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!