September Hodgepodge!

This is my September post of random things that I didn't want to do a whole post about!

 Reagan decides to see how many headbands and bows she can fit on her head - a whole bunch for sure!!

 Morgan plays the Minute to Win it game "Face the Cookie"  Morgan managed to move the cookie down to her mouth on her second try just as time was running out.

Morgan's algebra teacher lets the kids play a Minute to Win It game after each test.  The teacher planned this one, but I am the parent who will be planning the games for the rest of the year.  This is definitely the type of volunteering that I really enjoy - planning games!!

 If you look close, you can see Kate buried in the mass of stuff animals.  You have to look close, though!

She is easier to spot in this close-up picture.  I love how her eyes are open and she is peeking out.  She was more than happy to sit there with all the stuffed animals on her while we were in the room.  However, as soon as we walked out.  She immediately got up and followed us!

Soccer

Morgan and I didn't get back from Emporia in time for Maddie's soccer game.  However, Mark took a bunch of great pictures!

 Maddie's best quality in playing soccer is her aggressiveness and fearless attitude.  She is definitely an attacker!!

Emporia

Morgan read all of the required William Allen White books and earned a field trip to the William Allen White Awards.  All of the kids from our district that read the required books get to ride a bus to Emporia on a Saturday.  Parents could also come and Morgan wanted me to come.

Morgan was really excited to go but I must admit that when we left in the morning I didn't have the best attitude in the world.  I could definitely think of things I would rather do on a September Saturday, such as do some projects, watch football, etc.!!

However, I went and it really was much better than I expected.  It was fun to spend time with Morgan.  I also ran into, Lee, one of my friends from church who is no longer in my ward.  I got to talk to Lee for about a half hour which was really great.  It was also fun to see Morgan's happy go lucky attitude and how much fun she was having

 Morgan shows off 2 of her leaf friends that she found; a big one and a little one!

 Morgan posing with Emporia State's mascot!

Our group posing with the mascot.

 We had a little extra time before the awards to explore the library.  Morgan's idea of exploring the library was walking up and down every aisle of books as fast as she could to see how many floors she could cover.  Her friend Sarah did it with her.  I followed along, but I missed an aisle here and there.   They covered about half of the floors before we ran out of time.  Morgan told Sarah that they both need to come on this trip next year so they can finish the job!  Sarah wasn't quite so anxious to finish up next year!!  I have definitely never had that much exercise in a library before!  Morgan also had a great time taking pictures of her visit!

At the end we went to the awards where they presented 2 of the William Allen White authors awards.  It was fun to hear the authors talk about their books.

After the awards we went to lunch.  Morgan and her friends chose McDonalds.  I think Morgan wanted McDonalds because of the free wifi.  They downloaded a few game apps while we were there that they could play on the ipad on the way home.  We then rode the bus home and we were home by about 2 so I even still got my fill of football in for the day!!

MS banquet

I took a 48 hour trip to Utah so that I could be in town for the Multiple Sclerosis banquet where my Dad was getting a Lifetime Achievement Award.  The event was held at the La Caille which is a really fancy restaurant in Salt Lake.  It is up on the east bench in a really pretty setting.

 Dick Rosetta (a long-time editor for the tribune) and my Dad.

 Phil Johnson and his wife and son and my Dad.  Phil Johnson recently retired as an assistant for the Utah Jazz.  Towards the beginning of my Dad's career, he was the Weber State basketball coach so my Dad has known him for a long time.

Dad accepting his award.

Jimmer received the award for the best male collegiate athlete, but unfortunately he was out of town and wasn't there to receive it.  That was kind of a bummer.

Even though my trip was short, it was fun and very worthwhile.  I got to see my family, two really good friends and Marissa.  I was definitely glad I went.

Pranking at College

Marissa has all ready started getting in on some pranks at college.  I was a real prankster at college and so was Rebecca & Ashley's mom.  Its really funny because she had even done some of the really funny ones that I had done, even some that aren't too common.  So those 3 girls are having a great time following in their mothers' footsteps.

About 1:30 in the morning, Marissa and Ashley were in their room and they heard a really loud noise which they could tell was coming from Rebecca and Christina's room.  Marissa jumped up and ran across the hall and saw the shattered window and the 3 boys who had launched the water balloon on the outside of it.  All the girls thought it was really funny, but they felt sorry for the boys.  They had to wake up their RA, but luckily they have a really great RA.  Once she was awake, she thought it was funny.  They still had to follow the rules, though, and call the police, etc.

There were shards of glass everywhere.  In the end, Christina and Rebecca ended up dragging their mattresses across the hall and they slept in Marissa & Ashley's room for the night.

Marissa called me the next day to tell me about it because she thought it was so great and she knew I would appreciate it.  Later that evening, I was telling Mark about it and Rob was there.  Rob could not comprehend why anyone would launch a water balloon at a window.  He said, "I promise you when I'm in college I will never do something like that.  That is just dumb!" ( and I definitely believe him).  Mark's response was "That definitely sounds like something I would have done in college!"  I had to agree that it was also something I would have done.  Rob was just standing their in disbelief shaking his head.  It was funny!

 Ashley, Rebecca, Christina & Marissa.

 Little holes left in the wall after they picked out the shards of glass.

 Glass on the carpet.

In this picture you can see the glass on the carpet as well as the boarded up window.

All the boys and girls involved were pretty proud that their incident made the "Police Beat" in the Daily Universe.  Marissa had this hanging on her bulletin board.  They all thought it was funny that the boys were called perpetrators and the boys were really happy to see the statement that no legal action was taken because they came forward.  They were still a little bit worried about the final outcome.

 Ashley and Rebecca skyped their Mom asking her to help them come up with a way to get the boys back and this is the idea she gave them.  They had window paint (which their Mom had sent with them to BYU) so they went and wrote this on Nick's car.  They then started getting worried that no one would call so they called friends and relatives to call and make inquiry's.  Afterwards the boys said it was pretty obvious who had done this because all of the people calling were either from New Mexico or Kansas!  Whoops!  Nick actually left it on his car for a day or so, but then he was going to go wash it off because he was starting to get way too many phone calls.

The side view of the car and you can also see the reflection of Nick taking the picture.

Marissa is definitely having a good time at college.  It's probably good she's not working so she at least can find a little bit of time to study.  She is definitely not having a problem finding time to play!

Party in a Box

My friend, Alisa, has been doing cooking and craft things on KSL tv and Studio 5 for years.  It just so happened that she was doing it today while I was in town so I went with her.  I loved it.  It was alot of fun.

Some of the stuff that Alisa had set up to demo doing a party in a box.

 Alisa, along with the co-hosts Brooke and Darin.

Alisa had a bunch of helium balloons in that big box and their strings were secured to the bottom.  She had Brooke open the box and then the balloons started to come out.

Maddie's 1st soccer game of the season

Today was Maddie's first soccer game for this season.  I had the camera out in the beginning, but it started to rain so I had to put it away and thus I didn't get any action pictures when she was the goalie.

 Maddie played goalie in the 1st half.  She allowed one goal to score, but she made lots and lots of stops.

 Maddie is really aggressive when she plays.  She isn't afraid to go up and get the ball away from another girl.

 In this picture, you can see her forehead well where she has the glue.

Maddie defending!

Labor Day

On Labor Day, Mark and I decided to go to a matinee show of  "The Help".  I had read the book and heard the movie was great as well.  I felt bad leaving the kids home, but I agreed nonetheless.  When we got home, Maddie had a big gash in her forehead from being poked with a broom.  Mark ended up taking her to the ER so she could get the cut glued shut.  Luckily, the wait wasn't bad at the ER so they weren't gone for hours.

 After we were all back home, I helped the girls get the stuff out to make duct tape flip flops.  This was an activity we were going to do in the summer, but never got ot.

Maddie & Reagan with some of the flip flops they made.

Bobblehead Day

We went to Kansas City to see the Royals play the Indians.  The real reason we went to the game was to get a free Joakim Soria bobblehead or make that a family of Joakim Soria bobbleheads.

 It was Mexican day at the stadium today.

 The Royals score a run, often a rare occurrence.  However, today they scored 5 and they even won!

 The kids watch the game.

 When Johnny Giavotella got up to bat about the 2nd or 3rd time, Mark asked Rob if he ever hits homers.  Rob said that he has hit one this season.  Right then he hit his 2nd and it was just barely over the wall, but it was still a homerun!

 The game was supposed to start at 6, but it started about a half hour late due to a rain delay.  Before the game it was downpouring!!  There was also a short delay towards the beginning of the game, but no rain after that.  The game was still dun before 9:30 so it was a pretty short game.

Our family of Bobbleheads.  We have one more, but Rob had all ready taken his down to his room and didn't want to go get it.

Shopping

While we were in Kansas City, we went shopping at Legends which is one of our favorite places to shop in KC.  It is definitely the place we go shopping the most in KC because it is right by Cabela's.  I dropped the boys off at Cabela's and then the girls ate lunch at Applebee's and went shopping.  Grandma Hislop gave me some money for each of the kids to buy some school clothes.  They were super excited to get a few more clothes for school!

 Morgan was our frugal spender today.  She spent around 60 cents for these shorts.  They are a bit big, but she bought them so she could cut them up and make headbands  Creative girl!

 Reagan is wearing and holding the clothes she got.

 Maddie wearing some of her clothes.  She was super excited about the vest.

 Maddie with more of her clothes.

Maddie & Reagan's new shoes.

Cheerleader

Morgan's first game as a middle school chearleader.  Morgan does a great job smiling and yelling loud.

 Morgan

 The cheerleaders watching the game

 A group shot of some the cheerleaders cheering