Laser Land

I'm always on the lookout for fun things for the kids to do, especially to keep busy during the summer months. I had noticed a flyer for a new play place called Fun 'n Motion which was opening up very close by (90th South and 40th West). It had bouncy houses ... but Jump'nBounce has a lot more. It had arcade games, but NickelMania or even the arcade at bowling had more ... BUT it was unique in that it had Laser Tag and a Laser Maze. These two activities made this place an instant favorite for the older kids (I think the young ones would actually like it too, but it is a bit pricey, and when the little ones didn't ask, I didn't push them to try it). I think the place has been open about a month, we hit it on Monday just to check it out, as Groupon was offering a deal ($11 for an all day pass) and I wanted to see if we should purchase it. We went with a coupon giving us a pizza, a pitcher of soda and 100 tokens for $20. Then I paid for a game of laser tag and laser maze for Landon and Keaton (Callahan had left that morning for scout camp). They liked it ... a LOT!

As Keaton and Landon had the laser activities, I let the little ones use most of the tokens ... it's amazing how quickly kids can go through 100 tokens! Cooper was pretty happy about hitting the jackpot in a couple of the games and winning quite a few tickets. The boys love collecting tickets and redeeming them for prizes.

We got a pizza, and all the boys said it was yummy. Landon and Keaton wanted to do more laser tag ... Landon really wanted Cooper and Colton to try it, but at $6 a game, well ... I shut it down for the day and we went home and bought the Groupon. I wanted to wait a week (for Callahan to be able to go too), but Landon and Keaton were too anxious to try it again ... we went back the next day (well, I just dropped the two older boys off). Unlimited laser tag and laser maze. They lasted a few hours and got in several games of each. With the maze, they keep a record of the top 10 times (three levels, Rookie, Veteran, Elite) since the place opened. They also keep a video loop of the kids with the fastest times. Keaton was so excited because he had placed in the top 10 for the higher levels, and was holding the first place spot on the rookie level! He completed the challenge in just 13 seconds! He wanted to get a picture and video (before somebody broke his record) ... so we actually went back AGAIN that day with camera in hand, but I was glad for the pictures and video to make a muvee of his accomplishment!

I bought four unlimited passes on my Groupon account, and four more on Grayson's account. So after using two today, the three older boys can go back a couple more times. We look forward to introducing Callahan to the place. The little boys want to go back too. We'll be keeping our eyes peeled for more coupon deals!

Fireworks

We didn't do a lot of fireworks this year (not that we really do ANY year, but still, this year was even less than our normal). But with the new laws, allowing aerial fireworks legally, the neighbors provided more than enough of a show (and there were still plenty of illegal fireworks I think!) For the 4th, I had purchased a few parachutes, tanks and sparklers. With Utah having it's state celebration, the fireworks stands were still around a couple weeks later for the 24th, and I did hit one of the booths and pick up a few more things. Popits, smoke bombs, and more parachutes.

A couple years ago I had found these "Osama Bin Laden" fireworks ... it lets out a screaming noise and then the top blows off. Landon had liked them then, and when world events happened a couple months ago, Landon remembered these fireworks. The booth still had them in stock so I picked up a couple.

Colton didn't love the sparklers, which is actually ok by me. Callahan had received a box of fireworks for his belated birthday, so the boys set those off as well. We still had some parachutes, smoke bombs and snaps, which we took out to Mom's house and set off while visiting cousins. I am ready for all the fireworks to end ... seems like people have been shooting them off every night! I'm ready for a little quiet as I head to bed.

Inflatable Fun

Being a holiday weekend, we didn't have any basketball games on Saturday ... but we kept busy! Cooper had a birthday party in the morning, and in the evening, we were invited over to our friends, the DiFrancesco's. They had also had a birthday party (for a cousin) in their backyard, and still had a big inflatable obstacle course. The boys had a lot of fun jumping and bouncing and just being crazy!

Look at that perfect flying form!

Relaxing as he falls ...

I took a lot of pictures and video and put together a muvee ...

With all that crazy jumping, we only had a couple minor body burns, and two bloody noses ... not too bad for bouncy Blackham boys and our DiFrancesco friends! Thanks again for having us over!

Floats & Forced Family "Fun"

Cooper's Favorite Float

The dragon sprayed water!

So last year, Cooper and I went to the Parade Preview at the South Towne Expo center. The rest of the family was in Seattle, so it was just the two of us. We really enjoyed it, and I was so excited to share this event with the whole family this year. It wasn't great ... the floats were great, but the Blackham Bunch was a bit off. It's probably my own fault, I'd taken the boys swimming at Kearn's earlier in the day, and after three hours of swimming and sun, they just weren't up for any more forced family fun.

Callahan conceded to take a picture in front of the "U" float.

Keaton and Colton liked the Kung Fu Panda

Mmmm... KFC

So ... the evening didn't turn out exactly as I'd hoped. I didn't even attempt a family photo, even though we ran into my brother Chris there (and I took a family photo for them). I really think the parade preview is a great event. I love seeing the floats up close and personal, in air conditioned comfort, and while there are some crowds, it's nothing compared to the parade route. But next year? I think I might just go by myself!

Swimming Lessons

For the past few years, the Blackham Boys took swimming lessons at the West Jordan Middle School pool every summer. Last year, with the Jordan School District making cuts ... the pool was one of the casualties. So as summer started this year, I had to look elsewhere. There is an outdoor pool next to Gene Fullmer (where the boys play basketball) and we decided to give it a try. Signing up was a little more difficult; there was only one day of signups (the Wednesday before) and only six spots per class. I went at 7:00 in the morning to make sure I would get a spot for the boys, and as all levels aren't taught at the same time, I was very relieved when I got both boys in at the same time (9:45-10:15, Cooper in Level 3 and Colton in Level 2). Here's my random thoughts comparing the venues:

• Lesson Length: This year it was 30 minutes, compared to a full hour last year. I think the boys actually liked the shorter lesson. It was nice that this pool allowed a 15-min window in-between lessons (WJMS had them back to back, and that made for some crowded walkways with people coming and going at the same time).
• Outdoor vs Indoor: It was refreshing to be outdoors. I was a little worried about the kids getting sunburned, but it was such a short time out each day, and so early, that it wasn't really an issue. And of course, there was the weather ... several overcast days, with one Tuesday lesson being cancelled (pushed to Friday) due to rain and wind.
• Classes and Crowds: These classes were smaller (only six kids) vrs up to twelve at WJMS (although they would then have two teachers, so a similar ratio really). The WJMS was rather crowded, constant crossing of paths. There was a bit more room here at the outdoor pool, but they were still often confined to small areas (a large portion of the pool was roped off for lap swimming and water aerobics).
• Teachers and Teaching: The boys each had a variety of teachers over the eight lessons, a little less consistency than at WJMS (maybe it was just our session). Both locations went by the Red Cross standards, but there were many things I'd seen at WJMS that I didn't see here (a concentrated safety day, climbing down a pool to a deep portion of the pool), and vice versa (more games, collecting rings, etc.) I liked the teaching at both locations, but after a few years of identical lessons, it was actually nice to have some new activities and slightly different approach.
• Deep Waters: The outdoor pool had a much larger shallow section. At the WJMS pool, the kids (especially the small ones) had to be careful not to let go of the side, or they could be in trouble in the 3 1/2 foot water ... here, the kids could swim then simply stand up without a problem (although they did move to deeper water for some of the lessons).
• Solo vs Group: We've always gone with the group lessons, but if you want to pay more, you could opt for private or semi-private lessons. I was able to observe a private lesson going on, and I actually think the group dynamic is better for my boys. They enjoy meeting new "friends" and having a little "off-time" (while the teacher is working with the others) to rest or goof off.
• Walking While Waiting: At the WJMS pool, I would walk the length of the pool (which wasn't really very long) while I waited. Occasionally, on the cooler days, they would keep the doors closed, trapping me inside where it was hot and humid and even less room to walk. The outdoor pool was better for me. I could have walked around the entire thing, but I generally just walked about halfway around (from one child's area to the next) and then backtracked. During the 30 minutes, I could get about 3000 steps in (about a mile and a half).

Cooper had actually passed Level 3 last summer, but he was very worried about moving up to Level 4, and he is very young and small to be there, so I put him in Level 3 again. I was glad that he did pass it again ... although I STILL don't know if I'll move him up to Level 4 until he's more comfortable with the idea (me too). There was another "Cooper" in his class (Big Cooper ... he was in 5th grade). Colton did well, but will need another session to perfect his Level 2 skills. I love to watch him, he's absolutely unafraid (although he is aware of his limitations). I'm glad we found another location to get our swimming lessons in, while we were so sad the WJMS pool closed, we were all very happy with our experience here at the WJ Outdoor Pool.

A Belated Birthday

Back in February, Callahan turned twelve years old ... now he's only had ONE "friend" birthday party (we usually limit them to once every few years and just have family celebrations annually). I had promised him he could have one for his big #12 ... we talked about some possibilities, but everything was so expensive and we just didn't get it planned. Saturdays were busy with basketball (although school was out for his actual birthday, on Monday the 21, for President's Day ... I have NO excuses!) Callahan was wishing his birthday was in the summer months, when it was warm and we could have a water party and play basketball. I did bring up the possibility of having a belated birthday in the summer ... and now, summer was here. His basketball team had a bye and wasn't playing, we had an open Saturday ... so, it was time. Happy Belated Birthday Callahan! He invited his basketball team and some friends from the neighborhood/school. It was a wet and wild time. We had ...

• Dunk Tank: This was the main attraction. Kids had fun being both the dunker and the dunkee. We actually picked it up early (thanks Uncle Clay!) Friday night and enjoyed an extra day of play, making sure the little ones got plenty of action too. Grayson allowed himself to be dunked ... and so did I.
• Waterballoons and Slingshots: We set up Grayson's wonderful waterballoon filler (so seven people can be filling at the same time), and in addition to the regular small waterballoons, we used bigger, regular sized ones and even the long, twisty ones to make long water snakes. With the smaller balloons, the kids could use slingshots to hurl them over the house (or at each other). There are little plastic pieces of balloons ALL over our yard.
• Diet Coke Geyser: Have you seen the Mentoes/Diet Coke experiment? We've done it before, but I picked up a handy dandy little item (Geyser Tube) that made it quick and easy ... we did it four times.
• Water Rockets: We used the empty two-liter Diet-Coke bottles on Grayson's fun rocket launcher's to propel them high into the air, spraying water as they went.
• Paracord Party Favors: A final activity was letting the boys make a paracord bracelet to take home.

And of course, cake and ice cream! We love the chocolate cake from Sam's Club ... although THIS was the first time it was finished off entirely in one sitting (I guess I shouldn't have been surprised, with that many teenaged boys!). I should have used the insta-light candles, this crowd would have appreciated them. Oh well. I think Callahan had a happy birthday ... even if it was five months late.

Keaton still had a basketball game later that day (at 5:00) ... I was tired from the party and was worried that Keaton would be worn out too, but no worries there! Keaton had a GREAT game, view his highlights here.

The Upstart Program

Last year my sister-in-law told the family about a little program she had enrolled her daughter in, it's a free, at-home "preschool" developed by the Waterford Institute. It's to help kids get a jump on learning before entering kindergarten. Upon her recommendation, three more of the Westra grandkids (Colton being one) were accepted into the program (there are a limited number of spaces, so you do want to register early). After an orientation, we were sent home with an external hard drive and then Colton was to work with Rusty and Rosie Raccoon for 15 minutes, at least five days a week.

Some days he was really good at doing his computer preschool. Other days I had to push (and bribe) him. We just finished up and are returning our equipment. Between his regular preschool, Rusty and Rosie, and just being a smart little fellow, I think Colton is more than ready for kindergarten!

If you have a preschool age child and wanted to look into Rusty and Rosie for yourself ... here's the link to Utah Upstart.

Cookies and Cousins

JUMP!

As we were growing up, we always had a lot of interaction with Uncle Merrill and his family. As we all got older, it was harder to have family gatherings with all the spouses, kids, etc., because it was such a big group. But today, my mom hosted a "Cookies and Cousins" party, and we had a great turnout. It was so fun to visit my cousins that I hadn't seen in a while. There were plenty of cookies, and while it was drizzling a bit outside for a good portion of the evening, that didn't deter the kids. I brought jumpropes, hula hoops and catch games, my dad set up the golf shoes, and everyone stayed quite busy. I actually didn't take many photos/video, but what I did get I've featured in a little video ...

At the end of the evening, a huge rainbow formed across the sky ...

Sports and Storms

Saturday ... time for some basketball! Keaton was up first, playing at Taylorsville today. It was a pretty close game, but our boys won by one! Keaton had a good game with six points. His highlights are here.

Callahan's game was a little later at Gene Fullmer. We knew going in it would be a tough one. The other team actually wasn't that big (compared to some of the kids we have and will face) but they were good! They made almost every shot, and our team just couldn't land many. It was a down game for Callahan ... literally ... he was well acquainted with the floor. His ... can't really call them highlights ... are here. Chin up Callahan ...

During Callahan's game, we heard a roaring above, like a plane flying low overhead ... except that it went on for 5-10 minutes. As we left the gym, we saw that it had rained (and hailed), quite a storm. Later Grayson and I went to Red Robin at the District for a dinner date. We were glad we hadn't been seated on the patio, because a big storm hit again, with heavy winds. The wind caught the water from the fountain in front of the movie theater and it looked like a hurricane outside! Back home with his brothers, Cooper was a little stressed out. I mentioned his fascination with tornadoes in a previous post, and at that time I said he didn't seem to be afraid ... unfortunately that has changed. Wind, rain, even clouds in the sky seem to scare him. Poor Cooper!

Summer Jobs

When I was young, I remember the STAR CHART making an appearance every summer to track our jobs and earn prizes. It was always very motivating for me. As a parent, attempting to teach MY kids to work, we've tried several things. I did a post last year (at the end of the summer) about this (Whistle While You Work), documenting our "white board" job chart, and reviewing some of the previous projects.

For 2011 ... once again, we are trying something new. I really do think novelty often adds to the success of something working with kids (especially MY kids). While reading the newspaper, I noticed an article about an online job chart ... as we are a very tech family, I thought the kids might enjoy this. It was pretty easy to set up and personalize. I'm keeping the "points" values pretty low (just one point for most "jobs" ... and some of the things they can get points for really can't be considered a "job", but hey ...). The kids can earn 10+ points a day without too much effort. They can redeem points for prizes (a candy bar, pack of basketball cards, small toy ... or for Landon, a late night out with friends).

As our summer just started, we've only been implementing this program for about a week, but so far so good. As usual, Cooper is the most invested. He really likes rules and structure and routine, in fact he can get a little obsessive about it. Callahan had been the sole child to continue on with our "old" program, keeping track of his jobs and collecting a small paycheck each week ... the points in this program don't have quite the monetary potential he was used too, so he's not totally thrilled with the new system.

... we'll see how it goes ... gotta go make some updates to the job lists now ...

Start of Summer Breakfast

Every year, as the school lets out and "summer" officially begins for the boys, we have a "start of summer" breakfast. We do this at the end of the summer too. Last year we went to Virg's ... and the boys love that place, but I had a coupon to "The Outpost" so we went there. For MY breakfast, I like pancakes, bacon and hashbrowns ... I don't care for eggs. It's very hard to find this combination anywhere, I always have to get the hashbrowns on the side, or substitute them for an extra charge. At Outpost, they have a perfect breakfast platter with all three (ok ... it does come with eggs too, but Gray or the boys will usually eat them). They also have GREAT french toast, and really reasonable prices. I needn't have ordered the extra two pancakes ... summer, here we come!

Now I know you're not supposed to swim right after eating ... but after our breakfast we headed to Grandma's house. The boys hit the pool, while Mom and Grandpa played a little tennis (then joined the boys, the cool water was welcome after working up a sweat). A tennis ball (a few of them) joined everyone in the pool too! One of the things the boys like best about swimming at this pool is throwing a ball with Grandpa. Nice catch Cooper!

Boohbah ... I mean Callahan.

Hopefully we'll be able to hit the pool a few more times during the summer. We've actually been a couple times already (on Friday afternoons when the boys got out early from school). Thanks Grandma and Grandpa for letting us come out!

Return of the Rangers

Colton, Cooper and their buddy Jacob ...

Can you name WHICH types of Power Rangers they are?

Can you sing their theme songs?

I can ...

It seems like Power Rangers have been around forever ... I remember first finding them when Landon was just a little guy. Through the years, we picked up a few costumes here and there. We've had a lot of the action figures around for quite a while. Usually they are away in a box, but every so often they would reappear.

And they're back ... the cause of their return? Netflix. We had a few movies on DVD (and VHS!) but recently, Netflix added ALL (I think all, there are SO many) the series to their instant stream. We've been watching a LOT of Power Rangers this past week! Many of the older ones I remember from years ago, other more recent ones that are completely new to me. We had to dig out the costumes ...

If you haven't seen Power Rangers ... some (ok, all) of them are pretty cheesy. Often we just laugh out loud at some of the lines and fight scenes. Every "type" of ranger (series) has it's own theme song. Yes ... we know most of them and have several on the Ipod. How many Power Rangers are there?

• Mighty Morphin
• Alien
• Zeo
• Turbo
• Space
• Lost Galaxy
• LightSpeed (the red ranger's last name is "Grayson" so I've got to like him ...)
• Time Force
• Wildforce (this series has the famous "Forever Red" episode, with ALL the red rangers to date making an appearance)
• Ninja Storm
• Dino Thunder
• SPD
• Mystic Force
• Operation Overdrive
• Jungle Fury
• RPM
• Samuai (this is new, as of 2011 ... not streamable, so I haven't seen this)

Fun on the Fourth

Independence Day Weekend ... I read an article in the paper, wishing people would call it "Independence Day" rather than just "The 4th of July" to help everyone remember why we are celebrating. The boys were on scout "Flag Duty" in the morning (putting flags up all throughout the neighborhood ... it does leave you feeling patriotic to see all the flags flying).

Anyway, Grayson's brother's family was in from out of town for the holiday. On Thursday, we went up to Maga's to visit and roast hotdogs in Grandpa Rex's new firepit. The kids had a fun time playing with their cousins. Then we had a big get together again on Monday at Uncle Clay's house. Maga had brought a big waterslide for the kids ... and where there's water ... there's a waterfight. I had my camera out for some pictures and video ...

I hadn't purchased many fireworks for our family (some sparklers, parachutes and tanks), but the neighbors sure put on a show! Keeping "Independence Day" in mind, it really did make a difference as the fireworks exploded overhead ... the rocket's red glare, the bombs bursting in air...

What Do You Do In The Summertime ...

If you have young kids, there is a good chance you are familiar with Phineas and Ferb. These two crazy kids want to make the MOST of their summer vacation ... and so do WE! A friend posted a list of fun things to do on her blog, and I thought it was a great idea. A good reference for those days the boys say "there's NOTHING to do" and hopefully with a list in black and white, we'll make more of an effort to hit the various activities. If their school teacher assigns the "What I did on my summer vacation" essay, I want them to have SOMETHING to write about. So here's a list of hopefuls ... and I might continue to add to it as I (or the boys) think of more things. What do YOU do in the summertime?

• Go out to breakfast
• Mountain Mikes
• Chuck-E-Cheese
• SubZero
• Lagoon
• The Alpine Slide
• Bowling
• Swimming at Grandma's Pool
• Swimming at Kearns (KOPFC)
• Splash Pads
• Water Balloon Slingshot
• Water Rockets
• Jump and Bounce
• NickelMania
• Go to a Movie
• Go to a Drive In
• Host an Outdoor Movie at home
• Go on a Hike
• Play Tennis
• Miniature Golf
• Make Homemade Icecream
• Roast Smores
• Go Camping
• Make Flubber
• Family Bike Ride
• BBGun Shooting
• Go Fishing
• Go to the Park
• Days of 47 Float Preview Party
• Daybreak Docks
• Drive by the "UP" House
• Launch Rockets
• Kong Cones at Maceys
• Jumpropes & HulaHoops
• Car Show

Then there's Boondocks, Classic Fun Center, Hollywood Connection, Cherry Hill ... many other places I'm sure, although with five kids it tends to get a little spendy, so I'm not sure they are really on MY list ...

And just to leave you with a few MORE ideas ...

here's a list from Phineas and Ferb ...

What do YOU do in the summertime???

Last Week of School

Year round school gets out LATE ... Landon and other traditional schools started their summer almost a month ago, but finally, it was the last week of school for the Blackham Boys. There was the end of year testing, and final grades. There was a final assembly for Honor Roll, all three boys got awards (again). They started with the younger kids ... when they announced Cooper, Callahan and Keaton and all their friends cheered SO loud! It was the biggest cheer of the entire assembly! These are my "Good Grade Guys!"

In addition to going to the school to see the boys receive their awards, we went on another day to see Cooper's 1st grade program. Now Cooper had been a little stressed about the program. He had been talking to me about it for a couple of weeks, not sure that he knew all the words to all the songs. I told him not to worry, that there were a lot of kids singing, plus the pre-recorded voices, and that all the parents would be looking at their own kids ... not at Cooper. But, as the day arrived, and the kids went to perform for the school (the parent assembly was later in the day) Cooper felt sick and called home. His teacher also thought it was just nerves, and we tried to get him to start the program (to see if he'd be ok once he was there) but he still indicated he wasn't feeling well. I brought him home and ... he seemed ok. So I told him I wanted him to try his program. We went back at 3:00 and he did great ...

Cooper wasn't the only one to feel some stress during the final week ... Keaton also had a melt down regarding his class "Ghost Town Days". All the kids had different stations, Keaton and Co. was the "mine" and while I had picked up some butterscotch candy (gold pieces) for him it wasn't going to be enough (he of course tells me this at 9:00 the night before). Luckily I found a couple packages of Hershey's Kisses (silver nuggets). Really ... these last few days are supposed to be FUN!

I'm not sure what they used to make his face messy ...

but it was hard to get off!

Then there was Field Day. Grayson volunteered to be in charge of this a few years back, so I know how much work it is! After a couple of years of running it, and a couple years of helping out, I decided to sit out helping this year, but I did go and take pictures ...

I found Callahan's class first ... but no Callahan. He was in the office nursing a bonked head ... he was ok and came back out to finish the day. Cooper had also fallen and hurt his leg (luckily not his recently broken arm, I told him to be careful and avoid any questionably activity!)

Friday was the last day ... school's out for summer!