Tuesday, July 31, 2012

Summer Backpack Trip 2012 - aka BAJ

California; Toiyabe National Forest; Emmigrent and Hoover Wilderness
7 days, 6 nights, 25miles
three 40+ year olds; one 30+ year old
kids ages: 8,7,6,6,5,4

Chuck says, "Best trip ever!"



















Sunday, July 29, 2012

Time Out

Several months ago, I was having a really hard time with Cameron.  He is very ungrateful!  So, when he started being ungrateful, rude to me, whiny, etc etc.,  I sent him to his room and told him to write down 5 things he is thankful for.  This is what he came up with:
first time... mom, dad, my toys, the tv and my brutr and sistrs
second time...books, my family, my bed, my room, my stuft amals (animals)
third time... my hose (house), my cuvrs (covers), my frins (friends), my bike, my close (clothes)
fourth time... my hast (not sure what that one is), school, loges (legos), puzls, my cusins
fifth time ... sorry, candland (candyland), shots and latrs, domos (dominos), farckl
I'm not sure it made him anymore grateful, but it gave him something to do.  And that was not the end of him going to time out.  I just haven't continued to make him write what he is thankful fo.

Tuesday, July 24, 2012

Christian & Mom

Chuck and the older kids are in CA backpacking for the week, with a day or travel on either side; leaving Christian and me with a lot of time together.  So, I thought it would be fun to blog about our time together.
Sat.:  The group left early, waking Christian as they got up.  He seemed okay with them leaving but then again, he didn't see the car getting packed.  I took him for a run.  He was doing great, so I pressed my luck.  I ran out 3 miles, so obviously had to run 3 back.  About 4 miles into the run, he said he wanted to get out.  But 5 miles, he was inisting on getting out and walking.  So, I let him out but he did not want to walk! I carried him the last mile home.  When we got home he asked when Daddy and Cameron would get home.  I told him they were backpacking and wouldn't be home for a week and he said; "I want to go."  He spent some time with Charity and a little time with Emily.  We went out to dinner with Char and then he went with me to a Christmas in July party at some friends.  It wasn't a party for or with kids, so we didn't stay long.  But he was a good date.
a characature done at the Christmas in July party
Sun.: We went to church and C was great in sacrement. I went to nursery to help out 3rd hour and he wasn't so great. We took naps and went visiting teaching. We played outside for a bit and I fixed dinner for Char and Em.
Mon.: Monday wasn't too exciting. We went to the Y but the rest of the day we spend at home cleaning and playing. I am slowly making progress on the house, but mostly I am focusing on little C!
Tues.: Tuesday was a fun (and expensive) day! I had a babysitter come over in the morning so I could catch a yoga class. We then went to the Sea Life Aquarium with a new friend. We stopped and had lunch at the Rainforest Cafe and we weren't even out of the parking lot before C was asleep. The rest of our day was a little less eventful.
Seal Life Aquarium
 Wed.: We, of course, started the day off at the Y. Then C was invited over to a friend of mine's house to play little brother. He threw quite a fit when it was time to come home, so obviously he had a good time. We had dinner with Char and after dinner, we went for a swim.
resting his head while at a play date
this kid is so gorgeous!
Thurs.:  We, once again, started the day at the Y.  I actually had to wake little C up.  He has been staying up a little later than normal, but he has also been sleeping in and taking long naps.  Then he had a friend come over to play.  After naps and some play time at home, we went out to dinner with a friend of mine. 
Fri.:  We had such a great day today!  We spent all morning at the zoo.  Yes, it was hot, but not too bad.  We met up with some new friends, walked around a bit, then headed to the splash pad.  Christian had a ball!  We had a snack, walked around a bit more then headed back to the splash pad.  Christian was so good (other than wanted to be carried the whole time) and seemed to have so much fun.  He fell asleep on the way home.  I tried to put him down for his nap, but he didn't stay asleep from the car to the bed.  So, we had lunch, read storied and tried again for the nap.  I left him in the room and laid down on the couch.  After about 1/2 hour.  I hear, "can I get up now?".  Thinking he must have just been playing and hadn't gone to sleep up, I ingnored him.  But 1/2 hour later again, I hear, "Can I get up now?"  So, I let him get up and he played by himself for hours!  I got a lot done around the house.  We had dinner with Char and then he went to our neighbors to play while I went for a run.  He has been such a good kid this whole week!  I absolutely adore this kid!
Sat.:  It wasn't a very exciting day today.  We went to the Y and because I teach two classes in a row and don't want C to be there that long, Char took him home for a bit and they went to the library.  We went out to lunch, took a nap, went grocery shopping and watched some of the Olympics.
Sun.: Again, not a very exciting day.  We went to church, watched some Olympics and picked up the house so it looks nice for when Chuck and the kids get back.

Sunday, July 1, 2012

Bryce Canyon National Park














While, C and I were in Maui, Chuck took H and Little C to Bryce Canyon National Park.  Chuck says:  "It was the perfect trip; they camped, hiked, rode bikes and went to the UT prarie dog festival.  H completed the Jr. Ranger Program. They had good neighbors and good weather."

Friday, June 29, 2012

Maui 2012


My best friend from high school, Jennifer, and her family live on Maui, including her mom, Susan.  Susan was going to Alaska for a week and asked if I wanted to come housesit.  How could I pass that up?!  I briefly considered taking the whole family, but then thought better of that idea.  I would have loved to go with Chuck, but we have no one to watch the kids, so I decided to take Cameron.  Needless to say, he was super excited.

Susan lives in Kihei.  She picked us up at the airport and after stopping at her house, we headed straight to the beach.  C headed right into the water before I could educate him on the waves.  He was pounded by the first wave that came along.  He got right up and didn't come running out of the water, but after that , he didn't venture very far into the water.  He did not like swallowing salt water and did not like being covered in sand.  I did get him out a couple of times by dragging him and I did get him out to do some paddle boarding.  I could tell he was nervous, but he seemed to enjoy it.

Once Jennifer got off work, she headed over to Kihei and we did a little shopping and went to the Grand Wailea to make our spa appointments.  Susan stayed with the boys (Jenn's son, Dean) and let them though pennies in the mermaid's shell.  I showed C were Chuck and I were married.  He didn't seem that impressed.

 on the road to Hana
 shave ice at Halfway to Hana

Waimoku Falls hike - C and Dean were champion hikers.  This was about a 4 mile hike to a 400 ft waterfall.  The weren't so impressed with the scenic drive to Hana, but they did enjoy the hike.



We of course had to visit the fire station.  This is the Wailea station.  They have 3 trucks: ladder, pumper and engine as well as a wave runner for ocean rescues.  C had to get in every truck and get a picture in each.




 the aquarium
We took a boat ride on the Four Winds out to Molokini Crater to do some snorkeling.  Jenn didn't go because she gets sea sick, but her husband, Joel, and Dean went.  I honestly did not think C would snorkel.  We got him a life jacket and a boogie board to hold onto and after a fit about the mask not working, I got him in the water (which was really rough) and he snorkeled like a champ!  I was super impressed.  He said that was his favorite part of the trip.


C being silly in Lahaina where we shopped, went to the old courthouse, jail and banyan tree.  We drove up the road a bit to Ka'anapali which has a awesome beach, but C didn't want to go to the beach.  So, we drove home and he fell asleep of course...


 This is my fav picture of the trip.  We were sitting on the beach at sunset reading The Lightning Thief.

 We drove out to La Perus Bay and hiked around a bit.
 When we were watching the sunset, C saw some people playing paddle ball and he wanted to try.  So, the next say we bought paddles and played.  However, it was more like a game of fetch for us.

We flew the red eye home and as we were waiting to board, we were being told Mahalo for flying US Airways.  C asked what Mahalo meant and I said, "thank you."  He looked at me and gave the me the cutest smile and said, "Mahalo for taking me to Hawaii."  He was great on the way home, but the next couple days, he was pretty tired.
I really enjoyed taking C to Maui and spending time with him.  Although, it was not without frustration.  He and Dean fought more than I would have liked, he was always by my side, would not play without me and threw too many fits.  But overall, it was a great trip and he is a great kid!