Bunch O' Stuff

Here's a few pictures of stuff we've been up to...

Anna was part of a team that presented their research from the summer at a SCEC (Southern California Earthquake Center) conference on Sunday. Luckily for us, it was Stake Conference last Sunday, so neither of us had any church responsibilities to take care of. Here's Anna pointing out some info during the poster session.


At karate on Saturday, the boys did a little sparring, and had an awards ceremony in their classes. The week before, they did testing to see if they were ready to advance in rank. We didn't think Liam was going to advance because he was in a bad mood during testing, but the sensai must think he's ready for 3rd degree yellow belt. Liam was happy about it.

Duncan has been doing quite well with his karate. He's moved up to purple belt.

Yesterday, Jennan and Tegan figured out that they could put their toy monkey's arms around their waists and were playing "piggy-back ride" with them. Anna took a picture of Jennan with hers, and it turned out really well.

So yeah, it was an eventful weekend. Not pictured is my first time on a training staff for Scout Leadership training. I was more nervous than I thought I would be, but I did my best. Now I want to do it again since I've gotten the nerves out, and I think I would do much better. It was also a "ticket" item to earn my Wood Badge beads. "Tickets" are goals or activities you choose that help you as a leader. Training is the first one of five I have on my list. Next on the list is attending Cub Leader training. I chose that to help me learn the program the new boy scouts are coming from so I can better ease them into the Boy Scout program, and also so know the Cub program to help Duncan when he joins the Cub pack later this year. Those Cub trainings (I'm attending two of them) are in the next few weeks.

Duncan was sick for most of last week. He missed school Wed., Thur., and Fri. All the kids seemed fine Saturday. Sunday morning Tegan came in our room and threw up. She's still sick. And Liam started acting sick on Sunday night, but seemed fine Monday morning so I sent him to school. In the middle of the day, I got called to come get Liam from school. He had a fever and kept complaining he was cold. He's still home. Hopefully Tegan till be better today (3 day cycle), but that could mean Liam is sick till Thursday. Luckily, Tegan's the only one that's barfed *knocks on wood* so far, but who knows. I really hope Jennan doesn't get it, but I doubt it.

Well, it's definitely not been boring around here.

September ramblings...

Seems so weird that it's September. August went by super fast. When September starts, it always feels like the end of the year is so close. It definitely feels like the middle of the year has past, and the second half of the year always seems to go faster than the first.

Every September I start thinking about Christmas, and starting some shopping earlier rather than later. Plus I start thinking about the items I would like to make as gifts, and that I should start those soon. (Then I put them off till it's practically too late, and cram in the time.)

September is when Halloween stuff starts making it's way into the stores. But because I've got Christmas on my mind, Halloween seems to become more of an after thought each year. And each year I seem to care less about my own dressing up, and whether or not there's a "spook alley" at the ward party.

When it's September, it always feels like the weather should be cooling off, but that's rarely the case. It's usually as hot as the rest of the summer has been. Then on the news you'll here, "unseasonably warm" and "heat wave", but if it happens every year, isn't that then the norm?

Duncan and Liam started back at school today, and Anna's been back at work/school for a week already, which means today I'm back to only having Jennan and Tegan during the day. It's a bit quieter with just those two. Jennan's already asked me at least 6 times where Duncan or Liam are. She misses her older brothers already. But I don't think she minds getting to choose what shows she watches, or toys to play with.

Well, I think that pretty much covers what I'm thinking about on this, the second day of September. I gotta go and make some Christmas lists, decide if I'm dressing for Halloween and if so, as what. But it's so dang hot!

Happy September everyone.