What Happened the Rest of November - Eagle Project Update!!

Naomi's birthday took up the first half of the month, but we still had other fun and exciting things happen as well. 

Soccer season officially ended the first weekend in November.  Naomi had a great time playing on Team Hamilton with coaches Kevin and Juan.  

 First row:  left to right - Olivia, Alivia, Hayden, Sophia
Middle row: L to R - Carlie, Naomi, Haylie
Back row: L to R - Coach Kevin, Katelyn, Paige, Coach Juan

 The highlight of the season - the trophy ceremony.  This is the last "everyone gets a trophy"  ceremony for Naomi.  She will be playing the the 8-10 bracket in the spring and you have to win to get a trophy.  That will be good for her, plus we are running out of shelf space!

 This is what whe wants to do when she grows up - be a professional soccer player.  You go, girl!

 

 

November 8th Nicholas started basketball practices.  He is so excited and eager to learn anything and everything about the game.  His coaches are super nice and boys are the team are fun.  This should be a good season.  As soon as we got back from practice, Nick's best buddy in the whole world who has been in Colorado for the last two years but is now living in Atlanta and had come up for the weekend, came over to spend some time playing at our house.  They had a blast. 

 

 

Naomi had a violin lesson that day and Jeremy went iceskating with the youth group that night.  It was a busy, but fun day!  We all slept well that night. 

 

 

November 11th, there was no school, so the kids were able to attend the funeral of one of the youth in our ward.  Because of multiple birth defects, he had simply stopped breathing while he slept.  Nick took this especially hard because he knew Chance and had worked/played with him on occassion.  We had a good talk about the Plan of Salvation and how he would see Chance again some day. 

 

November 12th, Naomi traded in her half-size violin for a 3/4-sized violin.  She is growing so fast. 

 

November 13th, Naomi turned 8.  We had a dinner of stroganoff and broccoli and opened presents.  We also unveiled her new room and gave her the bedding for her bed.  There is a whole blog entry dedicated just to her room renovation.  Check it out. 

 Her brothers gave her a Rainbow Loom for weaving elastics.  It is all the rage right now. 

 

November 15th was her party - check out the blog dedicated just to that event!  After the party Steve said we were never having another birthday party at our house, AGAIN!!  EVER!!!  We will see about that. 

 

EAGLE PROJECT UPDATE!!

 

Saturday, November 16th, they broke ground on Jeremy's project.  Using a bobcat, they cleared the path and then had to go back with shovels to do the fine tuning and get the exact dimensions they needed.  It was an exciting day!

 



The path

 

 The fire circle.

 

 Now that the paths and circle are dug out they needed to get the bridge in place.  This is part of Ethan's project, but the bridge needs to be in place before they can put down the gravel, sand and pavers.  No bad for a days work.  They are well on their way!

 

November was gorgeous this year!  Because we got so much rain the first two months of summer, the trees put on a great show during the fall!

Wednesday, November 20th Naomi FINALLY got to go to Achievement Day girls.  She has been waiting patiently to turn 8 so she could be with her friends.  In our church, when the boys turn 8 they get to start cub scouts and when the girls turn 8 they go to Acheivement Days.  They work on crafts and fun things that help them understand the gospel better.  It is tons of fun because all the girls in the ward ages 8-11 attend.  Once they turn 12 they go into the Young Women program.  FUN!  FUN! FUN!

We also found out that we will have family closer to us!!!  Bradden, Steve's brother, has accepted a job in Knoxville, Tennessee.  He and his adorable family will only be a four-hour drive away. 

Thanksgiving was nice and relaxing.  Everyone pitched in and got dinner ready.  YUMMY!!!  After dinner we all cleaned up and then watched "Sharknado" which has to be one of the most stupidly brilliant movies of all time.  It was so campy it was fun!

Black Friday we stayed in for a bit and then went out when the rush was over.  The kids love watching the crowds and we got a few things taken care of off our list.  It was a relaxing day.

November 30th I got to try Zumba for the first time.  I actually had a free Saturday morning without soccer, basketball or scouts!  It was really fun.  I think I could get into this!

We started decorating the house for Christmas.  I love putting up all the decorations.  The kids helped out and we had a great time.  That afternoon Jeremy had a friend, Justin, come and hang.  While we were helping Justin's family move earlier in the month, they rediscovered all the Rescue Hero toys in Justin's attic.  They planned a "Rescue Heroes Reunion" right then and there and today was the day.  They crack me up.  Let's just say that a "Rescue Heroes" movie might be in the works.  This was a great way to end the month of November. 

 

 



Naomi's Mad Scientist Party

 

 

 

 

Naomi has been planning this party since August.  She even provided a detailed list of what she wanted to have from start to finish.  Before you start to wonder if I spoil my kids and am an overindulgent parent you must understand that #1 this is Naomi's 8th birthday which is a milestone for her.  She will be baptized next month.  #2 I only do birthday parties on the kids' even years.  Her brothers both have February birthdays which are one week apart (that's three years minus one week!).  Steve and I came up with this rule so that we would not have to do two birthday parties in February every year.  It has worked out well in that the kids build up the excitement and having a party is not something they take for granted.  That said, I do go all out when it is their year to have a party!  It is so much fun!

 

 

Decorating took me all day, but it was exactly what Naomi wanted with a few things I added to help make the party more functional.   I added the red biohazard curtain so that I could stage all the different events during the party without little eyes seeing what was coming up next.  I could also make a complete mess of the kitchen without anyone seeing.  It was great. 

 Naomi's cake was done in her three colors - red, black and yellow.  The bottom layer was chocolate, the middle layer lemon and the top two layers were red velvet.  She found the design for the cake on Pinterest.  The white frosting even glowed in the dark under black lights.  It was totally cool. 

 

When our guests arrived they had to scan their palm print to gain access to Naomi's Secret Lab.

I placed the hand print over the doorbell which I had programed to play "Happy Birthday"

 

 Once in the door, they were in the open decontamination area.  To enter the lab they passed through the clear strips of plastic which kept any foreign particles and hazardous gases in.  The red curtains had signs saying "Authorized Personnel Only". 

 

 We started the party off with dinner - brains and fingers (nuggets and french fries) complete with a Jello mold in the shape of a brain.  That was a huge hit.  

 

Awesome Mad Scientist Hair

 

After Dinner Entertainment

Jeremy and Nicholas presented some really fun experiments for the kids.  It would have been fun enough just to see the amazing feats of science, but Jeremy and Nick took it one step further. 

Jeremy was Dr. Slimeovski, complete with Russian accent.

 

Nick was the assistant, Igor. 

 

 Here they are making elephant toothpaste.  This was a real crowd pleaser.  They also made lava in a cup, did a milk and food coloring firework show and blew up a balloon withouth using their mouth. 

 

 Here is Igor's take on how to blow up a balloon without using your mouth.  The kids LOVED it.  The actual experiment involved a bottle filled with vinegar and a balloon filled with baking soda. 

 The kids all sat still and watched the show in amazement.  The adults were amazed that the kids sat still and paid attention.  This is one fun and rowdy bunch.

 Singing Happy Birthday

Bella really got into it!

 The kids were ready for the cake and ice cream after doing their own experiments - making slime and balloon racer cars.  I didn't get any pictures of them doing the experiments because it took all hands on deck to make sure everything went smoothly.  That, unfortunately, left no extra hands for the camera.  Trust me when I say it was fun, organized chaos. 

Opening Presents

It was really fun to watch Naomi open her presents.  I don't know who was more excited, Naomi or the person giving her the present.  Kids are the best!

The Birthday Gang!

I think the night was a hit!  Everyone had a great time and went home with smiles on their faces. 

 



Naomi's Room Makeover

On November 1st we started the transformation of Naomi's room.  She spent months picking out paint colors and a new bedset and everything.  It has been fun watching her sense of style take shape.  I didn't always agree with her choices, but I had to just trust.  This is what she really wanted.  

BEFORE

 



 



 

DURING

 

We painted her walls...

 

 

...and painted her mirror and shelf.

 

AFTER

After 13 days of working on it pretty much non-stop it was finally done. 

 



She chose leopard and zebra print for her bedset.  We couldn't find exactly what she wanted so we ended up buying sheet sets and making the quilt and throw pillows. 

 

Her own personal library corner.  She is even prepared to check out books. 

 

 

WHEW!!!  Now onto her birthday party.  Check out the next post.

 



 

September and October 2013

September ended much more calmly than it started, thank goodness.  Nicholas was in his last primary program ever.  The practice on Saturday was a disaster.  I didn't know how they were going to do on Sunday, but I can now say I believe in miracles.  The program was amazing the spirit there was very strong.  The kids really pulled through in a pinch.  Good for them.

Jeremy and Nick's school won the contest for most spirit by getting the most votes online.  They were rewarded with a pep rally from the local news station.  It was fun to watch all the kids have such a good time cheering and playing games.  The cameras were rolling the whole time and there were several clips on the news the next morning.  I love this school!!!

 Jeremy finished the fire ring for his Eagle project.  He has been working so hard to make sure everything gets done.  I am so proud of him.


At the elementary school the kids are awarded for good behavior with "bees".  It goes along with their school motto "Be safe.  Be respectful.  Be responsible."  When the class accumulates different amounts of bees they are rewarded with a fun day.  Naomi's class earned enough bees to have pajama day and wacky hair day on the same day.  The kids LOVE it!

October 10th we had a great Relief Society enrichment night.  We had a fireside with a real fire and s'mores and wassail and all sorts of fun goodies.  There were speakers and musical numbers all around finding peace in our lives.  It was great.  I definitely left there feeling more peaceful than I have in a long time.  I love our ward!

October 12th Naomi is taking violin lessons!  Long story short, she has been begging to take violin lessons for about a year now, but the price of lessons is high and I didn't know if we could fit that into the budget.  I wasn't supposed to be able to go to the enrichment night because of a meeting at Lake Norman Charter which got changed at the last minute.  At the enrichment, Sister Gullion played a violin duet and it was beautiful.  I called her up and asked if she would be interested in teaching lessons.  She was thrilled that I had asked and I was thrilled that she accepted.  Her rate is within our budget and Naomi already loves her because Brother Gullion is Naomi's primary teacher.  Sister Gullion helps out occassionally.  This is the definition of a win-win-win.  We had her fitted for a violin and we are all set. 

October 13th Nicholas was having a really hard day because his molars were coming in.  On in particular was giving him a tough time.  I almost dropped the flashlight when I looked in the back of his mouth.  The gums were so swollen and red it was scary.  We had him in the dentist office first thing the next morning.  Dr. Neidan had to scrape and pull the skin away from the tooth so it could grow in properly.  No wonder Nick was in so much pain.  He feels much better now. 

October 17th was Parent Teacher Conferences with Nick's teachers.  He has all As and one B.  For anyone who knows Nick they will understand just how hard he worked to get those grades.  Since there was no school during Parent Teacher Conferences, Nick got to spend time with his buddy, Matthew.  They played at Matt's house one day and then spent the night here and played all the next day.  It was a heavenly weekend for him. 

October 18th I met with Jeremy's teachers.  They all said he was doing great and were impressed with him as a person.  Those are the things a mom wants/needs to hear.  He has a tough load this year (4 of his 7 classes are Honors) and he is handling it all very well. 

October 18th was also movie night at the elementary school.  Each month a different grade sponsors the movie night and they get to keep all the proceeds to go towards things they want to purchase for their grade.  Since it was the second grades night, we let Naomi go.  She was so excited when we dropped her off.  A whole night with her friends. When I picked her up at the end of the night she said she had fun but she didn't want to do it again because all the kids were so loud she couldn't even hear the movie.  I told her that was part of the fun, but she didn't agree with me on that point. 

October 19th was Naomi's first violin lesson.  SHE LOVED IT!!!   This is going to be a good thing.  

 

October 21st Nick was notified that he had made Honor Roll.  He was so excited about it he grinned for at least a week afterwards.  He is working harder than ever to get on the honor roll again.  Way to go, Nick!

 

October 24th I had my Parent Teacher Conference with Naomi's teacher.  Ms. Rosales was very pleased with Naomi's work and progress.  Naomi's test scores on the proficiency test from the beginning of the year placed her in the top 1-4% of students nationally.  She has been identified as eligible for the Talent Development program.  We are both thrilled.  This means that next year she will almost definitely get her two favorite teachers in the third grade.  Way to go, Naomi!

 

Since we didn't get around to carving pumpkins last year we made it a top priority this year.  The kids had a great time pulling out the gunk and creating their masterpieces. 

 



 

October 28th Nick had his Skills Day for Mallard Creek Optimist Basketball.  He had to play in a scrimmage game while all the coaches were watching so he could get placed on a team. I thought he did a great job considering he hadn't really played in a scrimmage before.  He is going to be a force on the defensive side.  Watch out!!  Since the skills day he has been practicing any time he can.  

 

Halloween preparation is fun and yummy!  Our friends joined us for a little cookie decorating.  

 

 

 

October 30th was a Court of Honor and Nick was awarded his First Class.  He was the first in his little group of friends to get there.  He is a great leader.  

 

Ridge Road Middle School follow-up.  I was not the only parent that wrote a letter to the superintendant and as a result there have been a lot of changes made at Ridge Middle.  Dr. Menan, the vice principal over the 8th grade, is no longer there.  He was replaced with the completely wonderful and personable Mr. Beavers who used to be the vice principal at the elementary school.  They have also instituted an in-school suspension program at Ridge since so many of the referrals were coming from Ridge anyway.  They are trying to improve the image of the school which has been on the decline for the last several years.  I am glad to see these positive changes.  Just goes to prove that your voice can change things if you are willing to open your mouth. 

 

 

 

Halloween 2013



 

There was a full moon that night.  AWESOME!!

 

 Jeremy hid in the bushes all dressed in camo to scare people as he handed out candy.  He had to be "not scary" for the little kids which meant taking off his mask and standing by the door instead of hiding in the bushes.  The older kids I let him have fun with.  He had a grand time scaring everyone.  A couple of teenaged girls came to the door.  He heard them talking as they walked up the sidewalk.  One of them was talking to the other and said,  "I love their scary decorations.  I have been dying to come to this house!"  Jeremy quietly stepped out of the bushes and said, "Are you sure you are dying?"  The girls started screaming and running down the street.  Their dad was on the sidewalk laughing and telling Jeremy that had made his night.  When the girls calmed down they came back and gave Jeremy a huge hug while telling him that was the best scare they had all night.  "Mom, this was the BEST HALLOWEEN EVER!!!  Hugs from girls are much better than candy!!"

 Candy Coma!!!!!

 

Here's Your Sign

 

In our travels througout the summer we found some pretty funny signs.  Here are our top three favorites.  

 

 

Number 3: 

If this doesn't change your mind, nothing will.

 

 

Number 2: 

It is not just Bear Grylls that uses this term.  We found this outside the bathroom at the Strikers Soccer Center, which is owned by the most wonderful Scottish guys.

 



Number 1: 

 If Chuck Norris is endorsing this product why consider anything else!  Nothing out there will be tougher on dirt than Era.