Jamie is having another great giveaway on her review blog here. So if you want to win a Visa giftcard and read about the new Weebles comment on her blog here.
Good luck.
Tuesday, November 30, 2010
More catching up
Last Sunday was the Primary Presentation at church. It's one of my favorite things this time of year. The kids have been working on it for a little while, and we challenged (bribed) them to memorize their parts. They did very well. Timothy (without trying) was the comic relief. When he said his part he said "us" instead of "me", but then corrected himself and at the end said "phew". It was cute and kinda funny. I was glad to see the boys actually singing the songs and participating. Amy was a pill most of the hour. She kept looking at the family sitting behind us and when they would react with a smile or a silly face, she would loudly tell them to stop. Then she dropped goldfish crackers behind the pew so they would have to pick them up. She was not reverent at all, and a few people had a laugh at our expense. I had a pretty good lesson in Young Women's class, even though it was a small group. I had brought chalk from the library, but put it in the diaper bag instead of my lesson bag. Aaron takes the diaper bag in case he needs to change Amy's diaper, so I had no chalk for my lesson. Oops!
That afternoon was good, but I really don't remember what we did really. I think I actually got Amy to take a nap with me after church. Aaron did some home teaching and I made a Christmas craft with the kids. We're giving them to some family members for Christmas this year. Then I got dinner ready. We also sat down and planned out the month of December. We always have a lot going on, and it's fun to have the kids look forward to the different activities we have planned for the holidays. It will be nice to have Aaron there to help out this year.
That evening I went over to the church for The Young Women in Excellence Program. It was a great evening. Sis. D* asked me to sing the alto part with the girls. So when they all got up there I jumped up, and then realized they had speaking parts first, so I stood at the end of the line feeling slightly embarrassed. But I did get to sing with them, and we enjoyed cupcakes afterward. While we were mingling and eating I realized I'm still a kid at heart - one of the girls came in and and told everyone it was snowing. I started to get up to see the snow, but quickly realized I was the only adult excited to see the snow. So I sat for a few minutes before I went out to look. Since it was the first snow of the season I didn't expect much. However by the time I left it was already sticking to the cars, and the grass.
In the morning, there was a light dusting every where. Amy was very excited to play in the snow, but it was a little cold, and I didn't have her mittens handy. So I took a picture of her next to the snow.
It continued to snow throughout the day. The kids loved it. I still don't have snow gear for them. This is the tree behind our house in the morning. And this is the same tree that night.
I had gotten out all of the gloves and hats out of out winter clothes bin and Amy had a blast modeling all of the knit hats.
David was having a snowball fight outside with some friends. I tried to take a picture, but my "breath" got in the way.
That's better.
David also needs a coat that zips up (I've already got one for him - but I wonder if he can wait until Christmas).
Tuesday Aaron had the day off as usual, so we mostly packed for our trip to California. He took Amy with him up to the city, while I helped out in Timothy's classroom. They were having an AR day where they could bring pillows and blankets and read lots of books and take AR tests. It was fun to read with so many kids and help them get through the tests. Most of them just need guidance to sound out the words, some could read the words, but have no comprehension. And some just read and have no problems with the tests. Timothy is in the last category. Weeks ago he had the 25 AR tests required for the end of the semester.
When I came home I did some laundry and cleaned etc. Amy fell asleep on the way home from the city, but didn't stay asleep when I brought her inside. Aaron had scouts, but only two showed up, and both of them live in the cul de sac. They joined a little late, so Aaron was able to do some things with them that the other boys have already done. They have a called another leader finally! They will be meeting later at the church so I don't have to worry about being available for "two deep" leadership, and Aaron will have a few more hours to get things done on his day off.
After scouts was over we quickly had dinner and then headed over to the church for pack meeting. We went an hour early to have a "Duty to God" hour. It's another activity to earn the 100 year patch. Amy and Timothy were not sitting still at all so we spent time out in the hall. In the mean time the Primary President arrived for pack meeting. As we were talking Amy was playing peek-a-boo with her. Amy does not usually initiate contact with any adult. It was kind of cute. Pack meeting went pretty well, but we had to get home so we could get enough sleep for the long drive ahead of us.
That afternoon was good, but I really don't remember what we did really. I think I actually got Amy to take a nap with me after church. Aaron did some home teaching and I made a Christmas craft with the kids. We're giving them to some family members for Christmas this year. Then I got dinner ready. We also sat down and planned out the month of December. We always have a lot going on, and it's fun to have the kids look forward to the different activities we have planned for the holidays. It will be nice to have Aaron there to help out this year.
That evening I went over to the church for The Young Women in Excellence Program. It was a great evening. Sis. D* asked me to sing the alto part with the girls. So when they all got up there I jumped up, and then realized they had speaking parts first, so I stood at the end of the line feeling slightly embarrassed. But I did get to sing with them, and we enjoyed cupcakes afterward. While we were mingling and eating I realized I'm still a kid at heart - one of the girls came in and and told everyone it was snowing. I started to get up to see the snow, but quickly realized I was the only adult excited to see the snow. So I sat for a few minutes before I went out to look. Since it was the first snow of the season I didn't expect much. However by the time I left it was already sticking to the cars, and the grass.
In the morning, there was a light dusting every where. Amy was very excited to play in the snow, but it was a little cold, and I didn't have her mittens handy. So I took a picture of her next to the snow.
It continued to snow throughout the day. The kids loved it. I still don't have snow gear for them. This is the tree behind our house in the morning. And this is the same tree that night.
I had gotten out all of the gloves and hats out of out winter clothes bin and Amy had a blast modeling all of the knit hats.
David was having a snowball fight outside with some friends. I tried to take a picture, but my "breath" got in the way.
That's better.
David also needs a coat that zips up (I've already got one for him - but I wonder if he can wait until Christmas).Tuesday Aaron had the day off as usual, so we mostly packed for our trip to California. He took Amy with him up to the city, while I helped out in Timothy's classroom. They were having an AR day where they could bring pillows and blankets and read lots of books and take AR tests. It was fun to read with so many kids and help them get through the tests. Most of them just need guidance to sound out the words, some could read the words, but have no comprehension. And some just read and have no problems with the tests. Timothy is in the last category. Weeks ago he had the 25 AR tests required for the end of the semester.
When I came home I did some laundry and cleaned etc. Amy fell asleep on the way home from the city, but didn't stay asleep when I brought her inside. Aaron had scouts, but only two showed up, and both of them live in the cul de sac. They joined a little late, so Aaron was able to do some things with them that the other boys have already done. They have a called another leader finally! They will be meeting later at the church so I don't have to worry about being available for "two deep" leadership, and Aaron will have a few more hours to get things done on his day off.
After scouts was over we quickly had dinner and then headed over to the church for pack meeting. We went an hour early to have a "Duty to God" hour. It's another activity to earn the 100 year patch. Amy and Timothy were not sitting still at all so we spent time out in the hall. In the mean time the Primary President arrived for pack meeting. As we were talking Amy was playing peek-a-boo with her. Amy does not usually initiate contact with any adult. It was kind of cute. Pack meeting went pretty well, but we had to get home so we could get enough sleep for the long drive ahead of us.
Weekend in Idaho
Thursday I had packed the van and got everyone ready to go. We ate a pizza dinner and then waited for Aaron to call. After Aaron got home from work we headed out to Idaho for Grandma G*.'s funeral. It was close to 6:30 before we left. I had picked up Toy Story 3 from the library, so that kept Amy's attention, so she didn't fall asleep right away. I think I put on another movie for the boys, and she drifted off. By 9:30 everyone was asleep except Aaron, I even got a short nap in. There was snow in the mountains, but not on the road. We were very glad. We pulled in to my sister's place around midnight. I had to stay with Amy and get her back to sleep. The boys were pretty compliant and went right back to sleep.
Aaron and I woke up early in order to get everyone ready to be at the church at 9:00. After we were both showered we realized we had gotten up too early. So the we ate some breakfast and the kids played with their cousins Hali and Colby for a bit, and then got into their Sunday clothes. It only took us 15 minutes to get to the church, so I stopped by Wal-Mart for a couple of things on the way there.
We were one of the first people to arrive besides the funeral home people. We found a place for us to sit in the chapel and then waited in the halls for more family to arrive. Eventually we made it in into the room for the viewing. Timothy was fascinated by the whole thing. The kids had fun reuniting with their cousins. We talked to so many people. Then we had a family meeting, and prayer. When we were told that the pall bearers would be sitting separate from the rest my heart sunk. That meant I wouldn't have Aaron to help me with the kids. Then we headed into the chapel. It was great to listen to the speakers. I enjoyed hearing stories that were new to me. Unfortunately Amy didn't want to sit or be quiet. So I spent a lot of time out in the hall. I could still hear what was going on for the most part. I was grateful the the boys were pretty well behaved when I had to leave with Amy. It was a fairly long memorial service, but I enjoyed it and the kids survived.
We drove to the cemetery from there. It was a little odd to be part of the funeral procession - not having to stop at any lights or stop signs. It was a little chilly outside, but the kids were pretty well behaved Amy wanted to sit on the headstones though. From there we headed back to the church for lunch. Amy fell asleep as I expected, however she woke up as I brought her into the church.
We enjoyed some lunch and talking to family. We tried to take some group pictures. But some how I didn't take any with my camera. We then made plans for the rest of the day. We had brought clothes with us to change into, but somehow forgot the boy's shirts. So we headed back to Becca's to get the shirts. We stayed for an hour or so, and the kids got to play and I got to talk to Becca. I also got to admire how she decorated her beautiful home on a small budget. I'll have to have her decorate for me when I eventually get a house.
Amy inside the dome tent.
Amy and Colby
David playing with Hali, Becca on the couch quilting.
Hali and Amy playing
We went over to the hotel where three families were staying. Aaron's parents, and sisters Daralee and Beverly and their families had 3 rooms next to each other. Amy fell asleep on the way there, so she and I didn't swim. Aaron didn't either, but the boys did. When we got to the pool we realized Grandma was the only adult swimming - oh well. The rest of us sat, supervised and talked.
Then we went back up to the rooms and watched TV, played snacked, and ordered pizza for dinner.
Adorable Abigail
Amy and Abigail
When the pizza was ready Aaron Greg and Blake picked them up along with some soda. We gathered in the breakfast area of the hotel and ate pizza and watched the Boise State game.
Amy warmed up to cousin Elise and Aunt Brittany. The chased her around, she giggled and screamed as she ran away. She also ran into the table a few times.
When the kids got bored we went back up to the rooms. They played Toys Story 3 in one room, Disney channel in another and the Boise State game in the last room. The game went really late, and we ended back at Becca's around 11:00 pm. Becca and Hali were in bed. Aaron B and Colby were up watching a movie. Colby had woken up and wouldn't go back to sleep. The kids got into bed quickly. Aaron watched with them for a while, but I went to bed. I was exhausted.
Saturday morning Amy woke up early. We played out in the family room for a while and I gave Amy some cereal. Then Becca decided to make pancakes for breakfast. Then we noticed it was snowing outside. The kids were very excited. We were glad that it wasn't sticking. When Becca was ready to put the pancakes on the griddle she noticed a funny smell. She then realized she had put mint flavoring in the batter instead of vanilla extract. Oops. She tried to save them by putting chocolate chips in them. Timothy liked them. But they were really strong. So we started a new batch, but we were out of eggs, milk and salt. So we used powdered milk, and Becca borrow eggs and salt from her neighbor. Breakfast was a little late, but it was good.
During breakfast my Dad called Becca and wanted to Skype, so I showered quickly and then I called him from our computer. After we talked for a minute Hali jumped up on my lap and my dad did a double take and asked where I was. He hadn't realized I was at Becca's home! We had a good laugh as he figured things out. Then Hali stole the show as she sang made up songs and told wacky stories. It was fun. Meanwhile Aaron was busy packing our stuff. Then Aaron and I played Blisters with Aaron and Becca. The boys were occupied with the Wii, and threw a fit when we told them it was time to turn it off. But we wanted to make it home before it got dark.
We made some PB&J sandwiches for the road and headed back home. We had an uneventful trip home, Amy got in a nap and we got home in time to make some dinner and take baths before bed time.
It was a great trip, and I'm so glad we were able to go. It was too short of a trip, but it was short notice, and we had too many things planned for Sunday, so we needed to get back home. Now maybe I can catch up on last week...
Aaron and I woke up early in order to get everyone ready to be at the church at 9:00. After we were both showered we realized we had gotten up too early. So the we ate some breakfast and the kids played with their cousins Hali and Colby for a bit, and then got into their Sunday clothes. It only took us 15 minutes to get to the church, so I stopped by Wal-Mart for a couple of things on the way there.
We were one of the first people to arrive besides the funeral home people. We found a place for us to sit in the chapel and then waited in the halls for more family to arrive. Eventually we made it in into the room for the viewing. Timothy was fascinated by the whole thing. The kids had fun reuniting with their cousins. We talked to so many people. Then we had a family meeting, and prayer. When we were told that the pall bearers would be sitting separate from the rest my heart sunk. That meant I wouldn't have Aaron to help me with the kids. Then we headed into the chapel. It was great to listen to the speakers. I enjoyed hearing stories that were new to me. Unfortunately Amy didn't want to sit or be quiet. So I spent a lot of time out in the hall. I could still hear what was going on for the most part. I was grateful the the boys were pretty well behaved when I had to leave with Amy. It was a fairly long memorial service, but I enjoyed it and the kids survived.
We drove to the cemetery from there. It was a little odd to be part of the funeral procession - not having to stop at any lights or stop signs. It was a little chilly outside, but the kids were pretty well behaved Amy wanted to sit on the headstones though. From there we headed back to the church for lunch. Amy fell asleep as I expected, however she woke up as I brought her into the church.
We enjoyed some lunch and talking to family. We tried to take some group pictures. But some how I didn't take any with my camera. We then made plans for the rest of the day. We had brought clothes with us to change into, but somehow forgot the boy's shirts. So we headed back to Becca's to get the shirts. We stayed for an hour or so, and the kids got to play and I got to talk to Becca. I also got to admire how she decorated her beautiful home on a small budget. I'll have to have her decorate for me when I eventually get a house.
Amy inside the dome tent.
Amy and Colby
David playing with Hali, Becca on the couch quilting.
Hali and Amy playingWe went over to the hotel where three families were staying. Aaron's parents, and sisters Daralee and Beverly and their families had 3 rooms next to each other. Amy fell asleep on the way there, so she and I didn't swim. Aaron didn't either, but the boys did. When we got to the pool we realized Grandma was the only adult swimming - oh well. The rest of us sat, supervised and talked.
Then we went back up to the rooms and watched TV, played snacked, and ordered pizza for dinner.
Adorable Abigail
Amy and AbigailWhen the pizza was ready Aaron Greg and Blake picked them up along with some soda. We gathered in the breakfast area of the hotel and ate pizza and watched the Boise State game.
Amy warmed up to cousin Elise and Aunt Brittany. The chased her around, she giggled and screamed as she ran away. She also ran into the table a few times.
When the kids got bored we went back up to the rooms. They played Toys Story 3 in one room, Disney channel in another and the Boise State game in the last room. The game went really late, and we ended back at Becca's around 11:00 pm. Becca and Hali were in bed. Aaron B and Colby were up watching a movie. Colby had woken up and wouldn't go back to sleep. The kids got into bed quickly. Aaron watched with them for a while, but I went to bed. I was exhausted.
Saturday morning Amy woke up early. We played out in the family room for a while and I gave Amy some cereal. Then Becca decided to make pancakes for breakfast. Then we noticed it was snowing outside. The kids were very excited. We were glad that it wasn't sticking. When Becca was ready to put the pancakes on the griddle she noticed a funny smell. She then realized she had put mint flavoring in the batter instead of vanilla extract. Oops. She tried to save them by putting chocolate chips in them. Timothy liked them. But they were really strong. So we started a new batch, but we were out of eggs, milk and salt. So we used powdered milk, and Becca borrow eggs and salt from her neighbor. Breakfast was a little late, but it was good.
During breakfast my Dad called Becca and wanted to Skype, so I showered quickly and then I called him from our computer. After we talked for a minute Hali jumped up on my lap and my dad did a double take and asked where I was. He hadn't realized I was at Becca's home! We had a good laugh as he figured things out. Then Hali stole the show as she sang made up songs and told wacky stories. It was fun. Meanwhile Aaron was busy packing our stuff. Then Aaron and I played Blisters with Aaron and Becca. The boys were occupied with the Wii, and threw a fit when we told them it was time to turn it off. But we wanted to make it home before it got dark.
We made some PB&J sandwiches for the road and headed back home. We had an uneventful trip home, Amy got in a nap and we got home in time to make some dinner and take baths before bed time.
It was a great trip, and I'm so glad we were able to go. It was too short of a trip, but it was short notice, and we had too many things planned for Sunday, so we needed to get back home. Now maybe I can catch up on last week...
Vague overdue update
I'm way behind as usual, but I'll try to make this quick. I don't remember much from two weeks ago, most of it was pretty normal. I'm sure Monday we had Family Home Evening, Tuesday Aaron volunteered in Timothy's classroom and then went to the temple, then to Winco. He came home in time for scouts. They did an orienteering course that week, but it got dark so early they had to shorten it. We had homemade hot chocolate after that.
Wednesday I helped in Timothy's class. David had cub scouts that night. Aaron was on call, but I don't remember if he was home in time to pick David up or not. Thursday I watched Morgan while Abby helped out in Landon's class, and then Cecil while Crystal worked at Lydia's preschool co-op. I was supposed to be packing, but I didn't get much done until Amy's quiet time - She pretty much never naps anymore.
I do remember one thing that Timothy did, and I only found out about it because of Facebook. A friend posted on her status
Wednesday I helped in Timothy's class. David had cub scouts that night. Aaron was on call, but I don't remember if he was home in time to pick David up or not. Thursday I watched Morgan while Abby helped out in Landon's class, and then Cecil while Crystal worked at Lydia's preschool co-op. I was supposed to be packing, but I didn't get much done until Amy's quiet time - She pretty much never naps anymore.
I do remember one thing that Timothy did, and I only found out about it because of Facebook. A friend posted on her status
Amy in the toy basket
I found a few pictures that I haven't blogged about yet. These are from about 2 weeks ago. One Sunday morning Amy dumped out her stuffed animals and sat in the basket.
Then David proceeded to take the animals and place them on the stairs
Then David proceeded to take the animals and place them on the stairs
Monday, November 22, 2010
overdue update
I'm behind again, but I thought I'd try to catch up before things get crazy around here. I last wrote about Veteran's day. But I didn't finish everything. That morning before we headed out to the parade I got a call from Aaron's Dad. He was letting us know that his mother passed away that morning. She has been dealing with Alzheimer's for about 3 years and hadn't been doing well for about 2 weeks before that. We knew she wasn't going to stay much longer. I tried to find a reason to cry, because that's what you are supposed to do when someone dies right? But I knew that she was no longer in pain, she was with family that she recognized, and Grandpa was ready to let go. I wouldn't say I was happy, but I wasn't sad either, just content. The funeral was set for the following Friday, so we made plans to travel to the Boise area. (more on that later)
That evening Aaron and I had a date. We called Madeline (one of the great young women in our ward) to babysit for us. We went to the local high school production of "A Mid-Summer Night's Dream". It was very well done. I knew 3 of the cast members, and several other friends happened to attend that evening as well. It was a fun date for Aaron and I.
Friday night we had another date, sort of. It was the annual Stake High Priest Group Dinner. Madeline watched the kids again, and I met Aaron over at our church building. We enjoyed a great dinner, and then listened to two couples speak about missionary work. One couple had recently returned from a mission in Nauvoo, Ill. and the other couple is about to serve a mission in the Family History Center in SLC, UT. We enjoyed that time together, especially since Aaron was on call, but didn't have to leave, or take any calls.
Saturday Aaron went in to the hospital to check on his patients, and I took the kids to the church for our turn to clean the building. That afternoon we decided to attend the high school football championship playoffs. David had a birthday party to go to, so I dropped him off there, and then met Aaron at the high school. At about half time the party was over so Aaron picked up David and we watched the rest of the game together. It was a good game. The closest game we've seen. Apparently this team beat them really bad last year int eh playoffs, so it was a great sign that we were up 20-7 at the half. Unfortunately they ended up losing 21-20. It was a good game nonetheless. Afterward we went home and warmed up and some dinner.
I'm struggling to remember what else we did that evening. It's getting late anyway, so I'll write more another time.
That evening Aaron and I had a date. We called Madeline (one of the great young women in our ward) to babysit for us. We went to the local high school production of "A Mid-Summer Night's Dream". It was very well done. I knew 3 of the cast members, and several other friends happened to attend that evening as well. It was a fun date for Aaron and I.
Friday night we had another date, sort of. It was the annual Stake High Priest Group Dinner. Madeline watched the kids again, and I met Aaron over at our church building. We enjoyed a great dinner, and then listened to two couples speak about missionary work. One couple had recently returned from a mission in Nauvoo, Ill. and the other couple is about to serve a mission in the Family History Center in SLC, UT. We enjoyed that time together, especially since Aaron was on call, but didn't have to leave, or take any calls.
Saturday Aaron went in to the hospital to check on his patients, and I took the kids to the church for our turn to clean the building. That afternoon we decided to attend the high school football championship playoffs. David had a birthday party to go to, so I dropped him off there, and then met Aaron at the high school. At about half time the party was over so Aaron picked up David and we watched the rest of the game together. It was a good game. The closest game we've seen. Apparently this team beat them really bad last year int eh playoffs, so it was a great sign that we were up 20-7 at the half. Unfortunately they ended up losing 21-20. It was a good game nonetheless. Afterward we went home and warmed up and some dinner.
I'm struggling to remember what else we did that evening. It's getting late anyway, so I'll write more another time.
Wednesday, November 17, 2010
Veteran's Day Parade
One of the things David is working on in cub scouts is the 100 year patch. The BSA is celebrating 100 years in Scouting and the boys can earn a patch special to this year only. One of the requirements is to march in a parade. David's pack marched in a parade back in May, but since we hadn't moved here yet were weren't involved. So our Cub Master found another parade for the boys to march in.
David was excited to participate. I'll admit I was not excited to take them 30 minutes away and sit in the freezing cold (it was 38 degrees and I'm glad I brought hats and gloves for everyone), and trying to entertain Timothy and Amy while waiting for the parade. I also knew that Amy would fall asleep on the way home and that would be her nap for the day. I was dreading the whole thing. I was glad that we went in the end. Only 3 scouts were able to go, they all rode with the cub master, and then Crystal and I followed after them. I ran back to the house to get the GPS, and Crystal stopped to fuel up, so we were about 10 or 15 minutes behind.
Amy fell asleep on the way there, at 9:30 am!!! Oh well. When we arrived at the meeting place we discovered that we were an hour early! The guy organizing the scouts from various troops told them to come 30 minutes earlier than needed so no one we be late. So we sat in the van for a while, but the kids were really bored. So we found out the parade route, and I took Timothy and Amy to find Crystal and her kids. I don't know why I didn't think to bring the stroller for Amy. It was a little more windy that it had been earlier. We all had warm coats and gloves, however Amy wouldn't put her mittens on. She was already out of sorts from her early short nap, but her hands were cold, it was making her miserable, and she didn't know why, and didn't understand that wearing mittens would make it better. Finally I was able to get the gloves on her, and she calmed down. Meanwhile Timothy was trying to entertain Cecil by invading his personal space. Of course Lydia was trying to protect her little brother, by trying to keep Timothy away from him. I got him to settle down with some fruit snacks. Then of course Amy wanted some. It was really interesting to watch he try to eat them with mittens on.
Finally the parade started and we watched the flag go by and the military personnel do a gun salute, then some scouts (we didn't see our boys in that group). Then a flat bed trailer with Veteran's in chairs.
Horses and wagons
Timothy and Lydia
A Fire Engine
Timothy being cheesy
And we finally saw them. Crystal's boy Jonathan was carrying a flag ( we didn't know he was going to do that) and David was next to him instead of with the rest of the cub scouts. No wonder we didn't see them the first time!
After they got back to the starting point we gathered our boys and headed home. Nick came home with us, and we had an uneventful drive home. We didn't do much else that day.
David was excited to participate. I'll admit I was not excited to take them 30 minutes away and sit in the freezing cold (it was 38 degrees and I'm glad I brought hats and gloves for everyone), and trying to entertain Timothy and Amy while waiting for the parade. I also knew that Amy would fall asleep on the way home and that would be her nap for the day. I was dreading the whole thing. I was glad that we went in the end. Only 3 scouts were able to go, they all rode with the cub master, and then Crystal and I followed after them. I ran back to the house to get the GPS, and Crystal stopped to fuel up, so we were about 10 or 15 minutes behind.
Amy fell asleep on the way there, at 9:30 am!!! Oh well. When we arrived at the meeting place we discovered that we were an hour early! The guy organizing the scouts from various troops told them to come 30 minutes earlier than needed so no one we be late. So we sat in the van for a while, but the kids were really bored. So we found out the parade route, and I took Timothy and Amy to find Crystal and her kids. I don't know why I didn't think to bring the stroller for Amy. It was a little more windy that it had been earlier. We all had warm coats and gloves, however Amy wouldn't put her mittens on. She was already out of sorts from her early short nap, but her hands were cold, it was making her miserable, and she didn't know why, and didn't understand that wearing mittens would make it better. Finally I was able to get the gloves on her, and she calmed down. Meanwhile Timothy was trying to entertain Cecil by invading his personal space. Of course Lydia was trying to protect her little brother, by trying to keep Timothy away from him. I got him to settle down with some fruit snacks. Then of course Amy wanted some. It was really interesting to watch he try to eat them with mittens on.
Finally the parade started and we watched the flag go by and the military personnel do a gun salute, then some scouts (we didn't see our boys in that group). Then a flat bed trailer with Veteran's in chairs.
Horses and wagons
Timothy and Lydia
A Fire Engine
There were a few more groups and floats, one with the city royalty and a car with the "Little Miss" royalty, and old cars etc. The kids got a little bit of candy thrown to them and that was it. Somehow we missed our boys. So we tried to catch the parade as it came back toward the end.
Amy saying "cheese"
Timothy being cheesy
And we finally saw them. Crystal's boy Jonathan was carrying a flag ( we didn't know he was going to do that) and David was next to him instead of with the rest of the cub scouts. No wonder we didn't see them the first time!
After they got back to the starting point we gathered our boys and headed home. Nick came home with us, and we had an uneventful drive home. We didn't do much else that day.
Monday, November 15, 2010
Enter this giveaway!!!
Want to win some money, and find some fabulous Chocolate recipes?!!! You need to check out Jamie's review blog here. You all know how much a I love chocolate, especially Ghirardelli chocolate. You also need to see all of the other recipes Jamie has on her recipe blog. They are fabulous. Good luck!
Sunday, November 14, 2010
House Hunting Again
Amy enjoying some hot chocolate last Sunday(this is how she sits if I don't buckle her in)
However in the evening while I was getting dinner ready, the kids miraculously started playing nicely. The boys played for over an hour with LEGOs with no arguing! And Amy took our supply of tissue boxes and built with them in the kitchen.
Of course the next day she started opening the boxes and pulling out tissues, so now they are in the garage.Tuesday morning Aaron helped out in Timothy's class and then we decided it was time to go look at houses again. We dropped Amy off at a friend's house. Unfortunately of the 3 houses we were interested in, one had an offer on it, one had just been rented out, and the other had been taken off the market. We were still able to see the one that had an offer on it. The appraiser was actually at the home. The home looked nice, with a beautiful back yard, and a beautifully landscaped front yard. However it didn't seem like it was big enough for our needs. And although it was newer than the other homes, it wasn't as well built.
The home that was taken off the market we had been in before, but we had hoped we could get a better picture now that it was vacant. The owner was taking it off the market because she wanted to refinance it, and the Realtors are going to put caretakers in there for the winter. We were able to get a hold of the Realtors and they were able to let us take a look around. They said that she'd go as low as she could, but she'd have to know soon, or she'd refinance. After looking around again we decided the price would have to be reduced significantly to make it worth it. The house has plenty of room, but it would need a lot of work to get it where we want it. I'm talking new stairs, and banisters, new carpet in three of the rooms, knocking out a wall in the kitchen, new flooring in the kitchen, and eventually new counter tops, and new paint in almost every room. And the MB closet has such a weird setup I don't even know how to fix that.
So after a disappointing morning we picked up Amy and drove around to look at some houses outside the city that were custom built by a a recommended builder. However we are more and more sure that we can't afford to build right now. The land is too expensive, on top of the price of building. We looked at a 1.12 acre plot across the street from friends of ours, that was assessed at $11,000, and the seller wanted $100,000 - for a plot where we'd still have to dig a well, put in a septic system, and bring in electricity.
Tuesday afternoon Aaron got ready for scouts in the rain. They did about half of an orienteering course until lit was too dark to finish. I can't believe how early it gets dark here, or rather I've forgotten how dark it gets in the winter this far north.
Wednesday was a good day. I mostly stayed home. I can't remember what else we had going on. However we were thinking a lot about Aaron's brother Brandon. He received his mission call to Guatemala City, Guatemala over 4 months ago, and he finally entered the MTC on Wednesday. We are very proud of his decision to serve a mission. We'll miss him of course, and now I can add him to the newsletter snail mail list. Wednesday night David had cub scouts and I dropped him off, but was Aaron was able to pick him up.
It's getting late, so I'll have to post again tomorrow. I have a bunch of pictures ready to go for the rest of last week.
Sunday, November 7, 2010
Friday night fun
Amy didn't nap again on Friday. She started falling asleep during dinner. She hasn't ever done that before. The boys did it all the time. Amy used to just start rubbing her eyes and whining, then I knew it was nap time.
It was about 6:45, and I was about to put her to bed when Aaron suggested a bath. She happily complied and went to bed at a normal hour AND she slept through the night!!!
It was about 6:45, and I was about to put her to bed when Aaron suggested a bath. She happily complied and went to bed at a normal hour AND she slept through the night!!!
Caramel Apples, a Broken Window and more
It seems I am doing weekly recaps lately. Sunday was a good day. I neglected to mention that Aaron was supposed to be on call for the weekend. However earlier in the week Aaron look ed at his schedule and realized he was no longer on call. That meant he could come to the trunk -or-treat with us. We realized too late that we could have made it out to Idaho for Brandon's farewell since Aaron didn't have to work, but we wouldn't have been able to leave until Saturday morning and would have had to leave right after church on Sunday. It was pretty quiet around our house Sunday night, and we decided to get ready for bed early and play a bunch of games.
Monday was also a good day. I had planned on making some caramel apples for FHE dessert, but I didn't have enough caramels. So I went to the local grocery store. They didn't have any left, so I spent a few dollars on some produce and eggs, and went to the Safeway about 10 minutes away. They too were out! I spent about $10 on other groceries like milk and PF Goldfish crackers (for $1)!!! But I came home with no caramels. Oh well. Amy fell asleep on the way home, and transferred to the big bed just fine. We did have FHE, but we had something else for dessert.
Tuesday was a great day. After dropping off the kids at school Aaron and I headed to the temple. We got a referral for a babysitter for Amy. They live literally 2 blocks from the temple and have a little boy about the same age. It's so nice to have a weekday off so we only have to find a sitter for one kid. It's about an hour drive, and I usually like to do shopping I can't do close to home, so rather than leave Amy for 5 hours with someone we took her with us. So after a peaceful couple of hours in the temple, we picked up Amy and went to Winco. Amy fell asleep on the way there, but woke up when I got her out. Winco has caramels in bulk - so I got enough for my caramel apple recipe. We also got some lunch, then headed over Fred Meyer. We do have a Fred Meyer in the city, but we've been trying to exchange some shoes for Aaron (I got the wrong size), and the local store never had them in. We called the store near the temple and they had the right size, so we exchanged them.
The drive home wasn't so pleasant. Amy was tired, but because of her 2 minute nap earlier, she didn't fall asleep right away. She whined and cried most of the way home, and fell asleep just as we got off the freeway. Luckily I was able to transfer her to the bed again. Aaron then got ready for scouts, and I got working on the caramel apples. I used this recipe for my inspiration. She linked to another recipe which is where I came up with the idea to dip them in crushed Oreos, drizzle dark chocolate and semisweet chocolate on top and pit a few more crushed Oreos on top. I wanted to drizzle white chocolate on top as well, but my white chocolate chips were old, and didn't melt at all, they just crumbled. They tasted nasty too, so I omitted the white chocolate this time. (However, I just order 15 lbs of really good chocolate so maybe in a few weeks I'll have to try again.) I made 5 of them but realized Amy wasn't going to eat a whole one, and I didn't need to either, so Amy and I split one and we had the remaining apple later. So here are the four we ate that night.
Aaron took the scouts fishing that afternoon. They got home a little later than normal, and I got to talk to the mom of a new scout int he troop. The moved here recently as well, but are in the other ward by a few streets. Her kids go to the schools in out town, so she's having them attend activity days and scouts with our ward. We ended up eating late and then enjoying the caramel apples.
Timothy made a mess as usual
And Amy was pretty messy too!
Wednesday I had planned on helping out in Timothy's class, but I didn't find a babysitter in time. We ended up just staying home all day. I think just cleaned mostly. Amy didn't nap. Aaron spent all day in a computer training, and came home early even though he was on call. He had a few pages in the evening, but didn't have to go in. However he got his first middle of the night call at 4:00 am. Amy woke up with all of the talking and thought it was time to get up, so I had to get her back to sleep.
Thursday was another quiet morning. Aaron was on call again, but since he wasn't up all night it wasn't a big deal. Although with the computer training on Wednesday it meant that he was only in clinic a full day on Monday and scheduled a few appointments in the afternoon on Thursday and Friday. After school David was playing with some kids trying to toss a ball over the house. It was a soft ball, so I wasn't worried about it. However eventually the ball got stuck on the roof. Aaron works with these boys in scouts, and he's told them before that is the ball gets stuck they'll have to wait for the wind to free it. For some reason they ignore previous warnings and decide to throw rocks at the ball to get it off the roof. Unfortunately David's rock misses the roof and hits the window in Amy's room. I happened to be in Amy's room when I heard the crash, and I saw the three boys on the ground, and came downstairs to find out what happened. I called the landlord and checked the damage. The outside pane is broken, but the inside pane is fine. She suggests that I call around and get some estimates. I told her David would be paying for it.
Friday I was going to help out in timothy's class to make up for Wednesday, but then I volunteered to make a pie and some baked potatoes for a funeral. So I spent the morning getting that food ready. I took it over around 10:45 am. Later that afternoon as I was cleaning up the mess I found a wrapped (but raw) potato that I had missed. Luckily there was plenty of food, and it wasn't missed by the guests. The glass guy came for the estimate while I was picking up the boys from school, so I didn't get a estimate - he said he'd call me with the number. I'm still waiting. We had thought about going to the first football playoff that evening, but then decided to just watch on the internet. They won, but it was a close game.
Saturday Aaron went fishing, and we cleaned the house. Earlier in the week the boys' soccer coach called and asked if were available to play one more game. So they got one more game in. The morning was a disaster. The boys were fighting non-stop. I couldn't wait until the soccer, game. At least they wouldn't be in the same house. We talked about it at lunch time, and they were doing great on the way over. I sent them out to the field while I pulled out the chairs. By the time I got to the field they were fighting again and Timothy was crying. Aaron showed up just then, It's a good things because I had HAD IT!!! Once the game started everything was better. David played his heart out. The other team scored pretty early, and both teams were playing well. It was 1-0 at the half. Eventually we scored, and it was 2-2 until the last second when the other team scored a goal. It was literally the last second, because they didn't even have time to line up before the whistle was blown to end the game. I was really proud of the team, - they played really hard.
The afternoon went much better. Aaron came up with a plan. Since they boys had pretty much lost all of their privileges, Aaron said they could earn them back by playing nicely together. So while Amy napped (fell asleep on the way back from the soccer game) they put together a puzzle. And for every 15 minutes they played together nicely they got 5 minutes of computer time back. It worked out pretty well, and eventually they got to play on the computer, and it was a pleasant afternoon. We got to watch some football, celebrate BYU's win, and laugh at Utah's loss, I mean, follow TCU's win. We had the missionaries over for dinner and it was a good evening.
Today was another great Sunday. Amy didn't nap after church, but the boys are playing together better today - only a few shouting matches so far. Aaron is out visiting a new scout and then needs to make a visit to a family he home teaches. He hadn't been able to contact the mom (the only member) but she came to church today! Amy didn't nap today, but she's playing with her stuffed animals and having a ball, we'll see how she does later when she's completely exhausted.
Monday was also a good day. I had planned on making some caramel apples for FHE dessert, but I didn't have enough caramels. So I went to the local grocery store. They didn't have any left, so I spent a few dollars on some produce and eggs, and went to the Safeway about 10 minutes away. They too were out! I spent about $10 on other groceries like milk and PF Goldfish crackers (for $1)!!! But I came home with no caramels. Oh well. Amy fell asleep on the way home, and transferred to the big bed just fine. We did have FHE, but we had something else for dessert.
Tuesday was a great day. After dropping off the kids at school Aaron and I headed to the temple. We got a referral for a babysitter for Amy. They live literally 2 blocks from the temple and have a little boy about the same age. It's so nice to have a weekday off so we only have to find a sitter for one kid. It's about an hour drive, and I usually like to do shopping I can't do close to home, so rather than leave Amy for 5 hours with someone we took her with us. So after a peaceful couple of hours in the temple, we picked up Amy and went to Winco. Amy fell asleep on the way there, but woke up when I got her out. Winco has caramels in bulk - so I got enough for my caramel apple recipe. We also got some lunch, then headed over Fred Meyer. We do have a Fred Meyer in the city, but we've been trying to exchange some shoes for Aaron (I got the wrong size), and the local store never had them in. We called the store near the temple and they had the right size, so we exchanged them.
The drive home wasn't so pleasant. Amy was tired, but because of her 2 minute nap earlier, she didn't fall asleep right away. She whined and cried most of the way home, and fell asleep just as we got off the freeway. Luckily I was able to transfer her to the bed again. Aaron then got ready for scouts, and I got working on the caramel apples. I used this recipe for my inspiration. She linked to another recipe which is where I came up with the idea to dip them in crushed Oreos, drizzle dark chocolate and semisweet chocolate on top and pit a few more crushed Oreos on top. I wanted to drizzle white chocolate on top as well, but my white chocolate chips were old, and didn't melt at all, they just crumbled. They tasted nasty too, so I omitted the white chocolate this time. (However, I just order 15 lbs of really good chocolate so maybe in a few weeks I'll have to try again.) I made 5 of them but realized Amy wasn't going to eat a whole one, and I didn't need to either, so Amy and I split one and we had the remaining apple later. So here are the four we ate that night.
Aaron took the scouts fishing that afternoon. They got home a little later than normal, and I got to talk to the mom of a new scout int he troop. The moved here recently as well, but are in the other ward by a few streets. Her kids go to the schools in out town, so she's having them attend activity days and scouts with our ward. We ended up eating late and then enjoying the caramel apples.David had fun with it
Timothy made a mess as usual
And Amy was pretty messy too!
Wednesday I had planned on helping out in Timothy's class, but I didn't find a babysitter in time. We ended up just staying home all day. I think just cleaned mostly. Amy didn't nap. Aaron spent all day in a computer training, and came home early even though he was on call. He had a few pages in the evening, but didn't have to go in. However he got his first middle of the night call at 4:00 am. Amy woke up with all of the talking and thought it was time to get up, so I had to get her back to sleep.
Thursday was another quiet morning. Aaron was on call again, but since he wasn't up all night it wasn't a big deal. Although with the computer training on Wednesday it meant that he was only in clinic a full day on Monday and scheduled a few appointments in the afternoon on Thursday and Friday. After school David was playing with some kids trying to toss a ball over the house. It was a soft ball, so I wasn't worried about it. However eventually the ball got stuck on the roof. Aaron works with these boys in scouts, and he's told them before that is the ball gets stuck they'll have to wait for the wind to free it. For some reason they ignore previous warnings and decide to throw rocks at the ball to get it off the roof. Unfortunately David's rock misses the roof and hits the window in Amy's room. I happened to be in Amy's room when I heard the crash, and I saw the three boys on the ground, and came downstairs to find out what happened. I called the landlord and checked the damage. The outside pane is broken, but the inside pane is fine. She suggests that I call around and get some estimates. I told her David would be paying for it.
Friday I was going to help out in timothy's class to make up for Wednesday, but then I volunteered to make a pie and some baked potatoes for a funeral. So I spent the morning getting that food ready. I took it over around 10:45 am. Later that afternoon as I was cleaning up the mess I found a wrapped (but raw) potato that I had missed. Luckily there was plenty of food, and it wasn't missed by the guests. The glass guy came for the estimate while I was picking up the boys from school, so I didn't get a estimate - he said he'd call me with the number. I'm still waiting. We had thought about going to the first football playoff that evening, but then decided to just watch on the internet. They won, but it was a close game.
Saturday Aaron went fishing, and we cleaned the house. Earlier in the week the boys' soccer coach called and asked if were available to play one more game. So they got one more game in. The morning was a disaster. The boys were fighting non-stop. I couldn't wait until the soccer, game. At least they wouldn't be in the same house. We talked about it at lunch time, and they were doing great on the way over. I sent them out to the field while I pulled out the chairs. By the time I got to the field they were fighting again and Timothy was crying. Aaron showed up just then, It's a good things because I had HAD IT!!! Once the game started everything was better. David played his heart out. The other team scored pretty early, and both teams were playing well. It was 1-0 at the half. Eventually we scored, and it was 2-2 until the last second when the other team scored a goal. It was literally the last second, because they didn't even have time to line up before the whistle was blown to end the game. I was really proud of the team, - they played really hard.
The afternoon went much better. Aaron came up with a plan. Since they boys had pretty much lost all of their privileges, Aaron said they could earn them back by playing nicely together. So while Amy napped (fell asleep on the way back from the soccer game) they put together a puzzle. And for every 15 minutes they played together nicely they got 5 minutes of computer time back. It worked out pretty well, and eventually they got to play on the computer, and it was a pleasant afternoon. We got to watch some football, celebrate BYU's win, and laugh at Utah's loss, I mean, follow TCU's win. We had the missionaries over for dinner and it was a good evening.
Today was another great Sunday. Amy didn't nap after church, but the boys are playing together better today - only a few shouting matches so far. Aaron is out visiting a new scout and then needs to make a visit to a family he home teaches. He hadn't been able to contact the mom (the only member) but she came to church today! Amy didn't nap today, but she's playing with her stuffed animals and having a ball, we'll see how she does later when she's completely exhausted.
Thursday, November 4, 2010
Somewhat terrible two's
Amy has been 2 for a couple months now. She's starting some bad habits. She is demanding. She is refusing to nap - my boys napped until 3 1/2 at least! She is destructive, especially when she wants my attention.
For example... I usually ignore tantrums, and yelling, and dumping things, however one time she dumped out the garbage can, and I jumped up and quickly put it back together. So now when she wants my attention, she dumps the garbage can. She also rips things when she's grumpy, to get my attention. She got a time out in her room yesterday when she ripped two pages out of my scriptures. I let her out after I fixed them. I was hoping maybe she'd fall asleep - it was 4:00 pm, and she hadn't napped.
This morning she wanted to eat breakfast and didn't want to wait for the boys to wake up or for Aaron to finish getting ready. So I poured her a little cereal and some milk, and set the table. Then I went up and got the boys out of bed. When the rest of us were ready we had family prayers and began to eat. That's when Aaron noticed something in the milk jug. Amy had taken all of the spoons and a checker piece and put them in the milk jug. Mind you I hadn't left her alone, David was at the table reading the comics from the newspaper. However he apparently didn't notice anything Amy was doing. So after everyone was served I poured the milk into a pitcher and retrieved the items.
I don't know how Amy is gaining any weight because the majority of her food ends up on the floor or on her clothes. Most of the time she refuses to use utensils, preferring to use her hands, even for things like yogurt and soup. If I don't remember to buckle her into her seat she will end up eating her meal sitting sideways with her bum on one arm and her feet either in the seat, or on the other arm. No matter how little liquid I put in her cup she will dump a portion of it. She'll save just enough. Or she'll trick me - she'll drink all of it and immediately ask for more. After her 3rd or 4th request she'll just dump the whole cup. If she's really tired at dinner she will refuse to eat anything, but then when I take the food away - so it won't end up on the floor, she screams for it back. She doesn't get it back unless she apologizes and asks politely, but it's still so frustrating.
She is still biting Timothy occasionally, and yells at me to "get off the computer" only it sounds more like "peeter". Or if she doesn't want me to see what she's doing she'll say "go on the peeter, don't see me".
My saving grace is bed time. She is really good most of the time. We have a good enough routine that she knows she gets 2 books, then she says prayers, then one more book, and a couple of songs. Then she'll stay in her room. She might get out of bed to get a book, or ask for a drink of water, but she's generally quiet and falls asleep on her own. Now staying asleep is another matter. She still wakes up at night, randomly. Sometimes I can just talk to her for a minute and she's fine, but other times she wants me to stay with her or "sleep on the big bed" with her. I'll wake up after an hour or so and find my way back to my own bed. The other morning she did this a 5:15 am, and never went back to sleep.
Now I'm done venting. Amy has now been in her room for almost 2 hours. No, she hasn't fallen asleep, but I guess that's enough quiet time for her. She will play nicely with her toys, and perhaps empty the bookshelf completely. She'll only ask to come out every 20 minutes or so. She really is sweet most of the time. She loves to gives hugs and kisses. She loves to count to 14 skipping 9 almost every time. She loves to point out colors, and read books, kick a ball, and play with her animals. She loves to be tickled, and jump up and down. Most of the time is a joy to be around. We only have a few things to work on.
For example... I usually ignore tantrums, and yelling, and dumping things, however one time she dumped out the garbage can, and I jumped up and quickly put it back together. So now when she wants my attention, she dumps the garbage can. She also rips things when she's grumpy, to get my attention. She got a time out in her room yesterday when she ripped two pages out of my scriptures. I let her out after I fixed them. I was hoping maybe she'd fall asleep - it was 4:00 pm, and she hadn't napped.
This morning she wanted to eat breakfast and didn't want to wait for the boys to wake up or for Aaron to finish getting ready. So I poured her a little cereal and some milk, and set the table. Then I went up and got the boys out of bed. When the rest of us were ready we had family prayers and began to eat. That's when Aaron noticed something in the milk jug. Amy had taken all of the spoons and a checker piece and put them in the milk jug. Mind you I hadn't left her alone, David was at the table reading the comics from the newspaper. However he apparently didn't notice anything Amy was doing. So after everyone was served I poured the milk into a pitcher and retrieved the items.
I don't know how Amy is gaining any weight because the majority of her food ends up on the floor or on her clothes. Most of the time she refuses to use utensils, preferring to use her hands, even for things like yogurt and soup. If I don't remember to buckle her into her seat she will end up eating her meal sitting sideways with her bum on one arm and her feet either in the seat, or on the other arm. No matter how little liquid I put in her cup she will dump a portion of it. She'll save just enough. Or she'll trick me - she'll drink all of it and immediately ask for more. After her 3rd or 4th request she'll just dump the whole cup. If she's really tired at dinner she will refuse to eat anything, but then when I take the food away - so it won't end up on the floor, she screams for it back. She doesn't get it back unless she apologizes and asks politely, but it's still so frustrating.
She is still biting Timothy occasionally, and yells at me to "get off the computer" only it sounds more like "peeter". Or if she doesn't want me to see what she's doing she'll say "go on the peeter, don't see me".
My saving grace is bed time. She is really good most of the time. We have a good enough routine that she knows she gets 2 books, then she says prayers, then one more book, and a couple of songs. Then she'll stay in her room. She might get out of bed to get a book, or ask for a drink of water, but she's generally quiet and falls asleep on her own. Now staying asleep is another matter. She still wakes up at night, randomly. Sometimes I can just talk to her for a minute and she's fine, but other times she wants me to stay with her or "sleep on the big bed" with her. I'll wake up after an hour or so and find my way back to my own bed. The other morning she did this a 5:15 am, and never went back to sleep.
Now I'm done venting. Amy has now been in her room for almost 2 hours. No, she hasn't fallen asleep, but I guess that's enough quiet time for her. She will play nicely with her toys, and perhaps empty the bookshelf completely. She'll only ask to come out every 20 minutes or so. She really is sweet most of the time. She loves to gives hugs and kisses. She loves to count to 14 skipping 9 almost every time. She loves to point out colors, and read books, kick a ball, and play with her animals. She loves to be tickled, and jump up and down. Most of the time is a joy to be around. We only have a few things to work on.
Wednesday, November 3, 2010
Halloween Festivities and the rest of last week.
It was a short week for Parent / Teacher Conferences. Tuesday Aaron had the day off, and didn't have to study (yay). So he helped out in Timothy's class, and then took Amy to the city to run a few errands. He was home in time to prepare for scouts that afternoon. That night was pack meeting for cub scouts. We had fun trying to bring pieces of paper to a box using straws. Here's David in action.
Wednesday was a pretty typical day for us. It was a long day for Aaron. He didn't get home until late, and had to go in again around 9:00.
Thursday I had plans to check out the local pumpkin patch. We already had pumpkins, but there's a corn maze and other activities. However it rained. So we mostly stayed inside. I think someone came over, but now I can't remember... We did let the boys stay up a little late to watch "It's the Great Pumpkin Charlie Brown" on TV.
Friday I had conferences with both of the boys' teachers. I had asked Crystal if she would watch the kids for about an hour, but instead she offered to have them over for the whole morning. Her kids were looking for something fun to do anyway. So I had the whole morning to myself. After the conferences I ran a few errands (dumping recycle, bank etc.), then I cleaned and worked on the budget. It was great.
It was great to meet with both teachers. I found out a little more about how they are doing in school. Timothy is doing very well academically. His work isn't very neat, but the only issues are social/behavior problems. He doesn't stay on task, or listen very well. Those are both things we've worked on at home as well. I wish I knew what would work for him. But otherwise he's doing well on spelling, reading, math, and loves the science units. David is doing great. His reading comprehension was the only thing that wasn't and "A" - I still can't believe he's old enough to get letter grades! He's taken more AR (Accelerated Reading) tests than anyone else. He's an excellent student, and a little "kooky" as his teacher put it. She said he was pretty quiet and shy when he started in August, but could tell when he began to feel comfortable because he started cracking jokes, and being silly. That sounds like David. His only behavior issue, is that he likes to get the balls for recess, and doesn't always walk to the door like he's supposed to. Maybe he'll get a basketball for Christmas :)
I picked up the kids around 11:30 so we had time for lunch before I attempted to put Amy down for a nap. It took a little while but I finally got them all in the van. Before we got out of the van at home Timothy complained that his head hurt. He had a slight fever, but I wasn't sure what else was going on. He didn't eat much lunch. I told him if he was sick he would need to go upstairs and lay down. He didn't want to go so I figured he was fine. I put Amy down for a nap (she didn't sleep) and started David on his computer game. Timothy was on the couch waiting for his turn on the computer, and he fell asleep. Uh-oh. After David was done with his game he went outside to play with friends. Timothy slept for about an hour and a half. He seemed fine when he woke up so I left him play his game on the computer. He played a little longer than normal since there was no school. When I asked him to get off the computer he said his head hurt again. He still had a slight fever, so I have him some Ibuprofen. He wanted to lay on the couch, but I told him if he really didn't feel well he should go upstairs. So he did and fell asleep again at 4:00 pm.
We had to change our plans after that. There was no way I was going to take Timothy to the football game like that. So I just started cleaning up around the house. Aaron called just before 5:00 to let me know when he would be home. I told him the situation, and my suggestion - that one of us take David and the other stay home with Amy and Timothy. And it didn't matter to me which way it went. I also told him I still needed to come up with dinner plans. So he suggested he pick up a Papa Murphy's pizza on the way home (he had a coupon in his inbox) and then he'd take David to the game. All I had to so was make a salad and turn on the oven!
Timothy woke up around 6:30 just about the time Aaron and David were ready to leave. He looked back to normal, but I wasn't going to chance it. He did eat his dinner just fine. We watched and listened to the football game on the internet, and got ready for bed. Halftime came right around bed time, and so I put them down then. Timothy stayed awake and read for a long time, which I was fine with. While the kids were in bed Br. B* stopped by with a truck bed full of huge pumpkins. They had been donated to the school (where he drives buses) and he didn't want them to be smashed to bits by the time school resumed, so he was driving around to ward members and giving them away. So I snagged two more for Aaron to carve. Aaron and David got home from the game around 9:30 after another victory. They are still undefeated! Now it's time for play-offs.
The boys last soccer game was on Saturday. David played pretty well, and got to play goalie for a little bit.
Timothy got tired easily and didn't really want to play. Our team won 10 to 1 or something like that. It sprinkled a bit, but it wasn't too wet. After the game the coach invited everyone over to the pavilion for a soccer cupcake feast,
and trophies.
Amy fell asleep on the way home from the game, but woke up when I tried to put her in her toddler bed. I've only been successful in transferring her to the queen size bed in her room. She often ends up there in the middle of the night - but that's another story...
So that afternoon we mostly played, carved more pumpkins, and got ready for the trunk-or-treat at the church. We ate a quick dinner and got the kids all dressed up. Well, except Amy. We had about 4 different costumes for her to choose from (all hand-me-downs), and she didn't want any of them. We tried to bribe her with all the candy she would receive, but she didn't get it. Finally we just put the Elmo costume on her because we knew she was cranky because she didn't get a nap. Once she saw herself in the mirror she was fine with it, but didn't want the hood (Elmo's head) on.
David had a last minute change from a baseball player to a vampire. However he wouldn't wear his white shirt and black pants, let us slick his hair back, or wear make-up. And he wouldn't let me take a picture of him. Oh well.
Timothy on the other hand was really excited about wearing his dragon costume. It was actually a dinosaur, but I think it works as a dragon. He was more than happy to let me take a picture.
Amy fell asleep on the 2 minute drive to the church. We let her sleep while we set up the back of the van with the jack-o-lanterns and candy. She wasn't too happy at first, but soon got over it.
She even put her hood on for a bit. She never did say trick or treat, but soon picked up on holding out her pumpkin bucket and saying "thank-you."
There wasn't a huge crowd for the trunk-or-treat, so the kids went around twice and we called it good. We headed home for some more Halloween fun on our own. David really wanted to bob for apples. I think he got that from the "Great Pumpkin" movie.
And I'm running late and need to make dinner, so I'd better finish the rest later.
Wednesday was a pretty typical day for us. It was a long day for Aaron. He didn't get home until late, and had to go in again around 9:00.
Thursday I had plans to check out the local pumpkin patch. We already had pumpkins, but there's a corn maze and other activities. However it rained. So we mostly stayed inside. I think someone came over, but now I can't remember... We did let the boys stay up a little late to watch "It's the Great Pumpkin Charlie Brown" on TV.
Friday I had conferences with both of the boys' teachers. I had asked Crystal if she would watch the kids for about an hour, but instead she offered to have them over for the whole morning. Her kids were looking for something fun to do anyway. So I had the whole morning to myself. After the conferences I ran a few errands (dumping recycle, bank etc.), then I cleaned and worked on the budget. It was great.
It was great to meet with both teachers. I found out a little more about how they are doing in school. Timothy is doing very well academically. His work isn't very neat, but the only issues are social/behavior problems. He doesn't stay on task, or listen very well. Those are both things we've worked on at home as well. I wish I knew what would work for him. But otherwise he's doing well on spelling, reading, math, and loves the science units. David is doing great. His reading comprehension was the only thing that wasn't and "A" - I still can't believe he's old enough to get letter grades! He's taken more AR (Accelerated Reading) tests than anyone else. He's an excellent student, and a little "kooky" as his teacher put it. She said he was pretty quiet and shy when he started in August, but could tell when he began to feel comfortable because he started cracking jokes, and being silly. That sounds like David. His only behavior issue, is that he likes to get the balls for recess, and doesn't always walk to the door like he's supposed to. Maybe he'll get a basketball for Christmas :)
I picked up the kids around 11:30 so we had time for lunch before I attempted to put Amy down for a nap. It took a little while but I finally got them all in the van. Before we got out of the van at home Timothy complained that his head hurt. He had a slight fever, but I wasn't sure what else was going on. He didn't eat much lunch. I told him if he was sick he would need to go upstairs and lay down. He didn't want to go so I figured he was fine. I put Amy down for a nap (she didn't sleep) and started David on his computer game. Timothy was on the couch waiting for his turn on the computer, and he fell asleep. Uh-oh. After David was done with his game he went outside to play with friends. Timothy slept for about an hour and a half. He seemed fine when he woke up so I left him play his game on the computer. He played a little longer than normal since there was no school. When I asked him to get off the computer he said his head hurt again. He still had a slight fever, so I have him some Ibuprofen. He wanted to lay on the couch, but I told him if he really didn't feel well he should go upstairs. So he did and fell asleep again at 4:00 pm.
We had to change our plans after that. There was no way I was going to take Timothy to the football game like that. So I just started cleaning up around the house. Aaron called just before 5:00 to let me know when he would be home. I told him the situation, and my suggestion - that one of us take David and the other stay home with Amy and Timothy. And it didn't matter to me which way it went. I also told him I still needed to come up with dinner plans. So he suggested he pick up a Papa Murphy's pizza on the way home (he had a coupon in his inbox) and then he'd take David to the game. All I had to so was make a salad and turn on the oven!
Timothy woke up around 6:30 just about the time Aaron and David were ready to leave. He looked back to normal, but I wasn't going to chance it. He did eat his dinner just fine. We watched and listened to the football game on the internet, and got ready for bed. Halftime came right around bed time, and so I put them down then. Timothy stayed awake and read for a long time, which I was fine with. While the kids were in bed Br. B* stopped by with a truck bed full of huge pumpkins. They had been donated to the school (where he drives buses) and he didn't want them to be smashed to bits by the time school resumed, so he was driving around to ward members and giving them away. So I snagged two more for Aaron to carve. Aaron and David got home from the game around 9:30 after another victory. They are still undefeated! Now it's time for play-offs.
The boys last soccer game was on Saturday. David played pretty well, and got to play goalie for a little bit.
Timothy got tired easily and didn't really want to play. Our team won 10 to 1 or something like that. It sprinkled a bit, but it wasn't too wet. After the game the coach invited everyone over to the pavilion for a soccer cupcake feast,
and trophies.
Amy fell asleep on the way home from the game, but woke up when I tried to put her in her toddler bed. I've only been successful in transferring her to the queen size bed in her room. She often ends up there in the middle of the night - but that's another story...
So that afternoon we mostly played, carved more pumpkins, and got ready for the trunk-or-treat at the church. We ate a quick dinner and got the kids all dressed up. Well, except Amy. We had about 4 different costumes for her to choose from (all hand-me-downs), and she didn't want any of them. We tried to bribe her with all the candy she would receive, but she didn't get it. Finally we just put the Elmo costume on her because we knew she was cranky because she didn't get a nap. Once she saw herself in the mirror she was fine with it, but didn't want the hood (Elmo's head) on.
David had a last minute change from a baseball player to a vampire. However he wouldn't wear his white shirt and black pants, let us slick his hair back, or wear make-up. And he wouldn't let me take a picture of him. Oh well.Timothy on the other hand was really excited about wearing his dragon costume. It was actually a dinosaur, but I think it works as a dragon. He was more than happy to let me take a picture.
Amy fell asleep on the 2 minute drive to the church. We let her sleep while we set up the back of the van with the jack-o-lanterns and candy. She wasn't too happy at first, but soon got over it.
She even put her hood on for a bit. She never did say trick or treat, but soon picked up on holding out her pumpkin bucket and saying "thank-you."
There wasn't a huge crowd for the trunk-or-treat, so the kids went around twice and we called it good. We headed home for some more Halloween fun on our own. David really wanted to bob for apples. I think he got that from the "Great Pumpkin" movie.
And I'm running late and need to make dinner, so I'd better finish the rest later.
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