We just sat through the COLDEST SOCCER GAME that we have ever been to (I'm sure I say that every year but it was really cold today). No, there wasn't snow but it was a cold wind that was blowing!!
We drove to the field and it was windy and cold. I had Courtney put pants and a sweat shirt on under her uniform and I was really glad. But the cold seemed to energize the girls because they did really well. Courtney made a goal that was all her and was one where she had to take the ball from the opposite side of the field to the goal. It was impressive. But I was happy when the game was over!
Courtney has one more soccer game of the season.
Saturday, November 5, 2011
Friday, November 4, 2011
The Fun of Speaking Spanish
I am the first to admit that my Spanish is pretty rusty and I get so nervous speaking it in front of people that I forget any words that I do remember but....I do remember enough to catch people trying to take advantage of me. And I do enjoy bartering. ;)
We are selling our crib and changing table on Craigslist and had a couple who wanted to come by and look at it. After a quite humorous phone call to give them directions to our house, they arrived to look at our stuff. They were both Latinos. The wife spoke English really well but the husband did not speaking any English.
They looked at the crib and then I took them downstairs to look at the changing table and hutch. All through the process they were speaking to each other in Spanish and I quietly listened and waited...waited for the perfect time to freak them out.
After looking at the changing table they seemed excited and wanted the crib/changing table stuff. The wife asked (in English), "You want $175, right?" I said that was correct and then the husband said to his wife (in Spanish), "I think we could get her down to $135." I looked at him and said (in Spanish), "You think I'll take $135. No, I won't but I'll take $150."
I wish there was a way to freeze someone face at certain moment because the startled look on that couple's faces at that particular moment was priceless!! Needless to say, they were very guarded with what they said to each other after that, but they did decide to buy the stuff. After that, I made sure to answer their questions in Spanish.
It was pretty fun and Bryan was giddy when I told him what had happened. He loves it when I catch people with my Spanish. No one expects a gringa in St. George, Utah to speak Spanish.
We are selling our crib and changing table on Craigslist and had a couple who wanted to come by and look at it. After a quite humorous phone call to give them directions to our house, they arrived to look at our stuff. They were both Latinos. The wife spoke English really well but the husband did not speaking any English.
They looked at the crib and then I took them downstairs to look at the changing table and hutch. All through the process they were speaking to each other in Spanish and I quietly listened and waited...waited for the perfect time to freak them out.
After looking at the changing table they seemed excited and wanted the crib/changing table stuff. The wife asked (in English), "You want $175, right?" I said that was correct and then the husband said to his wife (in Spanish), "I think we could get her down to $135." I looked at him and said (in Spanish), "You think I'll take $135. No, I won't but I'll take $150."
I wish there was a way to freeze someone face at certain moment because the startled look on that couple's faces at that particular moment was priceless!! Needless to say, they were very guarded with what they said to each other after that, but they did decide to buy the stuff. After that, I made sure to answer their questions in Spanish.
It was pretty fun and Bryan was giddy when I told him what had happened. He loves it when I catch people with my Spanish. No one expects a gringa in St. George, Utah to speak Spanish.
Tuesday, November 1, 2011
Halloween Fairy
I was informed, by Ethan, that the Halloween Fairy didn't do a very good job this year. Courtney got a making jewelery set and Ethan got a magic rock garden set. He wasn't too impressed and said he wanted Legos. This may be the last year for the Halloween Fairy in our house. ;)
Halloween Evening!
Since I was at the school, I grabbed the kids and we went to the store to get pumpkins. I had been trying to avoid this part of Halloween but they so nicely reminded me that it's something we "have to do!" Courtney had a free pumpkin coupon so it worked out. And, as a bonus, I sweet-talked the kids into drawing faces on their pumpkins instead of us having to carve them!! It worked great. When we got home they began drawing and had so much fun. It took a lot less time and wasn't a huge mess.
My parents came over at 4:30 to take their pictures and give them their candy bar.
Is it obvious to anyone else that I'm going to have to take the Calvin and Hobbes books away from Ethan?!?!
Then we took off for the neighborhood party and fun with friends. Our neighborhood is so great because it's a huge pot luck with bounce houses and tons of talking. The kids love it and the adults look forward to it each year.
There were some fun additions this year. A group of girls did a dance for everyone (it was really good) and a cupcake walk was held for the little kids.
We also had the traditional 2 bounce houses. The little kids get one and the older boys (teenagers) take over the other one and wrestle. Usually someone gets hurt. Last year Ethan's glasses were broken, this year he was kneed in the nose pretty hard. But they still have fun!
Here is Courtney attacking the banana:
Ethan with Brennon and Braydon.
When it started getting dark (kind of) the kids split into groups and began trick-or-treating. I ran home to hand out candy while Bryan went as a parent with one group. It's a great time for the dads to chat and not feel like they are gossiping like women. ;) I got our luminaries out we had made weeks before and lit them. They looked great....until people began stepping on them and breaking them. Oh well. Next year I will put them more on the porch so they are decorations rather than lighting the way. Or I may put them in front of the garage where people don't walk.
When the kids got home it was time for them to sort out their loot. They are allowed to keep 5 pieces of candy each (Bryan and I also get 5 candies from their loot) and the rest is set out for the Halloween Fairy to take and leave a toy in it's place. This was a rough part for Ethan because he couldn't decide what to give and take.
They usually dump it out on the floor, divide it into piles of alike items and then they mull over what they want to keep.
After the decision was made they spent the rest of the evening (until bedtime) opening the door for trick-or-treaters and trying to scare them by yelling "boo!" They got a few but for the most part people just looked at them strange. ;)
It was a fun day/night and the kids had a great time!! Now on to Thanksgiving...unless you go to a sctore and then it's on to Christmas. ugh!!
My parents came over at 4:30 to take their pictures and give them their candy bar.
Is it obvious to anyone else that I'm going to have to take the Calvin and Hobbes books away from Ethan?!?!
Then we took off for the neighborhood party and fun with friends. Our neighborhood is so great because it's a huge pot luck with bounce houses and tons of talking. The kids love it and the adults look forward to it each year.There were some fun additions this year. A group of girls did a dance for everyone (it was really good) and a cupcake walk was held for the little kids.
We also had the traditional 2 bounce houses. The little kids get one and the older boys (teenagers) take over the other one and wrestle. Usually someone gets hurt. Last year Ethan's glasses were broken, this year he was kneed in the nose pretty hard. But they still have fun!Here is Courtney attacking the banana:
Ethan with Brennon and Braydon.
When it started getting dark (kind of) the kids split into groups and began trick-or-treating. I ran home to hand out candy while Bryan went as a parent with one group. It's a great time for the dads to chat and not feel like they are gossiping like women. ;) I got our luminaries out we had made weeks before and lit them. They looked great....until people began stepping on them and breaking them. Oh well. Next year I will put them more on the porch so they are decorations rather than lighting the way. Or I may put them in front of the garage where people don't walk.
When the kids got home it was time for them to sort out their loot. They are allowed to keep 5 pieces of candy each (Bryan and I also get 5 candies from their loot) and the rest is set out for the Halloween Fairy to take and leave a toy in it's place. This was a rough part for Ethan because he couldn't decide what to give and take.
They usually dump it out on the floor, divide it into piles of alike items and then they mull over what they want to keep. 
After the decision was made they spent the rest of the evening (until bedtime) opening the door for trick-or-treaters and trying to scare them by yelling "boo!" They got a few but for the most part people just looked at them strange. ;)
It was a fun day/night and the kids had a great time!! Now on to Thanksgiving...unless you go to a sctore and then it's on to Christmas. ugh!!
Courtney's Class Party
Courtney's class party was after the parade (which worked out great because I could help in both parties and see the parade!). The room mom had a hectic weekend so she didn't get anything planned until Sunday night so I had to run to the store early Monday to get some supplies.
They had four stations: caramel apple monsters, scary story telling, ghost making and painting. She also had a cake walk (with candy), a "how many candies are in the bottle" guessing game and a craft to make a bag. It was a great party but really packed with things that we didn't have time for. Ugh! But the kids had a great time.
Courtney loved making the caramel apple monster. They got to dip the apple and then put body parts on it. They turned out cute.
Here is Courtney decorating her bag:
Then she went to the guessing table, made her basket and rotated to the scary story telling. They had to fill in a paper with words and then they read the story. It was funny.
Courtney then rotated to a ghost making station. This was the one I helped with because it was a big project for kids to do in 10 minutes. We stapled arms onto a paper plate while the kids drew their faces on it. They were supposed to cut out pieces from construction paper but it wasn't working at all, so they got to draw.
Then they rotated to the coloring station where they got to color a mask.
When they were all finished the winner was announced of the guessing game and they played a "cake walk" type game to win candy/stickers. By this time the bell had rung so they had to quickly clean up and go home.The kids had a great time!!
The Halloween Parade
In years past they have had the parade in the morning. The way they do the parade is that one class begins and they travel through each classroom in the school with that classroom full of kids joining at the end. When everyone is attached they go outside so parents can see them. After the parade they would all gather on the basketball court outside and dance. It was hilarious and so much fun.
For the last two years they haven't had the dance party on the basketball court and then this year the parade was in the afternoon. But the kids still loved giving the other kids high-5s as they went through the classrooms. And then they get to see everyone's costumes.
Courtney was a vampire and Ethan was a ninja.
Here is Courtney with her friend, Courtney.
Here is Ethan with his class.
For the last two years they haven't had the dance party on the basketball court and then this year the parade was in the afternoon. But the kids still loved giving the other kids high-5s as they went through the classrooms. And then they get to see everyone's costumes.
Courtney was a vampire and Ethan was a ninja.
Here is Courtney with her friend, Courtney.
Here is Ethan with his class.
Ethan's Class Party
The school Halloween Parade was in the afternoon this year (a bad idea, in my opinion because the kids couldn't go to school in their costumes and had to change after lunch so it was a mess) so Ethan's class had their party before the parade. After they ate lunch they hurried back to their classroom to get dressed in their costumes.
The party was split into four stations: cookie decorating, pictionary, pumpkin guts and bowling. Ethan and his good friend, Cody, started at pictionary. They had a lot of fun with that one because they had "practiced" at Ethan's party the Saturday before.
They rotated to the pumpkin guts game. Now, Ethan has a really strong gag reflex and this game made him nervous. They had to dig in cold spaghetti inside a pumpkin until they found a marble. They put an apron on Ethan, blindfolded him and off he went....and immediately began to gag. I was nervous he was going to throw up. The woman in charge of the game immediately told him to take his hands out and wash them. He felt a bit bad about not finishing the game but was pale and didn't feel very good for a while afterward so he agreed that it was best that he not play "gross out" games. For the next 10 minutes, every time he thought of the pumpkin guts game he would start gagging.
I had to take a picture to prove that he tried but you can tell that he is gagging and the woman behind him is telling him to take his hands out.
Then they moved on to the cookie decorating station. I helped with this station but really didn't do much. It was a simple station so I helped the mom in charge (Cody's mom) put out the cookies and then the kids were on their own. It gave me time to take pictures and chat with the other moms.
They then bowled, which was fun but not to great for pictures. Ethan and Cody wanted their picture taken with Mrs. Belliston, their teacher. She is great!
When the party was over I ran outside to get into position for the parade.
The party was split into four stations: cookie decorating, pictionary, pumpkin guts and bowling. Ethan and his good friend, Cody, started at pictionary. They had a lot of fun with that one because they had "practiced" at Ethan's party the Saturday before.
They rotated to the pumpkin guts game. Now, Ethan has a really strong gag reflex and this game made him nervous. They had to dig in cold spaghetti inside a pumpkin until they found a marble. They put an apron on Ethan, blindfolded him and off he went....and immediately began to gag. I was nervous he was going to throw up. The woman in charge of the game immediately told him to take his hands out and wash them. He felt a bit bad about not finishing the game but was pale and didn't feel very good for a while afterward so he agreed that it was best that he not play "gross out" games. For the next 10 minutes, every time he thought of the pumpkin guts game he would start gagging.
I had to take a picture to prove that he tried but you can tell that he is gagging and the woman behind him is telling him to take his hands out.
Then they moved on to the cookie decorating station. I helped with this station but really didn't do much. It was a simple station so I helped the mom in charge (Cody's mom) put out the cookies and then the kids were on their own. It gave me time to take pictures and chat with the other moms.
They then bowled, which was fun but not to great for pictures. Ethan and Cody wanted their picture taken with Mrs. Belliston, their teacher. She is great!
When the party was over I ran outside to get into position for the parade.
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