Scouts

Chad had a Court of Honor last night and he received a rank advancement. He is now a Star Scout. Moving right up the ranks.

One of the funniest parts of scouts is the skits. Chad and his troop did a skit where they were acting out a scene. The director would have them do it over and over again different styles every time. The funniest by far was when they did it as a musical! These silly boys who never act that way...and to hear them singing out the scene was hysterical.

A side note: I have been playing on Picnik! LOVE IT! The one at the bottom focused in on Chad is so cool!

12 Goodies of Christmas

English Toffee??? Why English?? No Toffee in America? Anyone? Anyone?

Chad gets his spacers on Thursday and braces the following Thursday! Merry Christmas to Chad!! His request?? As much toffee, carmel, and overall chewy stuff before that day!!

So I thought why not include the recipes that will please my son!

Toffee, recipe from Wanda Wach, my sister's cute mother-in-law!

1 cup butter

1 cup sugar

1 tbls water

First of all coat a jelly roll pan with butter, not the spray kind, rub a cube all over it!! Next, put the above ingredients in a saucepan heating over medium heat. Heat until it comes to a boil, start timing from the rolling boil point. Boil for 5-7 minutes. So 5 for a more gritty dissolving kind or 6 or 7 for a more sticky kind! Spread onto pan. Then sprinkle the milk chocolate chips on top. Let sit for a minute, then spread with a spatula. Now you can put this in the fridge for 2-3 hours. Or like I do...set it on the cast iron planter hanging by your front door. Colder then the fridge but safe from the wind and snow!! Now that's resourceful!!

Snow Day, Almost

Is she not the cutest girl ever!
Sledding, cautiously!

Uh Oh spinning around!

And now backwards with no control, except to dig her heals in to stop!

Too tired to walk up the hill!

Chad on the steep hill!

Building speed with an intense expression!

With a one foot one hand steer!

You can see the grass sticking through the snow. A sure sign that there is not enough snow to sled. Hmmmm well maybe not for my kids! They decided today was the first good snow and they were going to take full advantage. Chad is not in as many of the pictures because well...he is 12. I threatened to upload really bad pictures of him if he didn't allow me to take some. Does that make me a bad mother?

Contusions A Plenty

A bike accident? Car accident? Fighting at school? Bad seat mate on the bus? Nope....football. Gee I wonder why so many mom's hate this sport! The small ones that are fading are from practice and the big ones that are nice and dark are from today's game. But hey..he did his job and the team earned another win! Go Eagles!!!!

No! No! No! No! NO!!!

I am not happy that my kids are THIS big now!!! I do not feel good about this at all!

Except that I do. I am so amazed at the incredible people my children are becoming! I just had a moment of shock this morning watching my children go off for their first day of school this year!

Now the party can begin!!!

Growing Up

Chad's graduation was awesome. They all had matching t-shirts which they had all signed their names on. Then they had a couple really cool musical numbers! Chad's instrument of choice was the recorder! Hee Hee! He actually hated playing it! He also played some sort of cool drum. Which was way cooler, at least he did not blush quite so much while playing that. Jessica spent the night the night before and joined us for the graduation. Chad and Jess are pretty funny together; picking out all the creepers for the other one to look at. After we went to Nielsen's for custard to celebrate! Later that night we had a home run derby with a bunch of Chad's friends out at the fields. Pictures later!

The real question is: How can my little boy be going to middle school?

A Complete Exit From Sanity

Do I need to say more? I must admit, Chad has asked for this haircut for 2 years. I always so no. But then thought OK, for one day. So you see the insanity actually comes from me!

What I've been working on

Chad was sick today. He has a really sore throat...bad enough that he woke me up at 6:30 whimpering in pain. After giving him some Advil and ice chips he was more comfortable. So off we went to the urgent care. Where we were told that he had.....a virus! What's new? So while Charlie and Morgan went to church and Chad watched DVDs I worked on Sarah's quilt. Well it is actually for her baby girl!!! I love how it is turning out! I was just shy of enough material to finish the quilt top! So tomorrow, while Chad is watching more TV I will finish the quilt top. AND maybe if I am feeling brave I will also stipple the quilt. Which I have never done, which I hear is easy. Only I am afraid it will actually be hard.

Opening Day

Opening day was great! In the 60's, warm and sunny with passing clouds. Man of man I love baseball. There is nothing better then a Saturday afternoon watching your boy play baseball.

Chad's team played the Mets. It was a close game with the Mets winning by one. Chad had an excellent double play. Catching the infield pop up and then was able to tag second before the player was able to make it back. He also had the the first RBI of the game on a dropped 3rd pitch no less. The funny part is that he was mad at the end. He was really mad that he didn't play better. I guess my boy is growing up. Taking things more seriously.

I forgot to mention that the reason I do not have any good pictures is that I was score keeping. When you give your niece and nephew the camera you end up with oodles of silly pictures of themselves!!! No good ones of your son! I really need someone else ot score keep!!!

It's The Most Wonderful Time Of The Year....

Chad plays catcher on his team, the Angels. (gag! Go Dodgers!!!)

Chad does not like to play catcher, but has for the last 4 years.

Chad would rather play 2nd or short stop, which he does well at too.

I love that Chad plays baseball, it is my most favorite sport!

You know Spring is here when baseball starts!

You can tell it is pretty cold still with no leaves on any trees.

Although the grass is getting green.

Here in Utah Spring does not really come until May.

May is when you can start planting.

GROSS!!! This California girl does not do well with stupid Winter!

BUT baseball starts in April and it let's me know that Summer, which is even better then Spring, is coming!

Lions and Tigers and Boys oh My!

Chad just walking in the door from school. I think he looks way too old...and kind of mad!

Left to Their Own Defenses

Chad babysat Morgan for us last night so that we could go to the ward activity, which was an absolute blast! Well often times when he babysits there are at least 20 phone calls. "I'm bored", "I don't feel good", "when will you be home?" to name a few. When we got home there was the typical mess that we never have when we pay someone to babysit but hey we saved a few dollars. Then this afternoon while I was posting for the giveaway I found these pictures on the camera! How funny is this? I think it is hysterical and a pretty good was of keeping busy.

Greek Festival

The long jump
Being silly, in his Chiton

The shot put

The whole 6th grade class participated in a Greek Olympics. They dressed in authentic Chitons (go ahead, pronounce it, I dare you) and did the Javelin/pencil throw, the Shot put/ball, wrestling/crab walk, and long jump/long jump. It was fun to watch. The teachers did a great time making it as real as possible. When Chad told me about it I asked if it was going to be a "real", he said yes. Then I told him that they were naked...well he did not thing being authentic was so important then. After they had a Greek lunch then watched Hercules. I think it was a better choice for 6th graders then decorating cookies!

Rockin' The Sling

We went to Primary Children's Medical Center on Monday. They were great! They unwrapped his hand and were shocked by how swollen his hand was and that he was not in more pain. The other ER had wrapped his hand flat with his fingers exposed. They wrapped it completely different and advised that he elevate his hand above his heart always. Thus the sling. The first sling was hideous. He hated how it looked and felt. What do you do when your boy is gonna miss out on all the cool snow that is dropping? You make him a new sling of course! He has requested a couple more as well. LSU, a dress one for church, and a crazy one for fun. The best part is that he is almost pain free. He says that his hand feels so much better now. Hopefully the swelling will go down and they can cast it, that is after determining if he needs surgery. We wouldn't mind some prayers in that area if you are willing!

Drink More Milk!

Side view, can you see the cracks?

Front view, still the cracks.

You can see the three middle fingers are cracked. The x-ray tech was kind enough to let both my son and me see the x-rays before the Dr. did. She thought that it was pretty clear he had a break. From what I could gather the proper name for this kind of break is a spiral fracture. That sort makes sense when you look at these x-rays. She even told him he could have copies for souvenirs. We have to go to Primary Children's Hospital Monday. Because of the wide "crack" they will need surgery to bring them back in alignment. By the way this was a sledding accident! Yikes!!

Neither Charlie of myself have ever broken a bone, we were hoping the same would be true for our kids! We decided that Chad must need to drink more milk!! Any advice Uncle Ben?

Raising a Good Man!!

Do you see all the good things going on here? He wanted to make cookies and he did. He also fielded a phone call while making them. My little multi-tasker!!! He followed the recipe for Rolo Cookies from earlier on the blog. They are surprisingly easy cookies but super tasty!!

You know in all truthfulness we really do try to raise our children to be independent. I am happy with how they are willing to try to do new things. Chad is turning into quite a good young man. He helps fix things around the house, he recently gave a talk at church and wrote it himself, now if I only I could convince him to stop tormenting his sister....oh well right now I choose to cherish this accomplishment!

Ho Ho Ho!!!

Festival of Trees!!

Chad and Santa

Morgan and Santa

Every year we go visit Santa at Charlie's mom's office. She is a real estate broker and puts on a fun Christmas party! Well the last couple years Chad has been griping about sitting on Santa's lap. This year he put his foot down...no more pictures with Santa! So we explained how there was just no way Santa could bring him any presents without a visit and a picture. Well Santa made things easy by suggesting a "gangsta Santa" would be acceptable. Chad jumped right on that train!! Morgan on the other hand was all over it...she loves the whole magical experience. She also gets nervous....so nervous that she hoped on his lap and promptly told him what she would like for Christmas. The only problem is that she got all panicked and just asked for the first thing that popped into her head; something that I had never heard her ask for before. Something that was not on the way from Santa!!! YIKES...so I asked her if she had changed her mind, she giggled and said that she just was nervous and that she forgot what she wanted. So we are go for "Julie" the American girl doll! WHEW!!! Also, the nose on Morgan? She had danced at Festival of Trees that night. Her dance company was super cute. Unfortunately my camera has a super slow shutter speed and the only pictures I have are with her back turned. She is still cute as a bug!! Or reindeer as it may be!

Take Down!!

These pictures mostly speak for themselves. Chad decided to give wrestling a go....he was one of the biggest boys there weighing in at 110.6. He was placed in the 105-130 weight division. Is it just me or is that a huge range of weights. I have always thought he was a bit stocky...not so! Thankfully this big, giant boy who is wiping the mat with my son is a friend of his. Nick who has played both baseball and football with Chad weighs in at a huge 'ole 135. There was no other boys to wrestle with Nick and since really it was just for fun he wrestled with Chad's weight division. I think it would have been so much worse if he had not been friends. After 4 days of practice and training they had a tournament. Chad came in 2nd. Not too shabby!

Chad being spanked by Nick!

Chad is now trying to do the same to Nick!

Notice the "coach" in the background. He is laughing, laughing, at my boy! Can you see why? Chad is trying with all his might, everything he has to pin his friend. In the end he could not hold him for the required time.

As a mother I must say....I hate this sport!! It is so personal. You find yourself yelling things that a person should never say to their child. FLIP HIM! HOLD HIM! CHAD YOU CAN DO IT, PIN HIM! PULL HIS ARM BACK, GRAB HIS LEG, NOW HOLD HIM DOWN! PUSH HIS FACE IN THE MAT! OK that one was from Charlie!! But still you get the idea. What I hated most was that there had to be a loser. Man of man, this poor kid was abused, or so it seemed to me. I hated seeing it. It seems so wrong. In the end I told Chad, I hate this sport. His response? Guess what mom? So do I! I will never complain that football is too violent again!

Last of the Season

This one is for you Chad!!

Chad loves my strawberry freezer jam. In fact he will not eat

any other type of jam. Combine that with the 3 sandwiches a day

he eats and you can see why I need to make so much of it! Truth

be told this is the third batch I have made this season!

Well that and it is so pretty, isn't it pretty?

I just was not quite ready to admit it was fall so one last

summer goody!

Fall? Already?

To me football always means fall is coming and fast!

I am not sure I am ready for this.

Time just marches on!
So my boy, Chad is the center. For those of you who are

not football people, the center is the player that sets the plays

in motion. Well kinda, he passes the ball through his

legs to the quarterback. Chad says some QB's

are much less "touchy" then other. He hates this one

back up QB because in Chad's words "he touches my stuff

way too much". Not sure what to say to that.

Ok, here is the thing. I can never get a good picture of Chad

playing. He is in line with the offense, hidden behind

all the big boys. But in front of the QB. Well and as soon as

the ball moves the other team jumps at the QB, and inevitably

Chad because he is in front of the QB. So Chad has to

snap the ball then instantly block for the QB. He has bruises all over

his right forearm because he has to block with his left hand

and his right forearm. So here is the best picture so far this

year, see his right arm, with the pad? That's my son!!

Now all this is lovely..but when my husband,

who coaches, yells "WHO LOVES FOOTBALL?"

Chad is the loudest to respond..

"I DO!"

What better way to spend a Saturday morning really?