Monthly Update

OK, so I told most people to check back monthly for updates on my blog....as you can see, I was not kidding. I can't figure out if I am really busy or just terrible at managing my time? Anyway, there have been a few blog worthy things that have happened so bear with me as I explain them all.

Taylor decided to run for student council this year. The faculty nominated him as one of the 12. He was very excited! This meant that he would have to do a campaign with posters and give a 1 minute speech to the entire elementary school. We had a lot of fun doing this together. I am so thankful to live in a day where we have the Internet with so many ideas right at my fingertips!

Here he is with the posters we did.

Here he is showing the students how he has "enough strength" (notice the 20lb weight) to do all the things he talked about. During the "weight lift" we played "Eye of the Tiger"!!

The students voted right after the speeches but Taylor did not get enough votes for President, VP, or Secretary. However, he still gets to be a part of the student council. It was such a good experience and I was so proud of him! He is a great kid. One more little note about this experience.....While Taylor was practicing his speech Parker informed me that he would like to run for treasurer. I said "Why, because you want to control the money?" He says, " I want to make it so the cheerleaders don't have to ride the school bus with everyone else, I'll make it so they get a limo." Where in the heck did this child come from? He seriously keeps me laughing!

Next Item...The same day Taylor presented his speech it was Grandparents Day for Mason. Thank you mom for coming and supporting my child! Since it was Friday, I was able to go to. I love to see the look on my kids faces when they notice that we are there to support them. It makes me feel like I do something right!! He did such a good job singing his songs and doing his artwork.

Posing for the camera.

Showing Grandma Ottesen his art work and interviewing her

Mason with his teacher Ms. Powell. Taylor had her for 1st grade too and we love her!!

Last Item!! I promised the kids that I would let them have a sleepover last night with their cousins Taylor and Bennett. The night went a little something like this...Drew and I had a wedding to go to so we decided to make a little date night of it. We went to dinner and the wedding; meanwhile the kids were at Rick and Ali's. We got back around 9:00 or so. When we walked in Emma had literally pooped her pants (poor pregnant Ali) so she was in the tub. Drew took the older boys and went home. We got Emma and Ali's bathroom all cleaned up and I went to leave and my car had died (thank you for leaving the lights on children). Anyway, we get that all taken care of and we finally get home. Well the boys were already outside playing their favorite night game (Fugitive) so I get the other kids all set up with sleeping bags, movie, etc. Then I get a call from Taylor begging me to come play the game with them and the other mom who is so nice to take them all the time. At this point it is 10:45 or so Let me explain the game a little. We drive them to the school or nearby park and drop them off, we drive back to our house and then back to the drop off site. The goal is for them to make it back to "home base" with out getting caught, or else they have to jump in the car with us. How sad that I kept thinking, I wonder how much gas I am wasting?? I actually had a lot of fun with all the kids and the other mom. A few times we had some rough encounters with people getting angry that the kids were sneaking around their houses so late and I am sure it didn't help that we were screaming that there were caught! Then there was a few bratty teenage girls that I wanted to pop in the face. Why do they think they are so cool? Let's just say I didn't say some nice things to her and I told the kids in the car not to tell their parents what I had said or their parents wouldn't let them come any more. Then the last time we dropped them off at the school we see this sign

I really hope that someone else changed it because it makes me nervous that these people teach my children!

So we finally get done a little after midnight and I told the other boys that were with us that they could come sleep over too. They were all excited. So I had 8 children at my house last night. I could not imagine if they had all come out of my womb! I woke up this morning and made them pancakes and while I was doing it Taylor went to get the camera, because it was "so cool" that he had all his friends over. Here are some of his pics.

The "older" boys

Mason, Bennett and Emma (nice bed head!)

Me making my fabulous Bisquick pancakes!

All in all it was a good time. I will try really hard to update this a little more frequently so that you people who care to read this don't have to read a novel each time!