Winter Jam 2012

In March I took Gabriel, Katrina, and Abagail to the 2012 Winter Jam concert in San Antonio.  It is a concert of Christian rock artists - about 10 bands played.


I was not familiar with many of the bands but the kids seemed to know most of the songs.  They belted along with the audience during the more popular songs.


The main band was called Skillet.  I had not heard any of their songs before.  The only downside was that the volume on their instruments was so loud you couldn't hear the lyrics.  At one point I leaned over to Gabriel and said, "I guess I have to assume the message is Christian, cause I sure can't tell".  On the way home the same song came on the radio and I could hear the words - with a very positive, uplifting message.  Wish they could have fixed the volume at the concert.  I know I'm getting old when I was still vibrating, deaf, and numb, an hour after being home.  To be fair the kids said it was REALLY loud too.


 I think they liked it.  :)  They are already insisting that we go again next year - and every year!

The concert was so packed!  I can't remember the numbers but it was in the ATT center and it was full.  When we tried to get out we were literally stuck up against a wall of non-moving traffic.  No one could move.  Finally a little stream of people began to work their way through and we were able to duck back into the auditorium - which was empty - and make our way to the exit. 

More Updates...

I am woefully behind on blogging. 

I'm going to attempt to catch up - by throwing a bunch of photos that show what we have been up to for the past few months.



Amelia LOVES to play with Oliver - he shows her such COOL things to do!
Joshua is constantly making new discoveries...this day he discovered the flour canister...I heard him saying, "mmmmmm...", from the kitchen and knew I was in trouble.  I found him dipping his hand in the canister then stuffing his hand in his mouth.
Abagail created Simon a new hairdo - with lots of hairspray.
Gabriel created toxic neon jello.
Abagail in a thoughtful moment.
Katrina & Simon playing with the camera on my new phone.


Joshua is getting so self-sufficient.  He was hungry...dinner was partially on the table...he saw an opportunity.  Josh made himself a taco salad and went to town eating it.



April Fools always brings a challenge for mom to do a fun food trick.  Thanks to the internet we came up with a pizza "cake" and a cake "pizza".  We also did a bizarre green koolaid - lime jello.  That was the one that actually got the kids - they were so impressed.  Not the healthiest meal - but throw in some fruit and veggies and I think it didn't do too much damage.

Swift Feet

The 2012 Jr. High Track season is officially over.  Katrina and Abagail did awesome!  The both continued to improve their time and set personal records as the meets progressed.

Katrina ran the 300m hurdles and 800 meter dash for 8th grade.
Abagail ran the 1600 meter and 2400 meter run for 7th grade.

Both were awarded multiple medals - I was especially proud of how hard they worked!  Because she ran long distance, Abagail had morning practices...every morning at 6:15 a.m.  She ended up running anywhere between 3-7 miles every day. 

Both girls have me beat!  Hurdles have always intimidated me!  And I have no speed or stamina.  So there is NO way I would be able to compete with my teen athletes.

Amelia and Joshua

Hmm...Picasa and Blogger have changed since the last time I posted.  What used to take one step now takes many - and I do NOT really like it. :(

Oh well - here is a quick photo update of Amelia and Joshua.

I was working in the garden one day when I heard such happy kids.  They had found a mud puddle and a brick.  They were having a blast so I decided to let them continue so I could actually get something accomplished.  Unfortunately this made Joshua think that every time he went into the back yard he should play in the mud.  Once was cute...every time wasn't so cute.

This was a favorite game for awhile...

The kids would hide, then mom would sing Where is Joshua, Where is Amelia - after which they would pop out and shout "Booooo!"  Definitely kept them entertained while mom did dishes or made dinner.

A possible "fail" at nutrition education

Gabriel and I were talking the other day.  I mentioned that I couldn't wait to see what type of food he would eat when he was finally out on his own and could control his shopping.

My assumption was that it would consist of a great deal of sugar and junk...

Gabriel insisted that he would also keep a supply of healthy food on hand and then proceeded to list:

- hot dogs
- burritos
- macaroni and cheese
- canned soup

Strike one on my attempts at teaching my kids healthy eating habits.

Guess we need to have more teaching moments.  It's not like we eat those much anyway - but it must be enough to have made an impression on him.

More Pics from Lysa & Laine Visit - Dec 2011

Lysa sent me some more pics from her December visit:





I love the pics of the kids trying to catch the "snow" at the Polar Express show.  And that Santa Shamu photo is pretty darn cute.


Aunt Lysa and Laine had some Christmas presents for the family.  Amelia got a baby whaley that she loved - Josh got a baby dog that he loved too.  Neither child would go far without their new snuggly animals.

January in the Park

 Blogger is great...but I am having some technical difficulties with this post.  So if it looks weird - that is the problem.

Having said that...

I took the kids to Landa Park mid-January.  It was a perfect day to go.  A bit overcast and gloomy, which kept the crowds away despite being a day off of school.

I got some cute pics:




At the park the kids literally took to the trees.  Gabriel isn't in too many photos as he spent most of his time trying to find better and better challenges to climb.

By this last photo Gabriel was done "posing" - even though he hadn't posed much...at all.  So he made a face.  I guess I still love him though...  :)

Pinewood Derby Fun

Simon had a blast at his Pinewood Derby race last week.  He and dad crafted a unique car - The Water Bottle.

Simon had the most consistent car at the races...came in 3 every time but once.  Yea!  (out of 4) :)

He received a certificate for "Best Use of Imagination".

The Great Closet Clean-up

The girls had a huge walk-in trash can in their room, aka "The Closet". 

One day I spontaneously decided to torture myself and attempt to tame the beast.  It took 6 hours of uninterrupted work - 8 if you count the total time with a few breaks. 

It tested my sanity and probably endangered my health...but I successfully completed phases 1 & 2.


 Phase One: No before photo, but basically that pile in the left photo was covering, no - mounding - over the middle space of the floor.  Clean out = 4 bags of trash and 8 empty boxes.

I condensed all that into 2 "keep-able" boxes - shown in the right photo.

That may not seem like a big deal but it was a nice accomplishment.

Phase Two: Now it was time to tackle the shelves on either side, under the shelves and along the back wall.  These are the "before" photos.  This phase took the bulk of the time and added an additional 5 trash bags and 3 large bags of Goodwill items.  (All the trash bags were 13 gallon - not to be confused with those small Walmart sacks.)  I think that phase yielded an additional 8-10 empty boxes.

Can you believe that such a small area could possibly hold so much trash?!?!?!?!  We are talking loads of old papers, candy wrappers, half-eaten food (eww), broken toys, rinky-dink toys that are like from a happy meal - although we never get those so I am puzzled at how we acquired so many of the toys, etc.

The last photo on the right shows the "after" shot.  Notice how clean (vacuumed) and empty the floor now is. 

The girls were so relieved that I was cleaning out their closet they didn't even question what was in the trash bags.  They just hauled them down to the garage.  That NEVER would have happened if they hadn't been as fed up as I was.  I guarantee they won't miss a bit of it.

Now they are ready to begin the build up again....nooooooo!!!

Visit from Lysa & Laine - Dec 2011



We love it when Lysa & Laine come to play!  This time Aunt Lysa showed the kids one of her favorite "hiding" places as a kid - in the sofa.  Even though the older kids had long ago discovered it everyone enjoyed trying it out.  Unfortunately the space isn't as roomy for an adult as it is for children...so Lysa needed a little help escaping.

Dance Dancing the night away.  I love how we always have two dancers and a bunch of others dancing along for fun.  Even Amelia and Joshua were able to try it out.

We spent a day at the Sea World Christmas Celebration.  This collage is from the Sesame Street play area.  The kids watched the Elmo's Christmas Wish show and enjoyed some of the tamer rides.  This was Amelia's first time on a roller coaster - Katrina did a great job helping her feel like a big, brave girl.  Simon bounced between being Oliver's buddy on some smaller rides and going with the big kids on the big rides.  The only one he couldn't go on was the Great White roller coaster.  Simon had been growing bit by bit all year - getting closer to his "goal" of being tall enough.  Unfortunately he was still about 1-2 inches too short.

We caught the 4D Polar Express show.  It was pretty cold that day and I had no idea part of the "experience" was a burst of steam that sprayed the audience when the train rolled up...poor Katrina got more than steam...she got a nice spray of water all over her legs...made for a cold afternoon til she dried up.  The kids especially liked the "snow" at the end of the show.

Watching the Christmas dolphin show.  And braving the Rio Loco in 40 degree weather.  Some crazy family was there waiting to spray/soak the riders.  As my family went by I asked them to please not spray them.  They were nice about it but pretty disappointed as our group was the only one on the ride that late at night in that cold of weather.  Maybe we were the crazy ones...

In front of the Candy Cane Forest with Lysa & Laine.  It was getting a bit chilly by this time. 

Sea World did a great job decorating with tons of lights.  We liked the Frosty Forest with silly set ups of different snowmen - like this basketball and football scene.

Our traditional parting shot by the entrance with Lysa & Laine.  The kids were pretty cold and tired by this point.

One last parting shot with mom and Joshua.  Then off to fill our bellies at with terrible but strangely satisfying food at McD's before heading home to our warm beds.  Totally fun day!


We had such a great time with this visit - we can't wait until they come again!
This year we were able to bribe them with multiple trips to Sea World so they could get the most from their passes.  Next time maybe we can bribe them with more endless nights playing Zo-Mama and Lord of the Rings Risk.  Laine is an excellent gaming buddy!

A Change in the Air...

As I stepped out the front door this morning to head to church I instantly felt it - a change in the air. The wind was blustery...but it wasn't a hot, dry summer wind. Leaves were blowing around making that skittering sound as they rolled across the pavement. It felt so very much like AUTUMN!!!

Fall is my absolute favorite time of the year - always has been. Since moving to Texas I kind of gave up a traditional Fall - one that starts sometime in September and has crisp mornings, blustery days filled with filtered sunshine, change of leaves and that "something" that enters the air to let you know that Fall has arrived. Here we usually stay at near summer temps through Sept and then enter what other people experience in the summer for October and into November. Then we get about two weeks of Autumn before "winter" hits. Two weeks. That is about it. In that two weeks the leaves turn colors - some dull, some brilliant - they fall, and then it is done.

Now I know that wonderful Autumn feeling I felt won't last. It will probably be gone by tomorrow. And the leaves that were swirling around were not due to a change in season - rather they were the result of a strong wind blowing after a serious drought has dried everything up.

But for today it was heavenly and I took time to thoroughly enjoy it.

Aaaaahhhhhhh...... :)

RESET~

I feel like I just hit a giant RESET button...

School started today and it is time for things to calm down and get into a schedule. Even if that schedule is crazy and busy it can't be anything like the chaos of summer...can it???

So it is only 9:00 a.m. I have done 2 loads of laundry, cleaned all the dishes I didn't want to do yesterday, made breakfast for the kids, cleaned the kitchen, exercised and now I am ready to start some homework on my new English class.

Waking up at 4:30 a.m. isn't fun but it sure allows for a productive morning...

Had my first wave of kids/dad out the door at 6 a.m. for Seminary and Cross Country practice. Then it was just Simon, Oliver, Josh and I for school prep and bus at 7:15. Amelia awoke in time to help me with some laundry, put Josh down for a nap and do jumping jacks with me - although she enjoyed lifting the weights more.

I'm sure the day will hit snags - and that every morning will not be as smooth...so for now I'll just enjoy the peace and quite and feeling of something actually accomplished - and being somewhat in control for once.

Love my kids...loved having them home for the summer...love having them back in school too. :)

Grub Club

I have a new job - and it is so much fun!

A friend who owns a local dance studio started the Grub Club for her kids - and others - to have fun learning / practicing cooking skills. She emailed me one day asking if I would be interested in teaching the class.

So each week in August I had the chance to teach kids to cook. It was a big family effort to make this happen. Abagail was my assistant. Katrina was my babysitter. Simon and Oliver attended class with me. Gabriel hung out at the library or various spots in town - enjoying a bit of freedom.



These are a few pics of my kids at the Grub Club. We made all kinds of stuff. My kids said the best part was having to practice all the recipes each week so that I could get them down for class.

Starting in September I get to do a "Mommy and Me" class once a week for moms and their pre-school aged kids. Amelia will be my demo assistant for that one. I'll also be doing a Saturday class for ages 5-12 once a month. Hopefully starting in October I'll be going into some private pre-schools in town to do classes twice a month. That plan is still in the works. I am actually really excited about this. It goes really well with my education / career plans that I have started working on.....

For those I haven't told - I start school tomorrow for a new focus in my life. I am going for an Associate of Science in Biology Nutrition. I will be online for a couple of years - yes, years - so that I can be home with Amelia and Joshua. Then I'll have to finish on campus. My goal is to complete the associates and then transfer to Texas State and get a Bachelors in Nutrition - to be a Registered Dietitian. I don't know if I'll ever make it that far - but that is the plan.

So this Grub Club is kind of a way to practice - I try to keep the recipes healthy, fun, and tasty. And while we prepare recipes we talk about good food choices vs bad food choices. It is very part time - about 6-8 classes per month - but I enjoy the prep and classes.

Final Summer Sea World

Allen took a day off work to go with us one last time to Sea World this summer - before the water park closed. With Josh and Amelia I haven't been able to take the kids alone...it wouldn't be safe. So we needed a Dad to come along.

The only sad part about the day was when we heard an announcement at 6pm that the park was closed for the day. We thought they just meant the water park...alas, I had not checked the schedule. Guess enough schools were in session that the had already begun shortening their hours...it was a bit of a bummer. Oh well - we will just have to go again this fall...

Oliver was so excited. He went on his first "big" water slide this trip. He was nervous at first. We waited in line for about 30 minutes. After finally getting to the top he took a look down the chute and asked me to "escort" him down. So back down we went. As soon as we reached the bottom he decided he would give it another try. This time he triumphed - and went about 8 times in a row. He loved it! The top pic in the collage show Oliver and Allen at the bottom of the slide.

Morning at the Temple

We spent a beautiful August day at the temple a couple of weeks ago. Katrina and Abagail were able to do baptisms while the younger kids and I hung out outside. I think it was the only cloudy day we had in a long time - making the heat a bit more bearable.

Afterwards we headed over to McD's for sundaes. It was a nice way to spend a morning.