Choir

Ethan and Libby are still loving choir. They just presented "A Night of Broadway". As a choir they sang "Why Are All the D'Ysquith's Dying" from "A Gentleman's Guide to Love and Murder". I don't have a sound recording, but they did a really good job. Their choir was definitely the best of the three we saw perform. 

There were also quite a few smaller group and solo songs (by quite a few, I mean, please, please let this end. Shy, reserved 12 year old girls should not sing ABBA songs.)

Ethan (far right) and his group sang "King of New York" from "Newsies". You could tell these were the older kids. They strutted and owned their stage space, their singing was confident and almost always in key. They did an marvelous job.

Libby (middle, she straightened her hair) and her friends performed "Requiem" from "Dear Evan Hansen". I believe they were mostly on key, but the microphones chose to die right before they sang. We had to strain to hear them, although Libby did do a good job projecting without a mic, once she realized it was dead. Unfortunately, thirteen year olds rarely have the volume to fill an auditorium without electrical assistance. I was proud of her for soldiering on despite the technical difficulties. I had to restrain Michael from going and taking control of the soundboard. Next concert he may just volunteer himself beforehand.

Last Half of February

Grace wrote a report on the colossal squid, which should not be confused with the giant squid. She will be happy to tell you the difference; I have forgotten. She made a colossal squid to present to her classmates at co-op. She made the above representation; a real one can be as long as 46 feet! Also, big thanks to her cousin Aubrey for helping with the construction!

Grace and Sam also made boxes to receive their valentines at the card exchange. With Michael's help they were wired to light up. I guess I didn't manage to get a picture of Sam's with the eyes lit up, but it was pretty cute.

Grace with her glowing box. They each received lots of valentines and lots of candy. Their were no complaints.

We had warm weather in January, and everyone was lulled into hope for a early spring. Then came the end of February. Cold weather, snow storms, and frozen roads were the norm. Grace and Sam got in some sledding, so it did have an upside.

All these teenagers also had snow plans. They were going to travel to an area outside Twin Falls to go sledding. The buses were packed, teens had sleeping bags and warm clothes, and they clutched their bag lunches close. Right when the buses were about to pull away for the overnight adventure, a phone call came in. The roads were too bad, and the overnight portion of the trip was canceled. I ended up with my two teens, plus three more. One bathroom is not enough for five teenagers, but we survived, and they had a good time together.

They even made cake, because, why not?

In the morning I drove them to the church for breakfast and activities. They deemed the activities boring and walked two miles back to my house, much to my surprise. From there they went to the Y for swimming and to wander around downtown. They all returned to their own homes in the evening. I was relieved to have my little house just a little less chaotic.

Still Alive

I haven't updated for a while because I was busy just keeping my head above water. The beginning of February inspired me to try new things, and remember what it was like to just have fun.

We went to the newly remodeled Idaho State Museum on first Thursday, when admission was free. I was amazed at the changes they've made. The whole thing is so much more interactive and hands-on. We spent an easy two hours enjoying the exhibits. Ethan didn't come with us, as he wanted to attend the art museum with his friends. So we grabbed the three remaining kids and a friend of Libby's and went without him.

They explored the train.

While Michael pushed the buttons that made the animal noises. I didn't get pictures of all the activities, but it was amazing. I'm thinking about going back, but it's also really expensive on every other day of the month.

I also decided to try to do more art projects with my little kids, in order to bring some spark back to our school days. I don't know why paint stresses me out so bad, but it does. I breathed deeply, got some canvasses out (yay Dollar Tree), pulled out the masking tape and we did some art.

An hour later we had finished our art, the kitchen was still standing, and life was good.

Some days are just for reading with the dog.

Mornings are still dark, but Michael found some beauty. He snapped this picture on his way home from walking Libby to the bus stop, because she doesn't like the aforementioned dark.

February is a long month, full of cloudy skies and mud. While it will never be my favorite month, I'm trying hard to keep us busy and happy. And I keep reminding myself that Spring will come.

New Year's

Ethan went to a dance on New Year's Eve, leaving the five of us at home. We watched a few movies, ate some junk food, and just hung out. Close to midnight we frantically looked for a New Year's countdown, couldn't find one, and missed midnight by a minute. The confetti cannons were still just as loud and messy and the cider was as sweet at 12:01.

So much confetti.

Days worth of confetti.

Confetti angels worth of confetti.

Never going to find it all, confetti. Two dollars per cannon, five cannons needed. Huge mess. Completely worth it.

Happy New Year.

Cheers.

Burns

After eight months in hospitals, rehab, and assisted living, my dad put his foot down. He is going home.  He still has almost no mobility from the waist down, so his children scurried up to Burns, Oregon where he has lived for the last two decades in an apartment attached to his rock and gem shop.  

We spent a weekend rearranging and tossing old items so Dad could access his home in his wheelchair. My brother basically gutted the bathroom and moved a wall so Dad can get in his bathroom. We moved kitchen cupboards, arranged cabinets, hauled stones, and moved furniture. It was a long weekend, but we accomplished a lot.

We still need to widen doorways and install ramps before he heads home, but we are making progress!

The front of his shop.

Doorways are still way too narrow.

After three days of solid labor, we were gifted with a sunset on the way home. The one thing I miss about living in the desert is the sunsets. Amazing!