Spring Soccer Season

Spring soccer season is well underway.  It was suppose to start on April 9th, but with the weather the game was canceled and moved to a Tuesday night at 7:30 pm.  Why 7:30 pm for a bunch of 5 and 6 year olds.  That is when we are getting them to bed.  But, I didn't do the schedule, we just obeyed what they said and showed up.  However, I have forgotten my camera every game but finally remembered to bring it.  Blake is still Deilen's coach.  Deilen just loves it.  We only have two more games and then the season is over.  I think we are all ready for a little break.  But of course, now that it is almost over, maybe the sun will come out and give us some warm weather.

Garden Snake

On Friday I was working in the yard when I saw a garden snake.  I used to pick those things up all of the time when I was younger.  But the older I get the bigger of a fraidy cat I get.  So I got some garden gloves on and picked it up and put it in a bucket.  Poor Kaymin was scared to pick it up with gloves, but Kameni she just dove right in and picked it up and held it up to her cheek.  Of course, I didn't have my camera out and ready to take a picture.  The snake was the highlight of the day. 

 All of the neighbor kids came over and took turns holding the snake.  Finally we let it go in my garden (love the snakes in there to eat all of the naughty bugs).  I think the snake was SO relieved.

Kaymin Core Testing

Last week and this week the kids have been doing their Core testing.  Last Thursday I got a call from the principal stating that in her 16 years of teaching and being a principal she has told her students she would give them $20 if they got a 100% on any area of their Core testing.  She has never had to payout until now.  Kaymin and her friend Courtney got 100% on the Language Arts Core test.  I was SO proud of her.  Kaymin was freaking out.  The principal asked me if Kaymin would like the money now or to be presented with it at the end of year reading party.  Kaymin loves attention so I thought she would love to get it at the party.  That night we let her pick out where to go and eat and she chose the Olive Garden.  She told us that her friend, Courtney got $20 from her parents.  They make all of their kids a deal if they get 100% they get $20.  So after $60 dinner, Blake being the wonderful dad he is, gave Kaymin $20 and told her we are so proud of her. 

Today the principal called again and I could tell she wasn't happy.  Apparently someone must have complained because she is unable to pay out the $20 because it is considered bribery.  She went on with this big explanation that I could tell was rehearsed.  Now I know the principal better than most since I am on the PTA board, so once she got done with her speech she told me how upset she was.  I felt so bad for both her and Kaymin.  She said she is not one that goes back on her word and it was going to be so hard for her not to be able to do what she promised.  However, now she will think up something else to award them for, but it cannot be in front of the school.

Happy Hair Day

At the end of April Deilen and Kameni had "Happy Hair Day" at school.  On the note brought home, it stated "the crazier, the funnier, the better".  So Kameni decided to stick in a bunch of flowers and Deilen wanted little pony tails all over in his hair.  They both turned out SO cute.  UNTIL...Deilen looked in the mirror and began crying saying he looked like a girl.  I thought he looked more like Darth Maul from Star Wars, but he didn't.  So I spiked it all up instead.  When I dropped them off at school all of the older kids were looking at Kameni's hair, but no one really paid attention to Deilen's.  When they got home that day, Deilen was so mad because no one paid attention to his hair.  I tried to explain to him that boys with spiky hair are common.  Girls with flowers all over their hair are something that you don't see everyday.  He then realized he should have left the pony tails in.  Oh well...lesson learned.

Cold Days/Nights

It is so crazy how cold it has been .  It is reminding us of last year when it snowed in June.  Here is the end of April and the first of May and we are still using our furnaces.  It has been getting below 30 degrees at night and I am so afraid of losing our fruit on our fruit trees again this year.  So I thought I would Google it and see what others have done.  I ran across several people who said they put Christmas lights on their trees and the heat from them kept their blossoms from freezing.  So Blake and I got out some lights and strung them on 3 of our trees (peach, apricot and nectarine).  We then tried to cover them with tarps and sheets.  We were both laughing so hard outside.  We looked like crazy people.  We had neighbors coming outside to see what was going on.  We have had so many people ask us why we had our Christmas lights on.  Several people wondered if we were trying to make it pretty for our bunnies for Easter.  WHAT???  Why in the world would anyone do that.  I got a good laugh out of that one.  I guess when people see lights on trees at the side and back of a house in April, you really try to grasp for any explanation.  Needless to say, so far it looks like our fruit trees are going to be okay.  I realize we are not out of the woods yet...although we would think we would be by now. 

Kaymin and Late Nights

It is so sad when your kids grow up I am beginning to realize.  Sometimes it is exciting and fun and other times I miss the times when they would climb up on your lap.  Kaymin has found the joys of late nights.  Her friends claim we started and maybe we did...I don't know.  For the past year we have exchanged "movie night" with our neighbors the Hesses.  We invite their kids over for movie night and then they invite ours.  It has been so much fun for the kids to do this.  One night Kaymin wanted to do it with her friends instead.  So lately her friends have been taking turns on inviting others over for late nights.  Kaymin has been having a ton of fun and they are actually really easy to have over.  They take care of themselves, plan their own things to do (night games, movies, Wii, making and eating chocolate chip cookie dough) and I sit and do my own thing.  It has really been a lot of fun.  I guess this is a good thing if Kaymin likes to have friends over.  Now I just wish we had a bigger house.

Easter Weekend

 Saturday before Easter the kids were spoiled and had parties at both Grandparent's houses.  The bummer was, Deilen had a soccer game at noon, which really stunk since one party was at 10 am and the other was at 12:30 pm.  Blake is Deilen's coach and so we had to go and three boys already weren't going to be there.  We had breakfast at Blake's mom house first.  Since I didn't know what time we were doing her party, I signed up for my Bountiful Basket at 10:15 am.  Blake took the kids while I got my basket.  Once I got it, I headed straight there.  I was going to take the bunnies, but the more I thought about I was so afraid that they would be dead before I brought them home.  All of the bunnies have homes and I would hate to hurt someone.  So the lucky bunnies didn't have to worry about getting "man handled".  Once I got there the kids were chomping at the bit to go on the Easter egg hunt.  Carla, Bruce and Eric were out spreading out the goodies when I pulled up.  The kids got spoiled and I was so proud of them for sharing their stuff when someone received less than they did or when everyone didn't one of something.

Blake took Deilen to his game, while I stayed at Carla's with the other kids.  When the soccer game was done, we headed up to my parent's house.  The kids were waiting for us to get there for the Easter egg hunt.  My parents did it smart this year.  They had the little kids (ages 0-4) go first.  It was really nice that Gerrit didn't get trampled and he could actually go find the stuff himself.  Afterwards, the other kids got to go.  My mom as always filled up a ton of eggs so there was plenty to go around.  My parents do a grown up Easter egg hunt.  Every year they fill up a couple of eggs with money in it.  Blake and I have never won it.  Justin and Keylee or Blake and Brittany always win it.  Once Jen and Andy won it, but never us.  However, this year my wonderful husband found the lucky egg.  He won us $27.  I found $0....like always.  Justin and Keylee and Blake and Brittany found the rest.  Now I can't say we never get it.  WAY TO GO BLAKE!  Between the grandparents the kids got SPOILED!  The Easter Bunny did not need to come at all, but he still did.

The kids got up early on Easter morning.  By 6:30 am all of them were awake trying to get me out of bed (Blake was already awake).  I drug myself out of bed and the kids were on the go.  The found all of the eggs and the Easter bunny left them two chocolate bunnies.  That is the only thing they wanted for Easter.  Blake and I got them each a new church outfit.  They looked so cute.  Since the family parties were over, we enjoyed a nice Sunday at home.