Friday, October 27, 2017
Red Ribbon Week
It is Red Ribbon Week which means crazy socks, crazy hair and sports jersey days. Courtney had me braid her hair crazy. She slept in it and it didn't end up looking as crazy as she wanted it to, but we tried.
Note to Self...
When you hide Oreos, don't put them on top of the fridge because your son is taller than you are and he can see on top of the fridge and will find them. I forgot that I put them up there (because I can't see the top of the fridge) until Wednesday when Ethan asked if I had plans for the Oreos I had hidden on top of the fridge. I told him no and he said "good because I ate half of them yesterday and you didn't say anything so I ate the rest of them today." Yup, that's how it goes in our house.
Mole Day
October 23rd is Mole Day. It has something to do with chemistry and something being 10 to the 23rd power. You'll have to ask Ethan about it. All I know is that he had to have "mole gear" so he could get bonus points in Chemistry. I ordered him a mole shirt off Amazon and paid for overnight shipping but it didn't come and it had been a week. I was peeved and Amazon kept telling me that they "guaranteed" it would be there by the 20th but it wasn't. So I had to make a shirt for him myself.
I bought a gray shirt and we had some iron on stuff to make t shirts. The only problem was that we were out of ink in our inkjet printer and that's what I needed to use to make the iron on. I asked a neighbor if they would be willing to print it off for me and they were happy to. So I got the t shirt made!
I think it turned out well. Ethan also made cupcakes to take for the party. They were vanilla cupcakes with frosting on them. We crushed up Oreos to put on top and then we made moles from rolled out Tootsie Rolls. They were fun but overnight they kind of melted. I think it made them look cool. I'm sure they tasted good no matter how they looked. Although they kind of look like brown ducks....or a platypus.
He had fun taking them for his class and he got bonus points to boot!
I bought a gray shirt and we had some iron on stuff to make t shirts. The only problem was that we were out of ink in our inkjet printer and that's what I needed to use to make the iron on. I asked a neighbor if they would be willing to print it off for me and they were happy to. So I got the t shirt made!
I think it turned out well. Ethan also made cupcakes to take for the party. They were vanilla cupcakes with frosting on them. We crushed up Oreos to put on top and then we made moles from rolled out Tootsie Rolls. They were fun but overnight they kind of melted. I think it made them look cool. I'm sure they tasted good no matter how they looked. Although they kind of look like brown ducks....or a platypus.
He had fun taking them for his class and he got bonus points to boot!
Moab Mountain Bike Race 4
Ethan had a race in Moab. It was going to be crazy because it was UEA for the North part of the state so we knew it was going to be crazy busy in Moab. I found us an Airbnb where we would have a room at a campground. It wasn't much but it was better than sleeping on the ground.
This is our room:
Bryan and Ethan got to pre-ride the course on Friday night (Courtney stayed home with Grandma and Grandpa Oman). They had a great time. It was windy but windy in the right places so it pushed them up the hill. Ethan was excited because it was a fun course. We told him to have fun while he was riding.
We had quite a time getting food on Friday night. We didn't want to do the team dinner because we figured it would be easier for us to get food in Moab. But there were a ton of people! It took us about 40 minutes to drive 6 miles, so while we were in stop and go traffic, I got online and ordered a pizza from Pizza Hut. As we drove by, we stopped to get the pizza and found out that it hadn't even been started yet, although the internet told us it would be done in 20 minutes. So we cancelled our order because we didn't want to wait there for an hour and a half! But we soon realized that every place else was packed!
We went to our Airbnb, checked in, ordered another pizza from Pizza Hut, got Netflix going, and then Bryan went to town to get the pizza. He was gone for a long time but the pizza was finally ready and he was able to bring it back to us. It was so crazy how busy it was!
Our pit zone was right by the race start so it was fun to cheer for everyone as they started. Ethan rode in the morning He wanted to sleep in so I drove Bryan out to the race early so he could volunteer. The plus was that the parking lot was about a mile from the race start and pit zones. But if you were a volunteer, you could get a pass that would let you park in a lot only about 1/2 mile from the pit zones. After I dropped Bryan off (while wearing my pjs, I was quite a sight), I drove back and waited for Ethan to get up. I went to shower and get ready and Ethan got his kit on while I was gone.
We drove out, parked, and then Ethan rode to the pit zone while I pulled the wagon with all our chairs and coats in it.
I thought this was a funny sign because I fit into the "wobbly bikers" category. haha!
There he goes to the pit zone. As you can see, it was really dusty.
I set our stuff up in the pit zone, we ate breakfast, then we went walking around to see where everything was. Bryan was a course marshal across from the pit zones so I got to see him in the binoculars. Then it was time for Ethan to get ready to ride.
They do "Power Pose" at the beginning and I haven't ever seen it. I was so glad I got to see it this time. They get into a power pose, do breathing exercises, hype themselves up, and then get on their bikes to warm up. It was fun to watch.
Then it was time for Ethan to race. I ran over to watch him line up and then ran back to the pit zone so I could see him go by.
Here he is getting in the chute according to his staging number.
He is off!
This is Ethan going by Ethan's marshal spot. You can tell he is having fun because he sticks his tongue out at Bryan and seems to be doing really well.
Bryan took this picture as Ethan went by. What a great pic!
There was a crazy turn that connected the first lap to the start chute. I stood there with a friend (another Monkey mom) and watched rider after rider crash on the turn. Ethan and I had watched for a while before he got ready to ride so he could figure out how to maneuver it safely. But the other mom and I were pretty nervous because it was a sharp, gravel turn. But Ethan did a great job!
After Ethan went by, I ran to the finish line so I could see him finish.
He did great and had a fun time riding Moab. I took a picture of hie race stats and he went up in the standings! He was happy with his results.
While we waited for Bryan to finish up his volunteer spot, we ate lunch in the pit zone and then watched other races and cheered on other Monkeys.
When Ethan was changing out of his kit, he noticed that he had a slice on his leg. He can't remember getting it but he has a war wound.
This is our room:
Bryan and Ethan got to pre-ride the course on Friday night (Courtney stayed home with Grandma and Grandpa Oman). They had a great time. It was windy but windy in the right places so it pushed them up the hill. Ethan was excited because it was a fun course. We told him to have fun while he was riding.
We had quite a time getting food on Friday night. We didn't want to do the team dinner because we figured it would be easier for us to get food in Moab. But there were a ton of people! It took us about 40 minutes to drive 6 miles, so while we were in stop and go traffic, I got online and ordered a pizza from Pizza Hut. As we drove by, we stopped to get the pizza and found out that it hadn't even been started yet, although the internet told us it would be done in 20 minutes. So we cancelled our order because we didn't want to wait there for an hour and a half! But we soon realized that every place else was packed!
We went to our Airbnb, checked in, ordered another pizza from Pizza Hut, got Netflix going, and then Bryan went to town to get the pizza. He was gone for a long time but the pizza was finally ready and he was able to bring it back to us. It was so crazy how busy it was!
Our pit zone was right by the race start so it was fun to cheer for everyone as they started. Ethan rode in the morning He wanted to sleep in so I drove Bryan out to the race early so he could volunteer. The plus was that the parking lot was about a mile from the race start and pit zones. But if you were a volunteer, you could get a pass that would let you park in a lot only about 1/2 mile from the pit zones. After I dropped Bryan off (while wearing my pjs, I was quite a sight), I drove back and waited for Ethan to get up. I went to shower and get ready and Ethan got his kit on while I was gone.
We drove out, parked, and then Ethan rode to the pit zone while I pulled the wagon with all our chairs and coats in it.
I thought this was a funny sign because I fit into the "wobbly bikers" category. haha!
There he goes to the pit zone. As you can see, it was really dusty.
I set our stuff up in the pit zone, we ate breakfast, then we went walking around to see where everything was. Bryan was a course marshal across from the pit zones so I got to see him in the binoculars. Then it was time for Ethan to get ready to ride.
They do "Power Pose" at the beginning and I haven't ever seen it. I was so glad I got to see it this time. They get into a power pose, do breathing exercises, hype themselves up, and then get on their bikes to warm up. It was fun to watch.
Then it was time for Ethan to race. I ran over to watch him line up and then ran back to the pit zone so I could see him go by.
Here he is getting in the chute according to his staging number.
He is off!
This is Ethan going by Ethan's marshal spot. You can tell he is having fun because he sticks his tongue out at Bryan and seems to be doing really well.
Bryan took this picture as Ethan went by. What a great pic!
There was a crazy turn that connected the first lap to the start chute. I stood there with a friend (another Monkey mom) and watched rider after rider crash on the turn. Ethan and I had watched for a while before he got ready to ride so he could figure out how to maneuver it safely. But the other mom and I were pretty nervous because it was a sharp, gravel turn. But Ethan did a great job!
After Ethan went by, I ran to the finish line so I could see him finish.
He did great and had a fun time riding Moab. I took a picture of hie race stats and he went up in the standings! He was happy with his results.
While we waited for Bryan to finish up his volunteer spot, we ate lunch in the pit zone and then watched other races and cheered on other Monkeys.
When Ethan was changing out of his kit, he noticed that he had a slice on his leg. He can't remember getting it but he has a war wound.
Honda CRX si
It's October! That means that the CRX needs to have an inspection and it's registration renewed. That also meant that we had to get it working so it could be inspected. I resigned myself to needing to have it towed to the garage. But when the man came to tow the car, he opened it up, looked at it, and then told me how to fix it ourselves. It was really easy. We had to change a blown out fuse, get the battery recharged and filled with water, and change the negative clamp to connect the battery. Ethan was able to do it and I was able to show him how to change a battery and stuff. It was a lot of fun.
After we got it working, Ethan had me drive it to the front of our house and then he wanted to try driving it. I gave him a quick lesson on how to drive a manual and then we were off...with a huge jerk. He made it to the end of the street and stopped at the stop sign before saying he wanted to go to a parking lot to drive instead of on the streets. So I drove to Harmon's where we filled the tires with air before going to the Church parking lot.
Ethan did really well. He killed it a few times and he had a couple brain lapses where he forgot about the clutch, but he did well for his first time. He got the hang of it and drove us home.
However, after driving it for a few days, I went out to start it and it made some crazy loud noises (like it was going to blow up) and now I can't get it to start. So we may have to get it towed anyway. But at least we got it working long enough to get the inspection done!
After we got it working, Ethan had me drive it to the front of our house and then he wanted to try driving it. I gave him a quick lesson on how to drive a manual and then we were off...with a huge jerk. He made it to the end of the street and stopped at the stop sign before saying he wanted to go to a parking lot to drive instead of on the streets. So I drove to Harmon's where we filled the tires with air before going to the Church parking lot.
Ethan did really well. He killed it a few times and he had a couple brain lapses where he forgot about the clutch, but he did well for his first time. He got the hang of it and drove us home.
However, after driving it for a few days, I went out to start it and it made some crazy loud noises (like it was going to blow up) and now I can't get it to start. So we may have to get it towed anyway. But at least we got it working long enough to get the inspection done!
Monster Door
While Courtney was at Andrew and Jessica's house, she helped put up a monster door. They had extra stuff, so they gave it to us to use on our door. Courtney had a lot of fun getting it all put together and on our door and I think it turned out really well!
Cuddling
They love each other and I am happy. Right before this picture was taken they were probably fighting over who was on which cushion and Courtney was probably yelling at Ethan to get his big feet off her cushion. But at this moment, they were loving to each other.
Kamas Mountain Bike Race 3
Ethan had another Mountain Bike race, this time in Kamas. Courtney wanted to go but didn't want to sit around doing nothing and freezing, like last time. We called Andrew and Jessica. They were very happy to take Courtney for the night and she was thrilled!!
We went to the pre-ride and Bryan and Ethan had a great time. They said it was a fun course and were excited to ride it the next day. The weather forecast, which we were watching closely, showed that there was a small chance of precipitation but we weren't too worried.
We went to the team dinner before going back to our hotel in Heber (which was the same place we stayed in last time and was kind of a dive). We ate dinner, went to bed, and woke up to wind and SNOW!
We got a notification that the race was cancelled due to snow We were NOT HAPPY! This was the second race to be cancelled before Ethan could race. Lucky for us (I guess), they hadn't started the race so we wouldn't forfeit his race fee. They posted pictures of the pit zone and there was a ton of snow in Kamas.
We got ready for the day, talked to Andrew about the days' plan, and then went for breakfast. By the time we were in Provo, the weather had cleared up and it was a perfect day for mountain biking. It was so frustrating. But we decided to make a vacation out of it. It was our Fall Break anyway!
We went to Andrew and Jessica's house and played with Elizabeth and Clara for a little while before going to the pumpkin patch in Springville. It was so much fun and just what we needed (although it was frustrating to have a perfect mountain biking day and have the race cancelled!).
Ethan got to hold Lizzie and he really loved it! Courtney had been holding her while she was there so she was a pro. Ethan was still a little nervous.
We had fun at the pumpkin patch playing in the corn, going down slides, and playing around. It was great!
We went to the pre-ride and Bryan and Ethan had a great time. They said it was a fun course and were excited to ride it the next day. The weather forecast, which we were watching closely, showed that there was a small chance of precipitation but we weren't too worried.
We got a notification that the race was cancelled due to snow We were NOT HAPPY! This was the second race to be cancelled before Ethan could race. Lucky for us (I guess), they hadn't started the race so we wouldn't forfeit his race fee. They posted pictures of the pit zone and there was a ton of snow in Kamas.
We got ready for the day, talked to Andrew about the days' plan, and then went for breakfast. By the time we were in Provo, the weather had cleared up and it was a perfect day for mountain biking. It was so frustrating. But we decided to make a vacation out of it. It was our Fall Break anyway!
We went to Andrew and Jessica's house and played with Elizabeth and Clara for a little while before going to the pumpkin patch in Springville. It was so much fun and just what we needed (although it was frustrating to have a perfect mountain biking day and have the race cancelled!).
Ethan got to hold Lizzie and he really loved it! Courtney had been holding her while she was there so she was a pro. Ethan was still a little nervous.
We had fun at the pumpkin patch playing in the corn, going down slides, and playing around. It was great!
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| Playing chess with little pumpkins |
Going through the corn maze. We cheated but we made it out.
Where are his legs?
Where are her legs?
Ethan had to use his long legs and challenged Bryan to a race to the top. Ethan won.
Andrew and Jessica did their job...Courtney was exhausted and slept on the way home.
Ethan is taller!
Ethan has been shooting up. I think he has been going through a growth spurt so we had to see if he was taller than Bryan...and he is!
Courtney's Phone
I plugged Courtney's phone in the other day and saw her wallpaper. I thought it was so sweet that she loves her brother enough that she has his face on her wallpaper. They are so cute together. Yes, they bug each other and get on each other's nerves, but they love each other and have each other's backs.
New Toilet
I thought I would update you on the state of the toilet room we have been adding to the house.
This is what the hallway has looked like with the doorway filled in.
A plumber came to put in the toilet. He had to drill a hole through the tile so he could get the pipes all fitted. It was such a pain because it made so much smoke that the smoke detectors kept going off and I think the plumber was getting a bit ticked off. But he did a great job getting the basic stuff in.
The plumber left it as this and then Bryan started finishing the wall the next day. We need to texturize the wall and paint it before he comes back and puts the toilet in. Courtney is really excited!
This is what the hallway has looked like with the doorway filled in.
A plumber came to put in the toilet. He had to drill a hole through the tile so he could get the pipes all fitted. It was such a pain because it made so much smoke that the smoke detectors kept going off and I think the plumber was getting a bit ticked off. But he did a great job getting the basic stuff in.
The plumber left it as this and then Bryan started finishing the wall the next day. We need to texturize the wall and paint it before he comes back and puts the toilet in. Courtney is really excited!
Bryan Biffed
Bryan crashed on his mountain bike during Monkey training. Courtney thought it was so cool because his one cut looked like Harry Potter's scar. ;)
Poor Bryan had scraped all over. He crashed really well!
Poor Bryan had scraped all over. He crashed really well!
Courtney's New Glasses
Courtney needed new glasses because her eyes have gotten a little bit better. She had been complaining that her glasses weren't helping her see at all. So I took her to the eye doctor and had her eyes checked. He confirmed that her eye sight had gotten a little bit better so her prescription had to change. She tried wearing contacts but didn't like them as much. The probably wasn't the right prescription either.
We don't buy our glasses from the eye doctor's office because they are usually super expensive. So we get them from Zinni Optical online. That has worked out for us. Courtney got online and picked out the glasses she wanted and then we bought them. When they got to us, she loved them! The only problem was that they look a bit fake so for the first few days, kids at school kept putting their fingers on the lenses to see if they were real. She has gotten very good at cleaning her glasses now. ;)
Such a cute girl in her new glasses!
We don't buy our glasses from the eye doctor's office because they are usually super expensive. So we get them from Zinni Optical online. That has worked out for us. Courtney got online and picked out the glasses she wanted and then we bought them. When they got to us, she loved them! The only problem was that they look a bit fake so for the first few days, kids at school kept putting their fingers on the lenses to see if they were real. She has gotten very good at cleaning her glasses now. ;)
Such a cute girl in her new glasses!
Snow Basin Mountain Race #2
Courtney wanted to pre-ride to see if she would like to be a Flying Monkey next year so we took her up with us to Snow Basin. Friday afternoon, when we did the pre-ride, it was a beautiful day. Courtney decided she would stick to soccer after riding for a little bit. Ethan said this race had "an uphill that wants to kill me, a rocky part that has been paid by the uphill to kill me, and small downhill that was fun." It was hilarious!
After the pre-ride, we drove to our hotel. I was using the GPS app on my phone to find it. The directions told us to drive and then make a U turn and the hotel would be on our left. Well, we couldn't make a U turn, ended up in heavy traffic (but we found a Little Caesars and got dinner, so it worked out), finally got turned around, and realized that the hotel had been on our right at the very first. We could have avoided 30-40 minutes of frustration and traffic if we wouldn't have used the GPS. Lesson learned! But we found dinner.
Saturday morning we woke up and it was sprinkling rain. We knew it was going to rain a bit but the forecast had it drying up in time for Ethan's race so we weren't too worried. But as the day went on, the rain got worse and worse. Bryan was a course marshal on his bike up at the top of the course, and he was getting soaked. I was helping in the pit zone cooking breakfast and lunch, so I was staying warm while it rained in the cold.
Ethan and Courtney were exploring all over and going into the really nice Lodge to keep warm.
Right when it was time for Ethan to get his kit on and get ready to ride, the officials cancelled the race due to weather. The varsity, junior devo, and girls had race but the rest had not. We were bummed because we had driven all the way up there but the conditions weren't safe for them to be riding.
We waited for a very muddy Bryan to come down to the pit zone, loaded up, and drove home. It was pretty frustrating but the weather people kept saying that we would be able to race and that the rain would pass over. But it didn't. Ugh!
After the pre-ride, we drove to our hotel. I was using the GPS app on my phone to find it. The directions told us to drive and then make a U turn and the hotel would be on our left. Well, we couldn't make a U turn, ended up in heavy traffic (but we found a Little Caesars and got dinner, so it worked out), finally got turned around, and realized that the hotel had been on our right at the very first. We could have avoided 30-40 minutes of frustration and traffic if we wouldn't have used the GPS. Lesson learned! But we found dinner.
Saturday morning we woke up and it was sprinkling rain. We knew it was going to rain a bit but the forecast had it drying up in time for Ethan's race so we weren't too worried. But as the day went on, the rain got worse and worse. Bryan was a course marshal on his bike up at the top of the course, and he was getting soaked. I was helping in the pit zone cooking breakfast and lunch, so I was staying warm while it rained in the cold.
Ethan and Courtney were exploring all over and going into the really nice Lodge to keep warm.
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| Courtney and Ethan, trying to keep out of the rain and stay warm. |
Right when it was time for Ethan to get his kit on and get ready to ride, the officials cancelled the race due to weather. The varsity, junior devo, and girls had race but the rest had not. We were bummed because we had driven all the way up there but the conditions weren't safe for them to be riding.
We waited for a very muddy Bryan to come down to the pit zone, loaded up, and drove home. It was pretty frustrating but the weather people kept saying that we would be able to race and that the rain would pass over. But it didn't. Ugh!
Hey, hey, he's a Monkey!
Ethan got his race kit. He got his kit the day before the Powder Mountain race but I didn't get pictures. Bryan likes them but I liked last year's better. The red shoulders is what everyone is happy about because we can now tell they are coming during a race. That's a plus but I still liked the blue and black of last year.
This is from the team picture but I can't tell you where Ethan is. Maybe he can find himself but I wasn't there so I don't know where he ended up.
Soccer Goofing Off
Courtney had a soccer game in Little Valley and they were hilarious as they warmed up. This is a fun team and they have a lot of fun together. Courtney is #22.
Here is the video of them:
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