Our busy week

This week was busy but routine – we had school, of course and piano lessons, art lessons, Nathan went over to the Meyers while Mandy and I did our weekly chiropractic appt.   Mandy had a horseback riding lesson ( she has finally lopped (not sure of spelling but it is between a trot and a gallop). On  Thursday, we did school and then visiting teaching, drove to Tomball and went to Wal-Mart and then had dinner.  Nathan had a baseball game at 8:00 ( I hate late games – we didn’t get home until after 10) and so Glenn was able to see the game, having arrived at 6 in Houston. 

Friday morning, Nathan had a doctor’s appt (foot doctor – nothing new to add) and then we came home and worked on planting some bushes and then we got ready to go to Pack meeting.  Nathan was trying to finish off a achievement called “farm animals” and he had to go to his den/pack meeting and talk about a book and his knowledge of an animal.  Here are some pictures of pack meeting.  They are doing a group race to show how we have to work together.

My picture of Nathan and his presentation -  evidently didn’t come out.  No trace of it but what Nathan did was:

1) made a poster of the baby chicks new and now – identified them,  (2) also posted his science notes about incubating Fred (the only egg we incubated before we lost our flock) and posted pictures of him as well as bringing four baby chicks and Fred for everyone to look at and touch.  He did a presentation in front of the pack about this.  Finished off the farm animals achievement, check!

On Saturday, we had a mixed day of culture and sport.  Mandy and Nathan were in a Spring Festival.  Mandy and Nathan had worked on 3 songs each and they presented them in front of judges.  They each received a ribbon and a write up on their performance. 

Waiting to be called in to the judging.  We were in a group of around 10 children and each of them played 2 to 3 songs a piece.              Mandy playing her pieces.  I have found it is very hard to get a good picture when they are playing.  Nathan waiting for the judge to  tell him to continue between his pieces.

 

 

 

 

After the performance with their music and their ribbons.

Next,  we hurried home and everyone changed clothes and then rushed to Tomball and played Nathan’s 4th game of the year.  Sorry, I didn’t get any pictures of the game.  I find it hard to take pictures through the wire fencing anyway, they are 4-0 and won this game 8 to 5.  They are in 1st place and more important Nathan was able to get out of his batting slump.  At the beginning of the season, his coach decided it would be better for Nathan in the future, if he batted left handed.  It has to do with balance, etc but he has had to switch his body stance and it has not been easy.  Lately, he has had the batting stance and swing down but he has been so frustrated that he hasn’t hit anything.  He had two hits on Saturday and I think he will be ok from now on.

This isn’t in order but Mandy had refreshments for FHE and wanted to make cupcakes and so here is Mandy and her cupcakes. Looking forward to next weekend and General Conference.

Just a snippet from Mandy

“Mama, I don’t want a Nintendo for my birthday.” said Mandy.

“Really, what do you want?” said Mama.

“I just want to have a beach house!” replied Mandy.  What is so interesting is that she was serious.  She didn’t see any problem with it at all.

My reply?  “Good luck.  Daddy won’t even buy me a beach house.”

Spring Break

Spring break means one thing to children and an entirely different thing to adults, I have found.  I was looking forward to a week when we could clean the house, wash all the windows and doors and work outside.  The kids, on the other hand, were looking forward to a week of computer play, watching tv, and going neat places.  I don’t think either party got what they wanted!

We did do a few things I wanted – went through all of the kids clothes, sorted and cleaned out drawers.  The kids cleaned the game room and resorted and organized.  It’s funny what the threat – “I am going to empty this room of toys if they don’t find homes” – does to motivate children.  We gathered up our recyling and dropped it off, while still doing art lessons, scout-date (kind of like a play date but they work on Scout requirements),  we visited an art gallery in the Woodlands and afterwards had cupcakes, at the first Cupcakery that I have gone to.  We worked in the garden each day – as much work as we have put into this garden, it should look better!  We went to It’z on Friday afternoon and had (depending on the view of the person) a pretty good time.  I have decided I’m not particularly happy with that type of place because of the tickets they earn.  They are never enough to buy anything even remotely worth it and that leaves everyone rather unhappy as you are leaving. 

We had a nice day with Kathie’s family on Saturday as they came to, yes again, work on the garden.   We had yummy tacos for lunch, the kids got the privilege of raking and shoveling dirty hay/manure into the trucks and putting it on the garden.  Such fun, such joy, such non-enthusiasm!

Sorry, I have not taken any pictures as I was too involved in the process.  Our 43 baby chicks are growing, we haven’t had any calves yet (soon though), we have a cat that is expecting any day and is really cranky!  Our world is starting to green up even though we are in the midst of a bad drought.  The cows have found a way to get into our yard (inside the white fence) without knocking down a fence and have gotten into the garden and walked through the berry patch  without doing any major damage???? 

Tomorrow, school starts again with all of the other factors: art class, piano classes, horseback riding class, baseball, baseball and baseball and scouts.  Oh well, I like the scheduled days of school in some ways.  I am already looking to next year and have started buying school books.  If anyone has found a elementary text book or curriculum on Texas history – I would love to see it.  It looks like I get to put one together and I would really just like to see what others are doing.

The Grand Slam of 2011

We have begun the Spring season of LL baseball.  So, we are very busy.  We have had 3 – 5 days of practice a week (Daddy has been home and could take Nathan or it wouldn’t have happened) and Saturday was the Grand Slam, as it is called.  We had a parade down Main Street to the Little League Fields and then started warming up – which was considerably hard as it was sooooo cold! 

 

Miss Tomball coming down the street – really! She had the princess wave and everything.

 

The requisite fire truck with sirens blaring.

Nathan is in the orange, of course.  He was also the loudest.  You have to realize it was incredibly cold and everyone was kind of scrunching down into the hay.

Last week we had beautiful Spring weather.  Not a drop of rain, clear skies.  On Saturday morning at 5:15 am the skies opening with ripping winds, crashing thunder and bright lightning.  The fields were soaked when we got there and  some of the kids had dressed in shorts!  The wind was incredibly cold.  Nathan’s game was postponed for an hour while they spread new sand on the running areas and hoped everything would dry out.  Jason and Becca, Sammi, Jessi and Lizzy came to watch and cheer Nathan on.  They were also going to stay and play at the carnival but it was so cold and Jessi had to go to a girl scout activity so they stayed in my van and we talked and looked at Jason’s iPad and drank hot chocolate.  In fact, I spent the game in the car and parked as close as I could and watched from there.  Jason got several good shots of Nathan.  We eventually won the game 8 to 5 with a great outfield catch by Nathan and his teammate, Max’s first homerun.  At 1:40 the skies cleared and the temperature rose a little.  We went over and played some games and had funnel cake and barbeque sandwiches and had team pictures taken.  A cold but fun day, after all!

 

Nathan winding up to knock over some pins.

 

Mandy at the treasure chest.  Winning a prize.                     Mandy sliding down the slide.  Even though at one time I thought I would freeze we did have a great time!  Thanks, Turpins for coming out and hanging with us in the cold.