatever colors he wanted to bring home.

Thanks to an amazing group of ISU students from several different science departments who entertained hundreds of kids for 2 hours with a variety of science experiments. The final 45 minutes of the night was spent watching the chemistry students dazzle the crowd with all the things we would NEVER want our children to try at home :)

2 hour delay

What do the continual 2 hour weather delays mean for the Clayberg household? This morning it meant

the dishwasher goes from this...

to this...

The kitty can drink from a clean bathroom sink...

The boys get a breakfast like this...

Zuppa Toscana is ready to simmer all day...

The boys are rip roaring ready to go...

and I have time to blog about it :)

Fun Times

We had a busy weekend that was full of family and fun! Saturday morning we left the house by 9:15 for basketball pictures and games. Both boys are playing Upward basketball this year and are truly enjoying the experience. I was simply happy that we were participating in an indoor sport as it poured down rain all morning long!

After the second game, we scrambled to Des Moines to enjoy part of our Christmas present from Aaron's mom and husband. They gave the entire family tickets to The Lion King at the Civic Center. What an enjoyable gift for the whole gang. Thank you Ween and Doug! It was fascinating to watch it through my children's eyes. I sat by Austin for the second half, and he was completely intrigued by the mechanical and staging aspect of the performance. He had figured out where all the sounds were coming from, as well as the fact that young Nala also played the baby elephant, and was trying to predict what would happen next with the stage. With Pride Rock moving on and off stage, he wondered if that was human-powered or run with a remote. He definitely has his father's mind! Dinner afterwards together capped off the night.

Sunday afternoon led us to Hubbard to spend some quality time with all of my grandparents. We took pizza to the care center and ate lunch with my grandpa and watched a little football with him. At 93 years of age, he was happy to simply have the company and the diet Mountain Dew we brought him! The boys were even excited to go because they knew they'd get Casey's pizza and get to ride around in Grandpa's wheelchair! Thankfully Grandpa's room is at the end of a hallway so they don't disturb too many people!

We spent the rest of the afternoon with my other set of grandparents. Austin and Carter entertained my grandma by teaching her how to play hangman. They played that simple game with her for over an hour! Austin then retreated to hang with Aaron and Grandpa watching the football game while Grandma taught Carter and I how to play Chinese Checkers. Needless to say, she beat the pants off of us as we had never played. We'll have to hone our skills before we see her again!

We finished off Sunday by having the neighbors over to watch the Vikings lose to the Saints. So, when the phone call came in for a late start for school this morning, I was more than relieved to have a couple extra hours at home. Needless to say, it was a quick day at school with the blizzard conditions also causing an early out! Hmmm...sure hope this one counts as a day since we already have 5 to make-up.

Savoring the quiet

There is nothing more delightful than some unexpected quiet time at home without anyone else around. (THIS NEVER HAPPENS!) Miraculously it happened for me last night as Austin had basketball practice, Aaron was home and agreed to take him, and Carter begged to go along. What's a mother to say other than, "YES!" and secretly whisper, "Thank you! Now hurry up and get out of the house before someone changes their mind!"

I should have started grading the stack of 114 essays that my students just turned in. I should have done a load of laundry. I should have cleaned a bathroom or two. I should have completed SOMETHING off of my "to-do list"! However, I grabbed this book


that one of my students gave me last week insisting I read it. What kind of an English teacher would I be if I didn't read a book given to me by one of my students! Grabbing a cup of hot chocolate and a cozy blanket and simply reading for an hour and a half while everyone was gone was pure bliss! Now, if I could just arrange for Aaron to be in town early enough on the other basketball nights...

Two dozen

Two dozen of the most beautiful peach roses are sitting on my kitchen table from my husband as part of my birthday gift. In the past year, he has become the most thoughtful man, and sometimes I neglect to let him know what a gift he is to me. So, for each rose I received, there's that many reasons why I love and appreciate him. (These are in no particular order!)

#1 - He has a great sense of humor.
#2 - He's a terrific dad.
#3 - He loves me.
#4 - He takes out the garbage. (I detest that job!)
#5 - He reads with our boys.
#6 - He's pretty cute for a guy without a lot of hair.
#7 - He knows God is central in our lives and marriage.
#8 - He gave me two beautiful boys.
#9 - He scratches my back every night. (One of my favorite things ever!)
#10 - He is a handyman and can fix almost anything.
#11 - He truly listens to me when I talk. (Sometimes I talk a lot!)
#12 - He can cook.
#13 - He helps out around the house.
#14 - He notices when my stress levels get high and offers to help when he can.
#15 - He makes me laugh.
#16 - He admits his mistakes.
#17 - He willingly drove to Kansas City to get me a Siamese cat.
#18 - He cleans the bathrooms.
#19 - He knows the importance of family.
#20 - He's a hard worker.
#21 - He's a guy who will help anyone in need.
#22 - He tells a good joke.
#23 - He has beautiful blue eyes.
#24 - He is very patient with me, even when I don't deserve it.

I love and appreciate you Ace!

My little chef

Austin cooked dinner last night all by himself! He refused any help, just asked for directions and clarifications. His "gourmet" spaghetti was made and served with love, and a little "extra" garlic!

frying hamburger
Austin's saucecooking spaghetti


cheesy garlic bread
dinner is served
Thanks buddy! It was awesome :)

Decluttering

Ahhhh...decluttering and organizing feels so good! It's a great way to start the new year. I spent a huge chunk of my break doing just that. I started in the boys' bedrooms, which was an overwhelming task. However, I knew I needed several uninterrupted days to get it all done. I literally took EVERYTHING out of their rooms, shampooed carpets, sifted through all the little itty bitty toy pieces, thinned out the bookshelves and dresser drawers, got stuff ready to donate, acquired three completely full garbage bags to pitch, and rearranged. I sure was motivated when I started, but by the time I got to the second room, my motivation had dwindled greatly. So, after avoiding schoolwork all break, here's what I accomplished!

AUSTIN (ISU) and CARTER'S (UNI) ROOMS

Now...with the impending snowstorm we are expecting, SCRAPBOOKING time :)