Soccer Season #1

We signed Avri and Talmage up for soccer this spring after they did much begging. It was a fun season, although busy with two different soccer schedules to keep up with. The weather was actually very nice for us. A couple of days were chilly but they never had to play in any real rain, so it was nice.

 Start with some warm-ups and a few drills and practices. Avri was on the same team as 3 of the kids that we go to church with, so she had a lot of fun being able to know some of her team beforehand.

 Talmage had a couple of the boys from preschool on his team, so he also had fun knowing some of his team. Avri's games were more interesting as far as a game, but Talmage's group was just funny to watch.

 They also did some warming up...

 And some practicing.

He even got a couple of shots at being goalie.

 One of the highlights for him from the whole season was when he was playing goalie and he saved the ball from going into the net. He was so proud of that save!

  He loved the first couple of practices and games, and then I think the ball hit him in the stomach a couple of times and he kind of stepped back and let everyone else play while he just kind of watched.

 So we saw a lot of this.

 And this.

 But he still said he liked it.

Avri loved it from day one. She always played with a great big grin on her face.

 But she was still very timid.

 We told her that she would get a treat of her choice if she ever scored a goal. It never happened, but we did go get ice cream after one particular game when she tried so hard.

 Rigdon loved the time outdoors and is actually quite the little soccer dribbler himself!

 And Sadie loved running around with the other little kids and making friends. She is such a little socialite!

The only problem that we really had were the ticks. We had to check for ticks after every game and practice because they are so bad this year! I have pulled 4 off my kids. Both of the girls have been bitten and Avri even had to go on an antibiotic for 3 weeks because it was starting to look suspiciously like lyme disease. So we have a long summer ahead of us with lots of tick-checking. But we are excited for another soccer season to start!

A Little of This and That

Rigdon is getting to be quite the little helper these days. He is 20 months old going on 8 and figures he can do anything and everything that the older kids do.

 And for the most part, he does!

 Our pet squirrel, Marvin, is back. He will come right up to the back door and wait for the kids to give him bread. He runs away if I try to give it to him, but he really likes the kids.

 And they love to watch him as he eats it down to a size that is manageable for him to take back to the nest.

 Grocery shopping is always fun, but it gets a little squishy sometimes!

 Rigdon has made the leap into a big boy bed!! Once he figured out how to climb out of the crib we just went for it. I just want to kiss those sweet sleeping cheeks!

 But he looks so tiny in that great big bed.

 

But if his brother joins him then it isn't quite so empty.

 

We all enjoy a little story time.

 Avri and Rigdon are good friends. They held hands like this all the way home one night.

 Avri occasionally walks in her sleep. We found her here one night. She wasn't sick, just forgot why she came into the bathroom.

 But we all fall asleep in funny places once in a while.

 Grandma loves to take the kids to the movies, and if all of the kids are going I usually get to come along. ;)

 Talmage's preschool had a unit on clowns and they got to have a magic show by Ronald McDonald. It was a very cute show and the kids all loved it. But he was HUGE! He is as tall as Kendall (6'4") but something about the huge shoes and bright yellow clothes made him a little scary up close. But we still got a couple of good pictures.

 Sadie, as ever, was the bold and daring one. I fear for the teenage years with that child!

And those are a few of the crazy things we have been up to in the past few months.

I SEE!!!

I got my main birthday gift a little late this year, but it has been the most amazing gift ever. On March 16th I had Lasik surgery done on my eyes. I was excited for weeks leading up to the surgery, and then the day of I got a little nervous. It was probably one of the most bizarre things that I have ever done, since you are actually awake during the surgery and you just watch them as they are working on your eyes. But it is such a fast procedure. The whole thing, prep time and all is about 10 minutes per eye and the actual laser part only lasts for 15 or 20 seconds. But after the surgery was over I was able to sit up from the operating table and read the clock across the room.

The day of the surgery I came home from the procedure and was told to sleep as much as possible to allow my eyes plenty of time to heal. Everything looked cloudy, or like I was looking through fogged up or dirty lenses. But by the next morning I was able to see very clearly. I went in the following morning and my vision was already 20/20 and no longer cloudy. By my 2 week appointment I had 20/15 vision in both eyes and I haven't even had the dryness that most people complain about as a side effect. It has been a life-changing thing. Something I definitely wish I would have done 10 years ago. I still am amazed when I go to bed and can see or when I wake up and don't have to hunt for my glasses. It is amazing to go to the pool and not worry about losing my contacts. It has been the best birthday present ever, and it still seems like such a miracle to go from something worse than 20/400 vision to better than perfect with 20 minutes on an operating table.

St. Patty's Day Celebration!

A week or two before St. Patrick's Day this year my brother and sister-in-law came to visit. My brother had some training with Caterpillar, so my sister-in-law and I got to hang out during the day. It was so much fun, not to mention great to have another pair of hands to help with kids.

One night she wanted to give Kendall and I a chance to go out and leave them home. She had dinner, crafts and activities all planned out! They made some St. Patrick's Day crafts that even Rigdon got to get into. They made clover stamps out of green peppers. I only have 4 kids, so obviously they were having so much fun that they each made multiple pages of stamps!

 Then they made clover treats out of pretzels and candies. These were mint M&Ms and they were yummy!

 They also made an Easter decoration, but apparently I don't have a picture of it yet. Or else I can't find it. Allison played games with the kids and did LOTS of reading. They all had a blast

 You can see why my kids adore them. They spend so much time and give them so much attention.

The actual day of St. Patrick's Day came and the kids set their trap for the leprechaun, hoping to catch one this year. But alas, he got away and all they got were gold chocolate coins.

 The leprechaun wasn't terribly happy about being captured though, so he turned the toilet water green and toilet papered the kitchen to get back at us.

The kids thought it was so funny! I am getting to the point where I really enjoy St. Patrick's Day, too. The kids make it so much fun for me. Maybe next year we will actually catch us a leprechaun and get our wish.