Spring break for the kids

Tuesday Andre and Jaxon went back to their work and school. I still had Tanner, Alex and Chase home. I asked them what they wanted to do. Tanner said, "Chill". Chase said screens. and Alex said "lots of screens". Well, that is what happened. It is hard now that we have kids on different school schedules. This was one of the biggest perks of our charter school- we had the same schedule.  We decided not to go anywhere for spring break this year. And I decided to get some stuff done around our house. After weeks of regular life craziness, our house was a wreck. So I cleaned, and cleaned. It felt never ending. I even mopped the kitchen floor!

Chase had a school friend over and I went through everyone's clothes. Have I told you that going through everyone's clothes makes me absolutely crazy? It takes forever and I have to have the kids help me. I have no way of knowing if something fits unless they try it on. Trying to get my children to try stuff on is like pulling teeth. They hate it. We finally got the 3 younger kid's clothes done and Jaxon's are not so bad so I left it.

I felt like the whole day was cleaning and organizing. The kids tried to go out and find friends to play with. so they had a little fun. Tuesday night we watched Indiana Jones- Raisers of the Lost Ark. It has been too long since I have seen that and my little boys have not seen it at all. (We are kind of in a phase where we are watching sets of movies together- like Star Wars, Spiderman, Indiana, National Treasure... next will be Hobbit and Lord of the ring- maybe)

I am so glad I cleaned and watched a movie-- but the next day I wished I had done different things. I spent the whole day doing my stuff. I wished I had prepared some scout stuff earlier. I got to go visiting teaching- which I love to do but I need to not schedule that for when my kids are home.  But they loved it because they just did screens! watched tv, played video games, watched other people playing video games. I feel like a failure when that is what my kids do. But I need to get over that because that is what they like to do and it is fine if they waste one day of their lives. (Just not all of them)

For cub scouts, we had a new "adventure" that I had never done and it was kind of a harder one so I needed to prepare for it. I have learned that if I prepare for scouts and have things ready- it goes over a lot better than if I wing it. Especially now that I have 9 boys and some of them are a tiny bit rambunctious.

I taught the boys what to do in an emergency and focused on what to do it they got lost. These are hard things to sit and listen to. But I told them about 2 stories of 11/12 year old scouts who got lost camping (a few years ago now- but I remember pretty well). One was never found and one was found a few days later. We talked about what the boys had done right and wrong. The thing that I hope they remember is that the one boy was so scared that he did not want to talk to strangers in the mountains- so he hid from them. Those were the rescuers! The boys were really interested in those stories and they kept asking about the boy who was never found. "Where did they find him?" "how did he die?" I kept saying over and over... he was Never found.  I think they got how important it is to stay safe.

Above is a picture of the boys making up games with just a few minimal things. This is to prepare them for a week of using minimal electricity. Basically the badge wants them to not play video games and watch tv all the time. They are trying  to teach them that they can use their imagination so that in an electrical outage they can be prepared (to play?)

As soon as scouts got over and I hurried and made dinner, then we started Jaxon's eagle project. We had invited the scouts over to help collect money. A few came and we divided up. Our neighborhood is amazing and we will be able to do an amazing job for these people we are helping.

Thursday Alex and Chase had friends over during the day. And it was warmish! finally. So they played outside a lot.

Jaxon tried out for Acapella choir at Bingham this week. so we practiced with him for that, and then picked him up after school a couple of times so he could audition and then find out if he made it. He made it! I'm proud of him. I think it will be great for him.

I got a lot of errands done, and then got ready for the young womens activity that night. Dodge ball!

This was a hit with the girls. I liked it too!

That night we watched Indiana Jones number two- I can't remember what it is called. But it is the one with the gross snakes and monkey brains.

Friday morning Jaxon had the day off of school and Andre took the day off. I spent the whole morning cutting the boys hair. I wish I did a better job. Seriously.

Then we went to Heather's wedding! Heather is my niece. Yvette is Andre's oldest sister and Heather is her daughter.

Here is a picture of Andre and his 5 sisters. Nicole, Monette, Monique, Andre, Yvette, Marci

Then we added his parents in to the picture.

This is Heather, her parents Yvette and Roger with her grandpa Gordon

Friday afternoon we had a meeting with Jaxon about his eagle project so he can learn how to plan and started comparison shopping. I love that I can just take pictures of prices and things so I don't have to remember a lot. 

I told Jaxon that for the next two weeks, he will need to eat, sleep, sleep and drink this project. It is so good for him to see how to do this kind of project. His kind of thing is to show up and have someone tell him what to do. (Well actually- he'd rather not show up in the first place). But this time he has to do all the prep work, talking to actual people, and be the one to tell people what to do. It is so good for him. (I just wish it was not so much work for me.) But seriously. He would never learn some of these skills if he was not forced to do them. He has a good attitude about it but I can tell that he wishes it were over already.

Saturday started Conference weekend! I have felt so crazy busy (and I can't even tell you half the things that I stress about and do because they are boring and I try to block them out afterwards.) I told myself that for conference I was going to sit and listen and enjoy it. So I did. I really enjoyed the talks. I needed some of them. I am going to try to be a better person because of conference.

We had this going on... Chase's first game.

He was the goalie this week.  Andre was the coach.

Andre had a game that morning also. But I was watching conference so I didn't go watch this time.

This is Alex's buddy Eddie in our neighborhood. They are also in the same class at school.

They are both running for 5th grade senator. If they have separate posters they can have 4 posters. If they go together they can have their names on 8 posters. So that is what they did. He had a photo shoot and we got pictures developed to put on the posters.

They have to pick an IB trait. They picked Open-Minded. This made the posters kind of fun with brains open and stuff. They had fun. 

Tanner and Jaxon had a magic weekend. Magic- the Gathering is what I mean. There was a new set out so they have been excited.

Here are a few pictures of conference. Busy doing things that keep hands busy and hopefully listening to the words from our prophet and apostles.

Then we drove down to the garden for Jaxon's project and got some more measurements and figured out a few more things.

We need to replace/repair these things.

Because Saturday night was crazy, my priesthood men went to watch priesthood session with my dad on Sunday night. I love that we have technology to allow us to watch conference later instead of just missing it. (reading it is fine but not the same). We try to make conference a priority but it does not have to be at an exact time. And I'm glad they can watch it with my dad. Cause my dad is pretty awesome.

Then we had the last minute freak out because someone forgot a big assignment was due. It's a good thing it was "5th grade big" because that is doable. And then we had the sadness that "school starts tomorrow". But I do have good kids. It's the beginning of a new quarter for everyone so its a fresh start. One of my kids said that he is going to get all A's this quarter. He can totally do it. (I wish this goal was made and accomplished for certain other quarters... but we look towards the future right?)

This morning came and I had to wake up Chase. Why is it that on non school days he is awake at 5:30, or 6 in the morning but on school days I am dragging him out of bed?

It is warmish spring finally and I am energized to get a lot more done this week. It is time to weed the gardens. I neglected my family history project this week because I had so much going on- so I need to get going on that. I also have emptied my storage room downstairs so someone needs to go through that and organize and put stuff away. There is always scouts to do and Jaxon's Eagle project will take up my whole life for 2 weeks. But hey! I am excited. (talking myself into it.)