South Mountain

Kenneth's paragliding appointment time was 10AM, so we went on a hike before it.  We hiked the telegraph pass train in South Mountain.  It was a nice little hike.  Once on the trail, we all noticed how long it has been since we hiked and how much we missed it.  Hazel asked how long the trail was and i told her 3 miles and her response was "well.. at least it is now very far compared to Havasupai."  She hiked without a tired moment.  She did make me look bad because I still hiked at the back.  I think Kenneth is soon going to realize that I am slow, not because the little kids make me slow but because I talk too much.  

Nate's Birthday

Holding with tradition, the kids went swimming.  They had just put chemicals in the pool so we had to go back the next day.  The water was still pretty chilly and swimming lasted all of 15 minutes.

We also had to open presents on the 12th.  Nate got a good selection of swimming toys: a water skateboard, some sinking fish and a net to catch them with, and a toypedo.  He also got a pogostick which he quickly mastered, and his very own bike lock.  He has been complaining lately about how baby-ish it is to have to lock your bike to your mom's.

Snug's Spring Photo

Spring Pictures at school make me crazy.  They take all the kids pictures wether you want them or not.  Then they print a packet for you and send it home with your child (the waste of paper is a small forest).  If you want to buy the pictures you send money back.  If you don't want to buy them (which I don't), you send the packet back to school.  The second option is what I always choose causes crying.  This year it was Hazel.  "But Mom, don't you think I am beautiful?  Oh Mom, please don't make me take the pictures back,  my class will think I am not cute.  Mom, They will probably just throw me away if I take them back."  So I also was surprised this year when Abby brought her pictures home.  She also brought me pictures of Snug. 

Pathway finished

President's Day Project

Truman and I have been talking for a long time about laying a brick path in front of the house.  We had a nice steady rain all weekend.  Monday dawned bright an clear.  Christian took up the cause, He and Truman went out to excavate right after breakfast.  I went to Home Depot to buy brick.  It took most of the day to level the path and lay the brick.  Around dinner time, the boy's enthusiasm started to fizzle out.  So we left it.  Tuesday morning I worked on it.  I think I can finish it tomorrow.  I am surprised at how quickly it went, and I wonder what took us so long to get around to it.

Anyone For a Swim?

When I was a kid, my mom would not let us swim until it was 70 degrees outside.  We would ride our bikes to the bank because it had the time and temp. on the sign out front.  Now that I live in the desert I think 80 is a much more acceptable temperature to swim at.  Nate and Hazel have been asking to go swimming since we stopped in November.  Saturday there was much begging.  I rationalized that I would just follow my mom's example.  It was 70 degrees so I said yes.  I didn't really think it would last long, but they played in that pool all afternoon!

Star Student of the Week

Hazel was spotlighted at school this week in her Kindergarden class.  Monday she got to bring home Tally the tiger and write in the journal about something they did together.  Tuesday she got to tale a poster about herself and tell the class about it.  We titled the poster "Hazel Loves:", and then we attached these pictures and captions.

 ... The Tuba

... Her top bunk

...Swimming

...Tally Tiger

...Spotty

...Snug

...Cookies

... riding her bike.

I think that her choice of favorite things really does represent her budding personality.  She likes speed, volume, sugar and adventure!

The Puzzle

Dear Santa,

We really like the painting of the Last Supper.  Kenneth has been working on the puzzle since the day after Christmas.  The rest of us have all given up.  Today, I bribed the children with jelly beans, to help work on the masterpiece.  Please find us something easier next year.  Maybe a whimsical scene without so much shading?  

Thanks,

Megan

The Games we Play

Nate has proved that he is responsible enough to have the lego collection in his room.  He spends much of his time creating.  In fact today as we were all walking out the door for church, I asked where Nate was.  Kenneth went to see.  I heard many loud remarks of exasperation.  Running back, I find Nate in his underwear playing legos and not showered, and Kenneth's face red.  Nate was sent to shower almost 45 minutes before.  To his credit he did get dressed in record time and is thinking about showering on Saturday night next week.

The MIM

There is  a new museum in Phoenix, The Musical Instrument Museum.  Right up our alley.  We went yesterday and were there for almost 2 hours and could have stayed much longer.  When you cam in you were issued a head set.  When you came to a monitor, your headset automatically connected to it.  It was very interesting.  My favorite instruments were the violin modified to project better in the early days of recording, it was a neck and strings, but instead of a body to resonate it had a horn bell.  So it was like a violin-trumpet.  There was one of the drums that was plated in the opening ceremonies of the Beijing Olympics, with the performance on the display.  A piano that might have been the one John Lennon played "Imagine" on. I say might because the display sure made it look like the exact piano but I couldn't find anything that said it was or wasn't THE piano.  Hazel says her favorite part was playing the harps. She played a very heartfelt rendition of Mary had a little lamb on the guitar.  Nate liked the big thing and the demonstration of the goblet playing.  Big thing being the giant Chinese Gong, that you got to hit (one hit per visitor).  Christian commented that he felt bad that Snug didn't have headphones because it made him feel guilty enjoying the sounds with out her.  She was probably just as happy smelling people's smelly socks!

Abby in front of a theatre organ.  Notice the saxophones that are part of it. You can see the drums that are above her head, in the monitor below.

 Here is Truman and Nate watching the theatre organ playing.

 Kenneth played a little Gershwin on these African marimbas.

 Nate and Hazel giving a demonstration of these gong type instruments.

 This is a really primitive marimba made of planks of rough cut wood, pvc pipe, string and some packing tape. I told Kenneth that it gave me hope that our marimba would play.  He frowned at me :(

 I loved these harps.  There were several from different parts of the world.

 Sydney in the room of mechanical instruments.  The collection included player pianos, music boxes, phonographs, mechanical birds, and the theatre organ.

Christian and Rebekah and Snug waiting in the lobby.

Abby's much requested (and somewhat belated) birthday gift

Abby has become quite a passionate flute player.  When the American Girl catalog came before Christmas, Abby found the "Official American Girl Flute Set", and the pleading began.   The set comes with a flute, a flute case, a music stand and a band book.  She asked everyone for it.  She even wrote a "woe is me" letter to my mom about how she really, really wished for the flute set and she was hoping someone wonderful would make her dream come true...  I am happy the she is in love with music and so for her birthday I bought it for her, but there must have been many other little girls pleading.  The flute set was back ordered until January 7.  Ours finally came yesterday!  Kit (the American Girl Doll) has been practicing alot!

Sleeping Beauty

Hazel fell asleep with her legs on the wall last night.  I am told it is because Abby was in the shower and the light was in her eyes.  Kids, who can understand them!