The Fearsome Pirate Frank

I have just not been into blogging lately.  I guess my plate has just gotten a little to full to fit everything I want on it!
We had the pleasure of watching Micah in his Middle school play tonight.  He's taking advanced drama this year and really enjoying it.  There are some good kids in his class too that I hope he can continue to develop friendships with.  Jacob REALLY liked the play and was feeling starstruck with the kids in the play, it was pretty cute.

Micah had about 3 different roles, his biggest was "Pirate #1"  I can't wait to see where this kid goes in life!

Mish Mash in a Flash

Ok, that title just means I'm going to cover a lot of territory in a short time.

Halloween dinner is starting to become a tradition, it happens sometime just before Halloween and it's something "gross".  This year we has Sheep eyes (turkey meatballs with olives) and worms (spaghetti that I used black dye on that turned the noodles purple) and we had blood (fruit punch)to drink, naturally.

 Jacob gets a spotlight in this post, just because he made me laugh.  If you want to see the rest of the kids costumes go to my facebook page.  Jacob and Ben got to dress up for Halloween at school for the first time EVER.  Jacob couldn't wear his Gorilla costume to school because it has a mask so he found a witch costume in our costume bin.  His friends at school didn't even know it was him.  Jacob is a pretty confident kid to wear a girl costume to school!

 I got all the stuff for this craft and cut and sanded the wood and invited my mom over for a craft day.  I love that my mom is retired now and that she's getting into crafting.  We plan on doing craft projects together regularly now.

 Micah's birthday has come on gone and now I have a deacon (church thing if you're wondering)!  I cannot get over the fact that I have a 12 year old 7th grade child, am I really old enough???  This year he requested cake balls, or cake pops.  I had made some with my friend Yolawnda a few weeks before his birthday and he loved them.  I also made a carrot cake in case the cake balls went to fast, we had lots of leftover cake balls and Micah was happy about that.

 I could not get him to just look at me and smile, but that's ok, I got about a dozen pictures similar to the one below, he just kept making all these different faces at me and moving his head.

 My sweet mom came over to babysit so we didn't have to worry at all about the kids.  Micah (Jacob) usually watches his siblings and everything goes well, but we wanted to be able to have a night to just focus on each other and not have to check in on kiddos.  My amazing and wonderful husband took me to dinner at PF Changs, we had gone there for our anniversary a few years back and I loved it but it was too pricey for regular dates, so we saved it for a more special occasion.  Then we rushed over to the William Saroyan theater to see Kristen Chinoweth!  We were in the VERY back row and could hardly see her but we could HEAR her and that was the important thing!  She was amazing and I like her even more now.  She has a great personality and is a Christian woman.  Great night with my best friend.

 Lastly, this has been the big thing in our lives lately.  Our little girl got her ears pierced!  She was so brave and didn't cry or hesitate at all.  Daddy had previously said that 12 would be the age she would be able to get her ears pierced and I thought that was RIDICULOUS, so we compromised and said she could get them pierced when she asked (but I couldn't prod her).  She has been asking for earrings since she was 2.  I would tell her that she couldn't wear them though because her ears weren't pierced and she would just say that when she was older she wanted to get them pierced.  Tyler somehow finally decided that he liked the idea and HE was the one to ask her if she wanted to get them pierced.  We were at Fashion Fair Mall and she wanted to go into Clair's and Daddy asked...she was ready and she picked out these cute little Rainbow Daisy earrings.  She even lets me do her hair now without a fuss so you can see her ears.  Just in time for Santa to bring her some earrings in her stocking!!!

Violin Lessons

Micah has been asking for violin lessons for a while now but with him already in piano we didn't want to spend the additional money and we didn't want to take him out of piano. My mom pulled through for us and for Micah's birthday gift she got him a violin book, lent him one of her violins AND is giving him lessons! She used to teach violin years ago and has been wanting to start playing again, so it works out for everyone!!! They had their first lesson together today and it was fun to see my mom in action, Micah has a great teacher.

Here Micah is playing pizzicato (finger picking). This is one of the first skills before he goes on to bowing.

My mom tuning her violin, next week we'll move them to the music room (aka sewing room) with chairs and music stands.
Micah and Nana Paula after his first lesson.
Thank you mom!!!

Accomplishments

Micah turned 11 on Friday! I cannot believe I have an 11 year old. He's in sixth grade this year, student body VP and he's going to be in the school's play, Cinderella as the Prime Minister this Thursday night! For those of you that know Micah, this is incredible. He has really come out of his shell this year and is realizing his talents and interests. He just crossed over from cub scouts and is now in boy scouts. Life is incredibly busy but good. We have 2 boys in soccer, 2 in piano, 1 in cub scouts, 1 in boy scouts, 2 in the play (Jacob is stage crew) and I'm sure there's something I've left out. Tyler is always busy with Bishopric duties and I am in activity days now (8-12 year old girls week night activities).

Micah got a rip stick (like a skate board but only has 2 wheels) for his birthday. He was the only one that could do it, now Jacob can do it too. When no one was around last night I tried it...I definitely can't do it. I'm so glad I tried it in secret!

Tyler and I were the proudest parents last month, we had all 3 boys get Sparthenian of the quarter! It is like student of the month, they used to award it monthly, this year they only do it quarterly, and this was the first time it was given this year. We are trying our best to make a big deal out of any of their accomplishments so as to encourage them to continue accomplishing things, so we rewarded them with dinner out at Red Robin. It is times like these that I feel like I'm not completely screwing up as a parent!
I am so excited that it is now November, and cold! My favorite time of the year. Time for soup and hot cider, jeans and sweaters, warm pajamas and blankets, cuddling up to my husband at night instead of pushing him away! Thanksgiving and our Anniversary, and of course...Christmas! My sewing bug should be kicking in anytime now, I can't wait!

Star testing results, yes Ty, I'm posting them, sorry!

When I told Tyler that I wanted the boys Star testing results so I could scan them he immediately gave me "the look". The look that says it all. He said, "You're not going to blog them." It wasn't a question as much as it was counsel. I said that of course I wasn't going to blog them, which translates to...I was going to blog them but now I wont because you said that but maybe I still will but later. Got it?

So, it rubbed Tyler the wrong way to hear me tell people how well our boys did on the Star testing. He is very aware of bragging. I don't think we should brag, but I do think it's good for the kids to hear how happy we are with their success. We make a big deal when the kids aren't making good choices, so why not make an even bigger deal when they do something great? Anyway, the first week of school they had a rally and honored the kids that got perfect Star testing scores, so, in my mind, I got license to blog it! I am not bragging, I am just saying that my kids did well in something and I'm proud of their progress and efforts...WAY TO GO BOYS!

We received Jacob's results several days before Micah's and we were blown away by the fact that he scored a perfect 600 in math! Both of our kids have always tested well, scoring in advanced every time, but a perfect score? Wow! I can tell you truthfully that I am not tooting my own horn here. I take zero credit for their math success, I am terrible at math. They must have gotten Tyler's math genes and great teachers.

Many days later we were blown away yet again to find that Micah also got a perfect 600. I was especially surprised at this because he always complains about math and says how hard it is. I am now expecting great things from these kids, when I go back to school they'll have to help me with my math!

One last thing I had to add, both boys wanted to know what they scored in the other category, the exact number, just so they could see who was smartest! I didn't let them look.

And the new student body V.P. is...

Micah Laing!

By some wonderful fluke he ran unopposed. I guess all the other kids thought there was no way they could beat him, jk. It was a huge blessing though. I think this will be really good for him. He gets to do the announcements every morning. Yesterday he did the flag solute, birthdays and a school reminder that they are all super heroes (I think that is their theme this year). His brothers said he did a good job, I wish I could have heard him. He also told me that he can't go anywhere without people saying things like, "Hey V.P.!"

On another topic, Micah has been paying attention to my obsession with Pinterest and wants in on the fun. He came up with this idea and asked me to post it and pin it...

Here is what you do. Get some googly eyes and some everyday school supplies and a pipe cleaner. Glue on the googly eyes, cut the pipe cleaner to your preferred arm, leg or eyebrow length and glue those on. We used hot glue because it adheres and dries quickly but you could really use any glue, maybe even the glue from your soon to be new "friend"! I thought this was a bad idea but all three boys played with them for awhile, what do I know?

End of year awards and Peyton's Snail friend Spydo

Micah got perfect attendance again this year. A feat that is amazing to me because of my own horrific school attendance. Jacob missed only one day and he missed that day because he was sent home from school the previous day because of a fever. School policy says they have to be fever free for 24 hours before returning to school. Jacob actually cried that day because he couldn't go to school. He never had a fever that entire day either, it was gone just a few hours after he was sent home. Anyway, maybe next year. I am very happy though that we didn't have any illnesses with Micah and Jacob and that they didn't want to even fake being sick to stay home, good job boys!

Jacob got the school's Personal Responsibility Award again this year, a pretty big award and we are so happy that he is good for his teachers and a very responsible kid. He also got straight A's all year this year, shouldn't they have an award for that? They did when I was in school. So, GOOD JOB JACOB!
Each of the boys received a medal, below is Jacob's medal.
Tyler and I have been walking the boys to school in the morning, and today, on the way to school Peyton found this new little friend that she kept with her all the way home ( I didn't even crush it when she let it go!). I told Tyler I have never seen a snail crawl all over someone when being held, they always stay in their shell. I got to thinking though, I've never actually seen someone LET them crawl all over them! Don't worry, I washed her up with lot's of soap and water.
On the way home it crawled all over both of her hands front and back and then all the way to her elbow.

Forgot to tell you, NO MORE BRACES!

For the best picture of Micah ever, scroll down.
I have really been out of blogging mode and saw that the Porter pictures were still on the page and that I had to distract Peyton to scroll down to my scrapbooking blogs, I really don't need any of the kids to see that post!
So, first off 2-13-11, Tyler and I collect masks and Peyton wanted on off of the wall. I gave it to her and this is what she did with it...
Silly girl, I think I would have been scared of that mask as a child.

2-15-11, Micah got his braces off!

A little drilling, that's Dr. Freeman, best ortho, I highly recommend him!

This is my favorite picture. They left us alone with this contraption for a few minutes and boy did we have fun, I got a lot of great pictures but this one is the best!

Getting all gooped up for a retainer mold. Micah hates this.

He was a cute kid before but I think he sure looks handsome now with all those straight teeth, next on the list, Jacob.

Tonight...

We celebrated Micah's birthday with the Laing side (as many as could be with us!). I also let my kids play in the rain. Peyton wore her new rainboots that my friend Deann bought her.
She thought it was pretty nifty that she could stand right in the puddle.

The traditional Laing birthday song includes some "tooting" noises between verses

Here is the group that was able to come, minus me.

Mom and Dad with the birthday boy.

So, I have finally uploaded the pictures from my camera from the last several weeks and there are a lot of good ones. Apparently more was going on than I realized and I will have to get to posting! Next up, Halloween.

Double Digits!

A very Happy 10th Birthday to my oldest baby! I love you Micah.

Micah has almost 3 years of piano behind his belt and is doing really well. He continues to excell in school and is finding 5th grade to be more challenging. He likes his teacher at school and church as well. He is an amazing big brother, most all of the time and is much more willing to help out. Micah is still quite an artist and has found a new liking for basketball and would like to play for the school this year. Keep up the good work Micah!

Flag Football

Ben is playing Flag Football right now. His last game is this coming week. It is so much fun to watch him. He really goes after whoever has the ball, he wants that tackle. His favorite part however is throwing and catching the football which they don't do much of. I hope he'll stick with it a few more years so he can get to the "fun" stuff. Not sure I really want any of my kids playing football, but it is fun to watch, but when it's my child out there I'm not sure I'll be able to get past the worry enough to enjoy the game!

Oct. 2nd Tyler was out of town for work, so, once again he missed picture day, sniff, sniff. Micah and Jacob didn't want to play until we got out there the first night and then they felt a bit different. They are looking forward to baseball though, and now that Micah is in 5th grade he can play for the school (yay FREE!).

Potty Training and catching up, somewhat.

My life for the past few weeks has been somewhat consumed by potty training Miss P, exercising and meal planning. I think I can say now that my sweet little girl is potty trained! A few weeks ago I thought she was NOT ready, and now it's been something like 6 days since her last accident. She tells me when she needs to go potty and sometimes goes all by herself! Happy Day! 4 down, none to go! I hate potty training and P made it easy, as easy as can be anyway. I am so proud of her.
This, above, is my latest favorite way to do her hair. She has super curly, ringlet hair, but only underneath. The topmost layer is pretty straight, so I have found that if I wash it and brush it with a wide tooth comb it dries in perfect ringlets underneath and on top I can just curl it, about 5 additional ringlets. So Cute, and pretty quick and easy (as long as she can watch in the mirror!).

I made Peyton and my nieces these dresses and matching baby clothes for Christmas. I wish I had a pic of them all together in them.

Sept. 6th was the last Grizzlies game and we went, minus Jake who was hanging out with his cousin Essien. I now love baseball, go figure. I'm working on football, well, planning on it. I just need someone to take the time to explain all of the many details. You cannot love something you know very little about. So, do you notice how old Micah is looking? He's almost 10 now!

Peyton is pretty girlie in some ways, but in many ways she is very much a tom boy. Micah asked if she was going to be a cheerleader, she said no, she was going to play football.

The first month of school both big boys at the first awards rally got Sparthenian. It's basically like student of the month. I was very happy for that. They are good kids and I am lucky to have them.

Many years ago I did a Rainbow Fish craft with Micah and he loved it. We read the book and then made a rainbow fish. I decided to repeat it with Ben and Peyton. It was so fun to watch Peyton glue on the scales. She was so precise with where she placed each scale and she did such a good job, reminds me ever so much of Micah.

Ben wasn't nearly as particular about the placement of his scales, he was more interested in cutting out his own scales. He is learning tons in Kindergarten and enjoying school quite a bit.

Ben is playing flag football and Tyler is helping coach his team. Ben is very good at throwing and catching the football. I enjoy watching him dance around the field during his games. I think we need to get that boy in a dance class. His latest is break dancing which I think he actually has some talent in.

Peyton often joins me in my exercising. She is so cute. She now has graduated from Girl Pushups ( like Anita) to Regular Pushups (like mommy and Natalie). If you have ever done Jillian Michaels 30 day shred these names would mean something! CHECK OUT HER FORM!

Here she is, watching my dvd while EATING CHIPS!

Notice the diaper? I no longer see that anymore!

This picture I love, it's old news too, she likes to use the "Big Potty" now. Life is good, busy. I'm going to attempt to be better at blogging, but who knows.