Garage Sale Finds

Two very anxious little girls ran in my house this afternoon. They whizzed by me while asking to see the calendar. They seemed to be in quite a hurry. I pointed to it hanging on the wall and went back to my cleaning letting the girls scheme and plan, as they were being very secretive. They left as quickly as they appeared.

A short time later, the girls returned with some treasures to share and some to keep hidden. Kirsten was first to tell me about her adventure. Out of a plastic grocery bag, she pulled out a tree on a stand with birds to perch on various branches. Kirsten was so excited about her find and went on to explain that she and Fiona had gone down the street to shop for Mother's Day gifts at a garage sale. The lady in charge gave Kirsten the bird stand for free. Fiona then went on to tell me about the twenty-five cent "diamond" bracelet that she purchased for her mother. Then I was ordered not to look in Kirsten's other bag as it contains my gift. I gave my word not to peek and off they went, back to the garage sale to see if the lady was giving anything else away for free.

Maybe an hour later, Steven and his friend Mason, came inside looking for tissue paper to wrap something up in. I'm guessing that they were inspired by Kirsten and Fiona's shopping spree for this coming Sunday. I can't wait to see what they picked out...

I Knew Something was Wrong

... when Dave-o wanted to come back inside after spending only a few minutes playing in the backyard. Usually he will throw anything and everything that he can get his little hands on into the pool. He starts with the balls. If the wind isn't blowing strong enough to send his thrown objects back to the side of the pool for him to retrieve, than Dave-o will resort to other things laying around the backyard such as, sticks, rocks, BBQ utensils, and even dolly stollers. The funny (or rather annoying) thing about this behavior is that Dave-o knows he's not supposed to throw sticks and rocks in. He hears me say "No". But once Dave-o sees me running toward him with the attempt to take the preferred object away, he belines it towards his target and throws with all his might, typically hitting his mark.

The rosy cheeks and lack of desire to do Dave-o's favorite activities were signs of something wrong. After waking from an hour nap, my little guy quickly began fevering up. He is feeling miserable.

A Sweet Day

This is the time of year that James, Steven, and Kirsten begin to wrap up their schooling. With three weeks left of school (eight weeks for Justin), they only have English, Science, and History left to complete. Our education specialist has been wonderful. She has let me use the curriculum I want and is very supportive of the children's accomplishments. I feel so blessed to have her as our ES.

Today was such a nice, relaxed day. We had blue skies and seventy degree weather to enjoy. Justin had half day which allowed him to come home at eleven. As he was walking up our walkway, the rest of us were getting ready to walk to Cosco for lunch. Justin's sore legs from yesterday's six minute and forty-five second mile run, made his decision to stay home an easy one. We arrived at Cosco before the lunch rush (which is a huge deal). James loves their hotdogs. He told me that he would be able to eat four of them. One of these days I'm gonna challenge him to "eat his words". On our walk home, we stopped at Basken Robbins in order for James to use his gift cards that his Aunt Deborah gave for his birthday. Kirsten and Steven brought their own money along to buy something for themselves. Ice-cream seems to have a magical effect on kids. They were content and happy and ohh so cute with chocolate outlining their lips.

Later on this evening, Kirsten was invited to dinner for Fiona's birthday. While she was away, David took James and Steven to Orchard Supply to get the supplies needed for a school project. I asked each of them to write a report and do a project on a person of interest from History this year. James chose James Watt and will be building a steam engine; Steven picked Eli Whitney and is working on building a cotton gin; and Kirsten will be writing about Betsy Ross and wants to design a flag. They are very excited about all of this.


Once everyone was home again, James mentioned that he had a sweet tooth. So, I pointed him in the direction of the kitchen, gave him Grandma Zinn's recipe for Chocolate Cake Mix Cookies, and crowned him "baker" for the night. I'm going to have to hire James full-time because those were some pretty incredible cookies.

The boys took their treats upstairs and watched "Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows" part 1.

With everybody's sweet tooth fed, David and I settled down for the evening and watched the last episode of "The Office".

After I publish this post I'm going to lay in bed and read on my Kindle until I can't hold my eyes open any longer. I look forward to having another awesome day tomorrow, which is FRIDAY!

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Chocolate Cake Mix Cookies

1 pkg. chocolate cake mix (I use devil's food cake)
1/2 cup oil
2 eggs
1 cup chocolate chips
1/2 cup nuts (optional)

Combine the above until well mixed. Drop by tsp. on ungreased cookie sheet. Bake at 350 degrees for 8-10 minutes.

Our Savior's Love this Easter Sunday

Dave-o was the first one up this Easter morn (of course). Last year we didn't do the whole Easter basket fiasco with him; feeling that he was too young.
So this was Dave-o's first experience with finding surprises in a basket and colorful plastic eggs. Seeing a new ball poking out the top of his frog basket immediately caught his attention. But this favoritism didn't last long. Once Dave-o discovered the See's Chocolate Bunny, his ball took 2nd. He set out at once opening up the candy eating it the traditional way; ears first, followed by lots of yummmms.

After church and ham dinner, David and I hid eggs for the kids to find. Dave-o was first to search on the grass for his but was only interested in swinging his basket full of eggs and launching it in the air followed by squeals of delight. We preceded to hide five eggs with one dollar bills inside for Kirsten to find, and so on, until each of the kids had found their share (twenty one dollar bills in all equalling five dollars for each child. Excluding David.)

Then we went inside the house and told them to open their eggs (they didn't know there was money inside). I asked them how much their money was worth; what the total value was. Next, I shared my testimony of the Savior's love for each of us. I expressed my happiness in knowing that He loves each and every one of us regardless of our circumstances in life. Jesus doesn't put a price on our individual worth, but loves us equally. He proved this unconditional love by dieing for us followed by His resurrection to insure our being able to return to Him. I asked the children if they have felt their Savior's love as well. In all, it was a wonderful opportunity for testimonies to be borne and the Spirit to testify the truthfulness of what was spoken.

Happy Easter!

Easter Eve

We went to our ward Easter party this morning and dyed our eggs this evening. 

We're ready for Easter Sunday tomorrow. Are you?

Good Friday

I am grateful that David works for a company whose CEO honors this religious weekend by giving his employees Good Friday off. With this free day, David wanted to drive to the city for a bit of fun. Unfortunately, Justin was Star Testing today and could not join us.

Our first stop was to Ghirardelli Square where we consumed ice cream for our lunch.

Then we drove the short distance to show the kids Fort Point.

(Fort Point is to the left of the Golden Gate Bridge)

There are three stories at Fort Point for which to freely explore with only one entrance. The passage leading into the fort has rifle slits in the walls which allowed the defenders to protect the entrance if the main door was breached. The iron studs in the door made it difficult to use an axe to gain entry.

 With spiral staircases to climb, countless passages for which to hide, and the freedom to run and explore as you please, this was paradise for the children.

Looking at the cannons, cannon balls, missiles, gunpowders, and sleeping barracks was a lot of fun, but the rooftop held most of the kids' enjoyment. And might I add that the view was stunning.

I love visiting my city.

Crystal Egg Geodes

James, Steven, and Kirsten spent a few days this week studying the formation and different types of geodes. For their experiment, they grew an egg geode using this process that I saw on Martha Stewart. The results of the geodes puzzled me though. The kids used the exact same process and ingredients, yet James' (the clear and red geodes) grew more crystals. Steven's is the teal color and Kirsten's the dark purple (we made the purple too dark). It was a fun experiment.

• Blown-out eggshell 
• Alum powder (You can find this in the spice section of your grocery store)
• White glue
• Small paintbrush
• Plastic or glass container
• Egg dye (I used my food coloring)
• Hot water
• Craft stick or spoon
• Latex gloves
• Drying rack or newspaper

1. Start by blowing out a large white chicken egg and splitting it in half, lengthwise. The egg can be cracked by striking it against a surface or cut with a small pair of scissors. Make sure the inside of the eggshell is clean and dry.

2. With a small paintbrush, apply white glue to the inside and cracked edges of each half of the eggshell and sprinkle with alum powder until completely coated. Set eggshell halves aside to dry overnight.

3. The next day, prepare your growing solution in a glass or plastic container by using a craft stick or spoon to mix 2 cups of very hot water (almost boiling) with an entire packet of powdered egg dye. Be sure to wear latex gloves to protect your hands from the dye. (Tip: Liquid food coloring can also be used to dye the geode -- 30 to 40 drops will adequately saturate the solution.)

4. Add 3/4 cup of alum powder to the hot dye bath and stir until completely dissolved. If there are remaining crystals in the bottom of the container, place the solution in the microwave for a few minutes to dissolve them. This will prevent alum from being drawn away from the geode.

5. Once the alum is completely dissolved, let the solution cool slightly (for about 30 minutes) and then submerge one of the dried, alum-coated eggshells in the growing solution, allowing it to rest on the bottom of the container with the inside of the shell facing up.

6. Set the container aside in a safe place overnight to allow the crystals to grow undisturbed. (Tip: The longer the eggshell is in the solution, the larger the crystals in the geode will be. Twelve to 15 hours will usually result in a perfect geode.)

7. The next day, remove the geode from the growing solution very carefully (as wet crystals are quite fragile), being sure to wear latex gloves to prevent the dye from staining your hands. (Tip: If you are not satisfied with the size of your geode crystals, return the geode to the growing solution and wait a day or two. As water evaporates from the solution, more alum will be deposited in your geode, increasing the size of the crystals.)

8. Place your geode on a drying rack or newspaper and allow to dry completely before handling.

9. To grow a second geode in the other half of the eggshell, simply re-dissolve the crystals remaining at the bottom of the growing solution in the microwave and follow the instructions above starting at step 5.

King of the Hill

Here is a movie entitled, King of the Hill, that James, Steven, and their friends, Josh and Matthew created. The scene begins with a mutant duck and his side-kick, snail, chasing after the three-legged cassowary. All of a sudden, the chameleon, who was the duck's spy, emerged from the bush to join the chase. But the cassowary escaped an early death with the help of his dragon friend. Before the dragon flew away, the chameleon jumped on board to follow. The duck and snail are sad to see their prey get away. While wallowing in their pity, a dark ninja appears out of nowhere slicing off the snail's head. The mutant duck is tackled and has to watch his side-kick get finished off by a dragon. After that horrifying scene, the duck runs away. A bunch of dragons congregate on top of the hill roasting marshmallows. Perry the Platypus swoops in throwing a bomb into the fire thus igniting it. 

BOOM!

Using instinctive camouflage and this most recent destruction to his advantage, the chameleon climbs the hill claiming himself "King of the Hill".

With the exception of the dragons, the characters were sculpted out of clay. I think the boys did a great job!

All Clear

(Justin at his high school tennis courts)

Late this morning, at around 10:30am, I received a call from Justin telling me that his school had been evacuated. A recorded warning of a bomb threat was discovered on the school attendance line. The school administration chose to err on the side of safety (thank you very much) for both students and staff. The students were led to the shopping centers across the street for parent pick-up or to walk home. While on the phone with Justin, he asked if I could pick him up. I agreed, but once I turned onto Meridian it was quickly apparent that there was no way to get to Justin. The roads leading to and from his high school were closed off. There must have been thirty police cars surrounding the area. I called Justin back to tell him he'd have to walk home, which isn't a long walk (I just think he was scared).  Later on in the day, we received an email  informing us that the police units including the bomb squad with police dogs did a complete search of the campus and found nothing suspicious. What a relief! It was quite a scare for everyone. The fact that they evacuated the entire school tells me that it must have been a serious threat because just two weeks earlier another nearby high school received a bomb threat but didn't evacuate. What kind of sickos do this? It makes me so angry knowing that there are people amongst us who find pleasure in harming or even thinking of harming innocent lives. Thankfully there was no actual danger on Justin's school campus. It is reassuring to know that the students and staff were prepared and acted safely and appropriately. I find peace knowing that Justin is home with us safe and sound.

A Weird Dream and a Dream Come True

I rarely remember my dreams. But this morning I awoke after finishing a most bizarre dream that has been on my mind this entire day. It began with David driving me to the hospital because I was having intense abdominal pain. While at the hospital, I was told that I was PREGNANT and in labor! What?! This was news to David and I as I didn't even look or feel pregnant. A baby girl was born with a full head of bright red hair (like the color of my friend Laura). The dream continues with us returning home with a new baby. The kids all love this baby especially Dave-o, but everyone is a bit confused. I awoke after explaining to shocked church members how I was suddenly a mother of another child when I didn't even know I was pregnant. AWKWARD!

Weird right?

I told David and a few of the kids about the dream. But I got a very interesting response from James. He explained to me that I probably dreamed about a red-haired girl because I see "Ponyo" on our television screen almost every day. He's right!

Ponyo is a movie that Dave-o absolutely loves, about a goldfish that turns into a little girl with bright red hair. When Dave-o gets fussy during our school time, I let him watch "Ponyo" to give us some peace. I like James' interpretation of my dream. He is like Daniel in the Bible.

This evening David and I ate out at a new pizza parlor that we heard about called Bogey's Pizza. They make some of the best pizza I have ever had. I highly recommend it. Then we decided to get our Easter shopping done, but discovered the two nearby See's Candy stores closed. I was however able to buy each of the kids a book to put into their basket: "Stormbreaker (Alex Rider Adventure)" by Anthony Horowitz for Steven, "Otherwise Known as Sheila the Great" by Judy Blume for Kirsten, "Pat the Bunny" by Dorothy Kunhardt for Dave-o, "The Emerald Atlas (Books of Beginning)" by John Stephens for James, and "Ender's Game (Ender, Book 1)" by Orson Scott for Justin. On our way home, David wanted to stop in to Orchard Supply since they were having a "No Sales Tax" sale for the day. Right now he is putting together a brand new BBQ grill. David works so hard at his job that he deserves to spend some of his hard earned money on himself every now and then.  He is very excited!

The Plunge

It was only 70 degrees out today, but the kids and their friends were behaving as if it were in the 90's. After playing a tiring game of street basketball, they came inside for some water and rest. The view of the pool taunted them to take a dip. I warned them over and over that the water was cold, but they didn't care.

Andre was the first to dive in proclaiming to all that they should join him.

James and Josh dangled their feet trying to work up the nerve to take the plunge.

James finally did it. Josh stood at edge of the diving board second guessing this crazy idea. Andre took matters into his own hands and shoved a not to happy Josh into the pool.

Steven was next.

Followed shortly by Kirsten.

Dave-o had fun watching the crazy big kids. He walked around the perimeter of the pool approaching anyone standing nearby pleading with them to "jump". 

 It wasn't long before the kid's feet lost all feeling.

 Out they all came, perching themselves on the hot stones to warm up. 

Justin was kind enough to watch Dave-o and Kirsten while I had lunch at the Cheescake Factory with some of my friends to celebrate Lisa Z.'s birthday. When I returned home, Justin played with his friend Noah, and in the evening he went out to dinner with Merek. 

David came home from work extremely sore from last night's basketball game. We decided to stay home this evening so that he could ice his swollen knee and rest his weary muscles. I hope David is feeling better by tomorrow because I am anxious to go out on the town. It's tough being married to an older man. Hehehe!