The Tangrens

For the last day of kindergarten they perform a show for all of the parents highlighting the things they learned about every month of the school year. Derek worked from home and took a half day to be there and experience the magic.

Eli was excited too

Here's a little flavor


It was super cute! At one point Mrs. Tanner talked about how she was going to miss them and I got teary as did she. It really was the end. Here's another flavor of one of my favorite songs they sang. "Everything I learned I learned in kindergarten."


As you might notice, Noah needed some attention.

After the performance was a reception in the classroom with cookies. We coerced Hyrum into taking a picture with his teacher.


He just wanted to go home. When we got home and I tried to stage last day of school pictures. Hyrum was being silly, walking up the sidewalk bent over.


As he walked up the sidewalk he saw a school bus that slowed down in front of our house.


And the school bus driver threw out two little bags of Skittles for the boys!


They were THRILLED!! What a last day of Kindergarten!


Sweet taste of success.

Love Field Day! Don't you remember Field Day as a kid?  There was just a change in the air that day. To spend the whole day outside running and jumping and competing. I remember getting hot lunch (of hot dogs!) that day which was something I never did so it made it extra special. So this year when they needed volunteers to run Field Day for the kindergarten (and I was responsible to get volunteers as well) I jumped at the chance and so did my sweet husband.

I got there with Noah and Eli in tow. Noah running around and Eli on my back. It was nearly 90 degrees that day and we were outside. It was hot!! We were in charge of a jump rope and hula hoop area.


We had them spin the hula hoop on its side,


 or try to actually hula hoop, run around it. jump in and out of it, crawl through them and roll them.  We had them roll them around the little kindergarten play area in a race.


Noah was right there doing it too.


We did things with jump ropes too jumping, walking on them and making letters with them. I even showed them how to do a little chinese jump rope (in, out, side, side, on, in , out anybody?)


Derek had been assigned to an indoor job helping kids to color bookmarks. The woman who was in with him offered to let me go in with him but Noah wanted to be outside so outside we stayed.  With every group that filed through he participated in every activity and took his turn at the drinking fountain.  I was impressed. Noah has typically wanted to do his own things and hasn't really wanted to do things in the group but today he was all about being a part of the group.  Poor Eli was just hot!!


I tried to keep him in the shade while he sat in the backpack and sat him just inside the doors of the air conditioned classroom as much as I could.

After it was all over, ( Noah and Eli spent the last 20 minutes inside with dad) the kids all were treated to a popcicle. And we got the old mommy preschool crew back together under the tree ( minus Spencer)


Good memories!! :)

And we thought that the 5th birthday was going to be the best birthday ever. We may have jumped the gun by a year.

Hyrum's birthday May 11 was the start of the 2013 BRAVES Tee ball season. Hyrum's coach, Val Winward, is a die hard Atlanta Braves fan and has been itching to have his son's ( and Hyrum's) team be the Braves. And this year was his year.  Derek has also always been a Braves fan (albeit not as die hard) so he too was excited about the team choice.


Hyrum was #10. We were told it was Chipper Jones number. (He retired from the Braves last year and they retired his number this year)


The start of the Tee ball season means the Tee ball parade through Mapleton. Always fun.  I decided this time that I wasn't going to run all over trying to see them but just sit along the parade route and watch the proceedings. Noah and I found a place to sit (with Eli too, of course) and he tried to open a fruit snack with his "baseball gloves" which didn't work to well.


and had to cover up when the firetrucks came by


but it was fun and we scored on candy.


It occured to me as I sat down to the game that this would be his last year in tee ball. Next year it would be coach pitch and they would add more rules to the game. It was a bitter sweet moment. But we would also likely have TWO in tee ball/coach pitch next year too.


But as has become tradition, his first at bat was an in field home run! (or in other words he was last up to bat and they were simply clearing the bases for the other team to take to the plate) And he also got to reprise his role as first baseman.


It's going to be a great season.


After the game it was home to prepare the house for his birthday party!! This year Hyrum decided he wanted a Ninjago birthday party.  Don't what that is? Not surprised, but ask any 6-9  year old boy and chances are they know. There were no commercially produced party supplies for this theme so it left me with one option.  PINTREST!  Thanks to a dozen incredibly creative women out there (most of which were throwing a 6 year olds birthday party) who love their boys enough to make it happen I was able to get some good ideas.

I organized the ideas into a training course relying heavily on the story in the two Ninjago books that Hyrum had. I busted out the Chinese New year decorations I bought in February and set them out. They started out coloring pictures of the Ninjago Ninjas.

Then came a message scroll from Master Wu. Informing them of their mission to train to be ninjas. The first task in their journey was to discover their Ninja name.


Which took longer and was harder than I thought it would be. As they were doing that I put my camera down on the counter and then put something on top of it and didn't find it until the end of the party. FAIL! I did get some pictures before and took some videos during so that will have to do.

After they found their ninja names there came a new scroll telling them about their next mission. This mission was to learn the skills of ninja star throwing from Zane the Ninja of Ice.


When they completed that task they opened the scroll to send them to their next task which was to learn "Spinjitzu" from Jay the ninja of Lightning.  They just spun around 6 times and then ran from one side of the backyard to the other and back. Some spun 6 times...others 3 yet others 1 and others the whole way down and back.  It was kind of a free for all really.

The next scroll led them to the front yard where they trained with Cole the ninja of earth to learn how to defeat the Serpentine. They practice on the wiggly "snakes" on the sprinkler I had going in the front yard.  It was a hot day and the water was welcomed.

It was all I could do to lead them toward their next challenge which was in the backyard with Kai the Ninja of Fire. Since they had completed their training to this point they were now easy to face Loyd Garmadon to retrieve the stolen candy. (Loyd is the son of the ultimate bad guy in the series who just goes around stealing candy- and controlling the Serpentine-snake like creatures that hypnotize people) Hyrum always wants a piñata at his parties but finding a Ninjago pinata was a tall order to fill so in my searches found a different way of making pinatas.  It was done using a paper bag. Loyd Garmadon steals candy so who better to have a pinata made out of.  I decided to make it happen. After spending the better part of the evening designing, free handing the face and putting it together I was impressed how it turned out and was excited to show Hyrum.

The next morning after I made it Hyrum walked into the room took one look at it and said "That looks dumb" Awesome. I wanted to cancel the party right then and there.

I also made wraps for the drinks that had things like "Kai's fire punch" and "Coles rock ade" etc after I spent quite a long time on them Hyrum came home from playing at a friends house and immediately started slipping the wraps around saying "Why do these slip right off?"  It was another near cancellation of the party.


But needless to say that despite the initial irritations the piñata was a smashing success, although I don't think any one appreciated it like I did.  They each went home with a bag full of piñata candy. Everyone was happy.  After they defeated Loyd and retrieved the stolen candy they were ready to fight the serpentine....the real Serpentine.  Ok ok it was really a chalk drawing they were going to throw water balloons at.  I had envisioned some simple chalk drawn snakes but as the party got closer I ran out of time and asked Derek to draw them. But I forgot ( again! ) that my amazing husband is an artist and he had something a little more elaborate in mind.


Amazing huh?  Oh this is what they look like.
                           
After they destroyed them


(which I have to say kinda pained me to see) they got the last scroll which lead them to the final challenge Cake and Ice cream ( and those unsatisfactory wrapped drinks )We did cupcakes instead of cake and put Ninjago paper toppers on them. They were a hit.

After that it was more playing in the water and going home.  A good birthday for the big six year old, who probably can't wait to see what next year brings. It just keeps getting better.

When we took Rebecca to Provo it was with the promise that we would hike again. And we did. But we decided to tackle a longer hike this time. Instead of a half mile trail we were going to do a 4 mile trail. Perhaps we were too ambitious.

We loaded up with water, snacks, backpack, jackets and after picking up Rebecca  headed out on the trail. We had backpacks on anyone that could carry one to disperse the weight around.

There was still a few patches of mud and snow which made it a little treacherous especially when it was at a steep incline.


But most of the trail was clear but the boys both decided they needed walking sticks anyway



We did a lot of waiting along the trail for Noah to catch up. He had his own pace.

Finally Rebecca who had a date/music appreciation assignment concert to make it too took matters into her own hands and carried Noah to the falls.


We made much better time after that.

At the falls we dug into our snacks and enjoyed the view.



Then the boys did a little exploring and got a closer view of the falls.

Yes, Noah always has something on his face.

The homeward trek was much faster as we learned that Noah's pace wasn't sufficient for our time schedule. Hyrum who was mostly sure footed tripped over a rock despite his walking stick and had to be carried too.


I told Derek that I could carry Hyrum and my backpack but he needed to be a hero.

Despite the pace and needing to carry boys from time to time it was super fun and something we'll do again...but maybe when they're older.


Until then...May the 4th be with you

Lest anyone think I'd drag my crying boys off a hiking trail with promises to go back and never go back...

On Rebecca's last Saturday with us (the 28th) bright and early we loaded up all of the boys, water bottles, snacks, jackets, back pack and snow suit for little man and headed back to Payson canyon to do a little make up hiking.  And we were going to take just as long as we wanted. When we got to the trail head we were happy to see that there was much less snow on and along the trail.


We started off, Noah finding every rock he could and jumping off them.


Hyrum running as far ahead as I would let him get (perhaps he was afraid of me hauling them back to the car again)


And Eli chillin on my back


One of the very best things about this trail is the little stream that you follow all along the way that gives you little waterfall scenes


And of course the boys favorite the stream crossings over log bridges.


Noah lost his balance coming off a log bridge so we took advantage of the still lying snow to "wash" off his hands.


When we finally got to the grotto the sun was in the perfect spot to spectacularly illuminate all of the little droplets of water


And our ears


We just couldn't seem to take enough pictures



Before long we started the return hike (there was a lot of water, and we were with little boys you know) We stopped along the trail for snacks ( it is a half a mile you know-that's like forever to wait for snacks)


We stopped along the stream so the boys looked for water skeeters


 and found rocks to perch on.


Noah needed a little help to get to his.


Rebecca even managed to get him to shore without him getting wet.


Eli was not happy to be left out of the fun


As we walked back to the car the boys just couldn't get enough of the stream and kept finding their way there. Throwing stones


And jumping to big rocks

with the constant help of Rebecca-wouldn't have been nearly as fun without her

We finally made it back to the car...more slowly than the hike there and drove home tired and happy.

But that was only the first thing we did on Rebecca's last Saturday with us. We also ditched the boys and ran off to do some boutiqueing and consignment shopping. Then we were off to a baby shower then finally to the BYU men's volleyball championship. Got it all in. Check!