So Much Going On!

Well, I got behind again thanks to my allergies. For two and half weeks I was dealing with a sinus headache and pressure. I tried several things to help such as allergy pills, neti pot rinses, Flonase nasal spray, humidifier, soaking in hot bubble baths and just resting. I finally was able to help it when I got some Sudafed Sinus Pressure and Pain. I usually woke up in the morning feeling good and then an hour or so later the pressure would start coming back. I went through two boxes and was about ready to take myself to the doctor. I took my last pills on Sunday morning but thankfully I haven't needed them since! I'm thinking the rain we have gotten might have helped clean the air out and maybe that helped me but I'm not sure. I'm just glad I'm feeling better again. 

Even with my problems with allergies I still had plenty going on in the evenings. Alice was doing swim lessons up until the 20th. Garrett was still busy doing marching band until the 22nd and had a couple of football performances and competitions. Charlotte started basketball on the 10th and because no one else was willing or able to coach I was roped into coaching for the first time ever. Honestly, I had thought about coaching when my oldest 3 kids tried basketball but I usually had a little one to take care of or I was just too nervous about it. Well, I was nervous to do it this year also but with Alice being almost 6 years old I couldn't use her as an excuse this time. And besides, I had lots of experience from when I was younger so I already knew about the sport. So we have practices on Mondays and Wednesdays from 6-7pm. I try to be there 15 min early. I have also been able to find helpful videos online for warm ups and drills. I found some fun drills that are more like games. Going into our 3rd week it has mostly been a good experience. I had a little trouble with one of the girls during this last Monday's practice but other than that it's been good. I also had to write down the things I planned to do for each practice and print it out. It makes it so much easier because otherwise I would forget what was next. I think the more I do this the less I will have to rely on the looking at the paper. Because I am coach I have yet to get a picture of Charlotte playing but hopefully I can get one at the next game this Saturday morning. Thankfully, one of the other parents stepped up to be an assistant. Another difficult thing we've had to deal with for her team is that it's so small. We only have 7 girls on the team and it makes a big difference if even 1 girl is gone for a game. On Nov 5th I know that 2 girls will be gone so that means the other 5 will be playing the entire game. Poor girls. At least they are still having fun.

If any of you were the lucky ones to get a special email from one of these girls regarding a fundraiser well guess what, just because they sent so many emails they automatically won a prize. They both got these stuffed animals that have a built in slap bracelet so they can be worn on their arms. They were both so excited to get them and they were the ones pushing us to do it so they could get one. Most fundraisers that my kids do I felt like I was the one pushing them to do the asking around but not this time.

Charlotte got an elephant and Alice got a cheetah. They came in a surprise package so they didn't know what they got until they opened it.

Jack had his first band concert at South. Everyone received a black polo shirt so they were all matching. I wasn't able to go to this concert because of Alice's swim lessons but I got a picture when I dropped him off. Thankfully Curtis and my parents and grandma went to support him. Garrett also performed at South with the Skyview marching band. I hated missing it but Alice would have been very upset if we had missed her swim lesson.

I did however get to see Jack play with the high school band during a Skyview football game the next day (14th). The 8th graders were invited to come play if they wanted to. He enjoyed it and is now more excited to be in marching band next year. 

They let him play the mellophone. He was told it was the marching band version of the French horn.

Performing some pep music during the game.

And us watching the game (and the band).

Alice gave Garrett a high five before his half time performance with the marching band.

And I had to get a picture with him afterwards.

The very next day was a marching band competition held at Vallivue High School called Treasure Valley Festival of Bands (TVFOB). Last year it was at Ridgevue. I guess they rotate each year between the two schools. I had chaperoned the first two competitions this year and helped with moving props but now that I was coaching basketball games in the mornings on Saturdays I couldn't chaperone anymore (which I was kind of thankful). I was able to watch the band perform because it was in the early afternoon. Unfortunately, Skyview didn't do very well that day due to the excessive wind. It was the first time having backdrops in their show this year and the wind blew a couple of them around. It also made it difficult for the color guard with their flags. There were only 4 bands in their division and they did not place in the top three. It was a rough day but they learned some things before the big D3 competition the following weekend at BSU.

Last Thursday was Alice's last swim lesson. I always take Charlotte with me so that she can swim around while Alice is doing the lesson. Alice's class did some fun things to end the class like a floating train and going in the deep pool to jump off the diving board. Charlotte wanted to do it so badly but I told her she had to either be in a class or she had to take the swim test in the lap pool. She decided she wanted to do the test so I told her to practice in the shallow pool first. She practiced once without me watching and then again while I was watching. I was surprised with how smoothly she did the regular stroke so I told her to go ahead and talk to the life guard. I got a video of her taking the test and she passed with no problems. She's definitely a better swimmer than I am! We are so impressed with her!

Alice's class doing the floating train. Alice was first in line.

Alice getting ready to jump off the diving board. The teacher was waiting in the pool.

Charlotte enjoying being in the diving well pool after finishing her swim test. Unfortunately she was unable to do the diving board because of other swim lesson classes using it. We went back on Saturday with Curtis and swam with the girls. She was able to do the diving board a lot that time.

Last Saturday was also the last competition for Garrett at BSU but they did things different this year and so unfortunately they ended up performing in the late morning and I had to coach Charlotte's team at the same time so I was unable to go but Curtis did. He took Jack with him but they did not stay the whole day. (which is why he went swimming with me and the girls) I don't think he took any pictures or videos though because he didn't send or show me any. Skyview did do much better. They took 4th place overall out of 6 in their division and the color guard (auxiliary) took 1st in their division. Unfortunately, they did not do well enough to perform again in the finals, which were the top 12 schools out of 28. So they ended the night early.  There happened to be a stake dance that night that was a costume party. I thought for sure Garrett would be too tired to go but he decided to go so he could wear his Link costume again. And Jack and his friend Porter went with him for the first time, Jack wearing his kilt and carrying his plunger.

Curtis also took time that day to carve some pumpkins. They are having a contest at work and so it pushed him to do it. He carved his and Alice's. Charlotte took a break until the next day. We at least got all 4 of our pumpkins gutted but only 2 of them carved. Curtis took pictures when he was finished so I didn't so I'll have to get those pictures from him and post them later.

Just starting to carve.

Last Sunday the girls really wanted to bake sugar cookies. We had to wait until Curtis was finished in the kitchen though since he was busy cooking up pumpkin seeds and Zuppa Toscana for dinner. It was kind of nice having Curtis take charge in the pumpkins this year. We didn't even do pumpkins last year. And he baked the seeds, which is something I usually do. We invited my parents and grandma to come over and play games, so we were munching on cookies and pumpkins seeds the whole night. We should have set some seeds aside though because we nearly ate the entire 6 cups of seeds he had baked!

Cutting out cookies.

Charlotte carved her pumpkin after school on Monday all by herself and taped on some ears and a tail since it was a cat. (I still haven't carved mine yet.)

Oh, and I almost forgot that last weekend I was also stressing over preparing another Relief Society lesson. I struggled just like I did the first time but finally it started coming together on Saturday and I finished Sunday morning. This time I was able to use my computer and hook it up to a monitor at the church during the lesson. It made it easier for visuals. I wasn't as nervous this time thankfully and I think it went well. It was based on Elder Uchtdorf's talk from this last conference, "Jesus Christ is the Strength of Youth". 

Whew, if you made it this far reading this post I commend you. This is what happens when a lot goes on that I want to write about but wasn't able to for a couple of weeks. Hopefully now that I'm feeling better I can do better to keep up. For now, I'm going to end this post because it's already too long!