Sleeping on the Tramp and Putting Up the Pool!

Well, we did have plans to go camping this weekend, but with the weather being so unseasonable cool, the people from the campground (which was up North) called us to say that there was two feet of snow there and no one could even get in.  We had been worried that it might be a little "chilly."  That is an understatement!  So we postponed our camping trip until July.  It was actually nice to suddenly have the whole weekend free.  We got a lot done.  Friday Rick picked up Jase and Jared and bribed them with lunch if they came and helped him move Seminary buildings (moving from the middle school to the high school).   Then Rick and I went out to dinner (I ate, Rick didn't since he was still full from their all-you-can-eat-buffet lunch).  We discussed the questions for our parenting tele-seminar that we are doing Tuesday night. 

Saturday I got up early and pulled weeds for a couple of hours.  Our flower beds look a lot better!   Things were humming around our yard.  Jase mowed the lawn and Rick did the edger and all of the kids helped clean the back patio and pitched in to put up the swimming pool!  It has been cooler this year than in year's past which helped everyone to stay happy working outside.  Usually everyone is so hot and tired by the time the get the pool up that everyone is starting to snap at each other.  But this year everyone helped and things went quite smoothly!   Rick had to patch up a couple of holes and then we had to wait until the glue dried before it could get wet and so there wasn't a lot of real swimming going on today.   But the kids did have fun splashing in the water as it started to fill.  That is usually the only time Josh will get in the pool the whole year.  He has always been afraid of pools (unless they are VERY shallow or have steps that he can sit or stand on).  Jenna was excited about getting in and splashed around right along with everyone else (even if the water was freezing!)   When we went to bed we left the hoses on so that the pool would be finished filling up by morning.    

Sunday evening Rick and I went to visit his sister Julie and family who recently finished renovating a house in the area.  It turned out absolutely gorgeous!  The kids asked Rick if they could all sleep outside on the tramp.  Janika and I opted to sleep in the house.  We went to check on everyone at 11:00 p.m. and were amazed to find everyone sound asleep!  Not wanting to be alone, Janika asked if she could sleep with me.  We stayed up for a while gabbing.   About 1:30 a.m. we were awakened by everyone coming back in. Apparently our allergy sufferer (Jared) kept sneezing and Jaiden kept whimpering in her sleep.  These two things woke everyone else up and they decided that they were cold and came inside.  Soon everyone was back in their regular beds.  Ah, well it was fun while it lasted!

Janika's End of Year Pictures

Janika just got a camera.  Now we can see what really goes on at school.  (The group picture is her honors history class.)  I think Janika is the only person I know who actually LOVES middle school!  She was truly sad that school was ending for the summer.  She even went on the last day (the day that is not required).  Today I hardly saw her.  She went to school (it let out at 10:00) and then she and her friends went to the mall and went shopping and then out to lunch at Pirate Island Pizza (thus all of the tickets in the last picture).  Then she went to a big boy/girl party with all of her friends.  They are all such good kids and I am so grateful for that!  

Jase -- Student Council

Jase will be starting 7th grade in the Fall and was chosen to be on the Student Council for next year!   We are really excited for him and think he will do a great job!  He is very outgoing and a natural leader and so I think this will suit him.  I hope he enjoys it!  Jase had a perfect report card this entire year -- a straight 4.0 every quarter.  Next year he will be in several Honors classes and he is really excited about that.  This year he worked really hard and earned the Presidential Physical Fitness Award.  Way to go, Jase!!  

Josh's Pre-School Program

Josh had his end-of-year program and graduation this morning.  He still has another year of pre-school (thank goodness) so he isn't really "graduating" but all of the kids still participate and get a special book filled with pictures, drawings, and examples of their work throughout the year.  Josh has grown leaps and bounds this year!  He still has a long way to go before he is ready for kindergarten but we are not in any hurry.  He didn't really get excited about singing all of the songs like my girls did.  During the program he was fidgeting and pulling his arm through his shirt like he was ready to strip right then and there.  He did manage to sing a few words to the songs but that was about it.  It will be interesting to see how he does next year in comparison to this year!

Janika's Award Ceremony

Tonight was the Award Ceremony for the Middle School.  Janika showed up having come straight from her friend's house where they were tie-dying tennis shoes.  I'm not quite sure how you tie-dye shoes but they turned out really cute!   Unfortunately it left their hands dyed as well as their shoes.  For the award ceremony there was a "red carpet" running along the gym floor with all of the teachers lined up on both sides.  The students walked through the line high-fiving their teachers.  So you can imagine how it looked with Janika holding up blue, green, and purple hands!   She said that all of her teachers were exclaiming, "Janika, what happened?"  Anyway, Jani walked away with awards for Honor Roll, dance, FACS, drama, Spanish, PE and Presidential Fitness.  She wasn't expecting an award for PE or the Presidential Fitness award, so that was a surprise.  She had heard that if you get the Presidential Fitness award you got a certificate signed by the President of the United States.  She said she wasn't very excited about getting Obama's signature but then added, "Well, at least he spelled my name right!" 

Do you know what "Tuffet" means?

This morning Jaiden said, "Do you know what 'Tuffet' means?"  Then she whispered in a conspiratorial voice, "It means..."bum."  You know -- 'little miss muffet, sat on her (pause for effect) ....tuffet."    I wasn't quite sure what a "tuffet" was but I was pretty positive it wasn't a bum.  I thought maybe it was a little cushion or pillow.  Actually, according to dictionary.com a "tuffet" is a low stool or footstool. You would think from growing up with the Nursery Rhyme that I would know what a tuffet is. Now I know -- and so does Jaiden.  But I wonder...what exactly is "curds and whey?"

Garage Sale

Well, it has been about a year since our last garage sale and so we decided it was about time to have another one.  Rick was happy to sell his scooter this time.  He hasn't used it for a long awhile and didn't renew the taxes on it since he was planning on selling it.  We had a pretty good turn out and sold various odds and ends.  The kids always really get into it.  Jase, his friend Ky, and Jared put up their own table to sell gum and books and little toys.  Jared danced around on the street corner with a "Yard Sale" sign.  (That's him on his knees in the bottom picture) One man said, "That kid could be hired out -- he is great!"  (By the way, in reference to the picture below -- it is the chair we are selling...not the kid -- otherwise it would say "I've got 6 more of these!")

What was lost is found!

Guess what?  We found my missing keys!  (Another benefit of our yard sale!)  Remember my set of keys that Jenna lost a month ago?  Well, Jared just found them in a little used drawer of our armoire underneath all of the contents.   I was thrilled!  I replaced our van keys a couple of weeks ago -- the key of the big van cost less than $2.00 to replace, the key of the blue van cost almost $70.00 to replace!  I was shocked!  It is because it was one of those anti-theft keys that has a special chip in it.  I had wondered why I had never gotten a spare made.  After I learned how much it cost I understood.  When we lost our keys that evening several weeks ago, we prayed and prayed to find them.  Janelle wondered why Heavenly Father wasn't answering our prayers.  Later on Jared mentioned that Heavenly Father always answers prayers but not always immediately (or in the way) we want.   I suggested that perhaps Heavenly Father didn't answer our prayer right away because He wanted us to get a spare key made so that we would be prepared if anything like this ever happened again.  Now we have an answered prayer -- and my keys -- AND a spare.  We are prepared.  A "thank you" prayer is in order.

Goodbye Speeds!

Our good friends and next-door neighbors of the past three years moved away this morning.  I am so sad!   Emily has been such a good friend to me and their kids have been good friends with our kids.   A year ago Aly and Jaiden went to pre-school together and James and Janelle went to kindergarten together (but in different classes) and were on the same soccer team (we planned it that way).  This past year Aly and Josh went to pre-school together and of course we car-pooled to and from. Aly, Josh, and Jaiden have been practically inseparable these past several months.  Everyday after kindergarten and pre-school Aly would come over to our house and she and Jaiden and Josh would play and play and play!  (And I loved it because they kept each other entertained and happy!)  Sometimes they would play here and sometimes they would play at the Speeds.  Emily and I were also visiting teaching partners (which of course I loved).  Aside from visiting teaching, we spent plenty of time "visiting" out in our yards while our kids played or sometimes we walked to the park and gabbed while our kids played on the playground.  You will see pictures of their kids playing with our kids scattered throughout this blog.  I will miss having such a great friend so close.  Goodbye, Speeds -- keep in touch -- you will be missed!!

 

Teddy Bear Picnic, Nickle Auction, and Middle School Dance

Jaiden was counting down the days to her kindergarten "Teddy Bear Picnic."  They could bring any stuffed animal (it didn't have to be a teddy bear) so she chose her little black dog, "Sally."  She just couldn't decide between her black dog and her tan dog and so she ended up sneaking them both into her backpack.   We packed her a lunch and it seems that both Jaiden and Sally had a great time!

This afternoon we had our "Nickle Auction."  A neighborhood friend hosts a nickle auction every couple of months at her house.  Those who participate can bring things they want to auction (gently used clothes, books, toys, kitchen or household items -- you name it) or/and then we can buy things that others have brought.  (You don't make much money -- it is more of an exchange).  So anyway, today I brought a ton of clothes -- and came home with a ton of different clothes.  Josh is now outfitted for the next year and was so excited about all of his "new" clothes!  There weren't really any clothes in the other kids' sizes -- except for a few items I got for Jaiden.  She was thrilled about the two "new" dresses I got for her.  It is a lot of fun and its great to get rid of things you don't want while acquiring things you do want!   If any of you are interested in participating let me know and we will put you on the e-mail list!

Tonight was Janika's middle school Hawaiian-themed dance.  She was really excited for it but complained about the music when she got home.  She said that they played a lot of songs with inappropriate lyrics and language.  She said that she and her friends made a game out of changing the lyrics to appropriate (and funny) ones and then screamed them out at the top of their lungs to block out the bad ones.  It is sad that they would play inappropriate music at a middle school dance, but I am proud of Janika for doing her little part to try and block them out and for letting us know about the problem.  Hopefully we can do something about it for the next one.

Jaiden's picture

Janelle's Discovery Project

This year the first graders had the option to complete a discovery project of their choice.   Janelle chose to do hers on the Solar System.  She made this really cute book and learned a lot!  Today I got to go hear her present her project to the whole first grade -- fun!

Pack Meeting -- Lip Sync

The Webelos all froze up when they got in front of everyone to do their lip sync for Pack Meeting.  But Jared did start rocking out for a second -- that's him on the floor.  Our kids were just happy to get popcorn.

Jaiden's Kindergarten Program

Jaiden was SO excited for her kindergarten program today!  She kept reminding me over and over again that I needed to come.  I assured her that I wouldn't miss it!   She showed me the actions and was so happy that Janika had taught her the Macarena dance moves a couple of months back because they were the same moves used in their song, "Months of the Year."  She was excited to show us that she could snap her fingers and couldn't wait for her big line, "J is for jumping!" (and then she got to jump up and down).  When it was time to do her part she mouthed to me and pointed to the camera, "Videotape me!" (4:07)

The funniest part was at the end when her teacher was getting ready to pass out the diplomas.  Jaiden got down on the floor and did the splits!  "Ummm.....sweetie?  I am not sure that is part of the program."  Rick got the whole thing on video and I was laughing so hard, tears were rolling down my face! (10:22)