Spring

The boys get to be on the same team this year--yeah!!

                         We've officially changed the technical name of the "dining room"  which we will probably never dine in . . . to the Lego Room!!

We tried a new hair style on Heidi today . . . She slept in those tight little buns

More Marchness

Pig Plays--Nicole had this teacher too, and she has a tradition of doing a pig play production every year (several different versions of the three little pigs) with a lunch for families after etc. They decorate the room island style and call it "Pig Island"  Isaac was a narrator for one of the plays--he said he would have like to be the wolf  but he was out sick for a week and missed the days when parts were being decided.  Scott and Annie--recognize the shirt?

 Sleepover --AKA--read and roll around in stuffed animals until lights out, then all eventually end up in their rooms because no one can "sleep" regardless of how late it is. 

 Science Fair projects

 Spring Break--I left for 4 days to go to Seattle and be with my sister and mom, Curt takes all the kids down to White Sands for some sledding in the sand and swimming/movies in the hotel. 

 Castle playground they found

March Madness

We had a ward talent show and Curt played Malaguena on his guitar.  My talent was wrangling all the kids on the front row and keeping their plate full of treats to a minimum--5.  They kept touching treats on the serving plates!!!  The older kids I'm pretty sure knew what they were doing, and Heidi and Brett caught on pretty quick.

 Saturday started with an 8am basketball game (last one of the season.)  Usually Isaac is the one scoring all the points--Ryan is one of the younger ones so is always having to play against the bigger guys--but scored four baskets today.  He was pretty pleased.

 Mom's taking a picture lets make a face!

 After game talk

 With Coach

                           After the basketball game Curt spent two hours with the teachers doing an orienteering activity in the foothills,then came home and took Nicole to her soccer game--and coached it since the head coach was gone, while I took everyone else to Ryan's first soccer game of the season. 

 During the game Heidi and Brett occupied themselves with digging in and piling up the dried up newly spread "fertilizer" that was completely covering ever square inch of the fields and that you could smell when you stepped out of your vehicle.  What could I do?  Yes other parents were laughing--so was I--but it was that or sit in the van--and at least I wasn't having to chase them all over and could watch some of the game.  On a side note, Heidi calls dog poop "poop dog."
 
Then we came home and Curt took Ryan to the first baseball practice of the season while I took the rest of the kids to a baptism of a good friend of Isaac's.  (Isaac would also have had three sporting events today but missed two to support the baptism etc.)  After the baptism we were invited to said friends house/park for dinner so the kids spent the next hour and a half playing at the park in their church clothes.  March madness I tell you.  I was SO happy the weather was so nice so we could enjoy the time outside.

More Happy Cake

Happy Cake has been what Heidi and now Brett call birthday cakes for the past few years.  This is what Nicole saw on Pinterest and wanted for her family birthday party.  It wasn't too hard to make.   It's a smores ice cream cake or something like that, and there is actually no cake involved. 

 Such a cute picture of Nicole I wish the flash would have gone off that time.  I need to learn how to use my little point and shoot better.

 

 Eating every last morsel

P.S.  (Traci I bought two of those bows so I could see if I was right on how they made those and I'm pretty sure we can reproduce those quite easily!!  I agree though--LOVE them, and they stay in Heidi's hair really well because of the little teeth on them.  If I can't find the ribbon/fabric for them before they come back on Very Jane I think I will have to get all the colors!!)

Celebrating with Friends

We promised all the kids a friend birthday party this year and Nicole had to wait the longest, so she had a while to think about what she wanted.   An art party it was.   We had a lot of fun planning together.  Curt thinks we "went all out" but he didn't see all the ideas I vetoed.  She invited 10 friends--all of whom were able to come, and Nicole helped me make the polymer clay art palette pendants (below) to give to her friends.  I'll try to spare you ALL the details.

 A friend took my younger four kids so I could help all the girls with the projects we had planned.  That helped a ton and we spent pretty much the whole time on three art projects.  It was so fun, the girls just chatted and laughed and created the whole time!  A few of them finished before the others and they played Pictionary in the other room until everyone was finished.  Curt picked up Isaac, Ryan, Heidi, and Brett so they could be there for the dinner/dessert/present opening.  A mother who I had never met before and was the last to leave--Ryan and Isaac were running around being boys--she commented:  Your house is a party without the party!  Amen.

 If that wasn't the easiest cake to make I don't know what is.

There were other cupcakes Nicole had decorated with jelly beans to share with her friends.