Why Spring Break was actually fun

Strikes against Spring Break this year:

1.  First time in years we didn’t have a trip to Utah planned

2.  Rain and snow predicted all week

3.  The Big Bad Budget made planning outings for 5-7 people a little tough

So, I needed a plan.  (Everything’s right in JessicaLand when there is a plan).  I executed the plan pretty well and, all in all, we had a lovely week.

Monday was Friend/Game Day.  Here are the kids with the Hunters and there 3.5 hour Monopoly game. 

Tuesday was Craft Day (which is big for me, considering that loathing I feel for crafts).

 

We mostly just dyed Easter Eggs, but I was prepared with paper and yarn crafts, as well.

Wednesday was Lunch at Costco Day. 

It was also Friend-Whose-Husband-Owns-The-Local-Football-Team-Invites-Us-To-Run-Around-Like-Sweaty-Crazies-In-Their-Indoor-Practice-Field-With-Half-Of-The-Moms-I-Know Day, but I forgot to take pictures.

Thursday was the Hike Day. 

Ryan’s dream for as long as we’ve been married is for me to let him take some days off and JUST STAY HOME.  (I’m such a traveler that I always make him used Vacation Time to go on trips).  So that’s what he did.  He took Thursday and Friday off and we hiked the 7 mile loop by the lake near our house. 

SETH WALKED EVERY STEP.  Is he awesome or what? 

This was one of the moments that you think will happen all the time when you dream about motherhood, but in real life it only happens every magical once in a while. 

 

The kids were cheerful, the weather was good, we talked and laughed, picnicked and got lost in the mud, sang and accomplished something. 

I got a little choked up, because it was perfect.

Friday was Swim Day. 

We used our  Christmas present from Uncle Sam (money toward a family outing) to go to the local indoor swimming facility and out to dinner.  Faith lah-hoved it!

Saturday was Easter Egg hunt day.  (These are pictures my friend’s husband took my kids.  What husband actually takes pictures, ESPECIALLY of someone else’s kid?!)

Ryan took the kids to the stake Easter Egg hunt where the weather was horrible, but the kids, of course, didn’t mind.

Sunday was Easter/Conference/dinner with the Daines Day.  No pictures, but lots of fun.

I was actually sad when it was over!  That never happens at the end of a vacation!  I’d tell you I hire out, but I have a feeling it has less to do with superior planning skills and more to do with luck. 

It’s Mathematically Delicious

 

What happens when you give your kids on the math team

the “Lucky Charms Math” worksheet on St. Patrick’s Day:

Instead of counting the number of marshmallow hearts in their bowl—

they give you the mean, median and mode.

March Summary

 

On St. Patrick’s Day, Lucky the Leprechaun showed up AGAIN:

My kids look hammered in the picture AGAIN:

The Elf ears crack me up, AGAIN:

The Corned Beef looks disgusting, AGAIN (how do you make a lump of fatty beef look pretty, anyway?):

The kids would not cooperate for a picture, AGAIN:

(Can’t you just hear me: “I put all this work into this day and all I want is a simple picture!!  What, you really can’t just sit still and look at the camera for two seconds??”)

So I took matters into my own hands, AGAIN:

 

One Saturday, we also took a super long bike ride to this park, with cousin Mallory:

It took us about 1 hour to get to there, along the Centennial trail that starts about a mile from our house.  I was pulling Faith and Seth in the trailer.  On the way home, Ryan insisted on taking the bike with the trailer (I had been wanting it because I hadn’t made it to the gym that morning) and we made it home 15 minutes faster.  It was kind of embarrassing that he’s that much stronger than me. 

 

Faith stops whatever she is doing, like, 10 times a day, to fold her arms and yell out “Pahr!”  It’s silly.

 

We also had Pinewood Derby this month (the first pack meeting I haven’t been in charge of in 18 months, as I was released and called as primary pianist).

We realized that this little baby, a pre-cut kit purchased at Michaels:

weighed HALF of what it was supposed to weigh.  As you’ll notice in the picture above, Ryan spent quite a lot of the Derby re-gluing stacks of pennies to the car.

Gabe ended up winning second place, which may or may not be related to the fact that more and more pennies kept getting glued on without any accountability to the scale.  There are certain parents who have big issues with following game rules exactly and there are certain parents who don’t.  All let you guess which is which.

 

Emma finished the Book of Mormon in March, having read every page by herself.  We are so proud of her and that accomplishment that we actually implemented a new family award in order to bestow it on her.  (The Family Star gets a framed printed sheet of paper and the “special plate” at the awards dinner.  Look for it in summaries to come!)

She’s also discovered the Harry Potter series (NOT pictured above), which brings almost as much joy to this mother’s heart as her completion of the scriptures.  It’s a close second.

 

March’s summary is over, but we have a spring break and a first half of April summary coming up, so don’t be dismayed—an over-abundance of Romney family activities are on their way!

I really, really do like running, folks

 

At the end of last year’s half-marathon.  Fellow marathon training buddies are Laura (in black), Meghann (in white) Stacy (in lavender) Jessica A. (next to chubby me) and Ryan (trying to look manly with the crowd of girls)

I am training for a marathon and I, awesomely enough, ran 18 miles last week.  When I was trying to get some appreciation from my kids on what that actually means, I hit on the perfect explanation:  “Guys.  I just ran for an entire church.  Like, I started running when you walk into Sacrament meeting and didn’t stop till you get done with Primary.”  They were appropriately amazed.

I am seriously loving it.  Truly.  (I’m not pretending I love it so I can keep weight off, PAIGE!)  I really, really am enjoying it.  Here’s why:

1.  One morning, I woke up at 5:45 and it was raining.  But I went outside and ran 11 miles anyway.  Then I came home, showered and got all of my kids to school.  Do you know how In Charge of Life you feel, when you can make your 35 year old, VERY imperfect looking body a) run for 11 miles IN THE RAIN and, then,  b) go on with your stay-at-home mommy life?  So empowering.

2.  I also love how this kind of endurance training teaches you so much about, well, endurance.  There are definitely runs where you feel like you are lifting cement blocks instead of feet (hello, miles 14-17 last week), and your knees kind of hurt and you are kind of winded and you are sick of everything on your Ipod—but you finish the run anyway.  And then, guess what?  About 20 seconds after you are done…nothing really hurts anymore because you are finished.  And it is so worth the 30 minutes of discomfort to know that you really put Mind Over Matter and Did It.  There are so many life applications there, you know?

3.  I have a group of 4-6 friends who are also training and we run together in different groups and at different times.  There is nothing that makes you closer than exercising regularly with someone.  Plus, you have people who actually want to discuss the details of the training plans, running times, Gu vs. excedrin.  And they also know exactly how hard it is to run for 3 hours.

4.  I’m not losing weight, (really?  I know!) but I can eat a few extra cookies while I don’t lose any weight.

5.  And every once in a while, after I’ve chatted with my friends for a 9 miles or so and we all decide to listen to music instead, I blast that music (favorites?  Kelly Clarkson, Pink, Alison Iraheta, Glee) and just GO.  And I feel young and strong and thin and powerful and like I’d rather be there, on that trail, than anywhere else. 

Really.

Awesome Parent Alert

This is the note Ryan passed me at church last Sunday:

As you can see, the verifying of footwear for four year olds

is not high on the priority list on Sunday mornings.

Extra-curricular, extra-fattening, extra jobs Summary

Last week Jane:

performed in the halftime show of the elementary school staff basketball fundraiser.  She was completely and totally awesome.  I would include a video, except you probably won’t watch it .  (Grandparents, ask when you come to visit!)  She remembered all the moves, did them with style and jumped so high.  She’s never taken dance, but she should!

We were there, literally, from 5:20 until 8:20 and we left an hour early.  (There were actually performances and auctions EVERY 8 minutes and it was excruciatingly long.) Especially when the kid on the left wants to get out of the bleachers every 73 seconds and the kid on the right was wapping all of our neighbors in the face with the pom-pom things.

Emma, competed in the 5th grade math team competition.  The Math Team required 2-4 hours of after school practices and 4 hours of extra homework.  It kind of wasn’t fun, but we were so proud of her for sticking with it.  Look how smart it made her:

We apparently like to take pictures of food around here:

Jane brought home a pie cookbook from the school library and begged me to make one with her.  Here we are with her Lemon Cream pie.  (It was really yummy):

 

Emma won a coloring contest at Papa Murphy*s and got the family a free pizza last Friday night.  (Thanks for helping me stay in budget, Emma!)  

  

And I went to an Appetizer Lunch at a friends house and made things Chicken Wings and thought they looked so perfect that I made Ryan take a picture of them.  SO YUMMY.

And Faith is in Screaming When You Don’t Get What You Want Rehab (thanks, Meridith, for the 45 minute Love and Logic for Little People session).  She’s actually been more enjoyable this week after a looong Monday morning.  In the meantime, we thought we’d show you why we keep her around:

(We start ‘em young on the job chart at the Romney house!)

Between the food, the dancing and the Rehabilitated 16 Month Old…maybe our house is a fun place to be?!

Random Acts of Kindness

This is my friend Laura:

We ran together on Wednesday morning and I complained at length about Faith.  (She is truly a difficult, strong-willed, demanding toddler, more than any kid I’ve ever had.)

Well, on Wednesday afternoon, she showed up at my house, with her van running and said: “Hey, I’m taking Katie to gymnastics.  Can I bring Faith along and just watch her while she runs around the gym?  I think she might enjoy it.”

Laura’s youngest is 4.  Laura has 4 kids.  Laura’s in the Relief Society Presidency.  Laura is going to back to school to be a nurse.  Laura could just sit at gymnastics and read a book or catch up on homework, but instead she just whisked away my difficult baby for an hour of chasing and cracker crumbs.

If that’s not true friendship, I don’t know what is.

Heard around here lately

Funny stuff that grandparents and Blurb books like me to blog about:

Jane, during a Primary lesson about the resurrection (referring to the fact that her body will be made perfect upon resurrection): 

“Mom, that means I’ll have to pierce my ears again!”

Seth, while playing with one of the neighbor girls:

“Kylynn, you have to say to me: ‘Husband you look very beautiful in that dress!”

Faith, every time she sees our fish swimming in it’s bowl:

“baa baa baa” 

 

Gabe, while observing Jane and her friend Eden, sledding down our stairs:

“I hate to tell you, but that’s not even close to a respectable luge.” 

(Because he’s such an expert and everything).

 

Emma, on her latest poster assignment for class: 

The Lepricauna

There was once a lepricauna

Who liked to sit in a sauna.

The steam got too hot.

So he fretted a lot

And now he is a gonna.

Embarrassing Confession #1

I run out of gas, all the time. 

Seriously, like 4-8 times a year.  Who does that?  A few weeks ago, I did it twice in one week.  I know.  I’m a 35 year old, who can read a gas gauge and figure out mileage and everything.   This is why I think it happens:

1.  Ryan and I have this new strict budget and I’m always trying to stretch it to the end of the budget period.  So I put, like, $10 dollars in, thinking it will get me 4 more days and then try to live in denial that it won’t.

2.  I am complete optimist.  I always think things are going to work out the way I want:  “I know I only have 20 miles left in the tank, but I think I can make it 24 to piano and back.”

3.  I have discounts at gas stations 10-15 miles away and so I try to fill up at those and sometimes don’t make it.  I was so happy Ryan was with me the last time and telling me how to put it in neutral so I could coast down the hill to one of those faraway gas stations.  (I kept thinking, “Oh good, he can either push the van or run and get some while I hang out with the kids”).

Here’s a picture of when it happened last:

It was Sunday and church had just gotten out and we were .5 miles from home and I ran out at the stop sign.  With at least 5 ward members behind me.  I kept waving them by, because I saw Ryan’s car at the back of the line.  One nice friend, who told me his wife does this, too (sorry, Amy!), got his gas can and filled us up.  And I puttered home, a little sheepish (but slightly relieved to hear another adult does it too, sometimes).

You don’t even know how many Dear Heavenly Father PLEASE Bless Me To Make It To The Town, I Won’t Ever Do This Again Prayers I’ve said on our long road trips.  It’s bad.

So when I say I’m running out of gas…I’m being more literal than figurative.

One of those Summaries again

I forgot to blog about the Valentine’s party I did for Jane’s class.  It was no big deal, except I don’t think I’d helped in a kid’s class since Faith was born and all of the children were shocked that I was doing something.  And I took this picture:

My mom (who is a kindergarten teacher) brought all of her Valentine’s Party stuff up for me and I just basically used it all.  Sewed paper hearts, decorated head bands and bingo:

—see?  No big deal.

Speaking of Parties I Was In Charge Of—I put on the Cub Scout Blue and Gold Banquet again.  It had a birthday theme, which was completely awesome, because all I needed for decor was streamers and balloons:

Gabe made this cake (ripped off from Kristin, Laurie and Christie—yay for blogging!), which had nothing to do with the birthday theme:

My friend Michelle took pictures and emailed them to me.  I tried really hard to find a cute picture of myself in my AWESOME scout shirt.  Turns out, surprisingly, I do not look so cute in a tan den mother scout shirt:

We also celebrated Ryan’s birthday with a trip to a Mexican restaurant:

some of his favorite food,

and a house decorated with 35 reasons why I love him:

(We also invited ourselves over to the Daines for a birthday dessert.  I made the dessert, but Ryan stresses a little over chaos and noise and he decided that he wanted the chaos and noise at Heather’s house for his birthday).

Random funny pictures of the last few weeks:

Faith getting ready to run with her hat, Mp3 and Garmin watch:

Jane’s Crazy Hair Day hair:

Faith’s Cute Hair Day hair:

Jane's newest sleep aid (that’s a headband):

Now I need to go clean up my kitchen…or I could borrow Jane’s headband and then I wouldn’t see the syrup dripping off of the counter.  Hmmm.