Science Camp, Phillip's Performance

I am so happy to report that we completed our Spring Cleaning. I am grateful for the kick in the buns to finally get this done. The prospect of visiting family got me into gear. I did not have Gabi Tuesday or Thursday so that helped out. Each day this week I focused on a problem area and attacked!!! Tuesday I finished cleaning the kitchen cabinets. Wednesday I cleaned our bathroom upstairs and our bedroom. There just aren't words to express how thrilled I am to have a clean bedroom. It was not dirty, just cluttered. Justin cleared off his precious collection of receipts and his clutter. Makes my heart happy. Thursday I worked on the pantry, reorganizing cans and shuffling stuff back and forth to better locations. Friday we worked on bedrooms and got the entire upstairs spit spot clean. I donated a trunk load of stuff, including the crib and bedding. That was quite a tender experience. I got that crib before Amelia was born and each child spent at least 18 months in that crib. We closed the baby chapter of our family. Sad day for me, I'd have 10 more just because, babies hold a special spot in my heart. Josie was quite disturbed watching her crib and precious crib light go to DI, she is not completely sold that her toddler bed and chicky nightlight are good substitutes. Once Justin got home we cleaned like a well-oiled machine. Soon the downstairs looked fantastic. Saturday we had time to get all the cars washed and cleaned, came home with 5 balloons just because. I mopped the floors and finished up the kitchen. I even had time to swap out our old family photos for new ones! There is something amazing about wiping fingerprints off walls, mirrors, and doors; dusting off ceiling fans; washing light fixtures; etc. Our spaces seem lighter and brighter. Now...if only I could maintain. I feel like the world's worst housekeeper. I know that is irrational since I've seen the insides of truly disgusting domiciles, but the feeling persists. My favorite find this week was discounted kid plates, bowls, and cups at Target. I finally replaced all the chipped, melted, warped, and leaking kid dishes for just $10, 24 new cups, bowls, and plates! Yippee! I call cleaning out the closets and cabinets, cleaning out the whited sepulchers....ha ha ha.

Josie is determined she'll be a ballerina this year. She wears her tutu and slippers as often as possible, either that or her Elsa PJs. We are going strong on the Scarlet Pimpernel kick. Evelyn's favorite song is Madam Guillotine, aka slice ka-dara-dice (slice, come paradise). We plan on watching the 1980s movie version that the most recent play we saw was based on. It was quite balmy on Tuesday after-school. The boys made a mud pit with the hose, slide, and the grass. Josie got quite excited about the water, she stripped off her clothes to properly get wet. She reminded me of a little bird enjoying a spring rain, ruffling feathers and splashing about. The boys got quite chilled after playing for an hour in the chilly hose water.

The kids had a fun week at school celebrating Dr Suess' birthday. The school organized a themed week, like dress up in green (Green Eggs and Ham), favorite team day, wear wacky clothes, "pop"sicles for Hop on Pop, and Cat in the Hat day. Everett and Evelyn really got into the wacky clothes on Wednesday. I cannot unsee Everett wearing swim shorts worn inside out and backwards. He buttoned his Sunday shirt like he normally does (before I help him). Oh the laughs coming from those two while getting dressed was pure magic. Evelyn lived all week for Hop on Pop day. That otter pop at lunch tasted the best. She was thrilled her dress on Thursday matched Mrs Norton's book.

Wednesday Amelia left around 9 am for Science Camp up at Prescott Pines for a couple days. This was a new experience for us all, sending a kid off to camp alone. She did great just as expected. She packed up by herself with minimal assistance (she needed me to find a duffel, and I checked her bags). These words are from Amelia: When we arrived we got our stuff and headed to the Chapel for orientation. Then we had lunch and headed to the cabins to put on warmer clothes and headed out to Goldwater Lake. (I was with Ruby, Priscilla, and Zoey) At the lake, we filled out our journals and played in the snow. Then we went back to the cabins and warmed up. Then we headed to the chapel and then dinner. After dinner we went to go grab our extra jackets and went to Minute-To-Win-It, then dodge ball, then to the snack bar to grab a quick treat (Hershey bar and Sour Patch), and then had a Hay Ride. After the Hay Ride, we went back for some more dodge ball against the Bears, and then headed back to the cabins. The showers were CHAOS. Everyone was yelling for others to get out so nobody actually washed their hair. Then we tried to sleep, but all of the other rooms were so loud, and nobody slept all night. Plus there was a light on and felt cold all night. The next morning we got up and dressed, and then headed to breakfast. After breakfast we went outside to play Gaga Ball. After playing for 10 minutes, we headed to the chapel. Once there we set off to dissect owl pellets. Afterwards, we headed to the gym for ELIMINATOR!!!!!! Eliminator is pretty much the parents/teachers shooting students with tennis balls while they go through an obstacle course. After we headed to lunch, we went to the Speed Line, and then made ice cream. After wards we went to the far side of camp past the Speed Line to do Survival. (building huts and a fire) Then we went to the cabins to take off our layers. Then, after dinner we went to the chapel to practice our skits. After practicing for a half our, we presented them. Afterwards we grabbed our layers and flashlights and headed to the campfire. There we told spooky stories, roasted marshmallows, and sang Disney songs. Then we headed back to the cabins to pack up and shower. This time we waited till everyone was done AND until the water was warm. That night we all kept hearing fart noises and somebody snoring. The next morning we had breakfast, said goodbye, and went home. The End. 

Phillip missed the bus Thursday morning. He decided his pants weren't right so changed right when we left for the bus. Phillip got to wear his Scout uniform for his 3rd grade performance. The theme was "It's An Amazing World!" The kids could wear a costume from their favorite culture including scout uniforms. He had to change his pants to jeans with belt loops for his belt. He had to ride his bike to school, our family consequence for missing the bus. He was so anxious about riding alone that I followed him home. He forgot and took the bus home, leaving his bike at school. That night he had nightmares about riding his bike home alone from school. He was close to having a panic attack, I arranged to follow him home from school in the van. I hope he does not miss the bus again, or gains confidence to ride alone. Baby steps. After school we made a quick trip to the library then Target (again). I wanted to get one more set of bowls and the boys needed a gift for Ryan's birthday. We were running close to the wire with unexpected traffic, only had 10 minutes to wolf down healthy Mcdonald's for dinner before Phillip went to his evening performance. He did so great! I loved hearing his voice singing his favorite song: May the Sun Shine Forever (Russia). The folks behind us complained each time I tried to take a photo or record the song on my phone. Before the kids even started I could hear the lady say, "that lady is blocking my view and I can tell will just be annoying!" Geepers. I tried to move but the gym was packed. Even keeping my elbows in, and phone lower than my head those two still complained. I didn't even take photos since my view was also blocked. It is what it is!

I picked up Amelia at noon on Friday. We grabbed a special treat to kick off Spring Break between noon and 12:30. We followed Phillip home while he slowly biked/walked his bike. Everett and Evelyn were sadly waiting at home trying to get inside. Everett could not remember the correct garage code. Amelia gladly took a 2 hour nap right after lunch. She was pretty grouchy after two nights with little sleep.

The rest of our weekend was spent cleaning as outlined above. The Lances arrived after 8:30 pm after a long drive. They left Friday in the middle of snow storms and treacherous roads. I hear the roads were white-knuckle driving. We are so glad they made it here in one piece. They stopped to see Montezuma's Castle and Well. Evelyn asked for updates every few minutes for the entire weekend. That felt exhausting, ha. Evelyn moved her stuff into our room, a complete week's worth of clothes, bedding, books, stuffed animals, and snacks! I think she was excited to get a free ticket to sleep on our floor for a few days. James flew back to Utah this afternoon. We get to keep the rest of the Lances for a few more days.