Christmas Letter 2011

Dear Family and Friends,

Where did the year go?! I can’t believe that a new year is already upon us.  With four kids there is never a dull moment! I will cut to the chase and give you the yearly update.

 Jaxen (9) played soccer again this year. He keeps getting better. This year he also joined a LEGO Robotics club. He had group meetings two times a week for the fall semester and then participated in a local competition. He had lots of fun engineering and designing a robot to complete certain tasks. He has also been taking piano lessons and is doing really well. He is in the gifted program at school, works hard and gets very good grades. He is also in boy scouts (bear).

Ember (7) is also playing soccer this year. Being one of the oldest on the team, she is one of the stars! She was able to focus more this year and really work on her skills. Her team did really well. She is also taking piano lessons and doing well. She is doing great in school. She is a monkey bar queen and has some fancy handwork on display when she shows off. She likes anything and everything dog, and is convinced her life would be complete if she had one.

Owen (4) has been going to preschool two days a week for two hours. He has really made great strides this year. We have been working at home on our alphabet and letter sounds. Although slow going at first, he now knows lots of letters and sounds. He can write his name and likes to do “homework” (sometimes). 

Kaysen (2) is shooting up like a weed. His hair is down to his bottom! He loves “roars” (dinosaurs), “heep” (sheep) and “hoos” (horses).  He likes to play puppy with his brothers and sister. He loves to be outdoors and get dirty. He likes to work on letters with his brother and most letters are called “E”. He is also my first artistic child to write on walls. (I thought I had it made!) He also seems to be the only “righty” in the bunch of kids.

Shaunton passed his PE exam! We basked in the light of his achievement for quite a while. He still works at SRP-MIC and enjoys it. This year he trained hard and ran an ultra marathon (31 miles) in September.  It took him 6 hours and 15 minutes, which is pretty awesome for a first time ultra marathon runner. He likes to work out daily and play football, soccer, and basketball in his spare time. He was the assistant coach for Jaxen’s soccer team, so that kept him pretty busy.

In my “spare” time this year I volunteered in Ember’s classroom, worked on quilts, and fell behind in my scrapbooking.  I have a standing appointment with the boys to watch the recycle truck dump our trash on Mondays and the regular trash truck on Thursdays.  I “enjoy” taxiing my children to piano lessons, school, soccer, and play dates. I also facilitated an internet course at ASU. This was a new and exciting experience. I work with the kids ages 3-11 at church, so lesson prep, stress, and organization have all been my friends (and enemies) this year. I was running for a good while there until the weather got cold, and look forward to running again when it isn’t freezing (and pitch scary black) at 5:30 in the morning!

Overall, we have kept busy this year. We went to California over the fall break and the kids enjoyed Disneyland, California Adventures, Sea World, the San Diego Zoo, the beach, and the Natural History Museum in San Diego. Lucky for us, October was apparently the month for kids getting free admission into most of these attractions. (Good accidental planning on our part.) This is a once in three year experience for the kids, so it was nice to get out of the heat and enjoy some cooler weather. 

We hope that 2011 was a good year with much growth and learning opportunities. We look forward to a new year and wish you a safe and prosperous one.

Sincerely,

Monique, Shaunton, Jaxen, Ember, Owen and Kaysen

Fall Break Day 6: Museum of Natural History

We forgot to take the camera inside, but we managed to remember to take a picture on the way out!


We got to see some pretty good exhibits.
From their website:

Ends of the Earth: From Polar Bears to Penguins
Discover the unique nature of the Earth’s polar regions, the science undertaken there, and how these regions are indicators of climate change on Earth. Visitors will relive polar expeditions though the eyes of great explorers, learn about the formation and size of icebergs, and conduct experiments. Discover polar bears and penguins and the impact that global warming is having on their icy homes in the Ice Cave Theater.
The kids really like the interactive, play against each other games, that quizzed you on the things you learned about in the exhibit.
 

All That Glitters
The Splendor and Science of Gems and Minerals
Gems seduce us with their sparkle. But did you know that every glittering ruby, sapphire, diamond, and opal has a history as old as the Earth itself? A gem isn’t just a pretty bauble—it’s a rare and wonderful by-product of the tremendous forces that have shaped our planet. Discover how the same Earth processes that build landscapes produce dazzling gemstones and precious metals—even right here in San Diego County, one of the most famous gem-producing regions in the world. The exhibition features a stunning selection of spectacular natural mineral crystals, exquisite jewelry, and works of art.
This exhibit was amazing. I couldn't believe some of the gems and jewelery they had. Gorgeous!

Fossil Mysteries
From dinosaurs to mastodons, discover the rich fossil history of our region. In this major exhibition, created by the Museum, ponder a mystery, examine the strong fossil evidence from the Museum's collection, and use scientific tools to discover answers. Traveling through a 75-million-year timeline, from the age of dinosaurs to the Ice Ages, experience an unfolding of the prehistory of southern California and Baja California, Mexico.
There was lots of hands on activities in this section. Fossils you could touch, things you could move to make the bones animated. There were lots of simulations of what has happened to the earth since the dinosaur ages. 

Water: A California Story
Through photos, maps, video, and hands-on activities, learn about current, local issues on land and in the ocean. Examine the infrastructure of the regional water system, and discover how we import the majority of our water and the costs associated with this practice. Water: A California Story also looks at effects of a changing climate on our region’s water supply and reveals how southern Californians can help protect water for future generations. Natural history specimens and live animals will serve as reminders that the natural environment and its inhabitants are also legitimate users of water resources. 
A whole exhibit on the importance of conservation. California and Arizona are a lot alike in this respect. It was an interesting exhibit.

We also got to watch some interesting movies. There was a 3D dinosaur one that was neat. Owen wasn't too keen on keeping on the glasses....I think he might have been a little scared. There was an Ocean movie that was neat and another movie that I can't remember. Maybe I will revamp the post when I get the details.

Afterward we headed home. The kids entertained themselves with movies. They are their own traveling exhibit!

Fall Break Day 5: California Adventures

I am convinced that my children have more fun at California Adventures than they do in Disneyland. That might be a bit of an exagerration, but there are some really cool attractions in CA Adventures.

We managed to convince the Jaxen and Ember to go on the Tower of Terror. I had never been, seeing as how the last two times we went I was pregnant. It was nice to be able to enjoy the rides. I really like the switch pass feature, which means I can stand in line, go on the ride with a few kids, and then Shaunton can go on with the some kids afterward without waiting. Who ever thought that up is genius (and probably a parent of multiple children!). Anyway, the ride freaked the kids out. I thought it was fun!

We then hit up A Bug's Life. This section is really geared toward kids of all ages. Kaysen could go on all but one ride in this area, if I remember right. He wasn't too happy about it, but Dad took him on another ride while we went on the bumper cars.

Do I have to? (I think Shaun accidentally poked him in the eye!)
 
 A little nervous to try solo at first, so they went together. Then we had to stand in line again so they could get their own bugs.

Owen had to be accompanied by an adult. So, I was the lucky one! YES!

Our happy family enjoying a Bug's Life ride.

We managed to get a passerby to take our pic in front of a festive setting. Apparently she had taken pics before and had all these tips for good pics! Thanks lady!

The piece de resistance was the Woody 3D ride. We stood in line for that bad boy 3 times. It really is a fun ride, although not long enough. Kaysen enjoyed the ride too...and wasn't ready to leave. Another one of those crying fits!

I don't wanna leave the Woody ride!

Publish Post

My little helper. She wanted to push....even if it was up hill...with two brother in it.

My daughter talked me into going on the swings. I was terrified the whole time. I didn't even want to let my kids go on them. Eek. I don't do heights. There are two rides there that I just can't stomach riding on watching my family ride. It is the swings and the ones that look like rockets. They don't have enough "hold you in" gear for my liking.

I lost my glasses somewhere toward the end of the night. With no sign of them since. (I did get a new pair of prescription sunglasses though! They look nice!)

We ended the night with a lights on the water celebration type thing. It was neat. It had water, lots of color(!) and music. Even some hologram type pictures they could put "on the water". 

Monkey

Ember has lice.

Does anyone have a monkey I can borrow?

Fall Break Day 4: San Diego Zoo

Last time we were in California, we went to the zoo. It seemed so much MORE last time we came. It wasn't too thrilling this time. The kids enjoyed it though, and it was a good work out on the legs with all the steep terrain.

 I think I did more child watching then I did animal watching. Their fascination fascinated me.

 Is it me, or does this camel look a little frothy? Slightly concerned.

 The cool thing about this zoo is that it really is much more up close and personal then our zoo. I could reach in and get my hand bit off if I really wanted to. Can't do that at our zoo.

 Alas, I still try to figure out why I bring the stroller. No one wants to ride in it....until on the way out...when everyone wants to ride in it.

 Elephant stampede victim.

 Awe, isn't he an awesome dad. My heart gets big when I look at pics like these.

 Are you not smiling? You need this as a screen saver!

Once again, caught in the act of curiosity. I love to try and get pics when they are acting natural and exploring the world around them.

Overall, it was a nice day and we had fun traversing the zoo. It was easier than last time and we managed to see most of it. I think everyone's favorite exhibit was the snake house. Lots and lots o poisonous snakes! I think we spent as much time looking through there as we did walking around the rest of the zoo. Jaxen liked to read the endangered meter for each animal. They would race up to each one and declare the status of the animal. It was educational, and I can't complain because the kids were free! :)

Fall Break Vacation Day 3: Sea World

Today we decided to take in Sea World. We got show times ahead so that we could plan our day around the shows.




One of our first stops was to see the sharks. This one actually came up out of the water each time it circled!




It was nice to see the kids helping each other out and being loving toward one another. I have pics to prove that they were nice to each other at some point in their lives.

We watched a seal show, were Jaxen chose to sit by himself in the splash zone....even though he didn't get wet. BUMMER. We then hoofed t across the whole park to go see Shamu. Jaxen convinved us to sit in the splash zone and we were drenched 3 times! 

 

Jaxen and Ember loved it! Owen not so much. Kaysen was my shield, as he was sitting on my lap. I was still drenched, so that can tell you the watery state he was in. It made for a cooler afternoon walking around. Some exhibits were even a little chilly (think penguins).

(Kaysen checkin' the map for our next destination.)

We watched a Pet show as well as a dolphin show. I think everyone really enjoyed playing with all the toys at the exits of all the exhibits. I think we spent more time trying to get them past all the stuffed animals and trinkets then we did on the actual exhibits!
 

The kids really liked the jungle gym area with rope and stuff. It wasn't so easy for Kaysen, but he had a dad that was willing to help him!


(This was a pic taken when I was off somewhere with the little ones. It makes me smile!)

Favorites:
Owen: Pirates 4D movie
Ember - Sea lion show, Dolphin show and Shamu show
Jaxen - Freshwater tank (with piranhas), Sea lion show, and Dolphin show
Kaysen - Pet's rule show

Great Pumkin Reveal- Do you know whose is whose?

Don't scroll down until you guess...

 

 

 .

Did you guess right?

Pumpkin Prep

Last night we decided we should break down and carve these pumpkins. We only bought three and figured Owen and Kaysen could share the smallest one. There was a bit of an argument about who got the biggest pumpkin, but Jaxen was the bigger sibling and decided to take the medium one. Shame on me for not getting pumpkins that were the exact same size.

Ember and Owen decided to go with a stencil, while Jaxen chose to create a more personal jack-o-lantern.

Jaxen wanted to do all the cutting, but 1/8 around the top decided that maybe a little help was needed.

Owen and Kaysen were a bunch of wimps and wouldn't stick their hands into the pumpkin to get out the guts. This picture was staged, as Kaysen was just pretending to get his pic taken. I think he took out 2 seeds max, one at a time, before smearing any residual on his shirt.

Ember and Jaxen dug right in and got to work.

 Kaysen really wants his picture taken and pokes his dirty face into the picture at the last minute!

 Ok, he is bored. Off to read some books while he waits for "his pumpkin" to be done.

It was a fun night carving and being goofy. Pumpkin guts anyone?!
The kids were excited to see their creations in the dark.

Driver's Ed

Driving to scouts last night from soccer practice:

E (exasperated): Mom, when are you going to teach me how to drive? How come you haven't taught me yet?
Me: You don't learn to drive until you are 16.
E: Will you be old?
Me: I will only be (insert age here).
E: Wow.
Me: That isn't that old!
E: How old is Grandma Honey?
Me: 51.
E: She doesn't look that old.
Me: I know, she takes good care of herself and eats right.
E: I need to start eating healthier. Don't you think Mom?
Me: That a great idea.

Owen today while wrestling:

O: Dad, let me feel your bone. (Feels around Shaun's calf muscle.)
O: Dad, you have no bones right here.
Me: Yes he does, you just feel muscle.
Shaun: My calf muscle.
O: Your cat muscle?
Quizzical look, and then back to fighting.

Fall Break Vacation Day 2: Disneyland

We decided that we liked Disneyland so much, it had to stay in the vacation rotation. So, this was first on our list because we could get a cheap motel close. We didn't get the fancy digs until Monday night. So, we stayed at a little place called The Little Boy Blue Motel and walked to Disneyland.

Owen was the lucky potawan this year. He got picked to go up and get trained in the Jedi way. Jaxen was bummed, but I wasn't too upset as he had the experience the last time along with Ember.

 So, needless to say, he has a little bit of a shaky start, but stood his own when it came time to go up against the big guy, Darth Vader.

 Fighting evil Sith Lords is hard work, who wouldn't blame a Jedi for taking a much needed break?

 Right before this battle we had eaten lunch, so afterward we were ready to head off for some more fun.

Why not picture of all the kids?

Missing one you say?

Oh, here he is... throwing a fit. Not the first or the last. We has just gotten off the teacups, and apparently 2 minutes of spinning was not enough. He cried after having to get off this ride, the carousel, and the Buzz ride. I don't remember any of the other kids getting so attached. 

Oh look, he is happy again. Remember, this is short lived.

Here we are standing in a hour and a half line for a lame haunted house. Wish I new that before I waited.

Started off happy, one hour in, not so much.

It's Halloween, even Mickey's wearing a mask!

 

Day 2 is over and we are still smiles.

Jaxen's favorites: Star Tours, Indian Jones, Big Thunder Mountain Railroad

Ember's favorites: Teacups, Carousel, and Buzz ride (noticing a trend)

Owen's favorites: Big Thunder Mountain Railroad (really, on the ride you seemed scared out of your mind!), Carousel, and Tarzan's Tree house

Kaysen's favorites: Teacups, Carousel, Buzz ride (cried after each) and Tarzan's Tree house

Souveniers:

Jaxen- Yoda shirt that reads "Judge me by my size, do you?" Shows Yoda trying to get on a ride and not being tall enough, even with his Mickey ears.

Owen - A Buzz Lightyear "nerf" gun.

Kaysen - His first Mickey ears