Why Not?

This has been a crazy year.  In the last year we adopted a naughty dog, I started back to school, and I continue to homeschool the kids.  Most days I don't even know what the date is but I do usually know what month we are in.  Life is crazy.  So, when a friend asked if we wanted another dog I kind of laughed.  I think my exact words were "Michael will never go for it."  I mentioned to Michael that I had a friend who was trying to re-home a miniature schnauzer and had offered her to us.  I expected a vehement reply instead he just kind of shrugged his shoulders and mumbled, "I like schnauzers." 

A couple days later he asked if I had called about possibly adopting the dog.  I made a phone call and we brought the dog to our house to "babysit" her for a week.  After a week we told the kids that we could adopt her if they wanted.  Big surprise, they all said yes.

We would like to introduce Pita the newest (and definitely last) member of our crazy household.  She is six years old, very friendly and hasn't even bit Sam yet.  I've been tempted to bite him as he drags her around but she has more patience than me. 

Fit of Insanity

After spending a week on the couch I decided to spend some time with the kids.  Michael took Friday off work and we planned to spend the day playing.

The day started with sugar cookie dough.  It seemed a good idea to make and decorate sugar cookies and then share them with neighbors.  I couldn't find my old recipe so we tried a new one.  It was a sticky gloppy mess.  It stuck to our hands, to the table, and to the cookie cutters.  We persevered and managed to get some cookies in the oven.  What started out as chicks and eggs quickly melted down into amoebas.  So, we started over.  I made a second batch and put in the freezer to cool quickly.  After 30 minutes I pulled it out and it was pretty solid.  I decided to mix it a little before rolling it out. My Bosch decided my plan was a bad, bad one.  Do not try to beat frozen cookie dough.  You may end up with a broken spindle and bits of plastic everywhere, including in your dough.  Thankfully I had noticed a lot of wear on my spindle years ago and purchased a couple back ups.  One finally is in use.

We rolled out and baked the cookies and they turned out much yummier and held their shape.  They even had the occasional bit of plastic to wake you right up. 

Cookies!

Our redneck egg cookie cutter.

"I'll get that for you (after I shove another handful of cookie dough in my mouth)."

While the cookies cooled we dyed our eggs. Our first attempt involved eggs, food dye, and shaving cream.  It didn't work very well but the kids loved playing with the shaving cream.

After the shaving cream failed I mixed up some more traditional dye and lets the kids have at it.

The finished masterpieces.  The one shaving cream success is on top. 

After dying the eggs, the cookies were ready for copious amounts of frosting.  After the cookies were done we were all feeling sugar shock.  To combat this we set off on a bike ride.

Michael and I led the kids on a grand adventure that ended at Camel's Back Park.  We haven't been there since Ethan and Libby were little.  The kids saw the steep hill stretching in front of them and started off at a run.  Half way up they were holding on to the rope railing and hosting themselves up.  Everyone made in to the top under their own power, even the littles. 

It was a good day, but crazy.  I don't think cookies are going to be made again next year.  I respect my sanity too much and I don't really like sugar cookies, anyway.

Easter Break

I finished my second semester of college a week before Easter.  I exited math with a huge sigh of relief.  Unfortunately, I knew my next semester started the day after Easter.  I had big plans to make the most of the week.  We were going to do all sorts of school-related activities, I was going to clean the fingerprints off every surface in the house, I was going to scrape the chili off the ceiling (your guess is as good as mine), we were going to bike everywhere and have great adventures.  I think I spent six of the seven days of my break sitting on the couch staring off into space while making low motorboat sounds.  I'm not sure we are all going to survive the college experience.  I did manage to pry myself off the couch for an activity or two. 

We started celebrating a week before Easter with an egg hunt.  The Spencers, a family in our ward has hosted an egg hunt every year for decades.  We've had a conflict for the last four years but we were able to go this year.  Best. Easter. Egg hunt. Ever.

Before the hunt even began my kids were in heaven.  There was a teeter totter, a merry go round, a trampoline, swings, everything a kid could desire.  Plus there were lots of friends, including people who have moved but came back for the egg hunt.  It couldn't have gotten any better.

Those red spots on Sam's face are from when he tripped on our front steps and received a bit of concrete rash.

After playing for a time the kids were all herded into the house.  The adults were handed Rubbermaid totes and giant mixing bowls full of Easter eggs and told to hide them.  Here is the field, ready to harvest.

 Here are the harvesters.

Everybody emptying their eggs and counting their haul.  And, yes, I have taken to stealing other peoples babies.  It's my newest hobby.

"Touch my jelly beans, I dare you!"

March/April Doings

Here is my long post where I try to remember everything we have done in the last month.  With everything laid out this way it looks like I am way more productive and creative than I actually am.  It's a nice feeling.

We learned a little about Australian Aborigines and then created some dot art.  The stones now decorate the front flower bed and are currently the most colorful things out there.

Grace made the yellow lizard (with a fair amount of help), I made the green snake, Sam made the green/blue blob that started out as a lizard, Ethan made the green turtle and Libby painted the green lizard.  We had to make an emergency trip to Fred Meyer for acrylic paint and stop on the way home to "borrow" stones from a rocky road shoulder to make these happen but it was one the most enjoyable art activities we have done.

A few days later we celebrated Pi Day with two Impossible Pies.  Mix all the ingredients in the blender and dump them in the pie pan.  It makes a sort of crust with a custardy filling.  We made dairy free coconut one and modified the recipe to make a lemon pie as well.  The lemon one was much better!

We also learned about DNA.  "Mom, take a picture!"

 We also picked some dandelions,

 threw lots of rocks in the river,

 saw some ducks,

and enjoyed Spring.

Bumper Bowling!

None of our kids have ever gone bowling before.  Monday is apparently cheap night at the BSU Games Center so we headed out for some good FHE fun.  We only had a camera phone on us so the pictures aren't great but at least we (and by we I mean Michael, because I never remember to take pictures...ever) managed to snag a few.

Sam got comfortable waiting for his ball to make it down the alley.  His ball traveled at approximately the speed of a snail who had just woken up and was caught in the suck of a vacuum hose.  On the plus side, the ball only stalled in the middle of the lane twice.

 "Oh, the humanity."

Grace was pretty sure the proper bowling form required her to lay on the ground, perpendicular to the lane and push the ball with her free hand.  If she ever climbs on top of piano to sing happy birthday to someone in her future, she'll have the strangest sense of deja vu.  Libby was kind enough to help.

Michael and Ethan were there as well but they didn't end up in any of the pictures.  I promise we still love them. We all had a good time, and we all learned to be very thankful for bumpers.  I happened to bowl the best game of my life.