The boys had their first pinewood derby this week. Which meant we had to make 2 cars. Brad being Brad wanted them perfect and I'm sure the boys really didn't care. They both looked cool. Beck's is the red "sting" and Cam's is the blue "fang".
They were both excited for the races and we all had high hopes... until it started.... Beck's came in 3rd once and the rest of the times neither made it all the way to the finish line. They were really good sports about it and had fun anyways.
So what do you do with 2 cars that you put a lot of work into once the races are over? You make your own ramp and have fun races. The kids spent Saturday afternoon racing different cars and loves it.
Here are the first 2 races. The first one was just Cam, the second was Cam and Beck. Next year we'll do better... we hope.
It's been a while since I wrote anything and while nothing big has happened a few small things have.
We told the boys before they went back to school about Santa. I very vividly remember my parents telling me about Santa. I was in bed and they came it and asked if I wanted to meet the real Santa. I remember thinking 'no this is a bad idea.' My dad left and said he'd get his and he came back. I was so shocked and confused. They were amazing with Santa. I sat up all night thinking of a million reasons they were wrong. Cam seemed to just take it for what it was. He of course said he knew, but that's Cam, Mr. Know-it-all. Beck was more like me. He said OK at first the but the new days asked different questions. One day after I brought out the Poweraid from our room we used for his magic potions. I told Beck this is his potion so if he wants he can fill it up. I think that crushed him the most. They seem good now and have been threatened with no Christmas if they tell the younger two,
Friday was dress like what you want to be. We went to the $1 store so they could get something cheap and then their minds changed Emery was a teacher, Beck an FBI agent, Cam a ninja. If their class had the most participation they get a popcorn party, so they were really excited to go to school dressed up.
Jacks is in a 'fun' phase. He keeps waking up at 530-6 am. No idea why so early, especially since on Christmas break he was sleeping till 830-9 am. So he's been really tired by lunch. I'm not a morning person at all so this better end and soon.
We got the car washed the other day. Jacks was cute because he was really scared but really didn't want to show it. Such a sad/cute face.
The imagination on Jacks is amazing. Everything is a toy. He was pretending to be something here. Not sure what, we couldn't understand him. He always has a sock or glove or box and likes to pack them with as many toys as he can. I have given up on getting his socks in pairs, but he doesn't care. I'm glad he was our last one, He can play alone so well and prefers it most of the time. He's in sunbeams now. That's right, all of our babies are out of nursery and in primary. They'll all be in the primary program. He's done well so far, other than one week. I teach the class two rows back from his class (Emery's class actually) and he didn't want to leave me alone. I'm the "mean mom" that will try and calm them a little but I make them go. The only problem with his class is there are 15 kids... yep 15 3 year olds. I finally took him out and talked to him and he calmed down and did great. I'm sure he'll have a few more meltdowns depending on how tired he is.
Well I got bit by the redecorating bug again and this time wanted to revamp our bathrooms and laundry room. I think they turned out really nice. The kids bathroom needed color. I needed to repaint because Jacks can't aim and apparently the wall looks like the toilet.... So this has really helped with that. Not sure that white towels will be good in the end, but it looks good for pictures.
Brad made this shelf for me. He's getting used to me saying... so I have this idea....
I loved the idea of words the kids could look at each day. I think this is a perfect quote for kids.
The laundry room was more reorganizing than anything. I wanted to add red to tie into the front room and just make it look clean and not a dumping ground.
And of course something to read and remember as the leave the house.
I think I had the most fun in our bathroom. I was going to only add some new art but Brad said he wanted to change the color and so I ran with it. I love the grey and yellow. I was worried it would be too dark but the yellow accents are perfect.
The art in the bathroom, simple but perfect.
We are going to bring some of the yellow into our room, if and when I do that. The kitchen is next on my list though.
Today Brad told Emery she couldn't bring her purse into church. She was OK with that and we go out of the car and went in. As Sacrament was starting Brad noticed her boot looked a little bigger than normal. The reason she wanted to take her purse into church was because she had her camera in it, so she was sneaky and just put it in her boot. How do kids think of stuff like that? She was pretty mad we found out and that we put it in our bag. Now we'll have to check her boot before church.
I'm pretty sure last Christmas was a week ago. This year has gone by way too fast, but here we are again. The kids have been really excited this year. This year we had the boys earn most of the money for the gifts they had to buy. We did a family exchange and an Arrington cousin exchange. In the morning the kids opened a present from Brad and I and each other. They loved starting the day that way, but it made them more excited for that night.
For Christmas Eve we went to Grandma and Grandpa Arrington's house. Kiara put together the game and we did a minute to win it. It was a lot of fun.
Next was home evening. Grandpa read a book. I love that he read to all the kids and that Jacks is so into him reading it. One of my favorite picture.
We opened our pjs and took a family picture.(I guess Hurley had to be part of that too now)
We set out cookies for Santa, and that when they heard the bells. They love each year that Santa comes and visits them before they go to sleep. Beck wanted to go outside to see him, but we told them that he was busy and it was time for bed.
They all camped out in the boys room. Emery and Jacks fell asleep pretty quick but Cam and Beck couldn't sleep. They came out and asked to sleep somewhere else. We told them to sleep on Emery's bed.
When we went to check on them this is how we found them. For whatever reason Beck thought sleeping in the small spot and not on the top of the bed. They woke up at 130 but then went back to bed and woke up at 645, so not too bad.
The tree....
We recorded Christmas but I forgot to take pictures until after.
Emery got a Doc McStuffins truck thing, a cabbage patch doll and a stroller.
The boys got a tablet, which means we won't see them all Christmas break
Jacks got a lot of small figures and a TMNT sewer set. He loves toys, so he was in 7th heaven.
Lots of planing for a quick morning. It was a lot of fun to see their excitement though. Until next year.
A few days before Christmas we had some pretty sick kids. I'm pretty sure they had the flu and it wasn't fun. Emery was sick the longest, she still doesn't really have all of her strength back. She didn't really eat much from Tuesday night to Saturday. Finally on Saturday I told her for every thing of food she ate she would get new pjs. (she loves pjs) She ate 3 things, which was more than I thought she would, so I got her 3 pjs. The 'best' part was since it was almost Christmas and I'm pretty sure now that everyone gets new pjs on Christmas, most stores were out or her size, so it took forever to find some.
Jacks was sick too. This was the first time in his 3 years of life that he's been actually sick. He's had a fever for teething but nothing that lasted more than a half day. We learned that he likes to cuddle when he is sick. I have to say I liked it for the first day, but it got old, and hot, fast. I had to sleep Thrusday for work, so for my whole nap, he napped on me chest too.
When giving him medicine I first gave it to him from a cup, which he did just fine with. Then I found the syringe ones and he refused to use it. For whatever reason it freaked him out.
The kids go cookies in their sock for Christmas. Jacks was eating some tonight and when he was done he put the cup on the table. Later Brad noticed the cup. He ate all the middles out and left the cookies. He likes the frosting but not the cookies. He does this most of the time with Oreos too.
The kids always get a shirt or two for Christmas. I found this one for Jacks and thought it was cute. It says Mr. Messy, so it is a boys shirt. For whatever reason the mess is pink. When Jacks opened it today he took one look at it and threw it to Emery and said "here I opened your shirt." He refused to wear it. I tired to sneak it on him but once he noticed he took it right off. I guess we'll have to return this one.
Brad has wanted the movie posters for the new Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtle movies so for Christmas he got small sizes of them. We have REALLY outgrown our house. We have an office wall in our room where the pictures are now hung. One day they will look really sweet in an office.
We are making the boys do chores to earn money to buy presents for the Christmas gift exchange we are doing. Yesterday was the final day they could earn money. I hate to mop so that was one of the chores Camden got to do. He came up with a sweet system and it really makes you wonder what goes through their head to think of this stuff. .
I know it's blurry, my phone didn't take a good picture, but he's spray, hold the bottle with his legs and mop. Takes out the hard step of putting the bottle down.
