Reflections 2009

Both boys are going up to the next level for art they submitted to the Reflections program. We're super proud for they won 2 of the 5 places allowed to move up to the next level for the entire school. wahoo!!

I hate croup

Almost every year some of my boys get this. Vy and Lolo were down with it. Toki and I caught colds soon after. Often we end up at the doctors for ear infections or eye infections. This year we were able to work it out on our own. I used a steamer, lots and lots of tylenol, cold towels, and lots of rest. I usually end up holding them as they sleep which means no sleep for me all the while Chris is out of town. We survived though. I despise croup.

Random Stuff

Anybody else's kids do this. Their also back in their playing with marbles stage. Hours and hours of it and hundreds and hundreds of marbles.......using the books for contraptions and playing for keeps.

Projects

This week we've been working on this. Chris did all the complicated stuff. I just imagined what I wanted for my kitchen and whah la...a few days later.... And a lot of hectic days in between. We're also working on the cabinetry. Everything is done but the doors.




I'm super excited about what we're doing on the doors. Pictures to come.
I'm also dreaming of a back splash, range, and new counter tops. Maybe next year.

A few baby pictures I took

There are a few more I liked that I'll post up later.

Caleb William's tournament November 2009

The boys started up wrestling. Sorry for the poor quality of video...I need to find a new movie editing program. We weren't expecting much at Vy's first tournament but were happily surprised. Chris was his coach and was way more nervous and stressed out than Vy was. I've never seen Chris plan ahead this much for something.

Brothers

The boys told me that at 7pm (last night) there will be a show. Remember as a kid doing stuff like this?

What do you think?

A neighbor of mine wanted me to try and take some family pictures of them. This is some post editing stuff.


Same picture

I think this finished product is cute. But ya never know. Everyone has different tastes and computer screens. What might look good to me might not to anyone else. I added some grain to it. Chris thinks I should just use a cheap camera to do this effect. I was sort of offended ;0). I guess I like the retro look.

Here are a couple more

Childhood

Mom tells you put yourselves to bed and what do you do? Tuck yourselves into my bed. Nice. I guess I didn't give you specific enough instructions.

At 10pm last night I headed to my room to tackle the laundry that I've been washing all day. I was thinking about whether to crawl into bed under the pile or to actually fold and put it away. When I turned the corner, I found this instead. I was tempted to leave it as is but remembered I have a bed wetter and this situation could potentially ruin my morning.

Last minute Halloween

Some things we made at our party we hosted for my visiting teachees and teachers and their kids.

Lolo's first parade

Vy's Class

Toki at the parade

I'm surviving

being a "single mom." Chris has been traveling lots lately beginning with our trip to Jackson a couple weeks ago. Next week he'll be gone for a couple of days and then hopefully will be around more until busy season hits. At first I like having the nights off to do whatever I want spending lots of time playing with my photos and uploading them here. All guilt free. But towards the end of the week, having to do it all on my own, gets old..........the disciplining, the bedtime routine, the having to be at two places at one time thing. Instead of being gun ho about the list of things I have to do.........I start staring a lot at the things I have to do, instead of actually doing them. And then things start piling up and bugging me. And of course there's the loneliness. After a couple of hours of me time and no Chris around, I start missing the boys instead of enjoying the peace and quiet.

Things I'm grateful for:

I really enjoy the time we spend reading right before bed, sometimes even for a couple of hours. I don't want to imagine the day I won't have that time anymore.

The boys have been super helpful. They're really improving on doing chores including not whining about it. I'm trying to teach them that we all pitch in and we all have to learn to do a good job at what we do. They are amazing at cleaning my floors including that lovely puddle behind the toilet. I rarely ever have to anymore and now that they clean it, they haven't had as many misfires. :0)

We had parent teacher conferences this week and the boys are doing awesome. I was wondering about Vy's hyperactivity in class and asked his teacher about it and she said "I haven't noticed that." One interesting thing she said was, "He likes to hang out with the boys that are more timid and quiet, like he is." I just about fell out of my chair. Timid and quiet are not two words I would use for him. One of us has got him wrong :0) and it's not me. But, I think Vy has a cooperative nature to him and he also wants to do what is right or be pleasing. And having a handful of girls in his class who have been causing problems probably makes him look like an angel, which he can be. When I started volunteering in his class I was pleased to see him following instructions, SITTING STILL, and being quiet. Yay. As for Toki, it's always been the same....he's a good student, he adds something special to the class, he's respectful. Those things stand out more than his above average test results. And then there's Lolo. From his teacher....he's such a good kid, he's helpful, he listens, he cleans up, I'm proud of his progress. There ARE times I'm feeling good as a mom and I won't mention the other times ;0). But I think I just did.

Do I dare mention......good health. Just knocked on wood.

Good night.

On Halloween

We went to Strawberry to fish. The boys LOVED it. We also went trick or treating around our neighborhood, met Loyd, Angela and her sister and spouse at Wendy's for dinner. Then we headed back home to watch the Haunting in Connecticut. And I learned that Angela screams.

what sweethearts they all are





and just so I don't forget. Vy got 3 fish plus one more that got away just as we pulled it out. Lolo caught 2. Chris and Toki caught 1 each.

Geesh, talk about time consuming

But, playing with my photos and blogging are a hobby of mine . I did clean my van, mow the lawn, de-leafed my yard, cleaned out the garage, picked up the house, cleaned the kitchen, and my boys, cooked, read to them, oversaw their chores and homework, and we even finished yet another chapter in the scriptures before I plopped myself in this seat. Things were piling up and neglected and it was about time I did something about it.

I couldn't figure out how to get rid of the white edges and I don't know the code for the background color to blend it in with so I'm sadly left to post it as is. :0(