Kung Fu fighter

Oliver had his first opportunity to move up a level in his martial arts class and he passed! I wanted him to be completely confident for the test, so we practiced a LOT in the week before. I guess I overdid it because he kept telling me all night, "I'm so nervoust!"

Bowing to Sifu Beth

Presentation of the belt.

It's actually really fun to watch him learn new things, although we have to remind him to only use it in class. Apparently he tried to show one of his friends the move to get out of a headlock. He told Tyler, "It didn't work so well." Guess we need more practice! =)

Oliver's Half Birthday

For some reason, the last week of school before summer was really hectic. Honestly, I can't even remember what we had going on, but I certainly felt like I couldn't keep track of everything- getting everyone where they were supposed to be, planning summer trips and such. One day, I went to pick Oliver up to find a VERY sad boy. I guess the teacher had chosen a day for kids with summer birthdays to celebrate and somehow I didn't know it! He was devastated and I felt like an awful parent. We promised him any type of birthday he wanted... but his ideas kept changing and it was summer- so it never happened. (Again- we are horrible parents!) A couple of weeks ago, he asked me when his 1/2 birthday was. He quickly decided we should celebrate with some friends at the Dinosaur Museum.

Remember Ollie? Now I can see why he enjoys her so much.

Not only do they share a nickname, they are interested in all the same things.
(Yes, she is wearing a tie. It was part of a costume for a class play earlier in the day.)

I'm pretty sure he and Ollie could have stayed there for about 4 more hours, but McKay was tired and wanted to go home.

This requires a LOT of brushes.

It was a great day and I think he's forgiven me for the earlier omission.

Savannah got thrown out of her first soccer game.

That got your attention, right?!! Yes, mild tempered, mellow Savannah had to take two minutes on the bench of a game. The other team is quite good, but uses some pretty dirty tactics. I'm not sure why- they have plenty of ball skills without it, but they like to trip. At one point, as they wear nearing the wall, a girl tripped Savannah (who had quite a momentum going) and they both slammed into the wall. Immediately the parents of the other team were in an uproar, yelling at the ref and the mother of the girl ran out on the field. She began berating Savannah as the rest of the parents continued their rant. Savannah was instructed to leave the field and the mother was asked to leave the facility. As Savannah went to the bench, she could still hear the other parents talking about her and was quickly in tears. (The girl had a small goose egg on her head, by the way- nothing serious.)

As I was trying to comfort her and she explained that the hardest part was that she could still hear the parents, I was reminded of something that happened to me in my teenage years. I had recently moved to Texas and wasn't well accepted in the small Young Women's Program there. As I sat one Sunday, I began to hear the girls behind me talking about me. I don't remember what was said anymore, but I remember that it was hurtful and they intended me to hear it. I got up, in tears, to leave the room. No sooner had the door closed behind me before it was opened again as one of my advisers followed me out. She took my shoulders in her hands, looked me in the eye and said, "You can't let them win." What? "If you leave this building, in tears, they win. Now I'm giving you five minutes to pull yourself together and get your make-up fixed and I expect you to be back in that classroom and I never want you to let them see you cry again."

Such a simple lesson, but I've never forgotten it. I went from being a victim of a situation to being victorious. I couldn't change what they might say, but I could change how it affected me. I learned that being silent, in spite of what others may say, is sometimes the most powerful stance. While bitterness and anger bring sadness and ultimately weakness, being secure and positive about yourself brings strength and you can use these situations, as Martha recently reminded me, as your "defining moments."

Savannah has another chance on Saturday to face these girls... and their parents. We've talked about a lot of things she could do differently. I wish I could do it for her, but I know that doing it herself will help build her up. Sometimes growing up is so hard! And by the way... thanks, Rhema.

I guess we took too long choosing a Christmas tree

Earlier that day, I heard a loud "clunk" as I turned a corner after picking her up from school. Sure enough, she had fallen asleep right after talking to me moments before and didn't wake up when her head banged against the console. This lady can fall sleep anywhere, anyplace in seconds!

Dear Mythbusters

Mythbusters is Oliver's favorite show. What boy wouldn't love a show all about blowing things up. He dictated this note to me and asked me to send it to the show. Posting it on my blog is almost the same, right?

Dear Mythbusters,
Have you tried the myth of breaking icicles with the sound of your blast? Or have you tried the myth of making drinks colder with exploding ice?

Signed, Oliver

When Emmaline heard it, she said, "Oliver, that doesn't make sense." To which he replied, "Well, Emmaline. They are putting myths to the test and it might just happen."

Friday Scientist

Every Friday in Oliver's class, one student chooses and presents an experiment. Last Friday was Oliver's turn. As I was reading the paper of instructions, he quickly informed me that we didn't need to look at any of that stuff because he had the whole thing all planned out. I was skeptical, at first, but it turned out great. He wanted to experiment with different kinds of paper airplanes to discover which one flew the farthest. Thank goodness for "You Tube" because I am HORRIBLE at making paper airplanes.

Luckily his classmates thought it was just as cool as he did.

As we were walking out the door, he said, "Ah- I should have gotten a big white shirt or something to wear." Maybe next time.

Quote of the day

Tyler was working on a kitchen cupboard that wasn't closing properly. Unbeknown to him, he dropped a small screw. Tucker quickly picked it up and handed it to him.

Tyler: Good job, Bob.
Tucker: I not Bob.
Tyler: I know, that's just what people say. Good job, Bob.
Tucker: I Tucker.
Tyler: You don't want to be called Bob?
Tucker: Are you Mama?

Kind of a "you had to be there" moment- but so funny. Reminded me of the time we were babysitting a little boy and Mama said, "Are you ready, Freddy?" And the little boy said, in a grumpy voice, "I don't like Freddy!"

Another funny moment...
Emmaline's school uses "Google" a lot. They post their writing assignments on "Google Docs" for teachers to read, teachers write assignments on a "Google Calendar," copies of class handouts are uploaded there, etc. It actually works quite well. There is also a "chat" function that the kids can use. Last night Emmaline forgot to sign out. When I got on the computer this morning, I could see that her friend tried to talk with her at midnight and said, "emmaaaaaaaa!!!!! what a releif ur online!!!"
I am so curious as to what possible homework emergency she had at that time of night and a little glad to see that her spelling is just as bad as Emmaline's! =)

I think he definitely understands the spirit of Thanksgiving

Oliver brought this home in his backpack the Tuesday before Thanksgiving.


The funniest part? It was all laminated, so it must have been hanging in the hall. Guess we have some work to do before Christmas.

The big, green bowl

When Mama died, there were two things of hers that I wanted. The rocking chair and the big green bowl. I guess I wanted memories more than "things," really. My very earliest memories are of her rocking me in that chair when I had ear aches and who doesn't remember the bowl? It was almost always on the counter with the makings of some kind of bread inside. I couldn't find the green bowl for a long time. This summer I found it at the ranch. I'm pretty sure there are actually two green bowls- one was at the ranch and the other one was at home (in case someone else wants one) but I had to take this one with me.

I'm probably not the only one of her children that feels that Thanksgiving begins a bitter sweet time of year. As Mama's favorite holidays approach, I really try to focus on the happy memories and the making of new ones for my own kids. But it's hard to not be overwhelmed by the deep sense of loss of what this used to mean. I hope, this time, I can use the big, green bowls to help me keep perspective of all that I have to celebrate- and to add a little something to my cranberry bread, and rolls- and everything else I can dream up to cook!

The Little Dipper

The other kids taught Tucker to dip his graham crackers in milk. He thinks it is the best thing ever and wants it for every meal. Good thing we never have Oreos- he'd go nuts!

Oliver got to shovel snow for the first time!

He was so excited. The rest of us? Not so much.

Special Number Project

Emmaline had a project for math this term. Never heard of a math "project"? Neither had we- but she had to choose a number and research it extensively, then think of a way to present it. She made a poster listing all of it's properties like greatest common factor, characteristics of the "30's" in history and anything else she could think of having to do with 30. She also wanted a shirt to wear to make the presentation. I guess her teacher was impressed because he took a picture and had it posted on the Arts Academy website.


She was a little embarrassed because she didn't know it was there until people at school told her they had seen it. Kind of a fun idea for a subject that doesn't always lend itself to creativity.

Semantics

Tucker is very confused by the name "Winnie the Pooh." Once he brought me a little Pooh Bear figurine and asked, "Bear poo?" Finally, one day he called it "dog poo" and I laughed so hard, the name stuck. I guess this proves he is truly his father's son because the first time Tyler saw this book


he asked me, "Am I the only one that sees the irony in that?"

Happy Birthday Missionaries!

Since both of my nephews that are on missions have birthdays in January, my sisters thought it would be fun for everyone to take a family picture with a birthday wish to send to them. Since Kevin is in Malaysia, his packages have to be sent months in advance, so we had to get it done NOW! (Of course, I'm pretty sure we're the last one to do it... you know me and my big plans that are hard to do!) So this is our shot at it. I would post it in January, but I know I'll forget by then and they can't read a blog on their mission, right?!

Ta da!

I think Megan was embarrassed by our silliness.

Random Pictures

These are just a couple of random photos that I love.

Gavin, Emmaline, Oliver & Tucker watching Shrinky Dinks bake. That never gets old does it?!

Cupcakes that Emmaline made after church. Her creativity never ceases to amaze me!

Sharing the joy

I told a lot of people this story last Sunday on the phone, but it's one I don't want to miss having here!

During Sacrament Meeting, Oliver's teacher told this story. One of the other girls in class gave the teacher a sticker that had the word "joy" on it. Oliver said, "Can I touch your sticker 'cuz I want to share your joy." Clever! =)

Tucker Reading Scriptures

Ahh- I've kind of been stuck without a post because I wanted to use this one, but couldn't figure out how to do the video. Oh, technology- you never cease to baffle me.

Anyway, we usually don't have our kids participate in reading during our family scripture time until they have learned to read at least a little. But after last General Conference, we decided Tucker should try just repeating a verse or two. All I can say is, I wish we had done this sooner. It is so funny, our scripture time lasts about twice as long and everyone just sits there laughing, I mean- listening.

Tucker Reading Scriptures from Charlotte Huntzinger on Vimeo.

Savannah made straight A's!

This was quite a shock since at mid-term, she had several D's. It was pretty exciting after going to a school for 4 years that gives grades on a scale of 1-5. A "5" just doesn't look the same as an "A." I think she's as surprised as us- she just kept looking at it all through dinner saying, "I made straight A's!" Let's hope this continues.

Quote of the day

On Thursday night, Savannah began coming down with the stomach flu about bedtime. It was no surprise to me, then, when Tucker woke up crying. As I opened the door Oliver said, "Oh, Mama. Tucker is throwing up. It's like a nightmare come true." I couldn't agree more!!

Oliver's Creation

I'm sure this isn't nearly as interesting to anyone else, but I just LOVE the things this boy builds. This is a little dog. He even figured out a way to make a tail! This year in school has been a bit of an adjustment. He still took a 2 hour nap most days right up until school started. Although he is getting used to it, he is still a little teary some days. One day he told me, "There are just so many hours every day that I don't get to spend with you anymore." WoW- makes you want to home school!

Filling in the gaps

(Tucker needed a bit of snuggling to get warm at a soccer game.)

On Sunday, they reorganized our bishopric. Our bishop related that when he received his call, he was counseled to find men for the bishopric who "filled in the gaps" or had strengths in areas that he might be weak. I instantly thought- that is exactly what Tyler does for me! I think we probably couldn't be more different, but I like to think that we compliment each other perfectly.

Our courtship and marriage is a bit unconventional in that we've had to spend a lot more time apart than we would like. The most recent trip to Cebu for a little over 4 months was one of the hardest things we've done so far. I thought our marriage was strong before, but I've been amazed at how far we've come in the last year.

We met a couple of weeks before Tyler's 19th birthday, so we've kind of been looking forward to this time. Every day now means that our life together is longer than the time before we met. It's been amazing so far- I can't wait to see what the next 19 years holds for us!

Halloween

What an eventful Halloween! I felt like we spent more time searching for Tucker's costume than enjoying the festivities! When Tyler and I were in Cebu, we saw these old school Batman and Robin costumes and decided they would be perfect for the boys. Tucker LOVES his costume and wears it all the time. On Friday morning, I realized that his gloves were missing. I spent most of the day looking for them and therefore didn't notice, until right before our ward Halloween party, that his cape was also missing! I quickly slapped on Megan's (the dog) cape from her witch costume and we were off.


Don't you love Oliver's expression. I think he was really taking it seriously.


Emmaline's costume was a HUGE hit- both with people's reaction and the fact that it was enormous! (the pickle and "toothpick" on top had to be the best part)


Savannah was dressed as a teenager, I think! =) This is her friend Ritsuko.
When we got home from the party, I had Savannah help Tucker get ready for bed. Soooo.... I didn't notice until after dinner the next night, when we were dressing for trick-or-treat-ing (is that a word?) that Tucker's entire costume was missing! And of course Savannah had already left to got to Ritsuko's house and had no phone. I tried putting a clown costume on him, but he wouldn't hear of it! After 45 minutes, we found it. In his pajama cubby.

We only really have one Batman movie and it isn't the old kind, so there isn't a Robin. Tucker isn't sure who Robin really is. I think he actually thinks we are saying "Robber" because all night he ran around shrieking, "I'm Robba" (remember he does not enunciate) in his most serious voice. And speaking of robbers...


I love that Oliver dressed as Batman and his best friend dressed as a bank robber. That wasn't planned! (and Oliver is average height- his friend is just VERY tall) Emmaline had to be really careful as she walked up to houses. Only a few children were knocked down as she got the hang of her costume.

I'm pretty sure we're going to be sick from all this candy for weeks to come!

Al Gore almost ruined our Halloween

There are some parts of Halloween that I really love. Not the weird, scary stuff. And of course the history. Wait, why do I like Halloween again? Oh yeah- the dreaming up and making of costumes is really a lot of fun. Of all my kids, I think Emmaline shares that joy the most.

(posing with a witch at Gardener Village)

From Cindy Loo Who, to the jellyfish - we've done them all. This year she wanted to be a ham & cheese sandwich- or, as Tucker likes to say, "A sandwich (pause) of ham." In her defense, I think she thought it would be simple. She actually found a pattern, of sorts, on the internet. We just didn't realize, when we started to make it, that environmentalists have made it almost impossible to find white foam (they now produce "green" foam made of soy products- it is environmentally friendly and actually green in color). After searching and making a million phone calls, we finally found the offensive stuff at a closeout fabric store. Whew, that was close.

(putting on the final touches of "crust")

Carving Pumpkins

While the girls carved pumpkins at church, we spent the evening carving pumpkins with the boys. (Please excuse the quality of the pictures. My cameras battery was dead and the iphone doesn't do well in low light!)

Oliver wasn't afraid to just dig right in.

Tucker was a little more hesitant about getting his hands messy.

Oliver really wanted a pretty complicated face, so we had to spend a little extra time simplifying it into something he could actually carve =)
It was easier to just let Tucker draw his right on the pumpkin.

And of course... you have to finish in Kevin's tradition of a "spooky bath." I think Kevin must have been about Oliver's age when he came up with this tradition because Oliver was much more excited about it than he's ever been before.

I think they turned out pretty cute.

The Pumpkin Patch

I remember the year Savannah and I went to visit Mama in Missouri and there was a great pumpkin patch there with hayrides, a corn maze, a tricycle course- it was so fun! When I came back to Utah, I set out to find something similar and was very disappointed. There wasn't anything like that! But I did find a fabulous pumpkin field owned by some relatives of a friend of mine. We've been visiting every year since. This year they had a difficult crop. Because of the late snow, they couldn't plant until the second week in June. Then, right when the pumpkins started to grow, we had a hail storm! It was still fun, but the variety wasn't as good as it has been in past years. Savannah wasn't able to go with us. Right as we were leaving, someone from Young Women called to ask where she was. They were going to do baptisms and she forgot to tell me!
Emmaline is always such a ball of energy there- running from row to row, it's difficult to get a good shot. She had to bring a pumpkin for school and was searching for the craziest one she could find.

While Emmaline was in Fallon, she was put in charge of caring for "Lambie," that belongs to her cousin, Kate. Lambie got left at the great-grandparent's house and we've been caring for her until we can get her back to her home. Judy had a great idea to take Lambie different places and send pictures to Kate, so she wouldn't miss her so much. We continued... and Tucker has fallen in love with Lambie!

I don't know what it is with him and the much loved toys of other kids. He did the same thing at Christmas with Miles' kitty. Even when we bought him the identical Webkinz, he still preferred the old one. So if you've got any old, dirty stuffed animals hanging around your house... you know where to send them! =)
I think this old hay rake is Oliver's favorite part of the patch.


Tucker saw lots of kids having their pictures taken at this spot and asked me to take a picture of him and his "pumpkin patch" (that's what he calls those little white pumpkins).


We missed Savannah, though- so we'll have to find some other outdoor Halloween activity to make up for it!

Fat Catz

Lately we've been taking advantage of some "groupons". We've been trying to stick with things we have done before or places we've visited and prices that are at least 70% off. So far we've been happy with the "deals" we've gotten, although F.Y.I.- laser hair removal is NOT pain free! Ouch!
Anyway, we were really excited when a Fat Catz deal came up. It's so expensive, we haven't been in a while and I didn't realize that Tucker is actually big enough to bowl! He thought the shoes were amazing.

Savannah taking a little instruction from Dad.

Oliver wasn't too sure about it at first.

Is there a little boy behind that ball?

Lots of high 5's and bones.

Pack up the bags, Tyler. It's time to move!

While we were dating, there was this commercial on T.V. about "Livin' in Utah." Tyler liked to tease me about it and I would always say, "I don't live here. I'm just visiting." Hmmm... that was 20 years ago. I never envisioned myself living here, so you can imagine my dismay last night as I heard this conversation between Emmaline and Oliver. Oliver was having trouble spelling the word "milk." He kept sounding it out and spelling it "melk." Finally Emmaline said, "You see, Oliver. We have something called a Utah accent. It makes us say things like melk, cray-in, and mou-in." Arrrgh- I just never saw that coming!

Emmaline's Back

We are so excited to have her back.

Every time we asked Tucker where she was, he would say, "Oh, her at school." They were sure excited for the souvenirs.


I didn't know it, but I guess Oliver told her that he was going to be really mad if she didn't bring him something back. Only fitting that she brought back coyote "poop".


He was much happier when he realized it was chocolate covered nuts. It's funny, you wouldn't think one child missing would make a lot of difference, but it sure felt empty without her. We're glad to be all together again.

Ninja warrior

While Jeff was in town getting this beauty:

Tucker got some to spend some time with him doing this:

and eventually defeating him.

As Jeff says, he's a highly trained ninja warrior. Maybe he's been watching too much of Oliver's karate, I mean kung-fu, class.