No school week for Lauren

Last Monday Lauren just had to go to school for her walking assessment.  Which meant we went with her and went to some centers with her while she showed us what she has been learning all year.  Jeff came and babysat Bradley and Connor so Alan and I were both able to go with her.  She got to come home right after that.  We walked down to pick up Jared (and some neighbor kids we were also picking up that day).  It was super hot!  Over 90.  It was our first day over 90 for the year.  Our first day over 80 was just on the Friday before.  The weather man said that there are usually 38 days between the first 80 degree day and the first 90 degree day.  This year is just weird.  It did feel really hot.  We had snow cones and a water fight when we got home that afternoon.

Lauren didn't have normal school at all last week because of the assessment and testing.  Tuesday was a testing day, but not hers.  She just got to be home all day.  We played and cleaned.  In the morning we also took Brett to the social security office so he could get another card so he can work on campus.  Watch out library custodial crew here he comes!  It was another warm day, but only high 80s :)  In the evening we went to Tate's baseball game at Pleasant Grove High School.  They won.  It was a nice evening for sitting out at a game.

Fields full of dandelions at Tate's baseball game.

Wednesday Lauren did have her testing first thing in the morning.  I went and waited at the school while she did it.  Alan was still home to be with Bradley and Connor.  Mid-day we went to the meeting before ready to learn and got to have pizza lunch there and then stayed for ready to learn.  It was a substitute lady teaching this time (She used to teach several years ago).  She is from Kanab and her dad was Great-Grandma McAllister's home teacher for years.  She also kept chickens in Great Grandma's back yard for a long time.  We walked down to get Jared then played outside and ate popsicles.

Guacamole and black bean and corn salsa for dinner, but no one would sit still enough for a picture!  (Alan tried to take several!)

Thursday our day was totally open (except for Jared's school).  We cleaned up around here, and played outside.  It was nice to eat munch outside almost every day last week.  After school we took the ice shaver outside and shared snow cones with friends.  I thought I had enough ice blocks and I would have for the kids that were out there, but when kids see it from their windows they come out of the woodwork.  I made them for 45 minutes, but of course ran out in the end.  Next time I need more ice and smaller cups.  I think Thursday was the day...you know just one of those days...some how Connor punctured a soda can the spilled in the kitchen, Connor spilled bubbles Bradley had left open in a place Connor could reach, and Lauren and Connor spilled smoothie on the floor.  I don't remember right off which days, but Brett came up to visit several times during the week too.  We always love it when he stops by to say hi.

Friday was another wide open day.  It was a little cooler, so we didn't play outside until after school.  But Jared gets done early every Friday.  Brett came up in the evening and after dinner I cut his hair while the filthy other guys piled into the tub.  It was a good day.

I don't know what I'll do if this kid stops dressing up!

Saturday morning we were able to sleep in a bit.  Alan went running and Jared, Lauren, and Bradley cleaned their room with a little help (ok really a lot of help) from me.  Then we went to the children's book festival at the Provo library.  There was a midevil theme.  They had tons of fun activities for everyone to do.  Making crowns, making other hats, ribbon wands, a maypole, artist to watch drawing, jugglers, cookies, games, puppet shows, and a free book for each child.  From the library we picked up Brett and went to Winco.  After dropping Brett off and our groceries and having a little snack of apples and peanut butter we went to home depot to look at some plants.  Alan let me get some fun ones to have on the balcony this summer.  Mostly flowers, but we did get a dwarf cherry tomato plant (Jeff and Elizabeth gave us a regular tomato plant that had been started at Elizabeth's work) and a few little okra to try to grow too.  When we got home from home depot I noticed the Moore's car in the parking lot and saw some of their kids running in the stairwells up in quad 2.  I said we could go up and say hi.  They were having a ward barbecue to say bye to bishop.  He got released today.  We played for about an hour, but then came home and ate dinner and watched Wall-E.  Brett stopped by about half way through and stayed until the end.

The second time doing the maypole Jared and Lauren were joined by a gorilla.

Several fun characters were there too.

Today was a good day.  I just played piano in primary and Alan wandered the halls with a sleepy Connor.  For singing time we learned more of We Thank Thee O God For A Prophet using Sister  Linton's time machine which all the kids love!  The stake was also visiting in primary today too.  I stayed for just a few minutes after church for a visiting teaching interview and then our home teachers made a quick stop by.  Jared and I worked on 100 piece 3D puzzle.  It took us a while...3D puzzles are hard!  Then Alan pulled out a 1000 piece puzzle we have never done.  We got the border put together, but that's as far as we got.  Jeff and Elizabeth stopped by and told our kids their exciting news.  They were all super excited.  Lauren giggled uncontrollably for quite awhile.  We got a new family scripture today (Alma 32:21).  It has been a year since we started doing a family scripture.  (We have a scripture that we memorize each month as a family.  We say it all together before we read family scriptures and by the end of the month we have it memorized.) I'm not sure we know 12 scriptures since some months we were a little slow about changing, but we know more than we did a year a go.  There have been times in meeting like sacrament meeting and conference when someone uses one of our family scriptures in their talk and the kids get a knowing look in their eye and just smile.  Learning these scriptures has blessed our lives.  We are looking forward to this coming week and warming back up just a little (to the low 80s) since it dropped into the 50s at the end of last week.  There are also a lot of fun things coming up too since the end of school is getting so close.

After church Alan was giving me a piece of chocolate.  Connor walked up and said please...so he got one too.  (We've been trying to get him to say it recently when he wants something, but he doesn't always.  This time it came out very clear though.  He must have really wanted some.)