Mom Remembers

1. Last Saturday, some new friends invited us (and all our favorite gamers) to their house for a Murder Mystery Party!  It was so much fun!  I played a ruthless wannabe gangster woman, daughter to the murdered man and madly in love with my very own unapproved Romeo.  That would be Scott, who played a murdering Frenchman!  He studied French accents all afternoon while I sewed him a beret.  We had a blast!  And so did everyone else at the party.  We all loved it so much, we're going to do another one in a few weeks at our apartment. 2. Soren has been helping me cook all week.  Whenever I am working in the kitchen, he comes and asks if he can help--which I love!  He usually just dumps cans and stirs batter but I love it!  I'm wondering if he is too young to learn knife skills ... under extreme adult supervision, of course. 3. Another favorite: backpacks.  My sister bought the boys backpacks for Christmas.  They have been excit...

1. I revamped my whole schedule this week and made the Super Duper Schedule.  It's taped to the desk right now.  It's so beautiful!  I love to reorganize stuff, time being one of the things I love to reorganize.  The new schedule works great. 2. When Owen came to my house this week, he stayed for the afternoons and took a nap in the boy's room.  Sleeping kids are one of life's greatest joys.  And there is something extra sweet about having 3 kids sleeping in a house at once.  I asked Sister Wiley if she would like Owen to take a nap at my house every time he comes over.  I think we'll be doing that for the rest of the semester. 3.  I worked out with Michelle three days this week.  It was exhausting and also somehow invigorating.  And it's in the Super Duper Schedule so I'll be doing more next week. 4.  Scott was offered two more classes to teach this semester.  He'll be working quite a bit more this semester and...

I am really surprised by the astute observation Carl made the other night.  He and Soren were laying together in bed while Scott and I were reading in the living room.  Soren called out to us: SOREN: There's a giant in my room! CARL: Soren says there's a giant in his room!  That's because he wants to get out of bed!

I want to rip off a friend and start posting my Friday Favorites.  I think it's a great way to remember the week and to record fun things that are going on.  I also love to read my friend's Friday Favorites because they make me happy!  I bet it makes her even happier to write them.  So I'm going to experiment with them. 1. Soren has gotten really excited about watching Scott play Megaman lately, which he did a lot over the Christmas break.  Now Soren plays Megaman with paper!  He makes paper dolls of Megaman and the different villains as well as backgrounds for them to fight on.  He spends all his spare time drawing and cutting and taping his new "toys" together.  I *love* to see him envision a project and then carry it through!  I also love that he is entertaining himself so happily. 2. We went to the park this week in the freezing cold.  The boys were very excited about their snow pants!  I was also excited because they didn'...

Goals for Soren: * say "please" instead of "I need" * practice greetings and goodbyes * don't interrupt phone calls Goals for Carl: * say "please" instead of "Give me!" * don't hit * don't interrupt phone calls Goals for Carolyn: * practice harp every night spent at home * do 5 minutes of genealogy during down times spent on the computer * learn 5 Chinese characters on memrise every day * read the scriptures in the morning Goals for Mom: * chore game * find ways to let the kids sort out their own problems * but be compassionate when things go wrong

SCOTT:  Where did you put my laser pointer? SOREN:  Over there. SCOTT:  Where is over there? SOREN:  It's where I put your laser pointer.

These are the songs I have heard Carl sing this year: WINTER *  I Will Follow God's Plan * This is the Way ... * I Am a Child of God * ABCs * Jesus Wants Me for a Sunbeam * I Am Like a Star * Follow the Prophet * Home on the Range * Stand for the Right * Pokemon Theme Song SPRING * Dearest Names * Book of Mormon Stories * Praise to the Man * Hot Brown Loaf * I Love to See the Temple * Ring Around the Rosy * Apples and Bananas * Rise and Shine SUMMER * Old McDonald * Wheels on the Bus * Hosanna! * Waltzing Matilda * Latter-day Prophets * Scripture Power * Smiles * Head, Shoulders, Knees and Toes * Choose the Right * Spiderman * Where is Thumbkin * Day-O * Son of Man * Jack-ass Song * Popcorn Popping * Down by the Bay FALL * Clean Up Song * Alphabet of Nations * In the Leafy Treetops * Bingo * Do as I'm Doing * Five Green and Speckled Frogs * Have I Done any Good? * Onward Christi...