Tuesday, February 22, 2011

Forest and Snow Days

So Ashley had her first project due this week. I knew it was coming and we kind of started but then put it off for awhile...then I looked at what she needed to do and we kicked it into high gear. 5 paragraphs, title page, bibliography and diorama including at least 3 plants and 3 animals in her biome and their adaptations.

The diorama was her idea...I just helped her make it happen.




She painted a backdrop and we looked for household stuff and old craft supplies to make her Forest.


Voila!

We have a Ponderosa pine with a flying squirrel (she used a paper towel role). Her idea to make a bench and have a bear eating out of a trash can (a mini plastic cup). A fox..another tree...the main thing was she was happy with how it turned out.




More dog tragedies....the squeakers are coming out...don't know if thats necessarily a bad thing...


Ashley actually found a tooth the other day...I think there is only one or two more teeth hanging on...I don't know if all the stuffing in all her toys will make it until then ...



Taylor officially started track practice this week. He was surprised that they didn’t call his name at roll call. When he was running and met up with the girls he found out why…they called off his name on the girl’s roles. "See Mom I told you guys you gave me a girls name" Sorry Taylor.


At the parent meeting for track Coach Corona was telling everyone about having Jeff in high school and he kept saying “And now I have his daughter on the track team” (because his name was still on the girl’s roles) It wasn’t until afterward that met Taylor and apologized.

Taylor says Coach Corona is a little rougher around the edges than the cross country coaches...I guess he yells a lot through the megaphone...lots of cuss words and when Taylor tried to approach him about something he said "I don't know who in the he## you are!" Guess he didn't remember he was Jeff's son :)

On Friday there was a huge rainstorm. Doesn't stop them from running though...


Taylor came home soaked, except for his back which was dry from the shoulders down. (Probably because they are running into the rain.



So I've been trying to be good about working out and eating better. It always seems to start out good....

Like I made the family cinnamon rolls for breakfast....



while I eat my oatmeal instead.

Good intentions but some how, some time during the day I get off track and start slipping a few naughty foods in there.



Example we went to see tangled at the dollar movie (very cute) I actually brought myself an apple to eat instead of the candy. Very good until after the movie when I ate some left over chocolate.


Lets just say Valentines Day and a box of sees candy was not my friend this week. It didn't help that I've been a victim of my own cookie baking as well.

Well I'm ready for a new week :) 




Monday the kids were home from school and I wasn't in the mood to spend another day off cleaning, doing errands or just hanging around the house all day.

Jeff was up for coming home early if there was something to do...how about playing in the snow???

We always say we will do it every year and we never do. There never is any snow when we want to go, we aren't available when there is snow...we dont have snow gear...every excuse you could think of...but today was The Day.   We drove up to Wrightwood which isn't as windy as Big Bear and no chains required :)


 

While we were driving Jacob asked "Why is there snow on one side of the road but not the other?"

We told him "Its called shade, and sun."

"Oh."



We had Taylor and Jacob's friend Josh over for the day too so he came along. Come to find out later this was only the 2nd time he'd been in the snow. He had fun too.


As I was getting stuff ready to go I realized our lack of gear would probably make for a short, cold trip luckily I thought of Penney Vincent who just got back from their annual Idaho winter trip...they were a wealth of snow gear, in all sizes.

They outfit us all in boots and pants, gloves and toboggans. We were set thanks to the Vincents.

Jacob won the award for being the most covered up the whole time.



Ashley won the award for making me take her gloves, hat, and outer jacket off,

then on again,

then off again,

then on, over and over.




Taylor won the award for being the most fearless. He went over every kind of jump, flew down with no fear on every run. At first Jeff was stressing but in the end he was laughing with the rest of us.


Taylor was a little too good...our freshly purchased saucer only lasted 2 runs.


Getting ready to sled.








Josh getting some more sledding experience.



The down side was coming back up the hill...but Ashley never complained.


Ashley was my sledding buddy the whole day.


Daddy/daughter sledding.


While I was waiting for our turn to sled I looked up to see a rainbow in the clouds.

I thought it was some weird reflection in my glasses at first...so I took them off... 



It was still there. I think it was a cloud of ice crystals and with the sun shining through the whole cloud was a rainbow!

I've never seen anything like it before!



We finished the day with building a snowman.

Nice job guys.



A great day!



Everyone slept good last night! :)




And the winner of the most hills flown down, jumps taken and crashes is....




Taylor.


Too bad I didn't get a picture of him running into the stump.

Wednesday, February 16, 2011

Warning to mothers and fathers everywhere...

WARNING Teething Dog...

You'll never know what you'll find...




The ball that she like to just play with last week is now chewed to pieces in seconds...


Beware of purses left open on the couch...

One

By

One

I took these items out of her mouth ...

 wondering where she got them.





WARNING ...holes in plastic chairs tempt children doing homework to poke things into them.

Moms will be forced to operate to get the item out.

No matter how hard she tries the hole will become larger.




WARNING - When children say they want to do cute homemade valentines that require more than writing their name on them.

Don't believe them.

They will be tired after doing one...

you will be doing the rest alone.




Warning - Children will not always appreciate the craft item you are offering to make in class. No matter how well recieved it is by the rest of the class.

This was not appreciated because "It is NOT big enough to hold ALL the candy I am going to get."

You will have to promise the child to bring lunch sacks for the extra loot.





Warning - Don't mix up the type of enchilada sauce your family likes to eat.

My family likes mild ONLY.

I accidently used HOT sauce that was sitting in the garage.

It was probably in the garage because I had bought the wrong one.

If you do dinner will be served with lots of sour cream, bread, 1/2 your milk and lots of laughing at you and with you by the family members. (luckily they were good sports)




WARNING - If your teen wants to host a party prepare to do 1/2 the cleaning you would do for a normal party (it will get undone in minutes and they don't notice it anyway) and only put out 1/2 the food...they won't eat it. (Unless it's within reaching proximity and they don't have to get up).

The good thing is your teen will appreciate how hard it is being a host and will appreciate you more and feel responsible to pick up their friends' messes.

Warn your teen who wants to host a party that 4 hours is too long...



Fun video games are a must...


that get everybody involved...






and lastly to plan games where you won't be the butt of all the jokes.

Quote "It was funny the first time...but after that it got annoying"





Warning to parents hosting teen parties...feeling like your hovering is OK. Feeling like the party is going fine and looking down from upstairs every so often doesn't cut it..because the later it gets...


the sillier they get.



Let's just say, lock up your toilet paper.






WARNING - You can plan the most fun activities for a Dad and son outing (because the other children are occupied) and...


your son might not be excited about it no matter how fun it is...


until Dad says he can invite a friend.



So he'll think its pretty cool and enjoy it...






as long as there are snacks involved.



 



WARNING - When you get the inclination to make grandma's homemade sugar cookies for Valentines Day don't make 4 batches at once.

It's messy and takes hours to finish.


Also don't expect family members who only like chocolate chip cookies to be very excited about them.





Warning - to Moms who spend all Sunday evening making sugar cookies thinking your son would like to bring some to seminary the next day. Don't be dissapointed when they are not taken.

"He's good" he says. (meaning he doesn't want them) 

Even if you try 3 times he'll decline.

He says the kids in his class don't care.




WARNING - to parents who go to our elementary school. When trying to sign in at the office to go to the class party you will be told that the principle has JUST decided that she is postponing all class parties for an extra 35 minutes because she doesn't want to interfere with instructional time.

Your options will be to drop off your items and go or sit and wait.

What choice to you have when your room mom?

Eat lunch before you go so you aren't extra irritated at this news.





Warning - just know that the teachers will not know anything about this new decision and will think you aren't coming and will start the party without you.

When you walk in the room they will all be full.



Your plate of cookies that took hours to make will look like this when those who want them are done taking them.

The ones that do take them will throw them into the trash uneaten.



Warning - When trying to recreate Valentine memories that you thought were special as a child realize that they might not be as appreciated by your crew now. So take all the extra cookies and give them away to all your neighbors and anyone else that you can think of.





Warning - While trying to give Valentine cheer to everyone else realize that family comes first. Your husband will not appreciate the fact that you "don't really know" what you want to make for dinner after a long day when he's gone out to 5 stores to get you all your Valentine goodies in between working and doing all he had to do.



Warning - Marry a good husband that comes home after a long day and pitches in to help you make dinner, clean up and help the kids get to bed even if he might be a little dissapointed on your lack of preparation and has a migraine.

Now thats true love!