First Cuboree!

Clayton attended his first Cuboree today.  It was Lego themed (meaning they got their great big Lego badge to sew on their campfire blanket) and they had actual Lego company employees that ran the Lego station.  Along with that, they made fires, had tug-of-wars, made cork flyers and just ran all their energy out.  Clay was in seventh heaven!  He loves Cubs.  It has really given him a new-found drive.  He has earned three badges already and is on his way to many more.  We are so excited for him!

What book got you hooked?

We've been reading novels to the older kids at night and have made it through the first 4 Harry Potter's.  Now we are searching out different literature experiences.  Being at the library made me think of the books that got me hooked on reading.  Here are a few that stand out.  Maybe you read some of them too...



I owned this book and must have read it about a hundred times.  I was a shy kid, and living through Ramona made me feel like I could do anything.  Such sass and pizazz!  I loved her.



We read this with the kids and they got a few good laughs.  It's a coming of age story, probably more for upper elementary ages.



The whole Fudge series.  Who can't laugh with this quirky little brother?



I read every single Nancy Drew, Hardy Boys, and Bobbsey Twins I could get my hands on.  I still read mystery fiction voraciously.  The challenge of figuring it out before the end kept me hooked. and still does.



I read this one a few times.  Milo and the clock dog and mathland...it was a modern classic.  Thinking about it makes me want to pick it up and read it again just to remember it all.



My grade 4 teachers read this to our class.  We listened, spellbound.  Of course, now all the kids have the movie images in their minds, but for us the journey was magical and as limitless as our imaginations.



This book solidified me in the world of reading.  I was in grade 8 and out of ideas at the school library when my English teacher pulled me into the fantasy section and handed it to me.  I thought I would hate it.  I was wrong.  It opened doors into fiction and imagination and I loved it. 

So what hooked you?  Do you have that one favorite childhood book?  What do you read to your kids?  What book could you read again even now?

Hair today, gone tomorrow...What's your vote?

I'm desperate for a new haircut.  I cut my hair short last year and it has since just been growing out uncontrolled and I am sick of it.  I have many ideas, but can't choose.  I spend too much time searching out short cuts for curly hair and round faces.  These are my faves, but I can't decide.  I think I really just want to go pixie short.  I did that once and loved it.  I want minimal work.  My hair is so curly that any length to it means I have to manage the curls or straighten it to make things look how I want it.  Browse my selections and see what you think...

I like this look, but I would have to curl my spiral curls with a large curling iron every day....

I really like short pixie messy like this, but it may just be a tad too long and get curly/frizzy....



Then I think maybe I'll just trim a few inches and try growing out the bangs, but I'd still have to loosen the curls...

Okay, the next one is one of my faves.  I really like the look. 

Then I like this messy pixie too.  I think I just like that messy is what you're going for.  It makes not having any time in the morning a good thing.  I have done short and stuck up all over and I really think I may go back to it.  If I only have it about an inch long I lose the curl altogether.  That might be a nice break...

Work

I hate what I do.  I have said this before, but yesterday I was at work and for the first time in 15 years I suddenly thought to myself that what I do is disgusting.  I scrape the stuff off people's teeth that they are too lazy to clean up on their own.  It's gross. 


I have never been bothered by this before.   Do you think it's a sign?  Maybe it comes from cleaning up after people all day, every day.  I think I want something more out of what I do.  Some kind of fulfillment or what not.  Hmm...

I have been feeling a little low about work lately.  I only work relief and I was hoping to be getting more days.  On the flip side, Dan has been filling his schedule right up.  I am glad for that.  But there is a part of me that feels so guilty watching him work his butt off all the time when I could really help out with a few days here and there.  Silly.  He told me yesterday that I needed to stop and be grateful that the Lord is letting him work so I can be home with the kids.  I realized that we have for so long depended on my stints at work to get by, which is okay, but he is so ready to be the one to truly support our family.  He is the hardest worker I know.  He would do just about anything and work pretty much all the time in order to take care of us.  I am so proud of him and grateful to have him as my hubby and my children's father.





Of course, I feel guilty now about hating work.  But I love my work at home.  I guess he was right, I'm so fortunate to be able to do it.  Smart guy!  But I am looking for a career change eventually.  Any suggestions?

Madison Moments

Here's two good ones from our girl who has her own twist on life:

1. In 4th grade they start being graded with letter grades, so in preparation their teachers decided to mark a math test so the kids could see where they would be at.  Madison proudly showed me her work: C-.  "Are you happy with this?" I asked gently.  "Oh yes!" she replied.  "At least I got a letter.  Some of the kids did so bad, the teachers didn't even give them one!"

2. On Monday, Dan dropped the kids at school a bit late.  When saying goodbye, he noticed Madison had some breakfast on her face.  He told her to stop at the bathroom on the way into class and wash up, but she explained that she was to go promptly to her classroom.  In response to his continued urging, she proclaimed, "Dad, don't worry!  I've got this whole 'late' thing figured out!"

Baptism Weekend

 Here are some pics of our day at Lynn Canyon Suspension Bridge.  Like dad said, if he just looked down at his feet he could make it across!

 The moss covered trees

 Mom and Dad by the river

 The 30 ft pool

 The big day.  It was so nice.  We didn't have large numbers, but we had the people who care about Clay.  His friends participated and we sang lots of primary songs and felt the Spirit.  Grandma and Grandpa gave wonderful talk on baptism and the Holy Ghost geared toward all the kids in the room and they ate it up.  We missed our families, but it's nice to have a ward family that fills in that space. We know we are loved, and Clayton knows he is loved.

Sunny Forecast

Yippee!  The forecast has changed to sun all weekend!  Wish us luck!

Family Visit - Day One

Mom and Dad arrived last night.  We were so excited to have them.  The kids could hardly sleep in anticipation, and going to school was just out of the question.  Today we got up with great intentions, thinking it looked like it might turn into a nice day.  Unfortunately, mother nature decided buckets of rain would be more fun, so that waylaid our plans.  It was disappointing, and I admit I had to make myself fake it til I made it a lot of the day so I wouldn't show my frustration.  We ended up having an okay time visiting Ikea for lunch and hitting a movie later, but cramped into our tiny quarters everyone gets a little on edge.  Kudos to grandma and grandpa for being good sports.

I realize the most difficult thing about your family visiting is they only see a snapshot of your kids in "party" mode - no real schedule and too much junk food, combined with the excitement levels being thru the roof.  It has so far been a nice visit, but still there are those moments when I'm sure mom and dad are looking at us all like we might be insane.  And the little things we are all used to and ignore are new for them.  They're handling the chaos of being stuck inside with 3 boys pretty well, and the kids are loving having them around.  I need to pull up my socks and stop fretting about the weather and initiate more interactive inside things - playing games, going for a swim, reading a book, making a puzzle.  We'll just have to pretend it's Christmas holidays and make the best of it.

Pray for sun tomorrow.  It's in the forecast for the morning, but maybe it'll stretch out longer.  I just want my parents to be here one time when they could actually enjoy being outside and we can go all day and wear out our lil' munchkins!

A Larger Goal

My dearest friend and I have begun "reporting" to each other our progress with exercise and eating.  It's an excellent way to feel guilty for every not-so-good thing that crosses your lips.  But I love it.  So, I am going to share a few of my larger goals so that I will have that sense of accountability everytime someone asks me about them. 


My first goal is inspired by an aunt who did this in some form a few years ago.  Mind you, she did it on her exercise bike, but the concept is the same.  I am going to try and walk the Mormon Pioneer Trail.  Not really.  But I am making myself a map, and then I am tracking how many miles I walk and reading about the stops/events along the way.  The pioneer trek is 1300 miles.  So far, I have gone 10.  But that's a start.  What's the saying, "a journey of a thousand miles starts with one"?  Well, that's my first 20,000 steps.  Yay for me!  The site I am using for my info is found here:

http://lds.org/gospellibrary/pioneer/pioneerstory.htm


My second goal, after doing all this walking, is to walk a half-marathon next spring with said dear friend.  What's better than walking and talking for 14 miles?  And believe me, I won't run out of things to say.  Hee hee.  We are debating a few options, including the Walk to End Women's Cancers, except that involves a lot of fund raising, so maybe just a half marathon to start.  Who know?  But I know we will do it.

There.  Now you can all ask me and keep me in line.  I can feel my guilt level increasing already!

Make-It Monday

A couple weeks ago I made a batch of pumpkin muffins and in the midst of refereeing some squirmish in the spring break feud, I forgot to add one ingredient.  The muffins came out okay, but without that spicy pizazz.  And then it hit me - if I had to choose my all-time-cannot-live-without-it spice, it would have to be CINNAMON.  Seriously, we put this in just about everything we bake -from oatmeal to french toast, cookies to muffins, brownies and even (sometimes) chili.  I stumbled on a few cereal sales this past week and have fallen in love with two more cinnamon products: Life Toasted Cinnamon and Cinnamon Mini-Wheats.  I think I have included a lot of my cinnamon recipes already on this blog, but here's another:

Rice Pudding (tastes like Kozy Shack, in case you're a fan...Tiff)

2c. leftover cooked rice (I would use traditional, not minute rice)

3 c. milk

1/2 c. sugar

pinch of salt

Bring these to a boil, then lower heat.  Add 1 tsp. vanilla and simmer til milk is absorbed (30-45 mins). 

You need to watch it and stir frequently unless you want to figure out a way to get it off the bottom of your pan (DAN!!!!  I'm talking to you, sweetheart.  Anyone know how many airmiles I need to get a new set of pots???) 

Stir in 1/2 tsp. cinnamon.

Can add raisins if you so desire (yuck!)

Eat it.  Love it.

Sprinkle cinnamon on just about anything.  It always tastes better.  Enjoy!

Fun Family Mormonads

My kids and I found these on the Mormon Channel today and they though they were great.  You may have seen them already, but enjoy!

Recent Pics

On the last Friday of Spring Break we decided to have a "Dollar Dinner" with the kids in an attempt to, one, have a supper where everyone had at least one item they like, and, two, take the kids to the grocery store and not tell them no about everything they requested.  The idea behind this is simple: Give each kid a predetermined amount of money and let them go to town, finding something to contribute to dinner.  When we were younger, we used to do $1 or $2 dinners, but we decided we had to up the ante to $5 in order to get anything of substance.  The above photo shows the spoils they came up with: a pizza (Clay), shrimp ring (Madi), smiley fries (Spencer) and pop and chips (Mac).  Not too healthy, but a lot of fun.  Dad and Mom rounded it off with veggies and mango ice cream. 

I learned a few things from this experience:

1. You can hardly buy anything for under $5 anymore.  It was tough to find something that would contribute to a dinner for all of us that wasn't purely junk (and a lot of our items could be disputed...)

2. Never take 4 kids to the grocery store at dinner time, even if dad wants to be involved.  Do it on a Saturday and go earlier.

3. Set limits.  They all would have bought ice cream or popsicles if we didn't enforce a "no dessert" clause.

It was a good time, and a little guilt-free dinner now and then never hurts.

A theatre group came to the kid's school and Madison was chosen by the principle to be one of 12 kids in the play.  It was Wizard of Oz, and she played a Munchkin.  You can barely make her out here 4th from the left.  The lighting in the gym didn't make for very good pictures, but you get the idea.  She was so excited, and had a lot of fun too!

Sunny Day!

Had some sun yesterday and had to take advantage of it.  We went downt to Barnett Marine with a couple of the kids' friends.  Here's a few pics of the fun.  It's a good thing we did because the rain?  It's baaack!

All the kids on the train bridge

Looking for hermit crabs

Turn your face to the sun!

Madi and her friend, Jordanna, on the "castle"

Digging a hole to China!

The first sandcastle of the year!

The hole

And heads on the beach....I'm wondering if they can be like this all the time?  Immobile?  I almost left them there (hee hee).

 

The sign of a great day of the beach?  Being full of sand when you get home.  It was straight to the pool to shower off and swim, then a movie night to relax.  If there is one thing I will miss about the West Coast, it's all the natural beauty - we can hit a different park and/or beach everyday and never get bored.  These kids ran that beach for 4 hours and I had to drag them all home for supper.  So much fun!