Monday, January 31, 2011
100th Day of School!
Pinewood Derby 2011
Aaron's Pinewood Derby was last week. I have to admit that it was really fun to see all the creativity that goes into these cars. This year Aaron wanted flames on his car, which for some reason was a really big deal to him, so Matt worked really hard with an exacto knife and a piece of contact paper and then helped Aaron paint on bright red flames. No wonder then, that Aaron won the award for "The Hottest" car!
Tuesday, January 25, 2011
The difference between "chances" and "tellings"...
For the last 2 weeks or so I have been really sick with bronchitis and have not "been up to" dealing with a lot of arguing and noise from the kiddos. So yesterday when I picked the boys up from school we had THE WARNING while I had them all confined in the car.
ME: There will be NO fighting... there will be NO whining... there will be NO pushing or shoving or poking... there will be NO disagreeing of any kind... DO YOU UNDERSTAND ME?
(3 nods are counted and one blank stare from Levi...)
But before we are even in the driveway Aaron and Caleb are arguing about who is taking up more room in the backseat.
ME: Boys in the Back row- did you hear me? I JUST said that there will be no arguing- Knock it off, okay?
(I hear a muffled "yes, Mom..." but I'm sure someone's eyes are rolling...I could just feel it)
We pull in the driveway and there is another argument about who gets to get out of the car first.
ME: Are you kidding me? It doesn't matter who gets out first- just get out and quit arguing over things that don't matter...
We are scarcely in the house when Caleb heads up to his room to play. On the stairs he pushes Kellie back, yells "NO!" to her and locks her out of his room because he doesn't want to play with her.
At this point I am fed up. I mean the kid has had fair warning and I am in no mood to deal with the nonsense.
ME: CALEB get down here and get in time out...
CALEB:NO!
ME:YES.
CALEB: But you didn't give me any chances!
ME: Yes, I did Caleb. I told you THREE times before we even got out of the car that there would be no arguing and fighting this afternoon. You had your chances.
CALEB: I did not! THOSE weren't chances- those were TELLINGS! AHHHHH!
ME:Just get in time out Caleb...
Even today, after I've stifled my laughter and Caleb's time out has long since expired I have to ask myself... IS THERE ANY DIFFERENCE BETWEEN "A TELLING" and "A CHANCE"?
(sigh... he's only 6- I've got at least 14 more years of his crazy logic to live with at home...it's a good thing he can make me smile, I guess) :)
ME: There will be NO fighting... there will be NO whining... there will be NO pushing or shoving or poking... there will be NO disagreeing of any kind... DO YOU UNDERSTAND ME?
(3 nods are counted and one blank stare from Levi...)
But before we are even in the driveway Aaron and Caleb are arguing about who is taking up more room in the backseat.
ME: Boys in the Back row- did you hear me? I JUST said that there will be no arguing- Knock it off, okay?
(I hear a muffled "yes, Mom..." but I'm sure someone's eyes are rolling...I could just feel it)
We pull in the driveway and there is another argument about who gets to get out of the car first.
ME: Are you kidding me? It doesn't matter who gets out first- just get out and quit arguing over things that don't matter...
We are scarcely in the house when Caleb heads up to his room to play. On the stairs he pushes Kellie back, yells "NO!" to her and locks her out of his room because he doesn't want to play with her.
At this point I am fed up. I mean the kid has had fair warning and I am in no mood to deal with the nonsense.
ME: CALEB get down here and get in time out...
CALEB:NO!
ME:YES.
CALEB: But you didn't give me any chances!
ME: Yes, I did Caleb. I told you THREE times before we even got out of the car that there would be no arguing and fighting this afternoon. You had your chances.
CALEB: I did not! THOSE weren't chances- those were TELLINGS! AHHHHH!
ME:Just get in time out Caleb...
Even today, after I've stifled my laughter and Caleb's time out has long since expired I have to ask myself... IS THERE ANY DIFFERENCE BETWEEN "A TELLING" and "A CHANCE"?
(sigh... he's only 6- I've got at least 14 more years of his crazy logic to live with at home...it's a good thing he can make me smile, I guess) :)
Thursday, January 13, 2011
Farewell, Tooth #3!
Mr. Caleb finally lost tooth #3! He has been so funny about it, too. Around Thanksgiving we noticed that his top teeth were starting to feel a little loose, and Caleb was so excited. In Music at school the Kindergartners had learned the song "All I Want for Christmas is My 2 Front Teeth". Caleb LOVED this song and sang it all season. He thought it would be really cool if his front teeth were actually missing for Christmas so he could REALLY wish us all a MERRY "CHRITHMUTH." Every day during the Winter Break he would come up and ask if it was loose enough to come out. Every day I wiggled and had to say, "not quite..."
I know he was a little disappointed to have not lost it before Christmas, but I think his sadness disappeared when he saw the coins the tooth fairy left him! Way to go Big Guy!
Monday, January 10, 2011
First Visitors of 2011
Matt's parents were able to come spend a weekend with us to ring in the New Year. Here's some pictures of our very first house guests of 2011...
Monday, January 3, 2011
Unexpected Blessings...
Growing up I can remember rolling out sugar cookies and decorating them with all the different colored frostings ans sprinkles my Mom always prepared. I remember building snowmen in the back yard until my fingers and feet were so cold that I had to go inside to defrost them. I remember looking back at pictures of us on Christmas morning- our hair always sporting a crazy case of bedhead, holding whatever that year's gift happened to be. I have tried to give my kids the same kind of memories, but this year was different.
Because of the ongoing problems with my wrist- mixing up cookie dough is really hard for me- let alone trying to roll it out. My wrist just doesn't work that way any more and I get frustrated trying to do the things I used to do. Subsequently, I told Matt that he was on "cookie duty" this year. Then a wonderful thing happened. We had so many friends, neighbors and family drop off goody trays and baskets that we had a hard time eating what was already here! The kids LOVED choosing from all the varieties and always wanted to know who made what. I don't think they even missed taking a year off from making their own. I also think it was a really good lesson for them to see that other people care about us enough to do something so special for our family. We try to teach the kids that it is great to serve others- but I am glad they also got the opportunity to see how good it feels when someone goes out of their way to do something nice for them. Maybe they'll remember that and try to pass it on!
My favorite movie of all is "White Christmas". I just love it and the songs and every year I hope to actually have a white Christmas. Living in Colorado, this isn't usually a problem, but this year it just didn't snow. I admit I was a little saddened by this, but tried to look on the bright side. Some of my kids have had that nasty barky cough all season and wouldn't have been able to go outside anyway. It did finally snow for my birthday on the 30th, and I was surprised that the kids didn't even ask to go out and play in it. I guess the freezing cold temperatures just didn't tempt them!
We woke up Christmas morning and the battery to my camera was dead. No reviving it and no replacements. So I didn't get any pictures this year. I am slightly saddened by this, but in a way it was kind of nice just to enjoy the moment. I got to watch my kids excitement as they opened their gifts and we didn't even have to pause and pose for anything. It really was kind of a blessing in disguise, I suppose.
Don't get me wrong here- I love all our family Christmas traditions; the cookie making, the romp in the snow, and the pictures. I hope to revisit these traditions in future years and I really hope my kids have fond memories of their holidays. At the end of the movie "How the Grinch Stole Christmas" the Grinch comments that he learned that "Christmas perhaps- doesn't come from a store. Christmas, perhaps means a little bit more."
Like the Grinch, I also learned a great lesson this year; It's okay that things didn't go exactly as I planned. It's okay that I didn't bake all the treats myself... It's okay that we didn't have snow and pictures and all the rest of it. That's not really what Christmas is all about anyway. Christmas is about being with our loved ones and about remembering the Savior and all he means to us. It is about being grateful and recognizing our blessings and in return blessing the lives of those around us. That's what I learned this year, and I am so glad I did.
Because of the ongoing problems with my wrist- mixing up cookie dough is really hard for me- let alone trying to roll it out. My wrist just doesn't work that way any more and I get frustrated trying to do the things I used to do. Subsequently, I told Matt that he was on "cookie duty" this year. Then a wonderful thing happened. We had so many friends, neighbors and family drop off goody trays and baskets that we had a hard time eating what was already here! The kids LOVED choosing from all the varieties and always wanted to know who made what. I don't think they even missed taking a year off from making their own. I also think it was a really good lesson for them to see that other people care about us enough to do something so special for our family. We try to teach the kids that it is great to serve others- but I am glad they also got the opportunity to see how good it feels when someone goes out of their way to do something nice for them. Maybe they'll remember that and try to pass it on!
My favorite movie of all is "White Christmas". I just love it and the songs and every year I hope to actually have a white Christmas. Living in Colorado, this isn't usually a problem, but this year it just didn't snow. I admit I was a little saddened by this, but tried to look on the bright side. Some of my kids have had that nasty barky cough all season and wouldn't have been able to go outside anyway. It did finally snow for my birthday on the 30th, and I was surprised that the kids didn't even ask to go out and play in it. I guess the freezing cold temperatures just didn't tempt them!
We woke up Christmas morning and the battery to my camera was dead. No reviving it and no replacements. So I didn't get any pictures this year. I am slightly saddened by this, but in a way it was kind of nice just to enjoy the moment. I got to watch my kids excitement as they opened their gifts and we didn't even have to pause and pose for anything. It really was kind of a blessing in disguise, I suppose.
Don't get me wrong here- I love all our family Christmas traditions; the cookie making, the romp in the snow, and the pictures. I hope to revisit these traditions in future years and I really hope my kids have fond memories of their holidays. At the end of the movie "How the Grinch Stole Christmas" the Grinch comments that he learned that "Christmas perhaps- doesn't come from a store. Christmas, perhaps means a little bit more."
Like the Grinch, I also learned a great lesson this year; It's okay that things didn't go exactly as I planned. It's okay that I didn't bake all the treats myself... It's okay that we didn't have snow and pictures and all the rest of it. That's not really what Christmas is all about anyway. Christmas is about being with our loved ones and about remembering the Savior and all he means to us. It is about being grateful and recognizing our blessings and in return blessing the lives of those around us. That's what I learned this year, and I am so glad I did.
Tuesday, December 21, 2010
Graham Cracker Houses 2010
Kellie and Julie's creation...
Caleb and Grandma's sprinkle-encrusted house
Jordan and Aaron's towers...
again...
Matt and Levi's house
(again...)
Melanie's house
(Spencer supervised!)
The Village...
Wednesday, December 1, 2010
Aaron earned his WOLF!
AARON earned his WOLF! (Actually he earned it in September, but he finally got the award tonight!)
It is a tradition in our pack to paint the animal paw on their cheeks when they advance rank. Aaron was so proud of his WOLF paw, and we are so proud of Aaron! Congrats, buddy!
Tuesday, November 30, 2010
Thanksgiving in Roy, UT!
This year our family traveled to Roy to visit my sisters (who both live in Roy), and my brother John, who drove down from Idaho Falls. It was a lot of crazy noisy, fun. In total we had 8 adults and 15 nieces and nephews. Here's some highlights...
KELLIE...
...was in little girl heaven. Since she has 3 brothers at home her supply of pink toys is limited. Don't get me wrong, she still plays with the trains, too, but for a few days I think she absolutely LOVED being surrounded in PINK!
TWO TURKEYS and a JESSICA...
(no explanation necessary, I think...)
THE HUNGRY CROWD...
SOME MORE CUTE PEOPLE...
THE PERFECT END TO EVERY DAY... PIE
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