Happy Easter!

I sent my good looking family off to church, all the girls in skirts I sewed them. I am home with a cold, ready to head to bed with the Ensign to read about the atonement and resurrection of Jesus Christ. I am so grateful for Him and all He has done to make hope and happiness possible.

I am not dead...

...although I felt like it was imminent earlier this week. Just kidding! I have a bad cold and am being an over-dramatic wimp. I have been trying to be lazy, but Stan says I am the busiest lazy person he knows, what with three graduations (K, 6th and 12th grades) to prepare for and go to this week. I will post pictures and videos and all that fun stuff someday, but in the meantime, I thought I'd share the painting Summer created yesterday. It is titled, "Procrastinating Packing to Leave for College," which she is doing TOMORROW (packing AND leaving) and which makes me so very happy for her and and also makes want to hide under my pillow and have a good long cry, simultaneously.

The Ironies of Life

Last February 16th, I made my way to Target and bought 72 Fun Dip Valentines. I knew Heather and Gwen would be needing them for Valentine's Day parties at school this year and I wanted to get them half off on clearance. How could Fun Dip possibly rot, right?

I remember putting them away and saying to Stan, "Help me remember where these are because it will drive me crazy next year if I can't find them." When, after searching the entire kitchen, I reminded him of this conversation, Stan pointed out that he probably suggested I write it down. Which I didn't. And I couldn't find those elusive Fun Dips ANYwhere.

I suppose the bright side is that I cleaned out multiple cupboards, organizing as I went, but no luck. It just stuck in my craw to pay full price when I have (somewhere!) 72 half price Fun Dip Valentines, so I formed Plan B. I bought cheapo puppy and kitten Valentines and decided to make cookies to sweeten the deal. Never mind that the butter to make the cookies and the plastic bags to put them in probably cost more than brand new candy Valentines. It was the principle of the thing.

Gwen's class party was scheduled for Wed. the 10th, so Tuesday afternoon Rachel and I were busy dipping cookies I had baked into pink icing. Heather's party wasn't until Thursday, but I made enough cookies for both of them and then we ate the rest. I planned on letting them set overnight and bagging them up before school Wednesday morning. Well...

...about four in the morning Gwen threw up and then Heather started at around six. Gwen was obviously not going to make it to her party. Poor thing! I was feeling fatalistic after all the stress those silly Valentines gave me, so I ate some to console myself and gave some to Michael and Kelly. There were still more than enough for Heather, with twenty something left for people around the house to eat. As the day wore on, Heather and Gwen started to feel better and by early afternoon were obviously well enough to go to school the next day.

Gwen asked if she could drop by the school to pick up her homework, so I dropped her and Rachel off and told them I'd be back after I got Summer. When we returned to the elementary school, Gwen got in the car and made the AWFUL announcement that her teacher had changed the party to Thursday! The kids and I just ate a third of her Valentines for breakfast!

Well, you know what I was doing Wed. afternoon...baking and dipping more cookies. I hope I have learned my lesson. I think I will go buy some (more) Fun Dip Valentines for next year and write down exactly where I hide them.

(Now where did I put that note?!?)

The week before Christmas...

...the kids did a Nativity play for FHE...

...Rachel wet and braided all the hair she could get her hands on...

...and three different kids had a stomach virus, but we don't have any pictures of that!

Very Sick

A couple of days ago, Naomi informed me that she was,

"Hick, bery hick."

(Sick, very sick)

Even though she made it sound terminal, she only had a mild cold. She stayed home from church today mostly to keep from sharing her illness with the entire nursery. At any rate, she was well enough to play outside this afternoon.

At one point, she rushed in, exclaiming, "Mommy! Picked mine flowers!"

Braids

Naomi has been sick, so I kept her home from church today. Consequently, I had all the time I usually spend making myself presentable available. For once, everyone was ready when we are supposed to be and Stan had the kids at church 10 minutes early rather than my usual 5 minutes late. Also, I had time to do the fancy kind of things to hair that Heather and Gwen wish I would do every Sunday.

Heather on the left has two small French braids joined in the back with a bow.

Gwen has a rope braid decorated with a red ribbon.