My New Hobby?!?!

First finished hat

Myra gives her opinion
of the first hat  :)

I blogged earlier in August about my new hobbies.  I have been working over the last couple of weeks on one of them.  I am trying to make "cute" knit hats for babies (mostly for my baby right now... and her cousin). 

The first hat I made was really cute... but not quite big enough...

Mug shot!

It fits Savannah's baby doll

Myra in the second hat

But I learned in knitting it how to fix that problem...

The second hat fits much better...

Now on to more :)

Save me...

Swimming!

Catalina

We went swimming tonight.  We often do on Monday nights.  Although it has almost been 3 weeks since we last swam...  And by we I really mean the kids.  I haven't been swimming this whole summer.  I never got in before Myra was born, and since then... well I just had a baby, enough said! 

Myra before swimming

But the kids have had a lot of fun swimming over the summer.  It is fun to see how much they have grown in their swimming.  Not really the oldest three, but more Savannah and Catalina.  They both have changed so much this summer in their swimming abilities.  Savannah can swim!  Not well enough to go anywhere with out an adult, but she will push off the wall and swim out several feet.  This fro, last summer where she didn't want to let go of the closest adult.

Myra's First time swimming!

Catalina is not as far a long as Savannah, but she will jump into you, and kick, and if you can convince her it is OK to get her hair wet she will go under the water (Cat REALLY hates getting her hair wet, we have several funny stories of Cat being grumpy because her "hair" got wet).

Myra not so happy
And cousin Jaxon just chilling!

But tonight was Myra's first time swimming!  She was not the biggest fan (the water was not the warmest... or cleanest but that is a different story).  But she never got real mad.  She mostly just complained about it :)  It was also my first (and most likely last) time in this summer.  It made me think that Thermopolas this fall would be nice (the water was really cold).

It was a great evening though, and a great way to end the summer swim season!

Myra after being rescued
(from swimming)

Scouts!

Ben waiting to get his Wolf

I was going to post this last week but never really got around to it.  Josh Jr. and Ben are both in scouts.  Some weeks I'm not too sure they really like it, but they keep going (although Josh Jr. often doesn't feel too good on Tuesday nights).  Josh has been great in helping both of the boys to get different merit badges finished, and to get their Wolf (Ben) and Weblos (Josh Jr.).

Me pinning Ben

Last Tuesday evening we had pack meeting (not nearly as fun as when Josh was the cub master, but a lot better than the first one we went to back in May).  At this pack meeting Ben got his Wolf.  And I got to go up with Ben and pin him (although I think it should have been Josh because he is the one to have helped Ben... not me). 

Ben with his Wolf pinned

After the awards were all given out the had some other activities for the kids to do.  Unfortunately it was cold out because some of the games involved water, but most of the kids didn't seem to care.

Savannah and Brooklyn
Hugging each other to keep warm!

Curses!!!

Josh and I were able to go out tonight and play some games with a group of friends.  We try to get together with this group of friends every month or so...  But over these last few months we have lost some of our regular due to moving... We moved too, but luckily we still live close enough to still be included :)

Tonight there was eleven of us playing.  And we had the chance to play a couple different game (And the girls won the first game!!!).  The last game we played tonight was Curses!  If you've never played... you should!  It is a great big group game.  But you have to be comfortable with those you are around.  Or just not be shy.

This game doesn't really fall in my top ten favorite games list to play... but I it would be number one if I could just watch.  But you can't watch, you have to play, and I'm sure it would get boring if you weren't playing, but the game really puts me WAY(!!!!!) out of my comfort zone.  But I guess that that is good for, and you know what doesn't kill you makes you stronger... Not that anyone would ever die from playing a game, and especially not this game.  All though I did almost stop breathing from laughing sooooooooo hard.

Ok so how the game goes is like so...  On your turn you have to take a challenge card and do what it says.  It is not really hard, and doesn't really matter, but I think this part is probably the hardest part of the game for me.  Because when it is your turn everyone is paying attention to you... and all the weird/crazy/silly things you have to do...

And you have to do these things because of the curses you receive.  The second thing you do on your turn is draw a curse and give it to someone.  And that person has to do what that card say for the rest of the night... or until they are caught not doing their curse.  If you get caught three times you are out of the game.

So to night I got the curse that I had to interrupt the person sitting on the right of me every time they talked... Saying things like "Really? That's so fascinating!"  I didn't really last to long interrupting my neighbor, before I got caught.  But then later my neighbor got the curse to imitate the person on his left... Me!  So he had to spend the rest of the game doing what ever I did...  Including swatting mosquito's when ever I talked.

As the game went on his wife tried to come up with things for me to do for him to lose.  That's when Josh looked at me and warned "Don't you even come over here and give me a big kiss!"  Because then Derek would have to copy me...

Curses is one of those games that should be recorded...  I'm sure we all look like idiots, but as long as we all do who cares, right?

???

That's how I feel right now.  Maybe it's lack of sleep... Who knows.  But here is another fun picture...

Savannah... not sure what she was doing, but I love it.

3 or 16???

So darn cute!!!

Play Ball

Sky Sox Baseball

Josh and I took the kids to a Sky Sox Baseball game tonight. After the long and rushed day I had, I wasn't really in the mood to go, but we had 6 FREE tickets and 5 really EXCITED kids (Myra really could have cared less), so off we went.

Love my family!

As far as games go it was great (what we saw).  The Sox's scored 7 runs in the 2nd inning, putting them up 7 to 0.  And they stayed this way until we left (early).  There were great plays, that I kind of missed because I really wasn't watching the game all the time.

Me and Cat

You see I am a people watcher.  I love to watch people around me when I am out.  And a baseball game is a great place to watch people. 

So here is what I saw.....

* Nice somewhat drunk guy next to us that didn't complain about ALL the times my kids went pass to go to the bathroom or get a drink (5 kids times 3 trips each equals a lot of kids walking past him... note to self, next time you go to a baseball game, make sure your seats are on the end of the row)

*Slightly more drunk guy hitting on the girls next row over while his girlfriend was gone (bad idea)

Is that Grandma Penny?

* Guy from high school that called me a horse in 8th grade because he was "so cool" (still think he is a jerk!)

*Guy (also probably drunk) pop his kid in the mouth or head for not standing respectfully during the National Anthem... Dad was also stuffing his face with a huge hot dog during this time

*Grandma Penny look-a-like (at least from the back)

Josh Jr.

Ben and his Shirt he won

So you see the game was great.  Josh Jr. had a head ache (kind of).  Ben declared it the best day ever (Ben also caught a tee shirt that was thrown into the crowd)!  Brooklyn's throat hurt from screaming soooo much to win a free pizza (the guy who popped his kid, his kid won).  Savannah was hungry.  Cat was WAY tired and had to keep moving to stay awake (up, down, up, down, all over my lap the WHOLE night).  And Myra slept... mostly.  By the 5th inning Josh and I were worn out form being

Myra's 1st Baseball game

Ice Cream, You scream,
 We all scream for Ice Cream

climbed on by three different girls, it was starting to get windy, some of the kids were starting to get cranky... so we left.  But it was a great game.  And fun to spend time with the kids.  We even went and got ice cream after!

Snuggles!

It's Tuesday night again...  And I am holding my baby and watching Scarecrow and Mrs. King again...  I am worried, I just found out that season two is not out on DVD yet, and I only have two more episodes left... what am I going to do??? 

Myra at two months!

But I will still have my baby to hold :)  I find it hard to get things done these days.  I often find myself holding my baby...  And it's not because she is crying or even fussing (she's asleep right now).  I just can't seem to put her down.  I love snuggling with my baby!  She is so sweet. 

Bob and Jaxon

My older brother moved back to Colorado about a month ago.  He has six kids, but only three at home.  The youngest being almost three weeks younger than Myra.  I love watching my brother with Jaxon...  It makes me remember back when his other kids were young.  This was before Josh and I had even met. 

Bob and I share a love for snuggling babies.  I use to think my brother was a little crazy about his babies.  He would kiss on them all the time.  He would say how kissable they were.   And I loved his kids, but I just didn't quite get it...  Until I had my own kids...

And now I understand!

Bob and Jaxon

Flash Back

I am not a breakfast person.  It's not that I don't like breakfast foods, they just are not my favorite.  And most mornings nothing sounds good.  I use to skip breakfast all the time, until my thyroid quit working...  Now I have to take medicine for my thyroid every day.  And the medicine makes me sick if I don't eat with in an hour of taking it.  Now I eat breakfast every day.  That being said, this morning I was really in the mood for a bowl of Coco Pebbles with milk (I am also not a big fan if milk).  And there was no milk... So I went shopping... And that's when the flashback occurred.

Catalina decided at some point this morning, while getting ready for the day, that she needed a jacket on.  I was busy when she asked me for it (it was hung up higher than she could reach) and told her that she would have to wait a little bit.  And then we left to go shopping ...

We had both forgotten about the jacket, I just wish that Cat had not remembered...  Which she did... About the time we got to the store... And she REALLY wanted the jacket...  And so a fit began...

Sweet Cat!

Now at this point Cat is not really throwing a fit, she is more just whining about the jacket.  So we proceed to go into Sams (my mom and sister were with us).  And Cat proceeded to go on a downward spiral.  And nothing was right or good enough for her.  And she just got louder and louder! 

I ended up having to pick Catalina up and carry her out of the store kicking and screaming...  I tried to calm her down outside Sams, but I was not successful.  I ended up hauling her all the way back to the car and locking her (with me) in the car...  Until she would calm down...

And while I was sitting in my hot car with my screaming 3 year old yelling that she hated me, I suddenly flashed back to a day three years back...  Where I was at Sams (with my mom and maybe my sister) and another little girl started to throw a fit...  That spiraled downward and downward, until she too was removed from Sams kicking and screaming...

So now I have to start to wonder WHY do I go to Sams???  Oh yeah I wanted milk for my cereal...

Fingers and Toes!

All the girls toes from a Sunday "pedicure" in May

My good friend Mindy took me to get my very first pedicure almost two weeks ago.  Since then my three older girls have been asking for me to paint their toes...  I finally made time for it this afternoon.  I had even bought stars and dots to put on their toes like mine :)  Brooklyn was so excited to have a "pedicure".  She would still like a real one for her birthday though... We'll see.

Fingers from May!

Brooklyn's and Savannah's fingers...
Cat wouldn't come back for the picture

Notice how Cat is holding all her
fingers WIDE apart!

Cat's Fingers

Catalina's Toes!

One of Those Days!

It has been one of those days... What day you might ask?  You know... those days.  Here I think the picture speaks for it self...

Thanks Josh!

And my sweet husband brought me flowers when he came home from work to make it better :)

What to Blog???

While trying to come up with something to blog about tonight (I have several planed blogs, but they would take too much time, and it is late) Josh gave me short list of things to blog about.  So here it is...

* Having Mindy over

* Why vampires are better than werewolves

* How I don't like to wear shoes

* Making home made pizza

* Skipping out on primary activities

* Fantasy Football

Josh is so helpful...   Thank you Josh :)

Maybe one day I actually will blog about those things!

Parade of Homes III

This will be the finale addition of blogs on the Parade of homes until next year.  Josh and I finished seeing the last of the homes today.  We saw 21 out of the 23 possible homes.  We chose to skip one because it was down in Fountain, and we missed the other one because they were not open... both times we went to it... grrr.  I know it's stupid, but OPEN UP!  Really you are the cheapest house in the parade and I'm sure THE most exciting... OPEN UP! 

Red Rocks Canyon Open Space

Moving on... We finally saw some great homes.  There was one for 1.8 million dollars that was great, and had FANTASTIC views.  I loved it... Until Josh pointed out that the cost of the home was 6 TIMES the cost of our house and not even twice as big as our house... dream squasher... I mean really I had saved up 1.7 million and was almost ready to buy that house, but whatever...

Over all the parade was... good.  There were some great homes (finally), and I was able to have a lot of fun looking at them with Josh.   I am already looking forward to next years Parade of Homes :)

Myra!

Myra is two months old today!  Boy has it gone by fast!  So here is a little update on her...

* Wiggles lots!

Myra at two months

* Still sleeps lots, but in short little increments.

* Eats all the time.

* Smiles a lot... just not for the camera :(
* Knows who her family is.
* Loves to watch her siblings (here's hoping she doesn't do everything she sees)!
* Loves to cuddle (me too)
* Makes cute baby noises (also not for the camera)
* Loves to play the pacifier game (and always wins)
* Sleeps in her bed (some)

* Long and thin (won't know the measurements until we go back to the doctor)

* Still not much hair

* Blue eyes (we'll have to wait and see if they last)

* Looks like her hair might be red... will also have to wait and see.

* Sweet, sweet, sweet, most loved baby!!!

Myra and mom 6-18-10

Myra one month old

It's Tuesday Night!!!

It's Tuesday night.  For those of you who don't know, Josh goes to the church and plays basketball on Tuesday nights.  Now one might start to resent being left week after week to do what ever by themselves, while their spouse is away...  And there might have been a time that I felt that way...  But now I tend to enjoy it.  I have two to two and a half hours all to myself (I am big stickler on bed time for the kids on Tuesday nights :)  I get my down time, and I can spend it doing what every I want, and I don't feel guilty for not cleaning, reading to kids, or what ever other chores there might be to do.

Scarecrow and Mrs. King

Lately I have spent my Tuesday nights watching an old TV show that I love.  My sweet sister gave my the first season of Scarecrow and Mrs. King on DVD recently, and I am loving it.  I use to watch this show in reruns as a teenager/early adult.  I still enjoy watching it.  I love the sugesstion of romance (I am a big romance fan) and can't wait for it to develop more.  I am a little more than half way through the first season, and look forward to watching it on Tuesday nights to come :)

So excuse me now... I am going to go back to cuddling my baby, and watching Scarecrow and Mrs. King :)

How to Convince Josh...

I go on different kicks every once in a while.  My latest kick is that I don't like to cook dinner...  It has been going on now for only 5 or 6... ... ... Years!  Mostly kidding.  But cooking dinner just gets boring.  I have a goal for this fall to come up with new dinner dishes, and then a menu using those dishes.  I am hoping in doing this that I might get off the "kick" to not cook :)

This being said I am always quick to agree to someone else making dinner.  And I look for ways to convince Josh that we should go out to eat.  It doesn't work too often, but I have noticed that he is easier to convince when you use reason.  Tonight we went out to Texas Roadhouse for dinner.  Kids eat free on Monday night with a paying adult.  I told Josh this, and perked his interest.  I then threw in the fact that two of our kids had earned a free kids meal there as well through the school.  That sealed the deal.

We left about 4:40 to head to dinner (Texas Roadhouse also does an early bird special... 10 different meal items for $7.99 if you are there between 4pm to 6pm).  We forgot to call a head, so we had to wait about 10 minutes before they could seat us (a family of 8 needs a lot of room).  Dinner was fantastic.  The kids were very excited!  It was like we never take them out to eat.  The waitress was great (so great that she took the orders for the kids and left... for a few minutes... until she realized that she had forgot to get an order for Josh and me).

Dinner ends and the waitress brings us the bill.  $34.74 was the total (after she took off two kids meals for the kids eat free night).  Not too bad for a family of 8.  Oh wait, we still have the extra two free kids meal coupons!  New total... $23.57!  We paid a total of 29 dollars (that includes a nice tip) for 5 steak dinners, and two chicken strip dinners!  And that is how you convince Josh to take you out to eat :)