Cake Class and Kindergarten Shots

This was another fun filled week of craziness....but fun!  Last Monday was a pretty normal day...I think.

Yea!!! I'm 6 weeks old.

 
Tuesday was our ward's Relief Society Birthday Party.  I said I would take some cupcakes...so I made these.  Jared got to be the special friend at school that day too and I had my 6 week doctor check.

Wednesday there was ready to learn...we got another Skippyjon Jones book.  Those are fun ones.  I also spent lost of time on Wednesday getting ready for a cake class that I taught to a group of sisters on Thursday.

Thursday Jared had early release...which means that he also goes earlier too.  I baked 4 little 6 inch rounds before we took Jared.  After we dropped him off we ran to the store to get a few last minute things I needed to make frosting for the cake class.  Then we walked Lauren down to school then over to pick up Jared.  Brad wanted to walk most of the way home...so it took awhile.  I was able to make one batch of frosting before we had to go pick up Lauren.  Since Jared had early release we stayed and played on the preschool playground until 5.  Then we hurried home and I made another batch of frosting.  I was getting my last few things together when Alan got called to go give a blessing, so I watched another little boy while his dad went with Alan.  Then I got to go to the cake class.  I had fun and hopefully the people who came all learned something.  There were 7 there including me.  We talked for a while and then everyone got to decorate a 6 inch round.

Friday morning I was in charge of playgroup.  I had to figure out what I was doing and get everything ready that morning.  We ended up reading The Very Hungry Caterpillar (with some little puppet/ flannel board pieces).  Then making coffee filter butterflies and putting then on party blowers.  Everyone loved it.  (It was super nice and we got to be outside.)  We had about 10 min after playgroup and having to hurry in to pack everyone a lunch.  Lauren had a special playgroup at BYU for a research study that she is a part of right now.  She did her playgroup and Jared, Brad, and Connor ate lunch.  It was just supposed to be an hour, but was almost 2 because they were running a little behind.  On the way home we stopped by Wasatch so Jared could pick up his reading books.  Then we hurried home.  I tried to go to a little mini class on make-ahead-meals, but it was over by the time I got there.  I got the handout and talked for a min.  Then we were out the door to get Lauren her shots she needs for Kindergarten. (Kindergarten registration is next week and they like you to have them done before then.)  We tried to go to the county health department like we have been for the last 6 years, but they told us that they couldn't help us because the laws changed at the start of the year and now we have to go somewhere else.  So we climbed back in the car with our filled out paperwork and went to the new place.  We filled out more paperwork and waited.  There were several little things that happened and we did not have a good experience there!  I am not looking forward to taking Connor there in a couple of weeks.  I can't wait until we are done here and we have more than one choice for our medical needs (at least I hope we do).  (Lauren was maybe more upset about taking her bandaids off... than actually getting the shots.)  I wanted to come home and just flop...but it was only 5:00...so we went out to fly kites and play basketball until Alan got home about 6.  We ate dinner (burritos), I went to exercise..then maybe I flopped.

Saturday we got to have a kind of slow morning.  There was a Primary Activity at 11.  They got to see a magic show, color a puzzle, play a pass the broom game, eat pizza, have a pinata, and do some races.  I practiced organ for part, but it was a pretty fun activity.  We got home just in time for Jared and Alan to go to Big Guy Little guy at the library.  I was an activity for Dads and boys to go play (you have to be 3).  It was a space theme.  There were several fun games and they got to see a chemistry show and eat hamburgers.  When they got home Jared wanted to get out some of Alan's legos, but first I told them they had to frost the left over cakes from thursday...if they were going to.  Then they got out the legos for a bit.  We had to put them away so we could go swimming.  When we got to the pool we found out that our passes were expired (we thought they went through the end of the month), so we got another year pass....but we better not be here that long. (they don't sell 9 month passes :) )  We had a lot of fun swimming.  Connor fell asleep right when we were getting there and slept the whole time in his seat on the side of the pool.  We came home had dinner and got ready for bed...I was ready.  Then Alan went to the store.

Yes, Brad can do it on his own.

Lauren said hers is different kinds of  ice cream.

Jared put little guys on his cake...I think they are monsters.

Brad meticulously made flowers...with centers...and a couple of snakes.

Today was a good day.  Lots of home teaching and visiting teaching.  Alan had to go to a special Priesthood meeting at 4.  We had a member of our stake presidency change.  Our 2nd counselor (Scott Jackson) got called to be a mission President in Spain.  Our new counselor is President Mongi (?).  He is from South Africa.  We made the chicken tortilla chowder for the first time today.  We all loved it!  Since they finished Mary Poppins a week or so ago they have been singing all the songs.  Today Lauren was singing.....If you say it loud enough You'll always sound atrocious.  It made me laugh pretty good...and I'm pretty sure it's true too. I'm ready for another week, but maybe not quite as crazy would be good.

These are their newest church clothes (that someone left on our door step)...and yes Brad insisted that his tie be outside his vest...and his tag up in the back (you can't see it) it must have itched.  (This was before church and Connor wasn't dressed yet...I thought we might take another one with Connor after church, but it didn't happen..and Connor had a diaper leak at church, so he wasn't wearing his regular church clothes when we got home anyway.)

Happy Pi Day and St. Patrick's Day

I feel like this last week had been crazy!  I'm not really sure why...there wasn't a whole lot more than normal going on..but it was super nice outside.  We spent lots of time outside.

We walked Jared and Lauren down to school every day this week.  On Wednesday they were doing fun Pi Day activities outside in Brigham's square.  They were letting people throw pies in professor's faces (one of the times we saw it the guy totally missed and hit the student holding the cardboard...the thrower was about 5 feet away and he missed by about 3 feet...another time the professor got hit and it looked like he was wearing a whipped cream mask like a super hero), a pie eating contest, a plinko game to get a cool math department prize, toss a frisbee to hit the pi in the middle of a target, recite pi for as long as you could, and toss sticks for Buffon's needle.  It was pretty fun and Jared was super sad that he had to miss it.  We had quiche for dinner and apple pie.

Wednesday Alan went and read books to Lauren's class and that night I had to go teach people how to knit or crochet for a Relief Society activity in April, but no one came to learn...other people were there who were going to teach other things...but no one came for them either.

Thursday Lauren got to celebrate her un-birthday in her class.  She did it the same day as another little girl because they share a birthday for real...there is another little boy in their class also born on the 17th, but he picked a different day.  Lauren took popsicles.  Lauren said that both of them sat on the special chair at the same time and shared the crown and got sung to.  Lauren thought it was pretty fun and funny.

Friday I planned to do all our normal stuff...and we did go to playgroup and the library, but the rest didn't happen.  We found out that morning that they were going to cut down one the trees right outside out apartment....I guess it was 70% dead.  Of course Everyone wanted to watch...and it was pretty cool....just loud.  At one point I wanted to go inside for a break from the noise...and we did...but it was just as loud inside because really they were just outside our apartment (we're on the bottom floor in the picture)....so we ended up just going right back out.  It took them about 3 1/2 hours to get the tree down.  We are going to get a little more sun this summer....I wonder if we should try tomatoes again.

 

I guess I didn't take a picture when the tree was all the way down, but they didn't cut it any lower than where the guys is cutting in the picture.  It has become the new favorite spot on the playground.  There have been several kids that have climbed on top and said I am king bow to me. (I'll have to go out and get a picture when it's not dark and snowing)

Saturday we had green pancakes for breakfast.  I went to a baby shower.  Jeff and Elizabeth watched our kids while Alan and I went and exercised (we swam laps) We had green sea shells and broccoli for dinner, and finished Mary Poppins.

Jared and Brad are wearing green too...Jared's is just on the back of his shirt and Brad's is on the front...hidden by his overalls (he didn't wear pants most of the day...so it worked...he doesn't really like overalls and we really need to do some laundry so that was his only choice...I guess he did have a choice of about 4 different pairs of overalls)

Today we had ward conference and Jeff and Elizabeth came over and we had corned beef and cabbage and rolls for dinner.

Also this week Alan and I both went to the temple, my visiting teachers came, friends from Jared's preschool stopped by and wanted to play, we all went on a walk to the temple, most of us got a little sun burned and wind blown, and Alan and I both exercised 6 days last week.

One last quick conversation I had with Brad while riding in the car...I think we must have been on the way to pick Lauren and Jared up from school...
Brad: Connor is cute 
Me: yes Connor is cute and you are cute too.
Brad: no I'm not cute Connor is cute
Me: ok then are you handsome
Brad: no
Me: then what are you?
Brad:  I'm Bradley

Brad adores Connor...as we all do.  Connor is smiling a little more, so that is a fun past time...trying to get him to.  I think Alan must hold the record.

I want the green one please!

This is how I found Brad sleeping last Sunday when I checked on him...I don't think he fell off the bed that night...but he had several times the week before.

This week started slow...which was nice and the weather was nice too.  We were able to walk to school on Monday and Tuesday.  Monday we tried to be ready to walk Jared and then Lauren, but Connor was hungry when it was time to leave.  We didn't end up walking Jared...just Lauren.  But Tuesday we were able to walk both.  That was really nice since it's been a while since we've been able to walk.  Of course Wednesday night it snowed a little, but it was almost all melted by the time we left on Thursday.

We all thought Connor looked at little like Winnie the Pooh...It must just be the red yellow combo.

Thursday night we went to a storytelling festival at Wasatch.  They had students telling some stories and adults telling some stories.  We got to hear some really fun ones from one of the second grade teachers who grew up on a farm...and one time climbed a tree with his brother and threw rotten tomatoes into his grandma's car window...Jared can fill you in on the details...he loved it...the teacher had other fun stories too.

Friday was Jared's Kindergarten program.  They did it once in the morning for the whole school and then once in the evening for parents.  The kids and I went to both and Alan went in the evening.  We got lucky in the evening and found 2 seats on the end of the front row...right close to Jared.  They did lots of singing and Jared had a dancing part with 8 other kids up on the stage. 

Jared has triplets in his class and he sat between 2 of them.

 

The watching crews.

In the afternoon we had our first picnic of the year...outside the church before I practiced.  We had macaroni and cheese (with catsup...some of them won't eat it without it), apples, cheese puffs Brad got for Christmas from Jared, and Capri Suns (that are probably 2 or 3 years old).

This is from Saturday morning...I know these are kind of a funny pictures...but Connor is smiling.

Saturday we went to the science palooza.  It was really fun.  There were booths set up from different BYU clubs (it was city sponsored) like the physics, chemistry, biology, environmental...and several others.  There were fun activities to learn from and do at all of the booths.  Every 10 min or so they were also doing mentos in coke explosions.  They were letting kids put the mentos in the bottle and Jared got to be one of the helpers once.  Lauren was up by him too but chickened out before they did it....I don't blame her...Jared got soda in his ear, on his shirt and pants, and in his hair. 

After the science polooza we came home for lunch and Jeff and Elizabeth stopped by...then we went swimming.  (Connor and I just watched).  When we got home we ate dinner, set our clocks ahead, and started watching Mary Poppins...Alan had to make a store run.  We didn't get very far in the movie, but Jared and Lauren were laughing uncontrollably during the nursery clean up part...it will be fun to watch the rest with them.  (The kids haven't seen it before.)

Here is another cute one of Connor from today.

I typed all this 1 handed left hand...I'm faster 1 hand right hand...and even faster 2 hands, but that's all I have tonight.  Sometime this week Alan sent resumes to a couple of companies..which is exciting...It must mean we are getting a little closer to finishing.

Connor's Blessing and Pink and Green Spaghetti

This last week has just flown by.  Monday Lauren didn't have school (because of teacher training) so she got to play all day with us at home.  We got our carpets cleaned that day...which is always nice.  That night for family home evening activity and snack Lauren got to make some cookies with her easy bake set and the boys got to roll out some sugar cookie dough that I had in the fridge.

Tuesday we had spaghetti for dinner...but my kids really don't like spaghetti...well they say they don't.  A few weeks back Ashley told me that they like to mix up their pasta shape for fun.  So for a few weeks we got fun shapes and they ate it fine.  I forgot to get a fun shape this last week so it had to be spaghetti.  I was chatting with Ash again and she told me they had green spaghetti the week before.  So by general consensus we had pink spaghetti...and their was no complaining while eating it.  Yea!!!  Ashley to the rescue again...all the way from California.  I also had book club that night.  We read A Wrinkle in Time this last month.

Alan's been reading Aldo Applesauce to those guys.  One evening Lauren walked up and said I'm Dede...A girl in the book that wears a fake mustache.

Last Wednesday was Leap Day!  So we had a leap day party.  Brad, Connor, and I made cup cakes while the others were at school.  Our party started with dinner.  We had ants/flies on a log (because frogs leap and eat flies) and Mexican jumping beans (left over bean soup and chili).  Then we played several fun games...leap frog, how many jumps does it take you to get across the room, can of worms, and dancing like a ballerina (we practiced our leaps).  Then we frosted a cupcake for dessert.

Brad can frost a cupcake better than probably any other 2 year old out there...It looked really good with 2 colors, but of course he had to use them all.

Thursday I think we just spent the evening getting ready for Grandma and Grandpa and Greg to come visit.

Friday we did more getting ready.  Connor had kind of a rough night...and neither of us slept much.  So when he went to sleep a little after 7 (am) I knew I needed a little more sleep too...even though Jared had just woken up.  When I got back up just before 9 the first thing I saw was Brad walking down the hall with scissors in his hand.  Opening and closing them while he walked.  Then I saw a skein of light green yarn that someone (Lauren) had slipped the scissors into and cut...in several places.  It is no longer 1 long length of yarn.  It now comes off in 12 to 18 inch pieces...the ever resourceful Jared says we don't have to throw it away...they can use it for green spaghetti in their play kitchen.  That's when I saw Jared's scraped up forehead...he did it with his own fingernail...trying to catch a football he threw to himself...I'm hoping Connor doesn't have too many more rough nights like that one.

Eventually that morning we went to playgroup and talked about covering our mouth when we sneeze or cough.  Then we went to Winco.  (This short little sentence makes it sound like a quick trip...not so...it took 2 1/2 or 3 hours)  Then we went to practice organ with some friends...I did the practicing...they did the running around the gym.  Then we hurried home for Grandma, Grandpa, and Greg.  We had a fun evening stuffing ourselves with white bean chicken chili.  We even got Grandpa to read some Dr. Seuss books to us...since it was his (Dr. Seuss's) birthday.

Saturday was another fun day.  We went to the Bean museum, to the MOA, and to the bookstore.  We also had a fun time just playing around the house.  Saturday night we went to the men's volleyball game.  BYU won and someone gave Jared a shirt they had caught...and Lauren staked claim on it...but they can share.  Jeff and Elizabeth fed us breakfast for dinner before the game and after that we gorged on ice cream...it was yummy!!!

This morning was Connor's blessing.  It was nice to have everyone there (Grandma and Grandpa Schachterle, Greg, Jeff, Elizabeth, Grandma and Grandpa Atherton, Wayne and Jen)  After church Kati, Keegan, and Quin stopped by and ate lunch with us.  We had yummy cafe Rio type food.  Then sadly we had to say good-bye to everyone.  We are really grateful for everyone who came...We all feel very loved and supported.  We spent the rest of the day relaxing.  I think I even got a little nap.  We had a whirlwind weekend...tons of fun!