More St. Patrick Day Kids Crafts...

First we painted this cute (messy) paper plate rainbow. I slacked on the picture taking because we had 6 containers of paint open and 12 messy brushes all over the place-it was a Mommy-hands-on project!
All I did was cut a paper plate in half then cut out the center to make it "rainbow shaped" the boys then painted the colored stripes and when it was dry we glued some cotton balls on the ends.

Their finished rainbows...

Our second project of the day was Shamrock Mosaics-the boys enjoy helping shred the papers
Braden placing his pieces on his background

Connor meticulously placing his

I stopped them when I figured they had covered a large enough area for me to trace & cut a shamrock out of

Braden wanted his shamrock gold "washed" and Connor wanted his green "washed"

The finished product

An artistic accident! With all the tearing, gluing & cutting a "B" somehow made it onto Braden's shamrock-he will tell you he planned it that way but I know better! : )

Current BIG Project...

Preschool Memories Binder!

I bought a plain white Avery 2 inch 3-ring binder at Walmart and using The Grade School Pack from DCWV I decorated the front covers, spine & I'm still undecided on the back as of yet!
I placed a copy of the school calendar inside as well as all the sheets of stuff they have been sent home with since the beginning of the year-welcome letters, supply lists, daily notes on progress, class craft calendars, school & PTA newsletters, etc...I am OCD so they are all sleeved and organized into a system!
I am going to scrap the day they toured the school, their first day, holiday parties and other events I have taken photo's of for them. All of their "flat" or "sleevable" school projects will be sleeved and included-any bulky or 3D projects will be photographed and the photo's inserted into sleeves. I am debating getting baseball card page protectors and going that route to include many on a single page or just use typical 4 x 6 photo album page inserts.
This project is just starting but I am excited to get going with it-I'll take photo's and post my progress!

Project Life progress...

I have been plugging along on my Becky Higgins Project Life kit since the beginning of the year and I wanted to post a couple of pics of my progress. I can not say enough how much I LOVE this project! It is all inclusive-everything you could possibly need is included in the kit and right at your finger tips. I love that you can make it as simple or as complex as you wish-me I am leaning toward simple so as to make time for regular projects. I love that I am now "scrapping" so to speak all the in between moments-some pics or events that wouldn't normally generate a page or album. I can not wait to look back on a years worth of photo's and memories of our lives in 2010 at the end of the year!

I love this page because there is a rare shot of the four of us on it!

Most of the time I snap a pic a day but sometimes I put in two for one day when there isn't a specific pic I won't to include on the second day
This page is funny because I have two almost identical shots that were taken on two completely different days chronically all our freak snow storms in Va this year!

Here is a full week (two pages) spread

Park Pics

Some new park pics of my "almost" fours! (sniff) it was a gorgeous day on Sunday so we took advantage and got out to spend some time at the park and Mommy took advantage to take some new pics!

Crafting for St. Pat's

Now that Valentines Day & Mardi Gras are over and the last of those colorful decorations are down it's time to go GREEN! We're Irish so I LOVE decorating for St. Patricks Day. The twins and I have already begun some green crafting this week!

I cut a piece of scrapbooking paper (they selected) and mounted it on foam board. Then all I did was lightly trace a shamrock pattern in pencil (to follow with glue) and gave them a dish of green, gold and white sequins.

Proud of their finished pieces. We found the cute little shamrock "buttons" they used in the corners at Michael's.
We're going to attach some St. Patrick ribbon on the back and hang them on the wall!

This is the rag-a-muffin wreath I made for St. Patty's day. I did not make this one as "full" as some of the others that I have made-because I liked how "rustic" it looked with some of the vine peeking out.

Complete directions for this wreath with photo's can be found on my Valentines Day Wreath post: http://dumasfam4.blogspot.com/2010/01/valentines-day-wreath.html

Mardi Gras!

The night before their Mardi Gras party play date the boys got all decked out in their Mardi Gras grab and posed by our Mardi Gras decorations!

The day of Braden was very under the weather (two days later we found out he had strep) so he stayed home with Daddy & Mommy took Connor to the party.

Connor decorating his mask...
Connor

Parading around to Samba music

Dancing like a wild man to the music!

While at home Daddy helped Braden decorate his own Mardi Gras mask-they did an amazing job! Braden posed in his mask with Connor when Connor got home.

Clifford

The twinkies have been sick again this week. The "preschool petrie dish" as I have been told it's called has been really rough on them this "winter".
Today we got them out and took them down to our local Barnes & Noble for character story time to meet Clifford the Big Red Dog!

Waiting (Im)patiently for Clifford to arrive-reading their new must have booksStory time with Clifford!

Posing with Clifford...Connor, Clifford & Braden

Valentines Day 2010

Happy Valentines Day! I hope every ones was as sweet as ours!

My Valentine & I (thanks for the pic boys!)

The twins loot from school-way too much!
Connor's (yes "o"r despite it's incorrect spelling about 50% of the time!) Valentine gift for Mommy & Daddy

Braden's Valentine gift for Daddy & Mommy

Last night they went to a Parents Night Out event and made us this heartand picked out carnations for Mommy. Connor picked the yellow because it reminded him of his favorite transformer BumbleBee...LOLBraden picked they white because we love the snow (really?) they cracked me up with their reasoning!

Goodies from Daddy & Mommy (new DVD's)

Recent "dates"...

A recent lunch "date" with some pals at McD's

while the mommies coupon swapped the kiddos had some lunch!

The four of them were hysterical sitting together and carrying on conversation!

The boys and their "girlfriend" at a recent play "date" at her house

being silly in her room!

Sponsor Me at March for Babies!

This March is very important to my family. Not only were my four year old twin sons Connor & Braden born prematurely but the three of us are also eclampsia survivors.
Please support Mike, Connor, Braden & I in our March For Babies walk on April 25, 2010 at the Virginia beach Oceanfront.
Every day, thousands of babies are born too soon, too small and often very sick. I'm walking in March for Babies because I want to do something about this. And I need your help.
Please support my walk. Making a secure donation is easy: just click the 'Sponsor Me' button on this page. Thank you for helping me give all babies a healthy start!

Robert

A young member of our family was involved in a tragic car accident and passed away earlier this week. This post is in his memory.

Robert W. Rochefort

February 24, 1992-February 2, 2010

"Gone, but not forgotten..."

Funeral services for Robert W. Rochefort, of 221 Andrews St. Massena will be Saturday at the Church of the Sacred Heart at 10:00 a.m. Friends and family may be received on Friday from 2-4 and 7-9 p.m. at the Phillips Memorial Home in Massena, 64 Andrews St. Robert passed away on February 2, 2010 in an auto accident. Robert is survived by his parents, Terri and Sylvain Lafond of Massena; his father, Robert C. Rochefort and companion Duanna Moore of Massena; maternal grandmother, Jacqueline Leggue and companion Craig Woods of Massena; paternal grandparents, Robert and Sharleen Rochefort of Massena; paternal great grandmother, Jeanette Rochefort of Massena; a brother and sister, Norman and Jeanette Rochefort both of Massena; his aunt, Michelle Delosh of Norfolk; and many great aunts, uncles and cousins.
He was predeceased by his maternal grandfather, Norman Leggue.
Born February 24, 1992 in Massena he was the son of Robert and Terri (Leggue) Rochefort. Robert was a senior at Massena Central High School, where he was the captain of the wrestling team.
He was a member of the French Club. Throughout High School he was on the Honor Roll and many times on High Honor. He enjoyed playing video games, being with his friends. During his school year he also worked part time at McDonald's Restaurant.
Following graduation Robert was planning on enlisting in the U. S. Navy. At the family request memorial contributions may be made to MCHS Wrestling Club, C/O Tim Hayes 84 Nightengale Ave. Massena, NY 13662.
Online condolences may be made to Phillips Memorial Home .

Frosty

The one good thing about this snow storm was our ability to make an actual snow man! Every time we get a "snow storm" (read:dusting) here in Va. the boys get so disappointed at our inability to make an actual snowman.
This huge storm brought us plenty of white stuff to do just that! Compared to our mini Frosty this past December today's Frosty is a giant!

Connor, Frosty & Braden

They were so excited to have an actual Frosty!

Our mini Frosty attempt in December

Like I said all we got was a dusting...we did the best we could!