Conversations...

Setting:  Selected schools around the valley provide free lunch for children 0 - 18 years old. My sister likes to take all the kids down to the Junior High to eat so they don't eat her out of house and home.  On this particular day, crispidoras were served.  As my sister was driving  back home, Trent was still gnawing on what was left of his.

Trent:  Aunt Jonnie, what are crispadoras made of?
Jonnie: (not hesitating) Cat. Why?
Trent: What??!! (chucking the crispadora out the window)
Caitrin: I don't see what the problem is.  You eat pig.
Jonnie: Why did you throw that out the window?  I was only joking!!  It's made from cow, hamburger, ground beef.
Trent: Aunt Jonnie, I don't feel so good.

She had to pull the car over from laughing so hard.

I'm not sure if I should be upset at the fact that Trent actually believed my sister, or concerned with Caitrin not caring that it could possibly be a domesticated household animal...

Conversations...

Setting:  We were packing up our trailer to head over to the coast to send the 4th of July with Eric's family. (More on that if I can find time to upload my pictures)

Caiti:  Hey, Mom.  Do you think.. I mean we'll be really good.. and not move.. I promise to sit still... Can we ride in the trailer on our way to the coast?
Me:  Umm.. NO!!
Caiti:  But, why not?!
(I didn't want to scare her, but I needed her to get the point)
Me: Well, let's just say that something happens and the trailer comes unhitched from the truck, you could get hurt really bad, and you might even die.  So NO. Sorry kiddo.
Caiti: Yeah, I'd be pretty mad if I died.

Conversations

Back in the summer of 2008, Eric was laid off along with 250 other boat builder here in the Valley.  As a family we had a crash course in "need vs. want" real quick.  We found that we didn't "need" cable and had it shut off.  Though things are perfectly fine now, we still maintain that mentality and find that cable is among things we don't need.  We watch movies in the evenings and that's about the extent of the ol boob tube.

This past Saturday morning Caitrin had woke up and stumbled onto the couch.

Caitrin: Mom, will you put in a movie for me?
Mom: Nope.  It's "No TV Saturday".
Caitrin: You are so mean!
Mom: I know.  But me being mean only means I love you.  Isn't that right, Tarren?

Tarren's room is right off the living room.  I knew she was trying to wake up and was hearing our conversation.

Tarren: Yea, well.. most of the time.
Mom:  What's that supposed to mean?
Tarren:  All the other times you're just PMS'ing.

The child obviously doesn't know how dangerous those words are.

As for Eric, he had to hold himself back from spitting all his coffee out..

First day of Summer Vacation...

 I came home on my lunch hour to find this...

He must have stayed up way too late last night celebrating....

Hard Lessons Learned

Tarren has always been my sick child.  She had many ear infections as a baby, had a bout with pneumonia, bronchitis, strep, and now with her hay fever she's had many sinus infections.  All have been treated with various forms of penicillin.  This last round must have done her in.  She woke up Wednesday morning with a rash but only on her sun burned area from the weekend.  By Thursday morning, the rash had spread to her entire body.  At that point I knew it was the allergic reaction to the amoxicillen and hauled her in to the hospital.  I was hoping to just go through Minor Care, but they pushed her thought to the ER because they were worried about her breathing.  The doctor got her hooked up with a Z-Pack and told me to keep her doped up on Benadryl for the next couple of days.  Poor kid, she says she's not in pain, but my heart breaks just looking at her.

ARMS

BACK

LEGS (her thighs are way worse)

Her poor hands, feet look just as bad. 

Up River

In the 4th grade, students learn about Idaho History.  Being that we live at the mouth of the great Hell's Canyon, Lewiston student get to fund raise the whole school year to take an all day boat trip up the Snake River.  Trenton alone raised over $200.00 for his class.  Since space is limited, not all parents are allowed to go.  Trent's teacher, Mrs. Roberts, has a raffle that each parent can purchase a ticket for $5 and only two entries per child.  I bought two and put Eric's name on both (he's lived in Lewiston his whole life and has never been up the Snake).  Trent and I had prayed every night that his dad would be drawn, and Eric was!! Last Wednesday was the first nice day we've had in a long while, and that just happened to be the day that was scheduled for the boat trip. 

The boat driver had no objections about entertaining the kids, so during the heat of the afternoon he decided that he'd do "cookies" and splash any of the kids who sat in the back.  Eric snapped some of Trent's turn...

 Bracing himself....

..wait for it...

Trent claimed he had a BLAST!! (so did Eric)

Shout out to Coop Dog...

Being busy with five children's activities I nearly forgot to say........

Happy Birthday to Cooper....

He turned 12 on May 11th, the day after my birthday.