General Conference Weekend

We had a fun General Conference weekend.  It was nice not to have competing interests to deal with, since folks around here understand that people want to watch General Conference this weekend instead of doing other things - Cat's soccer league had no games this weekend, for example.

I didn't take any pictures of us watching General Conference, although that was definitely the most important thing we did all weekend.  Sunday we even had my cousin and his fiance come watch conference with us, which was fun.

We made our traditional crepes for breakfast on Saturday - delicious with Nutella and strawberries.  Ben cut the grass for the first time of the season before the morning session, then between sessions he and the kids, plus a few neighborhood helpers, washed the car.  Thanks, guys!

That night when Ben left for the Priesthood session I had the kids help me plant wheat grass seeds to use as Easter decorations.  They didn't mind having to play in the dirt at ALL.

Sunday morning we made our traditional donuts, and they were dee-li-shus.  When I had one that was still warm and melt-y and covered with sweet glaze, it was almost Krispy Kreme-like.  You probably think I'm crazy, but... yeah.  I thought they were just wonderful.  We had a few different coating options set up, and the kids enjoyed helping with everything.  Their favorite was the glaze with sprinkles.

While dinner was baking, I helped the kids dye a few Easter eggs.  They liked writing on them with a white crayon before dyeing them.  And no, I had not planned on making gray dye.  I was just using water + vinegar + food coloring, but the only food coloring I had was the gel kind, so it was a little tricky figuring out what the color would look like.  I was going for purple, but oh well!

Since Sunday was April Fool's Day, we made a "tricky" dinner - meat & potato "cupcakes."  Cat and Eliza helped pipe the colored mashed potatoes onto the individual meat loaves.  When I've done this in the past, the kids have been really upset when they found out that they weren't actually getting cupcakes for dinner.  So now I employ their help so that they're in on the joke, and it's just a silly way to eat dinner on April Fool's.

(Yes, Jack looks like a war veteran in this picture.  Just before we were making dinner Cat and Jack were both pulling on something in the living room.  When Cat let go of it, Jack fell backwards and hit the back of his head on the hearth.  He had a nice little cut on the back of his head and of course we couldn't get a bandage to stick without shaving his hair, so we put some gauze on it and wrapped this thing around it to keep it in place.  Nice, huh?  It's all healed up now.)

Even though she helped in the preparation,

Eliza was still a little surprised...

and Jack was still hesitant...

but Ben was downright confused.

I DID manage to surprise them with my April Fool's dessert: Jell-O gelled in cups with straws.

It was a great weekend, with General Conference and fun, simple family activities.

Easter Egg Hunt

The MBA Spouse Association sponsored a big Easter Party the weekend before Easter.

There were lots of games for the kids to play, with treats and prizes, but I was working the "Plant Your Own Wheat Grass" booth while the kids were playing, so I don't have any pictures of the other activities.

I do, however, have pictures from the Easter Egg Hunt.  (Or, right after.  I wasn't quick enough - with the tons of kids at the activity all being allowed to hunt for eggs at the same time, it didn't last very long!)

Showing off the loot.

Cat's haul.

Let's see what's in this one...

Open.  Eat.  Repeat.

Let's see if Cat has anything good...

I love that Jack just emptied his eggs onto the grass.
Including the "egg shaker" he'd just made in one of the activities.
(Notice the rice in the grass along with the taffy.)

Then while Jack was photo bombing his buddy Jared's family Easter Bunny picture...

Eliza wanted Daddy to keep her safe from the Easter Bunny.
(I don't blame her.  That thing is big and weird-looking.)

Okay.  Maybe if Daddy holds me, I'll let the big weird-looking thing get a little closer.

But I will NOT smile for a picture.

Even if he jumps over my head.

Spring Choir Concert

Cat had her Spring Choir Concert in March, and it was awesome!

All of the songs on the program were centered on the national PTA theme for the year "A Quest for Success."  And it so happened, that almost all of them came from musical theater or movie soundtracks.  That's what I'm talking about!

1. "Seize the Day" from Newsies - during this song, the children walked from the stage and spread out all around the gym, while doing actions.  It was really touching, and I got a little misty eyed.  The fact that I LOVE this movie probably made a difference.  It was so fun to hear Cat and her friends singing it for 3 months!

2. "Dream Big" by Ryan Shupe and the Rubberband

3. "Anything You Can Do" from Annie Get Your Gun - this was another one close to my heart.  I really love this musical.  It's one of the first traveling Broadway productions I remember seeing, starring Merilou Henner, and I had a blast.  Cat came home from choir telling me they learned a new song, but she couldn't remember the name.  It was an "argument song."  I immediately asked if it was this one and she was so surprised that I knew it.  So before the concert, we had a little movie party at our house and invited two of Cat's choir friends to come over and watch the old version of Annie Get Your Gun with us.  Love it.

I made videos of most of the songs, and it was a little hard to choose which one to share, but in the end I think you'll like this rendition of "Anything You Can Do."  Notice that the boys were so outnumbered by girls that they mic'ed them. 

4. "Cascade Cougar" - the school song

5. "You've Got a Friend in Me" from Toy Story

6. "Go the Distance" from Hercules

7. "Impossible Dream" from Man From La Mancha - I told one of Cat's choir friends that this song is older than his parents and he didn't believe me, haha.

Cat with her good friend Olivia

The school choir has been such a fun thing for Cat to be a part of this year!  

I love hearing her sing all of the songs she's learning, especially when she gets together with other choir members.  And you know what's super cool about the whole thing?  A volunteer directs the choir, including 2 morning rehearsals and 2 afternoon rehearsals (kids go to early or late depending on their school schedule) every week.  Thank you!!!

The Last/First Big Snow

One morning in mid-March we woke up to see the biggest snowfall we've had since we moved to Utah.  It also happened to be the last snow of the season that accumulated anything.  (We've since had one or two times when it was in the 70s, and we had snow flurries a day or two later.)  I suppose it's really not too late for another big snow, since it was snowing here last June, but I'm going to hope we're finished for the season.

Anyway, as much as we are happy to avoid snow altogether, it was kind of fun to get a good snowfall in before Spring arrived.  It allowed us to do a couple of things we hadn't been able to before.

Such as.... make snow cones for breakfast!  The kids have been wanting to do this, but I wasn't willing to try it out unless we had a good deep blanket of snow.  No dirt sneaking into the snow cones, thankyouverymuch.  So this was the big day.  And since I couldn't find our snow cone syrup (I thought I'd moved it to UT with us, but maybe not?) we settled for Lemon Gatorade.  The kids didn't seem to mind.

For FHE that night, we just had snow time.  Or, I should say, Ben mostly had snow time with the kids and I made a yummy FHE treat in the kitchen.  I watched from the window while they built their first real snow man.

Not bad for a bunch of novices, eh?

And the kids talked Ben into doing more snow cones.  

He chose to use his bare, manly hands instead of the ladle... cold!!

Nice assembly line, Ben!

We found out that grape juice is a much better flavoring for snow cones than Gatorade.

Now we know for next year!

(The snow had melted quite a bit by that evening.)

When the snow festivities were over for the evening, the kids came in for dinner and bath time.  Then they helped me put the finishing touches on dessert by frosting my made-from-scratch carrot cake.  Mmmmmmmmmm.

Cat insisted on sprinkles for the cake.  Notice how she's holding Eliza's hand with her left hand and putting sprinkles on the cake with her right hand.

Uh-oh - that's what happens when you let go of Eliza's hand!

Gotta hold it again.

That's okay.  Because Eliza was rewarded with first dibs on the extra cream cheese frosting.

Satisfied.

Thanks for the help, guys!

Snow Cones + Snowman + Carrot Cake = A Pretty Good Day

Holiday Babysitting Swaps

We began a babysitting swap with 2 other families in January.  That means that each couple watches all of the children (9 total) one weekend night, then gets 2 dates without having to pay a babysitter.  Not a bad deal, right?  Well we happened to watch all of the kids on nights that fell close to or on a holiday.  So, of course, we had to do something a little more fun.

For Valentine's Day, I made sugar cookies and each kid got to frost and decorate a cookie to eat for dessert.

Eliza got really into it - she was the last one left decorating at the table.

For St. Patrick's Day we made our traditional 4-Leaf Clover waffles and green eggs and ham.  The kids loved it, and it was a cheap and easy meal to celebrate with.  Too bad Ben still refuses to eat green ham...

Just call me "Soccer Mom."

Well, I suppose we have delayed the inevitable long enough.... Cat started playing soccer this spring.  I don't think I actually tried to actively persuade Cat not to play soccer, but I did suggest lots of other activities she could get involved in instead.  She was set on soccer.

I think the main reason I was hoping not to start soccer was that everyone else plays soccer. Some part of me just fights against doing the same thing that everyone else does.  I know it has its benefits - she'll have something in common with many other kids at school, we have easy access to organized teams and places to practice, and it's great exercise - but still.  Everyone else does it.  As I'm writing this the little devil on my shoulder is saying "that argument is holding about as much water as it does when you use it as a reason TO do something."  In the end, I suppose it doesn't matter.  And if playing soccer is what Cat wants to do, then we will support her.  Which we are.  By letting her play soccer.  But trust me, as soon as she wonders out loud what it would be like to play tennis, we'll be signing her up for that instead!  :-)  Unfortunately, when we had a conversation about all of the activities she's done this year and what she would like to continue next year, soccer was at the top of the list.  Ballet was at the bottom.  Go figure.

First practice - she's in the red shirt.

Ready for the game to start

"Bring it!"
PS > Don't the mountains make a cool backdrop?

Cat with her good friend Olivia, who just happened to be assigned to the same team.  Go Pink Panthers!
(The first game was on St. Patrick's Day, hence Olivia's face paint and green ribbon.  Cat chose not to wear any green to her game - she was pink all the way.)

Look at us - one big happy soccer family!

So, this is the first time any of our children have been part of an organized sports team.  And we were obviously novices at this.  We were way too quiet.  The parents next to us were cheering for their daughter constantly.  "Go, Taylor!  Get in there, Taylor!  Kick it, Taylor!  Come on, Taylor!"  Jack caught on to the pattern pretty quickly and was soon cheering for Taylor.  So Ben and I decided to kick up our cheering a notch!

The other important milestone to make note of is that Cat SCORED during her first game.  That's right.  

I just might lose this battle.