Hayden LOVES school

Hayden is so funny.  When she comes home from school she is just bursting with stories.  When I ask Chase about what he did at school his response is usually-- I don't know, I don't remember, nothing.  Not Hayden--- she wants to tell me what the girls in her class wore that day, what funny things kids in her class did, what she did on the playground, what her music teacher looks like---(BTW.. her music teacher this year is much cuter than her music teacher last year.)  And, she has a bathroom in her classroom with a very little toilet and she was getting ready to go in it but a boy was coming out and it smelled like poop so she had to wait a long time before she went in.  And, there is a girl in her class that is missing her front teeth because she ate way too many sweets and no vegetables.  All the very important things that go on in a typical school day!

First Day of School...

Chase and Hayden-- July 2008

Chase- Our Handsome 3rd Grader.

Hayden- Our Beautiful Kindergartener.

Monday, July 28th--- Chase and Hayden started school today!  Hayden was so excited.  She definatly looked fabulous in her boots!  When we got to the school Chase found a friend of his and took off.  So, that left me to just take Hayden to her class-- she was not sad (which I was glad for).  She has been so excited to go all day and eat lunch at school.  (I hope it was as great as she dreamed!)  Well, after dropping them off I get home and Lauren is still asleep (Brian was home with her)-- she did not get up until 9am.  After she got up she crawled around the house and then would crawl back to me and cry.  I really think she knew something was different.  Hayden is her 2nd mommy and loves to play with her.  Poor Lauren - her funnest playmate is now gone all day!  Lauren did not fall back asleep until 4pm!!  What the heck!  I think homeschooling may not be so bad.  Lauren's day was really messed up which made for a messed up mommy day as well!

UPDATE.... I will not be home schooling my kids.  Lauren did go back to her "normal schedule" (meaning at least one 90 min nap per day)--- so, the kids will stay at Freedom this year.

Basha Pool

We went to Basha pool a couple of times this past week.  It really is such a fun pool and the kids had such a great time.  I was a little hesitant given the "Hamilton pool I think I got bacteria poisoning incident" but, I braved it anyway.  We went on Friday afternoon and the Foster's met us there.  We had a great time but, towards the end they made everyone get out of the pool and told us that we could not get back in for 30 mins.  Yep, you guessed it.... someone pooped in the pool.  GROSS!  Just when I was getting over my "bacteria fears."  My biggest question is.... who would get back in the pool after that????  I need a few days to pretend like they completely drained the pool, scrubbed it and then refilled it.  Needless to say we right home.  Maybe in a week or so we will go back.

Dance, Dance, Dance!

Dance- Spring Recital 2006

Dance- Spring Recital 2007

Tues., July 22nd--- I finally signed Hayden up for dance again.  After taking a year off so that I could recover (from having Lauren- LOL).  I think I am now ready to get back into some activities for the kids.  Hayden will be taking dance at Jeanne's and she is soooo excited!  In the past Hayden took dance at SAS Dance and loved it!  Both years she took with her cousin Brylee and had so much fun.  Now, Brylee and Hayden both take dance at Jeanne's but, at different locations.  The recital will be in the Spring of 2009-- I can't wait to see her costume and dance.  (Hayden HATED the red costume-- she did not want to wear it.  At SAS they posted pictures of all the costumes and Hayden wanted this really fabulous white costume that had a fur and "diamonds" on it.  When she found out they were going to wear the red one with feathers!-  she cried right there at the studio.  I was afraid that she really would not wear it.  After her teacher told her that she would get her the white one with "diamonds" Hayden agreed to wear the red one.)

Bacteria in the Pool?

Fri., July 18th--- Me, Sheri and Julz all took our kids to Hamilton pool to swim.  This activity is a definatly a favorite.  Afterwards Kaden came home with us and spent the night.  Another favorite.  Well, we had been home about 30mins and Hayden throws up.  Very strange but, I thought maybe she swallowed a lot of water or just being out in the heat... who knows.  But, she kind of felt feverish.  She layed around for most of the day and that was it.  Well, then I was not feeling great, woke up on Saturday not feeling great but, just pushed through it.  By that afternoon I was feeling better.  We even went on a date with the Fosters!  --- Which was so fun.  We went to dinner at Texas Roadhouse and then Steph and I saw Mama Mia! and Brent and Brian saw Hancock.  Our original intention was to see Get Smart but it was sold out.  So, come Saturday night and Sunday morning Blake throws up.  I talked to my sister in law and she said that her two girls have had fevers and have been sick.  Do you think we were exposed to some bacteria in the pool.  I mean if you really think about it.... poop, pee, boogers, spit, open wounds, blood, hair product, throw up.....-- can chlorine really kill all that?  

School Clothes Shopping

Tues., July 15th--- This morning we took the kids to Peter Piper.  One of Sheri's friends set it up and it was a tour of Peter Piper and then the kids get to make their own pizza and play games.  It was so much fun and my kids had a blast playing with their cousins.  

That night-- me, Hayden, Lauren, Sheri, Belle, Brock and Beau went to Chandler Mall to buy school clothes.  This was not so fun for me.  Hayden loves pink (as do I) and fun, very girly clothes (as do I).  Well, Hayden will be going to Freedom this year and they have red, white and blue uniform.  So, everything was red, white and blue (with some denim and khaki thrown in!)  I love that my kids wear uniform to school but, it is hard when you see all the cute things out there.  We made the best of it and bought lots of red, white, and blue hair accessories, a cute denim skirt and...... the cutest boots!  She is so excited to start Kindergarten and wear her new clothes (even if they are not pink.)  

After we were done shopping we walked back to our cars and my sister realized she did not have her keys.  I took her kids and put them in my car and she went back in to the mall.  She could not find them!  They were not in any of the stores we went into.  She filed a report at customer service but she was so afraid she would not be able to find them.  Her door unlock is on her key ring and she was afraid that after the mall closed whoever had found them would just go from car to car that was left, clicking the button until they found her car.  (Mind you that this was all happening at 9pm).  She decided to ask every business in the food court if they had found any keys.  The first one she asked had them.  Sbarro Pizza--- we did not even eat there.  So, the keys were found!!!!

These Are A Few Of My Favorite Things

Well, actually my Kids Favorite Things---

Chase Hayden Blake

Color blue pink and orange green

Food pizza turkey spaghetti

Number 8 infinity 1

Dessert cake brownies fruit roll up

Ice Cream rootbeer  mint birthday cake

Holiday Christmas Christmas Halloween

Theme Park Disneyland Disneyland Sea World

Friend  Issac Katryn Branson

Cousin Kaden Brylee Brylee

Animal rhino cheetah crocodile

Princess --- Ariel ---

Movie Surfs Up Alice in Wonderland TMNT

Cartoon Spongebob Chowder Chowder

Song Cuz You Had Big Girls Don't Cry I Am A Child of God

A Bad Day

When you

grow up... Basketball cheerleader dentist

player

Sport basketball dance basketball

Subject math reading reading

Slush blue coconut cherry blue coconut

Drink rootbeer shirley temple rootbeer

Restaurant Red Lobster Johnny Rockets McDonalds (is this a restaurant?)

I Am Grateful For....

A-  apples, aunts, air conditioning, airplanes

B-  Brian, Blake, babies, bras, bumbo, beach, books, Bunco, brothers

C-  Chase, cousins, cars, California

D-  dippin dots, Disneyland, disposable diapers, Disney Cruise, doctors

E-  ears, emergency rooms, epidurals

F-  food, family, friends

G- grandmas, gum, glue

H- Hayden, helmets, hair bows, hospitals, hotels

I- ice cream, ice, Icees

J- Julz

K- kids, Knotts Berry Farm

L- Lauren, lemons, Lemon Berry slush (Sonic)

M-  money, mom, movies, magazines, medicine, missionaries

N- nieces, nephews, naps

O- Olympics (esp. diving and gymnastics), oven

P- Prophet, pajamas, parties, police, parks, prayer, plastic surgery

Q- quilts (made by Grandma), quiet time

R- room service, Ranch (salad dressing), reality shows, remote control

S- sister (Sheri), swimming, soap, scriptures, Sonic

T- TV, trampolines, temple, tacos

U- umbrellas

V- voice, vacation

W- water, wet suits, windshield wipers, Walmart

X- x-rays

Y- yo-yos

Z- zoo

Wow! It's already JULY???

Where has my summer gone?  I can't believe it is already the 9th of July!  Only 19 more days until school starts.  I am soooo NOT ready for that.  We have had a lot of fun.  The summer movies, swimming, Broadway Palm, bowling, dentist appts!  AND...  Chase had his very first Pack Meeting!  He has been so excited to start scouts.  For his first pack meeting they did slip and slide, and had rootbeer floats and watermelon.  It was so much fun and Hayden and Blake had a blast as well.  Chase has already memorized his cub scout promise.  He is looking forward to going to his regular meetings and earning his patches and belt loops!  

We had a really fun 4th of July!  We went to the Broadway Palm kids show-- Alice in Wonderland.  It was really good- my favorite kids show so far.  After that we went back to my parents house with Julz and the kids and played for awhile.  Then, for our 2nd annual 4th of July dinner (Fairrington's and Heywood's) we ate at Streamers.  Trevor, Mercedes and Brittny  joined us.  It was fun and very yummy.  (Sweet Potato fries are a must!)  After that we went bowling at the new Brunswick.  It was so nice.  The kids did great and Blake even rolled a strike the first time he bowled. (With bumpers of course.)  Branson won-- he is a great little bowler!  After that it was 10pm!  As we were driving home we did see some fireworks. 

Fidel's On The Beach

Heywood's, Fairrington's, Huber's

I LOVE my CRazY Family!

Fri., June 27th--- Our last day on the beach.  We stayed on the beach all day and night!  It was so fun to hang out with the Figueroa's, Peterson's, Huber's, and Heywood's.  We always have such a great time.  We also had our traditional -- Fidel's On The Beach!  YUM!  Fidel's (which is now called Norte) is a Mexican food restaurant that is close by and we always order a bunch of yummy food and set it up on the beach and eat it there with everyone.  This is one of my favorite nights.  We take pics and talk and laugh.  It was so much fun!!!  Mini tacos, chimis, taquitos, flautas and their famous.... Cheese Crisp!  So long Carlsbad family reunion 2008-- see ya next year!

DISNEYLAND!!!

DISNEYLAND- 2008

Chase made his very own Light Saber!

Mickey's House with DAD

The Girls at Minnie's House

Roller Coaster Fun!

This is the closest to the "Tea Cups" ride that mom would go!

Buzz Lightyear ride- One of our favorites.

Dinner at Blue Bayou!  Ah Hoy Matey!

Walking back to the tram.

Riding the tram back to the car.  Hayden's tired face says it all.  Blake was still ready to play!

Thursday, June 26th--- We got up very early and went to Disneyland!  This is the first time we have gone to Disneyland with just our family.  Usually it is the whole group.  We had such an amazing time.  The weather was perfect and the lines were great.  We walked right on to Splash Mountain and Pirates.  We never waited more than 30 mins and that was only on a couple of rides.  We ate lunch at the Blue Bayou restaurant (our bill was $139 plus tip) but was so worth it.  I got the Monte Cristo- yummy.  Blake was once again- fearless.  He wanted to ride everything!  The only rides he could not ride were Space Mountain and Big Thunder Mountain.  We ate lots of treats...churros, popcorn, icee, frozen cherry lemonade, pineapple whip. Hayden was so funny on Star Tours--she thought we were really in outer space (seriously) she said she did not want to ride it again becuase the next time we might not really make it back).  Ahh, to be 5 again!  This was Lauren's first trip to Disneyland and I don't think that she will remember it at all but, I will!!!  She pretty much wanted to nurse the whole time.  So, believe it or not-- I walked around nursing her (gasp... I know).  I put my nursing cover around my neck and walked around like that.  Good thing my kids are still young and did not get to embarrassed by it.  What do you do?  She kept rubbing her ears and never really got a great nap so she was just a little irritated anyway!)  We had such a great day and I can't wait to go back!  

Chase's favorite ride- Space Mountain

Hayden's favorite ride- Alice in Wonderland

Blake's favorite ride- Pirates of the Caribbean

*****On our way to Disneyland we were caught up in traffic for a little bit and it was due to an accident.  As we passed it it looked like a convertible but really it was a regular BMW that had the top removed (from the accident).  Inside we could see a man slumped over and no one was working on him.  (We figured he was dead).  What a horrible thing to see on our way to Disneyland.  So we talked to the kids a little bit about death.  Well, Hayden says to us.... if I die I will tell Jesus that he needs to send me back to my parents, Brian and Stacey-- then she says but, first I will play with him for a few days because it's been such a long time since I have played with him.  So, I will play with him for a few days and then tell him to send me back to you--- Brian and Stacey Fairrington.  I thought that this was so cute.  I love that she is not afraid of death or what happens to her after she dies.  ( I have always said that I am not afraid of death but, I am deathly afraid of how I am going to die).    I also love her interpretation of being resurrected.  (That you can just come back right after you die and pick up from where you left off).  ---*The next day we saw on the news that the driver was drunk.

Daddy is Here! and Birthday Cake Ice Cream

Lauren and Daddy!

Wed., June 25th--- This morning Brian flew in to San Diego and came to the condo.  The kids were so excited!!!  They had asked every day how many more days until dad gets here.  After Brian arrived-- we- Brian, me, Hayden, Blake, and Lauren went to eat at this cute Mexican food restaurant.  It was so good.  We walked around for awhile and went and got ice cream at Linda's.  I now have a MOST favorite ice cream --- Birthday Cake!  We got this every night.  The girl at Linda's did let me in on a little secret though....... The ice cream that they call Birthday Cake is actually Dryers Slow Churned Ice Cream... Take the Cake!  Oh my... it is soooo delicious! 

LegoLand-- Our Very First Time!

Tues., June 24th--- We went to LegoLand for the first time today.  It is really amazing that we have never gone here before.  My parents have had their place in Carlsbad since the 1980's and we have never gone to LegoLand and it is literally 5 mins from their condo.  We had such a great time.  It is definatly more for younger kids but, it had a lot of fun rides.  Blake was hilarious-- he loved all the rides and was so sad when he was not tall enough to ride the rides.  He would get sooo excited when he was tall enough and would say - Yes, I am big enough- YES!  He is not afraid of anything.  I LOVE THAT KID!  After LegoLand we ate at TGIFridays.  YUMMY!  Thanks Dad!

PIcking Strawberries and Soaking Up the Sun

Blake, Lauren and Hayden showing off the "fruits" of their labor.

Hayden and Brylee-

Lauren- just enjoying!

Chase- what a handsome boy!

Hayden, Blake, Brylee, Kayla and Belle-

All the boys playing sand volleyball-

More fun- Steven, Spencer, Josh and Preston-

Girl Cousins!- Tatum, Hayden, Lauren, Ella, Brylee, Kayla and Belle-

Mon., June 23rd--- In the morning we went and picked strawberries.  This has become a tradition and it is so fun.  Chase and Kaden however thought it was not too cool and stayed at the condo.  Hayden loved it and only wanted huge, red ones... even if that meant her bucket was not all the way full.  Blake did not want to do it at first but, by the end he was a pro.  We had yummy strawberries to eat the rest of the week.  We stayed on the beach all day and had Knockout burgers for lunch!  YUM!  

No Church and a BAD word

On the steps of the Mormon Batallion.

The wishing well by the school house.

Sun., June 22nd--- Day 2 in California!  We could not decide what we all wanted to do.  Go to church, go to the temple, go to the Mormon Batallion????  So, some went to church (my cousin Brittny brought her boyfriend, who is not a member) we wanted him to have a really good experience so.... most of stayed home so that he could have a better sacrament meeting experience than what we usually have.  Usually, with 13 kids- 8 and under there is NO spiritual aspect to the meeting.  After they went to sacrament meeting we all went to the Mormon Batallion.  I always like going there and so do the kids.  Well, we made the drive to San Diego and guess what.... it was closed for remodeling!  We walked around and visited a couple of cool, free things.  A creepy dentist office, an open house, an old school house.... Inside the schoolhouse was a "dressed up" school teacher.  We all sat at the little school desks - all the kids and the adults.  AS the school teacher is taking the picture she says... if you were all adults I would tell you to all say... Oh, Sh*@!  Plain as day and as loud as can be.  Well, needless to say none of the kids even flinched (I don't think they realized she had said a bad word at all-- now if she had said stupid they would have all freaked out).  We were dying laughing.  As per tradition...we sat on the beach that evening just talking and letting the kids play in the sand (in their clothes).  We tell them they cannot play in the water-- it is Sunday.  Well, we look over and one of the kids is playing in the water jumping in the waves, diving in the waves---it was pretty funny ( I will leave his name off to protect his privacy--- ha ha)  but, one day I will tell this story to his wife!  Well, his twin sister decided to go and get him - in her pretty Sunday dress.  So then the both of them were just having a great time in the water.  Their mom was not to happy but, it was pretty funny.

Carlsbad Condo.... Here We Come!

Sat., June 21st--- Once again it is time for the big Heywood Family reunion in Carlsbad!  The Figs, Petersons, Hubers, and Heywoods were all there.  Well, except for those on missions and in school.  The drive was nice--the kids did great.  Lauren slept the whole way to Yuma and then after we stopped at Blimpies (tradition) she slept the rest of the way to California.  We got there around 3pm and went straight to the beach.  It is so nice that my parents place is right on the beach.  It makes it so easy and fun and my kids just LOVE it!  (Me too!)  The weather was great!!!!  That night we ate KFC and went to Linda's for ice cream.