Look Busy

As I was returning to my car from a doctor appointment for one of my kids, I saw this bumper sticker on the back of a car.  I had shown it to a friend of ours who found it quite amusing.

I write this as I drink my mighty mango fruit juice smoothie.  We are going through some potentially difficult trials right now.  I'm trying to make the best of them as well as figure out what I should learn from all of this. 

This world is so uncertain.  The only thing that remains constant is change.  Change has always been something I've never handled very well.  I am very thankful we have our family and friends.  Anyway, my point?  I have no idea...I guess I just want to eat some starbursts too!  Yum.  Tropical flavors.  Now everyone that googles Starbursts will get my blog in their list.  MUAH HAHAHAHAHAHAHA!!!

Anyway...moving on.  

Funny story about Emily...I call this "How to Teach a 7-Year-Old How to Take a Shower".  Emily has become a self-proclaimed "medium".  This means she is no longer a kid, but not yet an adult.  This came about when Parker and her were trying to decide what move they wanted to watch before they went to bed.  Parker wanted to watch Sponge Bob and Emily wanted to watch Pirates of the Caribbean.  Emily said "Sponge Bob?  That's a kid's movie."  Oh boy, if THAT wasn't a red flag.  So, Emily has now decided that she is old enough to take showers.  She turns the water on, she gets it to the right temperature and then she gets into the shower.  After about 10 minutes go by, she gets out, wraps a towel around herself and comes downstairs.  One problem... only half her head is wet.  It was apparent that she did not wash her hair.  I asked her, "Emily, did you wash your hair?"

"Yes, I did," she replies.

"Why is the front half of your head still dry then?" I inquire.

Emily replies, "Oh, well, I must have forgot to wash that part."

I ask "Did you use the shampoo and conditioner?"

"Yes."

"Are you sure?"

"Oh (nervous laugh).  I think I forgot to wash my hair."

OK.  I put her back in the shower and tell her to wash her hair.  I help her get the shampoo, then the conditioner.  I ask if she washed with the soap.  "Oh, I forgot to wash with that too," she says.  So, I tell her to wash with the soap...

20 minutes later...

She gets herself out of the shower, wraps a towel around herself and comes downstairs.  I start drying her hair off... something is not right... her hair feels almost... slimy.  She "forgot" to rinse out the conditioner all the way.  SO, it's back upstairs into the bathroom.  I gave up on the shower, I made her put her head over the sink and I rinsed out the remaining conditioner.

After all of this she says "I sure hope I remember to wash my hair next time."  ME TOO!!!

Emily is playing on a soccer team at the rec center and I'm the coach!  It has been so fun and they have won their last couple of games!  It has been really exciting to see the kids get some confidence and actually start to LOVE to play the game!  Sadly their last game is tomorrow. 

Parker has decided that he loves chicken fingers (buffalo wings? I'm not sure what they're supposed to be called anymore).  He has been working on his reading in preparation to go to school in the fall.  He LOVES to sound out words trying to figure out what things say.  I'm always amazed at what he will be able to read next!  

Parker adores his cousin Owen and is always excited to see him each day at Grandma's and Grandpa's house.  

Parker also is learning how to ride a two wheel bike.  I've told him he is too big for his "tricycle" type bike.  He says he's nervous about riding the big bike, but once he gets going, it's hard to keep up with him.  

He is also playing on a soccer team at the rec center.  He's not really into the game unless mom and dad are both there cheering him on.  

LaGoon

Today we went to LaGoon. The day started out with rides for the kids on Bulgy the Whale. Natalie was so nervous at first, but after her first ride, she thought it was great. This was her very first time ever coming to LaGoon.

Dave's family joined us and we rode on the Tikki ride.
Matthew, James and Emily shared a helicopter.
Natalie and Parker shared a helicopter.  Natalie was a little scared so Parker instinctively took her hand and held it through the entire ride.  What a gentleman.  :)
Brandon, Lindsay and Parker took a ride on Dinosaur Drop.  I couldn't go because I'm pregnant.
Matthew and Natalie took a ride on the cars.

Then it was a ride on the planes.  


Matthew as the Red Baron.
Some went for a ride on Puff.
Then the Odyssey.  We got a little wet.  I rode with Parker and he controlled our car to get wet.

The bravest of the clan went for a ride on the Spider.  Parker went with Kristie.  Brandon, James, Kierra, Amber and Lindsay went along too.  


This is the view from the Ferris Wheel.  Parker didn't want to go on it at first but then decided that he was brave enough.  He ended up liking it so much that he and Emily made me pinky promise that when we go back to LaGoon it is the first ride we go on.  
Kim took the littles on the Tilt-A-Whirl.  Natalie didn't like it at all.  Emily and Parker wanted to ride it again, but I couldn't go with :(


Kristie and I rode on the Merry-Go-Round.  It was great fun.

We got a genuine smile from Natalie on the Merry-Go-Round.
One of the most favorite rides of the day was the swings.  Emily, Parker and Natalie LOVED riding on the swings.

July...already?

Um, did we just celebrate the 4th of July?  WHAT THE CRAP?!?  The time seems to be flying by so fast.  On Thursday, the kids decorated their shirts for the holiday.  I've included some photos of them here.  Parker was so excited about how his turned out that he slept in his so he would be ready to go in the morning.  Yesterday we just hung out and enjoyed the festivities.  We had a carpet parade at Mom's and Dad's house, watch Harry Potter, went to the kuhfrau's house and ate way too much food.  The kids were so excited for the 4th.  on the 24th, we're planning more festivities for Pioneer Day.  The kids get to decorate their bikes and put on a parade of their own.  Then my brothers do their own fireworks show.  It's really cool.  I don't remember what the record last year for the flowers were, but it was A LOT!  New photos will be coming from that event fo' sho'!

I forgot to mention the strange story.......

Last month, John woke me up in the middle of the night to ask me where my camera was.  I was so confused as to why he would need it at 2:00 in the morning.  Here's why..... some FREAK drove across the park, through our backyard and parked in the backyard of our neighbor's house.  Right behind him was a police officer in his car.  Why?  To this day it is still a mystery.  The policeman put his lights on the car so he could clean out his car and then they left.  And that was that!