A Little Taste of Hogsmeade in Utah

Universal Studios set up a little tiny Hogsmeade in the mall down in Sandy.  I have been wanting to go and today was the last day it was going to be open.  Jake couldn't miss school, but the others could, so I hopped in the car with them and we went to Sandy.  We met my mom and nieces down there.

Allie expected Harry Potter world, so she was disappointed, but I thought it was fun.  The boys loved the mini quiddich game.

They all checked out wands in Olivanders.

We even bought a little bit of candy to take home to Jake.  It was fun to see some HP stuff, but it didn't take long to see it all, so we went across the highway to the Aquarium.  I'll have pictures of that place in another post.  We had to rush home for parent teacher conferences, but it was a really fun day.  The kids were good and everyone was happy.  Jake loved his chocolate frog and I have a new jar of candy for the Harry Potter shelf.  Wins all over the place.

100 Days!

This cute boy is 100 days smarter!  He has gone to school for a hundred days! 

Conversation at the Dinner Table...

We got into a conversation about Presidents of the U.S.  The kids were asking me who was president when I was a kid, discussing who was the best president, assassinations, and all sorts of things.  Here's the funny part...

Allie:  When my kids ask me who was president when I was a kid, I'll tell them "Donald Trump" (said in a funny voice)

We all laughed at her funny voice.

Jason: (when people laugh, he always tries to extend the joke).  He heard Allie say her line about Donald Trump in a funny voice, so he imitated the funny voice and said, "when my kids ask me who was president, I'll say 'Goofy Trump'"

He slapped his forehead and then said "I mean Donald".

He was getting Donald mixed up with other friends from the Micky Mouse Clubhouse.


...It's an easy thing to confuse...

Fully Armed

The boys are really into fighting.  There are battles every day.  I have told them that I don't care if they fight, but if they choose to fight, I also don't care if they get hurt.  It doesn't seem to stop them from fighting, or getting hurt.  And, as much as I say I don't care if they get hurt, I really do care and the chaos of the fight can drive me up the wall when I'm trying to make dinner or something.  It really would be nice if we had a noise proof room with padded walls.  I'd close them in there and let them fight all they wanted.  

A light saber and gun...what more do you need?

Sweet Sis

A little while ago, Jake and I spent a few hours working on a particularly hard math assignment.  He was really tired and just done with thinking, so I told him to go to bed and that I'd learn the stuff and teach him in the morning.  He was worried that he wouldn't be able to fall asleep with it looming over his head.  I reassured him as best as I could and he went to bed.  I really did stay up late and learn the stuff and then woke him up early so I could show him what I had learned.  He went to school with his homework finished and was relieved.  Later on that day, I went into his room to drop off some clean clothes and I found this on the floor in the middle of the room.

His sweet sister had made him a little sign because she knew he was stressed out.
Sisters are pretty awesome.  I hope he realizes what he's got in her.

A Mighty Hunter

Jake's school had parent teacher conferences, so he was able to miss school on Friday.  I was doing the dishes and saw that a family of deer were heading down the hill into our yard.  As I always do, I asked Jason to come and scare them off.  He runs onto the deck and starts yelling "Hey! Get out of our yard!" The deer, as always, just stand there and stare at him as he yells at the top of his voice.  

This time, Jake said "wait!  let me scare them off".  I expected him to yell too, but I looked out to see this...

BB gun target shooting.

Before you get sad and feel bad for the deer, we've done that for years and they don't even seem to mind a stinging bum.  They just saunter on their way.  I used to like the deer, but the herd that live in our canyon are a nuisance all year round and I just don't mind if they ever come through my yard again.  So maybe they'll think twice and remember the boy with the BB gun next time they come over....doubt it. 

Cinderella

Somehow, one shoe got left out of the dress up box and has been kicking around the house for a few days.  Allie came up wearing it and said she couldn't believe it used to fit her.  

Now, instead of Cinderella, she is one of the sisters who had to cram their foot into the shoe.

However, for this Cinderella, it's a perfect fit.

Cousin Time

The cousins were moving, so we offered to hang out with the two youngest ones on moving day.

The boys had Nerf gun wars and built Legos.

Allie was excited to have a girl to dress up with and do hair.

She doesn't always need girls...

...sometimes a brother will do...

I wish Allie could have had a sister, but cousins are a great fill in.  We are so glad they are moving closer to us.  It's not like they were far away before, but now they'll go to the same schools and ride the same bus.  We are lucky for sure.

Fresh Powder

We got some new snow last Saturday.  It's been a really bad year for snow.  

As little as there is, it's still fun to play in.  Nate spent quite a while out there on Saturday with our buddy Finn. They are small enough that the hill behind our house is a big hill for them and they have fun trekking up and sliding down.  I love winter!

Haircut Night

All the boys were looking pretty straggly, so we had a haircut party.  We had to move the party indoors now that it's cold.  I usually cut their hair on the front porch.  I've been cutting their hair for years now and I'm getting better every time.  

I didn't get "after" pictures because they all rush off as soon as they are cut to wash off in the shower.  None of them like to have hair all over themselves and I still haven't learned how to cut hair and keep most of it off them.  It is a skill.
I have saved some cash over the years with my clippers.  I wonder how long they'll put up with me cutting their hair.  Jake still doesn't mind.  :)

Sunday Fort

Yesterday, the kids had a fort.  Allie got the boys together and made a lovely hide out.

I think Allie gets sad that Jake doesn't play with them anymore.  She told me she wished he would.  She told me he was napping.  She can't understand who could nap when there are forts to be made.

They played in there for a few hours.  When I gathered the kids for a picture, Jason smacked his face on the corner of a chair and now he's got a shiner.  He smiled for the picture though.  :)

But when it was time for dinner, we needed the chairs at the table, so they wrecked it pretty fast.

I'm so glad Allie organizes fun play for the boys.  They like to have Nerf gun wars with Jake and constructive play with Allie.  It's all fun and I'm glad they have great siblings to play with.

Buddies

These guys are great pals.  They have very similar personalities, so they get stubborn about something and neither one gives in...ever...but they seem to have found a good rhythm. 

Hardly a day goes by when they don't see each other now. 

I am grateful for good friends.

A False Alarm

Nate sometimes feels left out.  Right now, he feels a bit left out when people talk about losing teeth.  There are a lot of teeth falling out in first grade and Nate hasn't lost one.  At our last dentist appointment, the dentist told him that he'd lose a few soon.  He does have a loose tooth, so one night, we tried to pull it.  I took the before pictures because I was afraid my cute little Nate boy would lose his cute little baby tooth smile... 

It was a false alarm.  I couldn't get the tooth to come out.  Allie (who has recently lost 5 teeth) tried to pull it too.  It just wasn't ready.  We even asked my dentist brother to give it a yank when we were at my mom's for Christmas.  He said it wasn't wiggly enough.  I think he was just trying to avoid being the uncle who scares little kids with his tooth pulling skills.

So, for now, Nate's still got all his baby teeth.  I'm certainly happy with it, but he isn't.  He isn't like Allie though (she attacks a tooth the second it is the least bit wiggly and gets that thing outta there), so it might stay in there a lot longer. 

So Big

I'm still trying to adjust to the new resolution of taking more pictures.  It's been quite a few nights where I realize I still haven't taken one.  That was the case this night.  Mike was out of town and I let Jason fall asleep on my bed, and as I moved about the house doing the things I do when the house was quiet, I found myself walking by him several times and wondering over how big he was on my bed.  This kid is growing up!  Since he is my baby, I seem to be watching it and paying attention more than I did with the other kids.  He is just getting so big!  When he creeps into my bed, he doesn't just sneak in unobtrusively anymore.  I know he's there because he's huge!  He takes up a whole lot of space.

Sleeping kids are the best though.  I love seeing them completely unaware of anything but their dreams.
Sleep is great.  Jason is great.  Life is great.

Date Night

Nate's turn for a date was on Monday night.  We've still been going strong with the dates, although the kids are still in a 7-11 Slurpee rut.  They see their siblings come home with a Slurpee and it is all they think about in the weeks before it's their turn again.
I had to go down to the church at 7 to set up for a funeral the next day, and luckily, Nate thought that would be a lovely date.  So he came with me.

He is a great little helper!

Of course, after we set up, he wanted a Slurpee.  Then, he came home and made his siblings jealous, so I don't see the Slurpee thing ending any time soon. 
Thanks for the help Nater Tot!

On another note, we've had 5 or 6 deaths since I've been in the RS.  It's crazy.  Our poor ward is dying out.

Church Stuff

My RS calling in church involves planning the activities.  We try to have one each month unless something else is planned.  This month's activity was a fun game that we were calling speed friending (like speed dating, but with friends).  We had cards with prompts for fun conversation.

We bought lots of candy and set up for 24...feeling very optimistic.  

Only 2 people outside our presidency came.  Bummer.

We had a really great time though, and got to know each other in new ways.

Conversation on the way to preschool...

The Scene...
We drove by the home of a man in our neighborhood who just died...

Jason: That guy died.  So many people are dying right now that soon there won't be anyone to talk to!

Finn: My Grandma died.  My grandpa just walked in and found her dead, so he called the people and they came and took her to the cemetery and buried her in the ground.

Jason: Sam died.

Finn: They just found her dead and then got a casket and put her in the ground.

Jason: Sam got buried there too.

Finn: Where?

Jason:  The place you just said.

Me: (interrupting) Sam got buried in Spanish Fork.  I'm pretty sure Finn's grandma is buried in Salt Lake.

Jason: Do you know why it's called Spanish Fork?

Finn: Why?

Jason: Because some guy who spoke Spanish, dropped his gold fork and couldn't find it for a long, long, long time. 

(we pulled up to the school)

Jason & Finn: Bye Mom!!!  Bye!


These boys crack me up.  I love to listen to them talk.  The Spanish Fork story cracks me up because Jake told the boys some elaborate story about a Spanish guy who lost his fork and I have never corrected him.  Now, I guess we're passing pearls of wisdom to other people.  I wonder how old Jason will be when he realizes that the story of the Spaniard just isn't true.  At least it's funny.

Goodbye Little Hoglets...

 The little hoglets started to go to their new homes this week.  Since they've been upstairs for the last little bit, I have been watching them when they are active at night.  It's funny to see so many little hedgehogs in the cage.  When they get to wandering around and climbing over the top of each other, I could seriously watch for an hour without even knowing the time went by. 

 They really like meal worms, so I tossed some in and it was a feeding frenzy with Lola right in there getting the most. 

 After all the meal worms were gone, they started exploring, and it wasn't long before one of them found a way out of the cage...

 I sprinkled a few more meal worms out there and the others started to wonder if they should follow their noses too...

After this last one got out, I decided to end the party.  I had to break my rule of not touching the hedgehogs to get them all back in and put the cage top back on.

We are down to just the albino one now, and he is getting picked up tomorrow.  It's been another fun adventure (and profitable too), so I'm sure we'll have another set of babies one of these days.  I hope these little hedgies make other families happy.  Let them deal with all the poop now...