Keeping Up With the Joneses

I just realized I didn't post anything about Christmas! Here are a few highlights. Thanks to the grandmas, we went to the Mormon Tabernacle Choir Christmas Concert with the Sesame Street characters. It was so fun! Grandma Goates took Max and Logan on Friday night and then watched Max and McKay while Marshall and I took Mason and Myles on Sunday.  Every year I make treat trays for Marshall's work and my work. This year I added my attempt to make caramels. It took three times. The first time it didn't get hot enough (and yet I still started a little fire). The second time I melted the plastic spoon into the caramels (oops). But the third time they were delicious! Mason at his Christmas concert.  The gift situation has gotten out of control. I did 40 neighbor/teacher gifts (wrapping paper, gift tags, a card with a cute "get wrapped up in Christmas" label), 30 friend gifts for Mason and Myles (just candy canes with a tag), 30 kindergarten frien...

Just some pictures from the ward Christmas party. I love my little guys! McKay was pretty confused by Santa Myles was skeptical Mason was a good sport.  Max was so excited to see Santa and had even brought his list. 

Last year I bribed rewarded Mason with a Elf Christmas ( post here ) party, and this year Myles decided it was his turn to have a Christmas party. We decided to make it a Christmas Science party, but unlike Mason, Myles wanted me to plan it all so that it would be a surprise for him. Well, thanks to Pinterest, I had a lot of great ideas. I made up a number of experiments to do with a Christmas theme (i.e. Santa needs new toothpaste. . . using only these ingredients). Each of the 10 kids had a clipboard with a science journal attached (labeled with their name in Dr. form i.e Dr. Myles), and for each experiment they wrote down their observations and predictions. I also put at the bottom a simple explanation of why all of the experiments worked.  I went to the BYU Chemistry stockroom and bought inexpensive safety glasses and latex gloves, and they were a huge hit. The kids had a fantastic time, but I'm pretty sure I had the best time of all just planning it. Making "Santa...

Myles cracks me up. He has been obsessed with science and elements lately, and has been begging for a periodic table (because what 7 year old doesn't want one?). So we went to the BYU Bookstore and when we found this you would have thought we had bought him a pony! He was so excited.  Myles has his whole future planned out. This is what it looks like: After college he is going to go to Mexico to find a wife who speaks either English, Chinese, or French (because he'll learn French in college), because she will know how to make him bean and cheese chalupas every day. They will move to Africa where Myles will first make a potion that eliminates the need for sleep. Then he will train tigers during the day (because he will bring a tiger to Africa from India) and then do experiments and invent things at night (because he won't need to sleep). Max will be his assistant and his wife's job will be to sell his experiments so that they are very rich. He will have 23 ...

Every year BYU has a family Christmas party for the families of Faculty and Staff (in addition to 2 other department work Christmas parties), and I don't think we've missed a year since I started working here 10 years ago. The kids always look forward to it, and this year was no different. Their favorite part is always the "ice fishing" game for some reason.  Max's shirt says "santa rocks" and he thought he needed some cool sunglasses to wear with the shirt. He wore them all day. Getting closer every time.  This was the kids' first time doing the "limbo", They thought it was so fun.  Even McKay had a great time (and he won the limbo contest). Myles was actually amazing at the reindeer ring-toss. Max pretty much just placed them on.  Mason and Myles deciding what to write in their letters to Santa. A great time!

Mason and Myles have been doing Hapkido (or karate as I call it) since September and last week got their yellow belts. They were so excited about it. Myles has made up his own fighting style called "Myles-Fu" and has a notebook where he records his brother's progression through the belts. Sorry the picture quality is so bad. Meditating at the beginning of class. If there is one thing I want them to learn, it is this.