This is where James ended up during dinner. If he doesn't like what we're having he invariably becomes AWOL or obnoxious. "You never make anything I like." What do you like? "Chicken, macaroni and cheese and that's all!"
His hot chocolate mug broke last December and we promptly went to the thrift store to replace it but ironically (or maybe not ironically) there were no Christmas mugs at the thrift store in December (he ended up picking out a Halloween one). We walked by last week and there were so many to choose from he had a hard time choosing just one. We got the same questioning look buying a Christmas mug in April than we did buying a Halloween mug in December.
She found out yesterday that she won! She was one of 10 that made it out of 20. She is definitely looking forward to 8th grade next year at the junior high. We got her flowers while she was at school to either console or congratulate. Happy to report they were to congratulate.
I made this meat pie I got from a recipe from John Kirkwood on youtube. He sounds like Winnie the Pooh and is just the sweetest Englishman I have ever seen. Take a listen. (The pie turned out delicious.)
My girls had their piano recitals last week as well. This was Erica's first recital ever and she was so nervous. She played her piece the best I've ever heard her and she did a cute curtsy at the end. I was proud of her and I think she had fun. She talks about quitting but she has finally gotten to the stage where she's playing fun songs she's heard of. I think she's just a little burned out but we only have 3 more weeks of lessons before summer break.
This is the scene most Sunday mornings. It was so cold but they don't care. Sarah rarely joins them and that makes me sad because I love seeing them play together. They haul out their favorite stuffies and their pillows and sleeping bags. Sometimes they just burrow under their stuff and get cozy and talk or they make up silly games.
I came upon the polygamist house on my walk last week. This place is legendary among teens. I went inside twice in high school and once during college. From where I took this picture you have to jump a fence and then follow a dirt driveway up to the house.
The last tenants that lived there were a polygamist family that trashed the place before they left. I interviewed a police officer and the landlord for a story I did in college and they confirmed all the rumors I had heard as a teenager.
Well that's pretty.
Some views stop me right in my tracks and I just stand there and stare.
James has been working out of a 1st grade workbook the past several months. (He already blew through a Pre-k and Kindergarten workbook.) We've kind of hit a spot where the reading is a little too challenging but he is loving the math. Here he is adding columns of 3 numbers and he loved it.
He may be a little bored in kindergarten in the fall.
Justin and I helped my mom make some jam. We made like 56 cups or something. I lost count. We made so much my mom thinks this will last her the rest of her life.
These beauties came free with Log Cabin syrup in the late '80s. They are all plastic, super dingy, melted in some spots. Their intended use was to mix pancake batter, I'm assuming, since they came with syrup but we used them to make scrambled eggs. I brought one home to show my kids and they now have it in their toy kitchen. The other one went into the trash or to DI.
This yellow spoon is older than me. This spoon was used to feed all of us kids (I don't know that for a fact but it sounds good.) I used it to eat applesauce, cereal, bottled pears, and ice cream until I was 10 years old--just for fun. I was all about eating with the unusual spoons I found in the silverware drawer. I told my mom she had to keep it.
This is the bottle opener used to open peach and pear jars all growing up. It got donated.
Justin brought home the VR goggles from work they use to show clients their projects during design phase. The kids loved playing games with it. After just one evening it reaffirmed why we don't have video games. "Who's turn is it?" "How long has she been on it?" "I've only had one turn and he's had two turns." "Can I play with the Occulus now?" "I want to play!" "My turn!" "You've had it foreeeever!" "Just one more minute!" "I never get a turn!" It's going back on Monday.
And with that April is over. Usually April flies by and goes so fast but this has been an eventful and full month that seemed to start ages ago. May is always so busy. Mother's Day, Henry's birthday, Anniversary, school projects and programs, last day of school. Throw in several doctor's check-ups and church meetings and obligations and my head is just spinning looking at our calendar. Here we go!
