Ghana

.....Team Ghana, that is.  I guess this year for Spring Kinder-Soccer, the traditional team names of Tigers and Bulldogs and Bears weren't educational enough.  Instead every team was the name of a country and Caiden was on Team Ghana.  "Ghana?  What's a Ghana, mom?" 

Nonetheless, Caiden had fun.  It's more of a social thing for him than anything else.  But we've come a long way from standing in the middle of the field with a confused look watching everyone run past him.  At the second game of the season, Casey, half joking/half serious, told Caiden he'd give him a buck if he scored a goal.  To our amazement, he scored 3 and didn't let us forget about paying up.  Caiden also got some good advice from Papa Gubler "Just stand by the goal and then when the ball comes near, kick it in!"  And 3 goals (and 3 dollars) later it worked!  Those also happened to be the only goals of the season, as we told him money was no longer going to be involved.  I sometimes worry how motivated by money this kid is.  (Hopefully it's a sign that he'll grow up to be hard-working, successful business man and not a greedy, ungrateful young man). 

Easter

I really flopped on Easter this year.  We were traveling home from Snowbird the day before Easter and didn't get home till very late that night.  So there was no egg coloring, no shopping for new Easter dresses, and no hiding the treats around the house with rhyming clues (as my mom faithfully did every year when I was kid).  And yes mom, I know you often stayed up into the wee morning hours making up the rhymes and hiding the clues, but you know how I don't function properly when I'm real tired.  Instead, my kids woke up to a small present (at least I managed to get this done before we left town - 1 point for me) placed on the couch and all the Easter candy thrown all over the couch cushions.  And I didn't even get a picture of it or the kids reaction.  (Shame on me! - I think I just lost my one point).  BUT....on the flip side, did they notice?  Nope.  Were they ecstatic over their presents?  Yep.  Were they thrilled to have candy, regardless if it was strewn about?  Yep.  So there.  In my book, (or blog, if you will) it was a success!  Oh wait.  I did take the time to explain why we celebrate Easter and with much effort and practice Caiden can finally and correctly pronounce the word "resurrection".  (I think I can get my point back).  AND I would have hosted my own Easter egg hunt in the backyard, but Grandma Gubler graciously offered to have it at her house.  I did manage to get pictures of that.  Enjoy.

Snowbird 2010

Oh my, I am getting so behind on my little family's adventures!  I have been sucked into the black hole of Discount Queens....but willingly sucked in, that is.  Who'd of thunk it?  Me - obessessed with coupons?  Hilarious!

Anyhow, a couple of weeks ago, we ventured on over to Snowbird, Utah for our annual trip.  I have come here almost every year since I was a kid and am happy my kids get to experience the same thing.  And as always, it was full of fun and great lasting memories.  The snow was great - not quite as much as they've had in the past - but still ALOT more than us Washingtonians are used to.  We are loving how each year the weather is great as drive up, then it dumps while we're there = lots of powder (not that I know how to ski it, I just know it hurts less when you crash), then it clears up just in time to go home.  How are we so lucky every year.  Uh-oh, I hope I am not jinxing myself....

On the way, we stopped by Casey's grandparents house in Blackfoot, ID.  Grandpa Wadsworth had just undergone several surgeries and it was good to be able to visit them.

The kids discovered that Grandma Wadsworth has almost as much toys up her sleeve as Grandma Gubler!  Casey and Caiden slept down in the basement and Paige and I took the upstairs bedroom.  Now, I love my children dearly, but I do NOT love to sleep with them.  Paige wanted to talk to me all night long and kept wanting to play "house".  She would say, "You be the mom, and I'll be the Paige."  As tired as I was, she was seriously cracking me up.  I also discovered that she sleeps alot like a cat.  She kept trying to nestle her head into the crook of my neck.  I mean, really!

Then we headed to Snowbird, where the main event, obviously, was the skiing.  Caiden tried out skiing for the third time, and although he started with a few meltdowns, in the end he was loving it.  He mostly loves to just go straight down.  I couldn't convince him to make any turns.  "Then I can't go fast, mom."  Maybe, next year.

We didn't put Paige on skis this year.  That's something we'll tackle next year.  But she LOVED being held and riding the chair lifts.

Paige with Papa and Uncle Rodney....too cute.

Unfortunately, I don't have any pictures of Casey or I on the days we skiied.  I don't quite yet trust myself to take my new camera out on the slopes.  I mean, I struggle on dry land with shoes, much less flying down the mountain with skis.  Yeah, it's best I not even try.  But I am quite the photographer on Chickadee:)

The Gubler Family

Lauren, Dillon, Aunt Kimmy, Paige, and Tanner

Back at the condo, Caiden and Paige spent lots of time down in the Game Room and at the pool each night.  And Caiden couldn't get enough of his supercool older cousins, but I'm sure they had plenty of him:) We happened to have the game Dominoes, and I discovered how much my son absolutely LOVES this game.  And quite obnoxiously so.  Everytime he made a move, he'd scream "BAM!"  Everyone was pretty much "bammed" out by the time the game was over.  That crazy kid!

We managed to make it to town one day and did some girls only shopping and I ate at In & Out.  Oh, my holy yumminess!  I think I'm drooling.....

(Yes, the little girls are eating Wendy's, but we really are at In & Out....see the hats?)

And then we caught a 3D movie, "How to Train Your Dragon" - actually, a pretty cute show.  Paige had a love/hate relationship going on with her glasses.  She covered her eyes when there were parts that were right up in your face, and yet, really struggled returning them at the end.  "No, they're mine!"

 

All in all, a great week!  We love Snowbird trips!

Mrs. Nash's Kindergarten class

Caiden brought home his class picture from school the other day (he's right smack in the middle on the front row) and we had quite the conversation about some of his classmates.  I asked him who his friends were and who he played with at recess.  He told of one boy, E.M. (I'll just use intials for privacy sake), who is his favorite friend at recess.  And then he started to point out all the girls that he chases at recess - D.Y., T.W., S.P., and D.K. (yeah, alot!).  Then,

Me: (laughing) "You chase them?"

Caiden:  "Yeah.  It's fun!"

Me:  "Oh.  Who do you chase the most?"

Caiden:  "T.W. - And whenever we look at each other in class, we smile at each other."

Me: (dying laughing) "Really?  Do any girls chase you at recess?"

Caiden:  "Yeeeessssss!  The wild one from the other kindergaten class!"

Me:  The wild one???  Why is she wild?

Caiden:  "I don't know!  Because she's crazy!"

I am anxious to see who this "wild one" is.  But for the record T.W. is the cute girl in all pink on the front row.  I happened to have worked with her while volunteering in Caiden's class on Tues. and she is so stinkin' cute!  And smart too!  Nice to know my boy has good taste.....