If you give a kid a fun night

Tonight the kids school had a family fun night. It was a nice family outing centered around Laura Nuberoff's book series "If you give a mouse a cookie." They had free dinner for the families followed by at least 15 or so booths to play games at.

You got a little passport with all the games listed and as you completed the games you got a stamp on your passport. You had to collect at least 7 stamps to get the big reward at the end.

Both kids did a great job waiting in line for their turn at the games. The school was a bit crowded so there were people and kids everywhere. Andrew could do some of the tasks but had some problems with others. Megan was a pro at all that she attempted to do.

Megan was a bit sad at the end she really wanted to get her face painted but I think the rest of the school wanted that as well. That line was so long it would have taken an hour just for that one single thing. Andrew was in no way going to hold out and wait while she stood in line so we had to pass on that one.

At the end the kids each got a stuffed animal and a book. Our kids got "If you give a moose a muffin" and a stuffed moose. Andrew instantly fell in love with his and after dressing hers up Megan has warmed up to hers. It was a fun school event for the family.

Musical Talent??

So I finally gave in and let Jeff buy Rock Band for the Wii. He's been wanting one since he went over to his friends house who had one and tried it out. We've been saving ever since for the big purchase.

It has a drum set, guitar, and microphone to rock out with. Of course we all had to try out each item and had great fun.

I was really hoping that my kids would have taken more after Jeff in the musical talent department but the hard reality is that they are exactly like me. Neither child can carry a tune in a bucket if they tried and their rhythm is all off. It was super cute to see them each try and have a blast doing it.

Both kids can't wait to rock out again. We've ended up playing several times already and it is a popular request when we've got down time. Maybe this will help my kids get more musical. One can only hope that they end up a lot better than me :}

Meg's Baptism

We finally made it to Megan's long awaited Baptism. She has been waiting so patiently for her turn since we went to Kendra's Baptism in August. The day she turned 8 she was ready to go. We just had to wait to get it all arranged and organized with family and friends.

So Friday while the kids were at school I was off to the airport to pick up our family. Let's just say this was my first time to the airport as the official picker upper and it was a bit crazy. Never mind that Laurie was trying to teach me texting and that my marvelous party was waiting in departures rather than arrivals. Needless to say a few circles around the airport and we had our family all safe and sound to Washington. We killed some time going out to lunch while we waited for the kids to get home from school.

Once off the bus it was time for the party to start. The kids wasted no time getting right into the fun and playing with each other. No one knew that Andrew has turned himself into a cat and meowed at just about everyone during the trip. He had a blast playing with Kendra and Megan when Megan would let him in. Sometimes he just made a space for himself.

Jeff made some Tortilla soup and other goodies as we chatted and played. Andrew loved all the attention and his highlight was getting Auntie Laurie to sing the SpongeBob Square Pants theme song several times. We also got some awesome cd's from our dj Laurie and we've been enjoying the rocking tunes.

We took the girls out for a special girls night out to the mall. They got a little shopping spree and the theme was panda all the way. They got some cute BFF jewelry and panda animals. We topped that night off with a little stop at See's candy and home to rest up for the big event.

Saturday morning we got up bright and early for a little roly poly breakfast and then getting ourselves ready to go out to the church. We packed a quick bag and off to get set for the Stake baptism. We were a bit early and took a ton of pictures to capture the moment.

Meg was so stinkin cute. I can't believe that is my little girl that I spent so many nights up in the middle of the night with. She is growing up to be a fine little lady. We had a nice little group and it made for a spiritual little experience. Megan showed her soft side and shed a few tears and it was so special to remember how Jeff had baptised me March 2, 1997 and now he was doing the same for his first born daughter. I can't really put it into words how special it felt to be her Mother.

We celebrated with family and friends after at Red Robin where we all proceeded to stuff ourselves. Those dang bottomless fries get away from you real quick and before you know it your on your 2 or 3 refill. It was all good eats and the kids were really well behaved. It was so fun to laugh and eat.

We ended our day over at Ken and MarGene's place. We hit up their swimming pool and tried to float about without all that food weighing us down. It was nice to relax and hang out some more. The kids of course loved the pool. After that quick dip we headed back to the house for a Ken meal of his yummy fried chicken over salad with homemade ranch. Oh yum yum yum is all I can say and Jeff and I got to take the leftovers home :}

It was such a great weekend. It really filled my heart at all that we did. We had great food, great company, and a great event. Megan cried all the way home and into the next day. She has been having a hard time missing everyone. I think we need to have a few more get togethers like this if we can squeeze them in. It sure was a lot of fun.

Mid Winter Break Hmmmm

So my kids get a random week off for Mid Winter Break. It kills me how many days they get off of school. It is so tough on them as they get really bored after about the first or second day. This creates lots of fighting and frustrations for all. We had to come up with something interesting and fast.

The kids took the bar stools and turned them upside down to create a little seat for them. They stuffed them with blankets and pillows to make it more comfortable and settled in for a movie. I had to hand deliver snacks periodically but this kept them busy for a whole movie and very happy. It is awesome when we have these types of moments. I wish I were more creative sometimes :}

Birthday Bowling

This year for Megan's Birthday we skipped the cake and had birthday cookies instead. After making brownies for her class we just didn't feel like making a cake too. Megan thought it was fun to have something different for a change. She loved the big cookies and got to take some in her lunch for the following week. All she really cared about was to make sure she had at least one candle to blow out.

The long awaited bowling finally came this weekend. Megan and Andrew were both thrilled and talked about it a lot the night before. Real bowling is much more fun than a video game so they couldn't wait.

Jeff was in charge of the planning and called ahead to a bowling alley near us to make sure we would be able to get in. They had a tournament that day but had available lanes till noon. We got up early and waited for Ken and MarGene to join us before heading off. We arrived at the place only to find out that all their open lanes were full till 4pm. It was a bit frustrating as we had called ahead. We quickly had to rethink and thanks to Ken's Garmin found another place that was empty when we arrived.

The kids both had a great time. Megan got a bit sad when she had the lowest score at one point. She even teared up a bit. It is a tough lesson to learn that it is just fun to play the game and it doesn't matter who wins. We've been working hard at trying to teach the kids that it is okay to lose and try harder next time. It is still very frustrating for them to come in second or below.

We played one game on one lane and took our time. By the time we were finished the place was packed and most lanes were full and going strong. We spent a few bucks in the arcade for the kids and headed off to good ol' McDonald's for a little lunch to end our outing. It was a simple little family bowling but it was sure fun. Megan thought it was one of the best birthday outings yet.

Andrew Learned E is for Effort

Today Andrew got is very first award in school. It was for Effort and the progress he has made so far this year. Andrew got to sit on the stage while he waited for his name to be called. He was pretty fidgety for the first little bit till he saw me in the back with my camera and then he was focused on me and all smiles.

The principal had to call his name a few times as he was too busy smiling for me that he wasn't paying attention. He looked so dang cute walking up to get his special award.

He did a great job listening and staying with the group while the program continued on. Since his class is special education they dismiss 10 minutes earlier than the rest of the classes and he waited so patiently for Megan to finish.

He held onto his award the whole time and wouldn't let go for one second. Once we got home he promptly asked me to hang it up on his door. Both my kids have special school work and certificates on their doors showing off their talents. It makes them feel very special and he couldn't wait to add to his door. It was so fun to see him light up and feel so happy to get acknowledge.

Happy 8th Birthday to Megan

A big Happy Birthday to my little squirt!! Today she turns the big 8 and she is super excited to be getting older. We've been celebrating in little ways since Friday and she has enjoyed feeling special. She's already gotten a few cards and phone calls which brings a huge smile to her face. We spent the weekend celebrating with her. We went out to the movies and a little shopping spree. We've got plans for a little fun family bowling next weekend just for her and she can hardly wait.

Today the kids had no school so she is a little restless as today is her actual birthday and wants to have lots of fun. Both kids came into bed with me this morning and we watch a movie together in our pj's. Now we are getting ready to head out for her special lunch of papa johns cheesy bread with garlic butter dipping sauce. This is her most favorite of meals and she has been asking for a while to go there, so since this is her day she gets what she wants :} She has already spent her birthday money and has loved playing with her new stuff. It is so fun to have a birthday and to be so excited.