Spiraling Out of Control

Do you ever feel like your life is spiraling out of control? Not in anything big, because that would be understandable, just in the little things. Like the fact that your spouse is out of town for 2 weeks in a row, or maybe it's because you have children that don't clean up after themselves, or a garden that could be constantly needing attention.

Maybe it's homework...those posters you volunteered to hang all over the city.

Or the fact that you just need half an hour to update your calendar so you know what is going on.

Or maybe it's all of the above and more.

My answers have always been to just start chipping away on the pile.
It's not working.

Labor Day Campout

How was your Labor Day Weekend? We had so much fun! Curly has been furiously working on his Webelos activities badges and we wanted to finish the Outdoorsman while it was still sort of warm outside, so we planned a backyard campout for Sunday night.

Curly had to help put up a tent, so he and Dog Walker worked on that while Sport and Crafty hung the hammocks. Teach and Twiz were also hammocking and we were eventually joined by Bossy's family although only Taco and Burrito spent the night with us.

We kept food simple, hot dogs, chips, fruit and veggies. As it got darker, we got a fire pit going, the kids roasted marshmallows and we ate s'mores. Baby Doll was so proud of the one she made for me! It only fell in the ash once...

My sweetie set up the projector on the basketball court and we tied a sheet between the volleyball poles. I'm sure our neighbors hated us as the kids belted out the songs along with our annual viewing of the Newsies movie. It was midnight before they settled down to sleep. Twizlet came inside with me to clean up for a bit. She was bouncing off the walls from all the sugar.

About an hour later, she and I climbed into the tent and snuggled up together in my big sleeping bag. It was pretty comfortable for an air mattress kind of night. That is until the dogs crawled onto the sleeping bag. Shakespeare was fine. He curled up against my back for warmth and went to sleep. Watson kept walking around and around, jiggling us all up as he went, and making sleep impossible.

This backyard campout was a fun new tradition! Now if I can just convince my sweetie...

Saturday is a Special Day...

Saturday was a good day for us. The sleeping in was amazing after a long, long week. Then it was off to Curly's football game where they easily beat the Woodscross team. Scout was so proud of her banner this time. It took her a couple of hours and about 10 seconds for the guys to break it, but Curly managed to save her "kittie" and she brought it home to remember.

After the game we ran home to change before heading back out again. Crafty had an assignment to visit a museum and the BYU Museum of Art was on her list. We love their exhibits and try to get there about once a year, so we didn't mind a quick trip. The exhibit was one on Pulitzer Prize winning photographs and it was stunning and somewhat disturbing at the same time.

We finished up just as Crafty completed her notes and the doors closed at 6:00. We all piled back in my car and headed for Levan, a tiny town in Juab County. My sweetie's cousin's boy was getting married and we really wanted to support them.

It turned out to be so much fun! They had dancing and treats and family. Everything was delicious and homemade. We stayed while they cut the cake (it was yummy and made by the mother of the groom!) and then while the bride tossed the bouquet.

 You'll never guess who caught it!

DARE Graduation for Curly

I'm back! Have you missed me? I was running on empty after my sweetie had been out of town unexpectedly for half the week. My awesome kids jumped in with help in many places including the blog.

I have so much to tell you! On Friday, I attended DARE graduation for Curly. He worked so hard on his essay, and became one of two kids from his class who were chosen as winners. They had the mayor there and the police chief and 4 classes full of kids, plus parents and friends, so it was a pretty big deal.

He received a string bag full of swag including a water bottle, pencils and school supplies, but his favorite things was the pin. It was the first time I had been called up to pin one of my kids during a DARE graduation and since I had Twizlet with me, it was a bit tricky, but I was so proud of him, I just had to be there.

During the finale, they had about 80 kids on the stage and Curly had been chosen as one of the soloists. Since I knew exactly when he was going to do his lines, I tried to get the camera ready, but Twizlet had a different idea. I now have almost a full minute of her trying to grab the camera, twisting it every way and then me cussing her out (quietly, of course) for messing up the video. It's a good thing she is so cute... not that I could even get her to smile for a pic. I think she would have preferred a nap to attending DARE graduation, but Curly was amazing and I wouldn't have missed it for the world.