Happy Thoughts from the Past Week

Happy Thoughts from the Past Week:

• a successful soccer season... visions of fall soccer season already in our heads

• the school year is winding down

• Cameron & Micah bopping up and down in the kitchen, in unison, and smiling big smiles

• a dozen band students who have come a long way!

• library books
• early-morning runs with James. We've been getting up at 6 to run together for a little while now. I was content with the 4 mile route I'd been doing for the past couple years. Being the mean personal trainer that he is, he insisted that we add a little bit of distance each day. We are now running 7 miles each morning, turning around at the Bears Ears Ranch entrance. I told him that we need to stick with 7 miles until my body gets used to it. Each day I feel like an old lady creaking around with my old, creaky body.
• 1st graders, heavy food boxes, and jumper cables
• pin wheels
• pink dresses
• my excellent form of punishment for naughty behavior is back (weeding)
• completed honey-dews (Thanks Honey!)
• sprinklers and water guns
• a garden full of popcycle sticks
• my little pink fish
• a 2 year old who is oblivious to his birthday party
• late-night walks with James
• sewing needles
  
  
  Classic Quotes from the Past Week:



• Teancum: "If you guys get put in jail then we'll live with Grandma and Grandpa. And if they get put in jail, then we'll live with their grandma and grandpa."

• Teancum: "Can I stylish Lizzie's hair?"

• Rebecca: "T told me a secret and told me not to tell anyone but I'm gonna tell you. He found a pocket on the side of his shorts!" (pointing to her shorts where this highly secretive pocket would be)
• Teancum: "I know why they're called sprinklers. Because we use them in the spring, and they're a kind of "kler." Do you know what a "kler" is? A "kler" is a thing that pops up."
• Micah: "You're getting my socks dirty!" I asked Micah to clean off the back porch. He went out there without shoes. He came inside and made that comment. I said, "so you're not going to sweep off the porch for me?" "No. Sorry about that." Hmm.... I wonder how we could have avoided getting those precious socks dirty while still sweeping off the porch! Hmm....
• Teancum: "I know people that don't make their kids do any charts or chores. I could go live with them instead."
• Elizabeth: "Hurry! Hurry!" This is what Lizzie says whenever she wants something, as she's grabbing my hand and pulling on me.
• Teancum: "Can I have an ipod for my next birthday?" Mom: "Do you know how expensive ipods are?" "Yeah, that's why I want YOU to buy it, because you have money." Mom: "No I don't." T: "Yes you do, you bought this!" (pointing to the cereal we were eating for breakfast)Micah had his final band concert. The band has become very tiny since last year. He is one of 2 clarinets and there are only several other students in the Advanced Band. The Beginning Band (5th graders) is very big, though. Micah signed up for band in junior high. His quest for perfection on the clarinet will continue.
  
  Ian scored 2 goals in their final game before James pulled him out for kicking a player on the other team. That left just Jamey out on the field to carry the game. Jamey did score one goal, but we lost the game. Jamey's face was so red and he was so worn out that James worried he might pass out. What a determined little boy! Ian is such a great soccer player and he has that hunger to score that carried our team in each of our wins. If only he could control his actions and keep himself in line!
  There's my determined little Jamey.
  Power-kicking Ian
  Teancum & Rebecca created their own library. They gave us each a library card and we were invited to check out books. Rebecca & her best friend from "afternoon school," Paige Rebecca & her teacher Miss Mary at our CDS end-of-year picnic Rebecca didn't get to ride on this horse at Alco, but getting her picture taken on it was good enough for her. My little model. Watch out! Lizzie's behind the wheel! Oakley came to play this week. Lizzie spent the rest of the week talking about "Okee." In addition to this being the last week of afternoon pre-school, this was also the last week of swimming lessons. After a year of swimming lessons, Rebecca has become quite a good swimmer. She's a better swimmer than most of her brothers. It was well worth the year of lessons! It's sprinkler time! Memorial Day Pink girls
  

The U12/14 kids combined all 3 teams for one final game. They split them up and let all the kids be on the field together. Cameron & Micah were both on the white team. It was kind of dangerous out there with all of those kids together. Micah got hurt a couple times. He had to leave part-way through to get to his band concert on time (as it was he'd received special permission to arrive later than the rest of the kids so he could play at least some of the game. He couldn't get permission to miss the whole concert altogether). When I told him it was time to go, he hurried to the soccer ball and headed down the field, determined to score a goal before we had to leave. He was knocked to the ground by someone on the other team, so he came with me after that. He changed in the car as we raced to the school. You can see in the photo of him after his band concert that he was still hot and sweaty from the soccer game. That kid lives for soccer!

Tel's 2nd birthday party

Rebecca loves to jump off these boards, but she doesn't dare to jump off the diving board.

The foster parent food order came this week. It was the big 1st grade library day and James had been asked to spend the afternoon reading to 1st graders. This was at the same time the food truck was scheduled to come. I was also asked to tend 2 Weigel kids while their mom was in a play for the 1st graders. Since it was a hot day, I left the air on while I unwrapped the food and loaded it onto the trailer. I also left the movie running so the kids wouldn't be bored. I did think about the battery, but I figured that I'd be fast enough that it wouldn't be an issue. I forgot that when James is available to help, it goes 10 x's faster than when I do it alone. Well, I loaded the trailer, signed the paperwork, and hopped in my van. Nothing. My battery was dead. I tried to call James on his cell phone, and when he answered the phone all I heard was him reading the book to the 1st graders (he's on the front page of the newspaper today). Luckily Mr. Rodgers had jumper cables in his truck and was willing to help me. He got my van started very quickly and we haven't had problems since. The kids were pretty patient through it all, thank goodness. They even helped me unload the trailer once we got to the house.