This weekend I had the chance to hang out with one of my best college friends, Julie. I twas great to spend the weekend virtually kid free and spend time just talking and reconnecting.
Rob took the kids to Hickory for the weekend where they spent the time going to the movies and launching rockets. Great fun from the few minutes reports that I've heard so far.
A conversation this week:
Jacob: Gudu, axa, rudol
Mom I can speak Spanish
Me: Really what did you just say? Tell me again?
Jacob: I can't I said bad words in Spanish
Spring break is coming up and I know the kids are super excited to get a break. It'll be nice to have them home for a short while. We shall have fun enjoying the weather and other fun stuff!
Take care!
Thursday, March 22, 2012
Sunday, March 18, 2012
Turning 34
This week was pretty nice. The weather was gorgeous every day, definitely shorts weather, and the kids loved it. The one downside was the time change. Beth told me she hated Benjamin Franklin because of the stupid time change. I ended up driving the kids to school a few times this week as they started adjusting to the different schedules. By the end of the week we had evened it out.
It was my birthday and I got some awesome presents. Beth made me a coupon book with blank coupons I can fill out give to her and she will do whatever I want to with no argument. That is priceless. Caleb gave me the book he spent the last week writing and illustrating, and that is truly priceless. Jacob was worried that he didn't have a present so he found me some stickers and wrapped them up to give them to me. Rob had to work late, but came home with cake and ice cream and did everything he could to make my day special.
My new strategy for sanity it to take the kids to the park after school every day. We might try to do it after dinner. I'm hoping that it will make bedtimes easier to have some exhausted kids at home.
This week was pretty mellow. We stuck around town so I could go hear one of my favorite authors speak. It was fun to hear her stories about writing. While I was gone Rob had the kids outside and Beth feel and scraped herself up really badly. Poor girl. In February she feel on the way to the bus stop and scraped up her face pretty badly. She had scrapes on her forehead, nose and lips. This time she avoided her face, but scraped both elbows and knees and she has a bad bruise and scrape on her belly.
We also walked to the park yesterday morning, but it was kind of muggy and we didn't stay too long. The kids enjoyed it, and when we got home we found the leprechaun had paid us a visit. lots of chocolate all over the house, and some pretty serious pranks. He tied one of the bathroom doors shut. Sneaky little thing.
Rob got some footage of the boys getting ready to go to bed the other night, and I think he might share it. It's cute. Jacob's playing Plant's vs Zombies and Caleb's reading in his bed. Later in the week, Jacob went to sleep holding a copy of Sly Cooper in his arms. We may have a problem with video games and Jacob in the future.
Have a great week!
It was my birthday and I got some awesome presents. Beth made me a coupon book with blank coupons I can fill out give to her and she will do whatever I want to with no argument. That is priceless. Caleb gave me the book he spent the last week writing and illustrating, and that is truly priceless. Jacob was worried that he didn't have a present so he found me some stickers and wrapped them up to give them to me. Rob had to work late, but came home with cake and ice cream and did everything he could to make my day special.
My new strategy for sanity it to take the kids to the park after school every day. We might try to do it after dinner. I'm hoping that it will make bedtimes easier to have some exhausted kids at home.
This week was pretty mellow. We stuck around town so I could go hear one of my favorite authors speak. It was fun to hear her stories about writing. While I was gone Rob had the kids outside and Beth feel and scraped herself up really badly. Poor girl. In February she feel on the way to the bus stop and scraped up her face pretty badly. She had scrapes on her forehead, nose and lips. This time she avoided her face, but scraped both elbows and knees and she has a bad bruise and scrape on her belly.
We also walked to the park yesterday morning, but it was kind of muggy and we didn't stay too long. The kids enjoyed it, and when we got home we found the leprechaun had paid us a visit. lots of chocolate all over the house, and some pretty serious pranks. He tied one of the bathroom doors shut. Sneaky little thing.
Rob got some footage of the boys getting ready to go to bed the other night, and I think he might share it. It's cute. Jacob's playing Plant's vs Zombies and Caleb's reading in his bed. Later in the week, Jacob went to sleep holding a copy of Sly Cooper in his arms. We may have a problem with video games and Jacob in the future.
Have a great week!
Sunday, March 11, 2012
The Zoo and Skating!
Yesterday was busy! Rob was ancy to get out and do something with the kids. The weather was cool, not too hot, but definitely not cold. Jacket weather, but sunny. So we decided to head for the zoo. We left fairly early in the morning, because we had to get back for the kids school skate party at 5:00.
Highlights of the day:
Jacob making ghosts sounds anytime we went into one of the dark rooms in the zoo.
The chimps getting into a fight over the baby chimp.
The chimps running up and smacking the glass right in front of different people.
Jacob coming up to me at the chimp exhibit and saying "Mom, I never want to leave here."
The chimp that ran around the exhibit screaming at the top of his lungs. Very random.
The lioness standing up, eyeing one particular person and then pouncing at him. She was more than half way up the wall of the enclosure before she went back down. She then paced, while maintaining eye contact with her intended victim. She definitely won the dominant species award in that contest. I wouldn't want to run into a lion alone in a dark alley.
The animals were all very active at the zoo yesterday. Probably our best trip ever. Also we walked the entire zoo. Something I swore I would never do again after the first time we went. It's a different experience when you don't have a baby in sling and you're pushing a stroller with two kids up the hill to the see the animals, and it's not 100 degrees out. It was pleasant and relaxing. The joys of having kids that can finally walk the five miles (Rob said we only walked three, but the zoo guide said the trails were five. Either way it wasn't bad and all three kids did it without being carried!)
Skating
Each year the kids' school hosts a skating party. I usually go by myself with Beth or Beth and Caleb and Rob manages to avoid it. not this year. We drove straight from the zoo to the skating rink. The kids were worried they were going to miss it, and we were only five minutes late.
Highlights:
Watching Caleb go from a non-skater to skating by the end of the night. He kept falling down at the beginning of the night. Like every ten feet. He did some amazing splits, but he would get up and keep going. I took him skating about a year ago, and he was out of his skates in about ten minutes. This year he didn't give up. He's got a really big bruise on his elbow to show how hard he worked.
Seeing Beth really take off and have fun with her friends. She came home with a bruised tailbone and is complaining that it is hard to walk since she did something to her ankle, but she had fun overall.
Jacob skated for about two minutes, took off his skates and played arcade games with me the rest of the night. He was super patient and we danced the hokie pokie and the duck dance together. it's nice to know that I still have somone that's willing to be silly with me in public.
Rob in roller skates. That was fun. He was really shaky at first, but he was fine by the time he took them off. His comment: I stopped skating when my feet hurt so bad I couldn't stand up anymore. He said he could feel the bolts in the skates poking him in his feet.
The rest of the week went by pretty quickly. I've been so busy lately that it's hard to keep up with the housework and everything else. But we are getting by. I'm planning on moving furniture around this week and I get a new book on Tuesday to read. I'm excited about that. I actually found a four leaf clover after looking for one for as long as I could remember. There is this totally awesome patch of clover next to the bus stop and I spend my time in the afternoons sitting on some stranger's lawn and digging though the clover looking for one. It's not quite as bad as it sounds, but I was super excited when I found it.
Caleb wrote a book this week. It's pretty awesome. I'd transcribe it, but I'm feeling lazy right now. It involved a cat, a fox, some dynamite, and eating of other animals. There were some fights and a monster. The best part is the phonetic spelling he did through the whole thing. Actually I think the book is at school right now. He did it on his own at home, not as homework or a school assignment, but he was so proud of it, he took it to school.
Random Quotes from Kids
Beth to Caleb:
I'm not actually jumping on you, just kicking you, so it shouldn't hurt.
Jacob:
I am your grandma. I am your grandma. (Randomly at the zoo in the bathroom, to the tune on this YouTube video I've never seen, but it does disturb me http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YfY1lfFu8j8)
I hope you all have a great week! And somehow survive the time change.
Highlights of the day:
Jacob making ghosts sounds anytime we went into one of the dark rooms in the zoo.
The chimps getting into a fight over the baby chimp.
The chimps running up and smacking the glass right in front of different people.
Jacob coming up to me at the chimp exhibit and saying "Mom, I never want to leave here."
The chimp that ran around the exhibit screaming at the top of his lungs. Very random.
The lioness standing up, eyeing one particular person and then pouncing at him. She was more than half way up the wall of the enclosure before she went back down. She then paced, while maintaining eye contact with her intended victim. She definitely won the dominant species award in that contest. I wouldn't want to run into a lion alone in a dark alley.
The animals were all very active at the zoo yesterday. Probably our best trip ever. Also we walked the entire zoo. Something I swore I would never do again after the first time we went. It's a different experience when you don't have a baby in sling and you're pushing a stroller with two kids up the hill to the see the animals, and it's not 100 degrees out. It was pleasant and relaxing. The joys of having kids that can finally walk the five miles (Rob said we only walked three, but the zoo guide said the trails were five. Either way it wasn't bad and all three kids did it without being carried!)
Skating
Each year the kids' school hosts a skating party. I usually go by myself with Beth or Beth and Caleb and Rob manages to avoid it. not this year. We drove straight from the zoo to the skating rink. The kids were worried they were going to miss it, and we were only five minutes late.
Highlights:
Watching Caleb go from a non-skater to skating by the end of the night. He kept falling down at the beginning of the night. Like every ten feet. He did some amazing splits, but he would get up and keep going. I took him skating about a year ago, and he was out of his skates in about ten minutes. This year he didn't give up. He's got a really big bruise on his elbow to show how hard he worked.
Seeing Beth really take off and have fun with her friends. She came home with a bruised tailbone and is complaining that it is hard to walk since she did something to her ankle, but she had fun overall.
Jacob skated for about two minutes, took off his skates and played arcade games with me the rest of the night. He was super patient and we danced the hokie pokie and the duck dance together. it's nice to know that I still have somone that's willing to be silly with me in public.
Rob in roller skates. That was fun. He was really shaky at first, but he was fine by the time he took them off. His comment: I stopped skating when my feet hurt so bad I couldn't stand up anymore. He said he could feel the bolts in the skates poking him in his feet.
The rest of the week went by pretty quickly. I've been so busy lately that it's hard to keep up with the housework and everything else. But we are getting by. I'm planning on moving furniture around this week and I get a new book on Tuesday to read. I'm excited about that. I actually found a four leaf clover after looking for one for as long as I could remember. There is this totally awesome patch of clover next to the bus stop and I spend my time in the afternoons sitting on some stranger's lawn and digging though the clover looking for one. It's not quite as bad as it sounds, but I was super excited when I found it.
Caleb wrote a book this week. It's pretty awesome. I'd transcribe it, but I'm feeling lazy right now. It involved a cat, a fox, some dynamite, and eating of other animals. There were some fights and a monster. The best part is the phonetic spelling he did through the whole thing. Actually I think the book is at school right now. He did it on his own at home, not as homework or a school assignment, but he was so proud of it, he took it to school.
Random Quotes from Kids
Beth to Caleb:
I'm not actually jumping on you, just kicking you, so it shouldn't hurt.
Jacob:
I am your grandma. I am your grandma. (Randomly at the zoo in the bathroom, to the tune on this YouTube video I've never seen, but it does disturb me http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YfY1lfFu8j8)
I hope you all have a great week! And somehow survive the time change.
Sunday, March 4, 2012
Racing the Garbage Truck
This weekend we went down to Hickory for Rob's uncle's funeral. It was nice that Rob got to go and support his aunt and cousins during this difficult time. The kids had a nice trip down and got to play with their cousins for the day, while Rob went to the funeral.
It has been a pretty uneventful week overall. I do have one funny story that I have to share, which is really just humiliating to me. I generally take out the trash on Tuesdays, the night before pick up, but our Tuesday schedule was thrown off, and I didn't feel like doing it that night. I intended on doing it right after I got the kids on the bus.
So we are waiting at the bus stop and I notice that the garbage truck is down the road. But it takes a few minutes for it to sink in that I didn't take out the trash the night before. The bus shows up just as I realize that, I start running home, with Jacob. I've got him by one arm, and he is kind of bouncing a long next to me, and that blasted garbage truck somehow seems to be gaining on us.
So I'm gasping for air, and looking over my shoulder, and I realize I won't make it unless I pick him up and run. So I do that, and I ask him to tell me if it is getting closer, and closer. And it is.
It passes us just as we reach our house. Yes. We missed it, after all that running. Fortunately it was only the recycling truck, and I wouldn't have run for that since our recycling was only partially full and could wait for another pick up.
Here is to frantic running on Wednesday mornings.
It has been a pretty uneventful week overall. I do have one funny story that I have to share, which is really just humiliating to me. I generally take out the trash on Tuesdays, the night before pick up, but our Tuesday schedule was thrown off, and I didn't feel like doing it that night. I intended on doing it right after I got the kids on the bus.
So we are waiting at the bus stop and I notice that the garbage truck is down the road. But it takes a few minutes for it to sink in that I didn't take out the trash the night before. The bus shows up just as I realize that, I start running home, with Jacob. I've got him by one arm, and he is kind of bouncing a long next to me, and that blasted garbage truck somehow seems to be gaining on us.
So I'm gasping for air, and looking over my shoulder, and I realize I won't make it unless I pick him up and run. So I do that, and I ask him to tell me if it is getting closer, and closer. And it is.
It passes us just as we reach our house. Yes. We missed it, after all that running. Fortunately it was only the recycling truck, and I wouldn't have run for that since our recycling was only partially full and could wait for another pick up.
Here is to frantic running on Wednesday mornings.
Sunday, February 26, 2012
ho, hum
This last week really flew by. The kids were out of school for the first two days of the week. Teacher work days scheduled in for snow make up days. This year has been sadly bereft of snow, but we did manage to get some last weekend. It snowed here and in Hickory. We were in Hickory and the kids had a blast running around while it snowed on them and slinging snowballs at each other. Caleb built a snowman all by himself, but the snow wouldn't pack well and there wasn't much of it, so it was about a foot high.
Then by Wednesday is was in the 70s. The boys wore shorts to school, and I didn't feel like a bad mom sending them out the door in the morning either. overall the kids had a fairly good week. Beth had a sleepover, and didn't come too cranky the next day, which was definitely a bonus. Caleb and jacob stayed up late playing video games with Rob, which was great. i got to read an entire novel and not feel the least bit guilty.
We had a great stake conference. I was so edified and inspired by both of the sessions. It was something I really needed to hear. I'm blessed by all the people I have in my life. I have great friends, that I'm not so great at keeping in touch with. This isn't much of an update, and I need to add pictures or something, but I do want to start posting every week. I hope you all have a great week!
Then by Wednesday is was in the 70s. The boys wore shorts to school, and I didn't feel like a bad mom sending them out the door in the morning either. overall the kids had a fairly good week. Beth had a sleepover, and didn't come too cranky the next day, which was definitely a bonus. Caleb and jacob stayed up late playing video games with Rob, which was great. i got to read an entire novel and not feel the least bit guilty.
We had a great stake conference. I was so edified and inspired by both of the sessions. It was something I really needed to hear. I'm blessed by all the people I have in my life. I have great friends, that I'm not so great at keeping in touch with. This isn't much of an update, and I need to add pictures or something, but I do want to start posting every week. I hope you all have a great week!
Sunday, February 12, 2012
A Quiet Weekend
We had a fairly quiet weekend. We went to a ward activity, which we don't normally do, and made valentines for people. Actually the kids ran around the building, and Beth made some valentines, Jacob made one for Caleb, and I cut hearts for a heart attack for people in our ward. It was a pretty mellow activity, but I did get a chance to talk to some people, whom I've not been able to lately.
On Saturday we went and cleaned the church building, and the boys went to a birthday party. I'd been dreading our turn to clean the building, but it wasn't that bad. And we were done in just over an hour. It was satisfying to know that we had helped, even if the kids did end up running crazy by the time we were done. The boys had fun at their birthday party, and Beth read some books. She found a series (Franny K Stein) that she actually likes. I worry that the reading level is a bit young for her, but she is tearing through them. Right now I just want to get her reading.
Caleb is having a tough school year this year. I've got another meeting set up with the teacher, this time about him being bullied. My poor sweet boy. He doesn't stand up for himself, and I'm so tempted to just pull him out of school for the rest of the year. I really wish I could do it. He is losing his spark, and he is so down all of the time. I want him to love learning and it just isn't happening this year.
Jacob is doing well. He's super excited for his Valentine's Day party this year. He has started to love school, and I'm not fighting to get him out the door in the mornings. he is obsessed with video games, and often calls Rob in the afternoon to ask him to come home so he can play Ratchet and Clank, so Jacob can watch. Unfortunately for him, I'm not a video game playin' momma. I'll do board games, but I don't have the skills necessary to jump from spot to spot on the screen.
Rob is hanging in there. There is a lot of change going on at his work, which I think is motivating him to look around at other jobs. But he wants to apply for a good job that he'll be happy at. I'm still keeping busy with writing, and working, and being a mom. Right now I've gota bit of a cold that won't go away. it's not bad yet, and I'm hoping it won't get there.
I hope you all have a good week!
On Saturday we went and cleaned the church building, and the boys went to a birthday party. I'd been dreading our turn to clean the building, but it wasn't that bad. And we were done in just over an hour. It was satisfying to know that we had helped, even if the kids did end up running crazy by the time we were done. The boys had fun at their birthday party, and Beth read some books. She found a series (Franny K Stein) that she actually likes. I worry that the reading level is a bit young for her, but she is tearing through them. Right now I just want to get her reading.
Caleb is having a tough school year this year. I've got another meeting set up with the teacher, this time about him being bullied. My poor sweet boy. He doesn't stand up for himself, and I'm so tempted to just pull him out of school for the rest of the year. I really wish I could do it. He is losing his spark, and he is so down all of the time. I want him to love learning and it just isn't happening this year.
Jacob is doing well. He's super excited for his Valentine's Day party this year. He has started to love school, and I'm not fighting to get him out the door in the mornings. he is obsessed with video games, and often calls Rob in the afternoon to ask him to come home so he can play Ratchet and Clank, so Jacob can watch. Unfortunately for him, I'm not a video game playin' momma. I'll do board games, but I don't have the skills necessary to jump from spot to spot on the screen.
Rob is hanging in there. There is a lot of change going on at his work, which I think is motivating him to look around at other jobs. But he wants to apply for a good job that he'll be happy at. I'm still keeping busy with writing, and working, and being a mom. Right now I've gota bit of a cold that won't go away. it's not bad yet, and I'm hoping it won't get there.
I hope you all have a good week!
Sunday, February 5, 2012
A Little News and a Trip to the Beach
Well, I haven't updated in a long, long time. And a lost has happened in the months since I've posted anything. Everyone's gotten a little bit older, and aged up a year. The holidays are a crazy time with all the kids birthdays tacked onto either side of Christmas, but we managed to make it through the months with everything still in tact.
Beth is ten and growing up so fast. She's funny and happy most of the time, and loves to connect with people. Right now she's absolutely convinced that she wants to be a surgeon, and has begun taking her school work even more seriously as a result. She wants to take Gross Anatomy, the sooner the better, and I think she is really set on it. Right now she still has steady hands, so it's a viable option for her in the future.
Caleb is having a rough run of first grade. He's smart, and is doing well, but doesn't like to sit still or pay attention in class. He's got so much energy, and he likes to go, go go all of the time. I wish the classrooms were set up in a way that allowed boys time to move around more. But overall he is doing really well, and growing up fast.
Jacob is finally ready to start kindergarten. He kept telling me he wasn't going to go, because he didn't want his kindergarten shots. But once we got those over with he is much more open to the idea of going. he loves to play board games with Rob, and he's really good at figuring out puzzle games. He is also officially too big to snuggle up with in my lap while watching as how together. It happened today, and I almost cried. My baby can't be getting too big to snuggle. What will I do?
We haven't had a chance for any real family weekends lately, and we were positively convinced that we needed one yesterday. The plan was to to go to the zoo, since it wasn't going to be too hot, but it ended up being a rainy weekend there, so we drove away from the storm instead and went to the beach. We visited a Fort, looked for ghosts, and hit up an aquarium. Then we took a walk on the beach, since it was too cold to swim, but it was warm enough that we didn't need jackets most of the day. overall it was a great day. Sorry there were no pictures. But the kids did get to touch a moon jellyfish at the aquarium, which was pretty cool, and Jacob is now covered in shark tattoos. He looks like a biker with a shark obsession.
We haven't had much of a winter here. Maybe two or three days when we actually had a day that stayed in the 30s. And my tulips are up and ready to bloom already. The kids and I keep hoping for some crazy winter storm, but I'm almost convinced it isn't going to happen. This will be my first winter ever, with absolutely no winter storms. Talk about weird. The grass is green outside in February, because we've had rain, but no snow, and not enough cold days to warrant getting the winter coats out of the closet. jacket weather all year round is an adjustment for this Utah girl. It's strange not to have at least one day when you can go outside and throw snowballs at each other.
On a side note, I've recently decided to put my first novel up on Amazon, as an e-book. I am excited to share it with everyone, and I'll let you guys know when it is up and ready to go. It's funny because I'd never thought I do something like this, but as I've thought and prayed about my situation, I know absolutely that it's the right thing for this book for right now. Anyway, you can all read it when it comes out, sometime in the next month. I'm aiming for the end of February.
Beth is ten and growing up so fast. She's funny and happy most of the time, and loves to connect with people. Right now she's absolutely convinced that she wants to be a surgeon, and has begun taking her school work even more seriously as a result. She wants to take Gross Anatomy, the sooner the better, and I think she is really set on it. Right now she still has steady hands, so it's a viable option for her in the future.
Caleb is having a rough run of first grade. He's smart, and is doing well, but doesn't like to sit still or pay attention in class. He's got so much energy, and he likes to go, go go all of the time. I wish the classrooms were set up in a way that allowed boys time to move around more. But overall he is doing really well, and growing up fast.
Jacob is finally ready to start kindergarten. He kept telling me he wasn't going to go, because he didn't want his kindergarten shots. But once we got those over with he is much more open to the idea of going. he loves to play board games with Rob, and he's really good at figuring out puzzle games. He is also officially too big to snuggle up with in my lap while watching as how together. It happened today, and I almost cried. My baby can't be getting too big to snuggle. What will I do?
We haven't had a chance for any real family weekends lately, and we were positively convinced that we needed one yesterday. The plan was to to go to the zoo, since it wasn't going to be too hot, but it ended up being a rainy weekend there, so we drove away from the storm instead and went to the beach. We visited a Fort, looked for ghosts, and hit up an aquarium. Then we took a walk on the beach, since it was too cold to swim, but it was warm enough that we didn't need jackets most of the day. overall it was a great day. Sorry there were no pictures. But the kids did get to touch a moon jellyfish at the aquarium, which was pretty cool, and Jacob is now covered in shark tattoos. He looks like a biker with a shark obsession.
We haven't had much of a winter here. Maybe two or three days when we actually had a day that stayed in the 30s. And my tulips are up and ready to bloom already. The kids and I keep hoping for some crazy winter storm, but I'm almost convinced it isn't going to happen. This will be my first winter ever, with absolutely no winter storms. Talk about weird. The grass is green outside in February, because we've had rain, but no snow, and not enough cold days to warrant getting the winter coats out of the closet. jacket weather all year round is an adjustment for this Utah girl. It's strange not to have at least one day when you can go outside and throw snowballs at each other.
On a side note, I've recently decided to put my first novel up on Amazon, as an e-book. I am excited to share it with everyone, and I'll let you guys know when it is up and ready to go. It's funny because I'd never thought I do something like this, but as I've thought and prayed about my situation, I know absolutely that it's the right thing for this book for right now. Anyway, you can all read it when it comes out, sometime in the next month. I'm aiming for the end of February.