April

 So for April fools did our traditional meatloaf cupcakes with mashed potato frosting and for dessert we had this.  It was a brownie steak, Ice Cream mashed potatoes with chocolate gravy and lime tootsie roll peas.  The kids think it is fun.  Although my son had a hard time at first getting past the appearance.

 This is our baby growing up way to fast and wanting to use the neighbors big boy bike.

 My daughter showing her mad hula hoop skills.  She is using 3 hula hoops.

 My son starts Kindergarten in the fall and here he is at Kindergarten orientation.

 Fun at the Park.

 

 Hey look mom I can go fast down this and it feels like a roller coaster.

 This year we tried soccer again.  My husband coached our son team.  They had a lot of fun doing this together.  The best part is our son played this year.  He at one point stopped trying to kick the ball though and felt it was his job to keep the other team out of his friends way to make a goal.  One step at a time right.

 Great Grandma came to visit one day.  It was a nice surprise.  Here she is listening to a book on CD with my son.  She was so sweet with him.

 She also brought the kids gifts.  Here is our youngest enjoying the crayons she got.

 Then one day after Stake Conference we thought it would be nice to drive to the Temple and enjoy the view.  Here the kids are having fun on the grass.

 Our kids love to sleep in the same bed sometimes.  Sometimes one of them just really wants the extra comfort.  They can be very sweet.  However the youngest try as she might is not allowed to join in yet.  She is a little young still.

End of the Year Field Trips

 So in April I got to go on a few field trips with my kids.  Thanks to my generous neighbor who watched my youngest and my husband for working the really late shift on the end of the month so he could take care of the two younger kids.

The first field trip was to a bird preserve with my oldest.  She had fun using binoculars, seeing tadpoles and learning about the habitats of the animals.  They got to see Blue Herons nesting using binoculars.  They also got to see a garter snake and learned about a few other animals.

Here she is on the bus with one of her friends.

The amazing view

 

Using the binoculars and talking to friends

Learning about animals and the foot prints they leave behind.

Learning about animals ecosystem and life cycles.  Here they get to see tadpoles in various stages.

The next field trip was with my son and his preschool class.  They got to go to a local farm and hold a baby goat and bunny.  They also got to see a few other animals.  He loved holding the goat the most.

He is fascinated by the bunny.  I think he was afraid to hold the bunny too tight.

The last field trip was to see Red Butte Gardens and the Natural History Museum.  It was also with my oldest.  She had fun trying the herbs, seeing the flowers, and feeding the ducks at Red Butte.  Then it was fun to eat lunch with her.  I don't get that opportunity much while she is in school.  I hate that school days are so long so going on field trips is great because I get to spend some extra time with her.  Then we explored the Natural History Museum.  It was fun.  The kids enjoyed seeing the different interactive stations.  They also were desperate to go check out the chocolate and how it is made.

 

This was our little group of girls

March

 March was a good month.  Also busy.  At the beginning of the month we took advantage of the warm weather and I with our 2 youngest to youngest met up with daddy at the park halfway between our house and work during his lunch break.  It is nice for the kids and to see their daddy during the day and get to play with him.  We miss him coming home for lunch since his office moved and sometimes we need some daddy time.  My youngest was being a stinker and I couldn't get her to look at the camera.  But they are fun pictures anyways.  My son is older and very adventurous.

 

 

 

 Then our oldest was in the school play this year.  She got to be one of the bitty crows that help Jim Crow torment the Scarecrow.  This was a very emotionally and physically exhausting experience.  I am not sure that I will let her do another play for a couple years.  I had a couple issues with the director where I did not feel she handled things as well as she could have.  This was her last year and so I will see what happens over the next few years and see if other parents feel that things improve.  I don't have any video since we were told we were not allowed to video tape due to copy right laws.  I think that is silly with a school play.  We did order the DVD they made but are still waiting to get it.  I think I will have my husband call since he is nicer and better able to work with people and get things done.  Our oldest did awesome.  I am her mom and completely biased but I was proud of her commitment and dedication.  She knew her lines and got every one of them as long as the other kids got out of her way and let her say them.  But even when another kid said her line instead of letting her get to the microphone she handled it well and still had fun.  They had two casts and so we have one picture with her and her counterpart in the other cast.  They are cute.  She also played an extra monkey and a gold dancer.

The cast getting together before the play getting a pep talk and some instructions.

 On stage as a crow.

 Monkey make up and Gold dancer costume.

 My son made his bed and this is how he had his Fireman Sam and fire monkey cuddle.  I went in to his room after he went to school and thought it was adorable.

Picture of me and our youngest.

 My husbands birthday and his cake.  He wanted a chocolate cake with chocolate and peanut butter frosting.  I was happy with how yummy it was.  He loved it which made it worth it.

 I love this guy.  He makes me smile and loves me in so many ways.  I am so lucky to have him in my life.  He is the Best Dad to our kids and an Incredible Husband. Our youngest adores him and when he comes home gives him a big smile stops whatever she is doing and gives him a big hug and then follows him everywhere.  He is a great example to our son of how a man should be and our oldest loves to spend time with him because he is so much fun.  I hope to share many more birthdays with him.