Testing & Testy

This past week the kids have been testing at school.  It's been very stressful for the kids and for mom.  I don't know if it's the testing, spring fever, the end of the school year approaching or what - but my kids have been very testy - as in grouchy!  More crying, screaming, fighting, whining, and complaining than usual.  I hope it stops soon!

In other news we've had some actual spring weather - rain and mild temperatures.  I love it.  So does my garden.  My second round of seeds sprouted and are growing like crazy.  Unfortunately so is the fat neighborhood bunny that comes and eats my new tender sprouts every morning.  So far he has eaten most of my beans, half my watermelons and pumpkins, all but one of my cantaloupe and all my squash.  He has partially eaten two of my pepper plants as well.  Apparently bunnies don't like tomato plants or corn stalks.  Who knew?  I wish I didn't.  I'm not sure if it's too late to replant but I REALLY wanted to try to grow acorn squash and I REALLY want cantaloupe this year - so I will probably try replanting.  On the bright side  whatever is eating my strawberries has laid off recently and each of my kids have been able to eat a strawberry from the garden - they think it's pretty neat.  I'm hoping the caterpillars leave us a few blueberries this summer as well.   We are also making more progress on our chicken coup.  The gate is finished, now the kids can get into the coup and bother the chickens much more easily.  I actually think the chickens like my kids, even when they are being a bit 'much' - when my kids approach the coup the chickens run to greet them. It's kind of cute.

 I don't have very many pictures this week - just these two princesses!

Our family spot light this week is Mike.  I'm not sure who's turn it is, but Mike has news to share, so I'm making it his turn.  Mike has recently hired a new full time sales person.  Mike took the sales over back in February and after several months of trying to do it all himself has found someone new.  We are both so excited - to see our business growing and to hopefully free up some of Mike's time.  We'll see how it goes, but so far, it's been great!  Mike was also able to go to the temple with his fabulous wife (smile).  That doesn't happen very often.  Mike was also in another accident.  He was hit in a parking lot and while he had his rental car he was in a second accident - unfortunately it was his fault and he was, unbeknownst to us, uninsured at the time (apparently the commercial policy on his work vehicles don't cover rentals when they are for accident repair).  That is not a good.  We have a few other possibilities to explore, so we'll see how it goes.

Happy Mothers Day!

We've had a good week and ened it with a great weekend!  I feel like we've celebrated Mother's Day all weekend.  On Friday the older kids all brought home cards for me from school.  They were so sweet!  Mike took Calvin on the Father's and Son's camp out.  I stayed home with the girls and had a great time.  We went out for pizza, bought some treats and came home and watched Ella Enchanted (such a cute movie).  On Saturday we were busy cleaning the house, setting up the pool, and working on our chicken coop.  For Mother's Day Mike got the coop to the point where we could move the chickens out of my house (hooray), he ordered Chinese food for dinner so I didn't have to cook and then on his way home from his meeting that night he stopped and got me a blizzard.  It was a good day!
On Sunday I got more treats and cards from church and then Mike let me read all afternoon - it was very nice.  I felt very loved.

Other news - my seeds are sprouting!  Not very many, but they are coming!  Yeah!  It turns out that the straw I used to cover everything is hay stalks.  It turns out that the hay seeds can grow in the straw - no dirt
required.  The cardboard I laid down is doing a good job stopping the weeds from under it - but isn't doing anything for the weeds that growing on top of it, in my straw!

Calvin went to his first den meeting for cub scouts.  He LOVES it! Hopefully I can keep up with him!

 Why the chickens needed to be moved outside!

 Celeste pretending to be a chicken and checking out the coop!

 The coop isn't quite done by their running area is completely fenced in and safe now.  

 Tomatoes in the front, then some peppers and basil, the third row is my broccoli and the rest of the garden is seeds - hopefully they will be visible soon!

 The girls eating laffy taffy while watching our movie.

Calvin volunteered to take Celeste in the house and help her get her suit on while we put up the pool

 I was cracking up - he didn't know what was so funny

Here she is after I fixed her suit, much more comfortable and way cuter this way!   It was one of the awesome deals Karen helped me find at the Salvation Army.

Our family highlight this week is Madeline.  Madeline is getting tired of school and can't wait to spend the summer swimming.  She loves the chickens, she holds them and tries to train them, watches out for them, and  is a good little mommy for them.  Now that they are outside they are much easier to play with!  Madeline has decided she wants curly hair.  I try to curl her hair, but it's what I call 'string bean straight' and is very uncooperative.   She doesn't understand how mommy can have curly hair and how Anna Elise's takes to the curling iron so well and holds curls but hers won't.  I tried to cheer her up by telling her she has hair like Aunt Trina's - but because Aunt Trina has brown hair she did not understand!  She is still happy and silly except when she is sad and emotional.  Sometimes growing up is hard!  

Grandma

Grandma flew into Richmond on Friday night to be here for Calvin's baptism.  She stayed to play for the week.  The weather wasn't real cooperative and Mike was busy at work - but we had fun having her with us.  She did lots of dishes and helped around the house, we went out for ice cream, walked to the park, had a picnic (inside since it was cold out), celebrated Celeste's 2nd birthday, visited with my uncle, and we were able to go to lunch and do some shopping one afternoon. I was excited to go buy some things for me!  It was good to have her here to visit with and we were sad to see her go on Friday afternoon.

After she left life quickly resumed it's normal crazy pace.  Mike's work car was hit in a parking lot on Friday.  We had to take the car to the body shop and pick up a rental.  We also ran errands that afternoon.  On Saturday we had Calvin's friend birthday party, worked on the chicken coop, replanted all the seeds in our garden (not a single one sprouted) weeded and reseeded the front lawn, and ran some errands.

At the park with Grandma - she is playing ball with Calvin.

 Celeste's birthday.  She opened that purple book from Grandma and was completely satisfied.  She didn't need or want to open anything else.  It took a lot of coaxing to get her to continue.

 The next day she used her birthday money from Grammy & Pops to buy a purse and a doll.  Getting her to pick out a couple of things at the store was crazy!

Calvin waiting for his friends to come to his party

Mike took the girls to THD during Calvin's party.  He had to run a small booth for NHance and the girls participated in the festivities.

 Celeste in her new birthday dress from Grandma and me in my new dress from my shopping spree!

Our family highlight this week is Celeste.  I know it's not her turn, but it was her birthday.  She is growing up fast and getting to be more '2' every day.  When I asked her to go put her shoes in her closet she replied with "no, mommy do it".  She has started hitting and yelling and generally being ornery.  She has decided that she loves cheese and asks for either sliced cheese or cottage cheese for every meal and snack.  When she is hungry she tells me she wants lunch, if I say no she tries asking for a snack, breakfast, or dinner - whichever word will get me to feed her!  She likes to take her nap and goes to bed very well.  She regressed with her potty training a little while we had company, but is already back on track and doing fabulous.