Birthday Boy

On Monday, James turned 5 years old.  I can't believe my baby boy is already 5!  He wanted a Captain America cake, so Dan decorated it like the Captain's shield.  He was so excited.  He was talking about it all day and was so excited to blow out his candles that he blew them out as soon as they were lit and I couldn't get a picture fast enough!  He was so excited to open his presents.  And then he wanted his birthday to last all week.  The next thing he got excited about was getting to go for ice cream with Great Grandpa Francone.  I'm so glad we get to live near enough that my kids have had the chance to get to know him!  

Tuesday, preschool was here at our house.  We had fun talking about our senses and learning letters.  But I was rather exhausted by the end.  The rest of the day was the usual Tuesday, homework, piano practicing, institute in the evening.

Wednesday James and I dropped the kids off at school, then headed back home so James could get dressed before we headed to run a couple little errands - he wasn't very happy about having to run errands - and even less happy when I wouldn't buy him stuff everywhere we stopped.  But I did pick up Eileen's book that she ordered from Barnes and Noble (Klingon Dictionary) and then spent another stop searching in vain for a 1" metal buckle....  In the evening, I went to Eileen's New Beginnings activity for young women's.  Dan went to young men's and the rest of the kids kinda just ran amok at the church building.

Thursday we had preschool again.  We went on a walk and used our 5 senses and had fun making Umbrellas for our letter U.  Thankfully it's just one week and next week it's somewhere else!  Dan had to work late that night and Aaron had cub scouts.  I took him and stayed long enough to watch him get his award and advance to a Bear.  He's getting so big so fast.

Friday I had a doctors appointment in the morning, we got to hear the baby's heart beat and talked about setting an induction date.  Then James and I headed home and I got to packing up for the evening.  After picking up the kids from school, I finished packing, got some of the piano and such going and done, had a talk with Aaron about making friends at school and trying hard to include kids who don't feel like they are included, then I left Eileen in charge until Dan got home from work, and Anna and I headed down to Colorado Springs for all-state choir.  We stopped and shared a yummy dinner at Cafe Rio, then finished driving to our hotel for the night.  We got checked in and got ready for bed and went to bed early in expectation of an early morning.  I couldn't sleep after 3:30 though.  So with only 4 1/2 hours of sleep Anna and I got up at 6:30, got dressed and ready, had breakfast then headed to the school where all-state practice was held.  I was chaperoning the trip and spend my day getting to listed to the choir practice and keeping an eye on 8 girls.  They were great kids and it was a lot of fun to listen to the choir.  Here are the girls in their t-shirts just before heading over to the hotel for the concert.  Everything went really well and the girls had a great time.  Enough so that Aaron wants to try for it next year.  After the concert and getting all the girls connected with their parents, we met up with Dan and the rest of the kids and headed home.  We made a Wendy's stop for dinner on the way and then hurried home to get the kids to bed.  After scriptures and prayers, we put the kids to bed, then I headed back out to do the grocery shopping for next week.  Dan leaves town early on Monday, so I wanted to get it done before he left and before the Sabbath.

Church was great.  We got new counselors in the bishopric.  I got to teach Sunday school and we had a wonderful lesson during 3rd hour on Visiting Teaching.  After lunch, I got to take a nap while Dan played nuclear Risk with the kids. Eileen thought it was great.  She liked it so much, that was what she wanted to play after the younger kids went to bed.  And Dan creamed us both.  Which made him very happy.  :)