Sam's Preschool Recital

We were so proud of Sam as he scowled during his whole preschool performance. I was laughing so hard I started to cry.

Thanksgiving trip to Missouri, Chicago and Michigan

We went to a restaurant in Chicago called Ed Deverics which is known for its fifties diner atmosphere and waiters that harrass you the whole time you eat! "Tiger" our waiter harrassed the kids about everything from eating faster to not touching the glass. He riled the kids up so much that it ended in a brawl with Seth and Sam tackling him and Sam punching him in the groin.

We went to the museum of Natural History where the largest T-rex skeleton in the US is located.
The kids were so excited to find out the T-Rex's name was Sue. The same as Grandma's! They fought to be the one to call Grandma and tell her the news.

This is the view of Michigan Street from our condo window.
We went to a restaurant called, "Dicks Last Resort". The waiter made hats for each of the kids. Hailey's said, "I'm surrounded by crazy people." Seth's said, "If found do not return", and Sam's said, "Poop King".
We went to Shedds aquariam, the kids favorite attraction was the giant sea turtle named "Nickel" who had been saved from a tragic motor boat accident. (You can vaguely see her in the back of this picture) We also saw 4-D films of Polar Express and a Whale/ Sea Animal movie, complete with pokes in the back, blowing wind, 3-D images, shaking moving chairs, bubbles and hot chocolate and evergreen smells being blown into the audience.
It snowed the whole time we were there.
We took taxi cabs everywhere, the kids got used to crowding in and out of them.
We went and ate famous Chicago deep dish pizza, Hailey is graffitiing the wall.
The kids loved playing at the childrens museum as well. We had fun while Aaron slaved away at his medical conference, RSNA.
We spent Thanksgiving with Grandma Vicki and Papa Joe in Missouri
We drove out to the farm house and had thanksgiving dinner with Grandma Valeta and Grandpa Clyde. Very delicious.

We made gingerbread houses at Grandma Vicki's house with cousin Donovan
as well at Becky's house with cousins Elijah and Chayim. We drove out to Michigan for a day to see Bek and Teo which proved very useful since I got tons of baby clothes!
I just included the picture below because I thought it was a perfect job description of what Aaron does everyday! :)

Fall in the South

There are some things about the south that are unique that I hope to remember when I move from here. Most that I love, some not so much but I am going to list the ones that I love.

conservativism, family values, christianity. Warm climate, hordes of dragonflies flying low over the soccer field in the early morning, fall leaves, crunching acorns under each step as I walk to the rec center while tons of squirrels gather them for the winter. The deafening roar of Cikeda bugs on a hot summer night. Phrases like y'all and I'm fixin to do something, two first names like Billy Bob or Sarah Katherine and outspoken frankness.

tag

Sorry Erika, it's taken me a while to answer my TAG

My 8 favorite shows (lately) are:
1.Everyday Italian
2.Barefoot Contessa
3.LOST
4.the office
5.Masterpiece theater (I'll have to agree with you Shanda and BBC specials)
6. football
7. What not to wear
8.This Old House

My 8 favorite restaurants are:
1.Macaroni Grill
2.Macaroni Grill
3.Macaroni Grill
4.Macaroni GRill
5.Quiznos
6.Sheridans
7.Pei Weis
8.The Commissary (I think these are the only ones I have been to since I've been in Memphis with the exception of fast food :))

8 things I did yesterday
1.exercise
2.Take kids to a primary party
3.took the lawnmower in to be serviced
4.took the kids to a birthday party
5.talked to a realtor
6.watched the BYU/Air Force game which they won! Oh YES!
7.Went to Macaroni Grill (thanks Erika!)
8.Went Christmas shopping (thanks again Erika!)

8 things I wish for are:
1.to know where I would like to settle down and find a good job
2.My kids to grow up safe, happy with strong testimonies
3.Obama will convert to conservativism and reject his socialist views
4.that I wouldn't get so fat during pregnancy
5.that I were better at controlling my sugar cravings
6.That this baby will be born healthy
7. that we will be able to sell our home quickly
8.that I could be put in deep freeze for a year and I can therefore skip our year fellowship in Michigan

Cool Math computer games

I found some really cool math websites in my INSTRUCTOR magazine and I thought I would share them. They give really good practice, Hailey had to fight Ogres in a haunted castle, she had to do multiplication facts quickly to win. I also love the tangram website which is a GREAT precursor for geometry.

HTTP://WWW.MULTIPLICATION.COM/INTERACTIVE_GAMES.HTM
HTTP://CS.BMCC.CC.OR.US/MTH213/LABS/ONLINE%20TANGRAMS.HTM
WWW.MATHSISFUN.COM/DEFINITONS
WWW.COOLMATH4KIDS.COM/COOLTHINGS
WWW.MSTE.UIUC.EDU/USERS/PAVEL/JAVA/GEOBOARD

Hailey's bed

baby bed

Here's what the bedding looks like mom, if you want to try and match it :)

More Halloween

I am trying to figure out how to add different things to my blog so I am going a little crazy with the Smileboxes, experimenting!

Make a Smilebox scrap pages

tricks or treats

Make a Smilebox slideshow

Make a Smilebox slideshow

Make a Smilebox slideshow

Aaron's 35th birthday!

This is a cool picture of the skin from a cikeda (sp?) bug after it had moulted.

Aaron turned 35 on Oct 19. He is as old as I am now! He wanted to go to the pumpkin patch at Priddy Farms for his birthday, after that we carved pumpkins.

Soccer is over for the year!

Here are some action shots from our 2008 season

This is Sam trying to be like his older brother and sister

Seth is an awesome soccer player! One parent wanted him to lay off making goals one game because he felt bad for the other team. Seth told me he could run fast because he has super powers. He informed me that he can raise a couch and is learning to lift cars. At the soccer park Seth ran into the camp chair I had slung over my shoulder. I said, "Watch out, did that hurt?" He said that it was because he can walk through things and that it hurts sometimes to walk through things.

We had our last soccer game yesterday for the season, never have I been more ready for it to end. I am just getting too big to want to be hauling myself, 3 children, chairs, water bottles and soccer balls back and forth. The kids love soccer, the benefits of them getting exercise, being outside in the great outdoors and developing their skills and confidence are all the very good reasons as to why I persisted in taking them, but man, I am glad my duties in that regard are over for a time! Now we can all sit around and lose the cardiovascular benefits that we have gained :)

I'm trying to talk my kids into taking piano lessons now but so far Hailey screams, "I hate piano it is dumb!" Does anyone have any ideas as to how to inspire her?

I've been trying to explain to Sam that I have a baby in my tummy and it's probably not a good idea to run and jump on me when I am laying down. So yesterday he fell off the couch and landed on HIS tummy. He started crying, "i hurt my baby!"

Hailey's new door sign

Sometimes you just have to keep your younger brothers in line! I won't mention to her that they don't know how to read yet!

If you can't make out what it says it says, "boys can only come in if they are going to come and follew (follow) the rules.

1. You have to listen to what I say

2. You have to be nice to my dogs (they are stuffed dogs)

3. You can't be mean or rowdi (rowdy)

Seth's 6th birthday

At Seth's birthday party on Friday he wanted a spooky Halloween party, he had a spooky cake and pinata

W e played a slimey game

We played flashlight tag in the DARK with glo- necklaces

We tried to make our surroundings as scary as possible, I almost dusted my house but I thought I might as well leave it as it is to add to the effect!

It was a lot of work but I think they had fun!

Tantrums and Peanut Butter

S was tired of waiting to be fed and decided to help himself to some peanut butter

Lately when Sam is mad he will fold his arms and say, "I so mad! It's no fair!"

He's also been singing the transformers theme song at the top of his lungs, "Transformers, more

than meets the eye,eye, eye,eye". His other favorite song to sing is a pirate song. His voice gets

low and gravely and he sings, "YO HO YO HO, a pirate on the sea!"