Concert and Wahooz!

 Friday night we went to the boy's jazz band concert at the NNU Little Theater. I am amazed at how well they did. Everyone memorized their music because that's all they worked on this week at jazz band camp, practicing their music! It was fun to hear all the different solos. Jack even did a trumpet solo. He's doing so well for having just started to learn. I'm seriously considering putting Jack in trumpet lessons and Garrett in drum lessons. Garrett actually asked me for drum lessons. I'm more willing to consider it when they ask me for them. 

Garrett is the one in the middle back. He always had such a serious look on his face. I know he's concentrating but it would be nice if he looked like he was enjoying himself. This was taken before they even started playing.

They split up into three groups. My boys were in different groups. Jack is in the middle playing the trumpet. He learned a lot this week.

Saturday we pretty much spent our whole day at Wahooz! Family Fun Zone thanks to Charlotte, who had earned herself a free ticket through the school. We let the boys invite a friend but Nikki decided she was still aching from her sunburn so she stayed home. Once again like at Silverwood Curtis and I spent our time doing what the girls wanted to do while the boys ran around and did what they wanted to do. Sometimes we would catch up and do some activities together. We did go karts, mini golf, bumper boats, laser tag, laser maze, bowling, a ride called Twister, the Dark Ride, Frog Hopper, bumper cars, wall climbing, and the girls did the Ballocity (a really big play area where they can shoot each other with soft balls and do other fun things with them).

Alice was tall enough to be a passenger on the go karts. Yay! She was also barely tall enough to do laser tag.

This was one of Alice's favorites. Both girls did this ride (Frog Hopper) multiple times.

Alice was not big enough for the bumper cars so Curtis did it with Charlotte while Alice did Frog Hopper again.

The score after the Dark Ride. It's a 3D ride where you're in a dark room with a big screen and the chairs vibrate and wind blows in your face to make you feel like you're there. We were in the wild west shooting robots. Curtis took 1st and I was 2nd. This was actually the 2nd time we did this ride with the girls. The first time I got 1st place but wasn't able to get a picture taken quick enough before it disappeared!

Bowling!

Garrett and Austin met up with us for bowling. We ordered pizza and fries while bowling. Jack brought his friend Porter Ballantyne. They pretty much did their own thing all day except when we ate lunch and maybe a couple of rides.

Doing go karts again. This time I was with Charlotte.

It was hot while doing mini golf but it I think they still had some fun. I tried telling everyone we should do golf earlier in the day but of course no one listened so we did it around the hottest part of the day. It was fun at the last hole though because it would shoot water at us after hitting the ball in. It would do a fireball blast if it went down the middle but we really didn't want fire right now! The water felt good!

This is the screen showing the people on the inside of the Dark Ride. The boys were doing a scary one while I was doing other stuff with the girls.

At the beginning of their ride it looked like Austin was in 1st, Curtis in 3rd, and Jack in 4th. The other people were not people we knew. I think in the end Austin got 1st while Curtis got 2nd and Garrett got 3rd or 4th.

Charlotte having fun in Ballocity.

And Alice also in Ballocity.

Charlotte was very brave and did some wall climbing.

This one in the middle looks like a DNA strand.

This one looked cool with the lights coming out of the pipes.

After collecting some prizes from the tickets they earned on their cards we left for home around 8:30. We pretty much spent 9 hours there so we were pretty tired. 

Although, since we had learned that they are doing stake dances again Garrett wasn't too tired to go to his first stake dance! I always thought Nikki would be taking him to his first stake dance but alas she was not feeling up to going. Garrett still wanted to go even though he was going by himself so I drove him over there and walked him inside. He was nervous to go in by himself. The lady at the sign in table told a boy sitting on the couch to take him in so he did. I learned that they decided to change the dress code again so the kids can wear casual but nice clothing instead of Sunday dress. Also, they changed the location of the 2nd Saturday of the month dance to the Smith Building instead of Greenhurst. The 4th Saturday it is across town at the Birch Bldg, which is where it was last night. Garrett had a good time and danced with two girls. They asked him because of course he's too shy and quiet. Hopefully this will also help him to come out of his shy bubble.

Snake River Stampede Rodeo

Curtis and I really wanted to go to the rodeo this year. Our 3 oldest kids were not interested so we just took the little girls. We also invited parents on both sides. My in laws opted out but my parents joined us. Curtis drove straight from work while my dad picked up me and the girls and we met at the Idaho Center around 5:30 when the gates open. Since we had general admission tickets we wanted to get there early to pick out the best seats we could. After we found seats we took turns going down to get food to eat. I was shocked at the price of the hot dogs. $5 per hot dog and they weren't anything special. I could have bought a whole package of these hot dogs and the bugs for less than $5 but as dad said, at least it's cheaper than Disneyland's food. Charlotte kept saying throughout the rodeo that she really wanted to go to a farm or somewhere that has horses so that she can ride one or at least pet one. I think she's more in love with horses than ever. I used to be just as excited as her about horses when I was a kid but I think I was more quiet about it. We all had a good time though. Even Alice said it was fun as we were driving home.

Before they started the show I walked the girls around and we got a closer look at some of the horses and their riders.

Charlotte's favorite part was the Stampeders night light show. The horses and the riders rode in the dark but had different colored lights on them. It's a little blurred because they were running.

Sometimes busy sometimes relaxing

 We finally found a solution to our problem with the cats tearing up our toilet paper. I found these on Amazon. We tried one out first and later bought two more because it's working! And now we can leave our bathroom doors open and not worry.

It's a little tight when we put a brand new roll in so a little difficult to pull it out for the first little bit but it's worth it to save our toilet paper 😂

The girls haven't done much crafting this summer but Charlotte finally pulled out her paints and stained glass (plastic) and Nikki joined her. 

Charlotte did a watermelon and ice cream cone. Nikki did a rainbow with clouds. The white color changes colors in the sunlight to either pink or green.

Our Relief Society started some new groups this summer so that we ladies can get together more often and get to know each other better. One of them is a book club. I have never been in a book club before and I wasn't even sure I had time to read the first book they picked out so I almost skipped this one but I finally purchased it last Friday and received it on Saturday via Amazon. I started reading on Monday and am now halfway through and it is good! I also wasn't sure I wanted to keep buying new books every month but maybe I'll find a different way to do it later. I prefer reading a paper book over electronic anyway. 

Monday night the boys had a kick off concert to start their jazz band camp for the week at the NNU little theater. The teachers all performed some jazz music for us. It was fun to watch and listen. The boys have been going to jazz band camp from 8:45am to 3:45pm every day since Tuesday. They are loving it and learning a lot but it also wears them out. They come home tired and ready to relax! Unfortunately for Garrett he had to mow a lawn on Tuesday night and Wednesday night. Today is their final day and then tonight the boys will get to perform in their different groups for everyone. I can't wait to hear and watch them!

Here are the teachers performing. Mr. Sene is playing the bass in the back and he's the band teacher from Lone Star where my boys go to middle school. I learned that the piano player is the teacher at South Middle School because Jack's friend from church goes there and he's at the jazz band camp also. 

Tuesday afternoon I took the girls to a dentist appointment. Alice had to get her first cavity filled. Fortunately they did not have to numb her and she was a great patient. Charlotte went in for sealants on a couple of her teeth and Nikki just had to get stitches removed from her frenectomy. The girls were getting a little silly while waiting to be called back and they wanted a picture.

Later that day the package arrived with the new swim suits for the girls. They love them and begged to try them out. They ended up swimming in our friend's pool (the Wallace's)

Now they will be protected from the sun and it will be much easier to use the bathroom since they are two piece suits.

I decided to do some relaxing and a lot of reading this week. I went out to the hammocks for awhile and Cocoa decided to follow me. He actually jumped up into the hammock with me and laid down but then jumped back down a minute later. He's so cute. And one thing I've noticed is that he is so good with the kids. I have never seen him hiss or scratch anyone. He's so patient with everyone who picks him up and cuddles him. I think if the girls ever did get a scratch from him it's because he jumped out of their arms.

So Monday was the day that I emailed the photography company about Alice's t-ball pictures. They told me my order would be about two weeks. Well, the sped up the process and we got it in the mail yesterday! It looks great and hers even comes with a paper picture frame that stands up. Alice was so excited to get it. She showed her sister and her friends and then just kept looking at it while eating. Here's what they both look like.

They both turned out great! I will definitely just order the first time around next time.

Good times and cousins!

 We had a lot of different things going on the last two weeks. I was finally able to find a nice play yard for our rabbit on so that we can take him outside sometimes. It looked like it was barely used and I bought it on Facebook marketplace for $30. It even has a little door that you can open and step in and out. 

We set it up inside first.

Now trying it outside.

Another day we brought it back inside and then Curtis and the kids put both cats in with the rabbit because we want the cats to get used to the rabbit. They didn't do anything to him. Then we gave all three of them some dinner. The funny thing is that the cats didn't even try to jump over the fence....until we opened the can of wet food! But we made them go back inside the fence to eat it. Ha ha!

Last Monday the 12th was the day Nikki and Jack both had their frenectomies done for the gap on their front teeth. They had to remove some muscle right there that causes the teeth to separate. The teeth could get pulled together and be straightened without getting it done, however if we don't the teeth will end up spreading apart again later. Later that same day we had softball and t-ball for the girls and this time grandma Vernie and grandpa Tony came to watch them. Charlotte was so excited when she finally realized grandma and grandpa were there to watch and she started telling all her team mates. Before her game her team finally got their pictures taken. It was the assistant coach's wife that did the pictures. I don't know what it is but Charlotte played a lot better that night when they were on the grass field. Two nights later she struggled again on the dirt field.

Her pose as Charlotte was ready to run to home plate after the next player hit the ball.

On Wednesday was the first time I got to see Charlotte play catcher position.

They also handed out a print out of the pictures they took of Charlotte and her team. Wow! They looked professional!! Now I felt really bad for not having paid for Alice to get professional pictures. The good news? I was able to contact the photography company and they were willing to let me send them my individual picture of Alice that I loved and will add it to the team picture. Traditions Photography was so easy to work with and I'm so happy they were willing to do that. I can't wait to get that order in the mail so both girls will have professional looking pictures!

Wednesday was their last day playing and so the girls also got medals and certificates. I had to leave before seeing Charlotte get hers but I got a shot of them together after Alice's game.

These girls had a fun time playing and I think Charlotte will definitely play next summer. I'm not sure on Alice.

One crazy thing that happened to me last week. I had just taken my van in to Les Schwab on Saturday the 10th because we were losing air in the driver's side rear tire. We had to drop it off and leave it with them all day because they were busy. It turned out to be a screw in the tire so they got it patched up. On Tuesday around lunch time I drove over to Lions Park to grab lunches for the kids and then over to Tamara's to have lunch and see their new kitten. We visited while Tamara was on her lunch break and then I left my girls to play with their cousins and the kitten while I went to Costco to do some shopping. 

After I drove away from Tamara's house I could hear a weird noise in the back of our van. I pulled over and thought maybe the girls left garbage or something that might be moving around while driving. I threw a bunch of garbage away but nope, it didn't work. I could still hear the noise any time I drove over 25 mph all the way to Costco. I was going to look at it before going in the store but I was so focused on what I needed to get that I forgot. Fortunately I remember right as I was leaving. It turns out that the exact same tire that we had just gotten fixed on Saturday had a long wire sticking out of it about 6 or 7 inches long and about the thickness of a paperclip but a little thicker. I couldn't break it off and I was afraid to pull it out of the tire in case it had a hole and went flat. I went ahead and bent the wire down as much as I could. I drove to Tamara's to get my girls and the wire broke off most of the way. I then dropped the girls off at home with the boys and then drove to Les Schwab. If it had a hole I wanted it to be there and not home. I did the right thing because one of the workers pulled it out and we could hear air. Apparently this wire was closer to the side wall of the tire and couldn't just be repaired. It had to be replaced. Fortunately we had recently bought that tire and it was under warranty! We didn't have to pay anything! Thank goodness!

Thursday morning I took the boys to their wellness exams. They are doing well but it was time for Jack to get a couple of immunizations. HE DID NOT WANT TO! I can't remember the last time I had this difficult of a time convincing one of my kids to get their shots. He was so scared and cried while tearing up tissues in his hands as the nurse and I were trying to convince him to get it done. I kept telling him that it wasn't going to be as bad as he thinks because I too was nervous about getting a shot when Curtis, Nikki and I got our first round of Covid shots on the 10th. I barely felt it when it went in my arm. Anyway, we finally got Jack to do it. Fortunately he was invited to go to Roaring Springs right after getting home. My in laws took him and Nic's boys to the water park. Garrett didn't want to go. 

Since Jack went to Roaring Springs and all the other family had church activities that evening I took the girls to Lakeview water park in Nampa. They had a great time and even made a new friend!

She is actually Alice's age but was playing with Charlotte mostly.

Friday I took all my kids except Nikki to go bowling with my mother in law and my nephews that she had staying with her. Nikki had gone with her friends on Thursday so she didn't want to go again. It was dollar day on Friday so we played two rounds of games and ordered all the kids fries and soda. I let Garrett bring his friend Austin also because he wanted someone his age there. That was the reason he didn't go to Roaring Springs. His cousins are ages 8,10, & 12. We all had a great time bowling and then we took the kids over to Lions Park to eat lunch and play for a bit. Then it was back to our house to play some more and for my boys to show their cousins their musical instruments and play them some songs.

It had been 2 years since they last saw these cousins. They grew a lot!

I have a few more things I wanted to write about but I'd better end this one now since it's so long already.