Class of 2020 Kindergarten Promotion

Last Friday, was our last day of Kindergarten...FOREVER! Woo hoo! They make a big deal of it at our school. The principal annouced the class of 2020 and they marched in as parents cheered and clapped. We think it's funny, but we joined in considering we won't be doing it again. The kids sang three songs and then they awarded them their promotion certificates. In the first picture Kevin is receiving his from the principal. The next picture is of Kevin and his teacher, Mrs. Erskine. She is retiring after 30 years of teaching Kindergarten. WOW! 30 minutes with a 5- or 6-year-old is hard enough, let alone 30 years! Kevin had a great year with her. Here's how his first few days went: Mrs. Erskine on day 2--"Kevin is such a ray of sunshine in our class." Mrs. Erskine on day 3--"Could I talk to you for a minute?" Then at our first parent/teacher conference Mrs. Erskine said, "I just love that kid! Don't you just want to kiss him all the time?" Thanks to her for accepting all of his spunkiness and loving him all the same. The last two pictures are of Kevin and his girl...friends. One of the dads told the girls to put their arms around Kevin and they were so embarrassed. The bottom picture is Kevin and Gianna. I think she was his favorite all year, although he'll never admit it! Everyday after school he yelled, "Bye, Gianna!" as we were leaving the playground, and then she would yell back. Cute, cute, cute!

Emma's Webkinz Party

Emma had a great birthday on Tuesday! She was so excited to be having a party, but at school she lost a tooth and that made the day even better. She had a Webkinz party. It was so much fun. I'm including lots of details, so beware!
For the invitations I found a graphic online and copied it to my Printmaster program.

It said, "Come one, come all,
Come small, come tall,
Come cats and dogs,
And snakes and frogs,
Come me, come you,
Because it's true...
Webkinz are great
And Emma Jex is turning eight!"
The kids were also invited to bring their favorite Webkinz friend or stuffed animal.
I made a poster that said, "Today in Webkinz World," which had all of the activities that we were going to do.
3:00 Decorate the bag
3:15 Webkinz Supermodelz
3:30 Wacky's Bingoz
3:40 Rock Paper Scissors Tournament
3:50 Where's Wacky?
4:00 Operation Gumball
4:05 Arte's Gem Hunt
4:20 Chef's Challenge
4:35 Open Presents
4:50 Candy Bash

Okay, so...We started out in the living room. I had a table set up for Decorate the bags. I had colored gift bags I got at Michael's for the kids to decorate with stickers of animals and markers and crayons. These would be their take-home bags.



For Webkinz Supermodelz I cut sheets of felt in half and cut slits in the top of one side to weave ribbon through for a cape. The kids decorated their animal capes with glitter glue, feathers, pom poms, jewels, and felt star stickers.

We moved from the living room to the family room and played Wacky's Bingoz. I found a website that allows you to create your own bingo board, so that's what I did. It said WACKY at the top. We played two rounds of this and the winners each got a prize.

Next came the Rock Paper Scissors Tournament back in the living room. I think this was the most anticipated part of the whole party. It was intense! Everyone got to play at least twice until we finally had a winner. The prize for this was a Webkinz! Yay!



After that was Where's Wacky? We moved back to the family room for this game. This was just a version of Memory. I had 20 plastic cups upside down on trays with 10 pairs of small items hidden underneath: erasers, pencil sharpeners, coins, candy, etc. I think every child found a match.

Next, back to the living room for Operation Gumball. I had a small gumball machine and had the children guess how many gumballs were inside. The one who guessed nearest the actual amount won the gumball machine.



For Arte's Gem Hunt I had bowls of beads on the table in the kitchen. Each child received a length of stretchy string for them to string beads on. Some made collars for their pets, others made bracelets for themselves.

We stayed right there for the Chef's Challenge. This was cupcake time. Each child got an unfrosted cupcake to decorate however they wanted. I had chocolate and vanilla frosting, m&m's, skittles, sprinkles, mini chocolate chips, mini marshmallows, and food coloring pens. They had a blast doing this. I was amazed at their creativity!





When they were finished eating, we went back into the living room to open presents. Emma was kind of spastic about this, but it was really her first big party and I think she was a little overwhelmed. She was very excited about all the gifts, but what made me most happy was how excited she was about her new scriptures from her mom and dad. She went on and on about them and her friends were even saying, "Look, it says Emma Michelle Jex." Some of her non-LDS friends were asking, "What are scriptures?" I told her it was a good opportunity to share the gospel with them.



Anyway--sorry, I got sidetracked--last of all we went outside for the Candy Bash. Craig and Logan had rigged a pinata in the tree. The kids each had a turn whacking it until it finally broke.







Pinatas are always a hit at parties...no pun intended! HA! By this time parents were arriving to pick up their children. The party went by so fast. We had so much fun! The children were all so nice and well-behaved; she has good friends! This was probably the best party I've ever done, and I've done alot. I have to give credit where credit is due, however. I got this idea on the internet on a birthday party idea site. Also, if it weren't for the help of Craig and the kids, I would never have made it through. Thanks guys! (If your kids are into Webkinz you should try this.)

Emma's Day

Emma is turning 8 on August 5th. She is so excited to be getting baptized. Her baptism is August 9th at 4:00 pm at the Warm Springs Stake Center for anyone who would like to come. She is also excited to be able to go to Activity Days now. We were invited to go last Tuesday, July 22nd, for a Mother/Daughter Spa night. They welcomed Emma to Activity Days and gave her a binder with a Faith in God for Girls book. Then all the moms and daughters got to choose a pair of flip-flops and jewels to decorate them with.


We each also received a bag with a manicure kit and nail polish. We took turns painting each others nails. It was Emma's first time ever to paint with nail polish. She did a pretty good job!

Earlier that morning, I tried a new hairdo on her. She was NOT happy about it!!! She took it out the minute she got to school. After some convincing...she let me do it again for the Spa night. I didn't do a fantastic job, but I think it looks pretty cute. I think she didn't like it because she thought it looked too little-girlish. Why do they think they need to grow up so fast? I was happy it looked younger, because she is only 7 after all. There's plenty of time to be a grown up. (For lots of fun hair ideas, check out shedoeshair.blogspot.com.)

2nd Annual Deseret Industries Shopping Spree

Last year we had plans to go to California a few days after the 4th of July, but after it took us an hour to go from our house to Primm (about 20 miles), we decided to bag the whole thing and have a vacation at home. One day we went shopping at Deseret Industries and ate at the buffet at the Cannery (a local hotel/casino). The next day we went to the Shark Reef at Mandalay Bay and had lunch at Red Robin. We had such a good time that we decided to make it an annual event! So on Thursday, the 17th, I had plans already to go help with the canning for our stake at the Bishop's Storehouse. I had Tara, Steven, and Logan go with me to help. Craig took the day off and met me there with the other kids to shop at D.I. These pictures are some of the finds of the day. Steven and Logan each found a suit and several ties. Tara found red high heels. Emma and Kevin got all kinds of clothes. Craig even found a trunk for a dollar. It will be perfect to store our winter boots. Our cart was heaping and it cost us about $160. The funny thing is that we spent almost the exact same amount last year! Afterwards we went down the street to the Cannery and ate at the buffet again. We had a really good time and can't wait to do it again next year!

Playlist

I had a comment from my niece, Katie, that a song from my playlist was stuck in her head for 2 days. Sorry about that. So I decided to add some new favorites to the list. She told me that Funky Town reminded her of me, so I added that. Also, Kevin goes around the house singing, "Blah...blah, blah, blah, blah, blah," all the time, so I added Crocodile Rock just for him. I added a few of my American Idol favorites, and Close to You by the Carpenters. When I was little and listening to all of LouAnn's music, this was one of my favorites. I would sing along and dream about the blue-eyed, golden-blonde I would someday marry. And I found him, too. Lucky me! Of course, he's not so blonde anymore, but then again, who is?!? Hope you enjoy the music as much as I do.

Roosevelt trip

Last Monday, July 7, I rented a Jeep Liberty and set out for Roosevelt with Steven, Emma, and Kevin. This is a big deal because, as you may remember from my previous blog, I don't do the driving on long trips. I do the sleeping! We stopped about every 2 hours to stretch, etc., and I had to stop twice to close my eyes for a few minutes. What I learned is that caffeine in Diet Coke takes time to work and makes me super-jittery!!! I didn't feel completely alert until we got there, and then I had the shakes real bad. For the trip home Dad gave me three Jet Alert tablets (200 mg caffeine each). I rationed them out by taking a half tablet every 2 hours, and I never did get sleepy or very jittery. Keep this in mind if you have trouble staying awake like I do.
We stayed for 3 days. It was the first time I had been back since Mom's death. It was a little strange; nothing was different and yet everything was different. Dad seemed okay, although he informed me that he thinks he has lung cancer. He told me that when he told Susan, my oldest sister, she started crying and he wished he hadn't told her. I didn't start crying. I told him I didn't know how to respond, so I would be like Scarlett O'Hara. "I'm not going to think about it today. I'll think about it tomorrow."
On Tuesday, we pretty much stayed around the house driving him crazy. Too much noise! On Wednesday, we went boating with my sister, LouAnn, and her family. We had a blast! When I first got in the water, Emma and Kevin didn't want to get in. But after some coaxing, they finally did. Kevin had one hand on the tow rope and one hand firmly grasping onto me. When I tried to pry him loose, I realized his hand was doubled wrapped around the strap of my swim top. Needless to say, it's a good thing I was wearing a life preserver!
Steven and Tyler, my niece Camille's son, had a great time TRYING to get knocked off the tube. LouAnn, Kevin (my Kevin not LouAnn's husband, Kevin), and I had a nice, slow, relaxing ride. Kevin even pretended to fall asleep. Emma started getting more and more brave as she rode with Steven and Tyler, but after going over a big wave and having their arms smack against her legs, she decided she had had enough.

I rode with Camille and Suelyn and the ride got pretty scary. I was saying, "Oh, man...oh, man!" and the girls started laughing at me saying I sounded just like their mom (LouAnn). That made me start laughing hard, and then they started laughing even harder saying I laughed just like their mom. By this time I was laughing so hard I was crying. I think Kevin (Heaton) thought we were having such a good time that he could go even faster, which made me say, "Oh, man!" even more, which started the whole thing all over again. It was alot of fun!
That night I had my other sister, Joan, come over for dinner so I could visit with her, too. We had a nice time laughing and talking. Later that night, Dad and I sat in the living room and talked for about 2 hours. It was really nice. He showed me my grandmother's handwritten autobiography. I enjoyed reading it and learning a few things I didn't know. For instance, Clara Malinda Johnson Olsen (my grandma) had a sister named Rebecca. I found that so interesting considering that Tara Malinda was named after Clara Malinda and she has a sister named Rebecca also. Emma came looking for me and Dad started singing to her all the little songs that my grandma, Delora Caroline Wilkins Sullivan, sang to him when he was a little boy. It was such a tender moment. (And I don't mean that in a funny way, Tara!) I was really grateful that he took some time to make a wonderful memory for her and the boys.
The next morning, Thursday, he pulled out a book called The Children's Book of Virtues by William J. Bennett and began reading silly poems to Kevin. One was about how "dogs are meant to bark and bite" and "lions and bears to scratch and fight" but children should never "tear each others eyes out"... or something like that! It was hilarious! I've really got to find that book.
We left around noon and headed for Provo. We stopped in Heber to eat at Dairy Keen, our favorite place. In Provo, we picked up Logan who had been at baseball camp at BYU all week. (He rode up on Friday with our good friends, the Harrises.) He was sunburned, tired, dirty, but completely happy. He also looked older to me. Funny how that happens!
We stopped at a gas station in Springville and Logan informed me that they were selling Webkinz inside for $10 for the big ones. If you know about Webkinz then you know that that's a great price! I decided to buy a beagle for Emma and a Little Kinz tiger for Kevin. When we got back in the car, I realized that Logan had used the rest of his money to buy Emma a Little Kinz alley cat and Kevin a Little Kinz tiger, and himself a frog. Yes, that means Kevin got twin tiger cubs that day! Emma named her dog Buster and her cat Beatrice. Kevin named his twins, Ace and Duece. (I think I spelled it wrong. It should be Deuce, but it can't be changed now. Oh, well.) I think that brings Emma's total to 9 and Kevin's to 4. Anyway, on with the trip...
We made pretty good time and the kids decided they couldn't wait to eat dinner in St. George, so we stopped in Cedar City. I thought I would stop at Panda Express, but I didn't tell them. As I pulled around the corner toward Panda Express, Kevin blurted out, "Thanks for taking us to Panda Express!!" It was great.
The rest of the ride home was pretty uneventful and we were sure glad to be home. Like Dorothy says in The Wizard of Oz, "There's no place like home."

Double tagged!

Rebecca AND Janeane tagged me, so I guess I'll oblige. Don't be mad, Craig!

What's his name? Craig Charles Jex

How long have you been together? 23 years and 2 days short of 2 months.

How long did you date? Our first date was May 7, 1985. We were engaged in July and married in September. Yes, that's right, 4 months total!

How old is he? 45

Who eats more? More what? Cereal?...Craig, definately! Peanut butter?...That would be me.

Who said "I love you" first? He did, on the A hill at USU. Tender.

Who is taller? Craig

Who sings better? He does, although it's like pulling teeth to get him to sing to me.

Who is smarter? Toss up.

Who does the laundry? Me! Hands off!

Who pays the bills? Me! Hands off!

Who sleeps on the right side? Looking at the bed, I'm on the right.

Who mows the lawn? Craig, or better yet, one of the boys.

Who cooks dinner? Mostly me, unless we're having pancakes. He is a much better pancake maker!

Who drives? On vacation?...Craig!...I'm usually...sleepy...zzzzzzz!

Who is more stubborn? Anyone who knows me, knows I am NOT stubborn. Are you kidding? That's so funny it's not worth mentioning.

Who kissed who first? He went from a hug on our first date to WOW on our second date. I was going to break up on our third date, but while stargazing I thought, "Oh, what the heck!"

Who proposed? Craig, over the railroad tracks. Long story.

Who has more friends? Really? Everyone likes Craig! I'm just along for the ride.

Who is more sensitive? We're both pretty thick-skinned. It's all good.

Who has more siblings? Craig. 7 sisters, 2 brothers.

Who wears the pants? Both of us, but I wear the dresses!

Now I tag...Fara, Aimee, Jaimie, Camille, and anyone else who wants to play!