How To Teach a Teenager to Argue and Cody the King of Procrastination Land

Cody and a few kids on his debate team. Please ignore the scuzzy looking kid-he is a pain in the butt and thought it would be cute to get in the picture.

Cody, Sarah and Steven, (Steven is the funny one from Cody's birthday party).

Thursday, Friday and Saturday this week Cody has been going to a Las Vegas high school for a county debate tournament. Thursday and Friday they left school at 11:30am. They got to miss 4th period both days. He did not get home until 10:30pm Thursday night. Now mind you that he was up until 2am that night trying to get ready for his "expos". That is an 10 minutes or less original speech on a topic that he has chosen that he writes and then makes poster-type boards with pictures as visual aids. As he talks he interacts with the boards and adds and removes various pictures depicting and demonstrating what he is talking about. (Mom, this is what he showed you over Thanksgiving). His topic is Wheel of Time vs Lord of the Rings. He compares and contrasts those two different book series with his point being that WOT is better than LOTR. Anyway he stayed up until 2am fixing up his boards and then he got up at 5:30 am to go to Seminary. This he did after he whined to his dad and said "Can't I just skip seminary?' The answer of course was no and especially no because he had procrastinated for almost 2 months on fixing his boards up and so it was his own fault that he had to stay up until 2am. Then Friday morning he got up again for seminary under duress with the same plea of skipping but again he was told no. They left school again at 11:30. Here's the thing-the tournament does not start until 3pm so what did they do for 3 1/2 hours-went to Fazoli's and were dissed on the "all you can eat bread sticks" and then they went to Krispy Creme donuts to beg for "reject" donuts. He had asked me to come and help judge that day and so being the wonderful mommy I am (and knowing that I had already been to Vegas 3 times this week which is beside the point I guess as it is just our precious natural resources that I am using up as I cruise up and down the 1-15 most of the week) I agreed to go. I arrived at the school at 2:30 with the first round starting at 3. I judged 3 rounds 3:00-4:30, 4:30-6:00 and 6:00-7:30. I wanted to go home a lot sooner but Cody wanted me to wait and see it he made finals because if he did not then he wanted to ride home with me instead of waiting until after finals to ride the bus home. He did not make finals. He was disappointed sort of but he was also glad to get home a little sooner than every one else as he had to be to the school again this morning at 5:15 to go back for the last day of the tournament and the awards ceremony tonight. They will not get home until 11pm or later again tonight and I expect that Cody will be none to thrilled to get up for 9am church tomorrow. Cody really enjoys this and he has found his nitch. He is a great writer and is able to use that talent in this area. Debate is not all about arguing which we found out but is about among other things writing and sharing original speeches, sharing pieces of prose or poetry in a "theatrical interpretation" or "humorous interpretation" and also being able to think on the spot and deliver a speech with little or no preparation. They also debate in areas called Senate, Lincoln Douglas and Policy which are more of the areas that you think of when you think of debate. Anyway he likes it and he has actually taken first place and placed a few other times with his "expos". I did not mind the judging part as I was able to see what Cody has been doing and see what his competition is like. It was really long though and then we had to drive home again. I'm glad that I took my book and Ipod for entertainment purposes.

Hoop It Up 2

Pass it to me!

Caleb sort of in the zone.


Basketball Brothers.

Connor and Caleb are on the same basketball team through the County Parks and Rec. They had a game Thursday night. They both played hard and tried to make a few shots. The first few games they were both very timid and did not want to get into it. Connor was afraid of getting fouled and Caleb just sort of hung back afraid of the ball and getting run over. This game they both ran and participated a lot more. Caleb actually ended up on the floor a few times because he was in the middle of the melee. Their coach is a nice man but is very very quiet and does not get excited which in turn does not get the kids excited. He sits there during the game and watches but he does not call out direction to the kids playing-even if he tried, he is so soft spoken that he probably would not be heard over the yelling and directing of the parents-us included. Connor and Caleb both fought for the ball and got in right in the middle of it this time with a little encouragement from us. The first game or two Caleb was mosying up and down the court not running. This game he actually broke a sweat and ran up and down the court. Connor was very good at grabbing at the ball and holding onto it when the other team tried to steal it. Our kids are not super aggressive-except to each other-and so to be aggressive in sports is different to them. They get to be involved in a lot of different sports here from the time they are in kindergarten all the way through high school. There really is not much else to do here anyway so everyone is in sports. Little League is next! Why did I have boys?

Family Funnies

This morning during family prayer Connor was saying it and he said and I quote "please bless us to love and not torture each other". Hmmm did he really mean torture or was it supposed to be torment. Sometimes they act like they are being tortured by each other. By the way-that prayer only lasted up until bedtime when Connor and Caleb have to sleep in the same room as each other. Last we checked Caleb was standing in front of his dresser with his arms folded, his back to Connor and when Don went in there for like the billionth time Caleb said and I quote "I am not sleeping in here with him." Apparently he will be standing all night in front of the dresser.

Another one-yesterday Cayden was singing I am a Child of God and he said " and He has sent me to Jennifer". He says it like deneder. Melt my heart and what a kick in the pants-I better do better!

Tonight was the Classic Caleb Comedy Show-this child is soooooo stubborn. He got fussed at tonight because he was copycatting Connor ever so quietly and when he got caught he manufactured some tears and said that Connor was trying to throw him down the stairs. When I said that was interesting because Connor was buck naked in his room getting ready to shower at the same time that he was supposed to have been murdering Caleb he got mad and amid a jumble of (interject serious sarcasm here) "I Love you mom" and "you're the greatest" he said "What's your problem? You don't even care if I am being killed" like I did not even care that he was being shoved to his death. Well that was just about enough from our drama king so I fussed at him about not talking to me that way. Well he showed me-he did not talk the rest of the night. During scripture study we take turns reading 5 verses and he usually goes first but he apparently did not need to have his book open to read so we skipped him. Then when it was his turn again, he was not ready so we skipped him again. The next time around he had his book open and when I told him to go ahead, he started reading monotone in a very quiet voice so that noone could hear him. I stopped him and we skipped him again and said that when he was ready to read he could let us know. Seriously this child did this same thing (mumbling monotone) each time it was his turn. It was laughable! (we were trying not to laugh at him though because that just makes him more mad). So we finished scripture study and did family prayer and then sent them to bed. Well sometime while I was tucking in Cayden, Caleb decided that he wanted to communicate but he still was not going to talk. I found a note on my bed that said this "Do not want. From ?" The note was laying on top of a lanyard thingy that Don got yesterday at the show he was doing in town and he gave them to the boys when he got home. Hmmm I wonder who could have written the note-the family mute? Don and I had a good laugh and then a few minutes later Caleb came in with another note for me. I read it but then said that I only talk to people who talk to me. He huffed out of the room and then the fun started with Connor. (see above). Don thought that he would go in to Caleb's room and tell him in overly exaggerated sign language like a mime "I love you" and then acting like a mime pull himself out of the room on a rope. If this is hard to understand wait it gets funnier. I thought that Don was hysterical and when he did that to Caleb there was no laughter but Caleb was trying not to smile with his blanket pulled up over his mouth. And now the best part-a few minutes later Caleb comes out to the family room and gives Don another note-torn from a book in his room that said-Not funny dad. I am still laughing. This child is lucky that he is not getting smothered in his sleep tonight because his parents were in a much more jovial mood to deal with his theatrics tonight.

And not to leave Cody out-he and I have good time quoting " So I Married an Axe Murderer" in our scottish accents mind you and also quoting an episode of Psych where there is a scottish woman who talks about her "bassett hound named Uncle Jimmy". For the full effect say that outloud in a scottish accent. (did you do it?) I bet my brother did! :)

Occasionally there are times that I don't want to sell my kids on Ebay and they are actually quite entertaining.

PS-Caleb has spent the last 30 minutes on the laundry room floor because he is not sleeping in there with Connor.

FHE or Bust

So last night we had FHE. For once I can actually say that it went really well-the only thing that could have been better was if Cayden would sit his little booty down and stay there! I had a few things planned but we did not get to them all because we actually had a good family discussion. We started the night talking about President Hinkley and where he was now. Basically the plan of salvation in a nutshell. Then I did a little object lesson with my hand and a glove about the resurrection. ( Elder Boyd K. Packer showed this along time ago) It was mostly for Cayden's benefit I thought but all he thought was that he needed to go and get a pair of gloves too. Connor and Caleb listened though and I think that they really understood what I was doing. The plan after that was to get into the Preach My Gospel book and talk about the Resurrection further and then go through the Ensign, New Era and Friend magazines and find things from President Hinkley but first Cody wanted to understand how the next Presidency was called-when I say understand I mean that he wanted to tell me how it went. He was not quite correct and it took a few minutes to convince him that his parents aren't complete idiots and that we do know a little bit and we have been around a little longer than him. Once we got that out of the way we took turns reading out of the Preach My Gospel book about the Resurrection and looking up some scriptures that went with the section. Our Stake Presidency has asked that we use Preach My Gospel in our FHE this year and utilize it more. Our lesson in RS on Sunday was from last General Conference from Elder Kopishke about Preach My Gospel. A few years go someone in our ward purchased a book for every member in our ward to have one as a Christmas gift so all of us have our own copy. We have used it in the past a few times for FHE but we want to be more diligent in doing what we have been asked so every FHE so far this year we have done something with it. There really is so much information in there. It is amazing. Another huge effort and blessing from President Hinkley. FHE went so well that it was actually 8:40 before we got done-that has to be a new record-like and hour and half of real, quality FHE. Hopefully it won't be another 10 years before that happens again. I love the gospel-it is so cool!!!

Follow the Prophet He Knows the Way

Like so many others I was stunned and saddened to hear of President Hinkley's death last night. I know that Sister Hinkley came to get him. He has been the prophet almost all of Connor, Caleb, and Cayden's lives and almost all of Cody's. He was an amazing man and to quote my mother-in- law "There will be hole in the universe now." I am so grateful to have the gospel and I am glad to know that the Lord is in charge. There will be voting or popularity contest-the church will move forward as it always has and there will be no confusion as to who succeeds him. I am grateful for all of the many wonderful things that President Hinkley did for this church and for the gospel. He has had a great impact on my life and he will be missed.
We love you President Hinkley!

Hoop It Up!

Cayden actually got on the court with his team to play basketball last night. He didn't actually touch the ball but he was out there the whole time and he walked (not ran) up and down the court as the game went on. He had his back to the action most of the time and seriously was looking at me smiling the whole time. His coach had to take his hands part of the time and almost pull him down to the other end of the court and at one time I saw her holding his arms in the air to help him guard the other players. Oh well at least he is out there and he is not fussing about it. Maybe baseball is more his speed!



This is what he was doing most of the game-smiling back at me.



Cayden in his basketball shirt.

Cayden's coach saying "You can do it! Come on!"





Cayden standing there again. Silly Kid!

Happy Friday!!!

It's Friday-Yippee!!!!!!
10 reasons why this week has not sucked as bad as last week and why I am thankful.

1. Don is on his way home! He got an earlier flight because they stayed and worked their tails off last night so that they would not have to stay all day today!

2. My kids don't have school today!

3. I got to sleep in.

4. I got to sleep in my bed all by myself. Connor, Caleb and Cayden slept over at Dottie's house last night.

5. I helped the lady who cleans my house yesterday find a doctor for her son who is hypoglycemic. I also gave her some strips for her son's blood sugar meter because they are soooooooooo expensive and they had run out and they didn't have a prescription.

6. The hot water heater is officially fixed. It was the thermostat not the elements. A guy in our neighborhood owns the plumbing business that put in the plumbing when we built the house so Don told him Sunday what was going on and he sent someone over to fix it. For free!!

7. I don't have to do scouts for another week.

8. I only have 6 scouts as opposed to 9 that I had last month.

9. Cayden played basketball last night.

10. I went to Adult Religion yesterday-basically seminary for the old people.