Thursday night with Grandma

Occasionally we tag along with Chod on Thursday nights to Kaysville. He teaches his class, and the kids and I get to spend time with his Grandma Luain.

I'm not sure if she or they look forward to these visits the most. I usually drag the kids to Target before we head to Grandma's and they beg to get to her house the whole time.

 They like playing on the rope swing and trampoline in her backyard.

We always seem to get there just as she is finishing up mowing the lawn or working in the yard. She's 82 and tells me stories of her friends that are so "old" and how she doesn't like to go to the senior center because the people there have walkers. She mows her own lawn, and watches her great grandkids who help keep her young.

And even though she would rather I not take pictures of her, I want the kids to be able to look back and remember our Thursday nights at Grandma's

 Picking peas.

 We love Grandma Luain!

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1. It's amazing how much fun you can have in the playroom when you aren't tripping over toys. There's a serious Nerf war going on.
2. Who is this harder on, mom or the boys?
3. Counted down the minutes until bedtime all day. And now? They are playing so well together and being stinking adorable. I think they do it on purpose..."if we're good she'll let us stay up."
4. Little dude busted out 3 miles on our bike ride tonight, sans training wheels.
5. Where's the cupholder on this thing?
6. Go ahead and count 'em. Broken eggs are an all to common occurrence.
7. Cause someone's got to supervise Dad while he changes the oil.
8. Things are getting serious. Waterfight.
9. Waterfight anyone?

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1. I saw a mouse in our front room. Chod went to great lengths to find it. He's ripped the bottom off the couches, set 3 traps, and is looking in every nook and crevice with a flashlight. All because he knows how much I hate mice and won't go to sleep till it's dead. That's true love.
2. It may not be blue, but it is definitely Thing hair.
3. Barely got it out in time to make it on the Tooth Fairy's rotation for tonight.
4. Can't believe this is the same kid who freaks out when water hits his face in the shower. He's picking up diving sticks (with his eyes open!) in swimming lessons. So proud of him!
5. Facetiming cousins wearing twinner shirts. Even though Deidra and I haven't shopped together for a long time.
6. Closed down the pool.
7. We don't feed her.
8. I'm not sure which one is enjoying this the most. Gracie's dad is the best.
9. Anyone else have binders full of magazine tears for good ideas? Before there was Pinterest.

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1. What's not to love?
2. Rented kayaks for the weekend.
3. This kid cannot get enough. Bentley loved being on the water.
4. Super sonic jet pack marshmallows - secured with washi.
5. What is stronger, the bug spray Lincoln found in the back or lilacs?
6. Such a dainty eater.
7. Introducing Ike to the dark side (green tractors).
8. My pet project.
9. At what point does this become a problem?

Last Day of the 1st Grade

Most of our ward funnels onto our street to get to school (there's just 1 block that doesn't) so I threw together a last day of school breakfast in our yard. The kids hurried and ate and headed to schools and the mom's hung around and talked.

Both Bentley and Lincoln hung out inside the house for most of the party, saying they were nervous. So strange. They were both in grumpy moods. Especially my 1st grader.

I made him this shirt to wear on the last day and have kids sign. He didn't want to wear it and was such a stinker about the whole thing. I thought about backing off, but didn't. I really thought he would like it once the year book signing started. (Since Sept. he has insisted he didn't want a year book, until Thursday night when he was so excited for his year book. Bad timing dude.)

So when he walked in the door after school with the front and back covered in signatures and said, "Mom, will you make me a Last Day of 2nd Grade shirt?!" I knew had won!

He's so excited that he passed 1st grade and is pretty excited to be a 2nd grader. Since he's doing Portuguese dual-immersion next year he gets to go to 2 weeks of summer school. One of the weeks is all about Brazil and the Amazon Rainforest and I think he's going to love it. And he is super stoked about his English teacher next year. Apparently she's who he has always wanted.