Thursday, October 20, 2011
Costa Rica or Spain (or Chile)
Honestly, I keep going back and forth on this adventure of ours. Currently, I am leaning toward Spain....last week it was Costa Rica. Until I found out that a tourist was killed in the little beach town of Samara, where we are looking to stay. I did a little more research. There is a lot of theft there and the crime targets tourists. I have been reading of express kidnappings, murders, burglaries, and petty theft. Not sure that I am up for all of that. I want an adventure, but not danger. So I am back to considering Spain. I think it is doable if we go and simply stay in Spain, rather than trying to fit in a tour of Italy, France and England as well (although it will be hard to miss all of those things when we are SO close!) I guess we will have to go back in a couple of years for the rest of it all! Matt wants us to go live with a member family in Chile, but the airfare is astronomical, so I don't think that is an option...
Late
Poor Addy Booza! She was on her way to school a couple of days ago and she totally wiped out. In her own words, "I was running, cause my brothers told me to run because we were going to be late. The cement wasn't quite in and I tripped on it, and I fell on my face. And I chipped the back of my tooth, and I had swollen lips, and I hurt my knee and my nose. It was by Sister Keller's house, across the street. And she gave me a bandaid on my knee. She was a nurse, but she is retired. And she gave me a drink of water. And my mom came to get me. She took me to Great Harvest for a cinnamon roll. And then we went home to snuggle. And then I went to class at lunch time." It was quite traumatic and she has some serious nose road rash.
P.S.
The salsa is totally yummy, although I would add a little more heat next year. I am already rethinking my salsa ban.....
Tuesday, October 4, 2011
The Last Batch of Salsa Ever
I usually make salsa every year. It seems like every year the recipe isn't quite hot enough or too sweet or too whatever. Well, my dad came over and we started the salsa about 1pm.....I finished the canning at about 1am. I have declared that this is the last batch of salsa ever! I must admit that I like this recipe better than the recipes from last year, although it needs a little more heat. I think if this wasn't my last batch of salsa, then next time I would add more peppers than what it calls for, or just leave more of the seeds in. I felt like I was cutting and chopping and peeling tomatoes, onions, and peppers all day long. And then the hassel of the tomato juice splattering all over the concrete counter and floor. I didn't even bother with the boiling water bath (on advice from Madilyn and Cathryn...I still don't feel good about it, but it would have been another two hours!) Next year the plan is to plant more flowers (to cut) which I know I will totally enjoy and they will give me more bang for the buck. I love the fresh veggies from the garden, but rather than planting enough to can, I will probably just plant enough to eat fresh. I do love fresh garden salsa and it is a little more manageable to make one little batch. It does smell good in here though!
I must admit, I do feel like I could tweak this salsa recipe and come up with the perfect salsa next year. We'll see....
p.s. Just so I remember...I used the salsa recipe from the Dining Car cookbook.
I must admit, I do feel like I could tweak this salsa recipe and come up with the perfect salsa next year. We'll see....
p.s. Just so I remember...I used the salsa recipe from the Dining Car cookbook.
Conference Weekend
I keep thinking of great ideas, then when the time comes to execute them I have forgotten. For example, General Conference weekend. I want to make a fun tradition of going out with the kids while Matt is at priesthood meeting. Then this will naturally morph into Girl's Night Out as the boys get older and go to the meeting with Matt. Well, this year I didn't really plan ahead and then my kids want to go and do other things with their friends. We ended up with a compromise and it turned out great! We got the house tidied up and then we put out the Halloween decorations. I gave all the kids their Halloween prizes (PJ's for Addy and shirts for everyone else) and some candy...inspired by the Halloween candy called "Boogers" that were shaped like boogers and were green. When I saw them at the store I knew I had to get some for Alex. After the prizes the kids went to work on making a haunted gingerbread house. This always requires a little patience to put together and let dry a few minutes before decorating. This year we didn't get too fancy. We did end up with a spider web on top and a gumball/jellybean front walkway. Matt was recently busted eating the jelly beans by Addy... Alex did a great job putting up the ghosts. While we made the ginger bread house I read some creepy stories from a library book. The story and picture of the pale lady scared everyone's pants off and they couldn't even leave the room. We had a great time. Then we ordered up some pizzas, Matt came home, and Cassy had her friends over to watch the movie Insidious. The boys played computer games until midnight, when Cassy's friends went home. Connor now wants to have a party with his friends this weekend, then both Alex and Addy wanted to have friends over....
On Sunday we listened to conference on the radio and were inspired by the talks on prayer and service. My mom, Wayne and Grandpa Udy came over for brunch in between sessions. It was fun to have them over. We ate Patty's Christmas Casserole, Janet's Buns and peaches (from Grandpa's tree) with strawberries. After the afternoon session, we headed up to Huntsville park. Cassy didnt' want to go to the park at all and said she wanted to walk home until she found out we were going up to Huntsville, then she just wanted to jump out of the moving car. We talked her into going and I think she was so glad she went. We had fun kicking the soccer ball around and Addy played on the playground (after Cassy kicked the ball in her face and gave her a bloody nose), shot a few basketballs and just enjoyed the beautiful fall weather we have been experiencing. The leaves are starting to change and it is so pretty, especially up in the valley. I heart Huntsville. We drove by and paid our respects to my Hunstville house and then we were on our way.
It couldn't have been a better weekend!
On Sunday we listened to conference on the radio and were inspired by the talks on prayer and service. My mom, Wayne and Grandpa Udy came over for brunch in between sessions. It was fun to have them over. We ate Patty's Christmas Casserole, Janet's Buns and peaches (from Grandpa's tree) with strawberries. After the afternoon session, we headed up to Huntsville park. Cassy didnt' want to go to the park at all and said she wanted to walk home until she found out we were going up to Huntsville, then she just wanted to jump out of the moving car. We talked her into going and I think she was so glad she went. We had fun kicking the soccer ball around and Addy played on the playground (after Cassy kicked the ball in her face and gave her a bloody nose), shot a few basketballs and just enjoyed the beautiful fall weather we have been experiencing. The leaves are starting to change and it is so pretty, especially up in the valley. I heart Huntsville. We drove by and paid our respects to my Hunstville house and then we were on our way.
It couldn't have been a better weekend!
Tuesday, September 20, 2011
Day to Day
One of our biggest challenges is to stay on top of chores. Our current system is that the kids have morning chores, except Cassy because she can barely get to school on time as it is. Connor unloads the dishwasher, Addy unloads the silverware, and Alex feeds Biscuit. Everyone is supposed to make their beds, put clothes in the dirty clothes, and brush their teeth. sometimes we are better at this than others. It seems like when we catch up on everything and the house is in order we can get to our chores on a more regular basis, but when everything is crazy we are crazy all around! In the evening everyone is supposed to rotate through chores monthly and be in charge of a zone in the house that they tidy up. Here are the current categories: vacuum kitchen floor after dinner, feed dog & upstairs family room; set table, get drinks for dinner & clean mud room and little bathroom; load dishwasher after dinner, downstairs family room & bottom of stairs (including the collection basket of toys); hand wash dishes, wipe counters, tidy upstairs hallway and laundry room. It doesn't get done all the time, but at least we have a system and we keep trying. We have tried all sorts of different incentive schemes and cleaning rotations. This seems to work the best for us because we only rotate once a month (I can't keep up with changes more often than that), plus it gives them a little time to figure out the chore and to master it in that amount of time, yet they change around and don't get bored either.
Last night I was helping Connor with the hand washing and I had been running around and cleaning and just trying to be a taskmaster all day that when it came time to do the dishes I was approaching it in much the same way, but I realized there is fun to be had in the doing and kids always show you how. I had to slow down and decrease my intensity and remember to just be happy to spend some time with my cute son who is growing up so fast. He washed a dish and then he would do soap bubbles on his face to make a beard, then he would wash another dish and squirt the dish water across the room and try to do that a few more times to see how far it could squirt. The other day I was about to put away the mixing bowl in the KitchenAid mixer when I realized the dough hook was propped on the arm. I thought, "What is this doing here?" Then I realized the paddle attachment was propped on the other arm. I recognized Connor or Alex's work right away and couldn't help but take a picture. They had turned the mixer into a pirate or some Star Wars figure....
The kids do get an allowance [which isn't really tied to work, I feel like kids should learn how to handle money whether they are behaving or not. Our kids lose privileges if they don't get their chores or homework finished (like no video games, computer or friends.)] Everyone gets $1 for every year they are old. Currently Addy gets $5, Alex $7, Connor $10, and Cassy is on a special system. They get paid this once a month. Ten percent goes to tithing, twenty percent to savings, and the rest to spending. I read a book called the parenting breakthrough and they suggested this plan for allowance and saving, so I have pretty much followed that. When the kids turn 11, they start putting money toward a long term savings account. At age 11 I think they put $8 toward the account and they are also earning an allowance. At 12 they no longer earn an allowance. They actually have to find ways to work and to earn money. At this age I think they pay in about $15 a month, at age 13 it is $25 per month. Each year they pay more and more until when they are 17 it is like $150 a month. Although they no longer get an allowance, they do earn a monthly match to this long term account from their parents. When they turn 18 they will have about $11,000 saved up for college or a mission. Much of that they will have worked for themselves, so hopefully they will have respect for all the work it takes to earn that much money and not just go and blow it.
I hope that all the gnashing of teeth and wailing we go through will eventually help my children know how to work and take pride in accomplishing things. I pray that they will know what responsibility is and that they will be proud of a job well done. Most of all, I just hope my kids know and feel how much I love them and that I want them to reach their full potential in life.
Last night I was helping Connor with the hand washing and I had been running around and cleaning and just trying to be a taskmaster all day that when it came time to do the dishes I was approaching it in much the same way, but I realized there is fun to be had in the doing and kids always show you how. I had to slow down and decrease my intensity and remember to just be happy to spend some time with my cute son who is growing up so fast. He washed a dish and then he would do soap bubbles on his face to make a beard, then he would wash another dish and squirt the dish water across the room and try to do that a few more times to see how far it could squirt. The other day I was about to put away the mixing bowl in the KitchenAid mixer when I realized the dough hook was propped on the arm. I thought, "What is this doing here?" Then I realized the paddle attachment was propped on the other arm. I recognized Connor or Alex's work right away and couldn't help but take a picture. They had turned the mixer into a pirate or some Star Wars figure....
The kids do get an allowance [which isn't really tied to work, I feel like kids should learn how to handle money whether they are behaving or not. Our kids lose privileges if they don't get their chores or homework finished (like no video games, computer or friends.)] Everyone gets $1 for every year they are old. Currently Addy gets $5, Alex $7, Connor $10, and Cassy is on a special system. They get paid this once a month. Ten percent goes to tithing, twenty percent to savings, and the rest to spending. I read a book called the parenting breakthrough and they suggested this plan for allowance and saving, so I have pretty much followed that. When the kids turn 11, they start putting money toward a long term savings account. At age 11 I think they put $8 toward the account and they are also earning an allowance. At 12 they no longer earn an allowance. They actually have to find ways to work and to earn money. At this age I think they pay in about $15 a month, at age 13 it is $25 per month. Each year they pay more and more until when they are 17 it is like $150 a month. Although they no longer get an allowance, they do earn a monthly match to this long term account from their parents. When they turn 18 they will have about $11,000 saved up for college or a mission. Much of that they will have worked for themselves, so hopefully they will have respect for all the work it takes to earn that much money and not just go and blow it.
I hope that all the gnashing of teeth and wailing we go through will eventually help my children know how to work and take pride in accomplishing things. I pray that they will know what responsibility is and that they will be proud of a job well done. Most of all, I just hope my kids know and feel how much I love them and that I want them to reach their full potential in life.
Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close
I have decided to start writing a review of the books that I read. Over time, I tend to forget the names, the setting, the plot, and even if the book was any good or not! I hope this can be my external memory...
I just finished reading Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close by Jonathon Safran something. We read the book for my neighborhood bookclub. Ironically, the author is married to Nicole Krauss who wrote "The History of Love", one of my very favorite books of all time (probably a top 5). You can tell that they have been influenced by each other or by the same teachers, because their writing styles are very similar. They both have an amazing vocabulary and they both write in a way that seems backward to forward. I think the History of Love was a little puzzling as I read it, which was part of the fun. EL&IC was puzzling, but almost felt frustrating. I wonder if that is the actual intent of the author? It is set post 9/11 in New York. The main character is a boy named Oskar. He is trying to solve the mystery of a key he found in his father's closet. The key was labeled "Black". He assumed it is a name and starts his search. On this search, he is also looking for his father (or rather the memory of his father), who was killed at the World Trade Center on 9/11. Oskar is very bright and probably has a form of Asperger's or something. The story also follows the lives of his grandparents: how they met, the bombing they survived, how they married, and their lives up until his grandfather leaves when he finds out that his wife is pregnant. There is so much complexity to the story that it is hard to summarize. Basically, his grandfather was too afraid to live and love. His grandmother realized the importance of actually saying "I Love You," which her husband could not say. Oskar had a way of healing others which only a 9 year old boy with Asperger's could and he had a profound influence on many people's lives. He helped his grandfather heal, as well as his grandmother. He found the man "Black" and helped him heal (hopefully, we never found out for sure) by giving him a key that his father had given him to open an unknown safety deposit box that may have held a letter saying all of the things he needed to hear from his distant father. I like the book more as I reflect back on it. There are so many different plots, and so many levels of dysfunction throughout the book that it makes you feel like you are riding the tilt a whirl ride at Lagoon.
I just finished reading Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close by Jonathon Safran something. We read the book for my neighborhood bookclub. Ironically, the author is married to Nicole Krauss who wrote "The History of Love", one of my very favorite books of all time (probably a top 5). You can tell that they have been influenced by each other or by the same teachers, because their writing styles are very similar. They both have an amazing vocabulary and they both write in a way that seems backward to forward. I think the History of Love was a little puzzling as I read it, which was part of the fun. EL&IC was puzzling, but almost felt frustrating. I wonder if that is the actual intent of the author? It is set post 9/11 in New York. The main character is a boy named Oskar. He is trying to solve the mystery of a key he found in his father's closet. The key was labeled "Black". He assumed it is a name and starts his search. On this search, he is also looking for his father (or rather the memory of his father), who was killed at the World Trade Center on 9/11. Oskar is very bright and probably has a form of Asperger's or something. The story also follows the lives of his grandparents: how they met, the bombing they survived, how they married, and their lives up until his grandfather leaves when he finds out that his wife is pregnant. There is so much complexity to the story that it is hard to summarize. Basically, his grandfather was too afraid to live and love. His grandmother realized the importance of actually saying "I Love You," which her husband could not say. Oskar had a way of healing others which only a 9 year old boy with Asperger's could and he had a profound influence on many people's lives. He helped his grandfather heal, as well as his grandmother. He found the man "Black" and helped him heal (hopefully, we never found out for sure) by giving him a key that his father had given him to open an unknown safety deposit box that may have held a letter saying all of the things he needed to hear from his distant father. I like the book more as I reflect back on it. There are so many different plots, and so many levels of dysfunction throughout the book that it makes you feel like you are riding the tilt a whirl ride at Lagoon.
Monday, September 12, 2011
Highlights
Back to school, Primary programs, Lotoja (which we rocked), birthday lunches and dinners, soccer, dance, piano, Labor Day camping in the Uintah's, Sheepdog Races, Fishing at Lily Lake, S'mores, and dutch oven dinners, Count of Monte Cristo and books about Monet and Matisse, Anna Kerenina and Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close all being read at the same time! Man oh man have we been busy. I am hoping to just catch my breath and get organized and into a little routine. One of my favorite highlights from the week....Addy has started reading these little books that they send home from school to get you started on the path to fluent reading. They are very simple and they have little comprehension questions to ask your child as they read to you. We were reading about Sam the Lion and Mat the Mouse. I See Sam. I am Sam. The Sam hops into bed and goes to sleep. Poor Mat the Mouse is jumping on Sam, trying to wake him up. At the bottom of the page it asks,"How would you wake Sam up?" Addy looks at me as serious as could be and says with that little lisp of hers,"I'd poke him in the nuts!" Not the answer I was anticipating....
I love that little Booza. She is feisty as all get out and you can tell she has older brothers!
I love that little Booza. She is feisty as all get out and you can tell she has older brothers!
Friday, September 2, 2011
Back to School
Having everyone go back to school this year has been bittersweet for me. I am excited to hear the sound of silence on occasion and to have the house stay clean for more than five minutes. I am really excited to have some of the bickering stop (at least until 4pm). But this year it will be extra quiet because Addy is starting Kindergarten! She has been so excited to go to school this week. I am so excited for her. I think she is so ready to be at school learning and interacting with school friends. I will miss my little buddy though. It is easy having one child home with me, especially because Addy is so eager to do the things that I am doing throughout the day. She loves to cook and garden and read together, and she also likes to do things on her own like coloring and crafts, playing with her hodge podge mixture of Littlest Pet Shops, dolls, princesses, legos, and whatever else is on hand. As a side note....the other day she handed me a pink play dough ball with lots of glittery beads and some little tube beads stuck in it. I asked her if it was a porcupine and she said it was actually a bomb and when it goes off all of the pokey things will fly all over and get you (obviously she has been spending a lot of time with her brothers). So anyway, it has always been fun to have her around, and she is such a momma's girl that she doesn't ever get too far away. We have been working to get her to at least go to bed in her own bed with Cassidy this summer, with the contingency that if she has a nightmare that she will hop in bed with us. So about 95% of the time she would sneak down to snuggle with us in the middle of the night. Now that school has started, she is so tired that she has even been sleeping in her own bed most nights and we have to wake her up to go to school. There are so many joys of having school age children. It is nice to have some time to myself so that I can get some things done and maybe be able to do some of the extras that I have been wanting to do , but just haven't had the time for. It is easier to go places when everyone can just go hop in the car (for the most part). And it is much easier to go out to dinner! I think it is just kind of hard to say goodbye to babyhood and to realize that we are past that phase in our lives. Especially hard because I just LOVE babies! I like the quote, "Some days can seem like forever, but the years go by in a flash" or something like that. It is so true. Some days with little kids, when you can't even use the restroom without little fingers poking under the door and someone begging to come in, just seem to go on forever and you feel like you are in survival mode. But looking back, it seems it went by in a flash. It is kind of hard and scary to have your kids out in the world and see how influenced they are by their environment. Cassidy's attitude always shifts a little when she is in school and she gets more intense (which is not fun for any of us:) The boys always moan and complain as we try to get back into the school routine of homework, chores and piano. And most of all I do miss having them all around and running for to our next adventure!
Here's a recap of the first week:
Cassy was given an extra two weeks to complete an assignment that was due the first week (that she was cramming to get done) and i think she will still be cramming to get it done by Wednesday. She is in Publications this year and loves it. She is excited to take Spanish, but doesn't love her teacher. She has one teacher that reminds her of the annoying lady who takes Dumbledore's position at Hogwarts in Harry Potter. And she has soccer everyday after school and just found out she made the varsity team, which she is very excited about! She is also working on a very hard piano piece called "Be Still My Soul" that she is going to play with Gabby and Isabella on the violin. Of course her friends play a major role in her life..
Connor has Mrs. Costley for fifth grade and loves being in her class. It doesn't hurt that his best friend, Ford, is in the class with him. They sent home a questionnaire that he had filled out and almost every answer was "Ford". "What was the best advice you have ever been given?" answer "Ford". He must have thought it said "Who gave you the best advice?" When I asked him about it, he got a big smile on his face and said,"I should have put your name down, but I wanted her to know that Ford is my best friend so that she will let us sit by each other." We will see how that works out. Connor wakes up early to read his Star Wars Boba Fat (is that how you even spell it?) or to play Lego's with Alex. He hates piano, but after grumbling he sticks with it and has even found two songs he likes to play..."Ode to Joy" and "When the Saints Come Marching In."
Alex told Grandpa Cola on the phone the other day that he doesn't like school. He has Mrs. Stettler this year and has already been working on memorizing his poems. He does like to drag his feet when it comes to homework, making a 10 minute assignment go on for 2 hours. We are working on different strategies to overcome this. Alex loves hanging out with friends. Sam and Danik are two of his friends he really likes to be with, but most of all he likes to hang out with Connor. They are both Lego masters and Alex just got his Lego magazine this morning and put it in his bag to take to school. He is doing so well with his reading and is attempting to read the first Harry Potter book (with a few picture books thrown in for fun). He is a sweetheart and very protective of his little sister....when he isn't terrorizing her.
Addy is loving Kindergarten, although I think it wears her out a little bit. She has started back to Virginia Tanner dance and loves it. She gets to go with her friend Matisse this year. We had to fill out lots of paperwork before starting school. One of the questions asked what name you would prefer to go by. I asked her if she wanted to be called Addyson, Addy, or Addy Jane. She replied, "How bout I be called Diamond?" We asked her if she had any friends at school. She said she has three. Elise and two others that she doesn't remember their names. This morning when she was getting dressed she did let me know that one of her boy friends had told her she looked pretty in her dress yesterday. She is a very girly girl and loves wearing dresses. She can't stand short sleeves, so she usually wears tank dresses or long sleeves. She is a girl who knows what she wants.
Here's a recap of the first week:
Cassy was given an extra two weeks to complete an assignment that was due the first week (that she was cramming to get done) and i think she will still be cramming to get it done by Wednesday. She is in Publications this year and loves it. She is excited to take Spanish, but doesn't love her teacher. She has one teacher that reminds her of the annoying lady who takes Dumbledore's position at Hogwarts in Harry Potter. And she has soccer everyday after school and just found out she made the varsity team, which she is very excited about! She is also working on a very hard piano piece called "Be Still My Soul" that she is going to play with Gabby and Isabella on the violin. Of course her friends play a major role in her life..
Connor has Mrs. Costley for fifth grade and loves being in her class. It doesn't hurt that his best friend, Ford, is in the class with him. They sent home a questionnaire that he had filled out and almost every answer was "Ford". "What was the best advice you have ever been given?" answer "Ford". He must have thought it said "Who gave you the best advice?" When I asked him about it, he got a big smile on his face and said,"I should have put your name down, but I wanted her to know that Ford is my best friend so that she will let us sit by each other." We will see how that works out. Connor wakes up early to read his Star Wars Boba Fat (is that how you even spell it?) or to play Lego's with Alex. He hates piano, but after grumbling he sticks with it and has even found two songs he likes to play..."Ode to Joy" and "When the Saints Come Marching In."
Alex told Grandpa Cola on the phone the other day that he doesn't like school. He has Mrs. Stettler this year and has already been working on memorizing his poems. He does like to drag his feet when it comes to homework, making a 10 minute assignment go on for 2 hours. We are working on different strategies to overcome this. Alex loves hanging out with friends. Sam and Danik are two of his friends he really likes to be with, but most of all he likes to hang out with Connor. They are both Lego masters and Alex just got his Lego magazine this morning and put it in his bag to take to school. He is doing so well with his reading and is attempting to read the first Harry Potter book (with a few picture books thrown in for fun). He is a sweetheart and very protective of his little sister....when he isn't terrorizing her.
Addy is loving Kindergarten, although I think it wears her out a little bit. She has started back to Virginia Tanner dance and loves it. She gets to go with her friend Matisse this year. We had to fill out lots of paperwork before starting school. One of the questions asked what name you would prefer to go by. I asked her if she wanted to be called Addyson, Addy, or Addy Jane. She replied, "How bout I be called Diamond?" We asked her if she had any friends at school. She said she has three. Elise and two others that she doesn't remember their names. This morning when she was getting dressed she did let me know that one of her boy friends had told her she looked pretty in her dress yesterday. She is a very girly girl and loves wearing dresses. She can't stand short sleeves, so she usually wears tank dresses or long sleeves. She is a girl who knows what she wants.
Monday, August 8, 2011
Parenting Dilemmas...
The morning started out with Alex acting absolutely crazy about anything and everything. It seems that is has been a crescendo in behavior over the last week. We were trying to get everything together so the kids could go over to mom's and then go with her to Cherry Hill with Treyden, Trevan, and Kiara. Matt and I were taking Addy to a urology appointment at PCMC at noon. They were going to be doing the nuclear testing to see if she still has ureteral reflux in her left kidney. Of course I also had tennis lessons at 7 and Cassy had to go to registration at Mount Ogden before we went. Anyway, Alex was having a million tantrums about everything and anything. I finally gave the ultimatum....get in control or you are not going to Grandma's. Another tantrum.... YUCK! I hate following through and trying to shape my kids into better people! It is so hard sometimes! So we hopped in the car and then we had to take Kennedy to Mike's house and then drop the kids off at my mom's. Cassy called to see if friends could go to Cherry Hill or if they could babysit Alex. Sammy could babysit. Dropped kids off at Mom's, Alex furious and trying to hit my head, Addy is sad too because she would rather go to Grandma's than the doctor. We pick up Sammy, head home, drop them off, then head for Salt Lake. Speeding, now with all the drama we are going to be late. Ten minutes late, no problem, Matt still not there, but he is close. Addy sits at the desk in the waiting room and colors pictures. Makes me think of her going to kindergarten, she is getting so big! Matt gets there and they call us back. Addy was SUCH a trooper (a little less dramatic than her older sister when she had the test). Unfortunately, she still has the reflux. We will test again in 3 years, hopefully she will outgrow it by then. Head to McDonald's (for being such a trooper) and then meet up with everyone at Cherry Hill. I dropped Addy off and took Cassy home with me to get Alex (I am hoping he has learned his lesson and that by missing out on Grandma's and most of Cherry Hill, & by paying the babysitter $20 of his own hard earned money he will still grasp the lesson even if I take him to Cherry Hill for an hour.) On the way home someone runs into the back of my car... Call the police and wait, then head back home, grab Alex and head back to Cherry Hill. What an exhausting day! The day was redeemed when I won my first singles tennis match that night.
The next morning Alex and Addy both started throwing up, so that was probably what was behind the bad behavior. Who knows?
Addy is trying to get me to go help Connor (who is having some Lego dilemma) and she just said to me, "Do you want him to be tough like a missionary or a total scrag?" Hmmm, decisions, decisions.
The next morning Alex and Addy both started throwing up, so that was probably what was behind the bad behavior. Who knows?
Addy is trying to get me to go help Connor (who is having some Lego dilemma) and she just said to me, "Do you want him to be tough like a missionary or a total scrag?" Hmmm, decisions, decisions.
Monday, August 1, 2011
Fun with Friends
We have had a fun and excited last couple of weeks! We had the Barney family here to visit us from their new hometown of Austin, Texas. It was so fun to see them again and to spend the day with them! Their kids are a little more shy and reserved than our crazy crew, but they warmed up to each other and had a great time. We went swimming at the Ostermillers pool while Cassy helped with kids camp at Gabby's (she joined us and swam afterwards). Then we headed home and just hung around for a little while. The adults decided it would be fun to have the teenagers babysit and we headed out to dinner at Zucca. Yum...the food was good and so was the company.
We also got to see Josh and Brigid. They were in town before they headed up to Jackson to run the river with some friends. We had a tight schedule with friends here form out of town, my 20 year high school reunion, and our Bear Lake plans, so we met them at my dad's favorite "The Eastside Diner". The food is actually pretty good. It was fun to catch up with them and made me realize we need to head out to Ohio and visit them sometime soon.
While we were at breakfast, Connor made plans to ride to Bear Lake double seat belted with the Draper crew. We were all supposed to go up Thurs night, but I had scheduled a last minute haircut and highlight (very vain) before my reunion. I was just going to let it go until Cassy was sitting by me at dinner and let me know that my roots were "very brown with tons of gray." I had to call in some favors and get a hairdo with a substitute hair lady. Unfortunately it coincided with our Bear Lake sleepover.
Connor went up to Bear Lake and we headed up the next morning to spend some time with the Drapers and the Summers at the beach before we brought Connor home. While we were there the Drapers had a change of plans, so they invited Connor to stay and Cassy also ended up staying with Brooke and another friend April. We went back up on Monday (after my reunion)and took the tiki. The boys had fun cruising around the bay like they were warriors. The wind picked up and they had to really figure out how to row in order to make it back. The weather was off and on, but we had a great time at the beach and the pool.
Over the weekend I connected with my old high school friends at our twenty year reunion. We had such a great time! Friday night ws alumni night at Bonneville and we ended up being kicked out at about 11 or 11:30. We ended up just visiting in front of the school until about 1 am. That was my favorite part of the reunion because I was able to reconnect with lots of close friends from as early as elementary school. It made me realize how much I missed all of them and how close we all were. It kind of makes me emotional when I think about it because I hope my kids can have friends like the ones I had. It is so much easier to make wise choices when your friends are making good choices. The next day I golfed with Tif, Traci and Suzy in the golf tournament. We did pretty well and had a great time. The best was when Suzy took a shot at Dave Blake as the guys were all coming to watch us finish our hole and make us nervous. Afterwards there was a family lunch. I took Alex and Addy, but we didn't stay long. That night we went to the Eccles conference center for the couple dinner. We had fun. Matt put "David Lee Roth" on his name tag, he said it was because he was married to the lead singer of "heart" in reference to my senior picture which was a very standard early 90's back lit fro!
All in all it was a great weekend and a fun week full of lots of activity.
We also got to see Josh and Brigid. They were in town before they headed up to Jackson to run the river with some friends. We had a tight schedule with friends here form out of town, my 20 year high school reunion, and our Bear Lake plans, so we met them at my dad's favorite "The Eastside Diner". The food is actually pretty good. It was fun to catch up with them and made me realize we need to head out to Ohio and visit them sometime soon.
While we were at breakfast, Connor made plans to ride to Bear Lake double seat belted with the Draper crew. We were all supposed to go up Thurs night, but I had scheduled a last minute haircut and highlight (very vain) before my reunion. I was just going to let it go until Cassy was sitting by me at dinner and let me know that my roots were "very brown with tons of gray." I had to call in some favors and get a hairdo with a substitute hair lady. Unfortunately it coincided with our Bear Lake sleepover.
Connor went up to Bear Lake and we headed up the next morning to spend some time with the Drapers and the Summers at the beach before we brought Connor home. While we were there the Drapers had a change of plans, so they invited Connor to stay and Cassy also ended up staying with Brooke and another friend April. We went back up on Monday (after my reunion)and took the tiki. The boys had fun cruising around the bay like they were warriors. The wind picked up and they had to really figure out how to row in order to make it back. The weather was off and on, but we had a great time at the beach and the pool.
Over the weekend I connected with my old high school friends at our twenty year reunion. We had such a great time! Friday night ws alumni night at Bonneville and we ended up being kicked out at about 11 or 11:30. We ended up just visiting in front of the school until about 1 am. That was my favorite part of the reunion because I was able to reconnect with lots of close friends from as early as elementary school. It made me realize how much I missed all of them and how close we all were. It kind of makes me emotional when I think about it because I hope my kids can have friends like the ones I had. It is so much easier to make wise choices when your friends are making good choices. The next day I golfed with Tif, Traci and Suzy in the golf tournament. We did pretty well and had a great time. The best was when Suzy took a shot at Dave Blake as the guys were all coming to watch us finish our hole and make us nervous. Afterwards there was a family lunch. I took Alex and Addy, but we didn't stay long. That night we went to the Eccles conference center for the couple dinner. We had fun. Matt put "David Lee Roth" on his name tag, he said it was because he was married to the lead singer of "heart" in reference to my senior picture which was a very standard early 90's back lit fro!
All in all it was a great weekend and a fun week full of lots of activity.
Monday, July 25, 2011
24th of July
Matt had the day off for the 24th of July, but he was going on a long bike ride, so I decided to take the kids to the parade with my Mom and Pam and her grandkids. We got there and found great seats. The parade was pretty good, but a bit slow at first because I swear they had a block between each entry in the parade. The kids hounded my Mom for food and toys from the vendors, and then cried when they saw the next vendor had something better (a little embarrassing). We had to leave a little before it was over because we were heading over to meet the Gloeckner girls at St. Anne's Homeless Shelter to serve some food to the homeless. The kids had a good time and hopefully learned a little about life for others less fortunate. The patrons enjoyed seeing the kids serve the food. Addy was serving the dessert, Alex was pineapples, Connor was coleslaw, and Cassy was mashed potatoes. Addy could hardly keep her fingers in the gloves they were so big! At one point someone called Alex a "mam" and he was not happy about it. Luckily the next guy said, "Thanks, little dude!" That night we had Grandpa Cola over for dinner to celebrate the holiday.
I so hope that my kids understand how important it is to serve others. I feel like we are always going over this. The other day I was saying something to Cassy about possibly moving so that the kids could attend some better schools and have better influences in their lives, when she reminded me that life is not always about serving people who are homeless and sometimes it is about befriending people and being kind to people who don't have a lot of kindness in their lives. I just hope that my kids can do this and still remember who they are.
I so hope that my kids understand how important it is to serve others. I feel like we are always going over this. The other day I was saying something to Cassy about possibly moving so that the kids could attend some better schools and have better influences in their lives, when she reminded me that life is not always about serving people who are homeless and sometimes it is about befriending people and being kind to people who don't have a lot of kindness in their lives. I just hope that my kids can do this and still remember who they are.
Saturday, July 23, 2011
The Blondies plus 1 Brownie Camp Out in the Back Yard
Alex keeps asking if we can sleep outside with Biscuit, but it is usually on a really windy or rainy day. The other night he lucked out and the weather was perfect. Matt was trying to get out of it by saying we should do it when we had it planned out ahead of time. But my motto is more the "no better time than the present", so Alex, Addy and I started to make preparations. At first I thought we could just sleep on the lawn and keep it simple, but then the idea of waking up to a snake warming itself next to my body in the night started to make me nervous so we opted to do the tent. We haven't used that thing in a couple of years. It was fun to get it out and brought back lots of camping memories of us putting it up in the middle of the night using flash lights. Luckily this time we just turned on the outdoor lights to the house and put it up in no time. Once we had the sleeping bags arranged, Matt (who had come out to stake down the tent) plopped on the sleeping bag and thought he might stay. Although, he would not let Biscuit in the tent and she was one of the main reasons Alex wanted to sleep out, so Matt was kicked out so that Biscuit could come in. And in she came, she thought the best spot to sleep would be right on top of me, breathing her dog breath right in my face. Eventually we were able to get her off and into her own spot and she snuggled in with us for the rest of the night. Connor also joined us once the work of putting up the tent was done and he stayed the night. Totally fun! I could have used a little pad for a cushion, though!
One more year of being in his 30's....
We had lots of fun celebrating Matt's birthday this year! He was out of town at a Capital Reef Classic Road Race until the evening of his birthday, but when he came back we celebrated with cherry pie and homemade ice cream. Jake and Crystal McMillan came over to have some pie with us. Part of the fun was the surprise gift we bought for Matt. I asked my mom and Wayne and Madilyn to go in on his gift this year. Usually our birthday money is earmarked for family expenditures, like vacations, trees, or a grill or something. But this year I wanted to get something that would be just for Matt. He has been wanting some dr. dre headphones, but they cost $300, which is a serious splurge and not something we usually do. With everyone pooling money we were able to get them as a surprise. Right before we gave them to him, Addy asked if she could tell him about the restaurant (we were taking him to Five Guys, his favorite, that just opened in Ogden), but he thought she said "wristwatch", which isn't something he would be overly excited about... Anyway, he was expecting a wristwatch and was so surprised to see we had bought him the headphones. It was totally not on his radar at all, the best kind of surprise!
Then Monday night, we celebrated with his family and everyone went to see Harry Potter at the Junction. It is the final movie and we were especially excited to see it after our movie marathon! Before the show we all met at Five Guys (another surprise) and it was kind of crazy because they were having the horse and hitch parade for the 24th of July and the streets were all closed. Good thing we planned on dinner or we would have been way late to the movie! All in all it was tons of fun. Every year Matt's birthday rolls around, he gets into a funk that he is getting old and that this year he was going to be in the best shape of his life. I think this year he has done it. He has been riding his bike quite a bit and lifting weights as much as possible. He looks great, to the point that people keep asking him if he has lost a ton of weight (some have even suggested 60 lbs). It is so funny because he has always weighed about the same give or take 5-10 pounds or so. He gets so offended:) I am lucky to have him for my husband and my kids are so lucky to have such a great dad. He would do anything for anyone and is always trying to show us how much he loves us through little acts of service. Happy 39th Honey!
Then Monday night, we celebrated with his family and everyone went to see Harry Potter at the Junction. It is the final movie and we were especially excited to see it after our movie marathon! Before the show we all met at Five Guys (another surprise) and it was kind of crazy because they were having the horse and hitch parade for the 24th of July and the streets were all closed. Good thing we planned on dinner or we would have been way late to the movie! All in all it was tons of fun. Every year Matt's birthday rolls around, he gets into a funk that he is getting old and that this year he was going to be in the best shape of his life. I think this year he has done it. He has been riding his bike quite a bit and lifting weights as much as possible. He looks great, to the point that people keep asking him if he has lost a ton of weight (some have even suggested 60 lbs). It is so funny because he has always weighed about the same give or take 5-10 pounds or so. He gets so offended:) I am lucky to have him for my husband and my kids are so lucky to have such a great dad. He would do anything for anyone and is always trying to show us how much he loves us through little acts of service. Happy 39th Honey!
The Visa Glitch
I ran into a website this week that gave out some more detailed info on getting a visa to live in Spain longer than 90 days. I knew it would be a long and difficult process, but apparently there are some costs that I didn't know about. It cost their family of four almost $6000 to get the visa! Some of the unknowns are international health insurance (about $2,000 for our stay with a deductible of $10,000) and lots of fees for papers and translation services. I am feeling overwhelmed by the cost. Plus you have to have all of your ducks in a row before you go (rental agreement, airline tickets, etc) and you still don't know if they will give you the visa or not. It is making me feel stressed. My gut feeling is telling me to wait until February to go and then stay in Spain for 2 months, then move on to the other Schengen countries I want to visit (Italy, France) and then end in England and come home around mid May. Unfortunately we have already made some pretty solid plans with my mom and Wayne for December in England. My mom is out of town, but hopefully I can speak with her more about it today when she gets back.
Monday, July 11, 2011
Summer Reading
So far, my summer reading has mostly been comprised of reading and studying travel books and blogs and searching for places to stay for our European Adventure. I think half of the fun of going somewhere is the planning. I do hope to leave enough "holes" in the calendar that we have time to just explore and find little treasures on our own, rather than running from place to place. Although, I do like to have an itinerary and some things planned out so that days aren't wasted standing in unnecessary lines and chasing our tails trying to figure things out. It is a lot of work putting a trip of this magnitude together (although it would be much easier if we didn't have a budget:)! So far the best travel guides I have found are the Rick Steve's European Guide Books (one for each country). I feel confident about planning the apartments, hotels, campgrounds, and homes, as well as the airfare and some of the entertainment, but I am feeling uncertain about costs related to getting around. I don't want any expensive unknown costs popping up! Hopefully I can catch up on my book club books while I am lazing about in Spain for three months while my children are in school!
Summer Camp
AAAHHHH!!! Summer camp week. I will be happy to have a little break from the running around and the sibling fights. However, I will miss my kids and my hubby a ton. Connor left this morning for Astro camp. He will spend part of his week at the Astro Camp here in Ogden and a couple of days in Pleasant Grove at another camp (it is all part of one camp). My little man will be gone from Monday to Saturday! I was talking to him about if he gets homesick and he looked at me with a quizzical look and said, "Mom, I am not going to get homesick. Tanner's brother's wife got homesick for japan and so they had to take a trip to Japan. I'm not going to be homesick!" Well, I hope that is true. He wanted to got to the camp with Ford, but they didn't register in time, so he is going it alone. I am so proud of him for being willing to try something so unfamiliar (and for such a long time)! He really is growing up. The tuition for camp is $450 and Connor has almost earned his half that he is required to pay, he just needs another $50. He has been working hard to earn the money. I want to teach my kids that they can do anything they set their minds to if they just work for it. Another idea I hope to instill in my children is the motto, "We do hard things". I read about this on another blog and it summed up how I feel. When you are able to do hard things, you feel such a sense of accomplishment, more than anything else, especially more than if you are just handed an experience. I still remember hiking 10 miles up to Ben Lomond peak when we were at girl's camp and the exhiliration I felt just for sticking with it, when almost everyone else (including my friends) had turned around long ago. Once you learn how to do hard things and overcome obstacles, it is easier to challenge yourself to do other hard things and to accomplish great things in life.
Cassy leaves for our ward Girl's Camp tomorrow. They are going to stay in Island Park and do some fun "roughing it" activities, which I think will be good for Cassidy. She has to have her bags packed and over to her leader's house tonight. There is a pile of laundry the size of Mt. Everest in her closet, I hope she can get it all together in time! Alex and Addy will be going to stay at my mom and Wayne's Tues and Wed night so that they can have their own little camp. And Matt will be leaving for a bike race Thurs through Sat. Like I said, a week of summer camps. It will all wrap up with a birthday celebration for Matt and some fireworks at Weber State on Sunday...
Cassy leaves for our ward Girl's Camp tomorrow. They are going to stay in Island Park and do some fun "roughing it" activities, which I think will be good for Cassidy. She has to have her bags packed and over to her leader's house tonight. There is a pile of laundry the size of Mt. Everest in her closet, I hope she can get it all together in time! Alex and Addy will be going to stay at my mom and Wayne's Tues and Wed night so that they can have their own little camp. And Matt will be leaving for a bike race Thurs through Sat. Like I said, a week of summer camps. It will all wrap up with a birthday celebration for Matt and some fireworks at Weber State on Sunday...
The Ugly Yell
I hate to admit it, but sometimes the ugly yell comes out. If no one is listening and I give the warning that I am about to do the ugly yell, they usually snap right to it. I wish it didn't come to this...I feel like I am usually one of the most patient people in the world (especially with my kids), but every now and then a perfect storm brews and I have reached my limit....this is when the ugly yell rears up. Usually accompanied by a hell or a damn to boot. Being a parent isn't always easy. I pray for patience and peace on a regular basis. I can see that my kids think I am crazy when I get that mad. I wonder if they will ever feel the same way, but deal with it differently? I hope so.....
Tuesday, July 5, 2011
Fourth of July
This year we were actually home for the Fourth of July celebration, which was a nice change. It seems like we are usually in Jackson Hole or Bear Lake for the 4th. We had a fun BBQ at my mom and Wayne's Sunday night to help kick off the celebration. My cousin Nesha and her family were here from Las Vegas and it is always good to see them when they are in town. Alex and I made the infamous flag cake to take to the party. I asked Alex if he wanted to make it our little tradition to make the cake for the 4th of July and he told me he would be happy to go shopping with me to buy some dessert, but it was way too hard and long to make such a cake. Everyone went on and on about how yummy the cake was, so hopefully he will change his mind! He was quite proud of himself...
On the 4th we went up to the Huntsville Breakfast in the Park celebration. Of course, we were too late to make the breakfast in the park (due to the fact that we had some late night fireworks at Grams and Gramps & also because Matt was doing his weight lifting). But I actually think it worked out better that way. We got there in time to see part of the parade, which the kids LOVED because they were able to catch tons of candy and they had front row action to be totally grossed out by the horses pooping. There was one horse that was kind of nervous...he started rearing up and he was right by the kids! Then we ate some funnel cake (which I had never had) for breakfast. It was yummy and totally bad for you. We played games: cup commando, pirate treasure games, crossbow shooting, and won more pop and prizes. Addy got tatoos. We ran into lots of friends and played at the playground. After that we had yummy burgers for lunch (free with Matt's VIP cards :) We heard the breakfast was extremely crowded and it was chaos, but the lunch was yummy and easy, so it worked out for the best. The only bad part about going was that it made me sad that we didn't buy the Huntsville house we were trying to buy last year. It is in the perfect location and it would be so fun to have a cabin there, even though it isn't very far from home. It is still a dream we have and I can see us celebrating the whole weekend there with friends and going to the 4th of July celebration, then back to the house for a swim, then back to the park for the fireworks. It is the friends and family that make a cabin fun and there is so much to do in Huntsville that we hope someday we can make it happen. We left the celebration and headed to see the movie "Soul Surfer". It was about a girl who lost her arm in a shark attack while surfing, basically a giant sob fest with a really good message. I'm glad my kids got to see it, although Connor says he is never going to try surfing after seeing that! The strongest message from the movie was to have courage and to overcome hard things. I hope my kids picked up on that!
We all came home and Matt and Addy had a long nap (I had a short one). Then we went up in the foothills with the Gloeckners and Grandma and Grandpa to watch the fireworks and eat popsicles. Even better than the fireworks was the beautiful pink and orange sunset! What a beautiful day!
On the 4th we went up to the Huntsville Breakfast in the Park celebration. Of course, we were too late to make the breakfast in the park (due to the fact that we had some late night fireworks at Grams and Gramps & also because Matt was doing his weight lifting). But I actually think it worked out better that way. We got there in time to see part of the parade, which the kids LOVED because they were able to catch tons of candy and they had front row action to be totally grossed out by the horses pooping. There was one horse that was kind of nervous...he started rearing up and he was right by the kids! Then we ate some funnel cake (which I had never had) for breakfast. It was yummy and totally bad for you. We played games: cup commando, pirate treasure games, crossbow shooting, and won more pop and prizes. Addy got tatoos. We ran into lots of friends and played at the playground. After that we had yummy burgers for lunch (free with Matt's VIP cards :) We heard the breakfast was extremely crowded and it was chaos, but the lunch was yummy and easy, so it worked out for the best. The only bad part about going was that it made me sad that we didn't buy the Huntsville house we were trying to buy last year. It is in the perfect location and it would be so fun to have a cabin there, even though it isn't very far from home. It is still a dream we have and I can see us celebrating the whole weekend there with friends and going to the 4th of July celebration, then back to the house for a swim, then back to the park for the fireworks. It is the friends and family that make a cabin fun and there is so much to do in Huntsville that we hope someday we can make it happen. We left the celebration and headed to see the movie "Soul Surfer". It was about a girl who lost her arm in a shark attack while surfing, basically a giant sob fest with a really good message. I'm glad my kids got to see it, although Connor says he is never going to try surfing after seeing that! The strongest message from the movie was to have courage and to overcome hard things. I hope my kids picked up on that!
We all came home and Matt and Addy had a long nap (I had a short one). Then we went up in the foothills with the Gloeckners and Grandma and Grandpa to watch the fireworks and eat popsicles. Even better than the fireworks was the beautiful pink and orange sunset! What a beautiful day!
MMMMOOOMMMAAAAA!!!!
This is how Addy usually starts her day. Most nights she starts asking "can I sleep with you?" Some nights we give in, some nights she has to sleep in her own bed. When she sleeps in her own bed with Cassy she always has a contingency plan, "what if I have a nightmare?" Some nights she tries to claim she has had a nightmare before she even goes to sleep.... By morning she is usually snuggling with us in our bed and the first thing she does when she wakes up is call my name and then she rolls up in her sheets and tries to pretend she is still asleep. I love my little Booza, and secretly Matt and I both miss her when she isn't snuggling with us.
p.s. The other day Cassy's friend Miranda was saying how amazed she was with Addy when Addy was a baby and how well she could speak at such a young age. "Remember how when she was a baby she could say encyclopedia?" This brought back a flood of memories! I wish I could remember things better, but I just don't have the gift of a great memory. I so regret that I have not been a consistant blogger or journal keeper while my kids were really little. I did bits and spurts here and there, but it seems like we are always so busy living life and doing fun things that I haven't documented it all like I wish I would have looking back. I have taken TONS of photos and I hope they tell the story of our life together, but it is the little things like Cassy teaching Addy to say "encyclopedia" when she was 9 months old that remind me of the sweet tenderness of the everyday.
p.s. The other day Cassy's friend Miranda was saying how amazed she was with Addy when Addy was a baby and how well she could speak at such a young age. "Remember how when she was a baby she could say encyclopedia?" This brought back a flood of memories! I wish I could remember things better, but I just don't have the gift of a great memory. I so regret that I have not been a consistant blogger or journal keeper while my kids were really little. I did bits and spurts here and there, but it seems like we are always so busy living life and doing fun things that I haven't documented it all like I wish I would have looking back. I have taken TONS of photos and I hope they tell the story of our life together, but it is the little things like Cassy teaching Addy to say "encyclopedia" when she was 9 months old that remind me of the sweet tenderness of the everyday.
Kids Camp! (Back by popular demand)
We are working on earning money toward our big Spanish excursion so we are doing 5 kids camps this summer! Cassy and I made up the flyer and took them around to the neighbors. We are planning on doing a Survivor Camp, Circus Camp, Art Camp, Harry Potter Camp and a Medieval Camp (for knights and princesses). We have already survived (just barely) our first Survivor Camp. The day before camp there were 21 people registered, the morning of camp we ended up with 35 kids showing up. Needless to say I had to make a last minute popsicle run! I wish we had some pictures, but it is so crazy with that many kids taking photos totally slipped my mind. We had some fun crafts, face painting, flag making, endurance challenges, popsicle clue search, water games, water balloons, and the highlight was the food challenge. We had baby food on spoons for everyone to try. There were peas, green beans and sweet potatoes. Everyone had to take a bite and and then secretly guess what they were eating. We had 9 and 10 year old boys throwing up in the garbage can over this (like 3 of them). They were guessing the craziest things....rotten cucumbers, guacamole, cucumber soup and I can't remember the others. I think everyone had fun and we were happy when it was all over.
Sunday, June 12, 2011
June Birthday Party
Aaaahhhhh! The birthday party season is almost over. I love to have fun birthday parties, but at the same time it is a lot of work! Tonight we had the extended Howard family and my mom and Wayne over for a celebration. Connor turned 10 (which he informs me means he is now officially a tween) and Addy turned 5 today. We had some yummy brownie pizzas (peanut butter, chocolate with pretzel m&m's, and mint) with homemade vanilla ice cream. It was all yummy and we even made some ice cream in the roll around ball...which is fun for the kids for about 5 minutes and then the adults get to take on the task for the next 20 minutes. The kids had lots of fun kicking around the soccer ball and flying some styrofoam planes that the Gloeckner's gave Connor. The older girls snuck off to Cassy's room, but we tempted them back with a game of table topics, a little conversation game in which you each get to answer different questions. We ended with everyone answering what your ultimate birthday dinner would be. Some of the answers: Ralph-wild salmon, baked beans and real key lime pie; Connor-top ramen, bread pudding; Alex-cereal; Cassy-bruschetta, brie, margaritas (non alcoholic of course); Grandma Bennion-roast beef dinner (which we then all agreed is the best, especially if your grandma makes it for you :)
Friday, June 3, 2011
Summer of Service
One of the things I am hoping to teach my kids is the joy of service, so we are trying to live a summer of service this year. On Wednesdays, we are planning on trying to fit in a service project and also a little something fun, or a field trip to somewhere that we have never visited. Matt's day off is Wednesday, so this way he can be a part of the fun. This week we went and made breakfast for the people who were staying at the Ronald McDonald House in SLC. We made french toast and sausage and cut up strawberries. Of course it was a little stressful because we were caught behind an accident on I-15, but we made it and were able to provide breakfast for about 35 people. The kids got right in there and helped cook it all up (especially Cassy and Connor). It is so fun to have them be old enough to help out so much and to see them be so capable and in charge of themselves. The families staying at the house were very appreciative.
After breakfast, we headed off to the Kennecott Bingham Copper Mine. It is a huge copper mine and we had never been to before. The mine is huge (one of the few man made things that can actually be seen from space). It was interesting to learn more about the mine and the operations there. We were especially interested in the big trucks that haul off the debris. They are as big as a two story house!
Cabela's was the next stop on our tour (much to Cassidy's chagrin). It is a big sportsman's store that I had heard was really cool. The boys had fun and Matt bought some bullets so they could go shooting. The store has lots of stuffed animals, especially deer. There is also a fresh water aquarium with a variety of fish. We were most impressed with the huge catfish.
We stopped at a picnic area at Thanksgiving Point to eat our lunch and play a little soccer. We had a great day serving and exploring some places we have never been!
After breakfast, we headed off to the Kennecott Bingham Copper Mine. It is a huge copper mine and we had never been to before. The mine is huge (one of the few man made things that can actually be seen from space). It was interesting to learn more about the mine and the operations there. We were especially interested in the big trucks that haul off the debris. They are as big as a two story house!
Cabela's was the next stop on our tour (much to Cassidy's chagrin). It is a big sportsman's store that I had heard was really cool. The boys had fun and Matt bought some bullets so they could go shooting. The store has lots of stuffed animals, especially deer. There is also a fresh water aquarium with a variety of fish. We were most impressed with the huge catfish.
We stopped at a picnic area at Thanksgiving Point to eat our lunch and play a little soccer. We had a great day serving and exploring some places we have never been!
Wednesday, June 1, 2011
Harry Potter-a-thon
We woke up to snow on Memorial Day...not just a skiff, but a couple of heavy, wet inches! So needless to say, we weren't heading to the pool for some memorial day fun. Once we shook the snow off the trees and assessed the damage in the garden (we had just planted the garden on Friday), we decided we would have a Harry Potter-a-thon. We called the Shuman family and they graciously let us borrow the first three movies from them. We watched them all and we couldn't stop there. Over the next day or two we watched all the Harry Potter movies up to the first of part 7. One night we even stayed up until almost 3am (Addy and Alex fell asleep) so we could watch the last show. We let the no PG13 rule slide for the younger kids (just this once). We can't wait until the final movie comes out on July 14th or 15th! I think we might try to go see it as a family to celebrate Matt's birthday....wingardium leviosa!
Monday, May 16, 2011
Serious Wind
It has been so windy for the last couple of days. The kind of wind that makes the french doors flex and the "beep, beep, beep" go all night long. At least this time we had the sense not to set the alarm so we wouldn't be awakened at 3 am with the alarm going off (oddly enough, the kids never wake up when this happens even though it is ear splitting). We decided to try our luck with flying kites today after church. Matt was napping and missed the excitement. Cassy was typing her "Lights Over Africa" book, so she missed out too, although she was outside and I am sure heard us screaming! We started out with the boys alien kite. It took us a few tries to get the hang of it, but we were able to fly him for quite a while with the string out as far as it would go. Soon after, that little alien man decided to try some acrobatics and he kept trying to take out the spectators with some dive bombs. Alex tried his little star wars kite, but the wind just flexed it in half. Then we brought out the big kahuna, the star kite. before we could even try, we had such a gust that the kite practically took Alex with it. Unfortunately, it ended up dragging through the field for a while before it became airborne and I think a could of the support sticks fell out or broke so it ended up looking more like a flying turkey. We tried to get the alien man relaunched so I could help with the flying turkey. The wind took our little alien man up so fast it broke the spindle I was holding and that alien man flew away and started doing his dive bomb acrobatics again. We found him on the next street over, the broken spindle stuck on someone's chimney. By the time I got over there, the boys were trying to climb a tree to get on the roof to unstick the spindle. I opted for some scissors to cut the string. We recovered both kites (although we haven't found all the sticks). We will have to go fly a kite another day...I am worn out.
Thursday, April 28, 2011
Crepe Paper Flowers, Hullabaloo, Paper Doll Crafts, & Chocolate...all at the same time!
One of the things I enjoy most is watching to see what Addy will do during the day to entertain herself. Sometimes I think I should have put her in preschool, but she is always busy and I get to be with her everyday and I wouldn't miss that for the world! In the last 10 minutes she has been making paper doll crafts, which morphed into making me crepe paper flowers on pipe stems, playing Hullabaloo (and doing the winners dance every time), and eating her chocolate Easter bunny. Of course there were a few hugs and kisses thrown in too. I am so glad I get to be home with Addy and share this fun time with her!
Here is a look at our day so far:
Family Scripture study
Spanish Lesson
Breakfast
Morning Chores
Kids off to school
Get ready
Play Group (as we were leaving, Addy said she wanted a play date...never enough time with friends :)
Lunch at play group
Coupon clipping
Addy computer time (while mom makes a few phone calls)
and now the crafting, dancing, and chocolate eating....
the older kids will be home in a few minutes then we will go to....
Alex baseball
Connor Orthodontist
Alex soccer
Addy soccer game (taking Alex and his friend Sam)
Cassy Futsol (at the same time as the soccer game:)
Bookclub for me (YAY!)
and somewhere in there we need to practice piano, read 30 minutes each, do homework, & eat dinner, prepare sharing time lesson, etc.
When people ask what I have been up to lately, nothing ever comes to mind....clearly it is because I have lost my mind with all of this running around!
Here is a look at our day so far:
Family Scripture study
Spanish Lesson
Breakfast
Morning Chores
Kids off to school
Get ready
Play Group (as we were leaving, Addy said she wanted a play date...never enough time with friends :)
Lunch at play group
Coupon clipping
Addy computer time (while mom makes a few phone calls)
and now the crafting, dancing, and chocolate eating....
the older kids will be home in a few minutes then we will go to....
Alex baseball
Connor Orthodontist
Alex soccer
Addy soccer game (taking Alex and his friend Sam)
Cassy Futsol (at the same time as the soccer game:)
Bookclub for me (YAY!)
and somewhere in there we need to practice piano, read 30 minutes each, do homework, & eat dinner, prepare sharing time lesson, etc.
When people ask what I have been up to lately, nothing ever comes to mind....clearly it is because I have lost my mind with all of this running around!
Saturday, April 16, 2011
Bad things happen in 3's...
Well, they always say that bad things come in threes. We have had our share of not so great luck lately....
1- A couple of weeks ago I hit my poor Mishy cat with my car in the garage. I felt ssoooo bad!. Her leg was broken and part of her back. We had to have her put to sleep. Right after the accident, we were trying to comfort her and she actually started to purr. I think it was the goodbye gift she gave me. She had been a part of our family for about 17 years.
2- I broke my favorite sunglasses.
3- My cell phone has been missing for four weeks....how have I even survived? It actually hasn't been too bad. I hate to buy a new one, because I am sure it will show up (Matt is actually the one who is more sure). I'm crossing my fingers...
4- My car didn't pass inspection for the first time ever (it is 10 years old though)
5-My lens on my D5SLR is catching and won't take photos. The replacement lens is about $500 (of course I found one that is even better than the one I had :)
I am hoping that I am done with my run of bad luck and that I am not just on my second run of bad things happening in threes!
I have started planning a crazy lifetime dream trip. I am so excited, although I can tell my kids are a little nervous. I am hoping to take the kids to Europe this December until the end of April. CRAZY! Matt will come for a couple weeks at the beginning of the trip and hopefully again while we are there. The plan is to travel around and then live in a little village in Spain called Mijas for about 3 months so the kids can attend school there and hopefully pick up on some spanish. We have been having some morning Spanish lessons and the kids are doing great. Kell has loaned me her Rosetta Stone and we try to do a lesson or test every morning before school. More on that later!
1- A couple of weeks ago I hit my poor Mishy cat with my car in the garage. I felt ssoooo bad!. Her leg was broken and part of her back. We had to have her put to sleep. Right after the accident, we were trying to comfort her and she actually started to purr. I think it was the goodbye gift she gave me. She had been a part of our family for about 17 years.
2- I broke my favorite sunglasses.
3- My cell phone has been missing for four weeks....how have I even survived? It actually hasn't been too bad. I hate to buy a new one, because I am sure it will show up (Matt is actually the one who is more sure). I'm crossing my fingers...
4- My car didn't pass inspection for the first time ever (it is 10 years old though)
5-My lens on my D5SLR is catching and won't take photos. The replacement lens is about $500 (of course I found one that is even better than the one I had :)
I am hoping that I am done with my run of bad luck and that I am not just on my second run of bad things happening in threes!
I have started planning a crazy lifetime dream trip. I am so excited, although I can tell my kids are a little nervous. I am hoping to take the kids to Europe this December until the end of April. CRAZY! Matt will come for a couple weeks at the beginning of the trip and hopefully again while we are there. The plan is to travel around and then live in a little village in Spain called Mijas for about 3 months so the kids can attend school there and hopefully pick up on some spanish. We have been having some morning Spanish lessons and the kids are doing great. Kell has loaned me her Rosetta Stone and we try to do a lesson or test every morning before school. More on that later!
Monday, April 11, 2011
Tag....with Grace
"Mom, mom, mom....I've got to tell you something," said Alex as I was reading to the kids just before bed.
"You know Grace? (big smile)"
"Guess what?"
"She played tag today..."
"With ME (bigger smile and THAT look)"
"You know Grace? (big smile)"
"Guess what?"
"She played tag today..."
"With ME (bigger smile and THAT look)"
Monday, February 14, 2011
Jazz with the boys...
When the kids play basketball with the Junior Jazz program, they receive two free Jazz tickets (nosebleed section, of course). I had two tickets in my purse so that I could take Connor to his game, but in the meantime I had taken Cassy out to breakfast at Mcdonald's and there was a BOGO coupon for a McMuffin on the back of the Jazz ticket. I totally forgot that the ticket was for an upcoming game rather than one that I had already been to and I used it up. I realized this mistake the night before the game and had planned on just buying another nosebleed ticket (really, how much could they be?). We called Glen Draper (the Jazz expert) to get the scoop on where to get a ticket and such and he said that all the cheap seats were sold out. AAAHHHH! He said the cheapest ticket was $40. So...it was 5:05 the day of the game and it started at 7. I got a hold of Ogden city rec and they had some spare tickets. It turns out that I got enough for our whole family! Matt wasn't up for it, so I ended up taking Connor, Ford, and Alex.
We had a great time! Alex was doing some serious jamming to the music... I am sure if we would have had tickets close enough for the cameras to see us we would have been on the Jumbotron. After a jam session finished and Alex sat down, the Jazz resumed their game, and Alex leaned over to me... "Mom, will you sign me up to play with them next year?"
I love that he thinks I have the ability to do anything for him....and if I could, you know I would!
p.s. The Jazz lost, but it was a close game. It was sold out because Boozer ( a former Jazz player) was playing for the Bulls and it was his first time back on the opposing team. It also turned out to be coach Jerry Sloan's last game....he announced his retirement the next day.
We had a great time! Alex was doing some serious jamming to the music... I am sure if we would have had tickets close enough for the cameras to see us we would have been on the Jumbotron. After a jam session finished and Alex sat down, the Jazz resumed their game, and Alex leaned over to me... "Mom, will you sign me up to play with them next year?"
I love that he thinks I have the ability to do anything for him....and if I could, you know I would!
p.s. The Jazz lost, but it was a close game. It was sold out because Boozer ( a former Jazz player) was playing for the Bulls and it was his first time back on the opposing team. It also turned out to be coach Jerry Sloan's last game....he announced his retirement the next day.
Hell, Great Scot!, & A Monkey's Uncle...
I am going to try to get this blog going again! I want to remember every precious thing that my kids do and I have such a bad memory that I need to get it recorded or it will be gone forever....
Addy was helping me fix dinner the other night and as we were about to get started she looked at me and said,"Mom, WHAT THE HELL ARE WE FIXING FOR DINNER?"
"What did you say?"
"What the hell are we fixing for dinner?"
"Addy, that is a swear word."
"Oh..."
A couple of days later she was calling me from upstairs and I didn't respond as quickly as she wanted so she stomped down the stairs...
"Why the hell won't you answer me?"
"I didn't hear you, you just swore again."
"OH...Sorry"
About half an hour later she came in with a question.
"Mom, can I ask you if something is a swear word?"
"Sure."
"What about 'Great Scot!'"
I assured her she was safe with that one. A few minutes later....
"What about 'A Monkey's Uncle'?"
I let her know that one was OK too. A week or two later...
"What about 'Hail to the Princess Aurora'?"
TOO FUNNY!
Addy was helping me fix dinner the other night and as we were about to get started she looked at me and said,"Mom, WHAT THE HELL ARE WE FIXING FOR DINNER?"
"What did you say?"
"What the hell are we fixing for dinner?"
"Addy, that is a swear word."
"Oh..."
A couple of days later she was calling me from upstairs and I didn't respond as quickly as she wanted so she stomped down the stairs...
"Why the hell won't you answer me?"
"I didn't hear you, you just swore again."
"OH...Sorry"
About half an hour later she came in with a question.
"Mom, can I ask you if something is a swear word?"
"Sure."
"What about 'Great Scot!'"
I assured her she was safe with that one. A few minutes later....
"What about 'A Monkey's Uncle'?"
I let her know that one was OK too. A week or two later...
"What about 'Hail to the Princess Aurora'?"
TOO FUNNY!
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