We've Got Talent

***Warning****

Mother's bragging is to follow, proceed at your own risk.

Kade had his talent show this past week.
He was so excited, but very nervous because he hadn't practiced his Kata (fancy name for a form) very much.
He performed well, but did panic a little about halfway through when he temporarily forgot what came next.
He figured it out and finished up with a broken board.
He was so afraid he would hit it and it wouldn't break.
In the end, he was tougher than the board.
He did a great job, and I am very proud of him.
We have more practicing to do, he has been asked to perform in the whole school talent show as well as Annika.
It is a surprising feat to have two of my kids in the talent show. They only choose five children out of each grade to perform.
Nathan also participated in his talent show. I missed it because of a miscommunication with his teacher, so I don't have any video to post. He did a couple of magic tricks that my own kids were very impressed with. I am hoping to try to get him to do it again at home so I can post it.
I am so proud of all my children for conquering their fears to perform in front of such a large group, especially of their peers. That alone should deserve a medal, it can be frightening.

Here is Kade's video with the beginning cut off because my camera is not working very well these days. (I seriously have to open the battery compartment and lick the battery, then push the on button about six times to get it to turn on. I wonder what Burke will get for Father's Day :)

Fishin' In The Dark

Burke took Nathan and went fishing the other night.
An old friend from the college days went with them.
They had success, despite Burke taking a very cold bath.
Nathan had a lot of fun and learned how to gut a fish.
He shared the experience the next evening over dinner accompanied by his sisters' squeals of disgust.

All Dolled Up

Annika had a dance competition last Saturday.
She looked very cute and seemed to remember her dance better than she did last year.

She looked so cute, if I do say so myself.
Definitely an improvement.

Jabberwocky... Recycled

Annika knows the Jabberwocky poem from Through the Looking Glass by Lewis Carroll.

We have gotten a lot of mileage from that particular poem.

Most recently, she wanted to participate in the First Grade Talent Show.

She wanted to sing "Kids in America".

I strongly encouraged her to recite the Jabberwocky.

She did.

Dramatically.

She got more than one chuckle.

And she did a great job.

Despite being a little nervous in front of all the adults.

Here goes:

We just found out that she has been asked to perform her poem for the entire school on the 26th. She is definitely not a shrinking violet--she can't wait.

Why I Love the Library

We love the library at our house.
We go there a lot.
They have lots of great programs for children.
My kids have aged out of storytime (not grown out-- they still love it)
Now we head to the library for great books, fun toys, interesting magazines, and computer games.
There is a chess club each Wednesday that is just for kids. The kids there teach each other the game, with oversight from the leader. I think it helps take the pressure off. Annika had so much fun, Kade was intent on figuring out the best move, and Nathan was sure he would win every game, but learned a hard lesson about practice... it makes you good if you do it, and beatable if you don't.
Adrienne even played last time we went. (She only lasted about 3/4 of one game, but did fairly well against a 12 year old).

The chess club leader is dynamic, energetic, and involved with the kids. He plays music, provides a treat, and makes sure the kids don't give up.

At our house, a trip to the library is considered a treat and my kids look forward to it every time. (Good incentive for getting chores done quickly).
We love the monthly Monday night activities,
Summer reading programs,
and various parties (Nathan went to the Percy Jackson party a few months ago and "discovered" he belongs in the Hermes cabin),

Plus, it is all free!
Well, minus the $78 they took from my property taxes to pay for it...
And the fines I get when that darn lone book doesn't make it back in the library bag in time for the trip back.
Worth it though, every dime.

So What?

Adrienne had a dance competition on Saturday. Her dance was called "So What" by P!nk. The little girls were so cute, but got a bad case of stage fright.

Their teacher couldn't come and I don't think they felt comfortable with dancing in a big auditorium.

I guess it doesn't matter much. Adrienne got a "Participation Trophy" at dance on Monday (I hate those). She hasn't let it out of her grasp since then, even sleeping with it last night.

Plus, she got to wear makeup. A big thrill for a young girl.

We took some pictures. I asked her to do a pose. This is what I got:

Then I asked her to smile:

We finally ended up with this:

Much better.

Here is her dance:

Drive In Movies

We love the drive in. It is the best way to see a movie with kids. They get to talk, eat, and sit outside in the warm summer air with blankets and Capri Suns.
We can't wait for summer movies again...

So we decided to do a drive-in movie night for our Primary Quarterly Activity.
It was a success and I only had one nightmare about it ;)
It was so much fun and we had a pretty good turnout.
The plan went like this:
The children came in and made their "cars" with cardboard boxes, lots of tape, colored paper, paper plates, and glue.
Then they had to do a coloring sheet or an object search to get their first ticket,
Then identify a member of the First Presidency or recite an article of faith for another ticket,
Then sing a primary song on Kade's karaoke machine for their third ticket.
Then they used their tickets for popcorn, root beer floats, and the entrance to the movie.
They were really good about making sure we took their tickets. I think they felt like they were all grown up.

I don't generally put up pictures of other people's kids, but I snapped a few that were so cute I had to share: