Crab legs

We took the kids out to celebrate Ethan's 12th birthday, the last day of school, Courtney's piano recital, and any other thing we need to celebrate. Ethan chose Red Lobster. He was in heaven with his shrimp and crab legs. Courtney ate her usual chicken fingers and fries.

He "found the crab" for every piece of meat but he loved tearing the crab legs apart. ;)

Braces

Ethan had his orthodontist appointment today and it was a big day! His eye tooth finally came in enough that they could put a bracket on it and really start moving things. I have no idea what we have been doing for the past 9 months but apparently now things are really going to get moving. Ethan is hurting already and isn't happy about this new bracket but it will be great when he's done!

They had to put on 2 doubles on the front of the top teeth so he didn't get to have the colors alternate like normal. So there are blues on top and yellow on top.

School's Out!!

Today was the last day of school!! Ethan convinced me that he didn't need to go the last day because they were only going for 3 hours and were signing yearbooks. So I let him stay home but gave him chores to do. Courtney, wisely, decided she would rather go to school than do chores. 

This is how they felt this morning:

Let the summer begin!!!!

If a student already has their report card....

do they still have to go to school?

These last two weeks have been really frustrating for me because I have no clue as to why I send my kids to school.  Courtney has been boxing up and cleaning the classroom, having parties, going on field trips, and swimming at the SHAC.  Ethan has been watching movies, arm wrestling, cleaning, and playing games.  Child labor at it's best!

AND, Ethan's final grades were posted over 1 1/2 weeks ago and his report card was sent home 2 days ago in the email.  So...

If a student already has their report card do they still have to go to school?

We have decided that next year we are going to pull the kids out of school right after testing and take them on a big educational vacation where they will learn something during those weeks.  I told this to a friend yesterday and she said that we will only be able to do it when Ethan is in Intermediate School because finals are given in Middle School during the last week.  I think that's how it should be!!

Ethan only went to school today because he has to get his yearbook.  Courtney went today because they have another party.  But I don't know what will happen tomorrow.  Ethan will only be there for 3 hours and they aren't allowed to take a backpack, just their yearbook and a pen.  Courtney will only be there for 3 hours but she wants to go because hot lunch is sloppy joes and french fries and for some unknown reason she really wants to eat hot lunch on the last day of school.  Weird!

Duet Recital

Courtney had a duet recital Tuesday night.  I got to be her duet partner which I loved.  I think her teacher just assumes I am going to play with her which is fine with me.

We got ready and went to the piano store for the recital.  We were right on time and her piano teacher started right after we got there.  Mrs. Hunt did the announcements, we had a prayer, then the piano store lady did a 10 minute sales pitch on the pianos.  Then it was time for the recital.  Mrs. Hunt drew names from a hat for the order you would play in but, unfortunately, there were quite a few people absent or late so it took forever drawing names!

Courtney and I had this song down pat and had played it at a recital at the beginning of May but we never use the first page because it's a pain to turn pages and I didn't want to deal with it.  But Mrs. Hunt doesn't like you to have it memorized for the duet recital so we had to use the music.  This threw me off!!  So I started the song wrong and we had to start over.  Just ignore the beginning of the video if you don't want to see me crash and burn. ;)  Oh well.  We still did a great job, in my opinion.

When everyone had finally finished playing, the awards were given out.  There was a "pass off" incentive that had been in place for the past 3 months.  The students would get a reward (which she doesn't tell them before hand because then they won't work hard if they don't happen to like the reward) if they pass off 44 songs in the 3 month period.  That's an average of 4 songs per week.  Courtney worked really hard and some weeks actually passed off 6 or 7.  So she was given a can of Pringles.  She was pretty excited.

Courtney never looks very happy at piano recitals so I don't have a photo of her with a smile, but she does enjoy playing the piano.

After the recital, all the students were given a huge Butterfinger bar as their reward for performing and then the siblings were given a cupcake.  I stayed after to talk to Mrs. Hunt.  We have decided that we are going to take Courtney out of piano with Mrs. Hunt.  Courtney has signed up for orchestra for the Fall and so we want her to have a little bit less stressful piano experience while she is taking violin.  Mrs. Hunt was really good about it.  She is a really good teacher and I have appreciated the success both Ethan and Courtney have had with her.

Now on to new adventures!

Ethan's Birthday!!

Ethan always gets breakfast in bed.  He usually gets the same thing but this year there was a variation.  He got sausage, eggs, and orange juice.  He usually gets bacon too and sometimes crepes but we tried to keep it simple.  He loves having it brought in to him but he doesn't like eating it alone so after we took it in, he came to the table to eat with the rest of us.

I had meetings so I left to go to those while everyone showered and got ready for Church.  My meeting let out early so I was able to go home and help get things ready.

The meetings were really good.  Ethan sat on the stand for the beginning of Sacrament meeting and then Brother Ence presented him with his certificate of graduation from Primary and his Faith in God award.  Then they sustained him to receive the Aaronic Priesthood.  Ethan was watching the deacons like a hawk during the passing of the sacrament so he would know what to do next week.

He went to his regular Primary class while the adults went to Sunday School then Ethan followed his friends who are already 12 to Priesthood.  Bryan was looking forward to this and told Ethan that he didn't have to go back to Primary to be sung to.  They still sing the "Goodbye Goodbye" song I started when I was chorister forever ago!  Ethan doesn't like it when they sing to him.  Well, during Priesthood they introduced Ethan and then the Primary Secretary found him and told him he needed to go back to Primary to be sung to.  Bryan told her that Ethan would come when Bryan was finished with him.  So Ethan went in late, they sang to him and then he went to Deacons Quorum.  And he LOVED it!

When the block of meetings were finished, we all met up at the Bishop's office so Ethan could receive the Aaronic Priesthood and be ordained to a Deacon.  He was so excited and very ready.  Bryan gave him the most beautiful blessing and I was, once again, struck by the amazing young man Ethan is and what a blessing it is to have him as our son.  I was also struck by the great examples of the men who have gone before him who were able to stand in the circle.

Then it was time to party!!  We went home and began cooking and getting things ready for the BBQ.  Ethan and Courtney entertained with their dancing.

Here's the video:

We had BBQ ribs, shrimp kabobs, salads, fruit, and potato salad.  It was a great meal!  Usually Ethan has steak and shrimp but we compromised with ribs.  Bryan and Grandma Pack figured out how to make them so they were really tender and yummy!

It was then time for cake and ice cream and the opening presents.

This is my favorite picture of Ethan from when he was little.  This was in July of 2003, so he was just a little over 1 year old and he had figured out how to make a "mean face."  But it was just hilarious!!  So I had it printed at Albertson's on sugar paper that I could lay on the cake and it's edible.  I think it turned out cute!

 Ethan got a new mitt from Grandma and Grandpa Pack.

Grandpa Oman gave him a fishing pole and is going to have to take him fishing because we don't fish.  I don't like to clean their guts out.

 Ethan got books from Grandma and Grandpa Pack and Don and Kathy:

Courtney gave him a few drawing books:

Grandma and Grandpa Oman and Aunt Leigh Ann gave him a Nook Glowlight (just what he wanted!):

And we gave him a nice mountain bike so he and Bryan can go out and have fun!  He was so excited and had to ride it around to get the feel of it.

All in all, he had a great day!  Thanks to everyone who traveled and came to our house to spend the weekend and celebrate with Ethan.  I know it meant a lot to him to have his family around!!

Hanging Out With Family

Our plan for Saturday, before Ethan was invited to Carter's party, was to hang out in the morning, go to Courtney's soccer game, and then go to Veyo Pool to swim and catch crawdads.  Then we were going to have a BBQ at our house that night and play games.  But we had to alter the plan.

Ethan didn't want to leave Carter's birthday party and it was going to be too late to go to Veyo Pool and get home in time for the BBQ and have time for Grandma and Grandpa Pack to take him to buy his birthday present.  So we had to improvise and we let Ethan decide what he wanted to do.  So we loaded up and went down to the splash pad at Ancestor's Square to play around too.  Ethan was pretty tired and so he only played for a while but we all had fun.  Courtney had a little melt down because she was really looking forward to Veyo Pool but we will have to go another time.

After playing in the water, chatting, playing baseball, playing frisbee, and just being together, Grandpa Pack bought us ice cream and then we went home for the BBQ.

Courtney even got to play some duets with Jenny:



We played games and talked until everyone was tired and ready to go to bed.

Bryan, Courtney and I decorated for Ethan's big day and then went to bed.