Hill Areospace Museum

This week in preschool the boys learned about the letter "A". So, for a fun field trip we went to the Air Force museum. The first thing Lemur said was "Remember when we came here when I was a baby?" What a memory! He wasn't really a baby, though. He was probably 2 or so.

Here's a picture of all of the kids back then:



And here's a picture of Lemur and Mister today:



It's a great little museum (and free). If you're ever near Roy, Utah, you should plan to go there. I always have fun when I go there. They have some awesome WWII planes and paraphenelia. There's an awesome B-52--the one with the belly gunner. I am always amazed that someone would fit in there and how dangerous it must have been.



(I posted these photos from a website and evidently they were cut off on the right side. You might be able to see them if you click on them...if you don't mind, please let me know in the comments if they're viewable from my Photobucket account.)

Flag football

This year we signed Buddy up for flag football. He hasn't played since 3rd grade, so I was wondering if he'd be any good. Turns out he's grabbing flags right and left. In 3rd grade I don't think he grabbed anyone's flags at all the whole season.

Buddy's saying he wants to play tackle next year. I'm not so sure about that...he's already got a lot on his plate and I don't think I'll have time for practices every night and games all over this half of the state. Plus the fact that he'll be starting Jr. High next year. I just don't see how we'll fit it in.

He's having fun with flag football right now, though. And there's always basketball in the winter.

Sons and Moons

A few months ago, Lemur and Mister got up rather early in the morning. I opened their blinds, and Lemur sat with me in his window seat. I told him that the sun was going to come up over the mountains soon, and we should watch it together. After a few moments, I said to him "Are you my son?" He looked at me as seriously as a 3-year-old can and said, "No, Mom, me a moon."

Now, every once in a while, I'll ask him (and Mister) if they're my sons. They are never "suns", but always either stars or moons. Bug and/or Buddy are the "suns".

Next time I'll have to ask them what Missy is. ;)

Today we had a missionary farewell sacrament meeting. As I was making dinner after church, I was thinking about when we'll be making an after-farewell-luncheon for one of our kids. Then, just to make me feel old, Ben says "You know, I've been graduated from med school for 8 years. And in another 8 we'll be sending Buddy off on his mission." YIKES!!! It doesn't seem like that long ago that Ben graduated...although I guess it has been, because Bug is 8 and he was just a little baby when we left Mexico. It's just crazy to think about how fast 8 years can go by.

Presents

Yesterday was my birthday (thanks for all the birthday wishes, everyone!), and I didn't really get a chin-up bar (see "birthdays" post below). I did get Photo Shop--which is what I had asked for. (Thanks, honey!) I've not had time to figure out the really neat stuff, yet, but look what we did today:

We covered everyone in plastic wrap, if you can't tell. I also cropped the picture and eliminated some of the shadowing over Ben's face. I can't wait to play with the program more!

Birthdays...

Have you ever seen the Simpsons episode where Homer buys Marge a birthday present...only it's a bowling ball...and it says "Homer" on it?

Well, the other day, Ben went to shop for me for my birthday. This is what he came home with:


A chin-up bar that fits in a doorway. I guess it's for all the chin-ups that I do...or all the chin-ups I've been wanting to do...or something like that. I'll just say it was a Homer gift.

Before I criticize too much, though, I seem to remember a couple years back a time when I went to get Ben some shoes for his birthday. I came home with 2 pair for myself, too.

Hey, it happens to everyone, right?

Give Life

There aren't a whole lot of charities I support or promote, but one that I try to "give" regularly to is the Red Cross. In the form of blood donation. If you've never donated blood before, you should seriously consider it. It takes less than an hour for the whole process, and as little as 5 minutes for the actual "collection." If you've been a donor before, but it's been a while, set up an appointment to give again soon. Why?

• one blood donation can help save up to 3 lives
• only 8% of the eligible US population donates blood
• every 2 seconds, someone in America needs blood
• less than 30% of the people who give blood once will ever give blood again
• donated blood only lasts for 42 days
• you can donate blood as many as 6 times a year

I always joke that Ben gives away all my blood before it's even out of my arm. Joking aside, though, donating blood is a great cause. Plus, afterwards you get guilt-free juice and cookies. And it could't be easier to get an appointment--you can pick the date and time that fits into your schedule all online.

What could I have been thinking?!

Today I was telling my neighbor about all the things my kids are going to be involved in this fall and now I'm scared that I've bitten off more than I care to chew. Here are the activities we're hoping to participate in...

• Buddy: piano lessons (as usual...the three "big" kids have taken piano since starting kindergarten), flag football, orchestra (he's just informed me that he wants to play the viola)
• Missy: piano lessons, dance (ballet), Jr. Cardinelles (which is a drill team workshop that the high school does...it's only a week, but still...), volleyball, orchestra (violin)
• Bug: piano lessons, soccer (not too bad...)
• Lemur and Mister: they're still uninvolved...other than preschool.

Thinking about the logistics of getting all the kids in the appropriate places gives me ulcers. And fitting dinner, homework, reading, practicing, FHE, etc. in there sends me into panic attacks. Good grief! What was I thinking?!

Solved!

It took an obsession and about 400 tries, but I did it...as long as you don't look too closely at Donald Duck's eyes on the blue side. (They're upside down.) I'm not so concerned that I'm going to try again, though. I've wasted enough time figuring it out.

But, I DID IT! (Thanks to the you-tube nerd, I'm now a nerd, too.)

Frustration!

Remember these little cubes of frustration and aggravation? Well, my sister got one from Disneyland for Buddy this summer. I hoped he'd be smarter than I ever was and either never mess it up, or be able to figure the thing out. And then, as I was cleaning Bug's room yesterday, out of the corner of my eye, I saw the thing lying on the floor hiding behind his door. And to my dismay, it was in disarray. Well, so much for not ever playing with the thing. Someone had had some fun with it.

So, off to the Internet I went to try to figure this thing out once and for all. I know there is a solution for it. Other than peeling the stickers of, or popping the pieces out. I seem to remember my mom buying a big book on how to solve them back in the '80's when we had 5 unsolved cubes floating around the house. In spite of the how-to book, I don't think she ever figured it out.

This is what I found online, and now the mystery of the Rubik's Cube all makes sense to me. Or, rather, it now makes sense that I could never solve one. Algorithms are involved. Sounds mathematically complicated. Don't ask me what algorithms are. Obviously I have no clue and that's why I can never figure these cubes out. (I can't even figure out how to post the video into my post!)

But, I am determined to solve Buddy's Disneyland Rubik's Cube.

A Twin Moment

Amid the giggles, Mom asks:

"What are you doing?"

Mister:

"Rolling!"

Dinner with the Haugens

This weekend we had dinner with our dearest friends, the Haugens. Ben was best friends with Erik in high school. (Yes, our Buddy is named after him.) On Saturday morning they ran the S.F. half-marathon. Ben set a personal record at 1:38 and Erik was only 1 minute behind at 1:39.

Above: playing video games with C.

Below: roasting marshmallows

Before and After

Here are the fruits of my labors.

(Cutting hair, that is.)

Lemur before:

Lemur after:
Mister before:

Mister after:

They turned out alright, despite my best efforts to take off my finger.

Calling it quits!

After 13+ years of pretending to be a beautician, I'm done. I've been injured for the last time. Taken too many chunks out of fingers and knuckles. This picture doesn't show it very well, but I've got a large V-shaped cut in the top of my finger.



Today, while cutting Lemur's hair, I just about took a square inch of flesh off. I know, I know--this is the reason they teach you not to cut the hair in your fingers past the second knuckle. I was just in a hurry to get it done, as 3-year-olds aren't the most patient clients.

Anyway, I'm done. We'll just have to suck it up and pay for someone else to do it. I've cut myself for the last time.

Preschool

Today was Lemur and Mister's first day of preschool. They were SO excited. On Saturday, Sunday, and Monday they kept asking if it was time to go to school yet. And, since yesterday was such a cold, stormy day, they even got to wear their new, warm school clothes.

Lemur in red, Mister in blue.

Miss J. has the kids make "Texture Names" for the first week of school. Part of the reason Lemur and Mister were so excited for school to start was because we were working on these names. They LOVED helping glue all the items on their names. Each item glued on begins with the letter it is glued in.

D=dots, A=ant stickers, L=leaves, L=lace (which Dallin can't ever remember), I=ice cream stickers, N=noodles

L=ladybug stickers, I=ice cream stickers, A= airplane stickers, M=macaroni

They had a wonderful time. Some of their favorite activities they did: coloring, playing in the play house (which had play phones, Dallin said), and hanging their names on the wall.

Girl's Day Out

On Saturday, three of my friends from my ward and I went for a day out. We drove up to B. C. Why, you might ask, did we go to B. C. of all places? Here's why:


We wanted some famous Box Elder peaches. We wiped one stand completely out of its Loring peaches. I bought a bushel--for those who have no idea how big a bushel is: two baskets. Or 2 boxes, as we had to transfer them to boxes before we could take them.

So, today, being a Mormon mom, I canned peaches (even if I didn't grow them myself). I did 12 jars, and still have a bunch of peaches left over. They won't last long, though, because my kids have been eating at least two a day.

Being out and about and all, we also went to lunch at the famous (if you're from here) Maddox. It was a dream--going out to eat at a fancy restaurant with great friends and without kids! We had a great time...until they told us they had sold out of their peach pie. :( We'll just have to go back and have another day out sometime.

And I have to say, these famous B. C. peaches are absolutely delish! Like candy. They've definitely lived up to their reputation.