Saturday was fun. Ben got up early and went flying with Andrew. The girls and I did a little straightening and then went over to Grafa Park for our neighbor's son birthday party. Ben met up with up with us about halfway through and we took about 20 kids to the dry side of the park for a game of kickball. Although I had never met any other the other families invited it turned out most of them are part of the co-op called GEKO that Eliora will start next year. They were a very inviting and fun bunch of both adults and kids and eased a lot of anxiety about the transition. Later we took the kids to see the new movie, How To Train A Dragon Two. I love watching Sadie, Abby, and Hannah in movie theaters. They jump and oooh and ahhh and giggle in all the right places. I remember when Audrey used to get so into it when she was little. The movie was voted just as good as the first one. Ben and Eliora then took off for the baseball game. Eliora won tickets from a writing contest and the added bonus for Saturday was fireworks after the game. I read to the girls and Audrey and I curled up under blankets to read books on the couch. That eventually turned into me falling asleep and Audrey playing games on the laptop.
This morning we were 15 minutes early to church - kind of shocker with Ben leaving early for meetings (Elders Quorum President). Today was 5th Sunday and the young women took over nursery (I'm in the YW Presidency) so Ben and I got to attend a lesson together. We were asked to speak for 10 minutes on having Family Home Evening with younger children and so I had brought manuals and such and Ben told the ward about the '' rule which is that your lesson does not have to be any longer then two minutes plus your youngest child's age. It can be....it just doesn't have to be. After church Ben went to pick up Brother Packer and the missionaries to help a family move and the girls and I made dinner. We had Brother Packer over for dinner as his wife is still in AZ with their twins in the hospital and two other small children. Audrey then made cupcakes with the littles helping with frosting. Ben went back over when a call came that a piano needed moved and the kids are playing LollaLoopsy until they get back. Then bed and trying to come up with a schedule for the next few days hoping we get our ducks in a row before leaving for Utah on Wednesday.
Sunday, June 29, 2014
Friday, June 27, 2014
Floods, Renters, and Swim
The week of robot building came to an end followed by a week of girl's camp for Eliora and a rest for the younger girls. Being the beehive advisor I got to go up to Cloudcroft on Friday and bring the girls home Saturday. I think Eliora had a lot of fun despite our ward being so small (only 4 girls went). The setting is beautiful - mountains and pines - and made me miss Utah. Camp was crafts, testimony building exercises, knot tying, and lots of surprisingly yummy food. The last night a thundercloud threatened the testimony meeting but held off until the very end.
The week after girl's camp the three older girls started swim from 1-5pm. Eliora, Audrey, and Sadie came home exhausted for the last two weeks and some of them even got brave enough to go off the higher diving boards. Eliora had a funny incident where she recognized a boy her age from the robot class and went up to say hi to him. He said she didn't know who she was and she told him his name was Brandon but he went by the name Hunter along with details about himself he had told her in the class two weeks before. He yelled out, 'stalker' and ran away. Poor Eliora. So sweet and friendly and starting to learn that boys are just weird ;)
We also had rain last week, always a surprise. This time we got 2 inches in a few hours which causes flash flooding around here.
Dad was home with the younger girls but Eliora and I were driving home from mutual with a friend in the car. The storm got bad enough that we had to turn off for awhile. Lightning on all sides and you couldn't see in front of you. When we got back in the car we had to cross an intersection where the water was coming up over the hood and onto the windshield. We made it home safely and the next day Mykel Hazard (our renter) and I took the girls to the nearby park to play in the 'lake'. They were wearing swimsuits and although Mykel and I didn't have plans to get soaking wet it turned into swimming races and splash fights. I was later told that other moms would not do this as the water in the parks after it rains is gross. Ah well, they showered after.
Mykel and Colby have been amazing renters. She has taught the girls a new card game called spit and how to make muddy buddies to munch on. She reads, plays, hugs, and listens. She also does a lot of dishes so it has been fun having her here.
I think that is most of the news. Weekends are going out on the wave runner with Andrew and Debi or catching a movie, most days are attempts to be productive that end in walks to the park or bowls of popcorn and a good Jane Austen movie. Gotta love summer!
The week after girl's camp the three older girls started swim from 1-5pm. Eliora, Audrey, and Sadie came home exhausted for the last two weeks and some of them even got brave enough to go off the higher diving boards. Eliora had a funny incident where she recognized a boy her age from the robot class and went up to say hi to him. He said she didn't know who she was and she told him his name was Brandon but he went by the name Hunter along with details about himself he had told her in the class two weeks before. He yelled out, 'stalker' and ran away. Poor Eliora. So sweet and friendly and starting to learn that boys are just weird ;)
We also had rain last week, always a surprise. This time we got 2 inches in a few hours which causes flash flooding around here.
Dad was home with the younger girls but Eliora and I were driving home from mutual with a friend in the car. The storm got bad enough that we had to turn off for awhile. Lightning on all sides and you couldn't see in front of you. When we got back in the car we had to cross an intersection where the water was coming up over the hood and onto the windshield. We made it home safely and the next day Mykel Hazard (our renter) and I took the girls to the nearby park to play in the 'lake'. They were wearing swimsuits and although Mykel and I didn't have plans to get soaking wet it turned into swimming races and splash fights. I was later told that other moms would not do this as the water in the parks after it rains is gross. Ah well, they showered after.
Mykel and Colby have been amazing renters. She has taught the girls a new card game called spit and how to make muddy buddies to munch on. She reads, plays, hugs, and listens. She also does a lot of dishes so it has been fun having her here.
I think that is most of the news. Weekends are going out on the wave runner with Andrew and Debi or catching a movie, most days are attempts to be productive that end in walks to the park or bowls of popcorn and a good Jane Austen movie. Gotta love summer!
Wednesday, June 4, 2014
Puzzels and Chicken Salad
Today was an hour of tutoring Claire, listening to Sadie read Magic Tree House, helping Abby with spelling words, starting Sadie on math and time homework, listening to Audrey read a Sherlock Holmes, helping Eliora with math and writing, and pulling out spinach smoothies and chicken salad for lunch so we can justify nachos for dinner tonight. Randy, our tile guy, is finishing the shower today so hopefully we will have a working shower tomorrow. Ben came home for lunch and took the older kiddos to their robot class. Audrey finished hers two days early and is spending the rest of the week helping the other kids. With lunch cleared up and having done a giant puzzle with Abby and Hannah I am taking a minute to write for today while letting them watch a My Little Pony. This afternoon is a vet checkup for Sushi who we think is sick. Ben gets to be a tour guide at work today. Ironed his new blue shirt this morning so he can impress visiting dignitaries. His team at work just got shuffled with the new hire of ..... somebody important and I think Ben likes where they put him. He was concerned about being shuffled aside. Young Women's tonight - ice cream sandwiches and get to know you games for the new beehive coming in :)
Tuesday, June 3, 2014
A Lost Tooth, Repairs, and Kid's College
On Monday, June 2, Abby was playing dress up with her sisters. They were twirling scarves and suddenly someone saw blood. Turns out Abby lost her first tooth. It was the bottom right and she was so excited. All of her friends have lost teeth and she has been saying she has wiggly teeth since her birthday in the hopes that saying it will make it true. The tooth was lost but she wrote a note to the tooth fairy and received a dollar. (Tooth fairies are very good at finding lost teeth).
The rest of our lives are going on much the same. We still only have one working shower and in the house. Luckily it is the bedroom that the renters are using but that also means that Ben and I along with the girls are using the bath as a means of getting clean. The bath is small but at least we aren't smelly! We have had people come and look and give estimates for repair but it is hard to find someone who is not overpriced in this area and who can start repairs right away. We have toyed with the idea of remodeling but I think we might wait until the end of summer before we begin. This year has been hard on our savings account. We have had electric problems which resulted in the oven control panel being fried, a slab leak which meant the kitchen and dining room floor needed replacing, then the main hot water heater went out, a shower pan that leaks, a toilet that leaks, and the tile in both bathrooms are old enough that just sealing over them is quite doing it. The leak from our bathroom caused carpet molding in the two bedrooms although not severe and our ac units just went out. Repairmen and to do lists are all lined up but it sure feels like everything decided to go out at once. Our good friends are looking for a new house at the moment and prices are up to 160 dollars a square foot. When we were house hunting two and a half years ago the prices were around 106 or so and we got this house - 3700 square feet - for 78 dollars a square foot. A lot had to do with chance but I think we also knew that repairs on an older and less expensive home were inevitable. The fun part is being able to decide different looks for different rooms as the house was not to my style and taste in decorating when we first moved in.
The three older girls also started Kid's College this week. It is Monday-Thursday 12:30-5pm and runs through the month of June. There first week is an advanced robots class they are all in together and they came home yesterday saying that although there is thirty kids in the class there are only 4 girls and they make up three of them. I am hoping that the afternoons give me lots of quality time with Abby and Hannah, especially to jump start schoolwork and have Abby especially help me with cooking, projects, and cleaning. She is my little girl who thrives on one on one time.
The girls are in the front yard reading and playing with stuffed animals. The weather is not so bad today, in the 80's instead of the 90's.
The rest of our lives are going on much the same. We still only have one working shower and in the house. Luckily it is the bedroom that the renters are using but that also means that Ben and I along with the girls are using the bath as a means of getting clean. The bath is small but at least we aren't smelly! We have had people come and look and give estimates for repair but it is hard to find someone who is not overpriced in this area and who can start repairs right away. We have toyed with the idea of remodeling but I think we might wait until the end of summer before we begin. This year has been hard on our savings account. We have had electric problems which resulted in the oven control panel being fried, a slab leak which meant the kitchen and dining room floor needed replacing, then the main hot water heater went out, a shower pan that leaks, a toilet that leaks, and the tile in both bathrooms are old enough that just sealing over them is quite doing it. The leak from our bathroom caused carpet molding in the two bedrooms although not severe and our ac units just went out. Repairmen and to do lists are all lined up but it sure feels like everything decided to go out at once. Our good friends are looking for a new house at the moment and prices are up to 160 dollars a square foot. When we were house hunting two and a half years ago the prices were around 106 or so and we got this house - 3700 square feet - for 78 dollars a square foot. A lot had to do with chance but I think we also knew that repairs on an older and less expensive home were inevitable. The fun part is being able to decide different looks for different rooms as the house was not to my style and taste in decorating when we first moved in.
The three older girls also started Kid's College this week. It is Monday-Thursday 12:30-5pm and runs through the month of June. There first week is an advanced robots class they are all in together and they came home yesterday saying that although there is thirty kids in the class there are only 4 girls and they make up three of them. I am hoping that the afternoons give me lots of quality time with Abby and Hannah, especially to jump start schoolwork and have Abby especially help me with cooking, projects, and cleaning. She is my little girl who thrives on one on one time.
The girls are in the front yard reading and playing with stuffed animals. The weather is not so bad today, in the 80's instead of the 90's.
Friday, May 30, 2014
Babysitting and Ovens
At this exact moment in time, 5:46pm to be exact, my husband and a friend named Jason are installing my new oven after 4 months of waiting. That's right, I have had no oven for birthdays, Easter, and late night cookie cravings. It has been a sad, long, tale which has made me seriously question whether home warranty companies are at all honest. The oven was the start of a long haul of problems we have had with the house this year. First the lights flickered eerily one night and every socket blew. Luckily we have most things hooked up to a strip so our computer, and other such electrical doohickeys were safe but the surge killed the oven control panel. We had the electric wires looked at and fixed. This electrical problem was quickly followed by a slab leak, shower pan leak, tiles coming off in the bathroom, and floor repairs. At this moment we have one working shower and since we rented out the master bedroom this summer we can't officially use it. Oh the joys of home ownership. At least we get to do some remodeling. I have lots of ideas :)
Another happy event today was Eliora getting her first real babysitting job. This is not to say she has not babysat TONS in the past but today is the first for a job that does not involve family members. She packed a cute little bag with toys, asked me lots of questions about babysitting etiquette, and walked into the house with dreams of future jobs that she is hoping will lead to a checking account to someday buy a car. She is so responsible and getting so big it kind of makes me sad......(of course, she was responsible and awesome enough at the age of 2 she probably could have babysat).
Another happy event today was Eliora getting her first real babysitting job. This is not to say she has not babysat TONS in the past but today is the first for a job that does not involve family members. She packed a cute little bag with toys, asked me lots of questions about babysitting etiquette, and walked into the house with dreams of future jobs that she is hoping will lead to a checking account to someday buy a car. She is so responsible and getting so big it kind of makes me sad......(of course, she was responsible and awesome enough at the age of 2 she probably could have babysat).
Thursday, May 29, 2014
The Start of a New Blog
It has been over a year since posting to Geobobbies and since then it looks like they will no longer let me post so to start afresh here it is....introducing, Geobobbies2! Ready to start posting memories and funny moments and hopefully a few throwback Thursdays (or Mondays, or whatever day) to catch up on the last year.
As a tidbit for today -
Ben and I were just driving back from HEB to get ice cream for the kids for helping clean out the garage today. As we were driving Ben asked if the shadows from the electric poles were forming shapes of arches or v's. We had just started listening to Hitchhikers Guide on audio and the question reminded me of a part where he describes the moment where the picture of a vase turns into two faces. I couldn't remember the book that describes that scene though and this conversation ensued.
Tonia - "That reminds me of that book, with the part in it.....
Ben - "You mean Hitchhiker"
Tonia - "Yeah, with that part"
Ben - "Yeah, I know which one you mean"
Just then Sadie, who was sitting in the back commented that we were really in sync to which I decided to high five and Ben decided to fist bump to show our in sync-ness. Oh yes, we are cool :)
As a tidbit for today -
Ben and I were just driving back from HEB to get ice cream for the kids for helping clean out the garage today. As we were driving Ben asked if the shadows from the electric poles were forming shapes of arches or v's. We had just started listening to Hitchhikers Guide on audio and the question reminded me of a part where he describes the moment where the picture of a vase turns into two faces. I couldn't remember the book that describes that scene though and this conversation ensued.
Tonia - "That reminds me of that book, with the part in it.....
Ben - "You mean Hitchhiker"
Tonia - "Yeah, with that part"
Ben - "Yeah, I know which one you mean"
Just then Sadie, who was sitting in the back commented that we were really in sync to which I decided to high five and Ben decided to fist bump to show our in sync-ness. Oh yes, we are cool :)
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