Kindergarten is Cool!

Kindergarten is too cool! Parents were invited to come and decorate graham cracker houses today with their child. It was so much fun. I don't get to do much- with just this little guy. I usually am chasing after son #4 or homework projects with son#1. (Major HISTORY Day paper due tomorrow. Last week was our Science Project.)

Any way- it was really nice. To visit his class and just talk to him while he decorated and we both munched on candy.



Anjeny and Beth were over... so I was able to sneak away without son#4. We were finishing up our fabric houses. ( We are done! 8 houses in three sewing sessions! Great job ladies- I would have NEVER had attempted this without you!) It really was fun.

I feel guilty about sewing/crafting and playing while my 3 year old spent most the day playing with other 3 years old under-toe. Mommy promise: Tomorrow we are going to do something FUN and OUTSIDE!

Christmas Tradition #54

Every year we get a new game. We usually wait and open it Christmas Eve... but this year we didn't.

Why? why would we break tradition?

This years game was given to us by my husbands boss. (What a nice, thoughtful, fun gift!) So when my husband brought it home, confessed he had peeked, told the boys it was Monopoly- NHL version. They begged and pleaded that we could play it for FHE AND on Christmas Eve.

We caved. It was a lot of fun. There are stickers of NHL teams and you get to place them on the board. So it was funny to hear which teams got which spaces on the board.

For example our "Board Walk" is San Jose Sharks. My husbands favorite team.

I'll confess- I didn't play. I was playing with son#4 so the older boys could play and learn the game in peace.

But they had alot of fun.

I can tell this will become a new family favorite.

Some pictures of the boys setting it up.

Just a year ago!

I was looking at pictures of last Christmas, just to see what we were doing a year ago. Making sure I wasn't missing or forgetting any holiday traditions and I stumbled upon these pictures at Pearl Harbor.

It was a crime! We had lived here 3 years and had never gone to Pearl Harbor. So one morning- we just thought, "today is the day". We hurried and got dressed.

I know you are thinking, "Yeah right! Your kids are dressed in matching outfits!" It's true- we didn't even shower that morning - probably more information than you wanted to know... but I did make sure the kids had matching outfits. If we are in public, it's just visually easier to keep a head count and keep track of them if they are all wearing the same thing. (But you'll notice son#3- I couldn't find his blue shirt.)

Anyway- I digress.. .
Our trip to Pearl Harbor was so AWESOME!

Some Pearl Harbor Veterans were there visiting and talked to the kids about what it was like, where they were, they were just 18 at the time!
They called it "The war fought by teenagers".









While you wait for your turn to take the boat out to the memorial, there is a museum and we got the headsets. It's worth it. There is so much information to process and it's like having a guided tour.












Then here are some pictures out at the memorial.

I'm so grateful for all those serving in our military. I'm humbled by their sacrifice. My father was in the Navy. I grew up- so proud of him- but at the same time missing him.

Thank you.

Thank you to those who continue to keep our country safe.

Wishing you all a safe return home.

SWIRL

Rain Rain.. go away..

It's crazy... one day your livin the dream.. chatting with your friends.. enjoying the balmy weather of tropical living and the next day you are knee deep in WATER! I "borrowed" this picture from my friend CRASH she actually walked/waded around the community and has some great pictures.

I spent the day at my house- I didn't want to take our son #4 out and have him swept away. I spent most the day.. preparing.. getting some extra sleeping room available in case anyone in our ward or neighborhood needed a dry place to sleep. (Our town house complex stayed above the flood zone.) BYU-H also opens it's gym as a shelter to house people too.

CRAZY!

On a much happier note.. my BFF TAMN- is have a seriously awsome give-away!

Previous Pictures

Sometimes my husband and I like to go to the beach and watch the setting sun. Can you believe- not all of our kids like going!?!? It's a crime they don't appreciate the beach, warm weather, and beauty of where we live. I know all of YOU do. ( especially those of you who have snow!)

So this trip.. it was just the three of us. At our favorite beach: Pounders. Many pictures of our family have been taken by this big rock.

Son #4 still has baby babble. He "talks" but it's a lot of jabber and a few understandable words. He was being so funny... every time there was a big wave.. " oooo WA-DER"

Isn't he adorable!?

One Snails very lucky day...

We were on our top secret mission today when we came upon this snail.


Of course we need a closer look..(I'm thinking, please don't lick it, please don't lick it, please..)

Now let's poke it's little "feelers" so they retract . ( I remember doing that when I was his age. Actually it was kinda an out-of-body experience. It's nice having a 2 year old to remind me of the small wonders in this world.

Oh we easily could have spent all day. I think this is the #1 BEST thing about being a stay-home- mom. We could stay as long as he wanted. I didn't have to rush anywhere. I sat and just let him explore and oh well.. the laundry is still waiting to be folded. No big deal.

Traditions

A tradition we have continued from my husband's side of the family is a "Candy Count Down". His mother made these strips of felt with yarn ties. We had to hang them up in our bedroom and up fairly high- so son4 wont eat them all while older brothers are at school.






Last year, I let the kids eat whichever candy they wanted, as long as it was just one-a-day.

About half way through the month my husband noticed in disbelief that the kids were "cheating". I told him the kids asked, and following the "spirit" of the count down I thought it was fine. BUT I was corrected. (My husband likes to make-up rules. It's one of our jokes. He's the first to make them and usually the first to break them.)

Officially: You start at the top and move down the chain. {duh!}

And then this last picture.. Is for the benefit of our little Christmas tree. I don't want it to develop a complex about being small.

This is how big it looks if you are son4 looking up!