Back, guess whose back . . .

It's autumn and beautiful.
We are all back in school - even me - and already we feel as though we are slipping slipping slipping behind.
Hockey is in full swing with Jason playing U18 as a 15yr old.  Best part?  Well 1) way cheaper than U16 and 2) everyone is mature and they don't create drama!  Games start next week!
Maybe I'll use my phone to jot things down here n there - I stay away fro the computer unless I have homework. . . Which is like, ALWAYS!
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Meatballs again

Yes, the time is coming for another Meatball Friday.  Its been awhile since we had one . . . its been nice.  Don't get me wrong . . . I love the house full of food and folk, but it is so expensive.  This time we got a little help from the North Pole Baseball team with the supplies.  Someone provided us with Moose Meat ~yay!~  and we are getting help with napkins and plate, then someone pitched in money for more of the meat.  The veal and pork are expensive - 6$+ a pound and we'll need 4lbs each.  Then we half to add to that all of the rolls we'll need and all of the gas used in shopping for all of this.  Whoa, I'm exhausted just thinking about it and all of the cleaning that goes with it - and I hate being reminded to clean . . .

Today was Carly's honor roll ceremony.  For third quarter she made the B honor roll again.  It is always such a great thing because I know how hard she works to overcome her learning disability and succeed.  She is continuously looking for recognition from her teachers about this.  They give out awards at the end of the ceremony for kids they feel are the best in some way.  Oh, how I'd like her to earn this based on how hard she works through her struggles in order to get her B's.  They don't seem to see it that way though and they give the reward to the same ELP straight A students as always.  If your child has ever struggled, you know what I'm talking about.

Easter was fantastic.  Haanah and Phil grilled a prime rib - ohhhhh my was that amazing.  Hopefully we will have many more years of beef for Easter!  mmmmmmmm

My eyes are getting sleepy and I'm ready to drift off . . .
nitey nite folks!

Oh April

Birthdays ~ Spring ~ Easter!!!

This year I decided AGAINST baskets. They always sit around full of candy no one will eat for months after Easter.
This year I went with jars full of gum, jelly beans, peanutbutter M&Ms, and Recess.  Even the grass was edible!

               
           

Caden after he found his Jar and new movie.  Simplicity at its finest!

Carly and her jar with We Bought A Zoo!  She looks so sleepy but didn't wake up till almost 10!

"Caden stay right there!  Wait . . . Right There . . . I want a picture."
We were playing Hot and Cold while he tried to find his special egg.  He had NO clue he was holding it.

The vein-y egg.  We had fun cracking the hard boiled eggs and then dying them in plastic baggies with veggie oil and dye.  Fun Fun Fun!

 

Morning Birthday Girl 4/2/2012!

Our animal print lanterns that hung from the ceiling with lights inside for her birthday party.

The fun animal print cake I made for Carly.  It was a  pink lemonade cake with cotton candy icing between the layers finished off by some sugar sheets and million year old piping I had in the cupboard.

Her party crew of 14 for the party . . . 

. . . 10 spent the night.

Enjoy it

It doesn't matter what it is - enjoy it!  If you don't like it and it is making you increasingly unhappy - STOP IT!

That's my soap box for today.

I really am into enjoying things!  I totally enjoyed coloring eggs on my own this year!  We eat a ton of hard boiled eggs so I started putting dye in the water after they cook just so we can enjoy sweetly colored eggs!

PROBLEM:  the blue wouldn't stick, hmmmm

So that is when I decided to add a bit of food coloring and vegetable oil (thanks Pinterest) to baggies and drop in my eggs 1, 2, or 3 at a time.  TOTAL SUCCESS!  THANK YOU!  No mess and pretty eggs to enjoy - YAY!

****I rinsed the dye and oil off each egg when I took it out of the bag (after only about 8 seconds after they were in bag) - I didn't have messy fingers or messy anything****

I have also enjoyed getting Carly's birthday party ready.  We had family over Monday night and did cake-n-ice cream along with a breakfast burrito bar.  It was totally hectic and I didn't plan enough time to finish wrapping her gifts, but I had a great time!  We got Carly her yearly Converse . . . that girl just LOVES them.  I'm not sure she has ever NOT had a pair or two hanging around. EVER!

Friday night she is having a party in Grandpa and Granny Theresa's basement.  She wanted lighted lanterns but I just couldn't justify buying them - for it to look cool, we'd have had to spend 50-80 dollars on them.  Not an option!  We made hanging lanterns out of a 10$ pack of animal print scrap-booking paper!  I had lights left over from a wedding shower and we hung them inside the lanterns.  I'll get some pictures when everything is all set up.  I still need to get Totino's pizzas, drinks, chips, animal print curtains, a table cloth, cover the windows, place the signs at the roads and then shuttle kids form their school dance to the party.  hmmmmm - I am sure I will enjoy it but will be missing my sis - I know she'd love it too!

So hey ya'll -  find something today and enjoy it to the fullest!  Even if its listening to Fleetwood Mac while you dance around the kitchen putting away your dishes!

Love and miles of smiles!

Eat Pray Love

Okay, I haven't watched the whole movie - that costs $ or good timing which I have neither of.  Funny to me.
This movie is FULL of quotables.  I love it.

  I'm very lonely since my sister and niece left.  So are my kids.

Having my house full of people fills my heart.

High school baseball has begun and Jason squeezed onto the team . . . not because of talent, but his grades were holding him back.  Ugh that boy.  Just do the work and turn it in.  Participate in class - don't sleep.  Just conform a little bit - its no big deal.  You're not conforming in your heart, just your actions.  Its okay.

Deep inside, I am wondering if letting him home school wouldn't be best for him.  He wants it so he can spend more time in the winters playing hockey and sleeping.  I think he should be enjoying the high school experience though.  Chat in the halls, go to a party, date . . . but those things aren't on his priority list.  He talks about wanting to hang out with friends but rarely does.  I've observed that his friends are team mates of whatever sport he is playing.   Its how we raised him - but I often wonder if he is missing out on something and I think that is why I want him to stay in school.  

I see the value in homeschooling though.  Giving him the educational tools he needs and letting him LIVE outside of school and sports. Maybe get a job when he isn't skating.  

Gosh - I think back on how many times I said I'd never consider this - letting him make hockey his everything.  He is doing it all on his own though.  It is his everything and I had nothing to do it.  I wish he could understand that without good grades, he will be completely overlooked by all of the right coaches though.

Why do I let this child consume me?

Carly is doing amazing for a 6 grade girl.  DRAMA of course and her language deficit certainly makes the drama worse, but boy is she amazing.  She pulled off honor roll for the third time this year.  She is determined to do well and I love that love that love that!  She turns 12 in a few days and we are so financially strapped that I don't know what to get her.  She has planned an unbelievable party - she didn't clear the time with me and now I've got to chaperon kids from 4:30 to 10?!!!!!?  WTF?  She has no idea how long that really is.

She and I are going shopping today for a birthday gift for her friend.  Maybe I'll get some good ideas that way. 

Speaking of . . . I'd better go.  Will catch you up on Caden next time.

Love -n- smiles from the heart!

Waiting to blog . . .

I feel as though I've always got something to say and not enough time to say it.  I was totally thrilled about spring break and the chance to catch up on here.

Then I got sick and now I don't want to do anything.  Nothing.  I don't want to move!  I haven't been sick with a head cold in - like - forever!  I am totally not enjoying it.  I feel like my left cheek is going to explode right off of my face!

That said . . . wow have we had quite a few weeks.
Arctic Winter Games 2012 have came and went.  We sent Jason off on his way Friday afternoon with 4 buses of kids and chaperons from the Fairbanks area.  Pass Port in hand, he headed off to Canada!

We packed and headed out at 4 a.m. Sunday morning.  I, of course, slept all of the time!  Its just what I do.  I don't mean to.  I just have issues staying awake in a car.  Poor J having to put up with me and my sleep noises.

We made it to Whitehorse Canada in 9 hours . . . in plenty of time to enjoy opening ceremonies!  They were fantastic and just perfect for a Nickelodeon watching crowd.  Kid speakers, singers, bands and dancers.  Like I said, totally Nickelodeon!

Having total and complete sneezing fits so going to run now!  Will write more later on the games!  So much to say!

Opening Ceremonies - Arctic Winter Games 2012

Opening Ceremonies - Arctic Winter Games 2012, a photo by Arctic Winter Games 2012 on Flickr.

Opening Ceremonies - Arctic Winter Games 2012

Opening Ceremonies - Arctic Winter Games 2012, a photo by Arctic Winter Games 2012 on Flickr.

Team Alaska

Arctic Winter Games 2012 Pictures

Sea of young athletes during the opening ceremonies.   The darkness  by the stage is Team Alaska!
An incredible showing!  So many talented young athletes and our son got to be a part of it!

                             

                                     Jason and Dalton, the two Captains, welcoming their team mates onto the ice!

During one game Team Alaska had to wear Team Yukon's jerseys because the team they were playing, Alberta, had the same color jersey.  The team with the best record got to wear their own jersey.

Jason shaking Team Yukon hands after the Bronze Medal Game.

Father and son in Whitehorse after the games ended.
Jason with his bronze ulu.  He says its still a loss . . .
I say, What a Great Experience!

On the road to Canada.  Through the window of course . . . I don't love the cold!

Snow globe

We are off on our Canadian adventure. We have been on this road before- 15 1/2 years ago when we left Alaska for the first time and headed out East. It was summer then and we weren't driving through freshly falling powder. It is dark out at 5am and the snow in the headlights looks like we are a tiny car in a child's snow globe.