End of the Year Shenanigans

Got the book situation handled, Laena’s off to Graduation practice, summer school taken care of, lunch money on it’s way, and Mama still has some energy! Yaaaayyyy! Probably because it’s not even ten o’clock in the morning! : )

This has been an exciting couple of weeks, accompanied with all kinds of different emotions. Excitement, frustration, sadness, fear, joy, regret, you name it! Anyway, once we get past the dance festival on Friday, and a couple of parties, I think we’ll be okay. Sigh. Tommy’s birthday is on the fifth. It always seems to land on the last day of school, or somewhere close to it. Poor kid. But not really, ‘cause he gets the whole summer to celebrate! : ) Aleia’s freaking out because she wants to provide cookies and other treats for the entire 3rd grade class. I had to tell her no. She always has these fantastic plans. . . just not the ways and means to accomplish them. Over doing it a bit just doesn’t adequately describe our Rosebud and her intentions. But so sweet! : ) Love the little Strawberry bugger! It’s just that with all that’s going on, we have to continually reorient, and reevaluate.

Last week, for instance, was nuts. We had Clint’s tech center graduation, Eric’s track banquet, the Senior dinner dance up at the U. . Seminary Graduation on Sunday. . . It goes on and on. May is almost as chaotic as December! But things were running pretty smoothly. . Everything went off without a hitch! : ) Well, almost. . . We thought it was just fantastic that our daughter's name was spelled "Mayson" on the program Sunday . . .

This was my Facebook update a day or so ago:

“It seems that the end is in sight. . . We’re almost done with this crazy ride. . . Just a banquet, dance festival, ceremony, field trip, graduation party, birthday MORE, and we're THERE!”

Ha ha ha ha ha! We may make it after all!

Pray for me. . .

Memorial Day, Music, and The Jungle Book

Charlie got a lot done on Monday. . . For starters, he got the boys together and put up the flags at 6 am. It’s tradition, here in our neighborhood, for the Boy Scouts to tap an American flag, and some rebar, into everybody’s front yard just before the sun comes up. It’s an inspiring sight, all the flags waving in line up and down the street. . . There was a fair breeze that day, which made the blue skies and white billowing clouds all the more majestic. Charlie ran to work for a couple of hours, pulled the carburetor on the Suburban, trimmed the trees, fixed Aleia’s bike tire, and many other things. Later on that evening, when we were relaxing with the family, Binky discovered a picture of a football on his T-shirt, and shouted excitedly. “Game, game!” Shortly thereafter, he spilled some juice down his front, probably on purpose. Several minutes later, I asked him what had happened to his shirt. He looked down, gasped, threw out his arms, and exclaimed to us, in his most concerned baby voice, “Wet, wet!” as if this condition had escaped him previously. : )

Last night at Laena’s Choir concert, her instructor, Kelly DeHaan, was given a guinea pig in a cage as a present from one of the classes. A little while later, the lights in the auditorium were dimmed for effect as they prepared to sing their next song. Aleia nudged me, concerned. . . grabbed my arm, and asked somewhat anxiously: “Mama, are you sure this won’t scare the hamster?” I laughed out loud. She was really worried about the poor little guy! : ) What a sweet little gallypoo!

I just can’t believe that this was Laena’s last concert ever at the high school. Except for graduation, this was it! : ) I have mixed feelings, but they’re mostly sentimental as I contemplate the finality of our children growing up. Our Laenabug is a big girl now. . . moving on to college this fall, wherever she decides to go, and the twins aren’t far behind. It’s just bizarre, thinking of the fantastic speed of time. . . You have a bunch of little kids, can barely get through the day, think it’s never going to end. . . and then you blink, and there they are, graduating from high school. It’s absolutely surreal!

But all is not lost. Considering that the Binky just came up to me, with the Jungle Book DVD clamped tightly in his baby teeth, (must’ve been tasty), and a puppy dog look on his little face, I think that we have a few more years yet of fun with the kids! : )

Easter

The message is timeless.  : )

Graduation 2009

 

Here it comes!  : )

Saturdays, Etc.

May 22, 2009 Friday

Last Saturday was nuts. The Saturday before that was even nuttier.

We got up early, and got the big boys off to Best of EFY. . . then it was an 'almost' soccer game in the pouring rain, a Primary activity with pizza, stories, costumes, and mud pudding, and then a bridal shower for one of Laena's friends. Only noon, and I was already exhausted! Later that afternoon, my brothers Nathaniel, Hyrum, and Benj came over to visit. We went out for ice cream at Dairy Queen until it was time for Laena's shift. She clocked in and stayed. Charlie went on a 5,6,7 mile run. I don't remember which. He's been very vigilant about the exercise. But I guess you kinda have to be when you're training for a Marathon. . . What an amazing guy. I can barely run around the block! : )

Anyway, last Saturday was picture day out at the soccer field. Naturally EVERYone showed up! We had to park in a field adjacent to the regular parking lot. . . It was nice, though, a perfect sunny day! Blue skies, bright colors, children everywhere. . . Sigh. : ) It was beautiful. Of course I hadn't picked up the camera, and therefore missed some fantastic shots of Aleia and Caitlin, and Jeffy and his friend Paulo. SO annoying! Playing in the cool green grass, they were smiling and happy, taking turns whapping each other with Jeffy's stuffed snake. . . : ) Ya gotta love little boys! Typical, yet exceptional, pretty much every time. . .

Anyway, last week, on Tuesday, Eric had his last Track Meet, JV Regionals out at Kearns High School, and Jeffy had his last T-ball game of the season. It was fun, yet a little bit sad to see the season end. Tommy, this Wednesday, was in charge of the combined activity for the Youth. He forgot all about it, and was scrambling to pull it all together. None of the people who were slated to participate ended up being available, so he just asked everyone to bring board games over to the church, at the suggestion of his brother, Clint, and it turned out great! : ) Tommy's such a good kid! He's been so amazingly disciplined these last few weeks, eating no carbohydrates to speak of. . . Nothing but rabbit food for him! : ) He's really doing well. When Tommy gets going, settles into a groove, better watch out! Also Wednesday, Caralee and I stopped by Marissa's second bridal shower at seven. But American Idol was on, so we couldn't stay. . . Had to leave early to go watch a bunch of flashy people sing. IMAO, Aleia could've smoked 'em all with her fabulous vocal skeels! She does have an amazing operatic quality to her voice, which by the way, is always on key. . . We'll see where she takes it! : ) I wouldn't be surprised if she took it pretty far, she's got such a way of remembering words, lyrics, after hearing a song only once or twice. . . real talent! : ) Last night, we took the family to her Choir Concert at the elementary school. Lea was so cute, standing there in the middle of the pack o' little kids, singing happily away. . . I wish we'd all been able to be there. The songs were fantastic, all about American History, and Patriotism. . . Values and Ideals that we want our children to remember. And they will! : ) Eric had walked to the Carnival over at the high school, and Clint was conveniently helping to haul some wood for Marcus. Uh-huh. : )

Jefferson.Lincoln.Laena.Aleia.Eric.Clint.Tommy.Mommy.Daddy. (Jeffy had to make his contribution.)

Well, Charlie is off at work! I'm ready for a nap, and it's almost time for the kids to come home! Sigh. Well, you know what they say. . . No rest for the wicked. : )