Hadley

Today Hadley turns 9.
There are so many things I love about her and today I want to list 9.
1. She appreciates beauty. When we cut down our Christmas trees this year the two of us went on a little four wheeler ride and she drove.  I could just imagine the smile on her face as she shared with me how beautiful she thought everything was: the pine trees, the snow covering everything, the mountains.  It brought me back to the days when my dad would take us snowmobilling on trails for hours and I couldn't believe the world was so beautiful and I was so blessed to enjoy it and see it.

2. She enjoys moments.  While full of anxt over the next exciting moment, when it is here she soaks it up.  Every detail, every minute, every person.

3. Her sense of humor. I have to stifle a laugh at the more inappropriate humor, but this girl can put on a character and have us all laughing.  Most notable is the old granny.  It started when her teacher at school was quoted as saying, "I aint your mommy, your daddy, your greasy granny with the big fat fanny." (probably not politically correct).  She turns on her granny voice leans over and takes and turtle stroll while telling us all sorts of granny jokes with "EHHH? I can't hear you." and then some granny dancing and gymnastics.  She and Emily have been known to start in on crazy acts together and it does my heart good to hear them banter humorously, knowing they are building bonds that will last a lifetime.

4. Her smile that scrunches up her freckled nose and lights up her face.

5. She's a hard worker.  She does her chores faster then anyone, especially when playing with a friend is involved.  But she does them well and works hard!

6. She loves to learn.  She likes a challenge and she likes to finish her work.  She rarely has homework because she likes to finish it at school.  She likes a good book and right now American Girl Doll books and Nancy Drew books really draw her in.

7.  She loves to pretend.  I can walk by her room and hear her teaching her class.  No one is in there but her, but there is a great lesson going on.  She also will play primary with Emily and Sam.

8. She is interested in music.  At Thanksgiving she wanted to play a song on the recorder for the talent show and so we pulled up a tutorial on youtube and she taught herself to play jinglebells.  She practiced and practiced and practiced.  I am excited to start her on an instrument this year.

9. She loves me.  She love me to tuck her in, and snuggle with her, and rub her feet with lotion and oils, and tickle her back.

I feel so blessed to be her mom.

Dung Beetle?

Jadey has taken up the word dung in place of crap. I actually think it sounds much less harsh, but everytime she says it I want to follow it up with beetle.

Now I wouldn't be surprised if we found one of those beetles in these parts today. While the dung is not present, the smell is. I guess you could say it's a science experiment gone wrong, or a bad soup. You see less then a month ago some of the kids filled up the water cooler with grass, and apparently some dirt. I'm sure they stirred it up a bit, maybe added a few other spices, some pine needles. After a few rain storms I realized I had better clean it out. So I dumped it out. And threw out the water cooler.

Guess what they really invented?

Homemade dung.

For real.

I smells worse then most cattle ranches and is reeking out into the neighborhood.

The flies are coming.

It is so bad that my stomach lurches when I walk outside.

I have spread it out in hopes of it drying out and stopping it's stinking process...I know there is a real scientific word for that.

If this is what mulch smells like count me out.

Boot legger

This morning started out fantastic with a run with a friend. Exercise is so much more fun when your chatting away during it. We were supposed to go 2 miles, but I lost track and am pretty sure we did more then that. It was a great start to the day.

Em stayed home sick for the second Monday in a row. We are calling it the "Monday sore throat". It is very swollen though, and she is scheduled for a strep test later this evening.

Max twisted his foot last week, and like a good mom, I decided after 5 days of pain that we should take him in. The xray didn't reveal anything, but there is definitely some ligament damage and he is now in a walking boot that should keep things from moving around...11 year old boys are active, that's all there is to it.

Jadey's soccer practice was canceled today due to 6 girls on the team with severe stomach flu. Hopefully we don't end up dealing with that one.

Hadley started reading last week. Talk about exciting. She has to pass of a little booklet at school. I showed her the words and she said "I can't read." I told her to sound them out and whamo, she said "I can read." She was so excited she just kept reading all the words and had a perma grin for the next hour.

Sam does not like baps (naps). I refuse to end them this early. If he had a binky he would like baps, but the binky "broke". I liked it better when he liked baps. He takes them anyway and then wakes up with big hugs for everyone. There are about 9 little boys his age in nursery which means now that school has started for the other kids there are plenty of opportunities for play dates at the park. Fun times.

Some good days look like this...

An ideal summer day would probably look like this:

A clean house.

Chores done.

Sitting on the porch soaking in the kids playing outside.

Perhaps reading a book.

Today was different.

My eyes popped open at 5:30, a little earlier then usual. It was nice and bright outside and the perfect time to excercise. I decided to go check out the step class because it is early and I am not usually awake in time to go. The class was nice. I got in a good hour workout.

I got home and finished my other essentials (scriptures/prayers), started on some more laundry and all the morning stuff. By 10 we were at the pool for leasons and swim team.

At 11:30 met up with my mom and the Allman kids at Nielsen Grove (fabulous park by the way). Ducks and fish were fed. Children were fed. Water was splashed in. Fish were attempted to be caught.

At 2pm we were home with a few extra cousins.

Wednesdays are cooking days so, Cade and Emily made Cinnamin Rolls. Zach, Max and a neighbor boy made lemon drop cookies. It all equaled a big mess.

More friends showed up.

Snacks were eaten.

We continued the cooking process.

3 hours, 12 kids, 2 dozen cinnamin rolls, and 3 dozen cookies later this is what the kitchen looked like.

And the rest of the house.

I stressed and then let it go. Some good days don't look like they seem they should.

At 6pm we left for a Summerfest dinner. The house still looking like this, but the kids dressed up. When we got to the dinner I got the kids out and locked the doors. Sam's bum didn't feel as puffy. He had no diaper on. Where was it? Where is it? We found a new one in the van (after chasing the keys down) and put it on him. Then we went in for food and entertainment. And I chased Sam around while Reed spoke and presented awards.

And then we came home to a mess around 8:30. Put the kids down and I was done for the day. Out in minutes. And the kitchen still looked like this.

Some good days just look like that.

Graduation

These two cousins graduated from preschool.

How often do you get to go to preschool with your cousin?

These two are BFC (best friend cousins).

Hadley is so fortunate to have many of those.

What a fabulous year with Miss Merlene.

Hadley is the 4th of our children to graduate from her preschool and all of my kids love Miss Merlene. She is a gem.

We carpooled with two other neighbors (Tanner and John).

I usually drove on Mondays.

Tanner's dad was deployed for a year and returned the day of graduation.

The year was filled with learning.

There were letters and sounds.

How things work.

How to get along.

Address and Phonenumbers.

And Mini Donuts. Hadley's favorite treat at Miss Merlene's.

She is telling me nearly daily how she wishes Miss Merlene could be her teacher for every year.

But she is also looking forward to Kindergarten.

Fire in the backyard

Last night/this morning I woke to the sound of a large truck.
After glancing at the clock and noticing it was 2:30am, I decided to get up and check it out.
Not much good happens at that time.
In the parking lot near our home was a fire truck, all lit up, and the headlights of two cars shining at the recycle garbage cans.
They were on fire.
I cracked the window open to see if I get a little more of the story by hearing what was going on.
I heard a whistle and saw some firemen doing what looked like drills (to my sleepy middle of the night eyes).
Thoughts in my head: why on earth are you doing drills at 2:30am?
Do you realize there are people asleep around here?
That can't be good for the garbage cans.

When I really woke up in the morning (think 7am) I went outside to investigate.
The cans were totalled.
The tops were melted off.
The paint was melted off.
I realized it couldn't have been a drill.
Or it would have been an expensive one.

We haven't had much mischief around here since they got rid of the trailers.
I might have to crack my window tonight in hopes of catching any hooligans.
Of course in order for me to wake up they will probably have to be driving a big firetruck.

Better than twinkie's cupcakes

I have a lot of updating to do, but I must get this recipe on here.

The recipe is actually called Boston Cream Pie cupcakes, but my kids think they are better than twinkies...so we changed the name:

Cupcakes
1 Box French Vanilla cake mix
3 Large eggs
1/2 Cup butter, melted (use butter)
1 Cup water

Mix and make cupcakes. Bake according to cupcake directions on cake mix.

Custard Filling
1/3 cup sugar

2 Tbsp cornstarch

1/8 tsp salt

1-1/2 cups milk

2 egg yolks, slightly beaten

2 tsp vanilla

Blend sugar, cornstarch and salt in medium saucepan.

Combine milk and egg yolks; gradually stir into sugar mixture.

Cook over medium heat, stirring constantly, until mixture thickens and boils.

Boil and stir 1 minute. Remove from heat; stir in vanilla.

Cool to room temperature. Or put in the fridge for a bit.

Now, time to assemble.
Cut a cone shape out of the center.

You should really go and check out the blog I got this recipe from to see the pictures...so click HERE.

Do NOT cut all the way through!

Fill your hole with the custard and put the top on as best you can.

The frosting will cover it so it doesn't need to be perfect.

Chocolate Frosting

1/2 Cup packed cocoa
2-1/4 Cup confectioners' sugar
1/2 pound butter
3-4 Tbsp cream or milk

Cream butter.

Add dry ingredients a little at a time.

Add milk to desired consistency.

Then frost you custard filled cupcakes.

Store in the fridge.