Catching Up- April

Lots happened in April, too.  Including Spring Break where we were so busy with things around here, we didn't go on any big trips.

We did celebrate April Fool's Day on April 1. I am amazed that no matter how many times I do the jello instead of Kool-aid trick, I still have kids that fall for it. This year, I put the jello in a pitcher so when the boys tried to pour it out, it wouldn't come. I did mugs for Jeremy and me. It's a nice trick because they still get a treat out of it.

In April, Lucky got to go to a friend's birthday party. I love that the friend's older sister (still younger than my oldest) volunteered to run things for the party. What a great sister. So the kids played games, did some face or hand painting, had treats (made by the mom), and enjoyed present opening. Jeremy and I stayed, just in case we were needed for crowd control, but we really just chatted with the mom most of the time since she's our friend. Lucky had a blast.

April 2 was National Peanut Butter and Jelly Day. Guess what we ate.

April 3 was Fish Fingers and Custard Day. Guess what we ate.

We went to visit our friends in Kaysville during Spring Break and took them cookies to say thanks for their kindness to us last Summer.

My ministering sister brought me daffodils to brighten my day.

Jr. and Jeremy went to see the sage grouse displaying. Nichole and I missed it this year.

We watched General Conference at home and had nachos, of course.  Jr. was able to watch his first Priesthood Session with Jeremy. They enjoyed their time like Nichole and I enjoy our time when we watch the Women's Session.

On Sunday, we had friends over to watch Conference with us.

After Spring Break, plenty more happened.

Our upstairs neighbor texted us to say, "There's a turkey in the backyard." Yep, a wild turkey hanging out in the backyard. We get some interesting birds here.

Jeremy did a couple sculptures for the 15th anniversary of the Tulip Festival and got a commemorative pin. It's the year for commemorative pins.  He also got commemorative pins for Orem's Centennial.

One sculpture was in April. The other was in May, so stay tuned for that.

April 18 was National Velociraptor Awareness Day.  We took that opportunity to start Nichole on the Jurassic Park movies. Tee Hee.

Jeremy received VIP tickets to FanX in Salt Lake City. We got pins there, too. Lucky went with us the first day and dressed up.  Just Jeremy and I went the second day and dressed up.
Lucky did pretty well that first day. We figured he is just the right age.  He stayed with us and didn't run off. He did well in the one panel I cared about going to- Warwick Davis. Since we had VIP tickets, we got a nice close seat.  Lucky and I talked about different movies Warwick Davis had been in and he enjoyed it.  I always liked Warwick Davis before but through his panel I came to like him even more.  He's a great guy, funny, nice, and he didn't say anything that made me cringe or need to cover my son's (or my) ears.

After a while, when we couldn't find activities that Lucky wanted to do, we decided to reward him for being so well behaved. So he and I picked Nichole up from the bus after school and we all went to a park so Lucky could play on the playground and Nichole and I could chat.

The second day, Jeremy made a balloon costume of a cyberman to wear. I went easy and borrowed a Harry Potter robe and scarf from Nichole. We made sure to get pictures with the Tardis. At the end of the day, we ran into friends and got pictures with Jeremy and ZZ.

I was done by the end of those two days. I enjoyed it but I was done.

April 21 was Easter. Church was wonderful and dinner was nice.

For FHE the day after, we had an Easter egg hunt with our upstairs neighbors.

April 26 was National Pretzel Day. We had pretzels dipped in cheese sauce.

We got out and did our short-eared owl survey again in April. We didn't see any short-eared owls but Jeremy and I did see some burrowing owls.

Nichole got free tickets to an orchestra concert so she and I took a mother-daughter evening and enjoyed the music together.

Jeremy was asked to teach at a balloon jam in Salt Lake.  His subject- how to break a world record.

So there was plenty we did in April and now I'm done blogging about it.  On to May.

Again?

What is it about balloon sculptures attacking our children?

"And I've Never Been to Boston in the Fall"

International Talk Like a Pirate Day, September 19.

5th year in a row of going to Thanksgiving Point to hand out balloon swords to kids who talk like a pirate to us.  This year we went to the Museum of Ancient Life again.
This year, Jeremy did the costume a little bit different.  He didn't make it to fit himself.  He didn't make it to fit me.  He made it to fit Lucky.  When given the option, Lucky was sooooooo excited about the idea of wearing the costume.  Jeremy based the costume on Pa Grape, one of "The Pirates Who Don't Do Anything" from "VeggieTales."

Since Lucky's three, Jeremy built the costume so it was easy to get on and off.  If Lucky got tired of hopping around (he knew that veggies don't have feet), he could slip out of the bottom of the costume.  Every time he saw someone coming, though, he would slide back in and hop toward them.

I think he had a good time.  He did need a couple breaks where I took him into the actual museum part of the museum not just the lobby.  The pirate costume was able to stand up even without someone in it.  Yeah, my husband is awesome to build it like that.

After Thanksgiving Point, we headed down to the Orem Library.  Jeremy read Lucky a few books... while he was wearing the costume.  So cute.  It was only a little disturbing while Lucky picked out the books and put them back.  He stuck his hand out the middle of Pa Grape's face.  Jeremy had built the costume so Lucky could see out a hole in the face but which wasn't noticeable to people looking at the costume from the outside.  Have I mentioned my husband is awesome?

This year also marked the first year Jr. Jr. did not accompany us since he has all day school now, not just half day.  We also didn't pick the kids up from school with the costume.  Since some kids can't help but poke and pull balloons (4 years of balloon costume experience talking), we thought it might not be safe for our little guy to wear the costume for that.  Some traditions stay the same, some change.

We forgot about getting donuts which has also become tradition.  We stopped going to Krispy Kreme a few years ago to get free donuts since it took too long, so we've just been buying donuts the last few years.  This year Krispy Kreme didn't do the free donut thing for Talk Like a Pirate Day anyway.
While Nichole and Jr. were at mutual and scouts, Jeremy got some donuts so we had donuts before bed.  I didn't take a picture.

Between piratey costuming and scouts and mutual, we went to dinner at a friends' house.  The dad in this particular family does carving.  One of the things he carves is the inside of golf balls.  Did you know the inside of golf balls could be carved?  Cool, right?  Because of the holiday, he gave us a pirate he carved and painted.  It's so cool.

So it was a good Talk Like a Pirate Day.  We did so much that day, which is not surprising.  We're pretty busy people... as you know because I keep telling you.

What did you do for International Talk Like a Pirate Day this year?

Talk Like a Pirate Day 2016

September 19 is International Talk Like a Pirate Day.
We continued the tradition of going to Thanksgiving Point wearing a balloon costume to hand out balloon swords for children who talk like pirates.  We went to the Ashton Gardens this year.
I put up a YouTube video showing our past balloon pirate costumes.  This year's costume was based on the zombie pirate LeChuck from the computer game series Monkey Island.

Jr. Jr. and Lucky had a lot of fun helping hand out swords and having sword fights with kids.  When Thanksgiving Point heard we were going to be coming again for the holiday, they changed their theme for their Tales for Tots story time to be pirate-themed.  It was terrific.  The kids went on a treasure hunt with their pirate swords and made a pirate ship on paper out of cut out shapes.  Good stuff.

Since Jr. Jr. is in kindergarten this year, we told him that this would be his last year to do this for Talk Like a Pirate Day since he'll be in school all day next year in 1st grade.  He seemed disappointed with the idea.  Apparently this is a good tradition for him.  Later he told us that this wouldn't be his last year doing this because he could do it when he's a parent.  Awwww.  
We never have time to get free donuts at Krispy Kreme anymore so I just bought some at the grocery store this morning while I was getting supplies for dinner.  Nichole requested "squid pups," carrot hooks, and cupcakes with skull and crossbones on top.  We also had cream soda.  It's amazing what kind of traditions happen because these kids expect certain things to go with certain holidays.

Jeremy did put together a pirate ship out of furniture again, but it didn't last very long before some of the kids had some trouble with it and we had to put parts of it away.  So no epic balloon sword battle this year. 

It was a busy day and Jeremy and I stayed up late last night and got up really early this morning working on the balloon costume, swords, and that video (while watching Pirates of the Caribbean this morning).
He is currently sleeping on the couch and I am trying to hurry to get this post up so I can get some rest, too.

Ooh, ooh.  And I finally got to wear my pirate ship necklace that my parents gave me several years back.  I keep forgetting about it on Talk Like a Pirate Day but I remembered this year.  Hooray!