April

Yikes. I have been very absent from my blog this month.  Hmm.... let's see what's been going on...

I was in charge of our ward (church congregation) Talent Show. It was a ton of work, but it turned out great. Everything ran very smoothly because I did a lot of advance planning and had lots of good helpers. We had a wide variety of talents, such as vocal, violin, piano, guitar, clarinet, trumpet, cello, dance/tumbling, comedy, ballroom dance, etc. It was a lot of fun, and even though it was a lot of work I hope it becomes a tradition! Mary sang a solo... she was so nervous beforehand but she was very well prepared so that when she actually got up to perform she said she wasn't nervous at all, and she did a great job.

Collin was assigned to give a talk in Primary (the program for children at church)... his last since he turns 12 soon and will "graduate."  I decided he was old enough to do it on his own, but I told him I would help him if he needed it.  I told him the assigned topic and sent him off the work on it.  Later I asked if he had worked on it, thinking he hadn't.  He said, "Yes, I'm done."  I didn't believe him so I said, "Let's hear it."  He had typed it up and printed it out.  He read it to me and I was shocked.  It was perfect.  I was very proud of him.

The rest of the month kept us busy with a science project for school, "Back-to-the 80's" Family Fun Night at the school (you should have seen me with my big hair and blue eye shadow!), babysitting my sister's darling baby while she was out of town (including a trip to the zoo), attending several baptisms, as well as the usual homework, piano lessons/practicing, chores, etc.  AND my kids enjoyed playing with their cousins visiting from Utah!

Last week I had a little vacation.  My mom and my oldest sister drove to San Diego to spend a few days with my youngest sister.  It was delightful!  We spent several days just talking, eating yummy food, talking, shopping, talking, watching chick-flicks, talking, and laughing.  The only thing that would have made it more fun is if ALL my sisters and sisters-in-law had been there too.  Maybe next time....  Thanks for being such a great hostess Liz!  Thank you San Diego for having perfect weather for us!  And thank you Jay for holding down the fort while I was gone!  I forgot to bring a camera so I have no photos, but when Liz or my mom send me some I will post more about the trip.

Yesterday, on Easter morning Jay and the kids and I took roses to the cemetery to put on my sister Charity's grave.  We sang songs about Christ and talked about how we are so grateful that because of Jesus Christ we will see her again.  I miss her.  We had a lovely Easter program at church, and had dinner with my parents and siblings and their families.  I am so grateful for my wonderful family.

Today is Charity's birthday, so I went to the cemetery again with my parents and two of my sisters.  We talked about special experiences, cried and hugged.  Again I wished that all of my siblings could have been there.  (Why do you have to live far away?) 

Even though I have been neglecting this blog lately (not on purpose), I have been posting to my other blog this month.  I guess I should give them equal time.  As pathetic as I am of late, I even got a mention from fabulous I Heart Mesa!

Dayton's Legs

Our nephew Spencer is featured in this video from "Mormon Messages." He is a sweet kid.

Field Trip to the Zoo

On Tuesday I chased 5 first-graders around the Phoenix Zoo chaperoned Jack's class field trip. 

 

Thankfully it was a gorgeous day, and I was only assigned 5 kids in  my group (including Jack), only one of which would be considered somewhat "difficult."  It was very fun. 

I enjoy being with my kids and getting to know the other kids in their school.

 The Phoenix Zoo is large and the exhibits are very spread-out, but I think we saw everything in the few hours we were there, which means we were all exhausted.  The kids were about to fall asleep on the bus ride back to school!

 Elephants are always interesting.

 But Monkey Village is always the favorite.  You walk right into their habitat and the monkeys are close enough to touch.  (This monkey was literally right over my head... this is not zoomed or cropped.)  They seem so cute and cuddly, but I imagine they probably aren't.

 The kids were dying to get to the tiger, but naturally he was just lying around being lazy and didn't do anything impressive.

 Ditto for the lions.  What a bunch of lazy bones!  :)

Mowing the Lawn

Since the day Collin was born, Jay looked forward to Collin being able to mow the lawn so he could sit back and relax.  Collin, for his part, also eagerly awaited the day... from the time he could reach the lawn mower handle he would walk along with Jay pretending he was helping (it made me nervous). 

By the time Collin turned 10 he was mowing the lawn by himself, without ever complaining about it (even during the super hot summer), and doing quite a good job of it.  (Jay still does the edging though.)  But now it seems he is looking forward to passing the torch to Jack.

This was the scene in our backyard last Saturday as Collin carefully instructed Jack on the finer points of lawn-mowing technique.  (Jack did not look unhappy.  In fact, he tried very hard to suppress a grin.)  I love it when Collin gets all serious about teaching his younger siblings stuff.  It makes me proud.

"Flipback" Books

Since I love to read (and I love books), I'm very intrigued by this. 

And this is how I feel about books. 

Jay's Birthday

Yesterday was Jay's birthday.  We celebrated on Saturday by going to dinner and then to see I Am Number Four.  (Jay's choice..... go here to read what I thought of it.)  This is what he wanted me to make for his birthday cake.... a recipe from an advertisement in a magazine!  Oh brother. 

Actually, it turned out pretty good.

That was Saturday.

Yesterday (Sunday, his actual birthday) I made him his favorite breakfast, Eggs Benedict.  And for dinner, his favorite meal....
- Rib Eye steak, rubbed with butter and seasonings
- Red potatoes, boiled and buttered, with garlic salt and parlsey
- Salad of red leaf lettuce, spinach, cucumbers, tomatoes, croutons and Creamy Garlic Vinaigrette

I made him another cake, which we took to his parents' house to share with the rest of his family.  I made this Strawberry Cake (adapted from Paula Deen)....

• 1 box white cake mix
• 1 (3 oz.) box strawberry instant jello
• 1 (16 oz.) package frozen strawberries in syrup, thawed and pureed
• 4 eggs
• 1/2 cup canola oil
• 1/4 cup water

Combine cake mix and gelatin. Add pureed strawberries, eggs, oil, and water; beat with an electric mixer until smooth. Pour into 2 round cake pans (prepared), and bake for 20-25 minutes at 350 degrees, or until a wooden pick inserted in the center comes out clean. Let cool in pans for 10 minutes. Remove from pans, and cool completely on wire racks.

I layered the cake with this filling:

8 oz. cream cheese, softened at room temperature
1 large box banana cream pudding
2 c. milk

Beat cream cheese; add pudding and milk and beat until smooth and thick.  Spread half of mixture on top of first layer of cake.  Add second cake layer and top with remaining pudding mixture.  Frost the whole thing with 8 oz. Cool Whip, and top with fresh strawberries.

It was yummy!

HAPPY BIRTHDAY JAY!

Want to see what I gave him?  Go here and here.  He loves them both.  I think I did pretty good this year.

Spring Break - Day 3 - Chase Field Tour

Yesterday we went on a tour of Chase Field. I had no idea what to expect, but it was really fun. It was very informative (and humorous at times), and we got to see a bunch of cool stuff. We didn't get to actually go in the players' clubhouse, but they showed us a video tour of it... looks awesome. (I imagine they don't want a bunch of people going through their private and very expensive stuff... I don't blame them.) We did go in the visiting team's areas... boring in comparison.

We visited one of the suites, but that wasn't a big deal for me because Jay and I once attended a Diamondback's game as guests in the owner's suite. I have to say it was pretty darn cool. (There's another whole funny story behind that experience.) Being in the dugout was fun... a very unique perspective.

The private pool area is where I would love to watch a game... it's $3500 for 35 people... you get the pool and spa to yourselves, which is level with the field, plush seats with an amazing view (and a row of bleachers if you'd rather watch that way), private dressing rooms/restrooms, lifeguards, premium reserved parking, D-Backs souvenir towels, and it's fully catered. Not bad for a hundred bucks a person. It's still available for a few games... anyone want to go in on it with me? :)

Spring Break - Days 1 and 2

We aren't being as exciting as last year, but Jay took a few days off for Spring Break this year, so we are enjoying some fun time together as a family.... and trying to keep the kids from getting too bored and driving each other crazy. 

Yesterday, we took a bike ride to our local library, which is a little over 2 miles away.  We took a picnic lunch and ate it at the park next to the library, then picked up some books.  Jay's bike ended up with a flat tire so we left him and Jack there (since Jack is the slowest rider) and I came back with the car to bring them home.  Small snag.  But it was still fun.  Later we watched "Fantastic Mr. Fox" for the first time.  We laughed.  Our new word is "cuss."  And we keep doing the whistle-whistle-click-click thing.  It's not old yet.

Today Jay and I left the kids at home for a while and had lunch at Chelsea's Kitchen.  Yum!  Then we headed to Last Chance... I scored a sweet pair of Steven Madden pumps for $20, and some super cute flats for $10. Later, after a game of Carcassone with Jay and Jack, we all rode our bikes to the local QT for slushies and snacks.  We are loving the great weather, so we are racking up the bike-riding-miles!

We have something fun planned for tomorrow.  At least I hope it will be fun.  I will let you know.

Red Carpet

Here is our "red carpet" photo from the award's ceremony.  I wish that I had had time to lose 20 pounds and get something new to wear (I didn't know what the attire was until I was actually getting dressed for the evening and Jay said, "Oh yeah, you are supposed to dress formal."  Ugh!), but here it is anyway.

A Night on the Town

On Saturday night, Jay and I went to an awards banquet because his project (PHX SKY Train) was receiving an award (for innovative solutions).  The event (and the award) was sponsored by an organization for professionals in the transportation industry, so I thought it would be pretty dull.  But it wasn't too bad.  (Though it was kind of long.)  It was fun because I was with Jay.  (Actually, I love going to these things with Jay, though I pretend I'm doing him a big favor.  Don't tell.)

It was at the Tempe Center for the Arts, which is a really cool venue and our table was right by the window looking out on the lake and the city lights, which was very cool.  It was a "glitzy" event (all the women were dressed like they were going to the Oscars or contestants in a beauty pageant), so it was fun to observe everyone, and the MC was entertaining.  Even the key note speaker (the head of the planning division at ADOT) was pretty interesting.  It was fun to dress up, eat fancy food, have our photo taken on the red carpet (these transportation people take their formal events very seriously) and spend the evening on the arm of the handsomest man in town, who everyone was praising and congratulating. 

I'm very proud of Jay.  He hates it when I brag. 


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Time Travel, Blogger Style

I always have good intentions about blogging consistently... it's important because this is a record for my family.  But life gets in the way.  You know how that goes.  Then I get behind, and I want to get caught up, but it's overwhelming so I put it off some more... and some more... and then it's really bad.

Ugh.

Thankfully, Blogger lets me pre-date posts, so I've traveled back-in-time and posted about events in chronological order (for the most part) so that our family's record isn't all messed up.

Anyway, if you read this blog to know what is going on in our lives (why else would anyone read this boring blog?), then you might want to go back-in-time too and read what we have been up to.

Here are a few:

Soccer
Photography Workshop
Building a Bike
Kids; Valentines
Funny Things Kids Say
Scout Day Camp
Thanksgiving


More to come.....




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Flag Football

Collin finished a season of flag football a few weeks ago.  His team didn't win any games, but they worked hard, learned a lot, made new friends, and had a good time.  They all had great attitudes and showed excellent sportsmanship.  I was very impressed with all the boys on the team.  I think it helps that they had 2 very kind coaches.  (It was some of the boys on the winning teams... and their coaches.... that were the ones with the "attitude."  Hm.)

So I've been practicing the "panning" technique I learned at the photography workshop I went to.  Panning is tricky.... I have a lot to learn!  But it's fun to experiment.

I am very proud of Collin.  He is a really good kid.

My Kids Vs. Wild

We have oranges galore from the trees in our yard.  We picked a bunch to make orange juice.  They are "juice oranges" not navels, so they have seeds and are difficult to peel (but they are sweet and juicy).  I found out my kids have been eating them....whole... in the backyard.

The thing is.... my kids are sort of obsessed with Bear Grylls.  They have watched a few too many episodes of Man Vs. Wild (OK, I admit it, I watch it too). 

 

It turns out they have been pretending our backyard is "the wild," and the only food they can find is the oranges on our trees.... and, as my kids like to state, "they are full of vitamin C."  But they now pronounce it with a "short i" as the British do.... as Bear Grylls does. 

Actually, they have started pronouncing a lot of things differently these days.  My kids seem to have the whole British accent down pat. 

So, they eat the oranges, which Collin cuts open with his scout knife, pretending they are disgusting (and I'm sure they come up with some creative description, just as Bear does).  Yes, my kids have great imaginations.  At least they don't eat grubs or scorpions.  (shiver)  Maybe next time I make something new for dinner that they don't like, I will tell them to just pretend they are Bear Grylls surviving in the wild.....

A Bike Ride, a Picnic, a Kite and a Camera

Last Saturday was a beautiful day, and the wind was perfect for flying a kite.  We rode our bikes to Freestone Park where we ate our picnic lunch and Jay and the kids flew our kite. 

I followed everyone around experimenting with my new camera lens.  So fun!

I caught a few candids of Jack, but Mary was my only willing model.  Too bad she looks a mess... grubby Saturday clothes and windy-day hair-do.  Oh well.  She's still cute.  :)

Getting to Know the School Nurse

My kids rarely get sick, and even then it's usually nothing but a minor cold and they don't miss school.  They usually get the "Perfect Attendance" award at the end of the school year.  I never get calls from the school nurse.  That is until last week.

There was no school on Monday (President's Day), but on Tuesday just after lunch I got a call from the school nurse saying Mary had a temperature of 103 and a pounding headache.  I was surprised, but I picked her up and she spent the rest of the day in bed.  She stayed home again on Wednesday because she was still feverish and lightheaded and achy.

BUT about 10:00 I got a call from the nurse saying Jack had something in his ear.  She had tried to get it out with tweezers, but couldn't reach it, so I was needed to come look at it and decide whether to take him to the doctor or urgent care.  When I arrived, Jack said he had a piece of a pencil eraser in his ear.  Sure enough, I could see it, but it was just out of reach.  Here is how our conversation went:

Me:  Jack, what happened?
Jack:  (shrug)
Me:  Jack, what's in your ear?
Jack:  An eraser.
Me:  How did it get in there?
Jack:  (shrug)
Me:  Did you stick your pencil in your ear and it broke off?
Jack:  No.
Me:  Then how did an eraser get in your ear?
Jack:  (shrug)
Me:  Are you sure it's an eraser?
Jack:  Yes.
Me:  How do you know?
Jack:  I just do.
Me:  (trying not to laugh) Jack, did you put an eraser in your ear?
Jack:  (shrug)
Me:  (trying REALLY hard not to laugh) Jack, you just need to tell me what happened, even if it's really silly.
Jack:  I don't know.
Me:  Jack, did you find a broken piece of eraser and stick it in your ear to see what would happen?
Jack:  (nodding yes)
Me:  (I couldn't help it, I laughed out loud, and I couldn't stop for a minute)

I hugged him and made him promise to NEVER stick anything in his ears or nose ever again (he never has before), and then tried to decide what to do.  He wasn't in pain or even uncomfortable, and I really did NOT want to spend the day at Urgent Care and spent $40 just to have some PA take 10 seconds to pull it out, especially since Mary was home in bed, still sick.

So, I asked the nurse for some peroxide, poured a little in Jack's ear, let it sit for about 30 seconds, flipped his head over and let it drain out, and sure enough, the eraser had come down far enough that I was able to reach in with the tweezers and pull it out.  It was wedged in there pretty good and stuck to some ear wax (ugh), but the peroxide did the trick.  The nurse said, "That was genius!"  Yes, it was.  A mom does what she has to do.

My experiences with the school nurse don't end there.  The next day, I got yet ANOTHER call from the school nurse.  Mary was back at school and seemed find, but this time it was Jack with a high fever and headache.  He spent the rest of the day in bed.

The next day was Friday, and it was a half-day.  Jack and Mary were back at school, and Collin seemed fine, but I was holding my breath all day, hoping my kids could just make it to noon!  They did.  Whew!  And everyone was fine all weekend.

It's Monday morning and the school nurse just called again.  When I answered the phone we both just laughed when she announced herself, and I said, "You've got to be kidding me!"  Still laughing, she said, "Well, this time I'm just calling you to let you know that Collin fell and hit his nose at PE.  It was bleeding, but now it's stopped and he seems fine.  I just wanted to let you know so that you can keep an eye on it when he gets home."

Oh boy.  Our school nurse is a really nice lady and I like her a lot.  But I REALLY don't want to talk to her for a long time!

How often to you get a call from the school nurse?