Getting Ready...

We were driving in the car and Josh looked around at the Halloween decorations and said, "Some people are getting ready for Halloween....and some people are getting ready for Christmas....and some people are getting ready for....Cowboy Day!"

Cowboy Day??

Decorating Pumpkins

We went to a ward party tonight decorating pumpkins...

Wednesday Nights

After school and homework, I brought Janelle to dance and Jaiden to a friend's birthday party. They were going to Jump-in-Jax and it was all she could talk about for days. Janelle came home from dance, gobbled up some dinner, and then went to her first Achievement Days. It had been so many years since we had someone in Achievement Days that I had forgotten all about it until we got a cute little invitation in the mail welcoming her. So now Wednesdays will consist of Math Counts for Jase, Rehearsal for Janika, Dance for the girls, Young Mens for Jase, Young Womens for Janika, Class for Rick, and Achievement Days for Janelle. At least I was able to squeeze in a quick but yummy sit down meal of Chicken Enchiladas to our evening. We also had a cool lightening storm tonight!

Orange Race Tracks

I have such fond memories from the orange race tracks we had growing up that I scoured the Internet looking for a set to give to our children for Christmas a few years back. It took awhile to find but we were eventually successful.

My brothers used to make these huge elaborate tracks that went through the house and down the stairs. There were loops and jumps and we would race match box cars and marbles.

Today our track mostly sits in it's bag, unused, in the basement. But every once in awhile we pull it out and the kids will spend hours and even days racing marbles and cars. Sometimes we have several neighborhood kids over to join in the fun. Today the track kept Jenna and Josh entertained even though they couldn't reach very high to race the marbles. Anything that keeps them entertained and happy (without fighting) for more than 15 minutes at a time deserves an A+ in my book!

Pumpkins and Book Reports

Here is the pumpkin from Jared's pack meeting tonight. All of the kids got to help decorate it and had a great time.

I was at class and so I had to miss it. Then I went shopping for two friend birthday parties coming up this week.

Tonight Jase stayed up until 11:00 finishing his book report on "The Bone Magician." Jared stayed up with him to help him color it. The middle part with the coffin is a puzzle and each piece is intricately designed and colored on the back. I didn't get a picture of that part but it looked really neat. I recall book reports from my day being just that -- a report on a book. But our kids have book reports that include puzzles, a book in a can, putting together a giant newspaper about the book, making a wanted poster and so on. I have mixed feelings about them because my boys tend to stress over them (and procrastinate until the last minute) and they always seem to need help on them. Janika never asked for any help on hers and so I wasn't hit with the lists of complicated detailed directions until the boys came along. Fun, fun.

Flu Shots, Christmas Shopping, and FHE

I scheduled all of my kids for flu shots today this morning. Then I ended up with an appointment of my own and so I asked Rick if he would take them. I knew he wouldn't be thrilled about that since he has had negative feelings about flu shots ever since the entire Sunburst Singers (his college group at USU) got sick after getting the flu shot. But that was 20 years ago when they used the live virus. I hear that story every year when the subject of flu shots comes up. And I usually don't bother with the shots for our family. But last year all of us got really sick with the flu and our kids ended up missing about a week of school because of it. I can still see them laying all over the couches feverish and miserable. So this year I thought that at least some protection would be better than nothing. 

My appointment this morning ended early and I was right by the hospital and so I called Rick and told him I was coming over to meet them. I wanted to take Janika Christmas shopping when they were finished. It was a good thing I came over. Rick was getting frustrated because they were out of the shots and only had the mist. He was ranting and raving about how the shots were out and the mist was a live virus and now everyone was going to get sick and he didn't know if our Insurance Company covered this anyway and what about Janelle and Jared who were already coughing -- sick kids couldn't get the shot could they? Then as if to emphasize Rick's point, Jared gave a couple of fake coughs.

I told him that I would take over here and he could leave with the two youngest (who had their shots last week) to go get the car fixed. I called the Insurance company and they cover the mist. My pediatrician assured me that they were fine to get the mist (unless they have asthma which they don't) in spite of having a little cold and that it wouldn't make them sick. Janika volunteered first and then they each volunteered in order of age. They did just fine and luckily no one panicked when Jared faked a little coughing and pretended to pass out on the floor. Really, he probably shouldn't do that in a doctor's office. What a nut. 

I met Rick and passed off all of the kids and then had some mother/daughter bonding time with Janika (shopping and lunch)! We went to Bath and Body Works and Jani had to spray every empty inch of skin on both our arms and keep sniffing to see which perfume she wanted to buy. She walked away with three different kinds. We hit several stores in the Mall and then went to several more after that. We were gone a long time but had fun. She got most of her stuff for Christmas and Birthday and I was able to get a lot of Christmas shopping done for the other kids as well. We came home to dinner on the table compliments of Chef Rick. I feel satisfied that I was able to get a big chunk of the shopping done in one day -- yeah!!

Tonight Jaiden did the lesson on modesty. She did a great job telling a story about modesty from the Friend magazine. Jaiden is only six, but will sometimes come out in costumes or dresses that are tank top in style and I have to have her go put on a shirt underneath. Just yesterday she was wanted to go put on a swimsuit because she said she was hot (in the middle of October). So it was a good lesson for her to give. Jani and Janelle are always strict when it comes to dressing modestly. Janelle will insist on wearing a shirt underneath anything that dips down a little in front even when it isn't necessary. I am glad she is so strict though. It is has been a nice Fall Break. Back to busy school days tomorrow...

Needs and Wants

Last night we were around the table talking:

Jase: "I really need a Picman game and a memory card for my birthday or Christmas."
Rick: "Well, there is a difference between "needs" and "wants." So what do you really "need" for Christmas?"
Me: "Well, Jase actually doesn't really need anything -- It's okay for him to get a few things he just wants.
Jase: "I know that there are some things you just need -- like a color laser printer -- but there are some things you want too...

A color laser printer?? Janika and I just bust out laughing. Janika said, "I thought he was going to say something like "socks and underwear" but "a color laser printer?""

Jase was totally serious when he said that, but perhaps he was also reminding Rick of his own personal need for that color laser printer he got for Christmas last year. Ha Ha!