I'm not ready for this.

This kid has been waiting for two years to be eight so that he can play tackle football.  He counted down the days to registration and getting his pads.  We tried convincing him that another year of flag would be great, to no avail.  It's in his blood.  Every day he puts on his gear and runs plays around the family room.  Every day he tells me "thank you for signing me up."  Every day I worry about his brains and bones.  

now playing...

During the summer, we have days when the tv is off all day, and others when the tv is on a lot.  Here is what we are currently watching:

I have been slowly catching up on episodes of The Good Wife online.

Whenever we have nothing to watch, we pick an old episode of Modern Family. It is such a smart, funny show, I could watch the episodes over and over again.  The kids get to watch a few of those.

The kids love America's Got Talent, but it's not always mom approved.  (I went to put in a load of laundry just as a 300-pound pole dancer took the stage.)

When there is nothing on Tivo, the kids go with Disney Channel.  The only show that doesn't make me feel like I lose brain cells is Good Luck Charlie.

We are big fans of Duck Dynasty and anything on Animal Planet.

new pets

   

After a work appointment, I met Mike and the kids at Mike's childhood pet store, Mark's Ark, to shop for hamsters.  Christian decided that he wanted one too.  He said that maybe they would live longer if they had a friend.  He got his heart set on an orange and white one.  She was a girl, and he decided to name her after himself, so it was Christina.

Bev decided on a Black Bear hamster.  We were told that if they were both girls, they would probably get along, so Bev picked a girl.  She was the smallest, and youngest of the Black Bears.  Her name is Ash.

We got them home and soon realized that Christina was a bully to Ash, bumping her, trying to bite her and scaring her.  Poor Ash was constantly running away from Christina.  We decided that it was not a good fit, so, the next day, Mike took the kids back and Christian decided he would trade Christina in for a kinder hamster.

They got to the pet store and Christina was diagnosed as being a boy.  He is now called Chris, and Christian didn't want to get rid of him.  The pet expert encouraged them to put perfume on each of the hamsters, that they could trick them into liking each other.  We are now watching them to make sure we don't have another tragedy.

empty cage

Poor Nibbles the Hamster was critically injured in a Barbie house accident, and died a few hours later.  It was a sad day for the family.  Bev held him while I investigated the accident.  It made her nervous to hold him, so I held him as he took his last breath.  A few of us were crying, when Andrew walked in and said he had something to play for us on the piano.  It was the Funeral March.  Mike and I exchanged glances--he was trying not to laugh and I was trying not to laugh through my tears.

We made a little casket out of paper towels and buried him in the garden near the bleeding heart.  Bev and Christian are already making plans for a replacement hamster.  They are also establishing rules about where the hamster can play (not in the Barbie house) and who might need supervision around the hamster.

Sunday drive

Gratitude:

1.  A dad that lets them do things I wouldn't.
2.  Living about 10 houses away from the church (don't judge me for taking a car 10 houses away!)
3.  Noon on Sunday (church is at nine.)

we survived the last two weeks of school

Every year I think it can't get any busier, and then it does.  I just had to make a note in my calendar for what kid needed what each day.  It ranged from homework assignments to major projects, from special supplies to special attire.  Here's a rundown of our last two weeks.

Mike and I went to Christian's dress rehearsal of the Ugly Duckling on Monday, and then I went to the performance for the parents on Tuesday.  Christian was one of the ducklings, but his favorite part was being able to play the maracas.

The fifth grade did an amazing patriotic program.  We got front row seats to watch Bev.

Jessica did an oral book report.  She picked a Fancy Nancy book and dressed the part.

Along with outlaw day (see cowgirl below,) the first grade did ice cream day, bubble day, water day, read-a-thon, etc.  It was something special every day for the last two weeks.

For the Teddy Bear Picnic, they brought a sack lunch, a stuffed animal and a blanket.

I got to go help in her class on ice cream day.  The kids each got to make ice cream in a baggie.

Drew was not happy with some of his scores, so he redid some work.  He had to do a country report, and because of his fondness of all things Ancient Greek, he picked Greece.  He was most concerned about the map--it has a very wiggly border.  So, I taught him the old tracing against the window technique.

He redid his Asia map.

And his heat poster.

Bev got to do her state report on Hawaii.  She dressed in a Hawaiian dress and took a few souvenirs for her report.

I know that the kids learn something by doing big projects, but lets be honest, it's a lot of dang work for the parents too.  She envisioned a luau themed float.

Yes, that is a dead pig at the luau.

She had her monthly book report due, so we headed to the library to find some books.  She picked a book on Mia Hamm, Little House on the Prairie and a book about Cancun, Mexico.

I got a call on three different days that Christian had a bloody nose.  I started just keeping a change of clothes in the car.

I am the room mom for Christian's class, so I got to do field day with him.  We played some fun water games, but I soon realized that I put too much thought into it.  They would have been perfectly happy with an activity where I just dumped buckets of water on them.

Bev and Abby at Field Day.

I got to see Drew there too.

Last home lunch of the year--a PB&J, strawberries and some energy balls.

Drew knew that Christian needed to learn about and do a flag raising and flag retirement for Cub Scouts, so he volunteered to do it for the last week of school.  Christian went with him every morning and after school to do the flag.

Last day of Safety Patrol.

I have been so grateful for wonderful teachers this year.  As I send them off in the morning, it has brought me such peace to know that they are spending seven hours of the day with these amazing people.

Mrs. Jensen was the perfect teacher for Jessi.

I adore Mrs. Chang.  Amazing teacher.  Amazing person.

He spent half the day with Mrs. Anderson who is also an amazing teacher.

Mrs. Hair is just top notch.  Bev loved her, and so did I.

Drew had a great year with Mr. Olsen.  It was a huge class with only 8 girls, so it was a little crazy, but Drew loved being in his class.

Tradition at our school is to have a dance party for the 6th-graders on the last day of school.  We planned a luau-themed dance.

We had a DJ, amazing Hawaiian decorations, tons of donuts, smoothies, yearbook signing and a "most likely" awards ceremony.  Drew was voted "Most Likely to Become a Teacher."  I was in charge of the photo booth.

We had the DJ play only fast songs, but he did one slow song and had the kids "snowball" out to dance with lots of different people.  I loved that I got to be there to see Drew dance with a girl for the first time, and because I was shooting lots of pictures, I was able to snap a picture of him dancing with two girls.  He told me I was not allowed to put them on the blog.  

Every year we have a late night to celebrate the last day of school.  The kids each had two or three friends over for pizza, cupcakes, fruit and games.  It is getting so easy--they sort of plan their own activities.  We just have to supply the food.

I am feeling so blessed for a great school year, for my kids' good friends, for wonderful teachers and for the chance I have to be involved at their school.  They are all progressing and learning and exploring new ideas.  I love hearing about their day at school, about how their world is expanding with all of this knowledge.

I am a little sentimental as this is Drew's last year at the elementary school.  Next year we will have not only two different start and end times, but three different track schedules--Drew will be on a traditional schedule, Jessi and Bev on one track and Christian, because of Chinese, another track.

We are now trying to soak up these whopping three weeks of summer break we have together until Christian starts 3rd grade.

we are obsessed

We took the kids to the South Jordan Community Theater production of Les Mis last week, and it is burned on our brains.  The girls go around singing Castle on a Cloud.  Christian asks about the French Revolution (which I had to Google.)  Drew liked it but is a little sick of all the singing.  I sent them up to clean their rooms today with some lyrics about "go and clean your room, do it really good, don't forget your closets, you may need a broom" set to the music of Master of the House.

I told them the story before we went, and that helped them really appreciate the musical.  I am now showing them clips on YouTube.  This is one of my favorites:



They asked to see this one: (The production we saw cleaned it up.)  They won't be seeing this until I take them to a live production.  WARNING:  not for little ears.



I can't wait for this.  Can't. Wait.  I mean, Wolverine is Valjean.



I think I was 17 or 18 when I saw the musical for the first time at the Captiol Theater.  It was life-changing.  I then read the unabridged version of the book for a project for my AP English class.  I love the story, and I love introducing it to my kids.