Sarah goes to Festival of the Colors

Sarah's friend took the above picture with her iPhone. 

Can you believe how great the colors came out?

Our first campaign

Sarah decided to run for student council. 

When she was coming up with her campaign slogan I suggested she do something having to do with her red hair that people always talk about.

She came up with this:

We had it printed at Walgreens and it was a huge hit with the kids.

And also? Just huge.

It was 2 feet by 6 feet.

Everyone was talking about this poster. Not just because it was big but because they loved her slogan.

Sarah has turned out much more gutsy than I was expecting her to be. Certainly more so than I ever was. She is constantly surprising me. How many kids do you know that are willing to post a giant picture of themselves in their junior high?

Bad news is she didn't win. There were about 10 kids running and only two slots so I knew it was going to be tough. But wow that she did it, huh?

Thinking about crawling

We all entertain ourselves by trying to get Will to crawl. 

Here Peter and Will practice upward dog:

Superman!

On my toes!

He makes his way backwards now. I don't know why we encourage him because we are starting to look around and really see just how much stuff he is going to be able to get to. Baby proofing the house is going to take some work-- and also some innovation!

Construction

Behind the house we now live in there was a field. Basically like an extension of the backyard because there is no fence. It was a pretty view out the kitchen windows.

Here are the tracks Nathaniel made in the snow one day:

And John following after:

Then one day the trucks came and started to dig in the snow:

 They are building the new junior high right behind us.

All day. Every day. (Except Sundays.) 

They start the trucks up at 6am on the dot.

 There is always banging and beeping and drilling and pounding and the sounds of trucks going all day long. It is not my favorite. Not as bad as I might have thought, but still, not my favorite.

 The trucks get amazingly close to the backyard. 

Look how massive they are!

Sometimes we think they are just driving around out there in circles. Just for fun.

Here you can see that the field is just dirt now in the background.

Will often watches them while he eats. If he grows up to be as into trucks as some kids I've known he'll be pretty entertained for a while to come.

White Board Buddies

Rebecca's so creative. 

I think she could grow up to be a cartoonist. Or a children's book author.

Hangin' in their Hoodies

 I was all excited when Will started saying "mama" recently. He'd say it all day long and then yell it in Sunday School. It was great and I was so flattered and happy. All my babies said "dada" first.
Then one day after about a week and a half of this he just started saying "dada" and wouldn't say "mama" anymore. Peter was in California at the time. Now I frown at him and say, "Not Dada!" Mama! Say mama!" He just looks at me and smiles and says "dadadadada."

Our weekend

Will you just look at this weather? 

The crocus are coming up!

 Here is the first daffodil in our yard!

This past few weeks have been busy, and I hate being too busy. I take issue with my friends who are "so busy" all the time. Why can't you just stop once in a while? Lets grab lunch or go for a walk! Stop and TAKE A BREATH! Some people seem to always, always, be busy going in a hundred different directions. Even in the summer!
For myself, I can only go so long that way and I start getting cranky real quick.
Nathaniel made the tennis team. They had their first meet on Thursday. He has practice every day after school. He also does ultimate frisbee. I spent over an hour last week signing him up for the ACT. On Wednesday he went to school, then to tennis, then frisbee, then mutual. Sarah is doing track. She takes piano and has ongoing recitals and competitions. She's also in tumbling and wants to run for student council for next year. Rebecca, who has been taking violin, wants to move to voice. She is in the school play again this year and they have practices a couple of times a week. John just started piano lessons-- which he has been bugging us about for months-- and is in cub scouts.
On Thursday after school we had track, tennis, tumbling (what's with all the "T's"?) a piano peer/recital meeting and parent/teacher conferences. I told Sarah something had to give and she missed tumbling. I can't spend 5 hours in the car and keep my sanity.
Oh, and also? I have a baby.
I know lots of mom's have this life. I really, really do. But I just don't want that life. Peter and I have vetoed a number of activities over the years. I'd be a terrible mom for a kid wanting to go into the Olympics.
Now that the kids are getting older they are involved in more things and I've been telling the kids this is pushing the limit. I encourage the kids to do as President Uchtdorf says and try to filter out the good things for the best things. Like when Nathaniel's chemistry study group is consistently falling on Monday nights? That's a problem.
Easier said than done, I know.

Here's the good news: This weekend was great! For one thing, we had Friday off. John and Rebecca went out to lunch with me, then to the library and out for ice cream. With the snow completely melted I went over to the other house and got everything out of the backyard and trimmed all the perennials and rosebushes up while John and his friend played in our old sandbox. The kids all had friends over that night and we watched a movie and ate candy and popcorn. Saturday morning I got up to this:

Mom,
I am at the old
house jumping on the tramp with Spencer. I
will be home soon.
From John
To Mom




















I got to sleep in, finish my book, paint my toenails, and take pictures of Will in between cleaning the house and picking up Peter up from the airport. Today we went to church then waited for Peter to get done with his clerk duties and took John and Rebecca out to fly their kites out on a great windy day. We came home and played games, watched a few YouTube videos, got some laughs, and I made dinner and then we watched a movie. (Not as Sabbath Day as it should have been, I know.)
It wasn't like it was perfect. There was fighting, sassing, teenage eye-rolling, and other miscellaneous kid-related obstacles, but overall it was very nice.

Next Saturday Nathaniel has the practice ACT (the same one I mistakenly got him up for on Saturday--woops) Sarah has her piano competition, there is mutual temple activity and our good friend, Mason's dad, is getting married.
But a week from then is spring break and guess what I have scheduled?
Nothing!

St. Patrick's Day

After church, in which we all wore some form of green, we came home and Rebecca & John got dressed in more festive clothing.

"Good" picture:

Trying to get a "good picture"

Sarah & Will

 (Fat baby arms!!)

Smack! Smack! Smack!

Will likes the kitties

Took Will outside for some pictures today. 

The weather has been gloriously spring-like.

(Note the line of drool that extends all the way down.)

  The cats were taunting Will.

"I want those cats."

 He doesn't crawl but he was trying his darndest to get to that kitty.

I finally grabbed Caramel for him 

and tried to get in a few quick shots.

 "Heh! That was fun!"

 "Wait a minute . . ."

 "Where's the kitty?"