Christmas donkeys, obstacle courses, and talent

asher was donny the donkey in the school play:

"donny the donkey."

yep. 

my son was the lead in the school play.

i think it's because he actually had no lines and the teacher knew i had five kids. 

running lines during Christmas season?

ain't nobody got time for that.

so above you see the cutest, most precious donkey ever. 

and he did amazing. 

he's quite the comedian. 

i know these pics look like they're posing for cute pictures. BUT in reality, my sons are practicing obstacle course type stuff outside all the time in preparation for their upcoming obstacle race in march.

they are stoked about it. they are running it with the hubs and maybe even grandpa and an uncle. it's a fun way to see family and do something new and exciting. 

they already have a traverse rope and a pull-up bar in the back yard.

they also want tarzan rope swings. 

i am excited they like being active but momma likes her beautiful yard. 

maybe we'll find a compromise somewhere.

we have been inundated with sickness and activities and church events and crafting projects...

the list never seems to end. 

this time of year is usually a bit slower. holidays are over, but spring stuff hasn't begun yet.

not so this year.

asher's at a kinder program that does a new activity every day, has a field trip once a month, has class parties, and makes a huge igloo out of milk jugs we get to collect. 

-not to mention the 100th day of school, bringing in pringles cans for star gazers, and beginning readers and spelling tests. 

it's a bit overwhelming. 

but when you see the culmination of their space unit is a kid who can sing about planets and wear this adorable space suit he made, it makes it seem worthwhile.

gabe was part of a team at school where they built rube goldberg machines. 

you know, cause and effect. a marble drops down a ramp, hits dominoes, they hit a car, the car hits the balloon, and the balloon pops. 

it's an after school program that has been going on for 10 weeks and gabe has enjoyed it so much.

so this week his school had a science night. 

he got to show off what he and the team have been working on.

i'm tellin' yah, guys, he lit up like a Christmas tree.

he LOVED it.

at one point he was the only kid left demonstrating and all the other kids from the team had left. 

he was kind of a one-man-show. 

it's so great to see the boys' passions and talents and how different they are. 

judah loving art, elijah loving to write, gabe loving science, and asher loving puzzles.

we tell them they can do anything.

and it's exciting to see how they carry that out.