Popcorn

The other night the boys and I were going to have a night out, which meant Steve was going to be left home with the girls. I knew there would be a little popcorn at the schools magic show, where the boys and I were going but it would be very little (one tiny bag per family) talk about school cutbacks! So after seeing this recipe online, after tasting a Carmel apple dipped in white chocolate and sprinkled with cinnamon and sugar that Steve had brought home from Park City, I was dying to make some popcorn! So I pulled out the dusty popcorn maker and started to get everything ready to pop away. Pretty soon I had all kids gathered around wondering what in the world I was doing. What kind of mother am I that my kids have never seen me use a real popcorn popper? They only thought it could be cooked in the microwave! I know it has been used 'cause we got it shortly after we got married and I know I have used it a few times but none of them remembered it. Oh you should have seen the pure joy and giggles as they watched the popcorn popping out! It was so worth it that I pulled it out again less than a week later and popped corn, again with a counter full of help from the kids. I do have to say that my new favorite kind of corn is with a little butter and then sprinkled with a little cinnamon and sugar, I have yet to drizzle it with the white chocolate, maybe sometime in the future if I have white chips around long enough to use them for popcorn before using the up in cookies!

Knowledge Bowl

As I have mentioned before, we did knowledge Bowl this year. It's been quite the experience. I've enjoyed it, I've hated it but all in all Damen Loved it. So what does that mean? We'll probably be doing it again next year. I loved learning, or at least refreshing my memory on History this year. I loved seeing how amazing Damen's memory is. Once he learns something he does not forget it (unlike me). It's been fun getting to know the kids two of them are in our ward the other two are in a ward together.

Going into it I really had no idea what to really expect. Heck I didn't even know all the rules until a couple of days before the competition (and they call me the coach?). But I had a couple of other parents who helped out and worked with the kids as well. We got down there on Saturday and beat our first competition, they didn't even answer one questions. Our kids were feeling pretty confident and maybe so were the coaches. But then we went into our next two competitions. We didn't do too well in those. One of the teams was from the gifted and talented school. Let's just say between the next two teams I think we only got 4-5 questions right. But on the last game we did well again and made a good comeback after half-time. It was fun and the kids learned lots I just have to keep telling myself that they didn't know any of this stuff before so it definitely has made them learn, so maybe I should do it again next year.

Oh I just reread this and saw that it was all over the place but that's about the state of my mind lately so just deal with it!

The team: Damen, Seth, Tailyn, Tylee, Brynn

Damen with his NERDS reward

Building

Steve took the boys and two neighbor boys to Home Depot the other day to do their little craft. It so happened that this time they built cars. They were so excited to race them that they came home and built a race track for them. They worked at it all day long and then eventually painted it. I was so proud of them and how well they worked with their tools.

They raced for a total of 5 minutes and were done and really haven't played with it since but now all the wood is out there waiting for their next project. It was fun cause for FHE we talked about this and how the joy was in the building and the working to accomplish something not in the final racing though that was fun too. But just like in life we need to take joy in the now and not just in the end result.

Happy St. Patty's Day

Every year the kids request green pancakes for St. Patricks Day. In fact last night when Steve and Damen were going to the store Damen kept saying we needed green food coloring for the pancakes (I already had some). But that's how much they look forward to these. This year I was adventurous and made shamrocks instead of circles. There you go that's the extent of our celebrating.

Science Fair

We had the science fair a couple weeks ago. Seth found out about it back in January and really wanted to do it. He loves all the hands on things, especially science. Only the 5th and 6th graders have to participate but they let all the other grades do it to if they want. I have avoided it so far and had planned on doing the same again this year until Seth came to me with his big brown eyes and asked if he could do it. I couldn't tell him no. At the time I was so busy with doing knowledge bowl with Damen, being called as the new Bear Leader in cub scouts and it felt like a hundred other things. But Seth needed some Mom time so we set to work trying to find and experiment.

After looking on line we found an experiment that involved making cookies. I figured you just couldn't go wrong with that type of experiment and Seth agreed, he was SO excited. The whole experiment was so see if letting cookies sit in the fridge for 48 hrs effected the taste or texture of the cookie. See if you were to look under a microscope the wet and dry ingredients are still separate particles for at least 24 hrs. But by letting your cookies sit in the fridge they combine and you can't see the space between particles if looking under a microscope.

So we made cookies and then made more two days later.

the two batches of cookies

Seth then cut all the cookies so that there would be plenty to sample as we went around the neighborhood.

We then picked the two coldest days of the year (literally single digits) and went around letting people decide which cookie they liked best. I think we determined that the favorite was the ones that didn't sit in the fridge. So we did all of this back in January and then figured we had time to put together the poster and everything for the project.

Fast forward a month and a half at 6:00pm. "Mom we have to turn in Science Fair tomorrow." says Seth. "What?" I knew the date was approaching but didn't realize it was the next day. My printer has no color ink, I'm not going to Wal-Mart to print of pictures I have no card board box or anything to make the display and basically said, "Oh Crap, I don't have the stuff to do it." I asked Seth what his favorite part was and he told me making the cookies and going around to ask people which they like best. We then decided that that was the fun part the other was the busy work part and we weren't going to do it. I was so relieved when he was totally fine with that. Really he was, I didn't have to convince him or anything, though I did say I would put in on the blog and he was fine with it all. I even heard him say that it didn't matter if he had a display cause he at least got to do the experiment. Oh what a good kid. He really did do a great job and I am proud of him for wanting to do it. Heck I'll do experiments all the time as long as I don't have to do the displays! Gook Job Seth!!!

I'm Soooo Beautiful!

Railey knows she is beautiful. She always has. She knows others are as well. She will come up to Kenna and me and say "Oh you are soooo beautiful." It not only makes you feel good about yourself but she just melts you every time she does it. (which is often) She is so sincere and I even believe that she does really see people for who they are and just how beautiful people can be. Steve I think helps with all of this as he is always telling her how beautiful she is. But, yes there always has to be a but doesn't there, the other day she wanted to be beautiful like Mom. After an extremely long period of time that it was quiet in the house while I was exercising, we found Railey in the bathroom trying on every shade of makeup I have. Yes there is even a bluish green on her face, which I have never ever worn (someone gave it to me). We tried hard to tell her that she doesn't need it, but it's hard to convince her when she sees mom put it on every day!

Right now I have to ask her if it is Halloween, or if she is 12. When she says no to both I tell her No as well.

Blue and Gold Cupcakes

So in our ward, like in many, the Dad's and Sons are supposed to decorate cupcakes for the Blue and Gold Banquet. Well I don't know why they say the Dad's because everyone knows that it's the moms that are going to do it (especially after looking at all the cupcakes done this year). So I figured I wouldn't have to do any fancy decorating if I made the cake part cute. I found a place online that colored the batter and put a teaspoon or less of each color in the cupcake and I thought they were cute, so that's what I did. Then I left the decorating up to Damen since Steve didn't get home till way after the whole meeting even ended.


So pretty and colorful

I even love how the wrappers are stained pretty

Doesn't that just look like fun to eat?

Here they are all decorated with their M&M's. After they were all done I read the invite only to find out that there was a camping theme. Needless to say every cupcake except ours had a little fire made out of pretzels and Hersey bars. Ours were definitely unique and all eaten.

Piano Festival

Damen's life has been extremely busy lately which means so has mine. He's just about to finish up basketball, but soccer starts in two weeks. He has been on a knowledge bowl team, which I am coaching with two other Moms, that ends in a few weeks but takes up two nights a week. And he has been preparing for piano festival, which is now DONE!

The other day he came up to me so frustruated. Between chores, knowledge bowl, festival, piano practice, basketball and scouts he litterally had no time to be a boy and go outside and play. He was feeling a little overwhelemed and I must say so was I. He asked if there wasn't something he could give up for a little bit, I think he was hoping it would be piano practicing, but instead we decided to give up his chores on Wed and Thurs if he would practice the piano instead in the morning and because those are the busiest days. He agreed and amazingly things feel a little lighter.

He has been practicing two songs for the past couple of months and had them down. We went down to Orem last Saturday and he performed his pieces in front of 3 judges, his family and Grandma James, as well as the other students and parents in the room. He did such a great job and came away with a Superior. He now has two of those (one from last year and now this year) one more and he gets a trophy! Damen has done so well with piano, it's naturally easy for him and he really does enjoy it. Good Job Bud we are proud of you!

Damens Coat of Arms

I went to parent teacher Conferences the other day and while I was waiting to visit with Damens teacher, I was looking at all the stuff on the bulletin board. It was cute to look and read every ones Coat of Arms. Then after reading several I found Damens and was impressed. I was especially impressed after I read every one and he was the only one to have written that in 10 years he would be on a mission. I guess there was a little pride that crept into me because by darn I sure was proud of my boy, still am.

It says if you can't read it. I feel proud about...my games

What I will do in 10 years... mission

All about my family... 6 people

Things I do with my friends... play

Nothing else was out of the ordinary, pretty basic really but like I said I was proud of the mission thing and then to see "In God we Trust" in those huge big letters also made my heart swell a little. Damen has picked a great family motto for us I think we will stick with this, we couldn't get a better one or one that would fit our family any better. We are who we are because of our trust in God. Thanks for the reminder Damen and I hope we can live up to it. I sure love you bud you are a great example to so many!

Valentines Day

We had a great Valentines Day here at our house. Well at least the food was all good. I realized that the way I show my family I love them is through food. Why is that? I need to expand my ways because right now it's making me expand my waist! I started the day out making the kids lunches and of course had to cut their sandwiches with a big heart cookie cutter. Then it was on to breakfast. Why not heart pancakes? They were whole wheat though, so that was healthy right?

Railey and I decided to surprise the boys and make hearts and put in their beds. While we were making them she kept giggling to herself and saying "When the boys find these they're gonna say, What the heck?" It was pretty cute. In fact as soon as the boys came home she told them to go look in their blankets, which they did and found the hearts. Then she told them they were supposed to say "What the heck?" They did and she was happy!
For lunch I had to make heart sandwiches for my girls too!

Every year for the past couple of years we have a big Valentines Dinner. We make a very fancy dinner, usually served in courses (not this year I wanted my food hot), we dress up in our Sunday best (not this year because Sunday best hadn't been washed from the day before), and we usually have candles (not this year it was still light outside when we ate). So it was a little different than most years but probably tastier. I over heard Damen telling his friend that we always have crab for dinner. Well again not this year but we did have Salmon, Shrimp, heart wheat bread sticks and asparagus. Very yummy!

Oh of course we needs something red so Steve made a slushy out of fresca and Strawberries

Here's everyone anticipating the yumminess about to hit their tummies
Of course it's served on out best dishes with the fancy "cheers" glasses.

I know most people have chocolate for a desert--it is an aphrodisiac--but not us. Steves and the kids favorite desert is Pumpkin Pie. So I made hearts out of the leftover crust and put it in the cream the kids thought they were so SPECIAL!

Oh boy we were stuffed by the end of the night and I sat wondering why do I show love this way. I don't know why but it is something I know how to do and I love to do for them.

Steve on the other hand wrote me a very cute, special, made me cry letter. He is so good about putting lots of time into what he's thinking and very good at expressing it. Then yesterday he ran to the store and bought me roses. We experience the commercial side of Valentines Day on the 15th. We always have almost from the first day. Roses were only $7 for a dozen! Ya know though it hit me that I would much rather receive the letter he wrote for me than to get flowers or anything else the world offers. But they are some pretty flowers don't get me wrong!

Super Bowl

I was just going through my pictures and realized that I hadn't posted about the Super Bowl. How could that have happened when it was such a big deal in Damen's life. He lives for football. Every Sunday he watches a game or two then because he has to go to bed before the game is over, he is up at 6:00 the next morning reading up on the play by plays he missed and finding out the scores. He LOVES football. I don't think anyone realizes just how much he loves it, unless you live in this house!
He wanted to have a big party but since we don't get out of church until 4. That makes it a little difficult to have people over. But we sure did make a party for just our own family! I spent all morning making and preparing food.


We had taquitos, 7 layer dip, artichoke-spinach dip, made bread to go with that, brownies, veggies, and the favorite tostitos cheese dip.

The kids all intent sorry it's blurry

Kenna could have cared less but I sure got a few cute pictures of her

Seth loves to bug Damen, what brother doesn't. So to bug him he cheered for Green Bay. Here he is showing his G. It looks like Seth knew best in the end seeing how Green Bay won and all. Oh we had a very disappointed little boy on our hands the rest of the night. It was a good thing it was bed time. But even now Steve told him he had tickets to a Green Bay game for next season and Damen said sorry he wouldn't go. That's saying a LOT!

Growing Up

So it is that time of month for me (now you all know I'm not pregnant) and I had gone into the bathroom to do a little out with the old in with the new (ok is that too much info?) Well it's true and of course I had two little girls in tow. Why can't a mom go in there by herself anyway? So I had a tampon in my hand, unopened (waiting for the girls to listen and leave the room) when Railey says, "Mom can I have one of those so I can grow up?" I guess at one point I must have told her she couldn't use one until she was all grown up. Maybe that was the same time she dumped an entire new box on the ground opened them all up and pulled them all apart only to come and get me to show me, with pride all over her face, what she had just done. I just hope it's a long, long time before she has to use them and once she starts she'll be wishing she didn't have to!

Basketball

We have been busy with so many things going on. One of those things is basketball. Wednesdays are filled with practice for Damen, come home eat dinner and go to Seth's game. Ten Damen's games are on Saturday. Steve is Seth's coach and I think all in all he is having fun with the team. There are definite moments of frustration but he came home pretty excited the other night because the kids were finally getting the fact that if they hit the corner of the square the ball would go in the basket and tah dah, all their baskets were somehow falling it! He was supposed to coach Damen's team as well but when we got the schedule and realized all the games were right when he was supposed to be up at the temple we turned it back in for someone else to coach. He's had a good coach but there's nothing like having your own Dad!


Seth is quite the go-getter. He's all over the floor. He plays great defense, can dribble really well and is fast! Only problem sometimes he forgets to slow down once he approaches the basket so the ball bounces off the backboard as fast and as hard as he threw it up there. Yeah we still need to work on the soft layup touch. It will come... hopefully!

Damen is learning lots this year. He does really well, but is very cautious (like in all aspects of his life). He got extremely frustrated the other day when this kid was guarding him and literally was pushing him all over the court even when they had the ball. I hollered out to Damen to quickly take 3 steps backwards and the kid would land on his toosh (too bad he didn't hear me--when I told him again later he started laughing, knowing it would have totally worked). Now is the time though that you are able to start seeing the difference of those kids that have hoops at home vs. those that don't. We need to get one so he can get more practice. It definitely would work wonders for his game. But he still does a really good job.

Here's a few videos of them making shots. I was so glad when I didn't have to film anymore. Kenna can be quite a handful, along with Railey, while trying to film.

Seth making a basket!

Damen making a basket!

Damen dribbling down and shooting

Seth playing Anni-I-Over

Babysitting

I left Seth babysit last week when I went over to the church for scouts. I took them last time but they ended up running the halls, or wanting me. I figured I would be ok if I put a movie on gave them popcorn and gave several strict warnings. I wasn't too worried, Seth is a great kid and loves to play with the girls even when I am home. But I was a little surprised to walk in the door to find this


They had made a big tent, even blocking off the stairs so Kenna wouldn't fall down them. They were having so much fun.

Thanks Seth for being such a great babysitter to your sisters. I love how good you play with them!

Pinewood Derby

Oh I am so behind in blogging. But I hate uploading photos so, then I do all my catch up at once. Why oh Why do I procrastinate? Oh well I'm doing it now! We had the Pinewood Derby a couple weeks ago. They boys had a lot of fun making their cars. Steve helped to make 3 cars this year. We cheated a little bit and got a pre-cut one for Damen and Kenyan (boy in the ward), but I think Steve had the most fun making Seths truck (with a bed and lots of detail work thanks to my dremil and even jacked up). Yea Seth still has 6 months before he's in but he couldn't be left out of all the fun!

Sledding

While Railey skied the boys were on the sleds. It's fun to watch how much they have grown up. Now they are all about impressing each other with what they dare to do. The would stand up, sit down, lay down, go down backward, go off jumps, go on grass, you name it they did it. They were having so much fun that Railey wanted to quit skiing and go sledding. Even Kenna tried it out!

They boys could get up by themselves but Railey's boots were about 5-6 sizes too big and she couldn't walk in them, so Steve got to carry her up every time.

Always a good smile!

Railey's face right as she go to the bottom of the hill

What? He didn't know why I was calling his name.

Here are some videos. 1-Damen, 2-Seth, 3-Railey, 4-Kenna