Gray did 32 derbies this past year! March/April are usually the busiest months (and that is when OUR derby is too, which makes it even more crazy as Grayson needs to help his own boys build cars). January often has a car theme, which also makes it a popular month. Not sure why October was in such demand!
Jan 6, 18, 25, 27
March 3, 8, 22, 26, 29
April 7, 13, 14, 19, 26
May 24, 26, 31
June 14, 21, 28
August 23
Sept 20, 22, 28
Oct 4, 6, 12, 19, 26, 28
Nov 17
Dec 8
... he already has seven derbies on deck for 2012 ...
Back in June, I posted about the TV in the front room dying (after 15years of service) ... we moved the big plasma from our bedroom to the front room, and got a nice new television. It hadn't even been six months and that nice new tv developed LINES all through one side. I guess they don't make things they way they used to. We had bought the television off Amazon, and luckily the customer service department said they would accept the return of the defective tv (normally they would send out a replacement but they didn't have any of that particular model in stock). Gray went out and bought a replacement, and we had to try and make the old tv fit in the box and ship it back (Amazon covered the shipping, and luckily our neighbors have an almost daily UPS pickup, so at least that part was easy).
We also caved into CABLE tv. We'd been on the limited basic for quite a while. Way back when, I remember it was only $8 or so a month. It had gone up over the years, and when the "digital revolution" took place a while back, we lost a lot of the channels we were getting (that would now require a cable box). After that change (and the addition of Netflix) we really weren't watching much (if any) tv, and I was going to cancel completely. But, as we were bundled with Internet, it would only save us about $5 a month, and I figured we'd keep it just in case we wanted to watch something.
But with the NBA lockout over, the boys REALLY wanted to watch basketball games. We looked into the "LeaguePass" offered by the NBA, but didn't feel like that would let us watch the Jazz (blackout rules affect the local teams). So we finally bit the bullet and signed up for starter cable. We're now trying out the "on demand" features we've never had before and remembering what "live tv" is ... (commercials! yuck). Watching actual "tv" again made us want our Tivo (DVR) back (we had cancelled this service over a year ago, we just weren't using it). We'd given one of the boxes to my mom for Christmas (I KNEW she would LOVE Tivo and had been able to get a deal on lifetime service for that box), but I did reactivate one of the other boxes for our use. Comcast and Tivo don't always get along, but I was able to figure out the connections, and it actually made the whole setup in the front room better (no more switching inputs on the TV itself, which had been a huge pain!).
So we're still fairly basic ... we don't have NBA TV, but we do get ESPN, TNT and ROOT, and pretty much all the Jazz games come to those stations, and there are quite a few other games the boys can catch too. The boys are watching a little Nick and Disney again ... Gray likes to catch the Top20 Countdown and just surf through the multitude of new channels now available. Awaiting that first cable bill ...
the entire Westra clan was present, so we took a family photo.
The holidays do bring families together!
We also had everyone in town on the Blackham side, as Kolby's family had flown in from Portland. We met at Bucca de Beppo for a big family dinner. There were too many of us to sit at the Pope table as we had done years earlier. We should have gotten a big family photo, but I didn't push a pose, so this is what I got ...
Buca de Blackhams
After dinner, everyone came over to our house for a bit, then Callahan and I left to his basketball game ( a competition tournament over the holiday weekend, it started a 9:00). Over half the Blackham Bunch came out to watch and cheer Callahan on (usually he only has me in the crowd, he was a little nervous playing in front of so much family). It was a great game though! A real nail-biter (even went into overtime) and Callahan really showed off this skills. Of course I made a video, and you can see it here!
Christmas morning ... the boys weren't up too early. I don't know that there were really any surprises. Most of the presents had been wrapped early and put under the tree and the kids had figured out what almost all of them were. Landon got some shoes, a scooter and a shuffle. Callahan got a ripstick, socks, a new jacket (and I told him his extra basketball teams were part of his Christmas!), Keaton got SuperMario, socks and a new hat for his collection. Cooper and Colton got lots of Legos (and were wearing their new Lego jammies they got last night). There were edible gifts too, all the kids got a favorite ... Oreos, Skittles, Takis, KitKats ... as if there aren't already enough goodies around during the holiday season!
This is what it looked like before (above)
This is what it looked like after (below)
There were also three electronic flying toys ... a helicopter, an AirHogs UFO thing, and DuckHunt. Two didn't even survive Christmas day (guess which one still works .... that's right, the cheapest one ...)
So ... Christmas was coming and the kids were STILL in school, much to their dismay! While other school districts had the entire week before Christmas off, and others got off at least by mid-week, this was not true for our kids. Now as a parent, I didn't really mind. It gave me a few extra days for shopping and wrapping presents without the kids underfoot. But the kids ... they were NOT happy about it. I don't have Twitter, but apparently there was such a fuss made there that it made the local news! The kids were posting that NO OTHER SCHOOLS in the United States were in school Dec 22 and 23. It will be remembered as the year the Jordan School District stole Christmas!
Christmas Season ... full of parties, programs and performances. Of course there is the annual Columbia Christmas program at the elementary school. Still three Blackham Boys performing (Keaton/5th Grade, Cooper/2nd Grade, Colton/Kindergarten). It's always a trial trying to find parking, and it was even worse this year with all the construction around the school. I didn't even try for a spot, but went down to the Arctic Circle a quarter mile away. I brought the video camera and caught some clips and compiled them here for family who didn't make the live performance (although the video version is quite condensed!)
The end of the video showcased Cooper and Colton in a nativity at our ward Christmas party (Grayson was narrating too) ... there was another nativity during the Junior Primary (didn't get pictures, I think Colton was a shepherd that time) and then again at Maga's for the BlackhamBunch Christmas celebration. The older boys had been very adamant that they would NOT be participating, but then when other older cousins were willing (and I had some new additions to the costumes) they all jumped right in. Landon is the star ... he was facing backwards in this picture, wish I caught his face better!
We've done the nativity on the Westra side for many years, although not in recent years (too many other things to do, the slideshow, the candybar game). Too bad we didn't get around to it though, as we had a brand new baby to play Jesus (S&A's new addition born on Grayson's birthday). I offered to get out a few costumes JUST for a picture but at Grayson's panicked look, we passed (the kids were pretty busy). Cooper had also stated that after doing it twice already, he did NOT want to do "the activity" again!
Ah the holidays ... time for cooking up lots of holiday treats! Keaton's favorite cookies are "cookie press" cookies and I do like to make them during the Christmas season because of the cute tree shape. I also use the flower with pink/red dough, and I think it looks like a pretty poinsettia.
I also made gingersnaps, cinnamon rolls, marshmallow brownies (with peppermint marshmallows), chex mix ... so many goodies! For the Christmas Eve party on the Westra side, I made a big batch of chicken noodle soup, rolls and breadsticks.
I was craving toffee, so I tried making a batch (it turned out ok). Landon came in and got SO excited thinking they were peanut butter bars ... they do look VERY similar. He didn't really want toffee, so he got out all the ingredients and made a batch of the bars ... they DO look a lot a like, don't you think?
Treat Twins
Of course we got a ton of treats from friends and neighbors too ...
Happy birthday to Colton! My baby is SIX years old! He was so very excited, counting down the days until his birthday. Daddy kept teasing him, saying he was just going to skip his birthday this year, and stay five. Colton knows better than to believe Daddy! I picked up the kindergarten carpool and we stopped at Arctic Circle with three of Colton's little friends. In the evening we went out to a family birthday dinner. Maga joined us and took Colton to ToysRUs for him to pick out a present (more Legos!). Colton also received a MOTOR scooter, which he has been wanting for quite a while. Happy birthday little buddy! We love you! Here's a link pictures from birth until present day ...
... the song "It's the Most Wonderful Time of the Year" came on the radio, and Callahan commented "Christmas isn't the most wonderful time of the year ... basketball season is!" Of course, basketball season and Christmas do coincide, and in truth, basketball season is pretty much year round for the Blackham Bunch. BUT, December - February is REALLY basketball season, and this year, all five boys are involved!
Landon is reffing again, the first couple weeks he was over the 6th grade team league, which is very competitive and can get heated! Last week he pulled the shift at Columbia, and "reffed" both Colton and Cooper's games. This is Colton's first year, and he's having fun. Cooper wasn't sure about signing up, but after his first game, he is very glad Mom went ahead and did it despite his reservations. Keaton has had an undefeated season so far (three games in) but a lingering cough has made lasting through his games tough. Callahan is playing on THREE teams. Junior Jazz in both the 7th and 8th grade divisions, and then a high school prep competition league. There is often overlap in all the games, but we're working it out! If you want to see the Blackham Boys in action, here are a few video highlights, and the complete game schedule and summaries/videos are on the HoopDreams blog.
We've had a pretty good run of good health, so I'm not really complaining. Then in November the COUGHS came to visit. It started with Landon, then Keaton, then the other boys (then me). Keaton had it the worst, he would sometimes cough so much he would throw up. He had to come home from school a couple times. It has impacted his basketball ... after several weeks he's still not really over it.
Then there was the stomach bug. Colton was at his early morning basketball game when he said his tummy hurt. We ended up leaving the game early and heading home, but not quite early enough, as the poor little guy threw up all over in the car. Again on Sunday ... Cooper joined him on Monday (and I kept Keaton home too). The three boys were all situated in the "sick" spots on the couch, with their cups of "tickle juice" (Sprite) and buckets nearby. It was just a one day thing for Cooper, he and Keaton went back to school the next day, but Colton was still down Tuesday (I even ran him to the doctor as he was in a lot of pain and this was going on for so many days, but it was just a stomach bug). Still home Wednesday, then he finally made it back to school.
It's beginning to look a lot like Christmas! What makes it feel like Christmas at the Blackham house 2011? We always decorate the front porch with alpine trees and greenery and poinsettia plants, with wreaths under the lights on the garage and on the front door ... this year Grayson put up the outdoor lights! Yea, it's been years since we've had them as part of our holiday decor :)
The stockings hung by the fireplace ...
A variety of holiday nesting dolls
our little elf slide toy
The Winter Wonderland Skating Pond ... this was given to us LONG ago and we've really enjoyed getting it out each year! It's on it's last legs, having been beaten up through the years. A fond memory with this was little Landon taking his dinosaurs and placing them in the scene, with one poor skater in the mouth of a T-rex, with the other skaters looking up in terror ... *Ü*
The kinetic pyramid ...
the heat from the candles causes the inner scenes to rotate.
A funny memory not with THIS pyramid, but Maga's.
... it caught fire and went up in flame!
A Christmas memory those there will never forget!
... and then there is the Santa head filled with M&M candies. Christmas just is not complete until he is out and filled up (and then of course emptied out) ... the "clank" of the candy jar being opened and closed is a common sound throughout the holidays.
I posted a while back about Cooper's weather worries. They started in the summer and really started causing problems when school started. One day after I had been called to the school, the principal suggested we check out the services offered by the district at the Jordan Family Education Center.
We went in for an "intake" and were approved for some short term counseling. Every week, we'd go meet with Dr. D to try and get Cooper to come to terms with his feelings and learn coping techniques.
The weather continued to plague Cooper. Cloudy skies, rain ... there were times Cooper wouldn't even come out of his bedroom (too many windows in the kitchen). After reading and recommendations from the therapist, I ended up taking Cooper to the pediatrician and got him on some medication to help counter the flight or flight effects. It took some time, but between the counseling sessions and pills, Cooper does seem to be doing better. He no longer checks the weather forecast several times a day. He goes to school without as many issues (and really excels there!) Weather still comes up in conversation very often, but it's not the issue it was. It's a little hard to tell, because snow doesn't seem to bother Cooper the way rain and wind do. I dread Spring and the storms ahead, but I'm hoping for rainbows ...
The topic of the day yesterday was the WIND ... it didn't really hit us bad here in West Jordan (it was garbage day, but the bins didn't tip over) ... Davis County is where it got hit hard. Maga's fenced in backyard is no longer fenced in (the picture above). It looks like a tornado hit. The news reports said it was hurricane force winds. The freeways weren't safe for semis or other high-profile trucks (there was a huge line of trucks at the stops and along the edge of the road). Some that didn't stop blew over. Trees were uprooted all over. Power was out and schools were cancelled in the area.
Once when some big winds hit before, one of Grayson's homes going up had some property damage, but no Havenhill Homes were in the fragile framing stages this time so they escaped without incident . This apartment complex near Grandma's house wasn't so lucky. Gray drove by this and his heart just bled for them...
I didn't mention the wind to my little weather worrier Cooper ...
Off-track time ... in the past, we've always done bowling, but enough schools have gone back to the traditional schedule that there just wasn't enough demand this year. Bowling was not even offered. I worried that the kids might go stir-crazy, but then I realized this off-track time was different ... no Callahan! Callahan was the one who needed scheduled activities. With him still in school, the other three boys were pretty content to stay home and relax.
A month or so ago, Groupon offered a deal for Chuck-E-Cheese, so we did go there one day. We had the place almost to ourselves (one of the few benefits of being out of school during the school year) and the boys had a blast.
They played lots of games,
got lots of tickets,
redeemed them for prizes ...
Got pizza and drinks and had a great time!
We also redeemed a Groupon for a month pass at Jump N' Bounce, and although we went a few times, we didn't make use of it as much as we did during the summer months (we were regulars then!). We also had some doctor and dentist appointments ...
Good job Blackham Boys! Landon is pretty good about coming home and getting on assignments and homework. I do get the email updates from the school and check in on his progress on Skyward, and I do have to nag him occasionally. Very happy he made the honor roll, and the school mailed out this nice certificate.
I was always a very studious worker when I was in school, but the elusive 4.0 seemed always just out of my grasp (until my senior year in high school anyway). Callahan achieved it his first quarter in middle school! He was also honored at the school with the TripleCrown award (4.0, Perfect attendance:no absences, no tardies, and all Honors in citizenship) ... just 32 kids in the whole school could claim that (yet several of the others earning the award are his good friends, glad he has good, smart friends!).
Great first quarter in your new schools Blackham Boys!
During November, we had TWO birthday bashes ... one on the Westra side, one on the Blackham side. There are a LOT of birthdays. On the Westra side, it was for Adria, Grandma, me, Gray and Rick. Alicia had her new little baby boy just a couple weeks after the party (on Grayson's birthday), so there's one more!
On the Blackham side, it was for a little more than just November birthdays ... Rex, Will and Olivia actually fell in the end of October. November birthdays were me, Gray, Addie and Ana ... and Maga even put Colton's name on the cake, figuring that his birthday would probably get overlooked in the Christmas celebrations come December ...
We missed Pack Meeting in September (Gray had a derby and Keaton was helping him) and the one for October got cancelled ... so Keaton finally got his Arrow of Light award at the November pack meeting. Good job Keaton! Cooper was also officially welcomed into the pack ... as one Blackham Boy moves on, another moves in ...
A few months ago, we took down the small basketball hoop in the basement (it had gotten pretty trashed). This opened the room up quite a bit ... enough for a ping pong table? During our dating days, Gray and I played quite a bit of ping pong. When moved into our first house, we bought a table and played almost daily. Lots of fond ping pong memories ... and I got to thinking it was time to make some more.
While I was still pondering the possibility, one of my boys challenged me to a ping pong game while at my parents house. I was surprised that all three of the older boys were worthy opponents! This increased my desire for a ping pong table, as I would have plenty of partners and I figured it would get used.
It took a bit of cleaning and rearranging to make room, but I did it ... and my birthday was coming up. Usually, I never have much to say when I'm asked what I want for my birthday. I'm spoiled, I have pretty much everything I want, much less need. But this year ... I wanted a ping pong table. I got a ping pong table. Happy birthday to me!
It has gotten a lot of use. With enough practice, maybe the boys can even beat Grandpa one day!
So the Fall season of basketball has come to an end. There were a few changes to Callahan's team ... playing in the 7th/8th grade division, Mason and Tyler (two now 9th graders) who had played with us during the summer were now too old. We also lost Mason (and Rowland) to a different team (we really missed them ... especially when we had to play AGAINST them, that game being our only loss of the season). We gained Brighton, Haydon and Luis. Tanner started the season but then decided to leave the team, so we played with nine for the remaining games.
Keaton enjoyed playing on Steve's team again, his third season with Max, Jonathon and Tanner. There were other familiar faces and a couple new friends he hadn't played with before. They had a good season, 5 wins and 3 losses.
I made videos of all the games, you can see them on the Basketball Blog. I also took all of just Keaton's Clips and compiled them into one video recap ... here are his highlights.
Junior Jazz starts in December .... it will be busy! Landon will be reffing, and all four younger boys are signed up to play. I hope we don't have too many scheduling conflicts. Not sure what we'll do if we happen to have FOUR games scheduled at one time! For the past two years, Callahan has played on a Superleague team (another game and a couple practices a week) but that fell through this year ... but then the local high school (CopperHills, where Callahan is planning on attending) held tryouts, creating three 7th grade teams to play in a high school prep league ... Callahan was thrilled to make the top team. We'll keep you updated as basketball begins *Ü*
I'd never heard of Chicken Pillows prior to becoming a Blackham .... but they are a staple in the Blackham home (Pam's, and now ours). They are one of Grayson's favorites, and the boys eat them too (I don't, but I do MAKE them).
Mix butter and cream cheese. Add mushrooms and meat. Open rolls. Place 1/4 cup mixture on each roll. Roll each pillow in melted butter, then roll in bread crumbs. Bake on cookie sheet at 375 for 20 minutes. Lightly dilute cream of chicken soup in saucepan, heat serve over pillows.
Ah ... Halloween. It's not my favorite holiday. But this year wasn't bad. With the boys on D track at school, the school Halloween party always sets the stage a little early (it was on October 19). I went to school to watch the costume parade (it was the first year they actually had D track do it) and to help with class parties. During Keaton's party I was busy running one of the game stations, but Cooper's class had enough help, so I grabbed my cameras and took pictures and video. The muvee is below ... featuring the parade then Cooper's class party.
As if Halloween doesn't provide enough temptation with all the candy around, I was also in a baking mood. I made the pumpkin cookie press cookies (Keaton's favorite), cinnamon rolls, homemade oreos, spiderweb cubcakes and sugar cookies cut with a pumpkin cookie cutter ...
It's fun to make funny faces
on the cookies with candy corn.
The Saturday before Halloween, it was the annual neighborhood "Trunk or Treat" over at the church. Callahan's group was in charge of one of the theme rooms. They all dressed up like nerds and gave out nerds candy. I wish I had gotten a picture of him! I took Cooper and Colton over and they enjoyed it.
While the younger boys were out of school on Halloween itself, Landon and Callahan were still going. They both dressed up a little.
I took the little boys to Maceys in the morning (groceries and credit union for me, trick or treating around the store for them). They broke out the jailbird costumes, complete with handcuffs. Then both boys went to a scout Halloween party in the afternoon.
The boys were SO excited to go out in the evening. Grayson took them around. Cooper started out as a stormtrooper, but said the mask was too hard to see through, so he dashed home and changed after just a few houses. Callahan wasn't planning on going out, but when friends were, he (and Keaton) joined them ... their costumes? An NBA jersey ... I don't feel too bad I didn't get a picture of that (as that's pretty much everyday attire for them).
At home with the "haul"
Kit Kats and Twix are the favorites for the little boys. I let them trade things they didn't want for things on our bowl (we were actually passing out the good stuff this year, KitKats, Reeses, 100 Grand and Crunch, the kids current favorites. I HAD picked up a big bag of Smarties but then Grayson mocked them ... but my boys do like them!). I love how the kids sort and count their candy *Ü*
And of course the Halloween season wouldn't be complete without the Halloween Ghost (other years it has been the Phantom). I do like this online version, with printable sheets. Dropping off a treat, encouraging you to pass it on ... I admit, I was ssss.....l.....o.....www to pass it on ... but I finally did. Halloween night I was inside baking goodies inbetween answering the door (actually, Landon was a big help with that).
The weather couldn't have been nicer for trick or treating!
What??? Landon wearing a BYU sweatshirt? While I graduated from the Y (yes, that is MY sweatshirt), and Grayson grew up cheering for BYU ... our boys are little Ute fans (Uncle Clay is SO disappointed). So what is up with this? Oh ... it's Red Ribbon week at Herriman High school, and it was "ugly sweater day" ... now Landon, that's just mean!
One of the other days was "silly socks" day.
Landon raided Cooper's sock drawer.
I don't know if the poor socks will recover after a day on Landon's big feet! I didn't get pictures of the other days (sports attire, red and superhero) ... continuing on with the ToyStory theme, Landon wanted to be BUZZ for superhero day, but alas, the costume we have (Colton wore it a couple years ago) doesn't stretch as well as the socks do ...
It's getting cooler ... even cold some mornings. The leaves are turning color and dropping ... it's that time of year when I don't mind turning on the oven or stove and cooking up something warm. It's soup season!
I LOVE a basic chicken vegetable soup. When I say "basic" I mean basic! As anyone who knows me is aware, I'm a BIT of a picky eater. No celery or onion in my soup. Mine is chicken, carrots and potatoes with a chicken broth base. I add a can of Cream of Chicken soup to add flavor and thicken it up. And then I add some shredded cheddar cheese. I discovered the addition of cheese when making cauliflower soup (from Maga's recipe, I'll post it sometime) or taco soup (which I make, but don't eat). It just melts in, adds an extra burst of flavor.
On Christmas Eve and New Year's Eve, the Westra side of the family gets together, and soup is often the meal served at these gatherings. I'm on deck to bring chicken noodle soup. Again, I keep it super simple, just the chicken broth, meat, soup and noodles. I actually love adding carrots to my chicken noodle soup, but when I'm making it for the family gatherings, I usually leave them out. Grayson always teases me a bit about the amount of soup I make. I use the HUGE pot (that HE gave to me). But there are usually little or no leftovers.
Ironically, my boys will devour the chicken noodle soup at the family gatherings, but if I ever make it at home, just for us (in a smaller pot!) it generally doesn't get eaten. I've even seen them pull out a Maruchan Cup-a-Noodles when I have a pot of homemade chicken noodle soup sitting on the stove!
Another famous chicken soup recipe in the Blackham house is the chicken and wild rice soup made by Aunt Courtney. Again, my boys will RAVE about this soup, and gobble it up while out, but if I make it at home ... it sits. But Courtney always gets asked for the recipe, so I'm going to put it here for reference and safe keeping *Ü*
Chicken & Wild Rice Soup- Kim Olsen
1 large onion, finely chopped
4-5 chicken breasts, cooked and cubed
4 chicken bouillon cubes
2 cups half and half
1 cup flour
2-3 large grated carrots
6 cups water
1/2 cup margarine
3 1/2 cups cooked wild rice (about 2 boxes)
In a large pot melt margarine; add onion and grated carrots. Cook on low heat until the vegetables are tender. Add flour and stir until well mixed. Slowly stir in the water one cup at a time until blended. Add the bouillon cubes and the half and half, chicken and rice. Simmer, without boiling, for 45 min. Add salt and pepper to taste.
It was Court of Honor tonight. Usually, just Gray and the older two boys go, I stay home with the little ones. But Grayson accidentally scheduled a derby for himself, so I got to be the parental presence, and the little boys got to come along too. Keaton did turn 11 last month, so he is now included in the "bigger boys" although he didn't get any awards last night. As Cooper has started scouting, I went ahead and had him get his shirt on, and I even found an extra for Colton! Five Blackham Boy scouts!
One tradition of the Court of Honor are the POP prizes ... 2-liter bottles of soda sit on a side table, and as the boys are presented their awards, they get to pick a bottle of pop. Another item that has become standard at the presentations, is a video slideshow of the activities since the last Court of Honor. Gray was a little busy with work so he asked if I would put it together this time. I love making Muvees, and there were a lot of fun photos and video to work with. So if you want a glimpse into the activities of Pack 717, here you go ...
