We Finally Made the Jump

Rob and I finally gave in to our urges to buy a dangerous trampoline. While putting it together I read the jumping instructions. The warnings and usage instructions sent shivers of fear down my spine. I thought that maybe we should pack it back up in the box and take it back to the store. I know EXACTLY why our parents never purchased a trampoline. Thankfully, my longing to lay on the trampoline at night and look at the stars overtook my fears and we have been enjoying it ever since. Our children have had hours of playtime fun, as shown below. It serves as a tool for sibling togetherness. Why didn't it say THAT on the instructions? Rob and I have already been out a few times to look at the night sky after the kids were in bed. As children, we pined for trampolines of our own, but our dreams were never realized...until now. See, dreams do come true!

Graduating with Otter Pops....same as honors.

Bastian graduated from Miss Tiffany's preschool in the middle of May. He was a happy graduate and can't wait to take the summer off from his grueling two afternoons a week schedule. I feel lucky to get him everyday, morning and afternoon, for the next several weeks before kindergarten starts!

Wax Museum

Hayden participated in the fourth grade "wax museum." This is where you dress up like a person in history and when people come around and push your button, you give a short speech about who you are. Hayden chose the inventor of the television, Philo T. Farnsworth, his first cousin twice removed. Philo is his Grandpa Bastian's first cousin. Yeah, pretty cool.

Potty Training...checked off my to do list.

Weston was a star pupil. It was a bitter sweet day as my baby was potty trained this past week. His underwear of choice was Thomas the Train underwear and the coveted Go, Diego, Go underwear (but don't "Go", in your underwear, we want to stay dry). I used the book Potty Training in Less Than a Day....yes, you heard it right...not even one day....less than a day. Why would you EVER want to stretch this horrible event out ANY longer? It worked pretty much like a dream...a good dream.

Are we related?

I was taking pictures of the kids and told Hayden and Abby to smile on three. They were smiling adorably and I took the picture. Then I looked at the screen and saw a smiling Abby and a frowning Hayden. After noticing I yelled, "HAYDEN!" He laughed so hard and Abby joined in. I took a picture of them laughing. It is amazing to me how much they look alike.

April Top Five

One of my bosom friends does a top ten every month. It is such a great idea that I too am going to incorporate it. This month there are 5 things that I have written down that are top ten quality.

5. Hayden getting in the van after school was out exclaimed, "Today was a nightmare! We had to dance with girls!"
You've got to love 4th grade square dancing.

4. Bastian has a shirt that says, "I make dirt look good." While riding in the truck I turned around and said, "Hey, Bastian, you make dirt look good." He looked down at his shirt and pointing to two spots said, "and jam, and gravy."

3. Abby has been having the hardest time practicing piano. One day while she was crying/wailing and was trying to convince me to let her quit piano I said to her, "You begged to be in dance and you quit dance every time we put you in it and you were so excited for piano and now you want to quit. It looks like you're getting really good at quitting." She sobbed, "Mommy, maybe that's one of my talents!"

2. After telling the kids that Rob was getting on an airplane to go to Washington I overheard Bastian tell his friend, "I hope he bees careful.....(pause).....when he jumps out with his parachute because if you don't do it right you can break your arm."
I had no idea that Bastian thought Rob jumped out of airplanes on all his business trips.

1. Getting ready to go to Zion National Park was a BIG job. Since we didn't know how all the parts of our trailer worked a wonderful man in our bishopric, Duane Williams, came to show us how to work everything. When he got to the sewage lines he said, "This one is the chunks. You take this cap off to empty it." He twisted the cap and sure enough that's where the chunks were and they fell out and landed right on his hand! Apparently the previous owner didn't empty it. Rob just about lost his lunch!

I have a few more great things that the kids have said in the past few months:

A cute little Hispanic girl, Shaleen, and her mom walked home with Hayden and Abby from school. Hayden entered the door when arriving home and said, "Shaleen was speaking jibberish in front of us to her mom." I let him know that jibberish was the Spanish language.

While traveling to Arizona Weston was looking for horses and trailers. While passing through a little town he spotted them both. At the next little town he only saw horses...no trailers. On the outskirts of town he exclaimed, "What da heck, where the trailer is?"

Weston was coughing and coughing and coughing. I looked at him with a concerned look on my face and he said, "Just kidding."

While gobbling up loads of eggs I said to the kids, "You guys have been eating up a storm." Weston said, "No, eggs."

While at Walmart Weston and Bastian wanted to ride the toy that takes quarters by the front door. I told them that it was a waste of money. A week later we were walking in a different store and walked by a slew of toys that take quarters. Weston inhaled deeply in excitement and said, "Look at the waste of monies!"

Hayden doesn't like to walk anywhere because he doesn't feel as safe as when he is on his bike. He said of his bike, "It's my defender, my friend, and my protector."

I asked, "What should we have for lunch?" Bastian said, "Wookie Cookies!" (from the star wars cookbook). I said, "Cookies aren't something you eat for lunch. They are a dessert." Bastian said, "Cookies are dessert?"Note to self: teach Bastian the difference between healthy food and junk food.