Little Duck Preschool Graduation

Our preschool has come to an end.  We had such a fun school year together.  We celebrated our graduation at the Fire Station.  Lots of parents and family members came to watch us sing our songs and receive diplomas! 

The firemen were so friendly!  They showed us their gear, the trucks, and an ambulance.  It was a fun graduation!

All afternoon, after graduation, Noah wandered around the yard wearing his shark helmet.  It was so funny to see when he walked past the kitchen window and all I could see was the fin coming out the top.  He looks bummed in this picture because he's not allowed to leave the front yard and Abbi can ride to the end of the street.  Poor little shark.

642 Things to Write About

642 Things to Write About

Something you've always regretted saying.

"I hope you die."

She did.  She never came to fifth grade.

642 Things to Write About

642 Things to Write About

What you would run out of the house with if your house caught on fire. 

Because I don't like to think hard about this, let's suppose I am home alone the day the house burns down.  Thank goodness for insurance, right?

Other than people or animals, I think I would go for Jake's hard drive.  Stuff can be replaced but that has all of our memories and pictures in one place, so they won't be lost forever.

And, a Diet Coke.  It would still be cold from the fridge.  Of course, I would need a refreshing beverage while I watch the house burn and the firemen work.

642 Things to Write About

642 Things to Write About

Describe each person in your family with just one word.

Jake - doer
Joey - planner
Abigale - thinker
Noah - entertainer

642 Things to Write About

642 Things to Write About

Your friend calls to say she saw you in the back of a police car yesterday.  What happened?

I stole a penguin.  He was overly friendly and wouldn't leave me alone.  After trailing me around the zoo all afternoon, I guess I got attached.  I was pushing a stroller that had no rider, so as I neared the exit, I set fruit snacks and Cheese-Its in the seat and coxed the little guy in.  We made it to the car.  I lifted him into the car seat in the van and strapped him right in.  He didn't put up a fight, cooperating as best he could.  I don't know why strangers get so nosy but apparently a zoo official was tipped off.  I pretended to be surprised that the penguin wasn't Noah, but to no avail, I was detained....in the back of a police car.

642 Things to Write About

642 Things to Write About

Something you found

We slept and listened to the rain all night.  We were prepared to make the six hour drive home in the morning without my glasses.  On our way out of the campground, after my dad had prayed, we stopped at the river near the place I had played the day before.  The rain had stopped but the river was much higher and had even flooded the banks in a few places.  Following my dad's specific instructions, I walked into the river an exact number of steps.  Then, I stepped to the side exactly as my dad instructed.  Standing in the river, my dad told me to reach down by my feet.  I did.  And, I pulled out my glasses!  Only a few scratches, they were all in one piece.  It was our Virgin River Miracle.

Part 1: Something you lost

642 Things to Write About

642 Things to Write About

Something you lost

My glasses flew into the Virgin River as my cousin's long legs spun around, pushed by the current, and kicked them off my face.  We searched and searched to no avail.  Nervously, I went back to camp to tell my parents what had happened.  I felt sick about it because I knew my family wasn't in a place that we could replace the glasses without trouble.  As we sat, contemplating the situation, the rain began.  It rained all night, flooding the river banks.

Part 2: Something you found

642 Thing to Write About

642 Things to Write About

You are looking down through the skylight as the chefs prepare dinner for your ex-fiance's wedding.

I don't have an ex-fiance.  I dodged that bullet.  Sounds horrible, right?  I don't know how else to describe it.  We never were engaged because I made sure to run.  I know running seems like my M.O. {I don't know what M.O. even means} but really, I'm grateful I did.  When I dated Jake, I dare say that within three months I knew that I wanted to marry him.  When I dated the person involved with this story, I knew in three months to run for my life.  I'm not sure why I've disclosed this when I could have just written an entertaining anecdote with no specifics.

I really wouldn't want to cause a problem for everyone at the wedding, especially the unsuspecting guests.  But, the family and the bride {re-bride, technically} wouldn't be spared.  I wasn't a fan of any of them.  I also wouldn't want to really cause a problem for the chef or his business.  So, to make sure my naughtiness isn't tied to the chef, I would drop in from the skylight and mist the steaming plates, headed to the family, with something as entertaining, but not original, as a laxitive. 

642 Things to Write About

642 Things to Write About

Name the trees that stood in the neighborhood where you grew up.

Maybe those of you know them could tell me if you ever named these trees.

From my porch, the tree on the right: Sheldon
From my porch, the tree on the left: Mister

Robinson's front tree: Sheila
Robinson's back tree: Misses

Jones's front tree: Jones

The jungle next door: the Jungle

The pink blossom trees in front of Stephens's and Thompson's: the Girls

Our front trees were cut down on my dad's birthday in 2001.  This severed forever the relationship between Mister and Misses.  Even in her grief, Misses lived on.  Eventually, even she was lost.  But, she's not forgotten.  Her stump, apparently, sprouts life once in a while.  Mister and Misses lived long, happy lives together.  Under 1025 West, they held hands {read roots}.  Now they live in tree heaven together.

642 Things to Write About

642 Things to Write About

What a character holding a blue object is thinking right now.

"What is this?  It feels so funny in mouth.  It's warm, like a living thing, but then it turns cold, like death.  Then, it comes back to life.  And all the yelling when I get ahold of it!  Goodness.  Why don't they appreciate me or my skills?  Maybe one day they'll understand," thinks Daisy as she tries to sneak the blue heating pad away from Abbi.

642 Things to Write About

642 Things to Write About

Tell a story that begins with a ransom note.

"ThEy'Re MiNe!  tHe GrAbBeR, BeLt, AnD nOw I'vE gOt RuFfY, tOo!  ThEy'Re aLL sAfeLy HiDdEn AwAy.  YoU mAy FiNd ThEm BuT yOu'LL nEvEr ReAcH tHeM. bELt HaS tRieD tO eScaPE bUt I'vE gOt HiM tiEd Up nOW. IF yOu EvEr WaNt ThEm iN yOuR hOt LitTLe HaNdS aGaiN tHeN yOu BeTTeR foLLoW mY inSTRucTiONs ExAcTLy.

1) LiStEn tO yOUr MoThEr
2)  nO NaUghtiEs uSinG tOyS as ToOLs

IF yOu CaN dO tHiS fOr ONE DAY, yOu'Re 3 SpEciALs WiLL bE rEtuRned tO yOu UnHaRmEd.  GoOd LuCk."

He lost his grabber first.  He used it to slam his cousin's brand new laptop shut.  The next day, after the grabber had been surrendered, he used Belt {a long-armed monkey} to hit Daisy.  Before either were back in his possession, he left his dirty pj's and underwear on the floor, laying next to Ruffy.

This is my kunundrum.  If Noah gives up his toys with no fight, doesn't beg to get them back, and continues with naugtiness, I've obviously chosen an inefficient technique for teaching.  I guess until I find something more effective, I'll cuddle with a monkey and a dog and grab stuff at my leisure.

In Like A Tiger .... Out Like A Lamb

Does anyone else feel like March was a REALLY long month?  We got all moved and just spent our first weekend home together in our two-bedroom rental.  We are all grateful for the yard and the quiet street for bike riding.  We've met lots of neighbors and loved our new ward.  The kids have met lots of kids on our street.  There are an enormous number of girls on our road which makes Abbi very happy.  She's already been to Activity Days with them and raved about the "lovely church."

To end the month, we played all weekend.  Jake had FOUR days off so we made the most of it!  Thursday, was Grandma Tracy's birthday.  We had dinner with her and then went up the mountainside in Deweyville and shot guns.  This was Abbi's first time using her BB gun Jake gave her for her birthday.  It was my first time shooting anything other than a BB gun.  I have to say, it was really fun to shoot a handgun and I was a really good shot.  Those empty Diet Coke bottles had it coming {for being empty, you know}.

Abbi aced her big science test on Friday!  After school, we went to The Croods which easily became a new favorite, especially for Noah.  We ate movie junk food and loved it.  After the movie, we took them to pick out new scooters and a bike for Noah.  Abbi picked out a plain Razor {but then traded for the pink one at my mom's house}.  Noah originally picked out the Mickey Mouse scooter but after seeing the Buzz Lightyear scooter he changed his mind.  He says the Buzz one is "really fancy."  Unfortunately, we played outside until after dark and were eaten alive by mosquitoes.  Isn't it a little early for bugs?!

The Easter Bunny hopped by our house on Saturday.  Abbi and Noah loved their little surprises and hunting eggs in our front yard.  Jake and Abbi went on a date to golf nine holes.  Abbi loves to drive the cart but ran over a few things this round.  Jake tried to teach her his smooth technique of leaning out of the cart to pick up golf balls.  She tried it but for some reason Jake turned the cart at the same time.  The girl rolled right out of the cart.  They both came home laughing about that.  For our date, Noah and I went to the Kangaroo Zoo.  Elizabeth and Aunt Tiffani came with us.  Noah spent the majority of his time at the drinking fountain.  While getting into a bounce house he accidentally head-butted an already crying kid who returned the favor by biting him at the top of another slide.  Good times.  When we finished our dates, we met at Kneaders for lunch.

Coloring Easter Eggs was really fun.  We used 12 colors which seems like 10 more than I've ever seen.  While they love coloring them, they both complain about eating them.  I know I can't really hold it against them when they don't eat the yolk but on the other hand, they both LOVE "sloppy eggs," which is just an overeasy egg.  Daisy liked to play Easter Eggs, too.

My mom had a BIG egg hunt for all the grandkids.  The group has unofficially grown to 8 and they all had fun.  Plus, Gavin {a borrowed grandchild} hunted, too.  The younger ones are enjoying the attention and fun with the new teenaged grandkids.  We ate and hunted and played.

I had a hard time getting started on Easter Sunday.  I was so sad and worried about my little grandma who had to go to the hospital.  She's in surgery now but is much better than she was yesterday.  After I pulled myself together, we went to our new ward.  We all really enjoyed it.  And, I was happy to have Anne and Elizabeth there, too.  Jakey got sick during our combined meeting and had to leave.  Fortunately, he made it home without yacking on the old ladies he said he was stuck behind when he was walking out.

The kids and I had a yummy lunch with my family and Jake was really happy for the plate I brought home for his healing tummy.  I had a special Easter Family Home Evening prepared to teach the kids about the real meaning of Easter.  It went so well and they both had lots of comments.  Noah learned a lot about Easter during Sunbeams.  When we talked about Jesus going to the temple in Jeruselem, Abbi put it together that we were reading about Jeruselem in the Book of Mormon.  She remembered that in the Book of Mormon, Jeruselem was destroyed so she wanted to understand how Jesus was in Jeruselem.  After we talked about the week before the resurrection, we watched the video, He Is Risen.  I watched it the other night and loved it and was excited to see what the kids thought.  They wanted to watch it again and to find more Bible Videos.  It was so great.  I was so happy to have that experience in our home together.

Now, Spring Break begins and I'm all out of ideas.  Luckily, the kids really love to ride their scooters and bikes up and down the street.  Hopefully, the thunder and lightening will leave us alone for the rest of the week.  And now, a load of pictures.