Tree Decorating

We are in the full spirit of Christmas at our house. It has been for a while, but again my lack of blogging priorities has prevented me from posting the events. Here is our tree...

Gotta love the kids help

Blog Slacker

Okay so I am willing to admit that I am officially a blog slacker. But I will also confess that my inability to get enough time to blog is because I am off being a great Mom, hehe, or trying anyways. These last few days we have been buried in snow and the kids have had no school, and we have been enjoying this rare weather to the fullest. In our neighborhood we have several rain retention ponds which in the current weather situation become THE BEST sledding environment, steep hills that head away from any roads. In the last couple days my kids have been sledding fanatics and never complain how cold they are no matter how long we are exposed to the elements. I can admit in my supervision of the sledding got up enough courage to also try a few runs, Tanner thought that was the greatest! Here is what we have been up to that last few days.

Extra Credit

Austen came home today with an extra credit assignment he really wanted to complete. What parent wouldn't support their child gaining extra credit, what it amounts to in second grade is yet to be determined. Here is his assignment:

Tagged: I am it!

I guess I should get this done and over with :OD. I have thought about it for a while, and I cannot come up with seven things most people don't know about me, but I will do my best!

1) In my junior and senior (for the americans), Grade 11 and 12 (for the Canadians) years of highscool I played on a girls full tackle football team. First year I was an offensive guard and second year I played center.

2) I played a wicked witch in the Wizard of Oz, in the musical there are three.

3) I had a baby doll when I was little that I played with ALL the time. She literally died in pieces, my Mom did the best she could to keep her together but I can remember finding her in my parents closet decapitated from over loving, it was a sad day.

4) Well my first boyfriend was in the 6th Grade (CA: Grade 6). We were walking down the sidewalk holding hands and someone saw us who told my Mom and I was discovered.

5) I played the clarinet from 5th Grade until 10th Grade and haven't played it much since.

6) Sang in a Vocal Jazz group for tenth and eleventh grades, but then is switched to a before school class and conflicted with seminary.

7) I was a HUGE climber when I was little, if there was anything to climb you would find me at the top. We visited my Uncle and Aunt in Kimberley, BC one year and went to Fort Steele, where they had greased poles and if you climbed the poles and rang the bell at the top you got a six-pack of pop, I think I came out with a few six packs that day.

I tag Becky, Juli, and Shelley

Pumpkin Carving

No Halloween is complete without the carving of the jack-o-lanterns, and thanks to the Zobell family we had a great time snacking on pumpkin seeds and carving the pumpkins, the brownie cookies were delish too. Beck you are the best! Better pictures to come, forgot my camera these are cell phone pics...

Austen's favorite character Chibi-robo

the squiggles on the left is jam on the pumpkins face :D

The crazies!!

p.s. I know I haven't blogged in a while but three posts in one evening should make up for the lack ;D

The Cast Came Off

The cast came off yesterday. They said it will take a bit more time to completely heal but is well on it's way. He did not like the way it felt when they took the cast off. He figured it would be ready for him to resume regular activity, not weak and limp. All in good time sweetie.

He is not too sure about the whole saw thing!

Finally finished...

Okay so I have been meaning to do this for a couple weeks now, and life has been kind of crazy. The boys were invited to a birthday party, just after Tanner reached pro status in wii bowling and requested that we try REAL bowling, and low and behold the party was a bowling party.... perfect!! So here is the fun...

Domestic Goddess...

I am not. I wish I could claim that status, but nevertheless it is fun to pretend every now and then, or at least attempt. Every now and then I get into a need to try new things, new recipes, I have made a few dinners in the last couple days that will definitely be added to the overall household menu. While the cinnamon rolls are not a new recipe it only comes out at certain times of the year, and as we are now officially in October 'tis the season. Here they are the first ones of the year, I have not made the recipe enough to be confident, but this may be the year to perfect it hehe.

The Cast

All weekend we have been telling Austen having a broken arm really isn't all that bad, trying to perk him up a little bit. It wasn't until he arrived at school this morning still splinted and in a sling, that he realized the instant popularity this would create for him. He was instantly surrounded by a crowd of seven year olds and in minutes had told his experience more than I think he anticipated. He didn't stay at school, after a brief stop to talk to his teacher and at the office to let them know he would be late, we were off to the Orthopaedist to see what was in store. He will have the cast for about a month and in two weeks we will return to have more xrays and a new cast. He was delighted when they asked him what color he would like and they actually had light blue. Seeing as he will get a new cast in two weeks he is still undecided as to what color to have next, he is thinking red.

He likes the cast ALOT more than the splint as it provides him with some use of his left hand, they actually said they would like him to use it as much as tolerable. He was so excited about the cast and requested that I return him to school so he could show off his new accessory. When I picked him up after school he climbed in the car and declared "today was a great day!" He apparently had a group of kids around him all day long and was the center of everything which made him totally excited. He started out the year a little apprehensive about school and it has been a really slow start, I think this just sprung him right into things and he is excited about school once again.

Here we go again

This was back in July after having a high speed collision off his scooter

I am starting to think that we could have alot more trips to the hospital with Austen and broken bones. My parents managed to raise five children and only one broken bone. I have two kids and this would be the second trip to the hospital in the last few months with Austen and broken bones. I was taking care of my friend's kids so she could celebrate her birthday with her husband in Seattle. Before they even left Austen managed to fall from the zip line they have in their backyard, about a 10-12 foot drop. I should know better than to let him take these risks as he is a tad accident prone, but his Dad was standing underneath him, I thought spotting, but apparently he was unaware. He proceeded to complain for the next few hours as we frequently reassessed the injuries until finally he had had enough and his Dad took him to the hospital, I had to stay and watch the kids I was babysitting. So it is broken and they have splinted it until I can get him in to see an orthopeadic surgeon next week to have it reassessed, set and cast. It also is his left and dominant hand, of course, so school work could be tricky.

The Dr. marked the break on the 2nd x-ray

Chicken Nuggets Come From McDonalds??

For those of you who aren't aware my current calling for the last couple years has been to teach the three year old sunbeam class in our church. They asked me at the beginning of this year if I would like to change classes, but the thought of teaching kids who can read is so foreign to me, teaching sunbeams is all I know.
Today our lesson was "I am Thankful for Food and Clothing" the lesson suggested we talk about where food comes from, so I began the discussion...

Where do chicken nuggets come from? Response: McDonalds.

Where does McDonalds get the chicken nuggets from? Response: the Happy Meal Factory.

Change of subject!

I am sorry but I cannot and will not be the one to burst these kids bubbles and share with them the reality of where chicken nuggets come from, and the nightmares that could result. We continued the lesson on where clothes come from and what foods we get from PLANTS. Teaching sunbeams is nothing if not exciting and ever changing. I love three year olds and the perspective they bring to the classroom.

The First Bus Ride

Although yesterday was Tanner's first day of school, today was his first bus ride home from school. In our school district they bus the kindergarten kids home after morning kindergarten and to school for the afternoon so they can learn the rules of bus riding without all the crazy older kids not being good examples hehe. Once school starts because of my school schedule he will be riding to school with all the kids and his big brother, but still home with just his kindergarten friends.

What a big boy

Well Tanner officially started kindergarten this morning, and he was sooooo excited. He has been watching his brother get ready for school for the last two years and followed suit like a pro, he was even ready before Austen was, great job buddy! He spent yesterday home while Austen had his first day and remembered how boring it is without a friend to play with, which made it all the more exciting to go to school today.
Today he goes for the whole time but only half of the class, the other half went yesterday, and tomorrow the whole class goes. His friend Mason from his church class will be in his class as well so that is fun for both of them to know at least one person in their class.
Here are the morning events:

First Day of Second Grade

I cannot believe that I have a child in the second grade, time truly does go by very quickly. Austen is very excited to get back to school, he was nervous until we took him to meet his teacher and to see his classroom yesterday which calmed his anxiety. This morning he was up before all of us, eating breakfast. I had planned to make him whatever he wanted but he was already eating rice crispy cereal. Here is a slideshow of the morning's events.

Backyard Fun on Labor Day

Labor Day was pretty uneventful for the most part, which is I guess the point of the holiday. We did manage to get some decent weather later in the afternoon and the video describes the events that occurred.

Not another tooth!!!

As a seven year old you would think Austen would be excited to lose a tooth, but no not my son. He has had a tooth that we discovered as of his last dentist appointment that has a cavity but from the x-rays they told us the permanent tooth was right behind the tooth waiting to come through. We have been pushing him to wiggle the tooth and get it out, but his response was "NO! Not another tooth!" This was according to him, I lost count, the seventh tooth and the wiggling and bleeding of teeth has finally got to him and the dollar the tooth fairy leaves is no longer any motivation.

Finally today was to be the day, along with Austen's weeping wailing, and yes gnashing of teeth. We were eating at Target which happened to have a Pizza Hut and for those of you who know Austen well he LOVES cheese pizza! He is eating quietly to his hearts content, when Oh NO!! Yes he loosened the tooth eating his pizza and caused the bleeding to begin, in his panic to end the bleeding he worked and worked and POP out it came!!

I told him he should get it out so hopefully the new one would be in before school pictures, I know how vain of me. But what kid out there actually manages to go through childhood WITHOUT a toothless school picture, well Austen might actually do it!

Great job bud and without Auntie Chelsea's assistance, our family tooth puller hehe

One month later...

Okay so needless to say this definitely didn't go as well as planned, but pretty much as I expected.

Kimberley Trip 2008

Well we just got back from a great trip to Kimberley BC where the boys had a blast being "country" for a week. You forget how city you are until you get the opportunity to experience the country for a little while. For two little boys it was paradise.

Nothing like swimming in a cold river to make you feel one with nature.

I wish they could experience these things every day, but then would they really appreciate it all if it were an every day thing.

Despite the look on Tanner's face he really did enjoy the ride. I didn't realize until I watched the video I took Moxie Des's chocolate lab ran along side of them the whole way.

Austen loved playing in the haystacks up at Perry Creek, except for the wasp nests at the top.

Crazy Tanner up at the house in Perry Creek, gotta love candy sticks especially blue ones.

Endless summer entertainment and adventures, even the lightning triggered forest fire.

Thanks again to all our family up there for their great hospitality and the wonderful memories.

p.s. I may attempt a slide show next time...... baby steps.