Wednesday, June 30, 2010

Swimming Lessons

Trevor and Colin have been taking swimming lessons for the past 2 weeks. There is a girl who just graduated from high school who is a life guard and also teaches lessons at her house. I heard great things about her so I called and got the boys signed up with her. Their last lesson is Friday and Colin has loved it. He told me he wanted to do swim lessons every day. After the second lesson Trevor decided he did not want to do it anymore so Colin got a couple private lessons and he did so well. He is now very comfortable in a swimming pool and he knows how to stay safe and have fun. The other day Logan was out back swimming and Colin decided to join him. After a few minutes I looked in on them to see Colin teaching Logan how to kick. It was the cutest thing. Colin was giving Logan swimming lessons. Luckily, I got a video of them.

Tuesday, June 29, 2010

Money Jar

I was at a baby shower on Saturday and as I was talking to a friend she told me about her recent vacation to Lego Land. I told her how I have been wanting to take the kids there, but I needed to figure out a way to save up some money for it. She told me she had a vacation fund and she secretly put money there until she had enough. So I started to think of a way we could save money for a vacation. Then, when I was at home, my eyes fell upon our giant money jar. It's one of those big, huge Sparklets water bottles. There is some money in there already so I thought that would be the perfect place to save our pennies. I made a sign for the jar so we all know the money in there will go towards our Lego Land trip next year. I think it will be fun to put change in there and see how much we get in a year. Colin is way excited. He keeps telling people about our money jar and that we're saving up for a trip to Lego Land. We might not save up enough to cover the whole trip but I am sure that money will go a long way in helping us have a fun vacation next year. It's always nice to have something to look forward to, something to plan and work on. It just makes life a little more fun.

Wednesday, June 23, 2010

Friends

I called an old friend of mine tonight to chat. I called to ask her a question about someone she knows whom I now know, but we ended up talking about life. She told me what was going on in her life and all of the changes she is making. She told me about being scared because she is going to quit her full time job in order to go to school full time. She told me about being worried about her math and science classes. We've been out of high school for 15 years now (seriously?!) and she is starting from scratch. But I told her she'd be okay and if she needed help she knew lots of people who could be there for her. She told me about her new calling in church and what she was worried about and frustrated with. Then she asked how I was. She asked about our new house and the new ward. She asked about my kids and how my family was doing. We talked about making plans to get together with the other girls we have known for forever. I think of this girl and I think of my life and I can't remember her not in it. I don't have a memory of when I didn't know her. And that is the same for many of the friends I still have today. Lately I've felt a little lonely for friends. Not that I don't have any, but sometimes they feel so far away, even when they are not. I don't take the time to always pick up the phone and call a friend like I did tonight. I have not talked to this girl since we went out to dinner back in April or May, but when I called her tonight it was so nice because it was like talking to my sister. And that is what she is. We grew up together, this group of girls who I love so much. And the reason we're all such good friends, the reason we can be so close even when we don't talk all that much is because we're like sisters. And every time I am with them or talk to them I am always uplifted. They always say something I need to hear, they always make me happy to be me. The Lord put them in my life for a reason and there is something special about the friendship we all share. We're all very different in so many ways but we have a common thread that seems to keep us knit together. And I know that thirty years from now, or even more, I'll feel the same way about them as I do now.

Monday, June 14, 2010

Cupcake Date

The other night Colin and I were sitting on the couch together watching Cupcake Wars on the Food Network. As we watched the introduction of the different bakers Colin kept asking, "Is that real?" I kept telling him over and over it was real. Then he said, "Do you know where that muffin shop is?" (my kids call muffins cupcakes and cupcakes muffins - I'm not sure why.) I told him I didn't know where the ones on the TV were but I said to him, "I do know where there is a cupcake shop where we live." He got all kinds of excited. During the whole rest of the show (he stayed and watched the whole hour with me) he kept talking about going to the cupcake shop and getting a cupcake but just me and him. He said, "Not Dad or Trev or Logan. Just me and you, Mom." So, by the end of the show I had him convinced that he and I would go on a date, a cupcake date, to the cupcake shop. He wanted to go right then, but I told him we would pick a day and write it on the calendar and we'd have something to look forward to. In the past Dave has taken the boys on little father/son outings. He's planned a day and done something simple like going out for ice cream or taking one of them to the park or to run errands with him and then getting a treat. I always said it was good for them to spend time with him since he's always at work and I'm always home with them. But I never thought that they might need some more one on one time with me. I see them all day, everyday, but sometimes that's not what they want or what they need. Colin has been saying a lot lately, "Mom, I just want to cuddle with you." But then Logan will come along and push Colin aside. It must be hard when someone else always seems to be getting the love and attention you want. I took Trevor with me to the library and the store on Saturday and it was fun being with just him. They are different when they are alone with me or Dave. When they are the only kid they are different and it's nice. It's nice to just talk to them and pay attention to one kid, instead of having to try and divide your time and attention between all three. It's not just them who needs the one on one time with Dave or with me. I think we need it too. It's just nice to be alone with a kid who is loving the attention.

Friday, June 4, 2010

Summertime

Trevor has been so excited for Summer Vacation. I remember when I was a kid I also looked forward to the days where I could be lazy and ride bikes with my friends, have sleepovers in the middle of the week, eat ice cream and Popsicles, watch TV in the middle of the day and go on family trips. We don't usually have big things planned for our kids, but this summer we have a few things that should make it fun for them. A couple of weeks ago Dave was called to serve with the 14-15 year old boys at church and help with their scouting. There are already camping trips planned and he decided it was time to buy a tent. Dave went out on Monday and bought a tent that will sleep the whole family as well as a pool for the kids. We decided we would take the boys camping a few times this summer and we set the pool up today so they could swim. They did not have patience to wait for it to fill up all of the way so they got in and played for a little bit. It will be nice to have, something for them to do to cool off and get out of the house. In the coming weeks we'll have trips to the library, splash parks, friends over to play, camping trips, and at the end of the summer a family reunion in Reno. Happy Summer!

Tuesday, June 1, 2010

Thanks Aunt Debbie and Hooray for Trevor!

For our birthdays this year Dave's sister, Debbie, sent us gift certificates to Baskin Robbins. Yesterday, after taking the boys to a splash park (LOVE those places! Wish they had them when I was a kid) we went to get ice cream. They loved looking at all of the the different flavors and deciding what toppings to put on. It was a fun treat and we still have some certificates left over! So, thanks Debbie for the cool treat on a hot day.
Today was Trevor's awards assembly. With the school year coming to a close tomorrow, I look back over this year so happy for the teacher Trevor had. His teacher has been teaching school for over 20 years and she loves it. You can tell by the way she talks to the kids, the way she works with the parents, and the way she runs her classroom that she knows what she's doing and she does it because it's something she really enjoys. Trevor's teacher was very strict in her classroom rules and the way she graded, but it was what he needed. He was challenged this year in so many areas but he learned so much. He did not get straight A's, did not get just A's and B's but he did so well and we are so proud of him. He struggled in writing all year and when he brought home progress reports and report cards with C's in writing he was so excited. He knew he worked hard and brought up his grade. I have seen so much change in him this year with the way he reads and writes. It's been so fun to see him learning. I have loved working with his teacher. She has been so supportive. She has been honest with us and has helped us as parents to help Trevor in the things he needed. She looked for the good in Trevor and worked with him on what he needed to improve. Today when she was presenting her awards she started to cry. It just shows me what a dedicated teacher she is and how lucky I feel that Trevor had her this year. Trevor got awards today for attendance and improvement.