Blackham Update May 2, 2006
Well,
Grayson has now been “off” for two weeks. Actually, he hasn’t really been
around all that much, no days lazing in bed watching television. He’s been
helping out quite a bit with the Bountiful house, doing a lot of the finishing
touches and clean up. He figures it is only fair as he and his partner are
splitting the profit, but the other guy has (up until now) done all the work
(we were the money). Gray actually loves having a hammer in his hand again
though. He is a little anxious for his new job to start, but while they’d take
him early, I don’t think he has decided to start yet. He did spend some time
yesterday touring their models and doing some “research” and such.
Monday,
Keaton went back to school (after a week off for his preschool spring break)
but the big boys were still out. It’s always hard to remember to take him to
school when Landon and Callahan are around. With Landon still out, I
volunteered him (and me) to help out at a local care center (for elderly and
handicapped folks) in our stake. It was our ward’s turn to help put on a
Wednesday Relief Society meeting. I lead the music, and Landon played “I am a
Child of God” on some little bells Grayson bought me a while back when I was
primary chorister. He did really well,
he had a practice performance the day before when we were out at Mom and Dad’s
(for the Westra Women’s Weekly Lunch - I wasn’t sure Mom and Dad would be up
for it after having been gone all week at Wendy’s house, but they were so we
went).
Wednesday
evening was busy as Gray and Landon had scouts and Keaton and Callahan had t-ball games (with
pictures). We had Ana come out and tend the two babies, while I took the boys
to the games. We have neighbor kids (brother and sister) on the teams with our
boys, and it was good to have them there too, as the photos and games
overlapped. Keaton’s game was so funny - last week the kids just stood there in
the outfield, throwing their caps and mits, not paying attention at all. This
week, almost EVERY child would go after the ball, diving for it into a dogpile.
The child who got the ball would never throw it to anyone (if the kid assigned
to first, second or third had actually stayed there and not joined in the fray)
but just toss it to the other team’s coach (who was pitcher). The other mom
took Callahan and her daughter Bailey over to pictures while Keaton and Jabob
finished their game, then I took the two boys with their team over to pictures,
while Callahan and Bailey headed back for their game. Pictures took a while,
but the people in charge were really good with the kids, getting them in line
tallest to shortest, then having them turn and put hands on shoulders like a
train as they moved into position. After the picture they had everyone turn
around and took a picture of the back of the shirts...I guess the sponsor
(LandOLakes) wants to be sure their logo is on all the uniforms and that the
uniforms are being worn. I missed almost all of Callahan’s game, but was there
in time to see Callahan get hit in the eye with the ball (it bounced first, but
he still dropped like a rock). He was fine...I joked with him that when we tell
him to keep an eye on the ball, we didn’t mean it literally!
Thursday
I made up a batch of my roll dough. Primedia (the company that puts out
Creating Keepsakes magazine that I used to work for) is putting out a cookbook
and I had submitted the recipe and tomorrow is the taste test. Grayson went and
picked up a load of nice dirt to add to the flowerbeds and they look quite nice
now. In the evening, Grayson and I went out with another couple (his partner in
the Bountiful house). They were taking us out as a thank you for backing the
house, as it is the first real profit he has made and it really helped them
out. They took us to Flemmings, an upscale steakhouse downtown at the Gateway.
When we got home, Keaton wanted to show us something...he went and jumped on a
neighbor girls bike (his is out of commission) and rode it, with no training
wheels. Our babysitter had worked with him (a little last fall too). He hadn’t
really had much help from Grayson (with his Achilles injury and me being
pregnant) so I do think Nicole taught him how (with a little natural talent on
Keaton’s part). Nicole is the same babysitter who a year ago, announced that
Keaton had gone in the potty (for the first time at home, the last day in
diapers), so she has a couple big milestones to her name in our family. She’s
the same sitter I called at 3:00 in the morning when I was in labor with
Colton.
Friday,
I took finished baked goods (cinnamon and orange rolls, dinner rolls,
breadsticks) to the Primeda office in Bluffdale. I stopped in and said hello to
the editor and other people I had worked with. It was fun to talk to them and
catch up a little. In the evening, I went to a baby shower for Grayson’s side
of the family.
It’s
funny, after several kids, you kind of need another shower, because so many of
the items don’t make it through more than three children. I just had to go to
the store and buy another walker because the one we had been using (Colton’s
feet don’t touch the ground, but he likes being in an upright position) had
broken. I need to get a highchair too. I probably have enough clothes, but I do
still tend to pick up some new ones here and there too. While sometimes it is
fun seeing the kids in the same clothes their older brothers wore, at times my
tastes change, or I just want something new.
Yesterday
the big boys went back to school. I do like being back on a schedule, with
dinner, homework and bed at specific times, each and every night. We’re looking
about getting Landon in some sort of reading or tutoring program for the
summer, as he’s a little behind. Anyone know of a good program? I try working with him myself but he just doesn’t work that
well with me. I remember years ago, a gal in our ward who was working toward an
elementary school teaching certificate needed to work with some kids and came
over to read with Landon. I remember sitting back and thinking, “He doesn’t
read to me like that!” He just mopes and complains! Anyway, this girl, since
married and moved away (now has three kids) was visiting (her parents in the
ward) and Landon saw her and said “Is that Stephanie?” – he remembered, it must
have made an impact.
Callahan
is home from school today with a nasty flu bug. He has thrown up several times,
and poor guy doesn’t have anything in his tummy so it is just yucky stomach
stuff that burns his throat. We had to cancel our Weekly Westra Woman’s lunch
(or at least I didn’t get to go, Alicia and Mom still attended I believe) so I hope without my weekly “sanity saver” I
don’t go crazy. And I hope none of the other kids (or Gray or I) get this!
That’s
all from us for now!
Jen
and da boys
Blackham Update 05-15-2006
Hope
everyone (Mom’s especially) had a good day yesterday. Even with our 9:00 church
schedule the boys and Daddy made me breakfast in bed. The boys helped me eat it
too. We got a little potted flower at church.
Last
week was a busy one. Since Grayson got off, we’ve been spending a lot of time
getting the basement cleaned out. There was a ton of stuff there, and there
were many trips to Deseret Industries, but it was finally emptied out.
Tuesday
we had a framer come out and work on the walls. We have the big finished family
room, and now we’re going to finish two bedrooms, a bathroom and the hall, with
a lot of storage cabinets there. One bedroom will be for Landon and Callahan to
share. I’m so excited to have more closet space (currently three boys are
sharing one closet/one room). Keaton will stay upstairs (I don’t know, he may
end up sleeping down with his brothers) and he and Cooper will share the room.
Colton has his own room (I’ll be able to move Cooper’s clothes out, which will
be helpful!). The second room downstairs will be a den for Grayson. Currently,
his laptop and big color printer have had a home on the kitchen table. It will
be nice to have a spot for his stuff too. Eventually we will probably let it be
a room for Landon, moving Keaton in with Callahan, Colton in with Cooper, and
Gray’s den upstairs.
A
few years ago Grayson gave me a drinking fountain (like in schools and
churches) but we never got it installed. It will go downstairs too. It will be
really nice for the kids not to have to run upstairs to use the bathroom or to
get a drink. The hallway will have a lot of storage space and I’m already
mentally filling it up. There will still be the exercise room and food room
that are in a half-finished state, and we’ll just leave them as is, but there
will be doors, so if they are closed, everything will looking done.
Also
on Tuesday we had a shed installed in the backyard. We have a big garden patch
that we haven’t had the time or energy to do anything with, so that is where we
put the shed. It will hold some stuff from the garage (tools, etc) freeing up
the garage. There is still quite a bit of garden space around the shed, and
hopefully with a smaller section, it will be more manageable. I hope to get a
garden planted this year. I’ve been working on my three small flowerbeds and
while I don’t love the weeding and such, I do enjoy having pretty flowers
around. My lilac tree I planted over five years ago is blooming for the first
time.
Wednesday
and Saturday were the last t-ball games for Keaton and Callahan. It was a short
season (8 games in 4 weeks) and while it was fun, it’s always a bit of a relief
when it ends. Both boys did really well and it was always fun watching them I
do get a little too into the games, NOT in an over competitive way (like the
hockey dad stories), in fact I’m just the opposite. I get frustrated when
things don’t happen to make sure everyone is participating and having fun.
Everyone is really supportive for the most part, cheering everyone, no one gets
out...but so often one child totally hogs the ball, running to get it no matter
where it is hit, never throwing to the other kids. I just wish the coach or
parent would take the child in hand and make it a little more fun for everyone.
Watching the other kids (misbehaving) I am often very thankful for my boys,
they really are wonderful kids (most of the time)!
Landon
and Callahan have been working hard earning points for big purchases they
wanted. On Thursday, Landon hit his goal
(100 points) and Callahan was really close to his (85 points). Landon wanted a
pair of “heelys” (shoes with wheels in the heels) and Callahan wanted
rollerblades (he and Landon have been sharing an old pair). I took both big
boys and we went out, first to the library where I helped them get their own library
cards. They picked out some books and had a great time with the self-checkout.
After that we went to Gart Brothers and picked out their shoes and
rollerblades. Callahan was frustrated that he didn’t get to put them on right
when we got home, but he still had 15 points to earn (he’s earned them now).
Saturday
evening was fun, as we took out Shane and Alicia, Derek and Danielle (for
birthdays) and Mom & Dad (Mother’s Day) to Tepanyaki. Not only is the food
good, but it’s cooked right in front of you, so it’s very entertaining as well.
The
boys still have over a month of school left. Keaton’s school actually ends in
May, but his teacher offers a one month “summer” preschool, which keeps him
busy until his brothers get out. We look forward to summer when we can go out
and swim at Grandma and Grandpa’s house. I wonder if Cooper will want to go in
the water this year (he wouldn’t touch it all last year). We could even take
Colton in! He is getting so big, almost 5 months old. He’s rolling over all the
time now, both ways. I’ll put him down on a blanket and the next thing I know
he’s all the way across the room crashing into the wall. I’ve started him on
cereal, but we don’t do it everyday yet.
Well,
that’s the story at the Blackham house. Hope everything is good with all of
you!
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