In anticipation, we’ve made a list of our favorite things to do outside!
 | Corben
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| Dade
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 | Ella
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| Sylvie
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 | Me
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| Dad
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We LOVE our yard so very much. It’s such a special place for us and we can’t wait to spend time in it each day next month!
See ya outside!!
Spring is “here”!! I LOVE Spring. Love it. Well, except for the pollen. I hate that part. Hate it.
Anyway, on Monday I saw a bee and some little bugs. Not sure I’m ready for THAT part of Spring, however, our flowers started blooming and I am ready for that part.
I had a weird dream last night. It’s one of those dreams you have when you’re pregnant but I’M NOT PREGNANT so it must just be that my sister just had a baby and my SIL is due this week…. Anyway, I dreamt that I had a very large baby with long blonde hair. I even commented that it would be cute if I cut it Justin Beiber style LOL. But my baby boy kept growing in my dream and was soon as tall as Dade but a bit more stocky. I remember thinking that all those baby clothes I’d been given were a total waste and that I’d have to go find him something in Ryan’s closet. I also hoped he was potty trained…(also, for some reason, at one point I was attempting to apply eye liner…in a cave…). Anyway, when I woke up I missed my “little” boy! My heart kind of ached.
Tuesday we saw our first butterfly! The tulips started blooming and the weather was great! I headed out EARLY to meet with the councilor at Dade’s school to discuss his high school classes over the next 3 years. He’s hoping to get as much in as possible before college so he’s actually doubling up on all his major courses! 2 maths, 2 sciences, 2 histories each year! All his idea. I love this kid! - In the afternoon, I gave the boys overdue haircuts (Dade asked for a special cut so he could do THIS…)
Then I took them all to Cici’s for supper since I got a gift card for my birthday! But here’s the bad part. My full intention was to use the gift card and then hand it to whomever was behind us in line to use the rest. I figured dinner would run us almost $20 and it was better to share the wealth than let it expire in my bag. WELL, when we got there I realized it was discount day for kids! Entire meal (including drinks – which we never get)…$12.39!! Um, hello, I could get 2 suppers with this gift card! Guilt started to set in as I turned to see who was standing behind me and suddenly there was no one…. So, I put the card back in my bag for next Tuesday. I figure (this is me making myself feel better)…I figure that making my kids happy another evening is as awesome as making a stranger happy….right? Okay, good.
That night I had another weird dream… This one I spent most of the time trying on different eyeliners at a mall kiosk….and carrying around a baby boy in a sling. What is up with babies and eyeliner??
Wednesday = POLLEN….NOOOOOOO!!!! Me no likey pollen. The girls spent the entire day cleaning up the deck. They’d worked hard to stay in bed for 2 weeks at night and had earned a trip to the dreaded Chuck e Cheese but I was not going until they cleaned up all their wooden toys up before it rained. So, as they spent HOURS getting distracted they would bring in toys for me to fix…Mommy, can you put this bib on my doll? Sure…instead of going to Chuck E Cheese’s? That would always refocus them for about 5 minutes and then it would happen again. Finally, around 1pm they finished and we headed out. I really don’t like CeC’s but I hoped for the best. When we got there, I noticed that their charts for free tokens had fine print…sigh. Required food purchase. So I went up to the counter to weigh purchasing 20 tokens on my own vs buying a small pizza but the lady at the counter told me that I didn’t have to buy food! Yeah! 10 tokens each…FREE! The place was pretty empty and the girls had a blast. They each earned about 10 tickets and then I took a token I had and won the jackpot on another machine so they each had about 40. We headed to the counter to turn in our tickets for prizes and I informed the lady to just let them pick anything off the front row (10-60 tickets) and I’d pay the difference (a penny a ticket). After the girls had picked out just what they wanted the woman told me not to worry about paying! YIPPEE! Best time ever at CeC’s. Maybe we’ll actually go back!
Best part of the day? The fact that I got to become an aunt AGAIN! Meet Lochlan Alton! He was born 10 minutes after his parents reached the hospital after some movie worthy driving by my brother that including riding the median beside miles of stopped traffic on the highway. Welcome to the family, little guy!!
The boys had scouts and mom brought stuff along for Ella to make me a Pot Holder!! She did this all by herself! Great job, Ella!
At bed time the girls always want me to sing them a song. I decided that they should sing ME a song so they did. They actually sang me 4 songs each but I’m just posting the first two…Enjoy!
Weird dream #3… So, Ryan’s brother and some friends went Alligator hunting and brought back this huge alligator. Apparently we lived in some huge apartment complex and the entire neighborhood was gathered to see what they’d caught. So, they carried it over and laid it in the fountain in the middle of the parking lot. As I pushed through the crowd with Ella in my arms I noticed that Sylvie was hanging onto the railing that went around the fountain. Then I saw that the alligator was HUGE…and I mean REALLY HUGE…AND…it was alive! It suddenly darted out of the fountain and everyone was running. I tried to get to Sylvie but was pushed down with Ella in my arms. I looked up to see the alligator coming right at us and before I could do anything it clamped down on Ella’s head. I shoved my arm into it’s mouth from the side and was trying with all my might to spread it’s locked jaws. I remember trying to scream but, as in all my dreams, I couldn’t get the sound to come out. Ryan was close by and I wanted him to hear me so I tried extra hard to scream and…suddenly I woke up to my own voice screaming HELP across the bedroom…Ryan never even paused his snoring. I hate dreams like that. I didn’t feel it was the best way to start my day…
Thursday the birds came out…lots of little ones and I saw our first red cardinal of the year. The best part of Thursday was finding out that Corben made it into the middle school we so desperately were hoping for! I have to admit I cried. The stress of him possibly NOT getting in had built up all day and it was such a relief to get to surprise him after school with the news. YIPPEE!
Lunch time:
Me – Sylvie, what do you want for lunch?
S – I want cereal!
Me – How about a sandwich?
S – I don’t want a sandwich!….FINE!…let’s split the difference. I want oatmeal.
Night #4 of crazy dreams…I was visiting someone that I don’t really know but in my dream I did. I had to use their restroom but at that same moment they’re house literally broke open and people started walking in through the cracks. It was a very awkward moment! Then some homeless people broke into their kitchen and due to my (apparently) amazingly good repore with homeless people I was able to talk them out of stealing all the food to sell for drugs. THEN I went into labor and had to be rushed to the hospital which was apparently in an airport and we were having troubles getting through security…
What is up with the baby??
Friday the kids didn’t have school. YEAH! Also, it was my niece, Bean’s, 5th Birthday! Happy Birthday, Bean!! I spent the day making the slaves children clean….
The boys headed out early Saturday to spend the weekend with their dad! He’s moved to within a couple hours of us so they’re excited to see him more often. After they left the girls and I headed out to spend a fun day at Bean’s Birthday Party!!
On the way, Ella and I had this odd conversation…
Ella – Mom, I don’t want you to cut out my tongue
Me – Okay
Ella – Mom, please don’t cut out my tongue with the scissors, it would hurt
Me – Um, Ella that’s gross, can we stop talking about this?
Ella – Mom, I don’t want you to glue my tongue back together because it would taste gross!
Me – (I did laugh at that part…)
The Cowgirl/Cowboy part was fantastic! There were vests/badges/scarves for all the little cowfolk. We had a cowboy lunch and then cowboy games including roping, hayrides, and horseback riding! The girls said it was, “The BEST Party EVER!”
Thanks for such a GREAT party!!
When we got home we got the letter stating that Ella will be on track 4 for year round school this year. Though year round school is NOT our first choice, track 4 definitely was the best track for our family. Yeah!
That night:
Me – Sylvie go brush your teeth
Sylvie – I don’t want to!
Me – You need to brush you teeth. You don’t want your teeth to fall out, do you?
Sylvie – Sure! Then I can put them all under my pillow and the tooth fairy can come and bring me a coin!
First of all…What Happened to SPRING???!!! (It’s FREEZING outside!) -- Sunday started out crazy for me because in all my plans to wake up early and work on my Primary lesson I’d failed to include the fact that Ryan would be leaving very early to a leadership meeting. THEN I couldn’t find anything to wear, and THEN the girls woke up in need of an unexpected bath, and THEN the printer decided it hated me…and THEN I called Ryan to tell him we’d be late for church. He was lovingly kind. Thank you, Honey. Then I prayed that the printer would work…despite the fact that it was out of ink. It did. Thank you, Heavenly Father! I got everyone dressed and we headed out…but not before this conversation….
Sylvie – Ella, I want a ring to wear!
Ella – Here Sylvie, you can have my green one…I don’t want to Choose The Right today.
And now we’re all at home…well, almost all of us. The boys should be here soon. I’m sure they’ve had a lot of fun. I’ll let you know!
Happy Pi Day!!
Today is 3.14! Pi! Which means it’s time for PIE! We spent a good part of the afternoon yesterday making pies. 3 people making 14 pies actually and by complete coincidence! Dade is a Pi enthusiast so he headed out the door in the morning with Pies for his friends at Seminary and little pies for his friends and teachers at school. He was wearing his Pi shirt and a Pi Day button. He’s been working hard to memorize Pi to as many digits as he can. So far he can do it to 35 places! Here’s a video to prove it! (they covered their eyes so you wouldn’t think they were reading it!)
3.14159265358979323846264338327950288... (from Wikipedia)
Pi day was also Ear Infection Day for Dade. We’re starting to feel like regulars at his pediatrician… I spent the day working on pictures and working in the yard with Ryan. We’re actually fixing up our yard!! I’m so excited. 7 years here (10 for Ryan) and we’re finally planting flowers and the GOOD grass. Happy Day! We had homemade Oreo Crème Pie for FHE and roasted marshmallows over the fire before bed. It was a nice day. For more Pi Day fun visit www.piday.org!
Tuesday – Mucho Pictures done…
So Ella just brought me a doll I found recently from when I was little. She told me she was going to name her Alyssa...which is what I used to call her. I've never told Ella that and when I asked her where she heard it from she said when she was in heaven she heard it....
Tuesday night the boys and I were playing a game called Druthers. Someone reads a card and the possible 5 answers below it and the other players try to pick the answer that best describes the card reader and the answer they’d pick. Dade’s card looked like this:
Dade and I both picked #1 so since we matched we got a point. Corben was upset…he’d picked 5 (which is write in your own answer). When we asked him what he’d put for 5 he said: Under my bed, you will find … CORBEN!! Bwuahahahahahaha! They sleep in BUNK BEDS! We had a good laugh and decided that Corben should get 2 points for his obvious answer.
Wednesday started with an early morning search for 4 leaf clovers. Pickings are slim this year (this picture is from 3 years ago) but I did manage to find over 20 in about 30 minutes which gives me just enough for the boys to take to school tomorrow!
Ella called me in a bit later to show me the meeting she’d made and to ask me to take a picture. That’s the Prophet and the Bishop up there beside Belle.
Later I heard Sylvie upstairs yelling at Ella. Apparently she’s given up on Santa’s list and made her own naughty list….”Ella! You are on MY naughty list! You made very bad choices!” – and later “Don’t worry, Ella, you’re not on my naughty list anymore!”. Lol
We headed out in the early afternoon to a fun birthday party for one of Ella’s friends. The weather was just right!
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That night mom took the boys and Sylvie to scouts so Ella and I went on two walks around the neighborhood. One in which we managed to pick one of each kind of flower we saw (a neighbor shared his daffodils) and the next by flashlight. It was such a fun time together!
Thursday was St. Patrick’s Day! Dade headed out the door with 4 leaf clovers for all his friends. After this week he’s gaining a reputation for bringing things on holidays not known for gift giving. lol That evening I was able to attend a Relief Society gathering at church! YEAH! Ryan made two AMAZING loaves of bread that I was able to share with everyone and I had exactly the number of extra 4-leaf clovers to pass out to each and every Sister there!
Friday morning we got an early call from my SIL asking if we’d like to meet her for Farm Animal Days! It was a last minute decision and a rush out the door but we made it and had tons of fun! I love FREE activities, especially ones with free ice cream!
This is Ella saying, “BAAAAAA”.
What a fun day we had!
Later, Sylvie kissed me and said “Ew, you got lipstick on me!”
I said, “I’m not wearing lipstick.”
She looked at me and said, “You’re just wearing lips?!”
Saturday = HAPPY BIRTHDAY, DOMINIC!! (my very cute little nephew!)
We also got a lot of yard work done. Ryan has been steadily adding to our yard this week. We got new flowers, new plants around the deck, and all the mulch was spread out in the places we never want to mow again…I’m loving it!
Saturday afternoon it was Sylvie’s turn to run errands with me. When I asked her what one special thing she wanted to do while we were out she said, “SPIN!!” I sure love that girl! So, in addition to spinning we ran to the pet store and out for DOUGHNUTS!
That evening was the start of our Stake Conference. Saturday is the adult session and though Dade was babysitting for some friends so they could go I was lucky enough that my neighbors willingly came over to watch the girls. (I have the best neighbors…really I do.)
Sunday morning we got up early because Ryan was helping with parking at the family session of conference so we needed to be there an hour early! Despite getting there early, we still weren’t able to get seating in the front and had to settle for the plastic chairs half way back. AND, lucky for me, the Spirit’s whisper was louder than my children’s constant talking and I learned a lot! It was great!
We came home, got some lunch, finished making homemade ice cream, and headed out to the Schneg family birthday party! This one was a particular favorite because one of the birthdays we were celebrating was mine!! (pics by my FIL, Ed!)
Here’s Ryan eating and me getting a super cute clover necklace from my SIL, Amy!
This is me saying how I’d just been talking about this exact thing with one of my SIL’s just a few minutes before…what a coincidence! And here’s Corben playing badminton though at one point, even Ryan was playing!
And then we came home and all fell asleep…actually, everyone but Corben & Ryan fell asleep on the way home and even though it was only a bit after 7 both girls crashed as soon as we got home!
