Happy 8th Birthday Jack!

Merry Christmas!

Twas the Night Before Christmas...

After spotting Santa's sleigh off in the dark sky, Alora sprinkled the reindeer food on the driveway that she made in her Kindergarten class.  Jackson was once again afraid of Santa coming inside our house.  "I don't want him to take me!"

Fishing in December

It's only day 2 of Christmas break and already the kids are begging for something to do.  Noah has been begging to go fishing.  I managed to rig 2 of our poles and reluctantly took the kids fishing this morning at North Lake.  What was I thinking?!  It was overcast, chilly, and I had forgotten my jacket.  I prepared the kids that due to the weather that the fish probably wouldn't bite, but I was wrong.  Within the first few minutes, Alora snagged a big carp.  While we trying to reel that one in, Jackson set down his pole (not knowing he ALSO had a fish) and it quickly disappeared beneath the murky water.  We never could find his pole, or that stinkin' fish!   

Overall, the kids caught 5 large carp.  Despite being cold, they were pretty excited at their efforts.

No More School For 2011

Today was the kids' last day of school for the year.  Both Jackson and Alora got to wear their pajamas to school for their class celebrations (normally I'm not a big fan of pj's to school, but I compromised). Noah's class made gingerbread houses and had a white elephant book exchange yesterday, so today they performed their annual holiday poetry slam.  School is half-way done!  Hooray!!!

Breakfast With Santa

Alora's Pre-Thanksgiving Performance





The entire kindergarten class performed Thanksgiving songs and poems today for parents and some of the older classes.  It was super cute and all of the kids did a great job!

November Citrus

While tending our backyard plants today, I noticed that one of our lemon trees is starting to change colors!  I counted about 23 lemons, 2 of which are already a bright yellow color.  It's still kind of surreal that while a lot of the country is cold and has already had snow, we are still warm and our trees are now bearing fruit. 

(One of the Ruby Red grapefruit trees is also starting to show changes.)

A Little Help

While walking past the living I happened to glance out the window and what did I see?  Alora was trying with all her might to lift Max up into the trampoline.  I watched her struggle and try different means of helping him, but she finally gave up and climbed back in herself to jump.  Thank goodness for an older brother who could come to the rescue! (Little did Alora know, Max is actually a pound heavier than her!)

Free Stuff Friday

This is what I scored for FREE this past week:

 http://smiley360.com/?refid=1779 (recieved via UPS)

• 13x9 glass Pyrex baking pan
• coupon for a free Pam cooking spray
• coupon for a free can of tomatoes
• black plastic spatula

Safeway (all coupons at least $1)

• 2-liter bottle Dr.Pepper 10 (mfr. coupon)
• Nesquick drink mix (mfr. coupon)
• 2 12-packs Diet Coke (store promo)
• 16 oz. package Chips Ahoy cookies (store promo)
• 2 16-oz boxes of Eat Right pasta (store promo)

Fry's (all coupons at least $1.00)

• Suave deoderant (mfr. coupon)
• Suave children's shampoo (mfr. coupon)
• Foster Farms chicken breast, 3-count (store promo)
• Fry's brand bread (store coupon)

No More After Four

 

Noah had his fourth hip surgery today.  This surgery was to remove the hardware from the 2nd major corrective surgery he had several months ago. Despite some scheduling problems with the surgical team, everything else went well.  Noah's orthopedic surgeon, Dr. Judson Karlen, said the ball is in the socket where it should be and the bone looks to have healed very strong.  He even allowed Noah to keep the metal plate and three screws as souveniers again.  His recovery should be relatively quick and he hopefully won't ever have to have surgery on his hip again!

Lost Cat

UPDATE:  WINNIE HAS BEEN FOUND!!!

LOST 2-year old indoor cat with front paws declawed. "Winnie" is a smaller-sized cat with black, orange, and white fur. She was last seen in our backyard on Monday, October 10th (Agave Road, near Monticieto Park). She does not wear a collar and has been spayed.

If seen or found, please call us at 623-388-6698 or 801-494-9215. Thanks.

Sudden Downpour

It's no mystery that Arizona is a desert.  It's extremely hot, dry, and full of sharp, prickly plants we call catci.  That doesn't mean we don't deserve our fair share of rain.  I don't mean a few drops here and there, I mean the huge thunderstorms where the sky lights up and thunder booms so loud it shakes your house.  I want the type of thunderstorm I grew up with in Missouri.  Now those were awesome! 

I finally got my wish this past Tuesday when I started hearing little rumbles in the sky.  A flash here and a flash there started teasing me that something might happen. A short time later, when my friend was picking up her boys from our house, those tiny rumbles and brief flashes of light turned into something bigger.  A THUNDERSTORM!

Sure, the storm didn't last for more than maybe 10 minutes or so, but Jackson, Alora, Max and their friends took full advantage of the sudden downpour.  They danced, they ran, they even laid in the gutter (yes, I said the gutter) and they loved it!  Those few, short minutes were so exciting for them, and for me too.  We were able to get some much needed rain and the temperatures had finally dropped from the triple digits that we had dealt with long enough this summer. 

 

Matteson Square Garden Museum

Today was Noah's 4th grade class presentation on the different types of Indians they have been studying.  He and his classmates transformed their classroom into the "Matteson Square Garden Museum" where they had different exhibits showcasing many of their projects.  They also showed a video where the students portrayed the different Indians. 


Noah and his friend Justin B. in front of the Hohokam model home they built.


Noah's dreamcatcher

Noah's kochina doll (the middle, red one).

It Pays To Complain... Literally!

You know those huge 4.2 lb bags of Tyson chicken nuggets that the club stores sell?  If your family is like ours, those are pretty much a staple in our house since all four of our kids love them.  The most recent bag I purchased, however, was a huge dissapointment.  Approximately half of the nuggets were tiny!  I'm talking popcorn chicken-sized.  Of course the only one that didn't notice was Max, but the older 3 thought I was cheating them out. 

Because of this inconsistency, I decided to write Tyson's Quality Assurance department and inform them.  I wasn't expecting to hear back from them, but happily I did!  Today in the mail I got a letter apologizing for the issue.  I also got a check for $12.00 as part of their "quality guarantee."  It definitely pays to complain!

The Tooth Fairy Has to Rob a Bank

This week at the Fuls' house, teeth have been falling out!  First, Jackson lost his top front tooth.  Jeremy tried to pull it out with dental floss tied around it, but it didn't go so well and the floss got stuck and blood starting gushing out.  It wasn't until the next morning that it finally came out, right before school.

Two days later, Noah's silver- crowned molar started to show signs of coming out. After much wiggling (and tugging) his tooth also popped out right before school.  According to Noah, this tooth is worth more than the standard tooth because it's silver.  The way it's been going this week,  the tooth fairy might just have to rob a bank!

The Cheese Man

We have locks on our fridge and pantry for a reason.  Half the time the older kids forget to use them and when they do, Max sees his chance to investigate what's inside.  He's thrown eggs on the floor, poured a Sam's Club size container of lemonade mix all over the family room, and then today, cut open a new package of cheese and brought it to me skewed on a sharp knife!  You can't leave this one alone for a minute!

Kindergarten Robot Parade






Alora walking with her class in the annual Westar Kindergarten Robot Parade.  Despite several costume malfunctions during production, Alora was still super excited with her final product.  She didn't even seem to care that a lot of other costumes far exceeded hers.

  



This Boy...

... was caught drinking toilet water, playing in the cat litter box with a plunger, applying toothpaste to his face like it was makeup, taking a bath (fully clothed) using a brand new bottle of shampoo as bubble bath, and drawing with permanent marker all over both legs. All this in less than a week's time. At least one of his favorite words is "sorry" and he definitely knows how to use it!

A Little Internal Comestic Surgery

Alora was born with a small umbilical hernia that her pediatrician thought would eventually heal itself. Unfortunately, it did not. As a result, she had to have a minor outpatient surgery to correct it. Her surgery took place today at the Rosenburg Surgical Facility, which is linked to Phoenix Children's Hospital where Noah had his hip surgery. Alora was surprisingly brave and didn't show any fear going back to the operating room or during recovery. Her only complaint was that she was hungry since she had to fast since last night. That was soon fixed by a Happy Meal from McDonalds (although the doctor and nurses suggested nothing greasy for a day or so).

(She wasn't crying from the pain, she was crying because I wanted to take a post-op picture!)

Garlic Lime Chicken

Need a fast, easy and tasty dinner? I've got the recipe for you!

GARLIC LIME CHICKEN

16 oz. boneless, skinless chicken breasts

2 tsp. garlic, minced

1/4 cup fresh lime juice

1/2 cup soy sauce

1/2 tsp. ground black pepper

1/2 tsp. dried mustard

dash of Worchesthire sauce

1. Mix everything everything but the chicken together.
2. Place the chicken breasts in a recloseable plastic bag.
3. Pour the marinade over the chicken and seal bag.
4. Toss well to coat the chicken with the marinade.
5. Marinate in the refrigerator for at least 2 hours.
6. Drain and discard marinade.
7. Grill, broil or saute as desired.

1st Day of School 2011-2012

The 2011-2012 school year has officially begun! Noah is now in Mrs. Matteson's 4th grade class, Jackson is in Mrs. Schaefer's 2nd grade class, and Alora is in Mrs. McDaniel's kindergarten class.

Winnie's First Catch

After coming home from alligator hunting with the kids, what did we find? A pretty decent-sized lizard on the wall next to the front door! The kids wanted to get it down and keep it, but I told them to find Winnie instead. Since she's an indoor cat, with no front claws, she's kind of a lazy hunter when we take her outside. She'd much rather roll around on the ground than actually use her hunting instincts. This time was no different. She looked at it, turned up her nose, and laid on the ground. Dumb cat! We took her back inside and figured it was just this lizard's lucky day.

A few minutes later, I peeked outside the front window again to check on the lizard. It was gone. I opened the door and found it hiding in the corner. The perfect second chance for Winnie! I ran and got her, threw her right next to the lizard and she was off! Under the car, back to the porch, under the car, around the single garage- it was a race and Winnie was FINALLY proving victorious! By this time, I called the kids back outside, grabbed my camera, and went to see what the results were. Winnie had the lizard under her paws and was just chillin'. She didn't try to eat it, it was more of a toy to her. After letting her "hold" it for a few minutes, we decided to let the lizard live so it could be free to eat any potential bad bugs that might be lurking around the house. After all, we'd much rather have harmless lizards than nasty, painful scorpions! At least Winnie was able to somewhat prove herself that she really does have the hunting instinct in her, even if she just needs a little help.

We Just Pretend To Be Swamp People

Max Turns 2!

Two years ago today, our little Maxwell Dean was born. After several setbacks trying to get him here, and then trying to keep him here, we are grateful that he has added much love and excitement to our crazy family. He is a super sweet little boy who gives great hugs and kisses and loves everyone around him, even to "Winnie Cat" who doesn't always return the favor.

Besides being his 2nd birthday, it was also his 2-year old well-child check-up. His doctor, Raj Patel, initially teased that I was a mean mom for scheduling his appointment on the same day, but once he realized Max didn't need any shots, he said he felt better. Max has grown from 8 pounds 1 ounce to a hefty 30 pounds. He has also grown from 20" to 34.5". He is our little well-built, sturdy boy!

Max with some of his birthday presents.

His own scooter from Grandpa & Grandma Frye.

Max's 1st ever pinata.

Max's cake.

Max's new bike.

Alora-ism

Today at the pool near Grandpa and Grandma Frye's house, an old man in a black speedo entered the pool while we were playing. He was only in about 5 minutes when he got out and Alora exclaimed, "Grandma! That guy is just wearing his underwear!" I don't know if the man heard or not, but he quickly left.

Once we got home and I was helping her change I asked, "That guy's suit was silly, huh?" Alora replied, "You mean that old man with a mustache? The fake mustache?" I said yes and told her the mustache wasn't fake to which she replied, "Yes, it was. It was just stuck on there!"

Summertime

Little Learners Preschool Graduation

Alora officially graduated from preschool tonight. This past year she has attended Little Learners Preschool, a home-based preschool taught by our friends Carlie Wray and Lisa Hobbs. Alora has loved every minute of it. She is only one of three kids actually going to kindergarten this next year, so she's a little sad to leave her friends behind. I know she'll do great in kindergarten though, thanks to Ms. Carlie and Ms. Lisa!