Friday and Gymnastics

Our mornings are usually quiet and fairly low key.

Not today.

We had to be up early and on the road to Morgan's gymnastics meet by the time the kids would normally be getting out of bed. Under normal circumstances I might have heard some grumbling, especially from Landon my little sleeper, but this meet does a great job of catering to siblings. They have inflatables set up as well as tables with coloring books and crayons. Its great!

Morgan had a great meet today. For only the second meet of competition season, she showed improvements over the last meet {and much improvement in areas over last year!} and seemed more confident. She placed 4th in the all around for her age group.

I uploaded a video of routines today:

Gem State Invitational from Kristen Cheney on Vimeo.

The meet finished up and we went to lunch at Fuddruckers with some of Morgan's team mates and their families. We are so blessed that Morgan has such great girls on her team. They really encourage and support each other.

Once we got home Lance decided to take Landon up to the mountains to ski. Morgan was too tired and wanted to stay home. The girls and I are having a quiet night at home. We played outside for a bit and are now snuggled up watching Free Willy. My house needs some TLC but that will have to wait until tomorrow.

Landon has basketball tomorrow morning. I am hoping to get a little montage of his basketball games up tomorrow. I have some family waiting to see his skills :o)

Tomorrow night we will be heading down the street to our neighbors annual Murder Mystery Party. These parties always prove to be great fun. This years theme is Western. I will post pictures on Sunday.

What's on your agenda for the weekend?

100th Day

In the ten years that I was a public school teacher, each year in mid February we had a celebration marking the 100th day of school.

Since we have been homeschooling, I have always kept track in my planner our number of school days but haven't counted with the kids.

This year, as part of Landon's daily routine, we go through our calendar and add a straw to a chart to count our school days. I love the chart because it teaches him how to create groups of ten, count by tens, and learn place value.

As we neared our 100th day of school {woo hoo!}, I decided to incorporate some of the same activities I had done in my classroom years earlier. I knew Landon would probably enjoy it but what surprised me was how much Morgan {a 4th grader} loved it.

Here is a look at some of the things we did to celebrate:

Top {l-r}: landon's finished number 100 - the 1, and each 0 had 100 items... i let them raid our craft cart and it looks like i will need to restock googly eyes, paper strips for our 100 paper chain, landon working on his number 100, mauryn making her paper chain {give the girl a glue stick and she is happy}

Bottom {l-r}: morgan working on her 100 paper chain, our food to create 100 day snack {10 items and they add 10 of each thing to a bowl}, 100 day snack {yummy!}, morgan's number 100

We also counted by tens to 100, by fives to 100, read books about the 100th day of school, and the kids did 100 exercises {10 each of 10 different exercises}.

It was a fun way to spend our school day. The only downside, Landon was convinced we were done with school for the year since we made it to the 100th day. Sorry to disappoint you buddy but we still have 70 days left!

Weekend Recap

Most of our Saturday mornings in the winter are spent in a gym. Either for a gymnastics meet or basketball game. Sometimes both.

This week, it was basketball.

In the fall he played through our local Rec Center. He had two amazing coaches and loved every minute of it.

This time around he is playing at our church through a program called Upward with his dad as his coach. On Saturday they had their first game.

Here is my little man warming up:

Waiting to match up with the person they are going to guard. See Landon. The shortest boy on the team. See the boy next to Landon. Tallest kid on the team. My boy holds his own out there.
Before the game starts they announce the cheerleaders and the players. The kids run out through a smoke filled tunnel. They LOVE it!
Getting ready to play......
Throwing one up for a basket....
After basketball, we came home and did a few things around the house. When Mauryn got up from her nap the kids all headed outside. It was another gorgeous day. The kids were enjoying being outside to get some fresh air.

As I peeked outside I saw Mauryn chasing our neighbor Cooper.

Coop would run
Mauryn would push him down, land on top of him, laugh, and then say "tooper are you otay". The entire time Coop would laugh and get up so she could do it again.
When she got tired of chasing Coop, she would find her brother and give him some love.
The highlight for Mauryn was getting to ride the bike she got for her birthday. We had it in the house for a while but it was causing a little bit of damage to the walls thanks to a cute boy who thought it was cool to race as fast as he could around corners. Anyway, Mauryn loved it. The big girls (morgan and our neighbor amiah) even took her on a long ride around our path. She did an amazing job. I have a feeling we will be spending many nice days out on walks so she can ride her bike. You can tell she takes it very seriously!

Be Careful What You Wish For

I want to do a better job of journaling our life. I want this blog to be a scrapbook of our lives as well as a place to post thoughts and feelings of a "deeper" nature.

I was thinking, hoping, wishing that I had some interesting things to write. Our daily life is busy but in general pretty boring!

I need to be careful what I wish for because yesterday afternoon I walked into the kitchen to find Mauryn holding a scissors and there was a pile of hair laying on the floor. She decided to give herself a little haircut.

Here is the pile of hair I collected:

Her new self delivered hair cut:

It isn't horrible. It definitely could have been much worse but it didn't stop me from getting on my phone right away and calling my friend Tara to see if she could do a little touch up job and blend in where Mauryn had cut her hair.

I am so "stinkin' tute" don't be mad at me for cutting my own hair!

New do - Tara cut her hair shorter to blend in where Mauryn had cut. Her hair now sort of looks like she is just growing her bangs out, even though there is some of her side hair in there as well. Even though she doesn't like them, Mauryn will be wearing lots of clips for the next few months!

We have been having the best weather lately. It has been sunny with temperatures in the 50's! It has really felt like spring. We have been spending as much time outside as possible.

Landon was playing ball in the front yard and didn't want to wait for his dad to be his pitcher. He was sure he could throw the ball up himself and hit it.

Looking for the ball and not noticing that he didn't hit it and it was at his feet!

Phew, now the pitcher shows up

Landon is poised and ready to smack it!

While the boys played ball in the front yard, Mauryn and I headed out to the backyard to throw the ball for the dogs and so Mauryn could get some time in on the swings.

We are loving this spring like weather! The sunshine and fresh air are the perfect way to end the afternoon.

Reason # 2471358

that i love costco

aren't these dresses adorable! mauryn wears a dress almost every single day. i know once spring and summer come along she will be in one every day. one of the best things about the dresses:

their hanna's. i love hanna andersson.

the hanna play dresses have gotten us through the winter. i love that the dresses have the matching leggings since mauryn doesn't like to wear tights.

it is exciting to come upon these little finds at costco.

what's your best find from costco??

Gymnastics and a Sickie

Our Saturdays from now until the end of March will be spent in gyms - either at gymnastics meets or basketball games.

This past Saturday we headed out of town for the day for Morgan's first big meet of the year.

The days can get a little long for all of us, but especially the little ones. Landon spent some of his time playing Farkle on my itouch. Look at that concentration:

For the first meet out, Morgan did pretty well. It takes a competition to get the girls focused and ready to refine some of their skills. The great part of the meet was watching Morgan perform so well on bars. For the past two years bars has been her weakest event. Last year, she really struggled on year on bars. On Saturday she had an a.maz.ing bar routine. Morgan has made so many improvements since last year. We were so proud of her. She took 5th on bars in her age group and had the second highest score for her team.
Mauryn has been fighting a little cold. I kept her home on Sunday since we had such a full day on Saturday. She wasn't running a fever or feeling too bad but I didn't want her passing on her germs to any of the other kids in the nursery. I enjoyed a quiet morning at home with my baby watching her tend to all her babies :o)

Catching Up: Morgan's Birthday Party

Yep, a little, no a lot behind (since morgan's birthday was in November) here on posts but here is to catching up!

For her tenth birthday, Morgan wanted to have a pool party. We copied our theme idea of hang ten from here - it was the perfect idea!

Morgan and I had a great time planning, shopping for supplies, and getting the party all put together. Morgan wanted to be very involved from the invitations to the decorations to the cupcakes. It sure made my job easier and she did a great job!

We had her party at the local YMCA and it was so easy! They had a great party room that we used as our home base. The kids enjoyed the pool, water slides, and lazy river. When they finished swimming the kids created Aloha picture frames before we enjoyed the beach themed cupcakes.

It was a great tenth birthday party!

Self Portraits

We purchased a digital SLR camera a few years ago. I love it. It takes great pictures and its perfect for capturing those action moments at gymnastics meets, basketball games, or with the kids playing. The only downside is it is big. It isn't the type of camera you throw into your purse to take along to catch random moments and I couldn't take short little videos with it.

Over the past few months I have been putting away some of my "blow" money {thanks dave ramsey} so that I could buy a point and shoot camera for my purse. After getting some tips on brand and price range from Denise, {through her photographer husband Michael}, I got this little thing:

I love the sassy red color and slim design. I have been happy with the picture quality so far. It definitely fits the bill. I am enjoying playing with it and learning all the features.

I am obviously not the only one who likes the new camera. As I was uploading pictures the other day, this is what I found:
You know what cracks me up, she is three and she can take a better self portrait than I can at thirty something! I think I am going to ask her for some tips.

DIY: Picture Frame White Board

I wanted to have a dry erase board to jot down items for my grocery list, reminders for myself, Lance or the kids, and write down messages but I really didn't want a big old white board hanging up in my kitchen.

Enter this tutorial.

Easy, peasey.

It took me longer to walk to our bonus room, find a fabric in the right colors and right size than it did to put this little baby together.

Really, it took all of 5 minutes.

So go find a picture frame in whatever size you want (old, new, whatevs), find some fabric, and fire up the glue gun.

Mauryn: Fall/Christmas 2009

favorite foods: pirate booty, cheese pizza (pizup as you say), M&M's, ice cream, mandarin oranges, corn, macaroni and cheese, cereal

favorite songs: B-I-B-L-E, lord's army, father abraham, old mcdonald had a farm, pretty much any song and especially songs she makes up

favorite books: curious george, maisy, clifford, mermaid books

favorite movies: Little Mermaid

favorite tv shows: curious george, clifford

favorite games: candyland, chutes and ladders, cards

favorite toys: bitty baby, snap 'n style dolls

favorite activity with mom: cooking

favorite activity with dad: giving him hugs and show him my twins

favorite school subject: coloring, puzzles, playing with math mainpulatives

hobbies: making a mess, being cute, taking care of my babies

favorite christmas songs: away in a manager, jingle bells, o come little children

favorite advent activities: living christmas tree, winter garden a glow

favorite christmas gifts: bitty twins, bed for bitty twins

favorite christmas movie: rudolph the red nosed reindeer

favorite ornament: fat santa

favorite decoration: star on the tree, little people nativity set, little people santa and reindeer

favorite christmas cookie: rolled out sugar cookies - the star, peanut butter balls

what filled your stocking?: gum, peanut M&M's, lip gloss, body glitter, markers, crayons, notebook, christmas tree magna doodle

did you believe in santa?: YES! you talked about santa and were excited to see him... from afar. you did not want to get too close but the idea of santa was so fun for you.

favorites of 2009: going to roaring springs, seeing buffalo at yellowstone, going to bass lake

Landon: Fall/Christmas 2009

favorite foods: bagel, bubble pizza, apples, aunt shari's special macaroni and cheese

favorite songs: are you ready? by alvin and the chipmunks, hamster dance, sold by john michael montgomery, anything by go fish or the wiggles

favorite books: clifford, arthur, dick and jane

favorite movies: any air bud or air buddies, g force, high school musical 3

favorite tv shows: zoboomafoo, clifford, fetch, wiggles

favorite games: sorry, sequence for kids, guess who?, crazy 8's, chums (like go fish)

favorite toys: big fire truck, drums, football, legos, lincoln logs

favorite activity with mom: cooking

favorite activity with dad: going to work

favorite school subject: math

hobbies: playing outside, shooting hoops, riding bike

favorite christmas songs: snow cd by go fish

favorite advent activities: hot chocolate stand, best christmas pageant ever play

favorite christmas gifts: nerf dart gun, legos, broncos jersey, roaring springs pass

favorite christmas movie: santa buddies

favorite ornament: broncos football with chipmunk on it

favorite decoration: christmas trees

favorite christmas cookie: sugar roll outs - the rudolph one i decorated

what filled your stocking: legos, gum, skittles, twizzlers, twirly birds, would you rather? card game, markers

did you believe in santa? yes! but you didn't talk about him near as much as in the past. you definitely liked seeing him from afar but you did not want to sit on his lap or talk to him.

favorites of 2009: playing with my friends, going to roaring springs, playing basketball, playing tball, going to montana, going to bass lake

Morgan: Fall/Christmas 2009

favorite foods: taco hot dish, bubble pizza

favorite songs: anything by taylor swift or owl city

favorite books: mysteries, american girl doll books, allie finkle books, pretty much anything

favorite movies: chrissa (american girl movie), sound of music, hannah montana movie

favorite tv shows: fetch, brady bunch, little house on the prairie, icarly

favorite games: life, uno, hand and foot, most card games

favorite toys: ds, camera

favorite activity with mom: cooking and baking

favorite activity with dad: playing cards and board games

favorite school subject: spelling

hobbies: gymnastics, taking pictures, hanging out

favorite christmas songs: what child is this?, jesus born on this day, his favorite christmas story

favorite advent activities: ice skating, living christmas tree, best christmas pageant ever play

favorite christmas gifts: video camera, roaring springs pass

favorite christmas movie: anabelle's wish

favorite ornament: a sleigh i made in preschool

favorite decoration: fontanini nativity scene

favorite christmas cookie: peanut butter tempations

what filled your stocking?: gum, starbursts, mint three muskateers, lip gloss, body glitter, wallet, earrings

did you believe in santa?: no, but you play along nicely so your brother and sister could play along

favorites of 2009: trip to montana, going to see wicked, going to bass lake

Snowy Day

Christmas came and Christmas went and we had NO snow. We had snow the week before Christmas but then it warmed up and melted.

The week after Christmas we got a little snowfall. It was delightful. The snow fell slowly, through most of the afternoon. Although not significant in terms of snowfall compared to the midwest, it was a decent snowfall for the valley. The kids could hardly wait to get outside and play in the snow.

the tree in our front yard

snowball fight with daddy

he got landon

and morgan

now for retaliation

even the toddler wanted in

just being "tute"

collecting snow... for a snowball

nope for a little taste {eww!}