Miracles do happen

Last night Matthew sat down to the piano and opened up some of his old piano books and played around. I didn't ask him, he had even had piano lessons earlier that day. Maybe he will find pleasure in the piano as Gordon does. After a long day, Gordon plays wile I tidy up or read. It's so relaxing and my kids fall asleep to his beautiful playing.

A great day

Today has been the nicest day this year. We spread out a blanket and had a picnic lunch. I then began the huge job of cleaning out my flower beds. Isaac helped me for a while. He got bored and wanted to move on to more exciting things like cut down trees. He said, "This tree is just annoying, can I just cut it down?" Little does he know how much I paid for the tree or how much I love that tree. The kids played so well outside and I was able to get a lot done.

Right now Bridie loves to play in the tub. Not with water in it, just play in the bathtub itself. Luckily she can't turn on the water, so she just climbs in and plays. She is so cute. She can now say everyone's name in our family. We have so much fun with her.

Wax Museum

In 5th grade they study U.S. history. Each child does a state report and the grand finale is the wax museum. For the wax museum, the students choose a famous person from the state they did a report on dress up like him/her. The day of the museum they pretend to be wax until someone pushes their button. They then come to life and recite a short synopsis of the persons life. Matthew chose Indiana and he wanted to be Jeff Gordon. One evening I was with some of my friends who also have 5th graders and we were discussing who our children were going to be. When I told them Matthew was going to be Jeff Gordon, they asked "Who's he?" I had to laugh, Nascar isn't big here. But we lived in Indiana where some people shape their shrubs in a 3 or 9, or at lest a bumper sticker on their truck. To get Matthew a costume I got on Ebay. Most Jeff Gordon apparrel is either a 3- 18 month old outfit or an adult XXXL. Neither would fit Matthew. I did find one costume the week before the wax museum and ordered it. I should have just enough time to get it. I didn't plan on presidents day- everything would be one day behind in the mail. With the wax museum on a Friday, Wednesday I started to panic. I called one of my friends who is a closet Nascar fan and she had tons of Jeff Gordon stuff. Matthew was saved. The costume did come at 2pm the day of the wax museum. I took it over to Matthew and he changed into it for the remaining hour. His lines were "Hi! My name is Jeff Gordon. I started racing when I was 5 years old. I won the Daytona 500 3 times and the Winston cup 4 times. I'm number 24." Pretty good huh? Let's just say that I'm glad to have that over and that I don't have to do that for another 2 years and Adaline is going to have to be Jeff Gordon for Halloween so that costume wasn't a total waste.

The decorator is coming

My kitchen cupboards have been filled with tools, paint, stir sticks, blue tape, and numerous paint cans. Making dinner has been a pain. I have wanted to get new carpet ever since we moved in. White burber and six kids don't mix. Our carpet was pretty embarrassing. I was thrilled to get it replaced. But before we could get new carpet I wanted to paint. I love bold colors. I am not a "neutral" color person. I also love white ceilings. So it was just a good time to paint the study. I hired a woman to do the edging. She did an amaizing job. Gordon and I did the rest. In fact my wrist is still sore from all the rolling and brushing. The family room and master bedroom are also on my radar- they'll have to be next winter. The night before we got the new carpet installed we ripped out our old carpet. Furniture has been moved all over the house. It was so strange to see the sub floor with all it's history. There were water marks and paint marks where they sprayed our base boards. The kids pulled out carpet staples. I was so proud of how hard they worked. The new carpet was installed on Friday and my sister is coming this weekend to tie the study all together- I am so excited. It's going to look great I'll post before and after pictures.

Love is in the air

Today the kids finished their valentines for school tomorrow. The candy lips are going to be a hit. At dinner Matthew informs me he needs to make a box for his valentines tomorrow- it's 7:00p.m. Adaline decides the cute basket she was going to take it's good enough so right now my kitchen table is filled with red wrapping paper, tape, glue,hearts, and every cardboard box in our house. This means I definitely have to pick up from school tomorrow.

James has his first school dance tonight. As he was walking out the door I asked, "Do you know how to dance?" He informed me that he was taught how to waltz in 6th grade and country dance in 5th. That should be somewhat helpful, right? He took my cell phone and left. Minutes later he called me to go pick him up- he forgot it was semi-formal. He was wearing a t-shirt and sweatpants. Not semi-formal attire. I brought him home and he changed into his suit. I told him he didn't have to wear his suit coat. He told me it makes him look taller. He is at the age where the girls are taller than most the boys. So he's back at the dance and I hope he's having a great time. I can't believe I have a son old enough to go to a school dance!

gordon's going to have a heart attack

So last night I mentioned that in March my sister Emily, who is a decorator, is coming in to help me decorate the study- Gordon's sanctuary. I also mentioned that I'm getting new carpet (gordon even agrees the carpet in there is disgusting), a new couch, new curtains, and I was thinking about painting it.... Gordon resists change- that's why it's so good he married me. I get him out of his rut. Anyway, today I go out the Kilz and started painting the trim. It used to be a olive- brown color. Nice, but not me. So I'll have to do a primer before I paint the trim white. The ceiling will be white- hurray! The walls will either be dark brown or blue. Maybe I'll let Gordon choose- or mayebe not. He will deffinetly be suprised to see the moldings white-ish when he gets home from work to day. Maybe I'll go fix his favorite for dinner tonight. It might soften the blow.

One inch

James grew 1 inch since the end of December. He is taller than me now, thankfully. It is so incredible that something that grew inside me can be larger than me. I can't wait to see him grow into a man.

Hunter education

Gordon, James and Matthew just finished the hunters education course. No, we are not hunters. We do not belong to the NRA. We do not plan on ever shooting anything alive. But I cannot stand ignorance! I do not like fear based on superstition. I want my boys ( my husband included) to be knowledgeable about guns. If and when they are around them, I want them to be educated and not stupid. We live in a rural area where a lot of people hunt. It isn't unusual for people to have deer heads on their family room walls. James' 5th grade teacher had a huge deer head in her classroom. She had shot it herself- pretty impressive I must say. She was James' favorite grade school teacher. So I know when my boys go to someone's house chances are they have guns. I want my boys to be informed. In March James will be going on a boyscout camp out where they will be shooting shotguns. I want James to know how to safely handle a gun. Part of hunter safety is passing a shooting test. Matthew failed his first test (it was the first time he had ever even held a gun, let alone shoot one) and had to go back to the rifle range tonight to try again. I escorted him this time. I had to laugh- it's in the basement of the senior citizens center. A couple (in their mid 50's) and their son coached the kids. They were characters. Most the time I just sat with my ear muffs (or whatever their called) on and read. It was very professional and I never feared for my live with 12 adolescent boys shooting 22's. Sometime I would like to take the class so I will have a healthy fear of guns, not one based on ignorance.

Corby

Every family that has a child under 2 should have a dog. The floor under the high chair never needs to be cleaned, the toast that landed jam-side down this morning got cleaned up, and the bowl full of dinner James was carrying that spilled in the mud room was quickly taken care of simply because we have a dog. Corby isn't fed table scraps, but have gets his share of human food. I love when he follows Bridie around hoping to get a scrap of whatever she's carrying if it should fall to the ground. Corby's birthday is the same day as my brother Mark's. He will be 7. He has been a great dog and we are lucky to have him in our family.

Take your child to work day

Today James was able to go to wok with Gordon and see what he does all day. The 7th graders had the chance to go to work with an adult (preferably a parent) and see what they do for their work. James has really been looking forward to his "no school day" and Gordon has been dreading it. Not that he didn't want James to go to work with him, it's just that it was on a Monday. Monday's and Friday's at a doctors office are pretty crazy. Gordon said 'Why couldn't it have been on a Wednesday?'
James looked so great as he went out the door this morning. He was dressed in his church pants, white shirt and tie. I made him comb his hair "over to the side". The nurses at Gordon's office loved James. They got a kick out of how similar their mannerisms are. James had a great time. When I asked him what he liked about what his dad does for a living he said, " It isn't boring. He'll see a patient, then go sign something, then go see another patient." Is school really that boring? James and Matthew certainly think so. People at Gordon's work asked him if he wanted to be a doctor when he grew up. He said yes. Time will tell. (With the U of U medical school specializing in discriminating against white, LDS males he might have to go somewhere else. Boy could I could tell you stories.)

Fast Sunday

Only Mormons have fast Sunday on the second biggest eating day of the year (next to Thanksgiving). We are an odd people. Today we are going to eat the apple pie my mom and I made while she was here to visit. It's been in the freezer and today seems like a great day to enjoy it.