End of April

April is known for "showers" ... while there has been rain, there has been a LOT of snow this year, many overcast and gloomy days. Everyone is hoping that warmer weather will come soon. I was a bit blog crazy of late ... lots of posts this April! Here's a little wrap up for the month:

• Friends and Family: We had seen the cousins at Easter activities, but then we had Will and Addie over on Friday, and Adria and Rella over on Saturday. The boys had fun playing with their cousins (Mom and Dad went out to dinner with Grandma and Grandpa and Uncle Shane and Aunt Alicia). And with the kids off track, we've had LOTS of friends over almost every day.
• Room Ramifications: With the successful switch of the bedrooms, we've seen some other changes ... Keaton now showers downstairs (instead of in Mom and Dad's bathroom ... YEA!), of course now Landon uses the upstairs shower (previously only used for little boy's baths) but Landon has been keeping the bathroom and bedroom clean. I wasn't sure if he'd actually be able to sleep in the bed (he has had a "roommate" for the past 12+ years) but it's been all good. One other funny thing to note is Colton's clothing choices ... the little boy who wore just jerseys for the past few months is now wearing a variety of clothes! Previously, he couldn't reach the items hanging in the closet (polo shirts, long sleeve shirts) that are now within his grasp, and those are what he's been choosing to wear.
• Loads of Laundry: We got a NEW dryer (actually NEW, not just new to us ... and I'm filing the receipt for warranty purposes, as we've had such bad luck with appliances!) While no one really likes doing laundry, not being ABLE to do laundry is SO much worse! I was honestly ecstatic about being able to wash (and dry) clothes again! And I actually got caught up a bit quicker than I would have thought!
• Saturday Sports: There weren't any sports over Easter weekend, but we were back at it all soon after. Of course Cooper wasn't going to be able to play soccer (just two weeks since the break), but his game was canceled anyway due to SNOW (again!). Hopefully it will be rescheduled later in the season when he might be able to participate. Colton's game was canceled (but he'd had one on Monday and he did GREAT ... I don't have a video yet, I'll probably just make one for the season). Basketball games go on no matter the weather. Both boys won. Here's the highlights... Callahan's Game, Keaton's Game.

Bunny Boys

When I picked up Colton from preschool on his last day before the Spring Break (Easter Weekend) he was sporting these cute little ears and bunny face ... it made me remember all the other preschool bunnies hopping home from their preschool parties so many years ago ...

"EARS" to all my precious Bunny Boys

A hop down memory lane

Little Landon

Cute Callahan

Keaton Bunny

I don't have a preschool picture of Cooper ...

but THIS one has always been a favorite.

Maybe next year I'll post BabyBunny pictures...

(I do have those of ALL the boys too).

I can't FIND the pictures scanned (I'll have to look and update if I locate it) but I've also got pictures of Grayson all dressed up and so very cute (from our dating days), and there was another year when a large (and PINK) fluffy bunny appeared on Easter to surprise the kids ... gotta love those Blackham Bunny Boys!

It's Easter!

A couple days before Easter our house had that distinctive smell ... the smell of hard boiled eggs. This year, we actually dyed the eggs BEFORE Easter (last year we were a day late). We don't eat that many hard boiled eggs, so when we get them done early, I can then use some up, taking deviled eggs to the family party.

The Westra party was up first. Saturday, the day before Easter, we all went out to Mom & Dad's house for the traditional egg hunt. The kids are growing up! The older kids now happily hide the eggs, and the little ones happily hunt for them. Cooper was a little concerned about trying to gather eggs with his broken arm, but you can see (in the picture above) that he did just fine!

I try to put lots of little non-edible treats in the eggs as well as candy.

Toys, and stickers ...

Colton Sticker Face (pictured above)

Easter morning was nice and relaxed (a benefit of later church meetings). No secret sneaking out like last year... the Easter Bunny was pretty conservative this year (some years it's almost like Christmas!).

Silly String ... each boy got a can in their Easter basket. They happily applied the string on Daddy ... could THIS be a new Easter tradition? Cooper did need a little help (dang broken arm!). After church we headed up to Maga's house for a yummy Easter dinner. No egg hunt, but there was candy ... in a piñata! Another new Easter tradition?

After the piñata broke apart,

the kids took the cones and wore them as hats!

We didn't get around to making and decorating any Easter Egg sugar cookies ... that had been in my plans, but oh well, maybe next year!

Rearranging Rooms

We built this house when Landon was just over a year old. Landon had never been a "crib" baby, but had slept with us most of the time. When we moved in here, we put a big bed in the room next to the master, and we tried (unsuccessfully) to have Landon sleep there. While we weren't expecting again then, we were planning on having more children, so the crib went into the front bedroom, and it was officially "the nursery" from then on ... (until now) ...

When Callahan came along, it became his bedroom for 18 months, until Keaton showed up. Then Callahan moved in with Landon. When Cooper came, Keaton moved into the bedroom with both older brothers and the baby got the nursery. When Colton caboose came, we finished the basement and Landon and Callahan shared a room down there. Keaton and Cooper shared the upstairs bedroom, and baby got the nursery. Long after Colton outgrew the crib, the room still stayed "the nursery". While it had a regular bed in it as well as the crib, Colton started sleeping in the big bed with his two older brothers (yes, that would end up with some INTERESTING sleeping arrangements, feet in faces, etc ... here's a couple pictures)

We finally did pull the crib, changing table and rocker out of the "nursery" ... we left the twin bed and the Noah decor, and it was still technically Colton's room (his clothes were in the closet), but it was open to everyone (here's the post showing the before/after of that change). It was the "reading" room for Callahan and Keaton, it was a good "time out" spot.

We'd talked about making more of a change ... letting Landon have his OWN room. Landon was the only child who HADN'T had that particular bedroom. Landon wanted the change, even with my caveat that because I need the light from that room to brighten the hallway, I almost always want to door open, and therefore the room NEEDS to be kept clean! So, with Spring Break here, and the kids out of school, we finally made the switch. It wasn't even an official "move" ... it was mainly just clothes from one closet to the next (but that was still a LOT ... it took ALL day). We didn't move any furniture, but I did pull out the Noah decor and got a new comforter and curtains.

Keaton is now downstairs with Callahan. Callahan got a BIT of a change (moving from the top to the bottom bunk). Colton is excited to be officially in the bedroom at the end of the hall, and hopefully sleeping will go more smoothly with only two little bodies in the bed instead of three.

And Landon has his own room ...It's new ... and it's UofU ...

Nummy Nests

It's an Easter tradition ... nummy nests made from meringue. I was introduced to these by my friend Tiffany back in elementary school. I had to get the recipe, and I make them every year. While my hubby doesn't quite get the appeal, and Landon and Colton don't care for them, my three middle kids are just as addicted as their mom! I love them so much, I don't know why I don't make them throughout the year. I have seen them presented as simple meringue cookies... But, it's pretty much just Easter ... maybe because I have more eggs on hand.

To make them, take three egg whites and let them come to room temperature (about 30 minutes). Preheat the oven to 300 degrees. Line a baking sheet with parchment or brown paper. Place the egg whites in a large bowl and whip on medium speed. Add 1/4 tsp cream of tarter. Whip until soft peaks form. Add one cup of sugar, a tablespoon at a time while continuing to beat the egg whites. Beat until sugar is blended. Drop the meringue onto the paper in large spoonfuls, creating a small depression in the center of each (to resemble a nest). Bake for 35 minutes. Turn off the oven and let the nests remain in the oven for an hour or so. Remove carefully from the paper and cool. For fun presentation, top each nest with a couple jelly bean eggs and a Peeps chick. Eat and enjoy ... warning, these are messy! They break apart into a million pieces and then melt in your mouth.

Derby Day!

Derby day is here! This was Keaton's last official derby (but we'll still have a scout for the next one, as Cooper will turn eight later in the year). Last year Keaton took third ... and he took third again this year! Congrats to Kade for a first place finish! We all went over to watch ... well, Landon went to try is car out, but left before the actual racing started (maybe he was just mad because Callahan's car beat his!)

With dwindling numbers (our ward only had six participants), the derby committee chose to combine with two other wards in the stake, which is a great idea. Not only can you save work and expense, but the race is actually better with more participants. There were 17 this year.

In addition to the regular race, another fun tradition Grayson picked up during his derbies elsewhere, was a BEAT THE BISHOP race. The Bishop made a car (a MiniCooper), then raced it against the boys. If you beat the Bishop, you won a prize. This was open to everyone (not just the scouts), so Cooper happily raced and WON ... Colton's car did NOT win (his impatience to get the wheels on means it didn't get all the special "speed" tricks and treatment, and it showed). Colton was sad ... but luckily he got a ring pop prize anyway.

After the beat the Bishop and fun races, it was time to insert THE LOOP ... not all cars make it through the loop, but many did. It was a fun end to a fun night. Here's the video highlights ...

Jordan Oaks Pinewood Derby

April 19, 2011

Ready for the Races

The weeks of planning, cutting, sanding, filling, painting and finishing cars are finally done! The cars are complete and ready to race. Landon lined up ALL his cars from the past eight years ... the first three were his cubscout cars (all of them took first place!) All the other cars are ones he's made over the years just for fun ...

Landon and his cool car he made completely on his own ...

Callahan's car ...

notice the matching colors on the wheels (all the boys did this)

Colton LOVES his car!

Cooper's Car

The official weigh-in was on Saturday, and the scouts had to turn their cars in, so I didn't get pictures of Cooper and Keaton with their cars, but Cooper's is pictured above, and Keaton"s car is shown below.

Keaton's Car

And we can't forget DADDY's car ... errr, truck.

Here he is loaded and ready to go ...

We're READY to RACE!

The Mystery of the Missing Jersey

It was one of my thrift store finds ... a little Jazz jersey ... an immediate new favorite for Colton. I picked it up on Tuesday. Colton wore it on Wednesday ... and on Thursday (check out the video clip a couple posts down). He dripped popsicle juice all down the front on Friday. I told him it HAD to be washed and put it in his dirty clothes basket. I did his wash ... and the dryer broke. Grayson ended up taking the load to the laundromat to get it dry. When it was back and I started to sort the clothes to put them away, Colton bounded in, so anxious for his little Jazz jersey. We couldn't find it. I checked the washer ... I checked the dryer ... I checked Daddy's truck, the next morning, on the way to basketball games, I even checked the lost and found at the laundromat ... nothing ... it was gone. I was perplexed as to where it could have disappeared to. I was sad, that the ONE item my little guy adored was the ONE item that was nowhere to be found. 80% of the items could go missing and I probably wouldn't even notice they were gone. Sunday morning, as Colton got dressed for church, he came to me saying "I found my Jazz jersey!" I asked him where he found it and he said "Well ... I accidentally HID it". ACCIDENTALLY??? I do have to wonder about how his little mind works! He had taken it from his dirty clothes and stashed it somewhere in his room. Did he think I wouldn't notice when he wore it again and it was still soiled and stained? And then he must have forgotten he hid it, because he was so sad when we couldn't find it in the laundry. Silly little boy! But I can't tell you how frustrating little mysteries like that are, so at least we cracked THIS case! And Colton is happily wearing his Jazz jersey once more (washed and air dried ... the dryer is still broken!)

Signs of Spring

"Mommy, Mommy, come ... I want to show you something! You will like it, it will make you happy. It's outside ... look, a flower!" Colton was SO excited, and he knows I like flowers ... and it did make me happy. Our first tulip. Signs of Spring ... keep it coming!

Sports Saturday ... Soccer Snap

Cooper's Cast

It wasn't the day I planned ... I love my sports Saturdays ... they are a bit crazy, but I love them! Today was no exception to the craziness. Grayson was busy with Pinewood derby stuff, a workshop in the morning hours, and weighing in the cars in the afternoon. So I was in charge of getting the kids to their various sporting events. It was a bit complicated, but I worked it out. Callahan had a basketball game at 9:00, Keaton's was at a different location at 10:00, and Cooper's soccer game was at 10:30. I got Cooper ready to go before I left in the morning and arranged for a teammate to pick him up for his game. I'd given Keaton the choice to come with me and watch Callahan's game, or to go watch the game before his own ... he chose the latter. So I dropped him off an hour early and headed to Callahan's game. Callahan's team won easily ... I'm thinking we should have played up, as the boys are simply too good for this league. Catch his game highlights (Callahan'sGame). We rushed from there to Keaton's game, and arrived just in time for tip off. Keaton's team won as well. See his game highlights (Keaton'sGame). Then it was on to the soccer field, hoping to catch the last half of Cooper's soccer game. We got there ... and about two minutes later, Cooper fell and screamed ... his arm was broken.

It didn't look like that bad of a fall. He wasn't tripped or pushed. I think he just stumbled over his own feet, or perhaps a depression in the ground. Yes ... I had my video camera going, so I watched the fall over again and ... still not sure how it happened. The arm was obviously broken, no question at all. His arm was bent. Everyone was very helpful, laying him down, calling 911, immobilizing the arm with a splint. I tried calling Grayson, but there isn't a phone in the garage and no one was picking up in the house. Callahan ran all the way home ( a half mile) to get him. We did consider trying to drive Cooper to the emergency room ourselves, but as the ambulance was already there, and he was in so much pain, we figured we'd go ahead and let the professionals move him and get him on some pain management right away. We went to the ER at the Riverton Primary Children's. We'd been through a bad break like this once before (with Landon), so I pretty much knew what to expect... the sedation, and setting the arm while under the x-ray ... pretty amazing stuff. There's always a bit of a concern that surgery or pins might be needed, but luckily, they were able to get the bones aligned with no complications.

The X-ray

Poor Cooper! He LOVES soccer, and this was only the second game of the season! And it's the same arm (the right one, and yes he's right handed), same two bones, that he broke just six months ago (here's THAT blog post). His poor arm hurt so much, and then with an IV in his left hand, that hurt too! After several hours at the hospital, we were able to go home. Cooper's in a cast (again) and on his way to healing. At least he is off track right now ... no school for the next three weeks. And it's a long soccer season, I wonder if he might even be able to get in another game ...

I remember last time Cooper broke his arm, I made a "fall" seasonal pun. This time, I guess it's "Spring BREAK" ... and to relive happier soccer moments, here's links to the videos I've made of his soccer seasons so far ...

Cooper: Spring Soccer 2011

Cooper: Fall Soccer 2010

Cooper: Kindergarten Soccer Spring 2009

Creating Cars

The Pinewood Derby is coming up ... during the weeks before, the Blackham garage is very busy! While there is only ONE actual cub scout in the family at the moment (that would be Keaton), very often ALL the kids want a car. Not only does Grayson help our boys, but actually holds workshops, sharing his tools and talent with anyone who asks.

Colton was SO excited to build his car. He came in and told me the steps ... "we cut the wood, make holes and put stuff in, then rub paper" ... he kept asking Grayson if he had "rubbed" (sanded) enough, and Daddy kept telling him he needed to do just a little more. Colton was SO excited to get his car painted, but then Daddy came across him looking oh so sad ... why? He wanted WHEELS. It wasn't quite dry, so there are more than a few fingerprints in the paint, but Colton was happy. Then Daddy had a derby, and Colton went with him. After the official race, he got to participate in the fun races ... here's a little video Daddy took (Colton does NOT like the messy graphite on his fingers ...)

Keaton and Cooper's cars are pictured below, sanded and primed. Those hangers? They USED to be MINE ... cute candles hung from them, before Grayson took them over ...

Landon and Callahan made cars too ... Landon created his completely on his own ... I'll share his in another post, as well as the kids completed cars and of course the derby itself! We're a derby family!

Jazz Fans

Jazz FANS ... literally!

Callahan got one as a favor at the Jazz game.

As part of the Junior Jazz Basketball season, each player received two tickets to a Jazz game. Keaton's tickets were for April 7th, Callahan and Cooper received tickets for the April 13th game. Gray had derbies both nights, so I arranged for the older boys to go with friends, and Uncle Clay took Cooper. Uncle Clay also scored some additional tickets for a game on April 1, and Daddy took Cooper to that game.

April Fool's Game against the Lakers ... Jazz Lost :(

Cooper is OBSESSED with the NBA ... nba.com is his favorite website. He can tell you the names of almost all the players on every team, and give you their stats as well. He loves to collect the Adrenalyn basketball cards. The Blackham Boys are basketball FANatics!

Say Cheese (Balls)

Callahan wanted some cheese balls ... I don't know if he had some at a friend's house or at school, but something prompted a strong desire in him for these little balls of puffed cheese. I had purchased one of these HUGE barrels of balls once before at Sam's Club, and I don't think the kids got through them all and I ended up throwing a good portion out. Well ... as I'm quite a pushover (and after repeated asking and begging on Callahan's part), I picked one up last week. This time, the kids had NO trouble finishing it off (this picture was taken on the first day ... almost half gone already and completely gone as of this post). I do think the boys shared some with friends ... at least I HOPE so! I didn't help eat any though, they just don't tempt me. I actually did like them (and Cheetos) when I was young .... but I think it was in middle school, I purchased a big package (not quite as big as the package pictured here). As I spent my own money, I didn't have to share with my brothers and sister ... bleech, I overdid it ... I never finished the package, and I've never had a cheese puff since!

Lego Racers

I noticed a fun looking activity at the local library ... a Lego Racing party! My boys love Legos, and they love racing cars, so it seemed like a good match. I took the two youngest boys (right after Colton's soccer game, thus his athletic attire). There were plenty of Legos to make cars, then the kids could race them down the double ramp.

It was fairly crowded (in the picture above, you may see our neighbors the Llewellyn's too!), but there were enough pieces to keep everyone busy making multiple car creations, and the ramp was large enough that many children could race at the same time. While it worked fine for this large group, I also think it would be fun on a smaller scale, where you could really "race" the cars and compare the creativity of the completed cars. I know the setup is available for birthday parties or activities, you can check out the ReadyRaceParty website for more info.

I got a few photos and videos and made a quick little muvee so you can actually catch the cars in action *Ü*

A Bunch of Basketball ... but "SNOW" Soccer

Friday night the boys in the ward had a region basketball game. The team is mainly TALL teachers (Landon being one) but as Callahan is officially in the young mens program, he of course loves to play too. He looks SO little with all those bigger boys! I made a muvee of the game highlights (ChurchBall 04082011). I do enjoy watching the Blackham Brothers play ball together on the same team *Ü* Unfortunately, the boys lost the game, so that is the end of the churchball for this year.

Cooper and Colton were supposed to have soccer games on Saturday ... but it was cold and snowy. Those games have been postponed. The boys had really looked forward to playing, but spring has been so soggy! Both boys had practice on Wednesday night (it was pretty chilly and windy then too, Cooper came home with soaked socks and shoes!). Colton has a game on Monday if the weather improves!

We still had sports on Saturday ... luckily basketball is not affected by bad weather. Both Keaton and Callahan had games. They played well and both teams won. You can catch the hoop highlights here ...

Keaton's Game

Callahan's Game

Kindergarten is Coming

It was Kindergarten registration today. Being a Friday, it was early out. I picked up the boys, hurried and ran them home, then turned around and went right back with Colton. There was a little presentation by the principal and teachers, then we went around to the classrooms to do some activities (in the picture above, the kids were told to write their name and then use it in a question survey ... the question was "What is your favorite ice cream, chocolate or strawberry?" ...I think the children were disappointed there wasn't really any ice cream ... but there were some cookies at a station in the cafeteria). And as part of kindergarten prep, Colton had needed to get his immunizations. I'd had a doctor's appointment scheduled for last month, but ended up usurping that for a bad ear infection (Colton's fever was high enough they wanted him recovered before going ahead with the shots). We did reschedule and made it in on Wednesday. Poor Colton, he tried to be brave, but he cried. The shots in his legs seemed to really hurt him, and he was walking stiff legged for the rest of the day.

With Colton being our youngest ... this will be the last kindergarten registration we'll have. I can still remember dropping Landon off at school his first day ... with Callahan, I misread the info about kindergarten starting a day later, and accidentally took him a day early. I signed Keaton up for kindergarten right as he turned five (August31), then decided to hold him for a year (so he actually registered twice!) With Cooper ... there was NO chance of him going when he was first eligible (just barely, another August birthday). Even an entire year later, I remember him crying all through kindergarten registration, even though I never left his side. I was so discouraged, but he has blossomed in school. I think Colton is excited and totally ready for school to start. He's such a social little fellow, he has a hard time at home when his brothers are at school and there's only Mom for company. Hurray for kindergarten!

Jersey Boys

Keaton had earned some money helping Dad run derbies ... what did he spend it on? A basketball jersey. Rajon Rondo, one of his favorite players. Now the little boys have a LOT of little basketball jerseys, but they are just ones I found at the local thrift store (mostly just generic types, not specific teams ... but yes, even the Jazz jersey Cooper is wearing in the picture above I found at the thrift store, I think it was $2, steal of a deal, especially when Darren Williams WAS still on the Jazz). Landon has one jersey (also Williams) which I bought him for Christmas. Callahan has a Williams one as well, plus a couple others he purchased with his own money. My kids are Jersey Boys! The older boys save their jerseys for special occasions (going to a game, etc), but Colton ... Colton wears his basketball jerseys every single day (just scroll through some of the past pictures, you'll see!) Although, with spring soccer starting, he's actually sometimes swapping his basketball jerseys for soccer ones!

Word Games

So ... the other day, the boys decided they wanted the "Words with Friends" game application for their Ipods. Now I don't think I could have ever gotten them to play Scrabble if I tried (and that's basically what this game is!). They are addicted. You play it across wi-fi, you can take as much time as you need, you can have multiple games going at once with different people. I've never been good at Scrabble myself, so when I play, with full disclosure to those I am playing against (which so far is just Landon and Callahan), I like to get a little "help" (there are many websites and even another application that can help). So if you have Words with Friends and want more "friends" to play with, Landon and Callahan can't seem to get enough, and I love that this game is at least a little educational ... if you want to start a game with me ... what can I say ... I NEED help, so I have to cheat ... and you'd still probably beat me! Of course, anyone playing me is welcome to any "helps" too!

Colton's Claw

I love the Toy Story movies ... but one little thing that frustrated me (especially as my kids watched it as they got older) was the scene with the claw game in it. You know the one ... at Pizza Planet ... Sid plays once and easily wins an alien toy. Then he sees Buzz, plays again, and of course wins again (double prizes as Woody hangs on) ... well, MY kids think they are going to win easily too, and they always want to play when they see those claw games around. Keaton especially, was always drawn to them, so much that I actually bought him a toy one for a birthday one year. My favorite restaurant, Red Robin, has one of these claw games there to entertain the kids. A few years ago, I remember handing over some coins to the boys, and my shock when Keaton actually returned with a stuffed toy! He was ecstatic ( even though it was an ugly "wicked witch of the west" doll ... he had WON). Since then, we've always seemed to have a bit of luck with the machines at Red Robin. Maybe they rig them a bit in the kids favor. On Monday, Colton and I went out to lunch at Red Robin, and Colton SO wanted to play the claw game and to win a ball. I put him off until after our meal, and then as we were ready to leave, I let him give it a go. And he did it! An alien ... almost like in the Toy Story movie!

RootBeer Taste Test

Years ago, Grayson and I were invited to a "tasting party" ... not for wine, but for rootbeer. We decided this would be a fun family activity, so I bought several different brands and we broke out the Dixie cups to start the taste test. Of course we had to have the MAIN name brands ... Barqs, A&W, Mug and IBC. Then of course we needed the basic "generic" (this was "BigK" from Smiths), plus a couple others. I know there are MANY more brands out there to try, some expensive gourmet types, but this is what we had for today. We wrote numbers (1-7) on the bottom of the cups then filled them with the corresponding drinks. Everyone tried theirs and said which they liked best.

Sorry Howies ... not only did it not win "best" but several people said they did NOT like it. Barqs won for taste, with IBC close behind ... although if presentation had been part of the test, IBC would have won, because everyone thought the little bottles were "cute" ... this activity was just for fun, but I probably will change buying habits a little because of it, grabbing Barqs instead of another brand. Barqs was best!

Brrrrothers

The weather was SO nice on April 1 ... I remember contrasting it with last year when we got SNOW ... well, the winter weather was a couple days later this year, but it hit just as hard. I woke up around 3:00 in the morning and it seemed so bright outside, I thought it was morning! It was just the moon reflecting off a blanket of white covering everything. And the snow continued to fall throughout the day. I know we had a snow in late May last year, I hope we don't get a repeat of that! Landon and Callahan decided to go jump in the snow with just their shorts on ... um, okay ...

Brrrrothers

Maga Mobile

Conference Weekend ... with no church the following morning, and all the families planning on heading up to Maga's house on Sunday, Maga decided to host a sleepover with some of the grandkids. She picked up Addie, then stopped by our house. It was a bit of a tight fit to get the two carseats and one booster seat in the car. Keaton sat up front. It was the MagaMobile!

Saturday Sports

GOAL!

Spring sports mean busy Saturdays. Soccer started for Cooper today. He's playing with the same team he did in fall. It was a little cooler than the past couple days (which were SO nice) but the kids kept warm running about. Cooper had a good game, he scored three goals, leading their team to victory. He struggles a little with taking a turn sitting out, he'd be happy playing the entire game. I took the camera to capture some pictures and video and of course ... made a muvee!

After Cooper's game, both Callahan and Keaton had basketball games at 12:00. Mom took Callahan to his (they won, the video is here). Keaton's team won also, and Keaton had a great game. Gray even took some video (so you can see his game here). All the basketball business is on the Hoop Dreams blog, feel free to follow the games there if you like, although I'll probably be putting basic updates here as well.

Spring sports ... I love it! I'm not sure how many more of Cooper's soccer games I'll get video of (or even get to see, as his games conflict with the basketball games. I'm probably going to be sending Cooper with his buddy Ridley most of the time, THANKS Shaw family!). I did just get Colton's schedule and YEA, this games are in the afternoon, NOT the morning. They start next Saturday!

April 1 ...

It's April 1 ... we don't really do a lot of April Fools jokes, that's not what this post is about *Ü* As Colton got up and got dressed, he put on this jersey saying "it's April 1, just like my shirt says 1" ... yes, I thought it was very appropriate for the day. He originally dressed in jeans though, as the weather has still been cool lately. Yesterday however, it was WONDERFUL, mid 60s, the boys were all commenting on how HOT it was (what will they say when it's 80 degrees??). It was so nice to be able to open the windows and get some fresh air throughout the house. I think March came in like a lamb ... and went out like a lamb, so much for the "lion" part of the saying, although there were some stormy days in-between. With the warm weather, the boys all changed into shorts after school (Colton wore his FAVORITE outfit yesterday). Today Colton came downstairs, peeking his head into the gym where I was working out and asked "Mom, can I wear shorts today?" I told him yes he could ... he then opened the door wide to show his whole body and announced "I already am!" ... so I guess he wasn't really asking permission. Silly munchkin! Look at those little white legs though, almost as white as the entire outfit! A MUCH nicer April 1 than last year! I could really get used to weather like this, but I think the forecast is calling for cooler weather by the weekend. We'll take it while we can!