Camping 2009

Ideally I like to camp 2-3 times a year, but our Spring Break camping trip was rained out this year and the other church camp out we had to miss due to soccer games. So this was our big and only 2009 camping trip. Good thing it was a great trip.

We had great weather, cool nights and pleasant days! We had great friends make the trip with us. Just like last year, we camped together. Our kids have so much fun playing together and we eat and hang out. Friends make camping more fun. The biggest camping entertainment this year was the big dirt pit. There was a pretty big hole before our kids started making it bigger. Notice how it is big enough to have 2 of our kids standing inside of it. We had pool/spa builders hard at work and a very proud Papa. (who runs a swimming pool construction company for those who do not know.)

Tuesday was C's real birthday and her only request was orange cakes. They are a fun camping dessert. You cut oranges in half and eat the insides, then you fill one half empty peel with yellow cake batter and then put the other half peel on top. Wrap it in foil and cook them in the coals of the fire for about a long as you cook cupcakes. You do flip them halfway through the cooking time. Then let them cool and frost and eat them. They develop a great orangey flavor and are always a hit camping food. I love camping food like Smores, foil dinners,

By late Tuesday Mema and Papa made it and sometime in the night our other cousins came as well. So Wednesday was full of kids. More family came up just for the day as we celebrated Thanksgiving a day early. Cooking while camping takes longer, but we did pull off a great meal with turkey, ham and all the usualy trimmings. I enjoy camp cooking and made a Cherry/pineapple dump cake in the dutch oven for a dessert. Too bad it got cold so fast when the sun went down that dessert was over quickly and those coming up for the day soon left.

Fishing is always part of camping for us. Daddy takes the kids everyday. R was a star fisherman this time catching the most and biggest fish. He loved fishing with Daddy. But he also loved throwing rocks in the water with S and that scares the fish away for everyone else trying to fish from the pier so Mommy gets the fun job of corraling kids and entertaining little ones during the 2+ hour fishing trips. Daddy gets the fun job of dealing with 5 or more kid fishing poles that need a worm, or get stuck, or need a fish off. Keeps him busy. Most of the kids can put worms on themselves and R & S liked getting the worms out and watching them. Or they would stick they hand in the minnow bucket to grab the little bait fish. Thus Mommy stays busy too. But we do enjoy it.

There were 3 negative things on the trip that we will always remember. Robert ended up getting an ear infection. At least it was the night before we went home so he enjoyed every day but the packing day. Raccoons got into our cooler one night and ate whatever was in the top tray.....sandwich meat, butter, cheese mostly. And on Wed night our van decides to break again. 2 weeks ago a belt broke on the way home from church and the van stopped. It was a relatively easy fix. This time the ignition broke. It has given us some trouble off and on for a few months.

This time Toby had driven up to the restroom for T to take a shower and when they tried to drive back....the key would not turn. Toby spent a few hours taking things apart and trying to make it work. He contacted a locksmith in town and he would not be able to come or get the part until Friday so Toby broke what he needed to so we could start the car with a screwdriver. Something he learned as a cop who has investigated stolen cars. Who knew that starting your own car without a key would come in handy! So we drove home using a screwdriver as a key. We were able to get a new ignition key put in on Friday and it did not cost a fortune thank goodness.

Camping memories are great whether good or bad. But mostly camping is about being together away from the TVs, computers and distractions of life. You get to talk and enjoy nature. See what God has created in the beautiful world around us. We saw deer, raccoons, possums, birds, bugs, and beautiful water and scenery. We are blessed with so much and are truly thankful for all of God's creations that surround us.

C's 11'th B-day

C had another birthday and all she wanted to do was a sleepover party. Sleepovers are not my favorite thing. It leads to really grumpy kids the next day (and sometimes a grumpy Mom as well) But it is what she wanted so we invited friends over had pizza and movies. We had a good number of friends come, but only about half stayed the night. After eating we played Scattergories, then had cake and did presents. C actually decorated her own cake this year. She did pretty good.

I got C a chair for the desk in her room....the catch, it is a used chair and she gets to paint it however she wants. She likes artsy stuff and was excited to have this project to do. I also got her some clothes.

We started the movie Up (very cute) early enough so that those who would have to leave should be able to see most of it. While watching the movie the girls took the tissue paper from the presents and made lots of paper flowers. After that movie we watch Annie....a favorite of mine from growing up. The kids really seemed to like it. It finished after midnight and I then sent my older sons to bed (one limit for them on the party was they did not get to sleep with the girls downstairs). I turned off the TV and most of the lights expecting the girls to talk and giggle and slowly drift off to sleep. That happened for a few of them. I went to bed and Dad stayed up on the computer for awhile listening to them. He finally came to bed at 3 am with 3 girls still awake. I heard them at 4 am....they had turned on the main room ligtht and were about to start a project which C had gotten. I put my foot down....turn off the lights and go to bed. There were girls sleeping and they did not need the light on. Then everyone when to bed. Only to awake a few hours later...a little 3 year old brother was first and he soon had them all awake....except one sleepy head girl who obviously slept very deeply.

After a breakfast of Scrambled eggs and cinnamon bread, they all played some more until they had to go home. I spent the morning cleaning up and tried to get a nap....that was only a dream. It was a fun party and I had a happy girl at the end. Glad we only do friend parties every other year so I have 2 years before facing another one!

Field Trips, Homework, and Scouts

Lets start with field trips. C went to the Natural Science museum downtown and I went as a chaperone. Leading 9 kids through the museum was a lot of fun. So much stuff to see, touch and do in a short amount of time. I had to get some dino pics to bring home to the twins who are dino fanatics right now.

We could have had more time if the school buses did not take the long way. Trip took 1 hour and 20 mins with no bad traffic. My tummy was pretty upset by the time we got there, with all the lovely bouncing and stop and go.

That was the first friday of Nov and the second Friday I went with the 3rd graders and T's class to the FACE field trip. It combined and opera, art museum and library experience. I am not a fan of opera, usually because I can't understand the words through the songs, but this one was well done. It was a good children's story with humor and animated singer/actors. I liked it alot and understood 90% of what was sung. They did ag reat job explaining the paintings to the kids and how they are preserved and cared for. But the library scavenger hunt was not great, maybe it is because I have been to that library since the first month it opened and know all I need to about it. It was kind of fast walking the kids through it. But overall it was still a fun trip. One added bonus. I drove myself. I had to get back home prior to Toby leaving for work...one twin had been sick and we could not easily do a sitter. I left just as they were preparing to load the buses so I really only missed the bus ride. Forgot my camera for this trip.

The sick tummy bug....A, S, R then I got it one week. Then only 1 week later S & R both got it again. I am sick of waking in the night and cleaning up(hate this part) and caring for little ones. Let's hope we are done with it now! On top of that, my washer broke cleaning one of those sick loads. I know it was struggling the last month or so. Toby's diagnosis seems hopeful. I bought the $20 part he told me to get and Monday he will hopefully get it all fixed. I am grateful for a handy man Husband!

Homework, a fun subject. Actually this was a fun story for us and definitely a learning experience. C had to make a model of the earth showing the layers and depicting landforms. She wanted to make it out of jello or pudding. I squashed those ideas because both of them would need refrigeration and not be stable. She then decided on the frosting I use on gingerbread otherwise known as Royal Icing. It dries rock hard. So we make a small batch and she colors some for the core, mantel and crust. She makes the core, we let it dry, repeat with mantel and crust. The plan was to make it on cardboard then remove the cardboard to revel the layers. We went about cutting between the cardboard and frosting. C did it at first and had some small cracking, then I gave it a try and it gave way..... Houston we have a problem!

What to do??? We tried piecing it back together but the crust did not look right. We ended up making a new batch of frosting to repair the crust. We were able to salvage the inner layers. We changed the plan to cutting away a portion and leaving the earth attached to the cardboard. I think it looked good in the end. We were even discussing that we learned alot about earthquakes and how the crust reacts. How landforms are made...such as earthquakes...were part of the explaination she had to give to the class when she presented it. So she took some of the broken crust peices in to demonstrate what happens. Her teacher told her she did a good job. I am just greatful this all happened at 6 pm and not at or after bedtime! We had time to make the needed repairs.

I took these pictures today and wanted to add them. We went to a Cuboree today and T and A both had a chance to shoot BB guns for the first time. They also enjoyed the compass course and pumpkin bowling among other things. T loves scouts and A can't wait to start.

It's Halloween time

Halloween is here again. We did the usual carving pumpkins and spent time with family for Halloween night and trick or treating. I just wanted to share a few pictures to remember it by. That is easier said than done. I have a little one who does not like group shots....see his quick get away. I could post several of this variety of him making a group shot hard to achieve. I simply ask him to sit next to his twin for a picture together and he would run off.
And notice one more of those fun things Daddy teaches. After he showed them how, each of his boys had to try it too.

Halloween was fun. The twins really got it this year and were excited to dress up and would eagerly ask Trick or Treat. That was so unlike last year when one spent a good deal of time crying over having to wear a costume. Then he was frightened by his cousin's scary costume and would not let go of me and barely opened his eyes for 30 mins or more. So this year was much better and very enjoyable for the family.

Hopefully the candy will be gone fast...I'm certainly already tired of empty candy wrappers laying around! But if it is not chocolate my little guys do not like it which makes the candy goes really fast, one lick then in the trash or on the floor.

This time is was apples

I have a great husband who is full of suprises. He loves us very much and always finds ways to bring a little more joy into our lives. Just this week he decided he was going to make me dinner, which is a great treat. What mom doesn't like a break from that chore. He made a great pork roast on the grill with sides. But the bigger surprise was that he got the stuff to make caramel apples with the kids for dessert. He is always doing stuff like this.

He would much rather bring flowers home, just because than for any holiday. When he brings me some, he always gets some for his daughter too. He finds something cool and will buy it for the kids. Of course he is a big kid himself so they all have fun together. Whether it be bounces on the trampoline or taking the kids fishing he makes moments his kids will always remember. And it is nothing over the top, just special I love you moments. And we cetainly love him!!!

Fun with 2 little boys

Is 3 the best age for little boys??? I am enjoying my boys more at this age than any before. They have good vocabularies and great imaginations so I never know what to expect. Right now they just eat information up.

What has been really fun is doing preschool with them. We got a small group together, just my 2 boys, their cousin and a friend. We meet just once a week and rotate houses. We teach basic preschool stuff.....thank you internet because there is such great ideas out there that it really seems easy to prepare stuff. Each week we have a letter of the week and base some of the lessons and activites around that.

Today was the letter E at my house. We started by singing the ABC song and introducing the letter E its name and sound. Then we read a book My E Sound Box followed by an egg hunt. Now I was not trying to confuse holidays but we did search for plastic Easter eggs using the Halloween buckets which I got out just yesterday. The kids had fun. Inside those eggs was not candy but little papers with E pictures (thanks internet again I did not have to draw them) We played a matching game with them. Then for snack hard boiled eggs. We ended up talking during snack time about which animals lay eggs.

Then after snacks we did switch to elephants. We played and sang Elephant on a tight rope. We talked about how big elephants were as I measured and weighed the kids. Then we put together some paper elephants and read an Elmo story. It was lots of fun to see the kids enjoying it so much. I love teaching them. I love that all my kids love to learn and read and I have been their first teacher, teaching each how to read before they entered school.

I love that these boys stop me now when they see a letter they know. During soccer practice tonight we talked again about what animals lay eggs. They remember. When I was getting snack ready today, S said "Cookies". No that was the last lesson we did on the letter C when we cut out sugar cookies. Things I do now they will remember, and they will remember that their mom played with them, worked with them, and most of all loved them.

I will always enjoy enriching my kids lives whether it be teaching them how to read, how to swim, how to sew, how to cook, or any other skill. I have plenty of work to do to teach these precious children how to be good people, caring, considerate and responsible. That is a big job and one that I will do my best.

September so far....

Things have been busy this month but I wanted to catch you up on what is important so far. The very end of Aug T got his wolf in cub scouts. We have several birthdays in Sept. My brother, Dad, and our T. T had a special golden birthday. He turned 9 years old on 9-9-09! So of course we had to have his party that day, even if it was a Wednesday and a school night.

I wish I had more summer birthdays, because having a swimming party at Mema's is fun and easy. The kids always enjoy the water. On this day it had rained most of the day but finally stopped about an hour before the party. So the air was not warm but is was muggy, no sun was out and the water was a little cool, but they kids all seemed to have a great time. Especially the birthday boy!

Other things keeping me busy has been volunteer coordinating. I had to do open house and a volunteer coffee meeting. Now I have most all of the forms I have been at the computer for hours typing and organzing the volunteers. Think most of that is done.

We have also had 3 dentist appointments and the soccer season has started again. Lucky me, 2 practices on 3 different nights, but the kids have friends on their teams so I will endure it for a short 2 months. Just gotta get dinner on the table at an early time.

And the biggest thing for me was the culmination of all of my summer training. I competed in my first triathlon. A 300 yd swim, 10 mile bike ride and 3 mile run. It was a fun activity that our ward Relief society put together. It kept me active all summer when I would have been tempted to sleep in with the kids! How did I do. I finished!!! That was my main goal.

I was first at the end of the swim, because I am a swimmer! I was last in the biking. I think could have done better with a bigger bike. My bike tires were smaller than all the others because I am a short person and bought this bike to fit me a few years ago. During a practice bike ride on the course the week prior I noticed that I was having to peddle twice as much but not going as far as my friends. I figured out then it was due to the bike size but I did not want to switch bikes and ride Toby's since I had not trained on it and it was not as comfortable to me.

I power walked the run and finished last. Something that was confirmed with me as I trained. I hate to run. My body does not like it and prefers less jarring exercise like swimming and biking. So I knew starting the race I would not run or jog, but I would walk my steady pace. I am proud of what I accomplished. Will I do it again???? Maybe??