THE Much Anticipated Pi Day Party

National Pi Day is a "Real Holiday" you can go to the official web site for more information!

Rebekah made this great cherry pi sign to post on the front door to welcome friends to the party.
I think that pi parties are the best to host because there are no holidays that conflict or cause people to have family functions that they have to go to instead. We made some invitations and people come and bring pie and eat pie. And the clean-up isn't bad.
This year was our 2nd annual event and I am excited for many years of March 14ths!

The Leftovers!

Happy Pi Day to All

In honor of National Pi Day, Share some Pie with a friend!

Grand Finale

We all went for a brisk swim!

From natebday

When I was a kid my mother told me I could swim as soon as the temperature was 70 degrees, It was almost 80. The water was cold, I had to tell myself that I have been swimming in the ocean and surely this isn't that cold. It wasn't.

Giving of Gifts

The kids did their shopping at the Renaissance Fair over the weekend. He got a "pet" dragon, cool hat, and 2 wooden paddle boats. And don't forget 6 birthday spankings!

What's a party without a pinata

Hazel and I bought this pinata today. This is interesting because we rode my bike the mile and a half to the party store. The pinata was on clearance so we couldn't pass it up, even though we were only there for balloons. I am sure that we were a funny sight the two of us on a bike with a pinata tied to the back of the baby bike seat with the ribbons from 7 helium balloons.

From natebday

Truman's Second Game

Everyone has a balloon taped to their heel and they chase each other around trying to stomp on other kid's balloons.

Truman Organized A Game

I had to send Truman to the store to get some candles for Nate's Birthday, while he was there he bought some balloons. He organized 2 games. This is the game where you see who can keep their baloon up in the air using only the head.

Hazel Helped Bake Nate's Birthday Cake

Actually she was the clean up crew.

Cheap Labor

The cost:

Thousands of rocks cleaned out of my lawn:

Time Travel

Saturday we went to the Arizona Renaissance Festival. We had a great day. Kenneth and I looked over the events and decided what we wanted to see and then we dragged the kids from show to show. We saw Adam Crack and his fire whips, a falcon show, a sword swallower, glass blowing, two jousting reenactments, storybook museum, traveling carillon bells, and jugglers. We ate lunch on a stick: smoked turkey legs, or sausage on a skewer, or steak on a stake (Hazel had a piece of pizza and Truman had a bread bowl of chowder. These two were not on sticks.) While we were lunching a wandering bard serenaded the kids. He sang a song about six kids (hazel wasn't sitting with them) When he was all finished the kids pointed out that they are really not 6 kids but 7. So he came over and made up averse for Hazel, she was shy and blushed.











































It was a lot of fun but we were exhausted by the time we got home. Hazel and DJ both fell asleep on the floor after dinner.

This is a test. I repeat this is only a test.

3:40AM Our smoke alarms went off. (all 7 of them) Kenneth tried to turn off the alarm clock. We pulled ourselves out of bed. Coming down the stairs I see all 7 kids in a line crawling toward the front door and headed out the front door. I was so impressed that they were all so calm, they even got Hazel out of bed. They all stood in their line on the sidewalk and waited for us to give them the all clear.

(Sometimes when we try to teach our kids, I think they aren't listening or that they think I'm a dork. It is nice to know that they really are paying attention!)

Milestones

This week I reached 2 milestones.
The first was Tuesday. For the first time in 14 years I donated blood. I wasn't pregnant, nursing, or anemic! The workers at the blood drive thought it was pretty funny that I was so excited about it. It also amused them to know that Kenneth and I were having a little mid-day date by donating at the same time.
The second milestone was this morning. Tuesdays and Thursdays Christian, Sydney,Abby and I go jogging in the morning. At the end of our run Truman (He and Kenneth run together) waits at the corner and we have a (sprinting) race. Truman always wins and Christian is usually second place. Today I beat them both!

Life is Never Dull

So we are all done eating breakfast and trying to get everyone's papers signed and lunches packed for school. The kids who want me to sign their papers bring me an assortment of writing utensils knowing that I only sign in pen or pencils. Abby tries crayon and then tries to bring me a colored pencil disguised as a lead pencil. Oh the laughter.... Truman brings me a pencil and I turn to sign and lo... It isn't sharpened! Hysterics again.
Now Truman says "Hey there is a white car in front of our house." Knowing the "made you look" joke I don't look, but Nate being naive, runs out to see. There really is a car so, being Nate, he walks up to the car. It is sitting in the middle of the road in front of our house. They roll down their window and he politely asks "Are you running out of gas?" They reply that they are not, and drive off.

Winter Woes

My winter woe is that winter appears to have gone. (Too soon if you ask me) We measure swimming season from Nate's birthday to Halloween. Hazel has been asking if it was Nate's Birthday yet since Halloween. Today I realized that we only have 10 days left.

Saturday I let the kids play in the hose and eat snowcones.

Take what you can get...

Well loved. That's what it is. Really.


Hazel really loves to boss Dejay around. She leads him to a spot, makes him lay and sit and stay then she gets him back up and drags him to a new spot and starts over. He is a really good sport about it. Earlier this week she made him stay on the rug while she played near him. She talked and talked and he stayed where she put him.

A little later in the week she brought him to me with the headband on. "Look mom! Dejay wants to wear this!" His tail was drooping and his eyes imploring. We clicked the picture and took it off.


Saturday while the kids were out making snow cones and playing in the water, we mad him stay in. I was feeling left out.
Today he finally got what he wanted. Bonding time with Kenneth!