Yeah, so I'm a bit behind, but I really can't help it. Or maybe I can, and I just don't want to. Either way, the sun has now set on the boys' third day of school. And, it didn't kill them. Not that I wanted it to "kill" them, it was just so exciting that I really did think they would explode from it all. But, they didn't.
So far they're enjoying their new school and their classes. Ryan has two of his friends in his class, so they pretty much hang together all the time, but he's making an effort to make some new friends. In any case, he's made one and he's so very proud of himself.
Ethan, on the other hand, claims he hasn't made any new friends (he only knows one person in his class, and she's a GIRL!), but that he's fine with playing by himself at recess. Which is fine by me, if he's fine with it. I'm sure he interacts with the other kids in his class, and as long as they treat each other kindly, then everything is alright.
Vanessa is trying to adjust to having her brothers in school. Since school started, she's been asking, "What are we doing today?" Like the house isn't full of so many toys, games, books, etc. I've been trying to do some short preschool lessons with her, and they seem to be sinking in a bit. And, that's okay, since I have another year before she goes to kindergarten. We were going to put her in a preschool in my parents' neighborhood, but there wasn't enough interest so the teacher decided not to do it. So now I get to bug Nessa with "What letter is this? What sound does it make? Count to five! Now!" Okay, the last part, kidding. Besides, Ness would probably just roll her eyes at me anyway, lol.
And, Jeff? Well, he did have an ear infection along with a fever, which just made him the grumpiest little booger. Sleep and eating were a no-go for about two days, but because we "doped" him up with some Tylenol, the fever finally broke and he's not tugging at his ear anymore. And, oh how happy he's been since! You would never have known that just a day or two ago, this kid was sweating, feverish and screaming. Funny. isn't it?
I can't believe July is almost gone! Wasn't I just complaining that summer wasn't here yet? Oh, well. At least the kids are back in school.
Wednesday, July 30, 2008
Sunday, July 27, 2008
They're so excited!
Tomorrow is Ryan & Ethan's first day of school, and they are so excited! They didn't even put up a fight when I told them it was time to go to bed; they brushed their teeth and marched right on up to the room. Amazing!
We drove by the school just to make sure the boys knew where to go, and took them past the bus stop in the neighborhood. This year, since we're a bit farther from the new school (change of school boundaries), the kids in our entire neighborhood (as opposed to last year, where only one or two streets were eligible) will take the bus. Ethan really likes that idea.
I better get to sleep, too. It won't be good if I'm grumpy on the 1st day of school!
We drove by the school just to make sure the boys knew where to go, and took them past the bus stop in the neighborhood. This year, since we're a bit farther from the new school (change of school boundaries), the kids in our entire neighborhood (as opposed to last year, where only one or two streets were eligible) will take the bus. Ethan really likes that idea.
I better get to sleep, too. It won't be good if I'm grumpy on the 1st day of school!
Saturday, July 26, 2008
Happy Pioneer Day, Part II
Today started off a bit early; Ryan & Ethan came home from Papa & Tutu's (they sleep over on Friday nights; Vanessa will, too, but last night she wanted to come home) to decorate their bikes for the neighborhood's Pioneer Day Parade. They pretty much went all out with the red, white and blue decorations, which included flags, ribbons and gold medals. It was neat to see them get so creative.
At about 8:30 am we walked down to the neighborhood park, where the parade would begin. Before that, however, they had a pancake breakfast where the kids could get hyped up on sugar. They also had chocolate milk, orange juice, bananas and some yogurt, but the kids were all about the pancakes. And, syrup. Well, mostly the syrup, but the pancakes were devoured, too.
The parade started at 9am. The kids lined up and were supposed to follow one of the older kids around the block, but, yeah...that didn't happen. Soon, all the kids were ahead and the parents who had been walking with their kids (me, included; Ethan begged me to walk with him, then promptly left me in the dust!) were at the end. I made it back just in time to see Ryan get an award for Best Decorated Bike. Wohoo!
We hung around for a bit afterwards, then headed home, where Ryan proceeded to shoot his foam rocket launcher at me. Yeah, good times.
At about 8:30 am we walked down to the neighborhood park, where the parade would begin. Before that, however, they had a pancake breakfast where the kids could get hyped up on sugar. They also had chocolate milk, orange juice, bananas and some yogurt, but the kids were all about the pancakes. And, syrup. Well, mostly the syrup, but the pancakes were devoured, too.
The parade started at 9am. The kids lined up and were supposed to follow one of the older kids around the block, but, yeah...that didn't happen. Soon, all the kids were ahead and the parents who had been walking with their kids (me, included; Ethan begged me to walk with him, then promptly left me in the dust!) were at the end. I made it back just in time to see Ryan get an award for Best Decorated Bike. Wohoo!
We hung around for a bit afterwards, then headed home, where Ryan proceeded to shoot his foam rocket launcher at me. Yeah, good times.
Thursday, July 24, 2008
Happy Pioneer Day!
Today is Pioneer Day, a local celebration here in Utah. There's been tons of parades and celebrations, but, being the lazy butt that I am, we didn't really attend any. It's too dang hot. Well, for me, anyway. The kids? Doesn't phase them much.
So we took them to Mulligan's to play a round of miniature golf, where Vanessa likes to cheat. Okay, not intentionally. But, she knows he purpose of the game is to get the golf ball into the hole, so she puts her ball as close as she can to the hole and putts it in, lol. Scott and I were playing against each other, and wouldn't you know, we ended up in a tie.
We went to McDonalds for lunch afterwards, where the kids were let loose in the PlayPlace. This particular PlayPlace was a bit annoying, however, as there was some kind of game that made an annoying sound everytime someone scored. Which was often. Or the thing was broken. In any case, the annoying melody echoed in he cavernous area that is the play area. Luckily, I had some ice cream and apple pie to distract me from the noise, lol.
And now, here we are, back at home, being cooled off in the air-conditioned basement. The kids are begging to go swimming, but Jeff's taking a nap, so they have to wait. Oh, well. More time to relax and zone out in front of the tv.
So we took them to Mulligan's to play a round of miniature golf, where Vanessa likes to cheat. Okay, not intentionally. But, she knows he purpose of the game is to get the golf ball into the hole, so she puts her ball as close as she can to the hole and putts it in, lol. Scott and I were playing against each other, and wouldn't you know, we ended up in a tie.
We went to McDonalds for lunch afterwards, where the kids were let loose in the PlayPlace. This particular PlayPlace was a bit annoying, however, as there was some kind of game that made an annoying sound everytime someone scored. Which was often. Or the thing was broken. In any case, the annoying melody echoed in he cavernous area that is the play area. Luckily, I had some ice cream and apple pie to distract me from the noise, lol.
And now, here we are, back at home, being cooled off in the air-conditioned basement. The kids are begging to go swimming, but Jeff's taking a nap, so they have to wait. Oh, well. More time to relax and zone out in front of the tv.
Wednesday, July 23, 2008
What's the difference between an engine and a ladder firetruck?
Yeah, I didn't know there was a difference until today. Ryan, Ethan and I went to the local fire station today (with some other Cubs and their families) for a tour to complete one of Ryan's Cub Scouts requirements. We got to see where the firefighters slept, ate (their kitchen has 3 refridgerators; wohoo!) and basically spent the 24 hours they were on shift.
Our friendly tour guide Zack (who's one of the firemen and an EMT) showed us the firetrucks, which the kids oohed and ahhed over. So the difference between an engine and a ladder firetruck? A ladder firetruck has a - wait for it - ladder! Yeah, duh me! So if you're ever out and about and see a firetruck with no ladder, you can assume the words Engine (insert number here) is painted on it.
The kids were able to ask questions, which the firemen happily answered. And they actually got to climb into the trucks and see where they sat, and what they did with all the buttons and levers. Very high tech, and very different from when I was little and visited a fire station. Wait, did I just date myself?
We also went over to the school to see what classes the boys are in. And, for the third year in a row, Ryan is in the same class as his friend Ryan J. My Ryan is a bit disappointed that his friend Isaac isn't in his class, too, but he likes that they're at least on the same track this year. School starts on Monday, so the boys are now even more excited since learning who their teachers are and where their classrooms are.
And, me? LOL, I'm just happy that school is starting up again. Does that make me bad?
Our friendly tour guide Zack (who's one of the firemen and an EMT) showed us the firetrucks, which the kids oohed and ahhed over. So the difference between an engine and a ladder firetruck? A ladder firetruck has a - wait for it - ladder! Yeah, duh me! So if you're ever out and about and see a firetruck with no ladder, you can assume the words Engine (insert number here) is painted on it.
The kids were able to ask questions, which the firemen happily answered. And they actually got to climb into the trucks and see where they sat, and what they did with all the buttons and levers. Very high tech, and very different from when I was little and visited a fire station. Wait, did I just date myself?
We also went over to the school to see what classes the boys are in. And, for the third year in a row, Ryan is in the same class as his friend Ryan J. My Ryan is a bit disappointed that his friend Isaac isn't in his class, too, but he likes that they're at least on the same track this year. School starts on Monday, so the boys are now even more excited since learning who their teachers are and where their classrooms are.
And, me? LOL, I'm just happy that school is starting up again. Does that make me bad?
Friday, July 18, 2008
We love the pool man!
So the kiddie pool in our community FINALLY got fixed. Originally, it was supposed to have been fixed in June, but it was pushed back to just this last week. Apparently, when they built the kiddie pool, they didn't dig the pipes deep enough, so during the winter, they froze and broke. This isn't the first time it's happened. No, it's been happening since the pool first opened. Which would make you think that somebody would get a clue and fix the problem ASAP. But, no. It took the pipes breaking this last time to finally get someone to say, "Oh, yeah. Maybe we should take care of that."
Vanessa is very excited, as she had a blast last summer in the kiddie pool. After all, it's just the right depth for her AND it's also heated. No more blue lips and shivering, yahoo! And, Jeff's still getting used to the whole playing-in-the-water-without-it-being-a-bath thing, so this should be fun!
Unfortunately, we didn't go to the pool today, but you can be sure we'll be going tomorrow, and Monday, and Tuesday...well, you get the idea. We'll probably go swimming every single day until school starts. And then, everyday after school until the pool closes, lol. So yeah, we love the pool man.
Vanessa is very excited, as she had a blast last summer in the kiddie pool. After all, it's just the right depth for her AND it's also heated. No more blue lips and shivering, yahoo! And, Jeff's still getting used to the whole playing-in-the-water-without-it-being-a-bath thing, so this should be fun!
Unfortunately, we didn't go to the pool today, but you can be sure we'll be going tomorrow, and Monday, and Tuesday...well, you get the idea. We'll probably go swimming every single day until school starts. And then, everyday after school until the pool closes, lol. So yeah, we love the pool man.
Thursday, July 17, 2008
What's been going on?
Summer makes me lazy. And, busy. Mostly lazy. Who wants to be inside posting to a blog when there's too much fun to be had outside? I guess the answer is me. Then again, if I don't update, then I won't remember about any of the fun I just had, lol.
At the moment, Ryan is outside decorating our sidewalk with his artistic renderings. I haven't seen them yet, but my guess is that it's mostly about sports. He's been out there for quite awhile, so I'm guessing he's depicting the last few seconds of the NBA Finals. Maybe.
Vanessa and Ethan are at the neighbors house across the street. They're either 1) terrorizing the poor pet turtle that they have, 2) playing in said neighbor's gorgeous and fun-filled backyard, or 3) talking the neighbors' ears off with their non-stop chattering. Which the neighbors have said they don't mind, but that doesn't stop me from dragging their butts off back home to give the people a break, lol.
Jeff just woke up from a nap and is now happily playing with some toy. Ah, he chose the freaky pull-along bug that makes alot of noise. The makers of those kinds of toys are evil, I tell you! Genius, but evil!
Oh, and Jeff is also walking. He started cruising along the furniture las month and has now graduated to full-blown walking. It's starting to get easier for him, but sometimes he gets too excited and ends up falling on either his butt or his face. Poor kid.
And, his top teeth have finally broken thru, so he is ALOT happier now. And, so am I. This will last until, what...the next set decide to surface. Which, kowing our "luck" will be in the next couple of weeks, lol.
Other than that, nothing has been really happening. It's summer, after all. In fact, the kids are still in their pajamas. Yes, Vanessa and Ethan went to the neighbors', riding their bikes while in their pajamas. At least the neighbors get a kick out of them, lol.
At the moment, Ryan is outside decorating our sidewalk with his artistic renderings. I haven't seen them yet, but my guess is that it's mostly about sports. He's been out there for quite awhile, so I'm guessing he's depicting the last few seconds of the NBA Finals. Maybe.
Vanessa and Ethan are at the neighbors house across the street. They're either 1) terrorizing the poor pet turtle that they have, 2) playing in said neighbor's gorgeous and fun-filled backyard, or 3) talking the neighbors' ears off with their non-stop chattering. Which the neighbors have said they don't mind, but that doesn't stop me from dragging their butts off back home to give the people a break, lol.
Jeff just woke up from a nap and is now happily playing with some toy. Ah, he chose the freaky pull-along bug that makes alot of noise. The makers of those kinds of toys are evil, I tell you! Genius, but evil!
Oh, and Jeff is also walking. He started cruising along the furniture las month and has now graduated to full-blown walking. It's starting to get easier for him, but sometimes he gets too excited and ends up falling on either his butt or his face. Poor kid.
And, his top teeth have finally broken thru, so he is ALOT happier now. And, so am I. This will last until, what...the next set decide to surface. Which, kowing our "luck" will be in the next couple of weeks, lol.
Other than that, nothing has been really happening. It's summer, after all. In fact, the kids are still in their pajamas. Yes, Vanessa and Ethan went to the neighbors', riding their bikes while in their pajamas. At least the neighbors get a kick out of them, lol.
Sunday, July 13, 2008
Thursday, July 10, 2008
We're baaaaaack!
4 days of laundry are cluttering up the floor and the hallway of the laundry room, and I've already washed one load. So, just a few million more loads to go, right? Okay, maybe not. But that's what it feels like!
We got back from Bear Lake this afternoon, and I'm tired. Which is a given, I think. 3 hours in the car with 3 boys and a princess isn't doable unless you have a DVD player and lots & lots of DVDs to watch! Jeff is another story/ As long as he has someone to talk to you, he's great. His Po the Panda plush (from Kung Fu Panda) really got an earful, lemme tell ya.
This time we stayed in one of the cabins that the KOA campsite offers. It was small, but had enough room for all of us and our crap. It doesn't have its own private bathroom, which we didn't mind, because we were there to camp, after all. It had a nice, covered porch and a porch swinf, plus a fire pit and a picnic table. Sort of roughing it, but sort of not, y'know? There were nearby bathrooms with showers, and our own water spouts, plus a grocery store near the campsite for any "oops, i forgot that!" items. It also had lots of ice cream, which is a great plus.
We loved that the only thing we had to worry about was what activities we were going to do for the day. We split our time between swimming in the lake, swimming in the campsite's pool, playing miniature golf, tennis, basketball, jumping on the campsite's jumping pillow, riding bikes or....the list went on and on. And, wouldn't you know the kids wanted to do EVERYTHING? And we did. Ryan has the slight sunburn on his back to prove it, lol.
But, it's good to be home.
We got back from Bear Lake this afternoon, and I'm tired. Which is a given, I think. 3 hours in the car with 3 boys and a princess isn't doable unless you have a DVD player and lots & lots of DVDs to watch! Jeff is another story/ As long as he has someone to talk to you, he's great. His Po the Panda plush (from Kung Fu Panda) really got an earful, lemme tell ya.
This time we stayed in one of the cabins that the KOA campsite offers. It was small, but had enough room for all of us and our crap. It doesn't have its own private bathroom, which we didn't mind, because we were there to camp, after all. It had a nice, covered porch and a porch swinf, plus a fire pit and a picnic table. Sort of roughing it, but sort of not, y'know? There were nearby bathrooms with showers, and our own water spouts, plus a grocery store near the campsite for any "oops, i forgot that!" items. It also had lots of ice cream, which is a great plus.
We loved that the only thing we had to worry about was what activities we were going to do for the day. We split our time between swimming in the lake, swimming in the campsite's pool, playing miniature golf, tennis, basketball, jumping on the campsite's jumping pillow, riding bikes or....the list went on and on. And, wouldn't you know the kids wanted to do EVERYTHING? And we did. Ryan has the slight sunburn on his back to prove it, lol.
But, it's good to be home.
Saturday, July 5, 2008
4th of July
So, like the slacker that I am, we didn't really plan anything for the 4th until the day before. hat do you mean things like this need to be planned out in advance? Ha, I'm such a slacker.
The kids and I went out and bought about $60 worth of fireworks; I think I've got a bunch of pyromaniacs living in my house, lol! We also bought some chips, ice cream and toppings for sundaes, as Papa and Tutu were in charge of the food. Mainly hot dogs and hamburgers (of course!) plus some salad, cakes, etc. Good spread!
We also ended up inviting a family from my parents' ward because the husband of said family works the night shift and the family really didn't have anything planned. So they came over, which was really exciting for the kids, as this family has a total of 8 kids! Our house was buzzing with activity even before we popped the fireworks!
Oh, the fireworks! Lots of variety, lots of noise, lots of smoke. The kids were loving it! For one, it was dark and they were outside playing. Two, well, see reason number 1, lol. They were having a ball! They didn't get to be until well after 11 pm, but that's what summer vacation is all about, right?
The kids and I went out and bought about $60 worth of fireworks; I think I've got a bunch of pyromaniacs living in my house, lol! We also bought some chips, ice cream and toppings for sundaes, as Papa and Tutu were in charge of the food. Mainly hot dogs and hamburgers (of course!) plus some salad, cakes, etc. Good spread!
We also ended up inviting a family from my parents' ward because the husband of said family works the night shift and the family really didn't have anything planned. So they came over, which was really exciting for the kids, as this family has a total of 8 kids! Our house was buzzing with activity even before we popped the fireworks!
Oh, the fireworks! Lots of variety, lots of noise, lots of smoke. The kids were loving it! For one, it was dark and they were outside playing. Two, well, see reason number 1, lol. They were having a ball! They didn't get to be until well after 11 pm, but that's what summer vacation is all about, right?
Thursday, July 3, 2008
Is it time for school yet?
I knew this was going to happen! It's only the second official day of summer vacation and the kids are BORED! Are you kidding me?! As if the sun shining outside, clear skies and green grass aren't invitation enough to spend all day outside, playing? And, friends! What about those friends that they've been talking non-stop about all school year? You know, the ones who come to our already messy house and help to destroy it even further? You know, those friends?
We did go to the pool around lunchtime, which was nice because it eventually ended up being just us there. The boys were on the rampage, jumping into the pool, trying to get Vanessa, Jeffrey and I splashed (which they managed to do every single time!), pretending to drown and all that fun stuff. Vanessa was very brave and actually held onto the side of the pool while wearing her life jacket, and Jeff wanted me to let him go and swim by himself (yeah, like that's gonna happen!). We stayed for almost an hour and would've stayed longer, but little tummies started to rumble and crave sustenance.
So off we went, trudging in our wet swimsuits along the sidewalks, and back to our house. We ordered some pizza and impatiently waited for the delivery guy, whom Jeff became very attached to when he arrived. Apparently, "Stranget Danger" hasn't hit him yet.
After lunch, we just lazed around, enjoying the air conditioning. Ryan tried to go over to his friends' houses, but they weren't home. Probably because its the Fourth of July weekend and lots of his friends' families go camping. Oh, well.
So tomorrow is the 4th. Don't know what we're doing for food, but I do know there's about $60 worth of fireworks sitting in my kitchen, just begging to be blown up.
We did go to the pool around lunchtime, which was nice because it eventually ended up being just us there. The boys were on the rampage, jumping into the pool, trying to get Vanessa, Jeffrey and I splashed (which they managed to do every single time!), pretending to drown and all that fun stuff. Vanessa was very brave and actually held onto the side of the pool while wearing her life jacket, and Jeff wanted me to let him go and swim by himself (yeah, like that's gonna happen!). We stayed for almost an hour and would've stayed longer, but little tummies started to rumble and crave sustenance.
So off we went, trudging in our wet swimsuits along the sidewalks, and back to our house. We ordered some pizza and impatiently waited for the delivery guy, whom Jeff became very attached to when he arrived. Apparently, "Stranget Danger" hasn't hit him yet.
After lunch, we just lazed around, enjoying the air conditioning. Ryan tried to go over to his friends' houses, but they weren't home. Probably because its the Fourth of July weekend and lots of his friends' families go camping. Oh, well.
So tomorrow is the 4th. Don't know what we're doing for food, but I do know there's about $60 worth of fireworks sitting in my kitchen, just begging to be blown up.
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