Landon Turns 4

Happy Birthday to my sweet boy, Landon! Yesterday he turned 4! He woke up and first thing he asked for was his chocolate cake :) It was torture for him to watch it come out of the oven, leave for church, come home and eat lunch, watch me frost it and THEN wait until after dinner to eat it but he was so happy to finally eat his chocolate cake with chocolate ice cream...truly his mother's son!

About a month ago, I gave Landon a few options for what his cake could be. When I would ask him, all he would respond with was "CHOCOLATE"! He finally decided a Lego cake would be cool. I found this one and it was perfect. And best of all, he thought it was perfect!

You may remember this post about Legos. One of Landon's favorite activities is playing with Legos. He is really creative and loves to say "Mom, look at this!" as if he just created the most awesome car/ship/boat in the world...oh wait, he DID! :) I decided to get him a couple new Lego sets. One is a set that makes 3 different cars and the other is a jeep, jet ski and trailer. I think they were a hit!

When Rob was out in the hall during Sunday School with T, someone came up to T and handed him a Lego motorcyle. It made for a nice race. Too bad my camera isn't fast enough to get all the action...

He is definitely a non-stop, active little boy and likes to do things by himself (which can be good and bad!) If he is not playing with Legos, he is usually watching a movie or riding his bike (or a combination of those). He usually does not watch a full movie in one sitting. There are times when Trevor is taking a nap and I'm at the computer so he'll start a movie, after about 15-20 minutes he'll jump up and hit pause, run upstairs and I'll either hear him climbing up on the kitchen counter to get himself a piece of bread (and often butters it and puts cinnamon sugar on it by himself...just picture globs of butter and he leaves this behind)...

funny kid doesn't like the top crust

Or I'll hear the garage door open and the sound of his training wheels rattling down the sidewalk. If you live on our street, you'll know the sound I am talking about. It's a distinct sound that his training wheels make! After a few trips up and down the sidewalk and neighbors' driveways, it's back inside for another 20 minutes of the movie.

This boy makes us laugh (you've read the posts from his and Rob's conversations), gives me cheesy grins when he catches me looking at him, doesn't make it through a day without needing a bandaid or getting all sorts of bruises on his arms or legs, and can be shy in new situations but once he gets comfortable, he is a little ham. We are so glad Lando is ours!

One Busy Saturday!

Today was one of those perfect days. Alot to do and alot got done. The beautiful weather started out a little cool and windy from the rainfall overnight, but was nice and sunny by the afternoon.

Our busy day started at 8:00 when a friend came over to install the new countertop in the basement bathroom. A couple of weeks ago, we heard about a sale at Cache Valley Countertops and went to see what remnants they had. The only bathroom vanity top they had that was long enough (we needed 6 1/2 feet) was this one. It was a little darker than I had planned on getting but for $50 for a ten foot section, you can't complain. Our friend used to work there and he said he'd help install it. This project is slowly but surely getting done...

During the install, Rob and Landon stayed home while I took Brynlee, Ashlee and Trevor to Brynlee's soccer game at 10:00. We got home about 11:15, the countertop was in, and it was off to Ashlee's soccer game. (Side note: Rob took team pictures for Ashlee's team on Wednesday and we put together a photo collage for each of the girls)...It was home for a late lunch and then we hauled everything out of the garage, gave it a good sweeping and put everything back in. Boy it looked really big without all the bikes, bike trailer, 4 strollers (do we really need to own 4 different types of strollers? Ah, yes we do!) and all sorts of other STUFF (useful stuff but nonetheless, it takes up space!)

Then as I was at the store buying flowers to make this...and two of these... Rob mowed the lawn.

It was getting to be about dinner time. Brynlee suggested we have a backyard BBQ so it was off to the store for hamburgers, hot dogs, buns, and other things for this cute boy's birthday cake for tomorrow (bet you can't wait to see what I've come up with this year!)...

Rob grilled up some hot dogs, plain and creole-seasoned hamburgers, and some potato wedges and we all enjoyed a picnic on a blanket in the backyard and then some trampoline jumping...

(The Leftovers)

T discovers hot dogs

Then it was off for a 3 mile run for me while the kids showered and bathed. I got home just in time for some bedtime stories and then it was off to bed for the little ones.

A little cleaning up, preparing for the Sunday School lesson for the class I am substituting tomorrow, and a haircut for Rob. Hitting the sack sounds like a wonderful idea. Thank goodness for a Sabbath Day of rest!

Last Day of Kindergarten

Wow, has this year just flown by or what! Yesterday was Brynlee's last day of school. The kindergarteners got out a week before the rest of the school and they will be doing post Kindergarten assessments this week. Brynlee had hers this morning and let me tell you what a difference there was between her pre- and post- assessments. Amazing how much she has progressed this year! You are awesome, Brynlee! And thanks to her wonderful teacher, Miss Hansen!

It's so crazy all the changes that have happened in the last 9 months of school. Her hair has grown longer (and I've even cut it once in between), her toothless grin has filled in, and she loves to read!

I can't believe I will have two in school full time next year...and Landon will be in preschool 3 days a week! I guess me and T will have lots of bonding time!

Father and Son Outing

All packed up and heading out Friday afternoon. We went to Earley Park, which is right on the Cache/Box Elder county line.
Lando, getting ready to haul our gear in a handcart from the parking lot to our camping spot.
I didn't get any pictures of the activities, because I was too busy playing. :) They had volleyball and softball going at the same time. I played volleyball, while Lando and his little friends played with sticks.

They planned on about 20 people coming and had to go back into town to get more food when almost 50 people showed up, which was huge, compared to the last couple years. I planned on taking Lando last year, but it had rained out, and we had a family party the weekend when it was rescheduled. I took him two years ago, and he had a lot of fun then, with the exception of falling over a coal-laden dutch oven, which miraculously didn't burn him.

There was a little campfire program, followed by s'mores.
So good.

Getting ready to sleep.
Lando definitely likes sleeping in. I had to wake him up around 7:30 so he wouldn't miss breakfast. He told me that he slept well and had good dreams.
Here is our little tent, with a few other tents in the background. You can also see the amphitheater where we held our program the night before.

The Stump is Dead

There used to be a tree here. I cut it down last year so we could plant a garden in this space, but the stump remained. As a way of procrastinating the actual planting of the garden, we worked on removing the stump. Kirsten worked on it one night during family night while I worked ripping out some overgrown shrubs from another bed. I spent several hours last Saturday on it, plus several more yesterday.

Once it finally started getting loose, it was like a loose tooth that just would barely wiggle, then wiggle a little more, but you just can't seem to figure out where it's actually attached or get a good enough grip on it to pry it out.

Now That's Improvement

A week ago my sister, Mary Anne, called me to tell me she is going to do a triathlon in Logan on July 18th (side note: any Bartons want to join me? I know that's the day of the reunion, assuming we are doing Bear Lake) and she wanted to know if I wanted to do it with her. She was supposed to do one in April, but ended up getting pneumonia and the doctor said absolutely not! So her husband was looking for other triathlons in Utah and found the one in Logan. Last year I wanted to do one in June but never got around to training for it. Instead, I set a goal of doing a 5k. I finished in 37:28, pretty much exactly a 12 minute mile. I know, I'm not the fastest runner. I never claimed to be and never will.

So after I got off the phone with her, I immediatly googled Sprint Triathlon training plans. The race I am going to do is a 500 meter swim, 12.5 mile bike and 5k run. I found a training plan that was for 8 weeks, which I had 9 weeks until the triathlon. I just figured I would do "Week One" twice. So on Monday I started out with a 30 minute run. A couple weeks ago I started adding some running into my walking and could go for about 16 minutes. I really had not been running since the last 5k almost a year ago. I've been doing step aerobics and walking since then but no running. So when I made it the whole 30 minutes, I was feeling pretty good. Tuesday came my swimming/running combo day. I ran 25 minutes to the gym (2.5 miles), swam for 30 minutes and then walked home. Wednesday I was supposed to do strength training but somehow that never happened. Thursday I ran for 25 minutes and then Friday was 45 minutes on the bike...I chose the recumbent bike at the gym :o) Today I am supposed to do a 20 minute swim and 25 minute run. I got a little ambitious and decided to map out 3.1 miles to see if I could beat my time from almost a year ago. I did. 31:25...SIX minutes faster than my last time. I would call that improvement.

Highlights!

I really needed a haircut. The last time I got it cut about 5 months ago, I talked to the girl who cuts my hair about putting some blonde and red in it. I kinda get tired of people asking me where my kids get their red hair from. So I decided to go for it. I've never had any color in my hair and it just keeps getting darker brown with each child. So I decided to finally do it and I LOVE, love, LOVE it!

Ashlee's Ballet Performance

Ashlee had her ballet performance on Saturday. She did a great job and has really improved over the last year.

Our video camera battery was dead when we got there (I charged it in the morning but I think the battery is getting old because it doesn't keep a charge for very long) and our camera isn't the greatest (I REALLY want a new camera, especially after seeing the shots the guy in front of us was taking) but here are the few pictures that didn't turn out totally blurry. Pretty much the only ones that turned out are the ones where she is waiting for the dance to begin.

First the technique classes did a little performance in classic ballet attire. Ashlee is the second from the right (the one that looks like she has 4 arms...lovely, I know!)...

Then the performance classes danced in costume...

In the lobby after the performance...

Ants

Lando: I can spread out this blanket like this [lays a blanket out on the floor while holding a handful of crackers].

Rob: Aren't you supposed to eat food in the kitchen so we don't get ants downstairs?

Lando: I'm going to eat on the blanket, not the floor.

Rob: So you want ants to get on the blanket?

Lando: When I'm done, I'll take the crumbs and put them in here [pointing to the crack at the back of the couch cushion].

Rob: So ants will get on the couch?

Lando: You mean in the couch [pointing into the crack again]? That will give the ants a secret hiding place where no people can find them.

Unreal Bumblebee

photo by aussiegall
Rob: [Finds Lando laying across him early this morning.] Why are you in our bed?

Lando: I had a bad dream.

Rob: What happened in your dream?

Lando: There was a bumblebee that instead of a stinger had a knife so it can cut your finger or your tummy or your arm. It cut my arm. Real bumblebees die after they sting you, but this one wasn't real so it really didn't die.

Guess Who Got Her Ears Pierced?

On the way home from a birthday party today, Ashlee and her friend, Jenny, were talking about getting ears pierced. Jenny has hers pierced and Ashlee has been saying for a few months now that she wants to get hers pierced. I asked Ashlee if she wanted to do it today and she said she did. So after dinner we headed to Claire's at the mall to put some bling in Ashlee's ears. Brynlee wanted to tag along and said she might want to get hers done, too.

She picked out some cute pink flowers...
Waiting...

Bet you thought it was Ashlee, didn't ya?!

Well, Ashlee's not so sure she wants to do it anymore...

We asked Ashlee if she wanted Brynlee to go first. Brynlee was hesitant at first but then hopped up on my lap. I asked her if it hurt and she said, "Just a little, but I closed my eyes!"

She loves them and can't stop smiling in the mirror!

Let the Soccer Madness Begin!

Today was our first day of double soccer games. Brynlee had a game last Tuesday in the pouring rain and Ashlee's Wednesday game was cancelled because of snow. Brynlee's game was first this morning. She loves to play and even scored a goal today!
I am coaching Ashlee's team. She played 3 years ago and decided this year to give it a try again. She also had alot of fun playing but let's just say Ashlee's team wasn't as hot as Brynlee's. I think the score was 8+ to 0...I lost count after awhile! It's a bad sign when the other team kicks off, one girl dribbles the whole way and scores and I don't think anyone else moved. We haven't had a chance to practice yet because of snow and then Spring Break so I'm hoping the season goes a little better than this after a few practices.

Ashlee did have a nice breakaway and headed down the field to the goal but was stopped by a defender.

She played goalie the fourth quarter and had quite a few saves. Only one got through her legs.Nice Save, Ash!

Britains Got Talent: Susan Boyle

Maybe you've seen this. My friend just emailed me the link. Definitely teaches you not to judge a book by its cover! I love Simon's face throughout the whole thing!

Susan Boyle on Britains Got Talent

Spring Break, Day 3

The plan for tthe day was to stick to the smaller, easier trails. After all, we didn't want our kids to hate hiking. We told them we were just going on walks, not hiking. First we went to Sand Dune Arch...

T playing in the sand under the arch...

Then we headed to Broken Arch....

We made the mistake of continuing through Broken Arch and taking a long loop instead of just heading back the way we came. We ended up going about 2 miles instead of 1...and the kids were not happy! So much for the goal of the day.

Then we went to the Windows section. We couldn't convince the kids to go up to the Windows but Ashlee and Rob went to Double Arch. I stayed with the other kids in the van and we ate lunch. When they got back, Ashlee was so excited and thought that was the coolest arch. Rob said it only took 5 minutes to get there. They convinced Landon and Brynlee so we all went. The kids loved played on the huge rocks under the arch.

Back to the Visitors Center so the kids could become Jr. Rangers. They completed different activities in a little booklet throughout our trip and then talked to Ranger Matt about what they did. Then they took the Jr. Ranger oath, which ended something like "We promise to clean our rooms when our parents ask us to" Hahaha! We should have gotten that on video! After we left Ashlee said, "I can't believe we got to meet a real live Ranger!" It was hilarious!

Posing with their booklets and wearing their Jr. Ranger badges...