April Break 2010

April Break was actually cub scout break. It was a great time to work on Miles' Wolf and Dallin's Arrow of Light. In retrospect, I am so grateful for cub scouts because it gave me a reason to plan great activities for our family this week instead of just hanging out. I couldn't find our camera battery charger the first couple of days, so I don't have pictures of those days, which is a bummer, because Tuesday was Shayne's birthday.

Monday, April 19th - Food Day

This was supposed to be the day where all of the kids would learn about cooking by helping with meals and snacks. But, I was battling some sort of achy sore throat bug, so it was just Miles helping with part of every meal so we could sign off his requirement. Ibuprofen seemed to do the trick, though, so that night we were able to have a camp fire, have Family Home Evening, and make s'mores, another cub scout requirement, with the Bailey's (Brennan is also a Wolf). That night, all the boys slept out in our tent in the backyard. The camping requirement doesn't say anything about going to a campground to have a camp out. Besides, our backyard looks more like a campground than Mashamoquet Brook State Park down the road!

Tuesday, April 20th - Dad's Birthday

Don't worry, sleeping in a tent did not stop the birthday tradition of breakfast in bed. We had crepes and Fruity Pebbles in sleeping bags. The boys were quite disappointed that I didn't fill the tent with balloons, though. Sorry, I can only do so much.

Miles helped me make Shayne's birthday trifle (another requirement), and both he and Dallin made Shayne homemade gifts. Miles made Shayne a certificate for 1 1/2 hours of reading time, which meant that he would finish his dinner chore right away and get ready for bed so they could have 1 1/2 hours of time to read before going to bed. Dallin's comment was that the gift was more for Miles than for Shayne, but it really wasn't. It is TORTURE getting Miles to get ready for bed in time for reading. Dallin made Shayne a certificate for 1 hour of outdoor work, which is another thing we cannot seem to get our boys to do. They were very thoughtful gifts that they almost thought up all on their own.

Wednesday, April 21st - Hiking Day

We all made our own trail mix and went for a hike at Mansfield Hollow State Park. I was worried about taking them all hiking by myself, but it ended up being a lot of fun. . .



. . . even if they don't look like they're having fun.


Backpack Cam


Cool bug-eaten stick we found




Snack break


I had a hard time getting Asher to look at the camera!


Don't wait for Mom with a baby on her back or anything!



Thursday, April 22nd - Science Day (entirely a cub scout requirement day!)

We went to the Connecticut Natural Science Museum at Uconn, which is much less exciting than it sounds. It consisted of 1 exhibit area on the second floor of a building. It wasn't much, but the kids actually had fun. Dallin and Miles got to ask the Program Director about being a scientist, which I hope they enjoyed.


Scary bugs


Marin's favorite part


They boys' favorite part




We took a walk on campus to check out some strange upside-down tower and inverted pyramid. No, I have no idea what it was.


Sling Cam





We also did some simple science experiments with gravity (spinning a ball inside a jar, and making craters with marbles and flour). Uhm, all I'll say is that there is a reason I am not a science teacher.

Friday, April 23rd - Movie Day

This was kind of a catch-up day for the things we didn't get done during the week. The boys colored state flags and learned about the birds, flowers, and trees of their chosen state. They did Connecticut, Alaska, Utah, and Georgia.

All week the boys had been earning tokens for good behavior which they then got to spend on treats at our movie night at the Elliott's house. Everyone had plenty of tokens to buy whatever they wanted, so it was quite the sugar fest. They watched the Princess and the Frog, and Fantastic Mr. Fox. I didn't get to see much of the first one, and did not care for the second, but the kids had a blast.

Happy Birthday Marin!! April 14th 2010

Okay, so I went a little picture crazy with this post. My only daughter and last child only has one first birthday after all.


Everybody wanted a picture with the birthday girl in the morning.


Doesn't she have great morning hair?




The cake! I've been preparing for years for this day. When it actually came, I wished I had prepared even more! I suppose I have many more doll cakes to come.




Birthday pizza


Dallin arranged the table for her. I guess he needed the puffs and sippy cup for artistic balance.








The day before, I had finished making 24 tissue paper flowers for New Beginnings, so Jason helped me finish these for Marin's party decorations. I don't want to make another flower for at least a year!






She loved her gifts. Jason picked out a book that makes sounds, and of course we got her a doll. After opening them, she would scream whenever anyone else touched them.







At first, Marin just massaged the cake. I guess she liked the way it squished between her fingers. After I put the pink goo on a plate for her, though, she realized that it tasted pretty good.

Her birthday was a week and a half ago, and we still haven't taken the decorations down. No one has even suggested it. We had such fun celebrating our sweet Marin's big day, but it still makes me sad to remember it. I can't believe the first year is over, our very last "first year." I think that everyone feels that a little, and is in no hurry to move on.

Our First Campfire of the Season

Last year Shayne and the boys built a fire pit after we cut down a couple of trees in the back yard. I think we only used it once last year. We're determined to get more use out of it this year, though. Our first night was April 10th.


No, I didn't have another child. The boy in the middle is Jonas, a friend of Miles'.




It wasn't super warm that night, so Marin was bundled.


This picture does not sufficiently convey the degree of dirtiness that Asher had attained. He also didn't see the need for shoes, or two shoes at least.


In our area all outdoor fires must be "covered." Instead of buying a fancy custom cover for hundreds of dollars, Shayne constructed this Gilligan's Island-esque little beauty. It does at least keep the big sparks from heading to the trees.

Beach Day!!

Somehow, it managed to be warm enough for the beach the first week in April. Asher, Marin and I went to Rocky Neck State Park with our good friends Jenny, Anna and Grace Elliott.


Asher had a blast collecting sea weed.


Marin just loved the sand!






Is that not the cutest bathing suit ever! I am having SO much fun with girl clothes!


It may have been over 80 degrees outside, but the water was NOT warm. That didn't seem to stop Asher. People walking by were laughing at my little fish running and splashing in the early April Long Island Sound!

Easter

This year we decided to try a community Easter Egg Hunt. We tried one two years ago that was a total flop, so we just did our own last year. This year we tried the Ashford hunt, and it was a blast. Dallin was too old, so he helped the little kids. Every boy was in a different hunt, so we definitely needed the help supervising.



Dallin and Jason waiting for the Kindergarten hunt. Jason's friend Nathaniel was there too.



Asher waiting for the Preschool hunt with his friends Evan, Anna, and Ammon (behind the bucket!)



The 3rd & 4th grade hunt was in the woods! Miles is wearing green, in the middle somewhere.



Marin didn't hunt, but she had fun watching.



The kids hunted for plastic eggs, which were empty (odd, I know.) Some of the eggs had numbers on them. After the hunt, the kids exchanged their numbered eggs for Easter baskets. All the baskets had candy and a stuffed animal of some kind or book. Every kid only got to exchange one numbered egg, so if you didn't find a numbered egg, they gave you a basket that no one else had claimed. Jason was SO upset that he didn't find a numbered egg. He cried and cried, and was sure he would get nothing. I took him up to the kindergarten table and told the volunteer that he hadn't found an egg. "Oh," she said, and looked around a little. "Would you like this?" she said, and pulled out a GIANT stuffed dog with a bag of candy around his neck. Jason's eyes got huge, and he couldn't say anything. "I think he would love that, thank you," I said, and took it for him. I was so excited that my sweet little boy who thought he would get nothing, came home with a giant dog. The best part was that all of his brothers here happy for him, NOT jealous!



Marin was so excited about her Easter basket.



Doesn't she have the coolest crazy morning hair?



Jason tried to keep her from eating the candy (which was only there so that all the baskets were the same, and was really for Mom and Dad), but was unsuccessful.













Everybody looked for their baskets in the morning, since it was General Conference and we didn't have church. Actually, they all found their baskets before Shayne and I were even out of bed. Everyone but Miles, that is. He's a late sleeper. We re-hid the baskets so that Miles wouldn't be the only one looking when he got up. Dallin, Miles and Jason got Lil' Webkinz because their accounts were about to expire, and Asher got a little stuffed dog that he picked out himself. That's what he gets for being the only boy home with me all day.

The boys dyed eggs during the first session of conference (better late than never, I guess.) After that, we went to our new friends', the Wilkersons, for dinner and the second session.