What?

SHARK!

Be an Angel Day 2016

It has been a busy year so far.  We've done a lot, but I haven't always had time for blogging (or I've been too tired or I just haven't wanted to, etc. etc.).
So here are the kids on the last day of school last school year.

 
Here they are on the first day of school this year.

They started school on Be an Angel Day.  Apparently they were well behaved.  :Phew.
I wasn't really worried.  They are angels.
Since it was Be an Angel Day, for dinner we ate chicken alfredo with angel hair pasta.  Yumm.

I'd been promising the kids all Summer to eventually take them to the Museum of Natural Curiosity at Thanksgiving Point.  Finally on the first day of school, we did that for FHE.

There's a spot in Kidopolis where you can change a marquee to say what is "playing" at the theatre.  Nichole went up there to change it.  I was sitting down with a sleeping Lucky in my arms and had a great view of how she was changing it.  I could tell at first she was trying to make it say "World of Birds."  (Where does she get it from?)  She found she didn't have all the right letters so I could see her changing it to say "World of Animals."  Again, not all the right letters.  By this time, Jeremy had joined me and we watched as she changed the marquee to "World of Beasts" and as she is so clever, she made it into "World of Egg Beasts."  Yeah, so she got her "World of Birds" in there after all.  So clever.

Skipping ahead to today.  It is National Waffle Day.  For dinner we had... waffles.

Father's-Son's Camp-out

While Nichole, Lucky, and I had a girls' plus night, Jeremy, Jr., and Jr. Jr. went to the ward's Father's-Son's camp-out.
They ate hot dogs and s'mores and french fries and scones, started a campfire, and slept in a tent.

And got really really dirty.
Good times.

Girls' Night

While Jeremy took Jr. and Jr. Jr. to a Father's-Son's camp-out, Nichole, Lucky, and I had a girls' plus adorable two-year old boy night.

We ate pizza, gummi bears, and brownies while watching a movie.
Good times.

Bad Poetry Day 2016

Up the mountain

To the summit we climbed.

Sometimes deer,

Sometimes cows,

Sometimes bicycles we passed. 

Up the mountain

To the place of trails we waited

And waited

And waited

And ate chips

We followed the trails to find the birds.

Not three-toed, but hairy, the woodpeckers we found

Some mystery birds and juncos, too.

No more as the noise of whining occurred.

Down from the mountain we finally came.

Cows we passed

Again

and again.

Home, we arrived. 

The parents napped.

The children vegged.

The poem ended.

Juggling BBQ

It's that time of year again.  We were able to go to a friend's juggler's BBQ again this year.

Nichole was very interested in joining in the juggling this time since she's had quite a bit of experience now.  She was able to learn some new tricks while we were there. 
On the way to the BBQ, we had scripture study in the van.  We discussed the 10 Commandments in Exodus, including the commandment, "Thou shalt not steal."  We let the kids know that you shouldn't take other people's things without permission and definitely not with the intent to keep them.  Then we explained since we were going to a BBQ, "Thou shalt not steal... except while juggling."  That was one of the tricks Nichole learned this evening- stealing- taking the juggling balls from someone else while they're juggling and keep juggling them yourself.

She also learned to pass six juggling balls between two people.

All that juggling was good exercise and good fun.  The boys kept themselves content with the bounce house again.

And with food.

This year we contributed some interestingly flavored chips and something that's new.  Limited Edition Swedish fish Oreos.  Yep.  Now those are interesting.  They are not the best tasting.  Our kids liked them, though. Interesting kids.

In general the chips were better.  The Greek Tzatziki and dill pickle flavors were my favorite.  I didn't care much for the Brazilian ones or the biscuits and gravy.  The cheddar bacon mac and cheese I could take it or leave it.
Great time this evening.