Hello.

These pictures are from March, when I walked to school with Talmage and went to gym class with him.  I had mentioned that idea way back when, and he was so excited about it, so we finally made it happen.  It was really fun for everyone- me, Talmage, Orrin, and Wyatt.

They sang a little warm-up song all together--it was so cute I wish I would have recorded it--and then they blasted Disney songs while they took turns in each area.

Climbing and jumping were major themes.

Then I stuck around for a little bit longer while the kids had their snacks and then played outside for a while.  Aren't Talmage and Wyatt on this tricyle-built-for-two SOOOO adorable?!

Here is a picture a few days after Brett had a mountain biking accident.  It was a pretty great black/purple eye.  In this picture it was already fading.

A little playdough time.

Weird face-making.

Some pictures that Hazel, Ethne, and Talmage painted.  Hazel's is the owl of course (her favorite animal), and Talmage's is the cheetah of course (his favorite animal, followed by the peregrine falcon).  Ethne's is the beautiful rainbow.  Favorite animals are a big deal around here, thanks in part to Wild Kratts.

Today the kids (except Jethro) came home with their class information for next year.  Hazel was super excited that she'll have two hours of Englisch!  Jethro was so jealous as they hadn't started the English-being-taught-in-fifth-grade when he was in 5th grade, nor 6th.  I wonder what Hazel will do during that time.  Probably have to write reports or something.  That's what Jethro did when we opted him out of sex ed.  He got to choose his topics, so it was fun for him.  He chose Robotics for one and Utah for another.  That reminds me, for another class everyone did a report on their favorite musician/band, and he did his on Imagine Dragons.  And just barely, everyone did reports (reports in all cases meaning oral reports with posters) on the career he wants to have when he grows up, and he chose Aeronautical Engineering.  A friend of mine got him a fantastic interview by a jet designer.  It was pretty sweet.

So today I was actually working out (unbelievable, I know) and in the middle of the workout-- entitled, incidentally, Six Weeks to Six Pack Abs-- I stopped to rest and eat a Toblerone.  Because that makes total sense to me. (For the record I have no aspirations for a six-pack.  But sometimes this is a little too true:

)

Brett had two phone interviews recently and they both told him he was overqualified.

A few things-

Talmage went to the forest on Tuesday with his kindergarten class. He came home covered in mud--not only on his coat and rainpants, but his face, hands, and even hair. I asked him how he got so filthy and he said, "I slid down a mudhill a lot." That would explain it.

Hazel: I have to go to the bathroom.
Me: Don't do it Hazel!
Hazel: I must. It's my destiny.

We had pigs in a blanket for dinner and Talmage asked for seconds and then said, "And can you pass that tomato sauce stuff?" We're like, "uhh, the ketchup?" Ha ha.

On the day we all walked up to school together, Orrin said to our neighbor (who only speaks German), "I wore this coat Jacka" and it sounded like 'dis coat' and Jacka said, "Disco? Disco party!!" and started dancing.

I finally tuned in to Orrin shouting, "Mom! Mom! Get it out!" So I looked over to where he and Talmage were looking under the couch. So I said, "What is it? What's under there?" And Orrin tried to explain but didn't make much sense, and Talmage was like, "My HEAD!" (Hazel giggled her head off because it was hilarious.) p.s. we got his head out.  

 I recently found this card in my drawer that my mom sent for my birthday a few years ago--she had sent me two at the same time, one sweet sentimental one, and this one that my dad saw and said they had to send as well. It said "Never put off till tomorrow what you can do the day AFTER tomorrow just as well." -Mark Twain
I love that card.