School's Out For the Summer!

Well, School is out of the summer. I have a love/hate relationship with summer. I love being with my kids, I love being able to sleep in a bit, I love not having to try to figure out what in the world to pack Hailey for lunch (will NOT eat any of the 4 choices the school gives, doesn't like sandwiches....ug, the frustration on that topic could go on and on...) I hate that we all become a little lazy, I hate that we all sleep in TOO much, I hate friends over ALL DAY (yeah, I know...I'm mean!) So, with all those frustrations, last year I made up a "plan" for the Summer. It went so well, we will be doing it again! (Warning: some parents, and probably ALL kids think that I'm crazy!)

Summer Rules at our house:

1) make your bed/clean your room/breakfast/brush teeth/get dressed(yeah, you would think I wouldn't have to put get dressed....)

2) Read for 20 minutes

3) do two worksheets worth of homework. I pick them.

4)Do a job. (assigned, I pick, different everyday)

5) No playing until after lunch and 12:30.

It sounds kinda tough reading it, but it really made our summer go smoothly. I let them play until 5ish, so 4.5-5 hours is MORE then enough friend time. We also do fun things too. We go to parks, swimming, library, visit friends, bowling...there is fun in there too :)

So, I took some first day of school pictures and last day of school pictures. I can't believe how much they have grown!

Kaden, first day of School. July 23, 2007.
Kaden. Last day of school. May 22, 2008.
Kaden is now a first grader!! WAHOOO full day of school next year! Yeah!
Hailey first day of 2nd grade. July 23, 2007.

Hailey. Last day of school. May 22, 2008. Hailey is now a 3rd grader!

(Where in the world does the time go?!)

So, what is your schedule like in the summer? Do you have one? (I didn't until kids were ringing my doorbell at 8 am last summer!) Do you have them do homework? Do you think its worth the fight? (yeah, sometimes its a fight!)

I hope they call me on a mission....

Well, it seems as though we just welcomed my parents home from their two year mission in China (service, teaching English) in December. They were asked by someone (be forewarned, I am probably slaughtering their story!) in SLC to put their mission papers in, they wanted them to be in charge of the sister missionaries at Temple Square. So, when their call came today, we were all expecting them to be called to SLC, Utah. Life doesn't always go as planned.
So, Elder and Sister Zaugg will be going to New Delhi, India for 18 months. They leave Aug 18th. My sister-in-law took this picture, as you can see, its a total surprise to us all! LOL

When I grow up....I want to be a mom, JUST LIKE YOU!

When I grow up, I want to be a mom...JUST LIKE YOU. AWEEE Kinley is so dang sweet. Yeah, but she wasn't done talking.....so I can say bad words, like you do! (side note here....not that I am all innocent in the swearing department...but she is talking about the words: shut up, stupid, I hate you, poop, fart...ect. You know...the really bad words ;) )

She has been saying this a lot lately. I guess she must hear me tell my sister on the phone that something is stupid. She gets huge eyes and says MOM, YOU JUST SAID A BAD WORD!! Apparently she is not letting me know this to make me a better person, she is jealous! Yikes, I think I am in trouble with this one!

Tulips at Temple Square!

We had stake sluff day today (I know, I know, but seriously, we barley get through sacrament meeting). When I took the train ride to Salt Lake this week, I was in awe of all of the tulips, and wanted to go back. My in-law's were in town, so we went to take some pictures, walk around Temple Square, and check out the Family History Museum. It was beautiful! I LOVE, LOVE, LOVE flowers, so it was right up my ally! Here are some pictures from the day.

Date Night!

Thomas and I went on a date tonight!! Of course, it included a trip to Lowe's (or home depot). Ever since we got this house, I don't think we have gone on many dates that didn't include a stop for something at the hardware store, epically since we have started finishing the basement. I don't mind it, I actually tease Thomas if our date DOESN'T include a trip to home depot!
So, I thought we would skip going out to dinner, and get some ice cream. We got one to share, since he cant eat the whole thing, and I shouldn't. We get 1/4 the way down, and i am filling a chunk down in the cup (its dark, on the way home to relieve the babysitter of our kids) I'm thinking "SCORE, I GOT A CHUNK!" I dig for it, I'm proud I got it, I gloat a little cuz I got it. I put it in, chew...spit it out...darn, it was paper. "What kind of paper?" my dear husband asks. So, i get it, look at it. IT IS SOMEONES USED NASTY BAND-AID!! IN MY MOUTH!! I dry heaved and just about lost it all the way home and for 10 more minutes while Thomas takes home the babysitter and takes it back to baskin robins for a refund. NO, WE DON'T WANT A NEW ONE!
Nice diet plan! Crusty band-aids...I may have Thomas just sneak one in my food after I have eaten some.....anyone interested in the Crusty Band-aid Diet??

Happy Birthday!!

Happy Birthday Kim!! (right) (I know your loving this picture, Kim, Jess??)

Kim and I have been friends for years! She moved into my ward when she was a sophomore (right?) I picked this picture because Jessica (3rd from the right) had her bday not too long ago, and I didn't post it, so two for one. Plus, I mean, look us, we rock ;) Jessica and I have been friends for longer then I can even remember back. 7th grade? Im not sure, but Kim and Jessica are some of my really good friends from childhood that have stuck around!
Happy Birthday Spencer!! (May 4th). Spencer is my oldest brother. I don't get to see him much since he lives in Montana. He is a great role model for a young person, as myself ;)
Love ya Spence!

Happy Birthday Amber (holding up Breanna). Amber is my niece. She is always smiling and always goofing around and laughing. We love you Amber!

Happy Birthday Colton! (May 24th). Colton is my nephew and quite the prankster! He is turning into a handsome young man!

Happy Birthday Andrew! (May 29th) Andrew is my nephew, Colton's brother and Spencer's son. (you guys have a lot of May birthdays!) He was nice enough to pose for this picture, even though his crazy aunt went around taking everyone's pictures. (Although he does have a hint of "your crazy aunt Alison" look to him here!)

"The Ride"

On Tuesday, my mom, dad, sister, Kinley and I got on the front runner. UTA was running the front runner for free for people to try out. Whats better then a train ride, for free?? (Dad would say nothing.) So, the 5 of us set off at 9am to go to the station. We just miss the first one, no biggie. We wait 30 minutes for the next one. We get on, wait 20 more, then it leaves. It says that it goes 79 MPH. I wouldn't know. I doubt we got over 50, and not even that fast the whole time. It took us 50 minutes to get to Salt Lake (once we started moving). We got off and transferred to the free TRAX. It runs downtown and makes stops every few blocks. We were going to get off and shop at the gateway, but none of us knew what stop that would be and WAY overshot it. We got off, had lunch at the Lion House, and got back on to go home. We got on a front runner that looked like it was about to leave station (we saw it sitting there when TRAX came up.) We hurried and got on...whew, we made it! We waited. Forever. By this time, Kinley is beyond sick and restless, dad is making questionable comments about the passengers in a voice that he thinks they cant hear, but they can (and I am afraid we will get beat up by the guy who "looks like a wife beater".) A handicap man is not leaving my sister or mom alone (mom, are your sure there is no glue in his bag? a plug on the bus? and seriously, aren't there some fine women on this train?), the bathroom on the train is broken...people keep running up to use it but cant, and frankly there is a stench (yeah, people really needed the bathroom people!) The pregnant woman who is standing by the door that is SURE she is going to go into labor and have her water break on the train. The 85 year old woman who wanted to ride it because its her birthday. The dude who is dressed like Jesus. Long hair, long white cloak and a staff?? Maybe he was going for moses?? Long story short, my sister could have written her psychology paper while waiting on the train (all she needed was to take a psychology class!)

Will I ride the train again you ask? Well, probably not. It wasn't faster, by any means. To pay for all my children and myself, it would be more worth it to drive. MAYBE if I was going to go out with some friends and we didn't care when we got there and when we came home....MAYBE. But, probably not!

Kinley is still sick. I was thinking it was motion sickness from the train, but we got home and she had a fever. She has been up every night since with a fever and a sore throat. Poor thing, she got what Kaden had last week. We don't have time for Hailey to get it. Testing is next week for Hailey and Kaden. We get out of school May 22nd. They have 15 days left of school. Then, I will have a 3rd grader, a 1st grader and Kinley will be in her first year of pre-school! Seriously, where did the time go!?