pug's life

"Don't judge me. It's hard being in charge of waking people at 5 am.
Look I have to burrow in to block out all daylight.".

Huzzah, for Friday!!

I didn't realize that being a parent would entail reliving the worst parts of your education like the projects, reports and endless homework. This is Quinton with his science fair project on the rusting of nails and what substances prohibit or encourage rust.  To be fair he actually did most of the work himself I only had to help with the cutting out of things and the layout but boy did that take some time.  Declan, in fourth grade, has a ton of side projects since his classes are cored and every teacher assigns their own project. I just dread when he brings home the project sheets and I try to get it done as quick as possible.

McCoy the 80's are calling and want their hair back!

He just woke up this morning with this fabulous hairstyle and it was quite a bit of effort to tame it.  He stayed home from school on Wednesday because he was coughing and sneezing and I thought he might be coming down with something.  So he got to live the littles routine remember that including me reading a book to him ("Choose your own adventure" book also from the eighties  I really loved those when I was a kid) and taking a nap.

He liked staying home so much he really wanted to stay home the next day even though he wasn't sick.  I sadly told him he had to go to school but that soon it would be Saturday.

This morning as Declan was on his way down the street to the bus stop I told him to stop and show his eagle pride (he is wearing another eagle shirt under this one as he proudly showed me this morning). So I took a picture and said 1,2,3 to take another one just in case as most people do.

Surprisingly, I saw he reposed. So I said 1, 2,3 again!

Then I saw he reposed. So I said 1, 2,3 again!

Then I saw he reposed. So I said 1, 2,3 again!

Then I saw he reposed. So I said 1, 2,3 again!

Then I saw he reposed. So I said 1, 2,3 again!

Then I saw he reposed. So I said 1, 2,3 again!

Then I saw he reposed. So I said 1, 2,3 again!

Finally I told him he better get down to the bus stop because it looked like he wasn't ever going to run out of poses.  He and Quinton are so different in Quinton's pictures this morning he wouldn't even crack a smile. Here Declan does a ton of poses without even asking him too. 

She wanted to get dressed with her brothers and put on a cardinal football jersey.

Wee Zaynzley, said two full sentences this morning as clear as day one was while we were still trying to sleep before the alarm went off she walked into our room and said loudly, Where'd he go, Archy? (Still asleep as any sane person would be?)  and the other was "I love to you" said to Eddy as he was leaving for school.  That was her first time saying I love you so Eddy gets the bragging rights to that; no surprise he is her favorite. 

Thank goodness it is the weekend!  We have a lot going on this weekend but hopefully it will include some much needed yard work. The trees are already leafing out we have had such a warm winter this year I think the polar vortex back east sucked all our winter weather with it.  I love winter so I was sad not to hardly have any in fact I think November was colder than December or January. I would also really like to finish up some projects in the playroom.  Today though my goal is to get the house clean and finish that never ending pile of laundry that is continually growing larger despite my best efforts to decimate it. Huzzah for Friday!

it's a pug life

"thanks for making the bed. I just push off the pillows I don't need."-

Zojirushi Magic

This is my long awaited, much anticipated purchase: the zojirushi bread machine read about it here. After the birth of my first son, I became a stay at home mom. What else does a Mormon stay at home mom do but get a Bosch and make bread and I did for years.  Four more kids later things are just to hectic to keep up with the bread making. The problem is I really don't like store bought bread. It's so light and fluffy and terrible. Now Utah has some delicious store bought bread but Arizona not so much.

After much online research I settled upon the zojirushi bread machine as the answer to my problem.  It is very heavy stainless steel and my model even has heat in the lid to bake the top of the bread as well. It is so very easy to make a loaf; I use a food scale to measure the ingredients so it is simply pour untill you hit the right number it probably takes three minutes to make a loaf and very best part no dishes to wash. If there is any crumbs left in pan you can just knock them out. With the double paddles it handles 100% whole wheat like a champ. It makes the best pizza dough too. It really is loved by everyone in the family!

Meet Mr. Carlton-3rd Grade Teacher

Mr. Carlton with two silly students

When Eddy and I were first married, he was trying to decide what career he wanted to go into and what to major in for college. His two interests were teaching or police officer.  I was really against him becoming police officer because we lived in not a very nice neighborhood in the Phoenix Metro area and I thought it was way to dangerous. So that left teaching. He got his degree in Elementary Education at Arizona State University and got his first job right out of college just after Declan was born. His first year teaching he taught 5th grade and it was a really stressful one as he adjusted to life as a full-time teacher.

When Eddy and I were dating, he worked as a driver for super shuttle ferrying people to and from the Sky harbor airport in Phoenix.  With his driving experience he decided he wanted to get his CDL so he could be a school bus driver which would work better with taking college classes.  He still has kept up his CDL and still drives the bus when they are short bus drivers.  He also drives to all the third grade field trips to save the third grade money since they don't have to pay him.

Eddy as Bus Driver to a Mesa, Az museum (3 hours each way!) 

and he still functions as a teacher between driving

In his class with a student flashing ASU sign and he loves Rubik's Cube

One of his favorite birthday traditions that he is well known for is smashing a cupcake in the birthday persons face.  The parents usually make extra just for that purpose and if you don't want a smashed cupcake face you just don't bring cupcakes. Suprisingly, most do and they love it.

He finally has a student with the same birthday and 

so he gets a cupcake in the face too!

Special effect pic with Cupcake face

Mr.Carlton has been teaching for ten years (nine in 3rd grade) and is a really fun teacher.  He enjoys the aha moments when students get what he is teaching them. He also serves as the tech guy for the other teachers helping them with equipment and computer programs.  He is such a natural teacher!

FHE is delayed

After homework, chores,  & piano is free time. McCoy and Archer decided to play Army Guys.

Archer vs. McCoy!!

McCoy shouts, "Attack"

Several of Archy's army guys died.  Not sure the rules of this game but they took turns attacking.

Archy contemplates his next move.

After playing army guys with toys, they decided to play Army guys outside and McCoy went and found the Halloween face paint and wanted me to paint them like Army guys. I referred them to Eddy the house expert on Army face camouflage (all those hours of Call of Duty paid off). Eddy painted all three of their faces.

Zaynzley is just one of the boys and wants to be painted too.

They took their game to the trampoline where most outdoor games go.

Declan after his duties were done got in on the action and then they decided they needed six packs to really look like army guys. Declan used marker instead of paint so his six pack remains.

McCoy with a mean face.

The aftermath.  

The bathroom was covered in black paint smears it was much worse in person.

We were planning on a nice Family Home Evening ( more info about Family Home Evening https://www.lds.org/topics/family-home-evening ) in the nearby desert but then the kitchen sink backed up and wouldn't drain. So Eddy had to pull everything out from under the sink and it took an hour and a half to fix it.  What a mess! So FHE was postponed. 

Part two-west side of Gilbert Temple Trip

After the temple,we traveled across town to West Phoenix. My great grandparents Joseph and Avon Price, are buried in a large cemetary, The Greenwood Cemetery. I really enjoy visiting graves of my ancestors whenever I get the chance. I like to leave tokens of my respect and gratitude for them. The one thing I can remember from Zaynzley's baby blessing is that she comes from a long line of strong women. Avon Averett Price is one of these strong women.

This is a picture taken of them in Hawaii in 1966. They were visiting my grandma Jane Price who lived there while her husband Dennis Agle worked for the church college later to be known as BYU Hawaii. 

We washed the graves to get off the dust and dirt.

Then we put flowers in and the kids decorated around the headstone with glass pebbles.

 

The sun was just going down and there was such a peaceful feeling there.

After the cemetery, we went to visit Eddy's mom, Rosa Lopez Carlton.

Before we knew it we were on the road again headed home.