June 2011

June was great down time from school.  I was wrapping up things with Daniel and Jacob was wrapping up things in 8th grade.  Both boys had opportunities to go to Lagoon on separate days so I went with them.  It was so much fun spending time with each of them, just us.  I appreciate how much they still don't mind hanging out with their mom and that I don't embarrass them.  The only down side to me going to Lagoon twice in two weeks is the pain I know have in my shoulder and neck from some of the rides.  Apparently, being 40 means you don't bounce back from things without medical care.  I can't skate on my youth anymore.
Daniel loved riding all the rides and really wanted to get wet.  It was a bit cool on the day we went so getting wet didn't sound like tons of fun to me.  We were exhausted when we got home and I think the both of us went to bed around 6:30-7pm that night.   Lagoon is fun but there isn't much in the way of resting spots.  None of the shows were running yet so we just plodded from one ride to the next.
Jacob liked the rides ok, but really would like to spend his day playing all of the games.  We played a few and he won some little things.  He was nice to win something for Sarah because she wasn't able to go.  Jacob rode on just about all of the roller coasters too!  It has not been something he has enjoyed up until this year so it was fun seeing him spread his wings a bit more.  He is so big, there were a couple of rides he barely fit into!  His is a giant!

Catching up with Pictures

 Daniel and Sarah and I attended the World Cup Finals for Speed Skating, Long Track back in Jan/Feb.  I can't remember the month.  Anyway, it was great fun to be at the Olympic Oval seeing world class athletes compete.  The kids got some fun souvenirs while we were there and had a pretty fun time.  Daniel is standing under the sign showing Shauni Davis as the world record holder in several events.  We got to see him compete while we were there.

 Daniel and Sarah picked which countries they wanted to cheer for.  Daniel was Sweden and Sarah choose China.  I don't think we saw either country compete. 

 This little girl sang the National Anthem and did such a wonderful job.  She is Sarah's age!

 

Shaunie Davis and another American won in their races.

 Jacob turns 14!  How that happened I will never know.  The time has gone by so quickly with him.  He is a man!  We went to Boondocks for his party so he could play video games, play laser tag, and drive race cars all day. 

 Daniel got him a 3 Stooges tie.  It was pretty funny. I am not sure if he has worn it yet but he liked it.

 Pajama pants!  He needed those really bad! 

 

On the way to the fun!

 The boys are ready to play!

 The race cars were so much fun.  Sarah rode with the boys a few times until we discovered they had smaller ones for her to drive.  It was a hoot!

 I think this is Sarah riding with Jacob's friend Jordan.  He was being cautious for her!

Sarah finally gets to drive herself!

I have been woefully lax in adding updates.  Partly because I am home schooling Daniel and that takes up most of my time, partly because I have been sucked into the vortex that is known as Facebook, and mostly because I just am too busy.  I don't think I have taken a picture of anything in the last few months.  I do have  new camera and struggle to use it because it is new. 

February In No Particular Order

Is it better to have one giant entry or several smaller ones?  I don't know but I am opting for giant today.  I spend most of my time with Daniel now that he is home schooled so most of the pictures I have are of him at some event we attended.  I love the others too, just not as many photo opportunities.  I can't get the photo below to move so the report is above.  

Sarah and Daniel and I attended the World Cup Long Track Speed Skating event today at the Olympic skate arena in Kearns, Utah.  To say it was awesome is an understatement.  Sarah really is enjoying herself, she just didn't want to smile in this picture.  

They were the only kids in our section at the beginning so the guy throwing stuff threw it all to them.  Daniel even got a T-shirt.  Jacob didn't want to come and miss school so they picked up a few things for him too.  The bleachers were right in front of the ice and so we really felt part of the race.  We were sitting right behind the entire German team and it was fun to hear them talk.  We even got to see Shauni Davis compete and he is the world record holder in the 1000 and 1500 m as well as the first African American to win an individual gold medal.  Pretty awesome.  Sarah is studying Black history this month in school but she was too shy to meet him.  He was standing next to where we were sitting in the bleachers just after the race and she stood there and stared at him the entire time.  He noticed her but wasn't quite sure why she was staring at him so intently.  He didn't understand her internal struggle. 

 Up next, a fun video of Daniel juggling.  He is actually pretty good. 

 I can't remember if I have posted this picture but Daniel and I went to the State capitol.  It is such a cool place and while there we remembered it is where Robert Carpenter works!  He met us for lunch and toured us around the back rooms where all the important people work.  It was very cool of him to take time out of his schedule.  Thanks Robert!  

 On another day, Daniel and I returned to the capitol to sit in on a committee meeting for SB65.  The resolution would provided further funding to enhance virtual education for high school students.  As I listened to the presentation I wasn't convinced they had a well written bill.  The woman behind be coaxed me to testify before the committee and tell them my thoughts.  I turns out the woman is the President of the Utah Education Association.  She liked me and gave me her card and asked me to contact her for anything I needed.  Who knew?  It was such a rush to be at the capitol.  I love teaching my kids about how the government works too.

Daniel and I were able to attend a partial showing of the ballet "Sleeping Beauty".  I wasn't sure if he was going to like it but we both enjoyed it and discovered there were parts of the ballet that were taking too long.  Apparently, Daniel and I are more alike than I thought and we both have a hard time sitting still for very long.  It was a wonderful experience and lunch at P.F. Chengs after was fun too.  Daniel and I have enjoyed some really fun outings since he started with the Utah Virtual Academy. 
Other events this month include a Valentine's Day party at our house for some other home school friends.  It turned out to be very fun and when the other two got home from school they joined in as well.  We decorated sugar cookies, played find the hearts, and made old fashioned valentine's.  Daniel even gave a little lesson the history of Valentine's Day! 

Daniel and I went to the Hill AFB Aerospace Museum this month too.  It was so cool to see all the aircraft.  Daniel learned about flying airplanes and about the history of the planes used in all the wars.  Daniel also got to fly a couple of the simulators they have in the kid's explore section. 

Playing Catch Up

I have finally come up with some time to sit down and catch up on pictures and journaling since being stricken with a type of food poisoning called Shingella.  It is insidious and you don't overcome it easily.  I will let you look it up because describing the effects of Shingella is pretty gross.  I think I will still be tired for some time but happy to be able to leave the house when I want.

 I have been working on perfecting my french bread.  The key to a good french bread is steam.  I have to spray it with water throughout the baking process but it is worth it in the end.  I would love a commercial steam blasting oven but the spray bottle is going to have to do for now. 

 Sarah enjoying the fruits of my labors. 

 These are blackberry window shortbread cookies I made for Christmas.  They are yummy and I could have eaten the entire batch myself.  I thought the little blackberry clamshells were cute containers to use to give the cookies out for gifts. 

  These are petite fours I made for a dessert contest at Alan's work.  I didn't win but I still think they turned out awesome.  They are devil's food cake coated in chocolate ganache filled with tart cherry filling.  Yum and very rich.

 Christmas Eve we usually let the kids open a present which is always pajamas.  You would think they would catch on by now. 

 What are these?  Oh, pajamas.  Thanks mom and dad.

Do they not look incredibly thrilled!  The funny thing is they wear them all the time now and love them more than all of their other jammies!

 Sarah got a Fashion Designer kit for Christmas.  She has been creating outfits ever since. 

 It came with all of these design you can create, the crayons and markers to color them,  even a portfolio to keep all of your designs in. 

She got that big bear too.  Jacob gave it to her.  What a little cutie pie!!

 Daniel has been up since 4 am.  The day has finally caught up with him.  He got a giant remote control Baja for Christmas and was out of his mind excited to play with it.  You can't tell from this picture of course, but he was all smiles this year.

Jacob got his own phone for Christmas and spends most of his time taking pictures and videos with it rather than using it as an actual device for communication.  I love that I can get a hold of him now when I need to and he loves the extended freedom he has because he is only a phone call away.

We have been doing a minimum of activities since then and trying to really spend some quality time together as a family.  We have spent so much of our lives really busy and involved in so many things.  I takes away from the family unit really growing together.  At the end of the day, I love knowing my kids would rather be home with Alan and I than anywhere else in the world by themselves. 

Christmas and New Year's

The holiday season came and went too fast this year.  It does every year but for some reason we all stand around lamenting the irony of how long it lasts and that is has come and gone so quickly.  I am sure the day you start noticing time warps is the day you officially become a grown up.  Life moves quickly. 
We had a very small yet meaningful Christmas this year.  It was the smallest we have ever had but the kids each got the one thing they really wanted and some great food.  What more could you ask for.  We were able to teach them about the deeper meaning of the holiday through fun family activities and opportunities to serve others. 
New Year's came quickly too and my parents came to visit us for the week.  For me it was particularly horrible because I contracted some unknown virus that laid me out for the week.  I really didn't get to spend time with my parents because I fluctuated between bouts of fever and unconsciousness coupled with way too much time in the bathroom.  It was the sickest I have ever been and I am not bouncing back well either. 
My sweet little Sarah came down with it too.  Thankfully it was a milder case but she has been just miserable too.  No one else was afflicted and for that I am thankful.  We spent a nice chunk of our grocery money on doctor visits and medicine.  Oh well, that is why we have some food stored up. 
I hope we are able to have a better visit with my parents next time we are together.  I really don't ever need to be sick again.  That did it for me for my life.  They did say they enjoyed taking the kids to do fun things while Alan stayed home to make sure he was there to catch me when I passed out.  It is a miracle he didn't catch this thing.  It is the curse of moms to get sick just when we have a chance to slow down!
Jacob got a sinus infection and missed New Year's along with the rest of us.  He was so upset when I told him he was staying up late on the wrong day.  I told the kids as soon as everyone was back to their healthy selves we would have a New Year's celebration with yummy food and everything.  The only problem I am having is where I can get a hold of some poppers. 

The 12 Days of Christmas

Every year Alan and I fill 12 nesting boxes with family activities the kids get to take turns opening every night until Christmas Eve.  It is usually a fun activity and the kids really look forward to it.  This  year has been somewhat difficult because we officially have a teenager in the house that is not only unimpressed with just about everything we do but equally busy with his own life.  You are supposed to raise your children to be independent and self sufficient but it makes us old parents feel so good when they gush a little bit about the things you do for them.
So far the boxes have been pretty basic.  We read Christmas stories and drank hot chocolate.  Only Daniel and Sarah and I got to do this one because Alan and Jacob were busy with their stuff.  We had a fun time curled up on the couch reading from our collection of Christmas stories.  We only get these  books out at Christmas time and I always find the kids huddled by them throughout the Christmas Season reading through them all and reliving their younger years.  Even the big one still likes them!
We always make a new ornament for our tree but it didn't go over very big this year.  They really weren't interested because the paint wasn't good enough.  Funny thing, we left it on the school table and they keep coming back to their ornaments each day to work on them.  I guess they really did like the activity.

We took the neighbors gifts and yesterday went to Temple Square to see the lights.  Alan and I thought it would be fun to take the high speed train down and it was fun.  The kids thought using the bathroom on the train was the funnest part!  What is it about bathrooms and kids?  They always want to see the bathrooms.  The trip was mostly fun.  In between cries of "I'm tired", and "I'm hungry".  Riding the train is always fun and when we got there and saw how packed it was, we were glad we didn't drive and have to try and find a parking space.

 

We all got a kick out of standing between cars on the TRAX trolleys because the circle moved when we turned corners.  It was a fun ride.  When we got off the train riding the TRAX system was included with our train tickets within the Temple Square district.  So it made getting around really easy.  From suburbia to the urban jungle! 

 

Daniel was playing with some of the big toys at the Children's Museum.  They have some pretty fun things to manipulate there. 

We walked around the Gateway outdoor mall area and took the kids to the planetarium.  There was a group of people standing on one corner giving out free hugs for Christmas.  People were kind of ignoring them so Alan hugged one of them.  It was a good effort to try and spread some love for the holidays.  Don't you love how thrilled they look?  My headband is really doing nothing for me either.  It is 20 years old, perhaps I should retire it now.  The planetarium is playing Tron on the IMAX in 3D.  The kids wanted to see it so bad!  Maybe another day.  

 

We headed off to temple square after the mall and walked around after getting a yummy treat at the Cafe inside the Joseph Smith Memorial building.  The kids wanted to get pictures with Joseph and Hyrum.  

 Walking around.....

Walking around some more.  

The reason for our trip.  It was beautiful!  We were sitting outside in a courtyard waiting for the lights to come on and then wow, they all came on at once.  It was magical.  And there are millions of them.  It was amazing!

We took a break in the tabernacle before heading home.  The kids were done with pictures by this time and the thrill of the trip had worn off.  We stopped to see the guy playing bagpipes before loading ourselves on the train to come home.  There should always be a guy playing bagpipes at any community event.  It just makes the trip worth it!

 

Going home.  

I suppose this will be one of those things the kids talk about later and remember as being fun.  Alan and I had fun anyway!