Piggies and Chickens

This has been a fun and busy week.  James and I had lots of fun playing at home - weather has mostly been nice and great for playing outside.  

Tuesday, Dan and James and I headed in to the school to see Evie in a littl play in her class.  The class did 5 or 6 little plays with different kids in each.  Evie was in the 3 Little Pigs.  She just loved it - she did a great job and stole the show by walking around and shaking her little piggie tail for everyone.  I only got this picture - all the rest was on video.  (James wanted to watch it over and over again) 

After school that day, we had our friends Bradley and Braden over to hang out and play for a few hours.  Dan saw that Cold Stone was doing a $1.00 scoop night, so we headed over for a bit of ice cream.  The kids had a blast (of course)  

After ice cream - I met with the other ward girls camp ladies to figure things out and get organized.

Wednesday was our usual late start morning with library after.  James was so cute singing "Itsy Bitsy Spider" He sang all the words and did all the motions - he never does that!  I had choir in the evening and Eileen and Anna had Activity Days - they got to go and get make overs - Eileen wasn't crazy about the idea because she "doesn't like make up" but she ended up having a blast (because she got her toenails and finger nails painted)

Thursday, James and I headed to the Museum of Nature and Science - he LOVES going to the museum - and I'm pretty sure one of his favorite parts about it is getting to pack his own sack lunch and take it with him.  When we left he said his favorite part was looking at the animals (in the panorama exhibits) and pushing the sound buttons.  I'm pretty sure his favorite part was the water area in the discovery zone.  :)  

Friday night, Dan and I got a babysitter (which made the kids VERY happy) and we went out to dinner with some friends, then headed back to their house to play games.  We had a great time and are looking forward to doing it again!

Saturday we went over to Dwayne and Nicole's for Anaiya's birthday party.  The kids had a blast playing games and eating food and running around.  They played a sticker game where you were supposed to try and get stickers on people sneakily - the kids didn't quite get the "sneaky" part - but they had tons of fun.  While there we met another couple who live next to Dwayne and Nicole - really nice people and they just happened to have some chickens that they needed to get rid of (they had a new puppy that was terrorizing them) and we just happened to have a recently finished chicken coop and were looking for chickens - we took Eileen to flute lessons, then after, Dan and Eileen went back with some boxes to get them and we had 4 chickens.

The kids couldn't get enough of them - they are named "Dapple, Dimple, Snowy and Chocolate"  In fact they loved them so much that the next morning, they were up at the crack of dawn, in the rain, to see and hang out with and try to pet the chickens.  Then they came back in and tracked mud all over the house...

Church was wonderful today.  I got a new calling - yes again - it feels like I rarely hang on to callings for more than a year.  I'm teaching Youth Sunday School and I'm really looking forward to it!  Taught my first lesson today and I think it went mostly well.  They were pretty quiet - but a few took pity on me and answered questions :)  After church I was just exhausted - but none of the kids were - so i'm still exhausted and going to bed!

Keeping busy!

This week has been fairly normal - laundry and shopping on Monday.  Taking our friend to therapy on Tuesday.  Choir practice on Wednesday.  Thursday however, it snowed, so piano lessons got pushed back to Friday.  We spent a nice quiet Thursday warm and cozy at home!  

Friday, Addie came over to play with us and hang out - then I went to get my allergy shot - then took Heather to a doctor's appointment, got the kids from school and headed home for piano lessons.  James and Rose (the piano teacher's little girl) really play well together - but they were in a trouble making mood this week!  

Saturday, we spent the morning working outside - Eileen and Dan working on finishing up the chicken coop, me mowing the lawn.  Aaron had a birthday party in the afternoon, Eileen had flute lessons in the afternoon.  Then after a long day, Dan and I watched "Unbroken" and headed to bed!  

Come Sunday we were all a bit tired.  Church was wonderful - I got to sub as a teacher in Relief Society - I love teaching - but I love teaching the gospel most of all.  After church, we played games for a bit - then Dan insisted Evie take a nap (she's been throwing massive tantrums all day - and that's not normal) and helped her by letting all the sleepy kids snuggle up together in our bed.  

I know - short post - few pictures - but I'm tired and it's been a fairly normal week for us!  :)

Aftermath

It's starting to feel like my kids never go to school....  They had Monday off for a teacher work day.  I told them that if they got their piano lessons and some clean-up done, that I would take them to the museum or the zoo... So they played outside all day.  They did get their piano done, but that was about all they got done.  Anna prepared a wonderful family home evening lesson for us - here is me attempting to play an opening song...

Tuesday was our usual taking a friend to therapy in the morning followed by the usual craziness of the evenings

Wednesday was late start for the big kids and library for James and I - then after the library, we had my friends little girl come over for a few hours so she could go to the temple.  She was small enough that James saw her more as a baby to take care of than as a friend to play with.  He was so sweet and helpful!  After picking the kids up from school, we took Evie to a dentist appointment - then home for piano, homework, choir, activity days and such.

Thursday morning, James and I took a drive to pick up some medical supplies for a friend and then enjoyed a couple hours of quiet before picking the kids up from school.

Friday I needed to go get my allergy shot - James loves going and the ladies who work there all LOVE him, so it's a nice easy errand, then we met Dan for lunch at home before heading back out to the grocery store to grab a couple things.

Saturday was a work day.  Dan spent most of the morning and early afternoon building a chicken coop.  I spent it taking Eileen to flute lessons, mowing the lawn and sweeping and moping and vacuuming.  Then we decided to relax by walking to the park to play :)  It was a great day, but exhausting!

Sunday, after church, we went up to UNC to see Dan's home teaching companion in a tuba band and then we stayed to watch a bit of the UNC philharmonic orchestra - but by intermission, James was done so we headed home.  It was a lot of fun though - in the same building, they had a fun little lego exhibit with this good giant "minifigure"

Lots of Fun

Well it's been a busy week.  My mom's recovery really went well.  My dad left town on Monday, so I was in charge :)  By Tuesday, she was walking up and down the block in front of the house, Wednesday, we attempted the walk to the nearby pond so James and I could feed the turtles and fish.  Thursday, Sandi came over with Taz and Kai and we walked all the way to a nearby park.  She tired herself out good and napped well after - and by Thursday she was off the pain meds during the day.  

James LOVED playing with his cousins - he and Taz especially get along really well.  They love to play together - but Taz has boundless energy and he would usually go to bed early and sleep late after a day hanging out with Taz.  

The kids had some fun playing with a box with old clothes to be given away - they just looked so cute!! 

My dad got back on Thursday.  He and I spent a fun evening figuring out a metal frame for a doll and chatting.  Then,  deciding that my mom was doing well, and wanting to be home for General Conference and Easter, James and I headed home on Friday.  James was great during the ride home - except that he REFUSED to go to the bathroom.  He does NOT like strange bathrooms - he was just getting used to Grandma and Grandpa's bathroom - but he wouldn't do the rest stop bathrooms - which meant that he wet himself 3 times on the way home.....

Saturday, we headed up to Newell and Becky's house to watch Conference and do an Easter Egg hunt.  The kids had a blast.  Newell and Becky's youngest is close enough in age to love playing with James and the kids had tons of fun.

After a wonderful day, we headed home - then the we let the kids play outside while I mowed the lawn, then ate dinner while Daddy headed to Priesthood meeting.

Today was another wonderful day of Conference - which is never long enough - even after 8 hours.  The kids went to play with the neighbor's great-granddaughter between sessions, then after, we headed over to Grandpa's for dinner and Easter fun with Frank and Tina and Frankie, Grandpa, Doug and Julia, Jill and Logan and Adam and Natalia.  The kids had tons of fun eating more junk food, finding more eggs and playing around.

After the rest of the kids went to bed - Eileen stayed up and played 7 Wonders with us - then she wanted to do some painting - so Dan and I played Speed - which caught Eileen's attention, so he taught her to play - she promptly decided that she didn't much like the game....