all I want for christmas is....

my two front teeth!!!

we love halloween

Last Friday night kicked off our week long halloween extravaganza. We had our first halloween party with the JRC. We dressed up with high hopes of winning the costume contest, made our best Clam Chowder for the soup cook off, and got ready for the donut eating contest.

I only got 1 out of three! My costume didn't win, a couple dressed up as Ken and Barbie took that one. Nerts! Then our Clam Chowder didn't win either, but some awesome tortilla soup did, so no hard feelings. BUT, I totally rocked the donut eating contest, BOOYA! The donuts were on a string held up by guys on the stage(we were at the church). Kaydie sat on the stage and helped me eat it. I would hold it still so she could take a few bites. I didn't realize that either I'm a hog or I have a really big mouth cuz that thing was gone in about three big bites. I won a gift card to Cold Stone as if I needed more junk! I have to share with Kaydie though because she helped.

These are the costumes for this year. It's a Harry Potter year, other than for Preston. Nick is Harry Potter, Kaydie is Hermione, and Palmer is a death eater. Preston wants to be a hunter. I am trying to get a witch costume together for this week, we'll see how good my sewing skills are. I bought the beginnings of a witch costume but it's too short so I need to make some capris to go with it. Why do all adult costumes have to start with "Naughty" or "Sexy"???? Can't I just be a good old witch? If it doesn't work I still have Princess Leia on standby.

We are excited for our halloween week. We have the school parties on Wednesday (because there is no school Thurs or Fri., Sweet!) Then we have the ward party on Friday, and then we're having our own family halloween party on Saturday. Lots to do, but so much fun!

I have to start this off with my own personal disclaimer: I am usually so far behind the times it's embarassing, so I'm sure this will only be new to me. That being said, I have to tell you about my new favorite things.

1. INSIDEOUT A CAPPELA. Two words: AWE-SOME! I LOVE their music! My kids heard some of their songs in primary one Sunday and couldn't stop singing them, so I ordered this CD. If you haven't heard them, find their website! Your kids will never sing Once There Was A Snowman the "right" way again, but it will be so worth it! They have another album called Sharing Time that I'm gonna have to get. My kids love these songs, we haven't stopped listening to the CD.

2. cakewrecks.blogspot.com is my new favorite website. It makes me laugh out loud. I love seeing things that make me feel like maybe I'm not so dumb! It is full of professionally made cakes that leave you wondering. If you have time to spare or need a laugh, check it out.

Sick of Sick

I love fall, but I HATE the cold/flu season! We have already had a turn with a round of colds. Palmer was sick over conference weekend, then Nick was sick a few days later, then Pk got sick last Saturday. Last week I had someone home sick from school 4 out of 5 days. This week hasn't been any better. The kids had the day off on Monday, but Pk was still sick. He stayed home on Tues. That night I was feeling good about the rest of the week because everyone seemed fine. Then Palmer came in our room at 2:00am Wed morning saying his ear was killing him. He wanted to ice it, when I told him that wouldn't work and he needed to take some medicine he decided maybe it would be better to just cut it off! He's not at all dramatic when he's tired and not feeling well! I wasn't too much better, my patient side wasn't awake either. Thank heavens Kev was nice enough to get up and talk Palmer into taking some medicine. I think we all got about an hour's worth of sleep after that point. I took Palmer to the doctor and sure enough he has an ear infection, which is odd because he hasn't had one since he was a baby. I don't know what happened there. He also has a blister on his ear drum! I took this picture of him because this is what he looked like all day yesterday. He wasn't really asleep, but he couldn't keep his eyes open either. I felt so bad for him, I felt worse when he was getting ready for bed and he told me that if he woke up during the night he wouldn't bug me:( Did I mention that I wasn't very patient with him when he was up all night? Another mom of the year moment for me! I told him it was ok to get me if he needed anything, luckily he got the full night's rest he needed. Fingers crossed and knock on wood that we're done for a while! I'm sick of everyone being sick!

One More Down

Finally!! Palmer has lost another tooth! He has been worried that he is behind loosing teeth, and compared to Preston and Kaydie he is (which Kaydie likes to remind him about:) Both of his top front teeth are loose, the left one was more loose, and Nick finished it off last night when he accidentally bumped Palmer while he was drinking out of a water bottle. After a few nervous minutes Palmer let me pull it out with the pliers. Now he is super excited to have a hole in his mouth!

Oh, and Nick was reading this while I was typing, and he insisted that I added the "accidentally"!

The R Jar

This is the latest in our attempts to help our kids behave. We call it The R Jar. I got the idea when Kevin and I were in a combined Priesthood/Relief Society meeting and our Bishop was speaking about reverance, and the lack thereof.

Kevin and I had been struggling with that with our kids. We knew it was a big adjustment to move, and we tried to give the kids a little extra room for behavior since they were getting used to all the new. But this was back at the end of August, and we had given them a month, and they were not calming down. We were sitting in this meeting and I was feeling like our family could really use this lesson because the kids were struggling, and I didn't feel like I was setting the tone when in frustration I would yell and get mad. So I had my inspiration!!

I came up with this R Jar, r is for reverance and respect. When the kids do something good, or show reverance or respect to each other, at church, help without complaining, whatever, they get to put money in the jar. When they are disrespectful, disobedient, or naughty, they have to take money out. Kevin and I get to choose the amount that goes in or out. This way if they're really good they get a good reward, if they're really bad, or I'm really annoyed, they have to take out a bunch! I was really excited for this because it can be a reward and a punishment, and it helps me focus on the positive a lot more. We told the kids when they earned ten dollars we would take the money and use it to do something as a family.

Success!! This is our first party to celebrate earning ten dollars!! We decided to buy Monsters Vs. Aliens and have a late night/movie night. It took the kids about a month of a few cents in and a few cents out, but they made it!! It has been a fun experience having a fun incentive for the kids. They have been more helpful with jobs, and they are getting a lot better at not complaining or fighting. We're not perfect, but a lot better. Yeah!!

September

September is almost over and I have been neglecting my computer! The Kemps are alive here in Kansas! We've had a good month.

Kevin told me a few weeks ago that he missed hearing the piano, we had to leave our piano behind. We had talked about buying a keyboard here so that I could have something to play, and be able to teach the kids how to play, but we hadn't looked into it much. So he jumped on his computer and started researching keyboards. After reading up and speaking to a guy at a keyboard store he bought me this! I have the sweetest husband! This is so much more than I expected!

We are having so much fun with our new piano. It sounds like a grand piano, an organ, strings, accordian, orchestra, and tons of other things! The kids also enjoy the helicopter, gun shots, dog barking, baby crying, race car, and other fun sounds! Whatever gets you to practice right?!

I am so thankful for my new piano, it was hard to leave mine behind, and I am so glad to be able to play again.

Kevin and the boys had a Father and Son's activity on the 11th. They got to spend an evening fishing. The event was a campout, but we are not equipped for that, they still had a fun time.

We have yet to catch a mid-west monster fish, I guess we haven't lost enough lures to the lakes yet! We'll keep waiting and trying.

I'm not sure if Palmer and Nick knew they got bunny-eared! Preston can't help teasing.

This is Preston's big ol' trombone. He has band class three mornings a week and is having a lot of fun learning how to play it.

I'm glad fall is here, I love the cooler weather and the leaves. The kids are all getting their halloween plans started. I am going to start going to the gym at the crack of dawn this week, I'm going to give that "early to bed early to rise" thing a try and see if I can't get more accomplished in a day. See if I can get myself into some better habits!

We've been here for 2 months now! Where does the time go?

It's another week down, holy cow time goes by fast (which is good right?). Life is good and crazy busy, I'm glad we've made it to our first long weekend.

On Monday Preston got his trombone! Yeah!! His first band class was Tuesday morning, when he came home from school I asked him to show me what he learned, all they did was practice blowing into the mouthpiece. Baby steps! Kevin and I went to his class on Friday morning, they didn't do much more than they did on Tues., but they are learning the notes, and practicing counting, Pk struggled with the rhythm, we had a good chuckle. Preston isn't discouraged with the class not moving quickly, I think he's so excited for something new that he doesn't notice. But don't worry, he's figured out how to make his trombone sound like an elephant! he has a good time goofing around with the sounds. Maybe if I let him get it out of his system now he'll be able to concentrate when he has to practice real music!

I turned a new corner on Thursday. After 9 years I became an employee again! Tuesday will be my first day as a food service worker at the kids' school. That sounds all official, but you can just call me lunch lady. I get to wear a hair net and everything! And after observing the job, I don't know if it really should be called food services, more like food-slinging! I keep having MASH flash-backs.

We kicked off our holiday weekend by going to a Royals game on Friday night. I didn't check the batteries in the camera before we left, so no pictures. Dang-it! Oh well, we'll get 'em next time.

We went to the game with a bunch of people in the JRC (J. Reuben Clark Society), and we had fun even though we were at a Royals game. I shouldn't complain too much about the Royals though because they are actually affordable. There is a grocery store here where if you buy $50 bucks in groceries you can use the receipt to get half off your tickets, and Friday night was dollar night where they had hot dogs, peanuts, and drinks for $1 each. To top it all off there were fireworks after the game.

We had good plans, but like I said we were at a Royals game. They were playing the Angels, so Pk was excited to see them and have a good team to cheer for. He is an Angels fan because that is the team he was on this last season. The game was OK, but SUPER slow. The Royals finally lost after about 3 1/2 hours, so we could get onto the fireworks. Nick ended up falling asleep after the seventh hour, I mean inning, stretch. So he missed the fireworks all together. Those of us who were awake only missed most of them! The air was so heavy that the smoke wouldn't clear, so after the second or third firework the smoke was so thick that you only see glowing smoke! I had never been to a fireworks show where you couldn't see the fireworks, it was great! We all had a good laugh.

We are going fishing tomorrow, hopefully we'll have some success. Kevin and the boys are getting anxious to catch some of the big Mid-West fish they've been reading about. I'll keep my fingers crossed.

Birthday pictures

Here are some birthday pictures. The kids had a lot of fun going out to dinner. I can never get them to take a good picture when they are having fun, someone always cheeses it up. In this one Nick is smiling with his mouth FULL of food.


They had fun giving dad his present too. Nick was the one who suggested giving the bbq, I was glad that he wasn't offended when I told him that it was from all of the kids. Birthdays this year have been a lot of fun. We are blessed to have very selfless children who get excited for every ones' birthdays, not just their own, they have made this year very special. Now that the crazy summer has ended, our birthday season has ended too, 9 months and counting until we start all over!

This is Kevin's favorite birthday treat! We all like it so much that I made 2! I make pie like a samurai (for all you Backyardigans fans). I never thought I would be able to pull off a homemade pie, but I can! (crust and all), and it's fun!!

Updates and a birthday!

It has been a litttle while since I wrote anything new, I guess I have been waiting for a new picture to write about. But like Missy Collard can tell you, I'm lousy at taking lots of pictures, so this will be a reading only!

We have had a great couple of weeks, but not lots of exciting stuff. Kev and the kids are all getting into the routine of school. This is Kevin's first real week, with all of his classes, so he's still trying to fine tune his schedule and stuff. The kids are doing great, they love their school! Preston came home last week very excited about the music program that the school has. They have a begging band class for 4th grade, and the music teacher demonstrated all the instruments for the kids. Preston has decided that he wants to learn how to play the trombone! We are excited for him, he will have three years of music lessons in school! Hopefully he'll be pretty good when we get back and he can try out his skills in the middle school band. The school also has beggining orchestra starting in third grade, so Palmer and Kaydie have already made plans to learn the violin during the next two years!

Kevin used to donate plasma for extra money, and found a donation center here, so he asked me if I would want to donate twice a week for grocery money. It sounds weird, but it's easy money, and we need all the help we can get, so I figure why not? So last wed. I went in to do my first donation. It took FOREVER to get through the screening and mini physical that they require, so by the time I actually got on a bed to get hooked up I had been there like 2 hours. The donation part went good, blood and needles don't bother me, so I was feeling pretty good about our little financial decision. When I was finished I went to the recovery area to sit on a chair and wait for a band-aid, and then for my money. I started feeling a little light-headed, so I told a lady, and she had me lay back down on a bed and eat some crackers and drink some water. I laid there for about 10 min. and felt better, so I sat up for a minute. The guy who pays you called my name, so I went over to the counter. He asked me if I felt ok, I told him I was a little light-headed again so I leaned down on the counter. Next thing I know the nurses are waking me up and I'm on the floor! I totally passed out! in front of a room full of people! I have never done that before, it was so weird, and SOOO embarrassing! I was so mad, I am not the wussy girl who passes out! But life has a way of humbling you. It took me a little while to shake it off, but I was able to drive home and eat a good lunch. It was such a memorable day! But I couldn't let it beat me, so I went back last Fri. and again today and made it through A-OK! My kids think that it's hilarious that I passed out, they keep teasing me.

Today is Kevin's birthday! He's 32, but people in his classes think he's like 40! It's hard when you get older and your birthday just can't be an all day event anymore! He spent the day in classes and donating plasma! We took him out to dinner at Applebees, I do have pictures of that, but we changed computers, and I can't figure out how to load the pictures because I have to somehow get them from the printer where the slot for the card is! Stupid computers, when Kev shows me what to do I can add those. Anyhoo, dinner was fun. The kids heard the servers sing a birthday song to another person, and Nick spilled the beans about his dad's birthday when our server came back, so Kev got serenaded too. Nick was pretty proud of himself, Palmer made us promise that we wouldn't go to Applebee's on his birthday! After dinner we came home and opened presents and had some cold pumpkin pie, his favorite! The kids got Kev a small grill for the back patio, one of those tiny ones you see on decks. The kids weren't sure we could make it three years without a bbq! We tried to make today a special day, I hope we pulled it off. But, it's now 10:15 and he's been studying at school for the last 3 hours. He had to go back when the party was over. Why can't birthdays be like they were when we were kids?

Well that's about all there is, I'm sure I'll think of a bunch of stuff as soon as I post this! I won''t wait for pictures next time since the whole point of this blog is to keep in touch!!