What We've Been Doing This Last Week...

This was the weirdest weather week I can remember for April. It started off nice and warm...making our flowers and us baseball-game-watching-parents very happy!


By end of the week, it was snowing. Our poor plants didn't know what to make of it.

Lowden and Parker had their 2nd baseball game this week. Parker got the MVP medal for the game which I posted about here.


Bennett was having a hard time sitting still so I let him use my camera for a bit. Thankfully, these pictures which were in the camera kept him laughing for awhile.

I convinced him to play Peek-A-Boo with my friend's baby but that only lasted for one minute so long.But then Bennett started taking pictures himself. One hundred and sixty-three pictures later, our camera was filled with his photographic brilliance. This kind of raw talent should shouldn't be repressed.

You just can't make this stuff up!

Parent Teacher Conferences were this week and the kids all got glowing reviews although each one has something they need to work on too.

Lowden - A TAG (Talented and Gifted) specialist determined he was definitely TAG and has the math ability of a starting 11th grader ready for Pre-Algebra. He is not officially a TAG kid though since the district TAG specialist said he was one point below TAG. His teachers are going to give him extra enrichment activities until we test him for TAG again next Fall. Lowden needs to work on his handwriting. He just likes to go SO fast. My parents may remember I was the same way.

Parker- His teacher just loves him especially his sense of humor. At school, he comes off as kind of shy at first. Anyone who knows him knows that isn't really Parker. But, he has this inherit ability to charm his teachers. I wonder if he realizes it. He's a friend to everyone. And, is very smart as well getting all E+ (E= Exceeding Grade Level Expectations) on his Math and mostly E+'s on reading. He needs to work on giving more effort into his work and expressing his ideas when speaking.

Lauren- Her teacher says she has an awareness of everything that is happening in the classroom which would make her a good teacher. She is often reminding her teacher of what they should be doing next. And, she always wants to help...taking kids to the office when they are sick, to the library when they can't go to recess, and taking kids to lost and found to find their missing coats. She got a lot of E's on her report card as well. She needs to work on remembering to bring home and return her homework ALL the time. She also needs to slow down when she is working so her handwriting is more easily read.

To prep me for a Wii tennis girls night, Lowden was kind enough to give me some pointers on how to play. I'm a racquetball girl by heart. So, when I play tennis in real life, I tend to hit the ball way too hard. But, he was able to teach me some serious moves!

He told me, "Maybe you should bring me with you to beat your friends." Then, after beating me, he said "I bet you will beat the people your age!"

And, I played like a pro reasonably well at my girl party.

Lauren brought us back into good standing a the local library by finding the books we've been missing for 2 months. She also saved Parker and her a chunk of change that they were going to have to pay for losing them. Somehow one of the books had slid almost under Parker's mattress. Inspired by Lauren's finding skills, Parker dug out found the other one in his desk!

On Saturday, Bennett got to join his siblings for his first Primary Activity at church. The Primary Presidency puts on activities for the kids 3-11 four times a year. So, I felt almost guilty dropping off all four of my kids for free babysitting the primary activity at the same time. But, they all had a good time and I got some shopping done. It was good times for all of us!

Lauren has been rehearsing on Saturdays for a special show called Snow Maiden that her dance studio is putting on at the Hult Center. She is a butterfly and is looking forward to fluttering about next week for the official show.

On Saturday, Greg and I went on our date and were happy to meet our beautiful, new niece.

Our date was fun too! It was so fun to be able to talk without interruption.

And, that's what we've been up to...how's life in your neck of the woods?