3 week catch up

It's hard to believe it's been 3 weeks since I've last blogged.

My only excuse is that we've been busy.

Here are just a few pictures of what we've been up to lately.

Today was my 1st day working as a part time book keeper for a local mechanic shop. I loved it. There are a few things that I will have to learn how to do but for the most part it's what I've been doing for the past 5 years running the books of our own company. The biggest difference and best part between the 2 companies (the mechanics and oursleves) is that I'm getting paid for all my time and effort I put in at the mechanic shop. Kory is still working the night shift for the coal mine and will ask to continue to work nights so that he will be home while I work mid mornings to mid afternoons on monday and friday. I will be leaving for work about the time he wakes up and getting home before he has to leave. By working monday and fridays I still participate in our mother's preschool group and can still volunteer in my kids school classes.

The weather outside has been just beautiful.

We are loving this warmer weather and our roller skates/blades. Grandpa was a great sport at helping Emily on her skates.

Hunter is getting pretty quick on his blades. I have a pair of blades too and so Hunter's favorite thing is to race me up and down the long driveway. He wins most of the time. I guess I'm too scared I'm going to fall and scrape myself up so I don't go to fast.

Then we had preschool.

Our theme for the week was "shapes".

We made our very own shape book. We traced, colored and made a collage of all different kinds of shapes to put in our books.

This past week for the bigger kids they celebrated Dr. Seuss's birthday. Each day they celebrated by doing something different. We had a pajama day, patriotic day, silly glasses day, dress as your favorite Dr. Seuss character (didn't do that this year but next time we'll be more prepared) and the kids favorite SILLY HAIR day.

There are some pretty cool ideas out there on the internet to do for Crazy Hair Day. However,I hate to purposely put knotts and tangles into anyones hair knowing how much it hurts brushing them out, Crazy hair day or not. This year Madelyn saw a picture of someone who had put pipe cleaners in their hair for crazy hair day. This was her request.

She loved it.

Hunter chose to do something BORING. All he let me do was spray his hair green with some hair paint we picked up after Halloween for this very purpose. I had purposely not cut his hair for a few weeks so we could have some length for this fun day. I had a few ideas but the one I wanted the most was to put his hair into a mohawk using tiny pony tails. But NOOOOO.... He wouldn't let me cause pony tails are for girls!

Despite the lack of creativity he was quite pleased with his Crazy Hair.

This past week our Elder's Qurom hosted a "Minute to Win It" activity.

We ate homeade chili and corn bread and played lots.

I don't remember the names of most of these events but you'll get the idea.

This is Madelyn flapping a pizza board to make a raw egg roll into a square on the floor.

This game was called "Bottom's Up".

There was a board tied to the hips of 2 contestants with a medal washer hanging down from the middle. Together they moved their hips to get the washer swinging back and forth to knock down a short row of empty cans.

Even Brayden and Emily got into this one.

Good job you two. You did it!

This guy did it!

He was able to stack 3 golf balls on top of each other and make them stay with no help. Apparently the table was crooked. When he tried to do it on the floor he got it so everyone else moved to the floor too. This is Kory and Emily concentrating on their balls.

This next one was Madelyn's favorite.

It was like a hour glass but with gum balls. It was a race to get all the gum balls into the bottom container the fastest.

And now is when my camera died! So we missed out on pictures of the rest of the events.

For instance I had to put an oreo cookie on my forehead and try to move it across my face into my mouth with no hands. Or the one of Kory wearing flippers. He had to put a tortilla on top of one of the swimming flippers (this he was wearing on his foot) and flip the tortilla into the air to catch it with a plate on top of his head. He had to catch 3 tortillas. He did it. He won!

We had a great time. We hope this activity becomes an annual event.

This is Emily being my model.

Next week Madelyn's 1st grade class is putting on a play. Madelyn is Mrs. Butterfly. She is soo excited about her line that she has to say and her song she gets to sing with Mr. Butterfly. When I asked her teacher what I could do to help the Butterfly's costumes were mentioned. So I volunteered to make both butterfly wings.

I stretched metal clothes hangars into the shape I wanted (mush harder than it seems), cut panty hose in half and hot glued around hagars and the spray painted them red. To hide the connectors we wrapped them in fuzzy green and red boa's.

Emily's hoping the wings don't get damaged and Madelyn will be able to bring them home after the play to keep for dress up.

Meet our very loved GG.

My grandma lives across the driveway and so periodically she walks over for a visit. My kids call her GG (great grandma).

This paticular day the girls were being goofy. What a great sport GG is!

So silly!

This next picture is not the best. The lighting could be much better and the girls hair is a mess.

BUT...

it is one we will treasure for many years to come.

GG is suffering from Dementia.

I hope my girls will remember the fun times they are having with their GG.

My sewing machine and I have been getting reaquainted.

A few years ago I started making my kids a special birthday shirt for them to wear on their birthdays. Sometimes it's just the number their turning, sometimes a flower and other times I take the time to be a little more creative and create something that they like in the "right now" moment.

In April Hunter turns 8. He keeps saying he doesn't want a "birthday" shirt. I keep telling him he's deprived as I've never made him one. Apparently he's too old for that kind of thing or maybe it's a boy thing as the girls don't seem to mind. In fact there quite the opposite. Maddie who will be turning 7 in June wants me to make her an early birthday shirt but can't make up her mind what she wants on it.

Brayden also turns "2" in April. He is so into pigs right now I couldn't not make him a piggy shirt. Brayden's cousin Jamie is 13 days younger. My sister and I wanted to throw a birthday bash together last year but do to distance we didn't. So we're going to do it this year instead. We're going with a "car" theme so I decided to make them matching shirts for their joint party.

April is going to be a busy month for us. Besides the 2 birthday's we have my younger brother, Elder Matthew Christensen. that will be returning home from his mission. It's crazy to think that when he left 2 of his sisters along with a sister in law were pregnant. Now 2 years later he's coming home to two little two year old boys, a 20 month old little girl and a 4 month old baby girl. The amount of grandkids have almost doubled since he's been gone.

As I've said we've been quite busy having fun. I hope the warm weather sticks around a little while so we can continue to spend some time outside. This week is our Spring Break. When I asked the kids what they wanted to do these are the replys, a play date, a fun messy project (apparently the more messy means the more fun), go to Zion's to hike, a fun messy project, a trip to the library, a fun messy project, some more roller blade races and a fun messy project. Apparently I've got some "fun messy projects" to come up with for this week. This just might give us some blog worthy projects to post about. Until then...

Adenoidectomy

When Madelyn was about 2 1/2 years old and really starting to talk and communicate my mom mentioned how naisely she sounded some times. It sounded like she was talking out of her nose. I agreed but didn't know what to do about it and honestly I thought she'd grow out of it as she got a little bigger. What I thought might take a few weeks to outgrow turned into months and now a few years later, it still hasn't been outgrown. Along with the speech Madelyn is also quite the snorer. She can keep the house awake with how loud she can get at night. Madelyn also seems to suffer from a chronic runny/stuffy nose. She can almost never breathe out of her nose but breathes with her mouth open. It is extremly difficult for her to chew her food with her mouth closed. While sitting/standing next to her you can hear her breathe constantly. I can hear her breathing at night when she's asleep while I'm in a different part of the house. My mom has accused these problems to her adenoids almost from the beginning

My mom and I weren't the only's who noticed the naisely speech. She had primary teachers, her kindergarten teacher, a speech therapist and even her 1st grade teacher this year all mention her naisely speaking.

I have mentioned all of the above symptoms to two previous pediatricians and was told it was an allergy issue and just to give her allergy meds. I would do this, it would improve but then come back within a few days after having stopped the meds. The pediatrician's answer to this was to keep giving her allergy medication since it worked. It seemed she was quite a bit worse during our allergy season so I would. I would stop though after allergy season cause I didn't believe in keeping her drugged year round.

A few weeks ago I finally got around to establishing my kids with a new doctor. During Madelyn's appt., thanks to my mom's urging, I mentioned this to him and he thought that with all her symptoms it would be worth taking her to a ENT.

Visiting with Dr. Chase, the ENT, was quite informative. After discussing all of Madelyn's symptom's including the way this girl can sleep for 10-12 hours and still wake up crabby as if she didn't get enough sleep, a decision was made. Madelyn was scheduled for an Adenoidectomy. That surgery took place today.

Madelyn and I arrived at the hospital and waited in the waiting room for about 15 minutes before we were brought back to the pre-op room. We read the hospitals books and colored while we waited.
After Madelyn was weighed, measured, temp taken and a few other things we were left to wait our turn.

She was given a special gown to change into. She wasn't too thrilled with how short it was and the fact there was only 2 buttons in the back.

Unfortunately Dr. Chase got a wee bit behind. Instead of her surgery taking place at 11:30 it was about 1:00 before she was taken away. During our extra time together we read Junie B. Jones and Amelia Bedilia books, colored more and tried to watch some tv. Madelyn couldn't eat or drink anything after midnight last night. To say she was thirsty/hungry before surgery was an understatement.

We got a little teary eyed with how long things were taking and the fact we couldn't find anything decent on tv to watch.

After watching a cooking show and a few episodes of reality game shows it was finally our turn. My big girl was wheeled away from me.

I went to the waiting room anxiously waiting for the Dr. to come out. Just 30 minutes later Dr. Chase came and sat by me. His first comment was , "WOW, she had some HUGE adenoids." According to him they were so large they were actually growing into her nasal cavity. It's no wonder the girl couldn't breathe out of her nose, she snored and she talked naisely!

I then continued to wait until Madelyn came out of the anesthesia.

When Madelyn was brought into her post op room I was there waiting for her. The nurse gave her the 1st popsicle of many.

After her popsicle and her feeling more awake we got to get ready to go home. Her IV was taken out and she was able to change back into her own pajamas.

Getting dressed took a lot out of her. She didn't feel very well and got a little cold so we stayed a while longer until she felt like she was ready to leave.

When she was ready she got a ride to the car in a wheel chair.

She wasn't to impressed but her brother's comment was, "that's so cool".

The poor thing felt sick the entire way home. Lucky for the both of us we made it home without her throwing up in the van. For a few hours she stayed on the couch eating pudding and watching a movie.

Tonight, now hours later she's acting as if nothing happened. She's up and around acting like normal. The nurse told me that for several hours she may act normal but then she'd probably "crash" as all the meds leave her system. I'm hoping this "crashing" will take place tonight while she is asleep. My mom mentioned tonight as she was standing near Madelyn that she couldn't hear her breathe. Already we can see a difference. I'm so glad we had this surgery done for her. Now knowing it was indeed her adenoids I feel bad I didn't push it harder with previous pediatricians. Why it took so long to get her the help she needed. I hope she sleeps good tonight and her recovery will be quick for her. She shouldn't be in too much pain and the only real issue that other patients have had with this procedure is stinky breath for a few weeks while their body heals. Stinky breathe we can deal with. Especially knowing the not sleeping good, runny nose, snoring and having a hard time breathing days are over.

You were a brave little girl today Madeyln. I'm proud of you.

Valentines Day!

It was a tradition when I was growing up that as kids we'd wake up to a decorated table on Valentines Day. There was always a valentines table cloth, a little treat for us and the table was sprinkled with conversations hearts and other little candies. I have continued this tradition with my children. I start them off with sugar first thing in the morning and then drop them off at school. I'm sure the teachers really appreciate this from all the parents.

A few weeks ago I was visiting our local Target and came across these mail boxes in their dollar section. I needed something new this year to keep all the kids goodies in and so decided to go with these. I love em'. They will last for many years to come.

Each mail box was filled with a few pieces of candy along with a fun Valentines Day straw.
Last year I came across a package of heart shaped straws and bought them at 90%off. I HATE straws. We can go weeks without any spills at the table but if I let the kids use a straw it's a guarantee there will be a spill. I HATE straws and I hate the mess that inevitably happens because of them. Needless to say the kids were quite excited this morning when they saw there new straws. They could hardly believe that Mom was going to allow them to use them all day long. Lucky Kids.

Breakfast didn't turn out quite as planned this year. Somehow we used all the eggs over the weekend without knowing it. When I went to make breakfast I couldn't. And so we had cold cereal with heart shaped cinnamon toast instead.

Emily wanted a picture of her drinking out of her new straw.

For dinner tonight the girls helped make heart shaped breadsticks.

Along with a heartshaped pizza

and pink lemonade.

(Brayden's been on an antibiotic for 15 days now and still isnt' feeling well.

Just look at those poor eyes.)

Yum.. Yum..

For dessert after Family Home Evening (a lesson on love of course) we each had our very own warm, right out of the oven, heart shaped brownie with a scoop of ice cream on top.

Mmmm mmmm mmmmm!

I bought these foil heart shapes years ago wanting to use them in one my kids class rooms at school. I thought they were cute with perfect perportions for little ones. The package only came with 24 hearts and in previous years my kids classes always had more then 24 kids. It just wouldn't be fair not to have one for each child. I was hoping to use them this year in Hunter's class. However, no homemade treats are allowed in Utah schools. Figures! So I used them tonight and suprised my kiddo's. I love em' and they loved em'. I'm definetly going to look for some more this week and save them for next year.

Madelyn wanted to shine her heart out to everyone. Wishing them a Happy Valentines Day!

Is it Summer?

Starting Thursday afternoon of this past week Hunter has been asking me to take him to the school just for fun, he wanted to play on the playground equipment. Despite the farely nice day we were having I told him we couldn't go after dinner because it would be too cold. Saturday after lunch we finally made it to the school.

Hunter and Madelyn had a blast showing off to mom and the younger kids.
Last time we went to play at the school Emily was to scared to walk the bar by herself. She was quite proud of her bravery this time to do it by herself with no help.

Brayden was excited to get out of the house.

We all had fun running, jumping, yelling, stretching, laughing and just getting the wiggles out. It has been way to long since we've had such a nice warm sun shiney day.

There is a reason this little town is called Hurricane. It is always windy. These past few weeks has been nothing but terribly windy and cold. We have all stayed inside as much as possible. Saturday was a great day at breaking everyones cabin fever. It was not HOT as Madelyn claims it was but very nice and warm. It was a sun shiney day with NO wind. I'm tired of the sickenss going around, the cold, the ear aches and all the runny/stuffy noses. I hope the cold is gone and more sun shiney days are ahead. I am so ready for spring. Bring on the warmer weather.

Valentine Boxes.

Earlier this week I pulled up Family Fun on the internet to help get our creative juices flowing. Years past, the kiddo's have made their Valentine Box at school. This year we needed to make them at home and then take them to school.

Hunter chose to do "Crazy Card Bag".

I think it was the name that grabbed his attention.

I cut out the heart and then he drew the face.

He then cut out hands and feet.

Didn't like the 1st set of hands so he did it again using his own hand as a template.

Pretty smart, kiddo!

Meet...

"Crazy Card Bag"

by Hunter

Madelyn fell in love with the "Love Boat" also found at Family Fun. We cut, cut and cut.

She taped, and taped and taped.

It was finally time to apply the stickers.

and

"The Love Boat"

was finally completed by Madelyn.