Hoppy Leap Day

Just like me not being able to leave well enough alone. I had to take a toadally non-holiday and turn it into something much more. Yes, my to do list grew as the day went on. Lana and I had to wear green like frogs for leap year, which sadly the only green shirt I could find was long sleeved and didn’t make it through the day because it was too hot. Then we read Toad and Frog and Froggy books. Then we played leap frog while listening to Fall Down by Toad the Wet Sprocket. Then we delivered leap day frogs to random people. While we were delivering frogs I learned that one of my neighbors was born on Leap Year, how cool is that! We were going to make frog eye salad, but I decided strawberry shortcakes sounded better (and easier), so we named them strawberries on lily pads. Then we hid some leftover frogs in the house for Kyle and Ronnie to find so they didn’t feel left out of the leap year madness.

Now some might say that I have too much time on my hands. Well this is not true; here is the pile of laundry to prove it. I just choose to use my time differently than most. I did however get my lesson planned out for Sunday.

I started making the square foot garden and realized that I just don’t have what it takes to finish it even though I had my trusty green tape measure and green pencil in keeping with the green theme for today. Ronnie finished it for me when he got home, teamwork…kind of sort of. I got my car cleaned out, but didn’t vacuum it. And I did turn in my attendance report and remembered to call the girls to remind them about the hike.

I finished making Easter jars and then Lana made her own creation. She decided she was going to assemble her own treat; M & M’s at the bottom then pink peep bunnies, then raisins in the middle. All I can say is I’m glad Leap Year is only every 4 years!

Oh and also Ronnie’s truck was broken into again at work today. I think this is the third time now. I can’t wait until he can move to a different store. I don’t call that place Tropigehtto for nothing. It’s really not a big deal this time because the guy that broke into it was trying to steal the radio and one of Ronnie’s employees started running after the thief and the guy dropped the radio and ran. Now the only bad thing is that his lock is punched out on both doors. We are not going to get it fixed until he moves to a different store.

Leap Year

So what will you do with your extra day? I am so excited to have an extra day this year. Here is my to do list for Feb. 29^th:

Clean out car so I can fit 4 girls in it for the 1^st and 2^nd year hike on Saturday.

Prepare lesson for Sunday that I was asked to teach and put off till the last possible moment.

Make another 4 x 4 square foot garden so I will have a place to put my 25 strawberry plants that will be arriving on Monday.

Send in my attendance report for Feb., again at the last possible moment.

And make some more of these stinking cute Easter jars. Click HERE for info on Easter S’Mores in a jar.

I am trying to make the most of this leap year. I don’t know if I’ll get everything checked off my list, but I have a better chance at doing it all since I posted it on here.

Hoppy Leap Year

I’m a Rock Legend!

Yesterday after church Ronnie called to say he was already on his way home from work. He was coming home 2 hours early because he bought a new toy, Guitar Hero. He said he has been playing it at work and we really needed it. So our Sunday evening was spent playing Guitar Hero. I was really horrible at it the first 3 times I played and was thinking how I really didn’t like this game. Then I finally got through one song without getting booed off the stage and I was hooked. So hooked in fact that there was a knock at the door and I couldn’t take my eyes off the game to glace over to see who it was, I figured it was my parents coming over to join the guitar madness. It wasn’t my parents; it was our home teachers…lol. Of course they had to wait for me to get booed off the stage before we visited.

Ronnie almost beat the game before we went to bed that night. He really has been practicing at work. Or maybe his roommate he had when we were dating taught him a few things on the guitar; one never really knows where Ronnie picks up his odd talents.

I went to a weekly playgroup at a friend’s house and was telling the story about the home teachers having to wait for me to finish playing before we could visit, when one of the lady’s there said how she really didn’t like the music on that game. She wished that had an 80’s version. I told them well they had a Weezer song on there which excited Kyle and me, but no one seemed to know who I was talking about. I almost broke out singing Buddy Holly but stopped myself from embarrassment. And then I was thinking, there were 4 or 5 other women there my age, how do they not know Weezer. Maybe this is why I always stick out like a sore thumb at church. I guess I should be listening to the Mormon Tabernacle Choir while I’m driving kids to and fro. I had a realization, I might be the only mother that is proud that when her son was 3 he could recite the song Shake your Rump by the Beastie Boys. He could also say the alphabet and sing Jesus Wants me for a Sunbeam, but Shake your Rump trumps all those hands down. Anyway later today I beat Guitar Hero on the easy level; I am now a rock legend. I rock!

A Breath of Fresh Air

After being sick for what seems like forever I’m so excited to welcome the spring like weather we have been having, and along with the weather, spring activities also. We have been doing a little spring cleaning and organizing and also some gardening. A few weeks ago we got out in the garden and cleaned it up from the winter. We planted a few things outside and started some seeds inside. I have learned yet one more thing about gardening. When starting seeds it’s best to use plastic trays, not the ones made out of peat. For some reason the peat ones always start mold. Which makes me wonder why do they still sell them. I went to Wal-Mart and picked up the ever popular Jiffy seed starting kit and started my seeds and in only 4 days I had mold growing. I Googled mold on seedlings and every page said don’t use peat pots. It seems everyone knows they are bad, but I can’t find the plastic trays anywhere except online. I finally broke down and ordered this cool little tool that makes little seed pots from newspaper and as an impulse buy I got 25 strawberry plants too. Yes, I realize that’s quite an impulse buy, but I never said I was normal.

Many many moons ago I came across a really good deal on bookcases. The bookcases were only $40 and they were supposed to be $98. I only needed one bookcase but I ended up getting two, because it was such a good deal. There was also a computer desk that matched the bookcase, but it was out of stock at the time. I kept waiting for the desk to come in, but no luck. I had measured my wall and I could fit the two bookcases and the desk and have an inch to spare, it was like these three pieces of furniture were meant for my house. I searched on the internet for other suppliers of the desk, but the price was not right, then on top of that the shipping was so expensive. Finally we broke down and decided we need the new desk, well actually it was our old computer desk that broke down. So we decided that we would get the computer desk for ourselves for Valentine’s Day, because nothing says love like a desk. We are a little too practical sometimes, but to each his own. The desk actually arrived on Valentine’s Day, weird. We had a few issues with some broken parts and had to wait for replacements and all that fun stuff, but now our office is complete. We spent the day putting the desk together and organizing the shelves; we now have one bookcase for books and one for crafts and office supplies. Next on my organizing list…the kid’s closets.

I'm an Aunt!

My brother Jason and his wife Melissa are proud to welcome Mason into the world. I am so excited for them. And I'm really excited that I finally get to be an aunt. My aunts always made everything so much fun when I was growing up and I hope I can do the same for Mason.

The Pledge of Allegiance

I should have posted this yesterday along with Kyle's video, but I didn't. So here is Lana's Pledge. The poor girl has been sick for weeks it seems and just can't get rid of her stuffy nose. Her stuffy nose makes the Pledge sound cute!

In case it's a bit hard to understand her little song at the end I've included the words.

Flag of America the red, white, and blue.
Flag of America a salute we give to you.
Salute!

The Declaration of Independence

I'm felling a little patriotic today. I don't know if it was Super Tuesday or what. I was really disappointed with Super Tuesday to tell you the truth, but what a great country we live in where we the people get to have a little input on who will run our country. I asked Kyle if he would let me put this video on here and I'm glad to say he is a good sport. Kyle had to memorize the Declaration of Independence for school back in October. My dad got it on video at Thanksgiving, thanks Dad. I, with Kyle's permission, threw in a few comments. I hope you enjoy!

The 4th Article of Faith
OF THE CHURCH OF JESUS CHRIST OF LATTER-DAY SAINTS
We believe that the first principles and ordinances of the Gospel are: first, Faith in the Lord Jesus Christ; second, Repentance; third, Baptism by immersion for the remission of sins; fourth, Laying on of hands for the gift of the Holy Ghost.

For more info on the Articles of Faith please visit Mormon.org

IN CONGRESS, JULY 4, 1776
The unanimous Declaration of the thirteen united States of America

hen in the Course of human events it becomes necessary for one people to dissolve the political bands which have connected them with another and to assume among the powers of the earth, the separate and equal station to which the Laws of Nature and of Nature's God entitle them, a decent respect to the opinions of mankind requires that they should declare the causes which impel them to the separation.

We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness. — That to secure these rights, Governments are instituted among Men, deriving their just powers from the consent of the governed, — That whenever any Form of Government becomes destructive of these ends, it is the Right of the People to alter or to abolish it, and to institute new Government, laying its foundation on such principles and organizing its powers in such form, as to them shall seem most likely to effect their Safety and Happiness. Prudence, indeed, will dictate that Governments long established should not be changed for light and transient causes; and accordingly all experience hath shewn that mankind are more disposed to suffer, while evils are sufferable than to right themselves by abolishing the forms to which they are accustomed. But when a long train of abuses and usurpations, pursuing invariably the same Object evinces a design to reduce them under absolute Despotism, it is their right, it is their duty, to throw off such Government, and to provide new Guards for their future security.