Craft ideas for Grandma

Horseback Riding with the Bishop

Last weekend, my sister and her family were visiting.  We had previous plans to go riding horses at the Bishop's house and he said to bring them along.  So, here are some pics from that fun afternoon.

Emma was in Heaven. She actually stayed a few hours
after everyone else and brushed and burshed horses!

Tyler on his swift stallion of a horse! He actually fell off a
horse last summer and had a really sore arm for a couple
of weeks. What a brave guy to get back on!!



Aunt Boo led Emma's horse and when he
balked, she got a NASTY rope burn!

Chelsea bridling her Palomino.

Head 'em up! Move 'em out! RAWHIDE!!
We were quite a crew! It's a good thing everyone out in Springlake
owns livestock and was patient with us! ;)



Carson and Katrina.



Getting the horses ready for their saddles!





Quincey really wanted to ride with Daddy. 
Next time she will ride her own horse!

We saw some deer.



I was a lucky mama! I got to ride with Quincey, too!



Thanks Bishop! We will be back! We had a blast!!

Homemade Christmas!!

Since we took our Fall trip to Australia, we decided Christmas was going to be on a smaller scale.  We (and when I say we, I mean I) decided to do some homemade gifts because 1 gift per person (because of the aforementioned trip) just wasn't going to cut it for me.  So, I ended up making bathrobes for the kids.

Also, the kids have been begging for "sewing lessons." We have done a few projects here and there.  So, I helped them make pillowpets for each other.  Emma helped me make the Ben 10 Rath pillow for Tyler.  Quincey helped make this cat for Emma.  Tyler helped make the dog for Quincey.  They all love them. (Even though I am not totally enamoured (I'll have you know I looked that word up AND I had already spelled it correctly!! Woohoo!!) with how the Rath alien turned out.

Yes, I did actually coach - and it was fun!!

T-man chose to sign up for basketball.  He loves any and all sports.  He just loves to be active and have fun. He made more than 12 baskets one game! Grandma and Grandpa were keeping count with the girls. It was so exciting, they lost count! So proud of him!

Knowing that I get crazy when I am limited to a schedule, I signed up to be his basketball coach.  I have never really coached before.  I was REALLY nervous!  The dad of the most talented boy on the team would come to every practice and sit there and watch - that was really intimidating to me.  However, I was able to tune it out by telling myself that if he didn't like what I was doing, he could sign up to be the one out there next year! :) 



I decided my goals for the year were...

1.  To have fun  -  This one was easy, because the boys just loved to be out on the court. We ran different drills that helped them learn to hustle, be competitive and be team players.

2.  Help the boys develop basic skills.  The boys ALL increased their knowledge of the game and really learned some valuable skills.  They learned to dribble, pass, shoot and make lay-ups.
3.  Have every boy feel successful.  You should have heard these boys keep their own score in their heads! HILARIOUS!!  One boy would say it was 18-12.  One would say it was 22-10.  But wouldn't you know it, we were always AHEAD!!  What winners we were - if not only in our own minds. But that was the goal afterall!

                      My boy even remembered to Box Out!!!!

4.  Have every boy make a basket in a game.  This one almost didn't happen!! We have one little guy on our team. When I say little guy (he's 8, but my 4 yr old daughter is taller).  But, boy was he tenacious.  Small problem, he couldn't throw that ball high enough to reach that 8 1/2 foot basket!  The talented boy I mentioned before, was such a team player though.  I taught him how to set a pick and he would pass that ball to Jonathon and pick for him, trying to help him get his basket!!  The last game, Jonathon managed not one, but two baskets!! You should have heard the cheering!

So, with my four goals realized, I myself felt successful and will have to give this coaching thing another go!

Sick

So, after everyone else having some cold/flu alternately for the last 4 weeks, I finally caught it.  Not sleeping so well and staying up half the night so I can sit up and actually breathe. :(  The thing that made it worth it was Princess Q.  Our conversation this morning was as follows...

Princess Q:  Mom, I tould not sweep wast night wit you mate-ing dat noise.

Me:  What noise?

PQ:  I don't know.  Dat one lite a, you know, a tamel or lite a whale?

Um thanks, I know I've been congested but a whale, camel, really?????

THE B-I-G 4-0!!

NO NOT ME!! I am way to young for that! ;0)

The Birthday boy and the "waiters" at Los Birthday Club!!

When "Sweetie" came home from work, the kids told him we

were going out to a restraunt for his birthday dinner.  The

table was set and I obviously made dinner, but he went along

with it.  We blindfolded him and got in the truck and drove around

the neighborhood.  The kids pointed the way to "Los Birthday

Club" - the chic-est place in town - and they have GREAT

Mexican food, if I do say so myself! 

After arriving back in the driveway, the kids led Luke up the
 front steps into the "restraunt"still blindfolded.  They led him
to his table and presented the menu to him using their finest
"high class" voices using lots of phrases with "sir" in them.

               This is the menu with the cards he received.

                     We had the traditional birthday pie. 

         Then, we started a one time only tradition of Silly String.
       We got him.  Then...

                                         He GOT US!!
                         Not fair! We only got him a little!!!

                     We had the nightly wrestling match.

                                    And opened presents.

 

The best part of giving/getting presents are the snuggles afterward.

              One of the presents was Mexican Train Dominoes.
 

We did have one casualty of the night.  One of the killer goblets
broke a plate.  It's okay Quince.  :0)
                          HAPPY BIRTHDAY SWEETIE!!

SICK DAY!!

Wednesday morning Princess Q mentioned her ear hurt, but went on the rest of the day playing with friends and didn't say another word. 

A few minutes after I walked in from playing volleyball, she woke up crying.  She said her ear hurt really badly.  I gave her some ibuprophen. She fell asleep a few HOURS later.  She then woke up about 2:30 am SCREAMING for another 45 minutes.  Finally, she fell back asleep.  In the morning I realized her ear drum had burst. Poor baby! 

This child is a puzzle whiz! Seriously!  This puzzle has over 150 pieces!  She did it in about 40 minutes!  I didn't even help her open the package!  She did it 110% by herself!

A Bit About Tyler...

Tyler just had a birthday.  It kind of snuck up on me, as I have been sewing and crafting up a storm for Christmas!  Two days before his birthday, I realized I needed to make a cake! ACK!  Then, I promptly forgot, again.  I remembered the day before and since his birthday fell on a Sunday, I knew I had to make it then (11pm). 

Luckily, the LDS culture tends to be prepared to a fault.  I went down to my foodstorage room and was able to choose from a vast variety of cake mix flavors to find one that would make my easily pleased son happy.  I made several cakes and planned to cut them into various shapes to make a HUGE Ben 10 Omnitrix cake.

I envisioned something like this.

I got a little impatient since it was after midnight and removed one of the cakes before it was cooled and it totally fell apart.  I promptly put that in a ziploc bag and left it on the counter, redrew my design and continued on to make a marshmallow fondant covered, devil's foodcake, strawberry cheesecake ice cream cake.  It was not nearly so ellaborate as I had first envisioned, but it was yummy and I still have a forth of it in the freezer.  The kids and I just had a piece and it is still yummy 2 1/2 weeks later. 

I stayed up working on it until 2am.  Put it in the freezer, cleaned up and didn't give it another thought.  Until, the next morning when I came downstairs after the kids and Tyler was looking at my Ziploc bag of disaster. 

Tyler: "Mom, did my cake break?" 

Me: Yeah Bud. I'm sorry and I don't have time to make another one because I need to make cookies this morning for the dedication of the Stake Center tonight.   But I'll save some cookies for us and we'll have cookies and ice cream for your birthday.  K?

Tyler:  Okay, mom! (Oh, that kid can melt my heart!)

Me:  Sorry next time okay?

Tyler:  Mom?  What's that cake on the counter?

Oops.  I left out the middle part of the cake I cut out to make room for the ice cream. Hmm.

Me:  Oh, that was just something I had left over from another thing.  I was thinking I could ice it really fast with some of that frosting in the fridge (pre-made store bought yicky stuff - I'm not a fan of the tub frosting). 

Tyler: Well, Mom...can I do it?  (excitement building) CAN I MOM?  CAN I DO IT????

Me:  Um, yeah okay.  You decorate it.

Tyler:  Mom! Can you make the frosting green? I want to make it an omnitrix!! And what's this stuff? (the fondant I left out - good one Amy)  Can I use it?

Me: Sure.

He spends the next 40 minutes concocting his own omnitrix and decorating it with his Ben 10 toys. 

He loved his cake!  And who can blame him?  He did a fantastic job on it!  I was pretty proud of the job I did on his ice cream cake, but I am so much more proud of him and his fantastic attitude.  That kid is so positive I could just squish him!  Most people would have been so disappointed their cake died, but not him.  He just went on and did this.  He is such an amazing boy.  I love you Tyler.  You teach me so much every day about having a positive attitude.  Please stay that way and maybe eventually I can grow up to be like you.

Me

AtHLetE,
sEAmStrEsS,
cRAfTY oNE,
I try many hats,
but master NonE.

MaNY prOJeCTs LEft unDONe.
THaNKful i MArRied A pATiENt oNe!

What's that I Smell??

While driving home the kids (mostly Emma) and I had the following conversation.  I was prepping them for cleaning and doing chores, when we got there.
Tyler said something about already having made his bed, so why does he have to do MORE chores!

Me:  Making your bed is not really a chore.  It's just one of those things you have to do before you GET to do your other chores! :)

Emma:  (in a haughty tone) WELL, I DON'T EVEN HAVE A BED TO MAKE, 'CAUSE CARSON!!

My nephew is staying the summer with us.

Me:  Well, he leaves tomorrow. So, you can have your own bed back! (in my best isn't that so awesome voice?!!)

Emma: (disgruntled and surly) Yeah, but it will still SMELL like Carson!! (exhales)

Me:  We will wash the sheets. It will be fine.

Emma: (still disgruntled and surly) YEAH and spray it!

Me: Why does Carson stink?

Emma: Uh, yeah! (snotty tone)

She has the Matkin nose!  (and attitude!!)

Tyler - if only this could last...

"Mom, why didn't you sign me up for summer school?  Is it too late?  Can I go to summer school?"

Sense of Fashion or Just Plain Ol' Stubbornness?

Emma has had kindergarten preview the last 2 days.  This morning she came down wearing a shirt that I tried to get her to wear to preschool on numerous occassions.  She refused every time citing, "It's ugly" along with tears and body jiggles that resembled a tantrum.  Now that it is almost too small it is a new favorite.  It does look quite cute, but why does she have to refute EVERYTHING I say until I leave it alone and it becomes her idea????   :)  If I were to say the sky is blue, she would say it is orange.  And then IF I came around and said the sky is orange, THEN she would say, "No, it is blue."  She just loves to think I know NOTHING!!  I thought that didn't come until the teenage years?!!  I tremble at the thought of what is to come with that girl!!  ;0)

Registering for PreSchool

I've been telling Quincey for over a month that we are going to register her for preschool.  She in turn has been very excited and asking about it quite often.

Finally, yesterday we got to the "school" and filled out the paperwork to register her for class.  It was a bit hectic, as we had come right when the current morning session was ending and there were children going to various cars, etc.  I finished filling out the paperwork and said, "okay, let's go" to Emma and Quincey.  Emma started to follow me, but Quincey hung back.  When I hear this little voice, "Bye Mommy! I wub you!"  I turned around and she looked so little standing there - not sure where to go, chin down, unsure blue eyes looking at me with eyebrows raised, thinking I was leaving her there, right then. Augh! It just about broke my heart!  She wanted to stay, but her mother was just abandoning her without hugging her or giving her a kiss or ANYTHING!!  I rushed back and gave her a big hug and when I told her I wasn't leaving her today and we would come back another day.  She held my hand and skipped back to the car.

I don't want her to ever let go!  My eyes are welled up with tears again as I write about this, because I felt so badly that she thought I was just leaving without hugs or kisses or anything!  I need therapy, now. That was traumatic for me!!!

Unta Boo

The other night after I tucked all the kiddos in bed, Quincey came into the room and said, "Mommy..."

To which I quickly responded, "Quincey, you should be in bed. Go!"

"But Mommy, I want to tew you someting."

Me (exasperated), "What Quincey?"

Quincey (gushing amazement), "Unta Boo (Uncle Boo - or Matt) can Bwow da wight out in my woom!!" Her mouth dropping open to emphasize her incredulity!

Me: "Wow! That's pretty awesome!"

Quincey: "Yes! And it is AMADING too!!!!

Apparently I am a bad Mom and have never shown her the trick of blowing out the lights at night.  But thankfully we have Unta Boo and At Boo to help remedy my short comings!! My kids may turn out all right, after all!!

The Replacement...

For the last week and a half, Emma has eaten her dinner like an obedient, non-confrontational child.  In the past this has not been her normal demeanor. See pic to the left for her normal demeanor.

The other night, Luke asked her, "Who are you and what have you done with my Emma?"

Emma without missing a beat replied, "I am the replacement."

Luke asked, "Well, where's the old Emma?"

Emma once again without hesitation and a bit of mystery/spunk in her voice said, "She is on a Mission."

Totally cracked us up.  And the even better part is, whenever she starts to struggle with her attitude or wanting to be obedient, I ask her, "Are you the replacement or the old Emma?"  She usually concedes to being the replacement and changes her attitude to a more positive one.  Heavenly Father must have heard my "at the end of my rope" pleas! :)

Stinker Pot Thieves!!

So, last Thursday I was in Walmart with all 3 of my kids. Not a predicament I love to find myself in, yet there I was. My kids seem to fight much of the time at home. Yet, at the store they seem to be best buds and all 3 seem to get this surge of energy and they just feed off each other and go crazy.

Thursday was one of those days. I had gone to Walmart to get the last piece of a project I have been wanting to do. I ordered Moda Fabric Charm Packs on Ebay and needed to get some flannel for the backing on some blankets. My kids were running around the fabric department, etc. I was trying to be fast and wasn't succeeding. In an attempt to distract Tyler from goding his sisters, I asked him to "Put these squares back in these baggies and put them back." I should have added "into the cart." Because my dear, obedient boy (unbeknownst to me) put them back on the shelf with Walmart's packs that are a different brand and not anywhere near as coordinating and cute. Off we went to the milk fridge area. I realized my squares were not there, asked Tyler where they were. "Back on the shelf. You told me to put them away."

AUGH!! Not that kind of away!

We went back to the fabric area. There was no trace of them. $80 worth of cute fabric...gone. Ugh! Forget the $$, do you know how long it takes me to get all the facets of a project together???

Yes, I have checked back with the store several times. They haven't seen 'em.

SpRInG!!

I was sitting here at the computer (ahem, I mean internet - computer would elude to me getting something productive done) and I could hear birds chirping! I opened the window and could hear them better! They sounded so happy! Or maybe that was MY Spirit soaring at their song. They may have been sad and lost, but I am just so happy they are here! What a blessing to be able to have all of these different seasons! However, Spring is my favorite because it means the Winter/cold is OVER!!

The first day of spring is one thing, and the first spring day is another. The difference between them is sometimes as great as a month. ~Henry Van Dyke

Isn't that the truth! We've been having bee-u-ti-ful weather and the first day of Spring is still 2 1/2 weeks away!! Did anyone else hear it's supposed to snow today? :)

Our little man Tyler was baptized last month.
He was so excited. I think he has a stronger
testimony than I do. He has so many people
that just love him. How could we all help it?

He is soo...

-thoughtful
-full of energy
-snuggly
-appreciative
-excited about life and everything it brings
-full of love for his family
-full of love for everyone
-helpful
-fun
-smart
-willing to try new stuff
-honest
-kindhearted
-and an all around great boy

He bore his testimony last Sunday...

"I'd like to bare my testimony. I know we all
have great families." *Rush of blood to the face and
hyperventilating* "In the name of Jesus Christ, amen."

He was shaking when he came back to his seat. He said,
"I wanted to say other stuff, but I couldn't remember. I
was too nervous." Then, he snuggled into my side until
he stopped shaking from nerves. He must get it from me.
I didn't say everything I planned on saying in my testimony,
either.

SHHHH! Getting the kids out of class early!!

Luke went in to Primary to get the kids out early. He quietly told the teacher he needed Tyler because we were going to his cousin's. Tyler says quite loudly, (okay, he yelled it) "Woohoooo! Superbowl time!" Wouldn't have been so bad if it had just been his class, but Sharing Time, geez buddy!

We need to teach that child a little discretion! "Vagueness Tyler, vagueness. You only tell them what you are really doing, IF THEY ASK!!!"

I guess I haven't taught him everything I know yet!!

Added hillarity, Luke is in the bishopric! Nice example we are setting, right?

The Climb

Tiffany, I was thinking of you on this one.

Emma in the other room belting out Hannah Montana's "The Climb,"

"It's the Clyyyyyyyyyyde, It's the Clyyyyyyyyyyyyyyde!!"