Jayson Turns 9

Jayson turned nine this weekend. We had a party for him and he got to invite some friends over and have snacks, cake and presents. He had 3 other boys show up, which ended up being a great number because they could play video games, and I didn't have to go crazy. They watched Scooby-Doo and had snacks while they waited for everyone to show up. It was funny to watch the boys. Jayson got a really cool electronic keep away game. It has hand bands that are different colors and sensors in them so that the ball can tell which color band you have on your hand. The ball tells you which color band to keep away from and counts how many passes you get during like 30 seconds or something. Glen took them out and taught them how to play. The boys had a good time playing that outside for a little bit, but it was kind of cold still so that only lasted so long. Jayson also had a blast last week spending his birthday money that Aunt Becki sent him. He had so many things that he wanted to get, but he had to decide which toy he wanted most. I think we ended up going to about 4 different stores where he looked at every game, toy, and book that each store had to offer. He finally ended up deciding on a video game. I was a mean mom and wouldn't let him have it until his birthday. I wrapped it up and made him open it. So he has been having a good time playing with that this weekend. We also bought him a Grow-a-Girlfriend. He was a little embarrassed about it. He saw it in the box with one of his other presents and tried to hide it, but one of his friends saw it and pulled it out. He was like this is mine, I need this. So anyway the little boy ended up taking it home with him. He showed his dad when he came to pick him up and his dad just started cracking up. I told him I could tell he had older brothers. Of course before it went home with the other little boy, I walked in to the living room to see Jeremiah walking around with it. It was too funny. Jeremiah has started to copy the boys (big surprise). He was trying to chase Aaric around the house on Sunday. He was going around through the kitchen and through the hall and living room. After we put the kids to bed, he was still pretty wound up. We were trying to watch a movie (so of course he had to be as noisy as possible) and he was just running and being a monster. We ended up just recording him, because it was pretty funny, so I am going to try to post it and see if it works. I went shooting for the first time today. I was completely terrified. I tried to load it, but I have never loaded a gun, so I was afraid I was doing it all wrong, and Glen was in the observation room with the kids. I ended up having to put everything back in the case taking it out to him, having him take it to the range and load it for me so I could shoot it. So anyway here is a picture of my target after I finished . I had 10 rounds in the clip, only 3 hit the target. I guess I need a little more practice. I'm not very good. All of the other guys in the rangewere just snickering. Oh and I jumped every time someone else shot. Glen was just cracking up at me. I felt like a complete idiot. Glen of course knows what he is doing and all of his shots hit the target. I didn't take a picture of his target, but I did take one of him shooting (he is the tall guy in the gray sweatshirt). Well that is about all that we did that is worth mentioning. I have to try and write a lot, because I always have way more pictures, than I have to say. So anyway, Kyler, my blog is way cooler than yours. =)

Valentine's Day

Well, I know my title is Valentine's Day, but I don't actually have any pictures from Valentine's Day. We got the kids small boxes of chocolates and a stuffed animal. Grandma sent them some candy, so all in all the kids thought that it was pretty great. I told Glen that I just wanted to do dinner (from a nice restaurant) and not gifts, but he couldn't handle not buying me something, so I ended up with chocolate (which of course I love and thankfully he helped me eat) and some new pajama pants since all of my other ones had been converted into workout pants he decided I could use some new ones. Plus, he knows that I am too cheap to go buy any for myself. We did get dinner, which was nice. We ordered take out from Outback, and he sent me to go pick it up, and when I got home he had nice dishes and the table all set so we didn't eat out of Styrofoam boxes, and he had candles lit and nice music playing. He had it all planned out so that he could do that, and was apparently hoping that I didn't decide I was too cold to go get it myself. So it ended up being a nice dinner (especially since the kids were asleep). So, that was our exciting Valentine's. That is pretty much as good as it gets when you have 5 kids. It was either a babysitter, or dinner, and since we are paying a babysitter in 2 weeks for his awards banquet, we opted for dinner. Elly was super excited that Grandma sent her pajama bottoms that we left at their house at Christmas. She keeps getting the top out and wanting to wear her "cute Christmas jammies", she gets really upset when I have to keep telling her that I don't have all of it. For Activity Days they had a mother-daughter thing. They had dessert (always the best part), stuff to do our nails, and we got to make rose buds out of Hershey kisses and cellophane. Then we wrapped the wire with floral tape. Anyone who knows me, knows that I am not very good at crafts, and my daughter inherited my gift for it. We had quite an adventure trying to do it right. All the other moms were looking at me like I was an idiot, and when we finally finished them they didn't look so great, but we had put so much work into them that we didn't want to eat them. They sat on the counter for a day before Elly snuck off with them and we found the wrappers in her bed. Ashleigh was very happy with her little sister for doing that. I guess it is a good thing she is so cute. The other thing they had us do was like a newly weds game where we had to guess each others favorite things. We didn't do so great at that either, but it was kind of cute. Since I put Aaric and Elly's spotlight answers on here, I figured maybe someone will get a kick out of this too. If not too bad for anyone who takes the time to read it, because I will want it when (assuming I ever get around to it) I make this into a scrap book.

Ashleigh

Favorite Color: Pink (I got that one right)

Favorite Movie: Scooby-Doo (I put Harry Potter)

Favorite Subject: Math and Science (I got that one right)

Favorite Ice cream Flavor: Chocolate and Cookie Dough (I got the cookie dough right)

Favorite Animal: Lion (I put cat so I guess that was kind of right)

Favorite Food: Ice cream (I guessed Pizza)

Favorite Candy Bar: Milky Way (I guessed Reese's)

Favorite Place to Vacation: She put Hawaii (although I'm not sure when she has ever been there, I also got that one wrong, I guessed Washington)

Favorite Restaurant: China Buffet (wrong again, I guessed Texas Roadhouse)

Favorite thing in Spare Time: Playing the Wii (I actually got one right!!!!!)

Do You Play an Instrument: Recorder (at least she thinks its a real instrument)

Would you rather read a book or go shopping: She said read a book (I guessed shopping)

Would you rather sing a song or give a talk: She would rather give a talk (got that one right)

Favorite thing to drink: Root beer (We are talking about kids not to mention we're LDS I got it right by the way)

Favorite Season: Spring (I guessed Summer, apparently she doesn't like having to ride her bike while I run)

Robyn

Favorite Color: Black (just call me Louise. Ashleigh got it right)

Favorite Movie: Pirates of the Caribbean (She guessed the Office which if we had been talking TV shows she would have been right)

Favorite Subject: Chemistry (imagine that!! She got that one right too)

Favorite Ice Cream: Cookie dough (she got that one right)

Favorite Animal: NONE (she got that one right, she did way better than I did)

Favorite Food: Peanut Butter (she said she didn't know)

Favorite Candy Bar: Reeses (she guessed Twix, I like that one too)

Favorite Place to Vacation: Washington (she guessed right on that one)

Favorite Restaurant: Palomino's (she guessed China Buffet)

Favorite thing in Spare Time: Run ( she guessed Play video games, I like to do that too, but considering I only have so much spare time, I have to use it to run, or I don't get to exercise)

Do I Play an Instrument: Piano, and kind of Flute (She put none, which everyone thought was pretty funny since I am the primary Pianist)

Rather read or go shopping: Read (she was right)

Rather sing a song or give a talk: Sing a song (right again. at least when you sing a song you don't have to prepare too much. See its just because I'm lazy)

Favorite Drink: Diet Coke (she got that one right too)

Favorite Season: Fall (she guessed Spring which is pretty close, I just like the seasons when it isn't too hot or cold to run outside)

So now that everyone is bored, of course that is assuming that someone took the time to read that I didn't do so well. You would figure that since I'm the mom and have to know every one's preferences that I would do better, but I guess I failed miserably with that. Of course it would help if their opinions didn't change every other day. After Elly got her "cute Christmas jammies" back she put them on (halfway through the day) and put on some sun glasses and her dress up shoes and came out to the living room to tell Glen and I that she was wearing her Rock Star pajamas. She proceeded to go around the house pretending that she had a microphone singing the chorus to that P!nk so So What. She knew it word for word, the whole thing. The only time she even hears the song is when we are in the car and it is on the radio. It was the funniest thing. She is so dramatic. She had a blanket tied to Jeremiah like a cape and went around calling him "The Mighty Bullfrog". She is something else. I don't even know where she would come up with that one. Kids are funny. We haven't gotten much snow at all this year, but this week we ended up getting like 6 inches or something. The kids were so excited. They decided to go out and build a snowman. They even came inside and asked for a carrot. They told me that they

were all done and ready for a picture of their first snowman of the year. I have to say I laughed when I saw their miniature snowman. Apparently they didn't feel ambitious enough to build a full size one, so we ended up with a table top one. It was pretty cute and they were very proud of themselves. They even found some small sticks from a dead plant in our yard. Jayson and Glen have been working on his first Pinewood derby. They have their race in the next couple of weeks I think. They got it all sanded and shaped and right now they are putting weights into it and are going to put on the first coat of paint. For Glen being sick of scouts he sure has been having fun helping Jayson build this car. He was laughing the other day at that car comercial of the kid building a pinewood derby and his dad told him to just build one that he was proud of. Glen was like hey that is about what all of mine looked like. Of course mine never drove so well and I sure never won. I was just laughing. Now that he is a Dad, he doesn't want his kid to have the dorky car, so he went to the scout store and bought a book on building these things and let Jayson pick out the one that he wanted to make. Of course about the time Glen finished shaping the car, Jayson was flipping back through the book and found one that he liked even better. Glen told him that was just too bad, you can take away wood, but once its gone you can't put it back. Well that about covers my week. Now if only my siblings would update their blogs. "The coolest blog ever" hasn't been updated in like 2 months. It sure most not be all that cool. I guess that makes me the good daughter.

Can't Think of a Good Title (Again)

Well, we had a busy week, not really doing anything in particular, but we sure seemed to be gone a lot. We made Rice Krispie treats with the kids. Jeremiah couldn't help, but he had fun playing peek-a-boo with those of us in the kitchen. That was made for our super exciting family home evening this past week. We made a wall out of the rice krispie treats and threw M&M's at it like they did to Samuel. The kids keep asking when we get to do it again. We gave them each a special task for helping with the treats so it didn't become complete chaos in our tiny kitchen. Elly got to put the marshmallows in the pan, Ashleigh was in charge of the actual Rice Krispies, Jayson got all of the pans ready and greased, and Aaric got the butter out, ready and in the pan. They each thought they had the most important job for making the rice krispies. (If you can't tell I'm trying to stretch out the words so that there is some to go with the pictures) Oh and Glen said I don't put enough pictures of myself on here, so here is another terrible picture of me. So it's almost Valentine's Day. The kids have all of their parties on Wednesday. They are of course excited. This holiday is Ashleigh's. There are 3 holiday parties each year, and I have 3 kids in elementary school, so they each get to pick a holiday and I spend half of the party time in that class room. I divide the last half between the remaining 2, so that way we make it to each of the classes, but each kids gets to have us spend a little extra time in their class. Its a bit busy, but I guess that is OK. I'm sure I only have a few years left until they think that they are too cool for a mom. They all ready won't give me a hug when they leave for school anymore. I suppose the extra work is worth it since little kids just don't stay little and like their parents forever. So anyway, the kids had a blast getting their valentines ready for the parties. Some of them had to have them in early. They only have an hour for the party and the 1st graders seem to have a hard time getting the Valentines delivered and having time left to do anything else. Aaric's class decided to make the boxes for their Valentines early and spend a short time each morning delivering them in the mornings before class and spending the party time opening them and having treats. Anyway other than that, we used our tax return to get a TV (its nice to have a TV that turns back on if it gets turned off) and a Wii. The kids have been having a blast with it. They love the fit and spend a little time in the evenings doing that. I wish my camera did video because watching Jayson try to hula hoop on that things was the funniest thing I have ever seen. And Elly trying to do Aerobics on it was a riot. Right now she is trying to hula hoop and can't figure it out. These kids crack me up. I guess its probably a good thing that they can't see how they look (and the same goes for me and Glen too!!!!!), because than they would be too embarrassed to actually do the exercises. Well I ran out of things to say a long time ago and Jeremiah is emptying all of my socks on the floor, so I guess I better go.

Super Bowl Sunday

So, last night I realized that we had done anything "blog worthy" all week. I didn't have any pictures or anything. Elly and Jeremiah and I went and watched Glen shoot on Friday, and I was going to take pictures of that, but Jeremiah fell asleep and some how managed to sleep through all of that noise. We were in an observation room, but it wasn't sound proof and any time someone opened the door it was really loud. The baby never even moved. I just couldn't figure out a way to hold a crashed baby and take a picture, so no picture. Maybe next time. My kids were so excited about the super bowl last night. We, of course, were hoping that the Steelers would lose, but obviously that didn't happen. Ashleigh and Jayson watched all the way to the 4th quarter when I made them go to bed. They even timed their showers so that they took them during half time. Aaric actually sat and watched the whole time too, although I think his priority was the food, not the game. Ashleigh and Jayson love football. They were hoping that we would let them stay up for the whole game, but tired kids on Monday morning did not seem like the way I wanted to start off the week. They were disappointed that they didn't show a single Seahawks game down here all season. I suppose that is OK since they didn't do so well this year, but in true Seahawk fan fashion I guess I can say they will do better next year. Glen likes to tell me I'm starting to sound like my Dad. Ever since Glen has known him, he has always said "next year they'll make it to the Superbowl", and every year Glen would just laugh. At least, until one day he realized that he was cheering for the Seahawks as well. Of course the year that Glen met me was the year that the Bronco's won the Superbowl (and he is from Colorado). But now I have turned him over to the dark side and he is a Seahawks fan. He still keeps tabs on his Bronco's though. Last year a little boy (who happened to be a Dolphin's fan) was making fun of Ashleigh for wearing a Seahawks shirt, and she said to him, "who are you laughing at your team hasn't even won a game yet?" He left her alone after that. Well I am out of things to write about, and I am tired of Elly climbing on me and elbowing me because she isn't getting my undivided attention, so I guess I better go.