"Teach your kids to work hard"

 My original title for this post was Teaching Your Kids To Work Hard Sucks but Jason says it's rude to say so now we have the title above. The leaders of our church have encouraged parents to teach our kids to work hard. What they failed to mention was that teaching kids to work is painful.  Like really painful.  For the parents, not the children.

 A few months ago we had a cherry tree cut down. Technically we had a potion of the neighbors cherry tree cut down.  It was the biggest cherry tree I'd ever seen and it was cool but it was also super smelly and squishy this past fall when hundreds and hundreds of cherries dropped into our yard and rotted.  In order to save a little dough we decided we would have someone cut it down and the we haul it to the dump ourselves. We thought that it could be a fun little family bonding work party.  Who can spot what's wrong in the last sentence?  Let me tell you.  The words "fun", "bonding", "work" and "party."

 After hours (HOURS) of bickering, whining, angry glances and yes, crying we completed the project. I can not tell you how many trips to the bathroom, drinks of water and "I'm going to go check on something....'s"  there were. Finally each child was banned from the house and confined to the yard where they could not escape the watchful eye and scornful looks of Jason and I as we worked hard.

  I'm glad to tell you each child lived through the experience even though they were convinced hard, boring work meant eminent death they are still breathing *whew*.  The only "child" that enjoyed walking back and forth and back and forth to the trailer to dump branches was this one.  It's probably because he didn't have to actually carry branches.  The kids called him spoiled. I call him a dog.

 Jason also took out the rhododendron on the side of the house and one in the back.  We kind of feel bad about taking out all these trees and bushes butttttt then again we are redoing the lawns in June. For that reason, bushes full of spiders and fallen cherries (i.e. cherry pits) all over the yard just aren't going to work with what we are trying to do. Off with their heads!

 All the hard work earned the kids 3 trips to the dump.  And, of course, they were super excited to go.  It's their favorite part of working hard and filling the trailer.  Going to see heaps of other peoples garbage is entertaining I guess. To each his own.  We were just glad to not hear any whining.

 

 While teaching our kids to work hard could have gone a whole lot faster if we had just done it ourselves, the physical work was nothing compared to the mental game we played whilst trying to get 3 little bodies to mover faster and work harder. If we asked them I think they'd say they are happy they helped do a BIG job to make our yards better...maybe they'd say it.  They point is living somewhere is a responsibility and each family member is part of the team to keep it nice.

They are relieved the tree removal project is done.  So are we.

Now.  

Who wants to tell them that tomorrow we are hauling rock all day?

Anybody???

Let's get real

(but only for like 5 minutes cause that's all I can handle)
***
1. My ho-hum attitude is annoying me.
Honest.  That's kinda been my attitude for about a week about most things and it's to the point where I'm bugging me.  I'm sure it's only temporary but it's been long enough.  Moving on...
***
 2.  I'm good at what I do and yet, am I?
I like my job but I guess I'm feeling a little stagnant and that's not fun.
 ***
  3.  Good grades down the tubes...no way Jose.
Each of the kiddos brought home an unusual grade over the past few days.  Odd.  Really odd.  So we buckled down and fixed what needed to be fixed and I think we are back to normal in the smarty pants department.
***
4.  Oh no she didn't!
Someone tried to tell me what was best for my child when it came to an extra curricular activity.  She insinuated that missing school for a dance program was more important then school itself.  Usually I would be inclined to agree that a few hours away from school is no big deal BUT we did just miss a lot of school for a vacation so school takes priority at the moment.  It is up to me and my dancer to figure out what is best.  Not her. Period.
***
5.  What am I passionate about?
I'm not really sure at the moment and it's bugging me.
***
  6. These headaches stink.
It's not a migraine-but this dull thud in the back of my head is get on my nerves.  It may be the on set of the grey weather.  In the fall I often get headaches when our days start being more grey then sun/blue sky.  After having awesome weather for a few weeks in Hawaii and then coming home to great weather I think I have a fall headaches in the spring.  You follow?
***
  7. This weather makes me grumpy.
It's the truth. I'm trying to fight the grumpiness.  Can't it just be sunny?
***
  8.  I take things too personally and I know it.

That's the truth too. I need to learn to let thing roll off my shoulders and let the things that matter, matter and the things that don't fall to the wayside. I can do that, right?  I'll just need a reminder now and again.
***
9.  Jillian Micheals.
My legs are killing me and I want to yell at her but the 30 minutes is worth every second.
***
10.  Being real is real annoying.
I'm just being real for posterity's sake.  I wouldn't want my future grandchildren to read their favorite bedtime story (this blog, duh) and  think Grandma was perfect.  Cause let's be real, I'm close to perfect but I'm not quite there yet.  Maybe next year.

***

Newbies

 We thought Grandpa and Grandma needed more animals at the farm. Lucky for us Jason had a friend from high school who needed to part with some 15 Quail.  Yesterday we went and collected them and took them to the Grandparents house.

 They are a little over a month and look at how cute they are.  They are still getting their feathers and so they look a little mangy but cute none the less.  We learned how quick quail are.  They are movers!  They are sassy too.  When you go to grab them (gently, of course) they yell at you.  We all found it amusing.

 Ginger was a tad jealous of the new kids so Kahau gave her a little lovin'.

Mo (short for Mohawk) stood watch over the whole operation.

 Here are some more new additions to the farm.  These ducks have taken residence down at that the pond and they are fun-ny. According to Grandma they will follow you everywhere and when not paid attention to they nip you in the behind.  The Moscovy duck (the one with the red face) is Waggers and he is the ring leader.

 Can you spot the odd man in this picture?  Even though he is the same size and gets along quite well with them Ramses is NOT a duck.

 After riding the new doodlebug and hanging out with the animals there was only one way to end the day: Illegally.  Jason loaded everyone on the outside of the truck and up the driveway we drove.  Then at the top of the driveway I ruined the kids fun and made them get inside the car and wear a seat belt.  Yep, that's right, I'm a fun sucker.

Our ward has talent

Two of my Mia Maids, Kylie (the blonde) and Ashley (the brunette) put on a ward talent show on Saturday.  The girls did such a great job at putting together a fun ward activity.  So many people shared artwork and handmade items to show off their talents and after the pot luck people took to the stage to show off some pretty neat tricks.  There was instrument playing (piano, recorder, ukelele), handstands, a beat boxing missionary, 17 different ways to do push-ups, a game of chess, hula hooping and much-much more.  After every few talents Ashley and Kylie prepared to have some games played by the audience to show off some of our more unsophisticated talents.

This game started with about 10 people and culminated with Jason beating out David Shepherd.  Maybe he should have told Dave that he was his high schools champ in this game.

Way to go honey!

Another "in-between" game was the Oreo Cookie game.  You place an Oreo on your head and then without using your hands move it down your face to your mouth.  See Lindsay there on the right?  She is the master of this game, no question. See the cute 7 year old in the blue?  He tried his very best and eventually got the cookie into his mouth....with the help of some appendages. See the guy in the plaid?  He got lucky and his cookie rolled into his mouth. Lucky.

Our ward really is the highlight of living in our town.  There are just so many great, fun people.

Braley's spring concert

The spring concert was great this past Friday.  It's really too bad Ansen and daddy missed it but lucky for them I took a lot of video.  Braley did so well.  She was nervous about playing her recorder in front of all the people but she worried for nothing.  She did awesome.

She is cute as a button and uper talented.

Love this girl!

Doodlebug Day

 As previously mentioned Ansen turned 7 on Friday.  I'd say it was a pretty great day for 4 reasons:

1.  It did not rain.  We live in Oregon.  It rains a lot all the time.  It didn't on Friday.  It was nice.

2.  He got to share cupcakes with his class during the end of the school day.  He was line leader ALL week and even got to be the first one out to the bus.

3.  He got to miss his Evening Spring Music Concert (which he really didn't want to attend) in order to go to the Father and Son's camp out.  There he and daddy ate junk food, went to bed late and piddled in bushes....his words, not mine.

4.  Number 4 came today after church...

 A doodlebug!!!  His very own!  Except that he needs to share with his sisters.  Let me be completely honest. Until Friday I didn't have a clue what a doodlebug bike thingy was. We saw a brand new one at a local tag sale (read: 'garage sale' for all you West Coasters).  Then when I found out what it was I promptly forgot about it because my kids were not going to be driving a death machine.  Then Jason started listing all the fun things the kids could do with it and I saw his logic.  I'll repeat that.  I saw his logic.
  Gah!
The words just don't taste right in my mouth.

Actually I realized that no kid ever broke their arm falling off the couch from watching T.V. and I would much rather my kids be out buzzing around on the death trap and breaking their arms then watching someone else on T.V.  doing it.

I know I sound cray-cray but oh well.

 So out at Grandpa and Grandma's place tonight the kids learned how to ride.  The girls had to learn first because Ansen is still a little small to ride on his own so he is their passenger for the summer. Or at least the beginning of it.

 They buzzed all over and had so much fun.  And it was so fun watch them.  They were naturals.

 So now they are all professionals at the Doodlebug and this summer should be fun with it around.  They think they are so cool riding it.  It's true, they are.

Eventually we will tell them that we sold our cars and this is our new mode of family transportation because gas is so stinking expensive. 
But for now we will let them enjoy themselves.

Lucky number 7

Fact:

Ansen is seven.

Fact:

He is beyond awesome.

Fact: 

He is our favorite 7 year old boy we have ever met.

Hands down.

 He is infectious (in a good way).  He is funny and whitty and scarrrrrrastic......don't know where he got that from.  He is a charmer with that blonde hair and those blue eyes.  He is a great student and an even better friend.  He loves to be a part of whatever is going on and is always the first one up  (bright and early) to make sure he doesn't miss any of the action. For his birthday he and dad are going to the Father & Sons camp out and he could not be more excited.

Happy Birthday Ansen!  We love you so much.

This is your year!