November 2014

November involved a lot of errand running, party hopping, play practicing and performing, cooking, baking, driving to visit family, etc.  It was a busy month, but what month hasn't been busy.  

November we had choir practice at our house for most of the month.  Naomi loved it because everyone was at our house.  I didn't mind because it gave me an excuse to get the house straightened up once a week.  The boys loved it because they had an excuse to hang in their rooms on Sunday mornings.  Steve loved it because he got to go for a drive.  

November 4th I drove the boys to school and got to stay for a Principal Chat at the high school.  I had never done this before and was excited to hear all that was going on at the high school.  I learned a lot about classes that are beneficial to take and how to help Jeremy pick his classes for the coming year.  I also learned that I am a laid back parent.  I thought I worried too much about academic performance and placed too much emphasis on getting the best grades possible.  NOPE!  There was one mother there who was worried that her daughter was not going to get into the same prestigious university both she and her husband attended because she was getting a B in one class (one of 4 AP classes I might add).  The message was, encourage your student to do their best and then push just a little harder to make sure it is their best.  Beyond that there is little to nothing else you can do.  Be a good support.  I left the meeting and headed straight to my voting site.  I was surprised that the line was as long as it was.  It took me an hour to get to the voting booth, but voting is always worth it.  I then delivered water to the work crew at Hind's Feet Farm.  Steve's company was doing a day of service there and they were all thirsty.  I got home just in time to get Naomi off the bus.  We turned the afternoon into a play date with the Tufts girls so that Tabitha could go vote as well.  It was fun and busy day.

November 6th was much less hectic.  I stayed home all day and caught up on the growing list of things that needed to be done around the house.  When Nick got home from school he wanted to go on a bike ride.  He came back in the house after about an hour and was holding his tailbone.  Apparently he had taken an abrupt turn (probably trying to drift like the big super cars) when his pedal hit the pavement catapulting the seat of his bike right into his tailbone. I think he may have broken his tailbone.  (It is now the 31st of December and his tailbone is still a bit sore).  That night we went to Lake Norman Charter to see the plays before the kids headed off to competition the following day.   We were able to give feedback as well as the experience of performing in front of a live audience.  

November 7th Jeremy headed to the North Carolina Theater Competition with his class mates.  I subbed for Mr. Willits that day since he was with the kids.  Drama and dance are much more fun to sub than any other subject.  One class was working on pantomime and so we got to watch Mr. Bean videos so they could get ideas.  It was great.  After school I took Naomi shopping for a birthday present for her friend Anusha.  By the time we got home we had just enough time to fix dinner and then get back to LNC to pick up Jeremy.  He had a great time watching all the other plays.  He realized just how limited his writing has been up to this point and wants to expand his abilities.  YAY!  Today Jeremy was stage crew for one of the plays.  Tomorrow is the play he is actually in.  I sent him straight to bed once we got home since it would be a long day.  

November 8th - I got Jeremy to school at 6 am.  He was really excited to be performing today.  Since Steve will be helping with the district scout training during the regular performances he drove to Statesville to see their performance.  He was so excited when he called to tell me they had nailed it.  The audience loved the performance.  I took Naomi to Anusha's birthday party and Nick and I went to Dairy Queen to get one of their pumpkin pie Blizzards while we were waiting.  I am so glad Dairy Queen only does this flavor during the month of November otherwise I would be as big as a barge in no time flat.  We picked up Naomi (who had a blast with her friends playing laser tag) and hurried home to clean the house.  We had received a letter from the home owners association pointing out that there was "unsightly mold" on the side of our house and we needed to remove it by the 10th.  So we literally had to clean the house - outside!!  Thank goodness it was a nice day.  We got out the power washer, ladder and our rain gear.  Steve and I went up on the roof with the power washer and got rid of all the mildew and mold and anything else we thought they might complain about.  Our house is now really clean on the outside.  While we were doing this the Wolfe's stopped by to drop off Ryan so he could hang with Nick.  They got a good laugh out of me in my rain gear holding the power washer so it wouldn't fall off the roof while Steve was halfway up the side cleaning.  I had to wear rain gear because the hose on the washer had a small hole in it and I would have gotten soaked otherwise.  FUN TIMES!  I am glad that our neighbors and friends were amused.  That made it all worth it.  That was the last job our power washer would be asked to perform because it turned out that there was not a hole in the hose but the entire piece where the hose attaches to the machine was cracked.  I guess we are getting a new power washer.  This one had a good life and washed many garbage cans while raising funds for scouting.  May it rest it peace.  

That night when we picked Jeremy up at the school he was so excited because their plays got "Superior" ratings as well as two of the five awards.  Mr. Willits got the "Best Director" award and the young man who designed the set got the top tech award.  All this said, they are not moving on to State.  

November 9th we celebrated Naomi's birthday since Jeremy would be performing in his play on her birthday and Steve would be at the district scout training.  We had the traditional stroganoff for dinner and this year she wanted a cheesecake for her cake.  It was a fun night and she got all the things she really wanted.  She was especially excited about her Skechers Go Walks because they were a ladies 5 1/2.  She had graduated to women's sizes in shoes.  She felt so grown up!

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Favorite book series - Spirit Animals

Go Walks in womens size 5 1/2

November 11th the kids did not have school and I took advantage of this and the sales to get pants that fit for my two growing boys.  They hate to shop but they wont stop growing!!!  We did eventually find some pants they both liked and everyone was still smiling by the time we got home.  Back at home the boys were hard at work doing some homework when the Elders arrived.  They wanted to say hi to one of my neighbors who had questions about the church.  Naomi and Nicholas were out playing with the kids in the neighborhood but Jeremy was still in his room.  Elder Jackson and Elder Couch asked if they could go get him out of his room.   Sure.  A few minutes later I heard Nick laughing and Jeremy shouting as both elders come out the front door with Jeremy over their shoulder.  Lisa and Mackenzie thought it was hilarious.  Nick got the whole thing recorded on my phone.  We put to rest the myth that teenagers will melt if exposed to sunlight.  

November 13th I spent the morning getting the brakes replaced on the truck and then got to have lunch with Naomi at school.  She wanted Burger King for lunch and ice cream sandwiches to share with her friends.  She has a really cute class this year.  They all enjoyed the ice cream very much and then ran off to play for recess.

That night we went to Jeremy's school play and the cast sang "Happy Birthday" to her.  She ate it all up.  

The performance was SOOOOO much better than the first time we had seen it at the Parent's Preview night.  The kids were really into their characters and we all enjoyed it much more than the first time.  

November 14th I subbed at Highland Creek Elementary as the music teacher.  That was so much fun!  I had a new class each period and because they were all different grades I got to do things a little differently each class.  It was kind of bitter sweet though because there had recently been a change in our carpool.  The lady who had been picking up the boys in the afternoon was not going to be able to do that anymore due to a family situation.  I would have to be at LNC to get the boys every afternoon and that meant I would not be able to sub at HCE.  Oh well.  Things happen for a reason. She did agree to do carpooling through the 18th because I had already committed to subbing through those dates.  

Because I was subbing in the music room I was unable to go to Naomi's awards ceremony.  She got four awards - Perfect Attendance, Reading Challange (2,500 minutes of reading), "A" Honor Roll, and Super Scientist (for getting the top grade in science).  Way to go, Naomi!

November 15th I got up bright and early to make cookies for the cast party that night.  I got all of Jeremy's food packed up (two shows today so he would be at the school from noon until 9) and took him to school.  On the way Steve called and said he needed another dutch oven.  Would I bring it down to him?  No problem.  We dropped off the dutch oven and then headed to the church for Naomi's primary program practice.  We had an hour to chill at home and eat some dinner before we headed to the final performance. Mr. Willits asked if I would take some pictures for the young man that won the tech award.  Mr. Willits was helping him put together a portfolio which we would be presenting the following weekend to a committee that could possibly award him a scholarship.  I had a blast taking all the pictures they needed. 

At the end of the performances the kids presented Mr. Willits with a little gift of appreciation for all the patience and hard work he put in while getting them ready to compete and perform.  

Naomi and I headed home and Jeremy went to the cast party with Sophie, Kate and Jarom.  When I got there at 11 to pick him up he was having a great time.  This whole experience has been so good for him.  He saw that if he put in some hard work it would pay off.  He now has a group of friends that are fun to hang with and they get to be in class together every day.  

November 16th was the primary program.  It went very well.  Naomi sang the third verse of "We Thank Thee O God For A Prophet" with two other girls from her class.  She sounded amazing.   

November 17th I subbed for Mrs. Rosales (2nd grade).  It was miserable being in a portable in a rain storm. The kids were soaked by the time we got back from specials and lunch.  I let them take their shoes off so their feet could dry out.  November 18th I subbed for Mrs. Stinson (1st grade).   Her classroom was inside the building which made the day much easier.  I found out something that shocked me about myself.  I don't like working with little kids as much as I like working with older kids.  I would rather sub at the middle school and high school level.  I did NOT see that one coming.  

November 20th the elders taught my neighbor and her daughter the first discussion.  It was interesting to hear them talk about the restoration.  Elder Couch described it this way.  I really liked it.  The church in Jesus' time was like a glass table being supported by twelve legs.  One by one the apostles were killed and the legs of the table began disappearing until eventually the table came crashing down.  It shattered into pieces.  The churches through the years picked out pieces they wanted to put in their church but there were pieces missing.  When Joseph Smith prayed about which church to join God gave him all the pieces needed to put the church back together.  The other churches are not wrong, they just don't have all the pieces needed to truly be Christ's church on Earth today.  Pretty cool.  

November 21st Naomi was in the school spelling bee.  She was representing Mrs. Favaloro's class.  I was so proud of her.  She was really worried but kept her cool through four rounds.   During the fourth round she mispelled a word that was in her Guardians of GaHoole books.  She spelled it properly according to the books, but the author is from Britain and was using the British spelling of the word.  Ooooopppssss!  You can't fault her for being an international reader.  

November 25th, after subbing a half day at LNC I went to HCE to help with an activity Mrs. Favaloro and Mrs. Bloomquist were doing for the kids in their classes.  They had some traditional games the pilgrims and natives might have played on that first Thanksgiving.  The kids had a great time.  These ladies are amazing teachers.  After helping out we rushed home to get some baking and packing done.

November 26th we drove to Knoxville to spend Thanksgiving with Bradden, Sunny and the kids.  It was a great weekend and the kids really enjoyed spending time with their cousins.  

Olivia was very excited to see Naomi

Naomi performing her Jig.

Everyone got in on the action.  

Roasting marshmallows.

On the 27th Sunny and I cooked the dinner and got everything ready for when the sister missionaries arrived. Sister Hales was from Sandy, Utah, and knew my niece, Katie.  Small world.  The dinner was amazing and so was the conversation.  We relaxed the rest of the day once dinner was put away and dishes were done.  The kids made gingerbread houses.  

Steve and Bradden were up early the next morning to hit all the Black Friday sales.  Bradden had never been out shopping on Black Friday before and wasn't sure if he was going to like it.  He loved it!!!  They found all sorts of goodies.  Bradden even bought a Christmas tree.  Olivia was so happy.  This is her favorite holiday.  She couldn't wait to start decorating.  While the dads and kids decorated the tree, Sunny and I went to aerobics.  Sunny teaches classes at a local gym and I got to go with her.  She is a fun teacher and works you just hard enough that you feel it but not hard enough that you don't come back.

Back at home, the kids wanted to go swimming so we packed everyone up and headed back to the gym. The guys swam with the kids while Sunny and I goofed off with my camera.  I loved getting to just sit and talk with Sunny.  Having them so close it the best thing that has happened to our family in years.

Of course all that swimming made everyone very hungry.  We headed to Chipotle.  Sunny and I headed out from there to catch the movie "Mockingjay".  When we got back to the house we switched with the boys  (Steve, Bradden, Jeremy and Nick) and they caught a later show.  

Group hug before we left. 

We started for home early on the 29th.  In order to miss all the road construction we went the back way through Gatlinburg.  It was a gorgeous drive.  We decided that one of our future trips would involve a stay in Gatlinburg so we could explore some more.  It had the same feel as Park City and it felt like home.  We didn't like Pigeon Forge as much.  It was very commercial (almost a Vegas feel).  Jeremy pulled the best prank on me while we were driving through Pigeon Forge.  

Jeremy:  "Mom.  Did you know that Dolly Parton is not her real name?"

Me:  "Really?  I did not know that.  What is her real name?

Jeremy:  "E. Norma Stitz."

It took me a minute to get it which only made Steve and the kids laugh harder.  

A Christmas tree in Gatlinburg city center

Crossing a river coming into Gatlinburg.

Houses on the mountain.  

Our trip would not be complete without stopping in Sevierville at our favorite stores - The knife superstore and the Lodge outlet.  We were home by 6:30 that night.  It was a great way to finish out November.  

October 2014

October 1st I decided to just get it all over in one day.  I spent the morning at the gynecologist for my early and then had my mammogram done.  I am good for another year.  That afternoon I spent having lunch with Tabitha and her two girls (MUCH more pleasant than the morning).  We had fun just talking and watching the girls play until it was time to get the kids off the bus.  

October 2nd I spent in the library at Lake Norman learning how to run the place while Mrs. Davis and Mrs. Tonnesson are at an all-day seminar.  Getting to run a library for a day is a dream come true for me.  I am so excited.  That night I went to a baby shower for Karilee Croshaw at The Olive Garden.  Pumpkin cheesecake was back on the menu and so that is what I ordered for dinner.  It was worth every bite!  I also got to know Jen Savage and Heidi Grotenhuis.  I love being in primary, but I don't get to know very many people unless they have a 3-year-old.  I very much enjoyed my evening of adult talk!

October 4th - GENERAL CONFERENCE!!!!  Yay!  The kids helped me clean the house a little bit before we went to get their flu shots done for the year.  We went to Naomi's soccer game and then hurried home to watch the last hour of the first session of conference.  Between sessions Jeremy went to Justin's house to hang and watch the second session.  Steve, Nick and Phil (Tufts) picked up Jeremy and Justin and went to the priesthood session of conference that night.  Naomi and I went to the Tufts house and watched "Frozen".  It was great.  The girls acted out all the scenes and sang all the songs.  Definitely the most entertaining way to watch the movie.  

October 5th we had a big conference breakfast and watched the first session together.  Between sessions, Blake came over the finish up his Eagle paperwork.  While Steve worked on this, Jeremy took the rest of us for a drive.  He is getting better.  After conference was over (I LOVE CONFERENCE!!!) Nick studied for a test he had the next day.  He was so nervous about this test and his stomach felt funny.  After he threw up he felt much better.  The test went very well and he decided there was no need to get that worried over a test again.  

October 7th it was decided that Naomi's bike is no longer safe to ride.  The back chain kept coming off and while I was putting it back on for the third time I noticed that the back wheel was bent.  A little sleuthing later and the whole story came into picture.  Nick wanted to see if it was easier to do a wheelie with a smaller bike.  You get the idea!  Naomi was upset because she really wanted to ride her bike to school the next day as it was National Walk to School Day.  She calmed down when I told her we could still walk.

October 8th - Naomi loved the time with just the two of us walking together.  It was even more fun when we got to the cross walk and met up with all the other kids who were walking.  The firedog mascot was there as was the principal and the Ridge Road Middle School Band. Everyone danced across the cross walk.  Naomi thought it was the best morning EVER!  I must admit, it was a lot of fun.  

 

While the kids were at school I went to the store and got everything we would need to make Naomi's halloween costume.  When the kids got home from school we worked a little on Naomi's costume and then went with Steve to the sports store to get the kids new bikes.  Naomi's was trashed (see Oct. 7th) and Nicholas was too big for his.  They were super excited to have a new set of wheels.  

October 10th I got to substitute teach in the library!  It was a great day.  All day, surrounded by books.  It was also the book fair and so I got to help the 5th and 6th graders find books they might want to buy.  The day flew by!!!

October 11th started with Jeremy and Steve going to Hind's Feet Farm to help Ethan with his eagle project.  Nick, Naomi and I went to get the rest of the stuff for Halloween costumes.  When we got home, Nick got to go for a ride in Brother Shamanis' Audi.  He was so excited about this experience that he got on his bike and decided to relive the experience.  When he came back home he had a cracked helmet and the front brake had broken off his bike.  His story was that a squirrel ran in front of him and he crashed.  He said he wasn't going that fast.  I have decided that fast is a relative term and I am just glad that he is okay.  Immediately after this we took Jeremy to the corn maze for the Outdoor Club activity.  Steve would pick him up on his way home from running errands so that I could get Naomi to Emily's house.  Emily's family had invited Naomi to go with them to the large cat refuge up in Troutman.  She had a great time and even won the "Guess How Many M&Ms Are In This Jar" contest.  She won the jar of  M&Ms and $10.  Steve and I spent that evening at the Mullers playing Dungeons and Dragons.  It was us, the Mullers and the Todds.  We had so much fun getting our "geek" on.  I haven't laughed that hard in a long time!

October 13th was definitely a 13th.  The day started off very well.  I got a lot done (grocery shopping, decorating for Halloween, made bread, straightened the house, got Nick's bike fixed, etc.) preparing for possible jury duty the next couple of days.  In the afternoon I went to pick up my sewing machine which had been in the repair shop for over a month.  It wasn't quite ready, but while I was waiting to hear this news Jeremy called and said he was done with play practice early and wanted me to come get him.  On the way to the school I hit a bolt or something in the road and got a flat tire.  It was completely flat by the time I found a place to safely pull off the two-lane road.  I called Steve to see if he could pick up Jeremy while I figured out how to change the tire.  Not too long after talking with Steve he called back and told me that John Shamanis was on his way to help me.  Thank goodness John came because it took the two of us reading the directions to figure out how to get the spare tire out from under the truck.  Once the spare was out from under the truck we had the flat off and the spare on in no time flat. When I got home I called in to see if they needed me for jury duty the next day and.....of course they did!!  How else could a day like this end!!??!!!

Naomi quote:  "Imagine what it would smell like and how loud it would be if you could gather all the farts in the world!"  Deep thought.

October 14th I appeared for jury duty.  I was really nervous about how the day would go.  I met a very nice lady named Laurie and we spent the morning chatting.  Neither one of us were called for the first batch of potential jurors.  Steve called mid-morning to tell me that the tire was covered under the road hazard warranty that came with the new tires (we purchased at the beginning of August).  It would only cost $31 to have the tire replaced and that cost was the labor charges.  That was good news #1.   Good news #2 came about 2:30 in the afternoon when it was announced that all other cases scheduled for today were settling out of court.  We were all free to go.  I called Lake Norman Charter and told them I could sub the half day on the 15th after all (Good news #3 they still needed me) and started for home.  It was raining incredibly hard.  I was grateful I had the flat yesterday when the weather was gorgeous instead of in the pouring rain.  Good news #4, and by far the best news, I am not eligible for jury duty for another two years!!!

October 15th was a half day at LNC.  I love doing half days.  That night Naomi played her heart out, but her team still lost the game.  She still loves soccer.  

October 16th and 17th the boys did  not have school.  It was Fall Break for LNC.  You would think that would make the day less hectic, but...  We were up early to get Jeremy to seminary.  Yes, he still had seminary because the seminary schedule is synced with the CMS schedule and CMS still had school.  We got Naomi on the bus and then I took Jeremy to the orthodontist and then to play practice.  Nick and I went out to breakfast at Denny's and then went to see the Croshaw's new house.  We were grocery shopping at BJs when Jeremy texted that he was done with play practice.  We picked him up and had just pulled in the driveway when Matt returned Nick's call from earlier and wanted to know if Nick could come over and play.  I took Nick to Matt's house.  Back at home I mowed the grass (which was tall enough to lose small children in) and finished just  before the school bus dropped Naomi off.  We ended up having a huge play date with the Tufts and everyone else in the neighborhood until dinner time.  Steve got home and went to kick boxing.  Nick got home from Matt's shortly after that. He was sad because he had lost his frisbee at the park.   I had just enough energy left to clean the bathrooms so they would be clean when Ginger arrived the following day.  WHEW!!!!

October 17th I got Naomi on the bus and Steve left to get Ginger.  Jeremy slept until 9:30 (these play practices are wearing him out!).  Steve arrived with Ginger shortly after Jeremy woke up.  They took the boys and headed to Delks (the army surplus store).  I had lunch with Naomi at school.  When I got back, the crew was back from Delks and Steve was making Ginger a knife.  Naomi's bus arrrived not too long after this.  Ginger dressed up (with our Elvis wig and sun glasses) and met Naomi at the bus stop.  It only took Naomi a minute to realize this strange person was Aunt Ging in disguise.  

That evening Steve and I went to the Mullers Murder Mystery party while Ginger stayed with the kids.  They just hung out at home and played games.  The murder party was so much fun.  Steve and I were playing the part of an older couple (Malcolm and Matilda) from England that seemed innocent on the outside, but the backstory was that I was a retired assassin for the British secret service - MI6 -and Steve had been my handler.  We had a great time getting to know the other couples and trying to figure out who done it!  

October 18th Ginger flew back to Minneapolis in the afternoon.  The morning was spent just having fun and taking pictures.  We loved having her stay with us.   

October 19th Naomi and I rode our bikes to choir practice.  When Naomi found out that she could be a part of the ward choir she was thrilled.  We will be singing in the Christmas program.  She is having a great time learning the songs.  Our house is filled with music now as she practices whenever she can.  At church I found out that Sister Cobb, my partner in sunbeam teaching for two years now, was being released from primary and put into the Relief Society presidency.  I am really going to miss her. She and I worked really well together and the kids love her so much.

October 21st - Nick passed the shrimp challenge.  In honor of the occasion I fixed shrimp linguini for dinner.  He loved it.  After dinner was over I got a call from a woman who said that her son had found Nick's frisbee.  Her boys had been playing at the park near their grandparents house (Matt's neighborhood) and found it.  Nick had put his name and number on the underside and so they called the number.  It turned out that they didn't live too far away and I arranged to go to their house to pick it up.  They were a nice family who homeschooled their kids. We got talking and found that we knew several of the same people.  Small world!  Nick is ecstatic to have his frisbee back.

October 24th Jeremy went to University of North Carolina Charlotte (UNCC) with his theater class to perform for the theater students at the college.  They got valuable feedback on how to improve their performance for the upcoming competition.  The best part about the performance is that Jeremy liked his costume.  This had been a topic of much angst in the previous weeks because there was a leopard print unitard involved.  The costume turned out to be great and Jeremy embraced it and really got into character.  That night Steve, Nick and Jeremy went on a wilderness survival campout with the troop.  Naomi and I stayed home, watched Guardians of GaHoole and went to bed early.

October 25th Naomi and I got up early and went to the fabric store to pick out the fabric for the new robe she wanted.  It is a good thing that I sew because her tastes are very specific and would be incredibly difficult, if not impossible, to find in the retail market.  We had a good time.  After robe shopping Naomi had a Halloween party at one of her classmate's houses.  We hurried home to get her in her costume.

She helped make her Rainbow Dash costume and was very excited to show it off.   Her friends thought it was pretty cool.  I had to pick her up early from the part for her last soccer game.  Her team played their little hearts out but they did not win.  I think Naomi is glad that the season is over.  It won't interfere with her increasingly busy social life any longer.  That night we carved our Halloween pumpkins.

October 29th I went to the training to be a substitute in the Charlotte Mecklenburg Schools (CMS).  It was a long day with a lot of information that did not apply to substitutes.  I heard the phrase "This applies to everyone but substitutes" an awful lot that day.  Afterwards we were sent downtown for a drug test and fingerprinting.  We were all packed into a very small waiting room as only three people were called back at a time.  After an hour and fifteen minutes of waiting (with a bladder that was about to explode!) I was finally called back.  Next was the fingerprinting and that wasn't so bad because everyone was now over waiting to give their urine sample.  I hurried home so I could finish getting everything ready to take dinner to the theater students who were having a late rehearsal before the competition.  It was nice to get to meet the kids in Jeremy's class.  They were all very nice and incredibly appreciative of the dinner.  

October 30th I subbed for Mrs. Rosales at Highland Creek.  She was Naomi's teacher last year and the biggest reason I hurried and got my training done.  I enjoyed getting to know the kids in her class and quickly realized that being an elementary teacher is a lot harder than it looks.  I had to teach every subject to these kids all day long.  The up side is I got to know them all rather well by the end of the day.  After school I met Naomi at her room so we could pick up Buster the turtle and bring her home with us for the long weekend.  Naomi was so excited to find out that she was the one chosen for this special job.  I must admit it was fun having a pet turtle for the weekend.  Naomi took Buster out for walks and had to write in the journal that came with Buster about the adventures they had together.  

Naomi and Buster out for a walk in the backyard.

October 31st I got the boys off to school and Naomi and I made sugar cookie dough.  While the dough was refrigerating we went to the school to have our Parent Teacher Conference with Mrs. Favaloro and Mrs. Bloomquist.  They wanted Naomi to come with me so we could all talk about her academics and possible goals for her in the coming months.  I really love her teachers this year.

Back at home we rolled and cut out the cookies while watching the new Tinkerbell movie.  When the boys got home I took Nick to Ryan's house to hang out and trick or treat.  Nick wanted to go with his friends this year.  Naomi and I trick or treated in our neighborhood while Jeremy handed out candy.  Just as the trick or treating was wrapping up it started to pour.  We all piled in the car and headed for the Stewart's house to check out their set up this year.  They always do something amazing and this year was no exception.  The theme was "Prom gone wrong".  Shelly was dressed like Carrie from the movie of the same name complete with blood all over her dress.  Shane was a crash victim with a gash on his forehead.  Everyone looked great.  We stayed for a little bit and then headed to the Wolfe's to pick up Nick.  All of us slept well that night.

Naomi's Team Photo

September 2014

September always feels like the beginning of a new year for me although it is still 2014.  School starts, church activity day changes, the weather starts to mellow and it is not so hot.  This September there were plenty of changes.  

Activity Day Girls started up again and Naomi was thrilled.  She had missed it over the summer.  The boys went bowling with the Young Men.  Everyone was happy.  

Olivia was fascinated by all of Naomi's Barbie clothes during their visit in August and wanted me to make her some Barbie clothes for her birthday.  I love doing this kind of thing so I was really excited about the request.  I spent the first week in September sewing the clothes.  At one point I couldn't find Barbie to try on the newest creation.  I looked everywhere and finally found her pole dancing on one of the shelves in the bonus room.  I asked Nick and Jeremy about it because I thought they were the most likely culprits.  I was wrong.  I will have to watch Naomi a little more closely in the future.  Silly girl.  We got a good laugh about it. 

Brother Ben Barker, the second counselor in the bishopric, came by to visit.  He had recently gotten a job in Virginia and would be moving soon.  It was his goal to visit all the families that had had an impact on him while he was in this ward.  He is such an amazing man.  I imagine that he is like what President Monson must have been like when he was younger.  Needless to say, the visit was amazing.  We will miss having the Barkers in our ward.  

September 13th I picked a sobbing Naomi up early from what looked like an amazing primary activity.The theme was "Women of Divine Power."  The stake primary presidency decorated several rooms and each room had an amazing woman from the scriptures in it to tell them her story.  Sister Shamanis, the stake primary president, gave Naomi a huge hug and told her that most of the activity had already happened.  They would be eating lunch in a few minutes and then going home.  That helped Naomi feel a little bit better.  At the soccer field she perked up a whole lot when we met her coach and got her uniform.  She changed in the bathroom and was ready to take on the other team.  She was fierce, scoring the first goal of the game and assisted in the second goal from their goalie box. 

September 16th my mom fell and got a compression fracture in her lower back.  I know that my sisters are there taking very good care of her, but I really hate being so far away at times like this.  GRRRRRRR!!!

September 19th was my first day subbing at Lake Norman Charter.  I had the Exception Children (EC) kids which was a good challenge getting to know their individual needs and personalities. It was only a half day so it wasn't too tough.   I enjoyed the day for the most part.  

That afternoon was the girls lunch at my house to celebrate Sara Muller's birthday.  She wanted Mexican so I made the Cafe Rio burritos and Julie and Christie took care of dessert and drinks.  We had a great afternoon just laughing and eating good food.  I love spending time with these ladies.  

That night the boys and I ran Naomi to a birthday party and then headed to the elementary school to help out at the book fair.  Both boys needed service hours for either school or scouts and they were excited about helping out.  

September 20th Steve and I went to the Marc Broussard concert.  Steve has wanted to go to a Marc Broussard concert for years, but the timing just didn't work.  He called me that morning and said there were still tickets available for that night.  We were actually free.  The band that opened for him was amazing!  Mingo Fishtrap - you should look them up.  It was a great night filled with incredible music.  I am glad we went.  

September 22nd I subbed again but this time for Mrs. Stienbecker, 7th grade history teacher.  I loved that each class was working on the same subject.  It gave me a good chance to get a handle on what to teach and how to help the kids with their assignment.  I also found out that Nick's math teacher, Mrs. Pandya, is the mother of Naomi's best friend at school, Anusha.  It is a small world.  Naomi is even more excited about coming to Lake Norman Charter now that she knows Anusha will be there too.  

September 24th I went to visit with Sister Ford.  I needed to pick her brain for some good British phrases for a character I would be playing at an upcoming murder mystery party.  I told her I only had "poppycock" and "rubbish" so far.  She thought for a minute or two and then said, "My goodness!  I have quite forgotten how to speak British!"  We got a good laugh over that one.  

September 27th, the boys went with Steve to the Scouter's Success seminar to help him with the food preparation.  They had a great time assisting and getting to meet a bunch of people from the Hornet's Nest District.  Nick helped with the cakes and Jeremy did the stew and hobo dinners.  

Meanwhile, back at home, Naomi and I went shopping for some dresses for her.  She needed some church clothes.  We hit the jackpot at Kohl's (our favorite store).  She got two perfect dresses and a pair of boots for only $50.  While still on this retail high, she helped her soccer team, which was down by 3 at the half, come back and win it 7-6.  Naomi got two of those goals.  

Back at home, she and I got ready for the Women's Conference that night.  I absolutely love that they changed the age from 12 to 8 and now Naomi can come with me.  Lisa and Mackenzie Koll joined us and we had a great time before hand mingling with the other sisters in the stake and then listening to the words of the prophet, apostles and church leaders.  The theme of the pre-mingle this year was "Flood the Earth with Goodness" (spreading the word through social media).  There were several picture taking stations with props and signs that said things like, "I am a daughter of God!" and "I know Jesus loves me."  We all took pictures and posted them to our social sites.  It was fun.  

September 30th was a great way to end a very busy month.  I took Nick to the orthodontist in the morning and then to the allergist in the afternoon.  We set up his shrimp challenge for October.  Since Jeremy is in the school play (a Theater II/III project) we had to go get him from school at 5:30 and then head straight to the church for Coleman O'Brien's Eagle Court of Honor.  He was up until 11:30 doing homework, but it was a great day.  (Foreshadowing for the next month and a half!!)

Steve presenting Coleman with his Eagle.

These three cuties are my great niece and nephews!

Naomi and her study-buddy, Ava.  They just happened to be dressed this way!  

August 2014 - Parties, School Starts and Jeremy's Eagle Court of Honor

August was awesome.  That first weekend we all decided we needed a little break from the norm (running around trying to get it all done) and drove to South Charlotte where all the expensive car dealerships are.  We got to see a little everything and Nicholas got to sit in a Ferrari.  We did take a picture of this but it is MIA.  I will post it when it resurfaces.  Nick smiled the rest of the weekend. 

August 4th we were back to the run-and-gun schedule.  Steve was travelling for the culinary clinics so I got double duty.  Naomi was off to science camp in the morning.  We picked her up and drove to Matt's birthday party.  After depositing Nick and his bicycle at the party we rushed off to take Jeremy to Dr. Black's office for his biannual allergy checkup.  Jeremy is doing so well that we have now graduated to yearly visits.  We then drove back up to Matt's house to drop off Nick's sleepover stuff (not all the boys that came to the day party were staying the night.  We had to be sneaky!).  We then drove back home and chilled for the rest of the night.  

August 6th was the schedule and supply pick-up for both the high school and the middle school.  We dropped Naomi off at her final day of science camp and then headed off to find out what classes the boys would be taking in the coming school year.  We got to see friends they had missed all summer, pick up their supplies (middle school) and supply lists (high school).  We dashed back to the science camp just in time to see Naomi's play (from drama camp that got rained out and postponed until now).  We had a little time to relax before taking Nick to the orthodontist to have his braces adjusted.  Since we were already out and all three kids needed new shoes we checked out several shoe stores and finally found the perfect shoes for everyone.  (We did a lot of school clothes and supply shopping between the 6th and 14th - at least this year the boys seemed to enjoy it a little more.  I let them just pick out what they liked and if it fit in the budget they could have it.  They like this arrangement as it gave them control over their own wardrobe.)

August 8th, Nick wanted to go to the grocery store with me.  When that happens we usually end up with items that are not on my list, but this time it was great because the Luigi's icees were on sale so we stocked up.  With the summer coming to an end I wanted the kids to have happy memories to get them through the hard days.  It would also help that there would be a Luigi's waiting for them when they got home.  We got pizza toppings for dinner that night because the kids had it all planned out.  Nick was in charge of dinner (pizza, of course), Naomi was in charge of the lesson (the story of Gideon from Judges in the Bible) and Jeremy was in charge of the activity (Rummikub).  Earlier in the day the kids helped me make a batch of zuccinni muffins.  We must enjoy our zuccinni garden while it lasts.  Today was a great day for being productive, but relaxing and having fun while doing it.  

August 14th was the first day of school for Lake Norman Charter.  While the boys were at school, Naomi and I washed the truck and spent time at the pool.  When the boys returned home both gave a great review of the first day of school and their teachers.  

August 15th while the boys were in school Naomi had her yearly visit with Dr. Higgins.  She is as fit as a fiddle (no surprises there).  Afterwards we went school shopping for Naomi with all the Kohl's Cash we had earned earlier shopping for the boys.  She found some really cute stuff.  Next it was off to Cook Out for lunch. We sat outside in the shade enjoying our meal and watching the cute little birds eat the crumbs off the ground.  That night, Steve and Nick went to help Blake with his Eagle project while Jeremy, Naomi and I headed to a friend of Jeremy's (from church) 16th birthday party.  The party had a Greek theme and were supposed to come in dressed as our favorite character from Greek history.  Jeremy chose Hermes.  Naomi and I went as slaves (we were helping keep the party running smoothly).  It was a great party.  They had decorated one of the covered picnic areas at the park with signs and clouds and statues and ...  The guest of honor arrived on a golden couch carried by several warriors.  Once she arrived (dressed as Athena) she battled Medusa and saved everyone at the party from a fate worse than death.  We had a great time the rest of the night eating Greek-themed food and playing games.  After the party, Steve and the boys went to hear Kev play.  Naomi and I crashed after a long and fun day.

August 16th I was up and at the church bright and early to help set of for our Women's Conference.  I was on the committee designated to make sure everyone had all the supplies they needed in order to teach their assigned classes.  I spent most of my time trying to find enough easels for everyone.  That was no easy task.  I had to get really creative.  I didn't mind running before the whole thing started because I actually got to attend two of the classes.  One class was taught by President Jackson and his wife about turning your home into and MTC.  I got a lot of ideas that I think my family will really like.  The other class was taught by Sister Gehrig on Traditions.  The main theme was which traditions do you have that build your family and create memories and which traditions just need to go?  I will now be able to get rid of some of the stressful traditions without so much guilt.  I would say it was a productive day.  

When I got home I saw immediately that Steve and the kids had been hard at work.  While I was gone, Steve and the kids had started taking down the massive tree in our front yard.  Bradford Pears are great trees for quick growth but they only last about 12-14 years and ours has been there for 13 years.  Four of our neighbors had lost their trees in wind storms a few months back and ours was starting to show signs of weakening.  Rather than waiting for a storm to blow it over (right on our house - which is what happened to the neighbors) we decided cut it down and save ourselves the headache of post-storm cleanup.  The kids worked all day long and had a blast using the chain saw and helping haul all the branches away.  We got four loads hauled away before the nearest "green" dump closed for the day.  Without the tree there the yard looks huge.  I am sad to see the tree go because it was a beautiful tree to look at, but I won't miss the blossoms that smell like rotting meat in order to attract the flies which polinate it.  I also won't miss bracing for the crash every time a wind storm comes through.  That night, Steve and Jeremy went to a youth dance.  It was our turn to chaperone and Steve loves this kind of thing (which makes me appreciate him even more).  

Branches everywhere - in the end we hauled away 13 trucks full of branches

Full load ready to go.

The cool design from the chain saw.

You can see our house now - that may not be a good thing though.  Now we need to power wash the house to get rid of the mold on the side.  Oh well!

The main stump was too heavy to get out so we left it right where it fell.  It looks kind of cool.  

August 19th we finished getting everything on Naomi's school list.  We hurried home to drop off all our shopping bags and rode our bikes to the elementary school to find out who Naomi's teacher would be this year.  She was so excited to find out she got Mrs. Favaloro.  Mrs. F lives down the street from us and we have known her for years.  She also happens to be one of the best teachers and Naomi is thrilled.  We rode back home, had some lunch and then headed to help out in the library at the middle school.  Naomi loved helping with all the books.  She is definitely my girl.  After school Jeremy helped me mail all his Eagle Court of Honor invitations.  Then it was off to Back to School night at the high school.  I really like all of Jeremy's teachers.  They all seem very relaxed which is what he needs.  I hope it will be a great year.

August 22nd got to officially meet her new teachers, Mrs. Favaloro and Mrs. Bloomquist.  Afterwards, I had scheduled appointments for both of us to have our hair cut and styled.  We are both ready for the new school year now.  Steve spent this weekend at Order of the Arrow as a sponsor for one of his scouts.  He really loves this calling.

August 23rd, Christie, Sara and I took Karen out to breakfast as our last get together before Karen moved away.  It was a great morning just laughing and crying and eating wonderful food with wonderful ladies.  We will miss Karen.  Meanwhile, back at home, the boys went to the temple with the youth and Naomi spent some time with her dad doing various things around the house.  We all enjoyed our day.

August 24th while getting ready for church I heard Nick and Naomi fighting.  I an attempt to handle the situation calmly I tried refocusing them.

Me:  "It's time to get ready for church." (said in a sing-song, happy manner).
Naomi:  "I am getting ready while fighting with Nicholas - I am multi-tasking."

You have to give her bonus points for that answer.  After church we hurried home to have dinner so we would be ready for our home teachers to come visit.  In my haste to prepare dinner I dropped the plastic bottle of garlic.  It fell to the floor and landed with the opening of the bottle facing me while resulted in what I thought only happened in the movies.  Picture this - there is a can of paint sitting in the middle of the room with a stick of TNT in it.  The main character suddenly remembers they left something in the room.  They rush back in attempting to beat the short fuse and don't quite make it.  The camera pans across the room and everything is covered in paint except for the wall behind where our main character was standing.  That was the scene in my kitchen.  I had garlic all the way up me and splattered behind me leaving my silhouette garlic-free.  It was quite hilarious.  Our kitchen had the scent of garlic for a couple of day while I was trying to find all the little crevices and crannies where splattered garlic might be hiding.  We all got a good laugh over it.

August 25th was Naomi's first day of school.  She was so excited.  Because she was so excited we had PLENTY of time to take pictures before the bus arrived.

All the kids at our bus stop from our neighborhood.

Besties!

She got on the bus all smiles and
 got off the bus the same way

August 26th was Back to School night for the middle school.  This will be a great year for Nick.  He has some amazing teachers.  His science teacher, Mr. Blackman, used a car analogy while explaining what type of things they would be learning this year.  I can see why he is one of Nicholas's favorite teachers.  

August 27th - Steve and I have been married for 21 years.  WOW!  Since he had to be in Orlando on our anniversary we celebrated with dinner at PF Changs that weekend after he got home.  YUMMY!

August 28th - We got Naomi's final schedule for soccer for the season. Half of her games were scheduled for Sundays.  I expected her to be really upset when I told her this because we had already had a discussion about not playing on Sundays.  She took it all rather well.  When I told her that I would have to pick her up early from the stake primary activity is when she broke down and threw a fit.  She had been looking forward to this activity ever since they announced it a month ago.  I think this decided that we are no longer going to be playing soccer at Strikers.  She still loves to soccer and wants to play just for fun.  There are plenty of other places that have leagues.  We will find one that better fits our schedule.  I am happy that she doesn't want to miss church or church activities.  She has her priorities straight.  

August 29th - P.F. Changs night!!  We were celebrating our 21st anniversary and also Steve'e promotion to Senior Director.  He had been told earlier that day about the promotion but was told not to tell anyone as it was going to be officially announced to the company in a couple of days.  He is so excited.  He has worked hard to prove to his bosses that he can handle the work of a senior director.  It finally paid off. 

August 31st was a busy day.  We spent all morning getting stuff together for the Court of Honor and then hurried off to church.  We scheduled the Court of Honor for just after church so everyone could just stick around and not have to come right back to the church.  I was humbled by the number of people that came to support Jeremy.  We had several neighbors, friends from school, scout executives and of course our ward family.  Sunny and Bradden drove from Knoxville to be with us as well.  

Jeremy's Eagle Court of Honor

I got to present him with his Eagle pin.

I love this kid!

He gave me my mother's pin.

He gave Steve the mentor's pin.

Shane Stewart, Jeremy's cubmaster and our good friend presented him with his Eagle  neckerchief and slide. 

Ryan Losse and Zach Todd were his escorts.

Group hug with Julie Todd, Aubrey Todd, Justice Stewart and Autumn Todd.

We made the day all about Jeremy.  I created a DVD montage from Jeremy's first day as a cub scout until finishing his eagle.  There were plenty of refreshments (all Jeremy's favorites).  People stayed for quite some time afterwards because we were having so much fun.  It was a great day!

Back at home we celebrated Madi's birthday!

Olivia and Steve checking out our cool spider.  Olivia thought he was really cool. 

Nick's friend, Matt Patterson, took this picture for us.