Rockets, Music and Dresses

It's Friday and I'm certainly glad it is!! We've been busy (or at least I have been) but here are some highlights:

Aidan and Jaren headed out last weekend with his Bear Den and launched rockets that they had assembled a few weeks ago at their Den Meeting. Based on the pictures and the stories that they came home with there was a little bit of everything. Some rockets launched too far (who knows where it ended up). Some failed. And others performed just right. There's nothing better than launching rockets!!3rd grade has been a bit of a "social challenge" for Aidan. It's been a struggle for him to have to realize...how do I put this...that not everyone is his friend. He's been faced with new challenges and it's amazing to help him and watch him figure out how to deal with these conflicts and still be kind and influential. I know that he's being a positive influence to those around him at school. So, when he was awarded the Principal's Award at school on Wednesday that was a big "pick-me-up" for him. We're proud of you Aidan for "keeping your cool".

Hunter had his 1st grade program. I did not post any video but I have to admit in my four years of attending these programs, these are the most LOVING 1st graders I have ever had the privilege of meeting. After the program all the kids were hugging everybody's parents and wanting pictures together with teachers, the principal....me. So, this is a picture of Hunter with his buddies and his much loved principal.
A huge highlight for me (and the little girl who gets to model it)...I made Robyn's red dress in one day!! I was very motivated to get it done. It was exciting to finally mark one thing off my I Dreamed a Dream list. I experimented with a drawstring neckline to avoid zippers, buttons or snaps...oh, how I despise those notions. I prefer ribbon. I absolutely LOVE how it turned out. And, you can wear it with the tie in the front or the back! Robyn certainly is our little Princess in this dress. Now if we can only wear our matching dresses together!

A note about Aidan: Ever since our Valentine's Dinner (sorry, no pictures of that) where we all dressed up in fancy dresses and suits Aidan has decided that he loves bow ties. So, he's been wearing one of daddy's to church.

No one can eat just one

Someone asked me the other day what sewing projects I've been up to. I have to confess--nothing much. I did make a rag quilt for a friend and I don't think hemming Jaren's pants count as a project. That's about the extent of my sewing so far this year.

Instead, I've been in the kitchen....Cooking. Cleaning. Cooking. Cleaning. Repeat.

A goal of mine this year was to become a better cook and try LOTS of things that I've never done before. Course, it helps that my new cookie jar and cake dome (both birthday gifts) can't stand being empty! As a result I've really spent lots of time in the kitchen cooking/baking who knows what! Here we are almost two months later and it's been a fun adventure! No failures yet!

Here's what led me to this week's adventure: for some weird reason my boys think the only way to eat a potato is as french fries or mashed. So, I wanted to find new ways to cook potatoes. While I plan to also make potato pancakes, spudnuts and hashbrowns I started out making potato chips! The directions are quite simple:

You start with a potato (or 5).
Slice 'em (you can peel them first)
Soak 'em (for 1 hour...this makes the chip crispier)
Fry 'em (3-4min at 375)

Eat 'em (every boy, including daddy, got them in their lunch today)
I cannot imagine slicing potatoes this thin using anything but an electrical rotary slicer. I've had my KitchenAid attachment for years that slices rather well, but I've never really became friends with it until about a week ago. I've sliced/shredded cheese, zucchini, carrots, cabbage, potatoes, etc. I find myself using it several times a week now. Slicing is quick (and FUN) and not a chore when you have one of these little machines.

I got rave reviews from my family: Wow, these taste just like they came right out of a bag!

Watch out Lay's, here I come!


Now, I need to make some cookies...I noticed the cookie jar is empty.

What We've Really Been Up To

Most of my blog posts are random thoughts going through my brain. But, as I was writing our family newsletter I realized I haven't really let friends and family in on what each person's been up to lately.

Aidan just finished up his adventures in his First Science Fair at his Elementary School. Being the avid Science Fair person that I am, I encouraged him the whole way. I love to volunteer as a judge at Science Fairs. And I've been able to judge quite a few in just two years. So, I'm probably harder to impress. Aidan decided to do his Science Project on Which Eraser Erases the best. He had five different brands. Did four tests. According to his research, the high-polymer eraser won out...every time. So, if you want a really good eraser and don't mind paying a few more cents for it, buy that one! Jaren helped come up with the title of Now You See "IT" Now You Don't. The word Aidan erased (I think about 100 times) was "IT". The title fit perfectly. I guess he wowed the judges because he came home with 1st Place for 3rd grade. He's off to the District Fair next month. I think we may have started on a long road for Science Fair Projects as he had such a good experience this year.
Hunter hasn't really been up to anything new or exciting but he's had some fun times. Last week our Tiger Den went to tour one of the Local Police Stations. The Sergeant leading the tour let the boys see everything...the jail, the evidence locker, the crime lab (TV CSI has much more toys), AFIS...the gun locker (probably the COOLEST part). They got to talk into the radio of the Police Car. And Perhaps the 2nd coolest part was getting to take a short ride in the SWAT car complete with lights and siren! It was a fantastic experience and Hunter will not stop talking about it. Now, I think all my Tiger Scouts want to join the Police Force when they grow up. Hunter carries around the pretend Badge that he got from the Sergeant all the time!

I snapped this picture a few days back to prove that my husband does play piano. Occasionally he'll hop on and tickle the ivories a bit. This time, Robyn joined in. She loves to make her own music on it! She spends most of her time doing just that--imitating what every one else says and does. But that's not what he's really been up to lately....
The Superman in our lives hasn't been home much. He has his day job but since the start of the new year he's been spending his nights training to be one of these:No, he's not umpiring for the big leagues...yet. But, that is certainly a dream of his. He's been training to work with Little League and the High Schools to start off. It's been quite the adventure getting him properly clothed, geared up and ready to go. He begins working his first games this Saturday. He hasn't done this since high school so I've never really seen him at it. But, I know he LOVES the game (as do I). I promise to get pictures of his "playtime" once he really gets going and we're able to attend a few of his games.

A Different Kind of War

So last week, family night didn't go so smoothly. But this week, we had a lesson in strategies of war. To tell you the truth I was completely surprised how into it the boys were. Maybe it was because they were finally realizing how exciting reading from the Book of Mormon can be. But, I'm gonna say that it was Jaren's dramatic storytelling and fine illustration that kept the boys so glued to the story from Alma 52. (Yes, honey, I fished your drawing out of the trash).
Two thumbs up for daddy!! It was truly a memorable evening! We got to finish our storytelling with yummy Zucchini Bread.

I Dreamed A Dream

For some reason, that song from Les Miserable has been playing in my head over and over again! Then I got to thinking...perhaps I am absolutely "dreaming dreams". But, Fantine's lyrics are in no way similar to what I'm dreaming of (thank goodness). My life isn't hell, my hope's aren't torn apart, my God is forgiving and I believe every storm can be weathered.

Nevertheless, I dream. But, I'm not sure I can call it dreaming when I'm really wide awake because my mind won't stop thinking. Yes, the story of my nights--every night for the past six weeks. The absence of sleep and the onset of dreams.

I tried to make a mental list (why should that be so hard when my brain won't stop making lists) of all those random things that I'm dreaming about. I realized they most of them are projects. So, here's just a sampling of what's been going on in my head:

Card Table Playhouse. I've been wanting to do something like this but it wasn't until I finally started searching for ideas that I finally got a mental grasp of the project. For all you crafty moms--such a cool idea! I would love to make one for Robyn's 2nd birthday now that I own an actual card table. It's already all drawn out in my head.

Felt Foods. Another set of toys that I've always wanted. But, I can't justify paying for them! The other day I ventured out and wanted to try to make some on my own. I thought I'd try a strawberry, an oreo cookie, ravioli and crackers. The strawberries turned out okay--albeit rather small. I quit half way through the oreo cookie and thus never made it to the starches. I continue to dream about them.

Wooden Dolls. Now, these are something else that I could totally go crazy with!

Other things include a matching dress for Robyn (to match the red dress I made for our cruise). I want to make her one so we can get some formal family pictures done this Spring.

The other day Jaren and I were discussing our Dream House! Periodically we do that. Every time we talk about it, more details get added.

I look out my back window and wonder when the backyard will EVER get finished.

I had a 5 year old come over for a "trial" piano lesson. Yes, she wasn't ready for serious lessons but it was absolutely fun to just explorer music with her! Since then, the idea of running a Music Program for children ages 3-5 has also occupied a spot in my brain. So many possibilities and so much fun! In case you don't know, I LOVE this age! Crazy, but true!

But, for right now...I continue to dream. It seems that when reality just isn't all I hoped it to be, the continuous dreaming is what keeps me going. However, the sleepless nights are starting to wear on me.

Power Struggles

We always hate those nights when family time gets interrupted because of disobedience, sibling rivalry, hurt feelings and...dare I say it...all out war. It becomes much more than an interruption, but an annihilation of that sought after fun, loving family time. Yep. That about sums it up for our family. Let the power struggles begin...again.

In our home we have:

The President.
The Superhero.
The Princess. All supreme titles. All struggling for power. Not even sure where us parents fit in anymore--

The Secretary?
The Mediator?
The Judge?
The Prosecutor?
The Teacher?

As I continue my list I'm afraid we end up being all of the above and many more. It's rather exhausting. And, sometimes we feel like we've been fired, let go...replaced. Or maybe we just feel like an invisible force that CAN be ignored. We've all heard those stories about the school kids who get into a fight and the teacher tries to break it up only to get punched in the face and thrown out of the ring. I know that feeling all to well.

Usually it's the President v. Superhero. Sometimes it's the Superhero v. The Princess. And all too often, we get The Superhero v. The Superhero. That's quite the battle. Sometimes we think we have our own juvenile Hercules...
How do you influence the President without demanding? How do you control the Superhero without offending? How do you teach the innocent Princess without giving favor? And then they have to co-exist and play nice--

Gosh, being a parent is really hard...

...duh...