Hooray for Kenna!!!

We are so proud of Kenna!  She brought home a rather sad assessment from her math class a week or two ago (and got in big trouble for it too).  She got 68%- not a passing grade- and was missing 5 out of 5  assignments.  Her math teacher let the kids take the assessments home to correct and told them to find any of the assignments they were missing to bring in (apparently, none of the kids did very well).  So Kenna found all 5 assignments (in her folder where they were supposed to be) and corrected the paper's mistakes.  Well, her new score was 98% with 5 out of 5 assignments turned in!  The other paper she is holding is a skills check she had to do for the same math class and she aced it!!  100%!!  She was so happy.  She usually just throws her assignments away after they are graded, but she specifically held on to these to show Scott.  She is really trying to improve her work and study habits and I am so proud of the progress she's made in just a couple of weeks.  Way to go Kenna!!!!!

The ugliest bathroom in the world!

I don't know why I am sharing these frightening pics with you, but we have posted pics of how things look after the projects get finished.  So I thought you might be interested in how something looks before.  This project (unfortunately) is pretty low on the list because it's actually a very functional bathroom, so we'll attack the one that doesn't work at all first.  I keep checking HGTV to see if the show Save My Bathroom is looking for any new projects.  The shower (I actually call it the coffin) is 29 inches by 28 inches and the shower head is only 5 feet 3 inches high.  So Scott can't use it at all, and even I (at 5 feet 4 inches) get sprayed in the face when showering.  It is perfect for the kids.  The light fixture is something out of the Middle Ages, and I don't even want to speculate what they were thinking when they were paintin the wall.  (maybe leaves, maybe feathers?  But scary no matter what)  But when we're done with it, it will work for anyone.  More pics to come....

(I don't know why the shower pic posted sideways.  But rest assured, it really does run vertically.)

Okay, okay...

I know I haven't posted for a while.  I'm sorry.  I've had plenty of time and plenty to post about (as you can tell).  I just haven't felt like it.  Oh well.  This should keep you happy for a while.  I'll try to be better.  I guess we'll have to see...

Anyhoo... It was Spring Break last week.  We had a good time.  Kenna got to do some fun things with a friend who has a mom who's WAY more fun than me.  So the boys got stuck with boring old mom.  But they got to have some friends sleep over and we went swimming.  On Friday, it was Scott's day off so we drove out to Boomtown to let the kids play in the fun center.  It has a 9 hole mini golf and some rides and a bunch of arcade games.  The kids had fun.  There is a brand new Cabella's out there so we went there after.  The kids enjoyed looking at all of the animals and fish.  Cameron made one round about the safari grouping and exclaimed, 'Look, Kenna!  Another lion!'  Kenna and I about fell over laughing because it was actually the same lion he had seen his first time around.  

Seeing all of the animals sparked a conversation with Kenna about hunting and overpopulation (of animal and humans).  She has such a tender heart.  I am so impressed by her and her burgeoning maturity.  I hope she stays that way forever.

Cameron got glasses

I know most of you already know he got glasses.  Well, he had them about 2 weeks and we had to get them replaced.  He had taken them off downstairs so I wouldn't know and they ended up getting stepped or sat on.  So here are pics of him in his (filthy) glasses.  I just can't get that kid to take a regular picture.  Part of a 4 year old's charm I guess.

Ty Pennington, eat your heart out!

I promised my sister a pic of the handrail that Scott just finished installing.  He did such a good job!!!  I am so impressed by his work.  I am so blessed and lucky to have such a handy husband!  He has such a talent for visualizing the end result and producing quality work.  Every time I come home and see it, it makes me smile.  This was the first railing he has ever done and it turned out so well.  Well done, Scott!!!

As a side note, did anyone catch Scott's primetime tv debut?  On Sunday, March 16, Scott was seen on Extreme Makeover Home Edition.  We are sure Hollywood is going to be calling any day after seeing him (for 1.25 seconds) on the show!!  Hollywood here we come!!

And they called it puppy love.

Yes, that's Cameron in the dog bed.  He's the only one that uses it.  The dog could care less.  But, as you can see, the dog likes to snuggle with the kids.  I love catching them curled up on the couch or lying in the sun.  The fastest way to get Cam to settle down is to set him down and put the dog on his lap.  And yes.  He is STILL sucking on those two fingers.  I love this pic of Max with Hershey.  I caught it right as Max was about to fall asleep.  

Do, re, mi...

The kids had an opportunity to participate in a choir festival with many of the district schools.  They went to school early 2 times a week to prepare and if they missed any practices, they couldn't participate.  They both worked very hard and the day finally came.  They left the school and performed at UNR.  Scott and I went to see them (with Max and Cam in tow) and were very impressed with the choirs performance.  They got great feedback from the judges.  Juniper Elementary is so lucky to have Laura Lorentzen as their choir teacher.  She has performed on Broadway and is very accomplished.  (She is also the ward chorister in our ward)  She has done so much and helped the kids improve and really enjoy singing and performing.  

On a side note, Chris took part in a Math competition a few weeks ago.  He got 4th place out of around 50-60 fifth graders.  The grand prize was a laptop computer and there were other great prizes.  He didn't win the laptop, but he gets to attend a math camp this summer for free!  I was so proud of him.  I am competent in math, but I'm no genius.  He definitely gets this from Scott.   

Mom, is Hershey a girl now?

That was the first question I had to answer (posed by Max) after bringing the dog home from the doctor.  So after reassuring Max that the dog was STILL a boy, we added insult to injury to our poor puppy.  Yes.  We put the cone on him.  We got quite a few laughs watching him try to eat and drink and waddle around the house.  If I had known how many laughs we would get, I would have taken him in for sugery sooner!  (I know, I'm horrible)  Unfortunately, for the dog, he has been quite a naughty thing since then.  So he has started obedience classes.  We'll see how it goes.  So far, after every class, I leave thinking, 'I just know I am going to have to repeat this class.  Stupid dog.'  If I thought Prince was stubborn (our old beagle for those who don't know) this dog has him beat.  And honestly, I don't care if he is perfectly behaved.  I just want him to listen.  We've been using the squirt bottle method lately (you squirt them every time they misbehave)  and it is quite effective.  I wonder if it works on kids.  Hmmm....