It's Not Easy Being Green

Love the fall colors

Love to see the kids hang out together.

This picture cracks me up, cause we are really green.

Big Mouth

Todd has a huge mouth and is always trying to stuff it with something. Here is Todd giving Scott instructions so he can shove an entire piece of french toast in his mouth.

Here is Scott trying to do it. He just couldn't get the whole thing in there. And then Scott went into his issue of it not being sanitary to touch your food. How could two brothers be so different?

Is it the weekend yet?

Callie goes down again. Honestly, she is proud of this and calls it 'epic'

The soccer field is along way from anywhere. Wes went and got the golf cart to get her to the car. He drives is like a maniac. She is lucky she wasn't injured again.

This week has been crazy. I planned this great trip to Utah this weekend. The band has a competition in Payton and I thought it would be great to get all my kids together for the first time since Todd got home. First Richard gets sick, then Callie hurts her foot, Scott got sick yesterday and I never fess up to being sick, but if I talk, I cough. Uggg.

On a happy note. Callie is not using crutches. No one likes it when I talk anyway. And I heard a funny taking Rich to school today. This was the poll question: Is it okay for kids to keep a gun in their car if they are going to go hunting after school? Only in Idaho!

Random Monday Thoughts

Rich and Callie are both healthy enough to participate in sports again. We have games and cross country meets everyday this week. Not to mention a Marching Band Show in Utah on Saturday. Remind me again why I let them get better.
We have never been more than 5 minutes early to Stake Conference (a church meeting). The kids were in a choir, so we all went early. To my surprise the Stake Presidency (leaders of this meeting) came in and shook hands with many in the congregation. Is that normal or do we truly live the friendliest place in the world?
I enjoy subbing, mostly because I get an unexpected day off every now and then.
We are going to Utah on Friday with the kids and to see the rest of our kids. Their band teacher wrote the show after his wife left him with 5 kids. It is called 'Aftermath' and as far as I can tell, is symbolic of his life after she left. However he says it is symbolic of the aftermath of nuclear war. All I can say, is you should never write a marching band show when going through a divorce.
Happy Monday all!

Quilt Magazines

I love it when I receive a quilt magazine in the mail and can't wait to make something in it. This is from the Fons and Porter Love of Quilting magazine. When I saw it I just couldn't help myself, and started pulling fabrics from my stash. It is not done, but I put this part together the other day when I did not have to work. This issue has a couple of others I may try. I have to admit that I have had more sub jobs than I had anticipated. It is good to be back at work, but it takes away from sewing time.

Raffle Quilt

Elaine made over $2000 for Pancreatic Cancer. It turned out to be a very healing experience for her. Congratulations!
This is quilt is going to be raffled for Pancreatic Cancer research. Tickets go on sale at the Harley Davidson shop in Reno in two weeks. It was made by one of the ladies in my quilt group. It really is a cool quilt made with scarves acquired from E-bay. If your interested, let me know. I apologize for the photo, there just wasn't much room.

Homecoming

The Football Team

School has started and football is already in full swing. Football in a small town is a very important part of life. The games draw a big crowd. I would say about the population of the town. It seems really early, but they had homecoming this week. I have been going to homecoming parades for a few years. The Jerome parade is kinda fun. They go by all the schools, making it a 4 mile parade route. The grade schools come out and cheer as people go by and throw candy at them. I figure a huge percentage of the H.S. is in the parade. The band has about 120 kids, 3 football teams, 4 soccer teams, 2 cross country teams, 4 class floats, and homecoming royalty, can not leave too many to watch. A good time is had by all.

Here is the girls soccer team. Boys and girls soccer team walk it. Callie is the player between the two in the front. Wes is driving his truck behind them.

Here are the kids just waiting for the parade to start.

Zucchini Chocolate Chip Cookies

'Can I bring you some Zucchini?'
I say sure, I'd love some. Well she brought me 6 of them. So I have been having some zucchini fun. Here is a new recipe I tried and we loved them.

1 cup sugar
1 cup brown sugar
1 cup butter
Cream together and Add
2 eggs
2 tsp vanilla
Mix together and add dry ingredients
3 cups flour
1 tsp salt
1 tsp soda
1 tsp baking powder
Mix well and add
1 cup coconut
3 cups oatmeal
2 cups chocolate chips (you could use raisins)
2 cups shredded zucchini
mix well.
Bake at 350 for 12 minutes. You can half this recipe.

Political Agenda

I have been reading the buzz by upset parents who are worried that the President of the United States wants to make a speech to their children about education. I have some thoughts on this issue, as I have children in school.
1. I am not a Republican, so I do not understand the brainwashing theory. I mean, I have no idea what the heck they are talking about. The reality is, it won't matter what he says, because they only listen to the first 7 words (that is what one of my child development books said and started to watch kids after reading it --- very true). So if he is going to brainwash (?????) them, he basically has 7 words to do it in.
2. I think that it is wonderful that the leader of the nation would take time out of his busy schedule to talk to children.
3. Because of No Child Left Behind, there has to be a lesson plan to go along with it and make it standard based or educators can't take the time away from preparing the children for a test to watch it.
4. I want my children to have their own political views. I want them to study and learn and listen and see what they truly believe.
5. No matter what my political views are, I believe that we need to have respect for elected officials. It is diversity, that makes us a great nation.
Thank you for your comment Rich, I couldn't agree with you more.

Cruel and Unusal Punishment

My daughter came home from a long Saturday of playing soccer hurt. She hurt her hand, it really did look broken, so we started the ice, 20 on - 20 off, pain meds, and wrapped it up. It still did not look so good on Monday, so after spending 1/2 hour on the phone trying to get her into my sons orthopedic surgeon, took her to the hospital for an x-ray. It looked broken to everyone at the hospital, but it was not. Must be bruised. What were my instructions? ice, pain meds (same ones we were taking) and wrap it up.

Now I know that some of you think that all children's injuries should be rushed to the hospital asap. Here's the thing, I have never had a doctor tell me that. I had a doctor tell me he was so busy, that he couldn't cast for two days. I had to take a child back two days later for a cast that I did rush in, because it was too swollen, but never did anyone tell me, you should have been here sooner. Even when we were 3 weeks late. Why do I wait? If you go right in, you have to make another trip to cast anyway. I hate hospitals because I think there are too many germs there. And most important, does it really matter?