Pep Band
Now that football season is over, the band has gone into concert band mode. Except. Basketball is here. So, we have the pep band. Caleb is permitted to use his fancy mouthpiece that makes it louder. He loves that mouthpiece.
Since I wanted to sit on the home side, I did not have a good angle to take photos. I had to walk down on the court to get photos. Then, people run in front of me. It was tricky. He has three more games. I have to decide if I want to get the photo, or support the team. Tough call.
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Science Olympiad
This weekend was the local match for Science Olympiad.
Placing does not effect regionals or state. It is just an opportunity to practice against these teams. It is a new region. A more difficult region.
While I was there, I did not get to see the events. I hung out in the home room. With the other parents. It is not a spectator sport.
So what I got to watch was them play tic tac toe.
They also played ultimate tic tac toe.
The game Dungeons and Dragons was played.
A lot of Dungeons and Dragons were played.
Then for the awards. Lathrop placed 10th out of 17, and did not enter three events. Not terrible. It also motivated the kids to study harder. Alex has been memorizing leaves (for forestry) since the event.
Here is Caleb, and one of his event partners, Cassidy, collecting their fourth place ribbon. He will mumble and say it is no big deal when you ask him about it. However, I saw when he first got the ribbon. NO ONE was to touch it. It had to lay flat and smooth next to him. He's proud.
They will do even better at regionals.
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Cars theme night
We had our first themed Disney night this evening. For dinner we had:
Lightening McQueen's Exhaust Pipe Pasta
Luigi's Spare Tire Bread
Mater's Hot Oil Sundae
Then, we topped off our evening watching Cars 1.
Oh, we are ready for Disney.
Our meal... in case you are curious looked a lot like rigatoni pasta with a roasted red pepper cream sauce, bread sticks that were formed into "tires" before baking, and a hot fudge sundae. 'Twas a hit.
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Disney, here we come
We made it through Christmas, and now Disney is on the brain. This summer we are going to Walt Disney World. We like to plan and prepare. We also like to get the kids excited. We are taking two extra kids this year, that live in a different state. So, we will be sending them some care packages to hopefully get them excited. This is a new adventure for us, more on it later. They still don't know, as far as I know, that they are going.
Anyway, we have started watching movies. Today the boys watched The Country Bears. After I got home we watched Monsters Inc. Unfortunately there is not a Monsters Inc ride at Walt Disney World. I loved that ride at Disneyland. We have more movies on the way. I will have themed food for upcoming nights. Today was to short of notice.
We have all of our Florida nights booked. A few days in a vacation home, a few days on Disney property, and a week down south. I guess I do have to book some more nights in the Keys, but we're getting there.
We have plenty of trading pins for all people going to Disney. I have my eye on a couple planning books. I have the old editions, but I need NEW ones!
It is so much fun. Fun to plan and look forward to it.
I am trying to convince Jared I need a new digital camera. I would take much better vacation photos with it. I don't think he's buying it.
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Busy
I have been busy lately. Between school, family, and work, I am tired. The boys are in 101 different activities, and we get to each and every one. On our weekends, I was doing a weeks worth of homework. I was exhausted.
We have been out of school for a week now. I came down with a cold on day one. But, I just rested. I did nothing. I am over my cold. Who knew rest could cure a cold in just a couple of days. Well, my mom has been telling me that for years.
So, some things that happened this past month.
Jonas sang with a choir group at a local state park. The state park is Watkin's Mill. Apparently, many moons ago, this guy Watkins, who owned a very successful mill, got fed up, turned off his machines, shut the door, and walked away. What this means to us today, is a very well preserved mill. It is has an interesting museum, the family house, and the mill. Also, there is a bike/walking trail, and a lake. It is a nice park. Jonas sang there. Lovely, lovely, singing.
Caleb played in a small community band. Not our community of course, but the neighboring community. It was a tour of churches, and he helped provide the music for this church. It was so beautiful, it sent chills down my spine. I really should of recorded it. It was wonderful.
The boys visited Santa. Just two of them. They refused to sit on his lap, for fear I would take a photo. But, I had to run Caleb to a Science Olympiad practice. So, I handed my camera to someone they would never suspect. As soon as I left the room... boom... onto Santa's lap.
I got to watch my niece in her Christmas preschool program. There is nothing quite a delightful as a preschool program. The parking lot was PACKED. It was the first Christmas program for all of these cute, adorable, little ones.
We had a couple band concerts.
More musical mules.
Jonas had his fifth grade music program.
He sang a solo. The First Noel. Since then, he has also sang it at church, in the car, and over the phone for his Great Grandma.
Jonas has started basketball. More practices. More games. That's ok. He has fun.
We got together with my side of the family. A bit of gift exchange.
Only three flashlights were given as gifts this year. Only three. There are usually more exchanged.
Kaylee outfitted me with some new boas, and took my photo. I just got to borrow the boas. I may need some for my own. It's a good look.
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Alive and well
I have disappeared, but am alive and well. I have one more quiz to take, then I will be done with my college semester. I tried to take it yesterday, but my computer locked up, now the program thinks I have taken it already. So, it needs to be reset. Hopefully that happens soon.
I found the above photo on facebook. My kindergarten class photo. Can you spot me? It took the kids many guesses. Apparently my hair is a bit different now. Not sure what happened.
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Thanksgiving #2
*photo by Jared
We had, probably our last, Thanksgiving in Manhattan this past couple of days. The first time I ever ate with Jared's parents was over Thanksgiving weekend. Jared invited some friends, myself included, to his folks house for a meal. Jared and I officially started seeing each other about 24 hours after that meal. We were married just a couple months later. I have been enjoying Thanksgiving Dinner with Jared and his parents for the past 16 years.
But, alas, they hopefully are moving, very soon. Closer to us. I only miss Manhattan while I am there. I am very content with our new home, in our new state. I am sure they will be, too.
I am going off on a tangent. Alex declared that his Grandma's Thanksgiving meal is the #1 meal of the year. I have to say, it was indeed, very good. Good company, good food, good times. There was a bit of football, too.
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Aunt of the Year
At the thanksgiving dinner, I helped Kaylee get her plate of food.
I asked her, "Do you want turkey or ham?"
She responded. "chicken".
I suggested "Turkey is a lot like chicken, do you want that?"
She nodded no, and said "Chicken."
I looked up at the nice person serving us, and whispered "Turkey".
I then smiled at Kaylee. "Here's your chicken."
She loved her chicken by the way.
I am ready for my Aunt of the Year award. I will go prepare my speech.
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