Holt Family

Well ofcourse, it didn't take long for me to get off track, like 2 weeks...but I had really good excuses!

Before Spring Break, I have come to the realization that my substituting will suddenly come to a stop. So, I took advantage of being able to sub for Benjamin's class the day before and the day after spring break. I enjoyed it much, needless to say Friday before spring break was much crazier and I wasn't sure I wanted to do it again the Monday after Spring Break. But...Monday after spring break, I'm pretty sure half of the kids were still asleep through most of the day-so it turned out to be a really great day! The sudden stop of subbing is due to budget cuts by our state and cut backs by the district to try and save money. So I will just try to accomplish all the goals, crafts, food storage, etc...that I really need to get done around here.

BAND CONCERT

I was able to enjoy Anthony's In School Band Concert. I was substituting for another class that day, but I was able to bring my 2nd grade class to the concert. We enjoyed it a lot, unfortunately my camera didn't take very good pictures or video so I will not be sharing that with you. Maybe his 4th quarter in school performance, I will be more successful. Anthony started playing the clarinet along with the trumpet in January. He really enjoys both instruments and excels at them both. He takes his trumpet one day and then his clarinet the next.

BAD NEWS...

Well, if the substitute teaching news wasn't bad enough, we got more bad news...Our gym closed. Yes, about 8 weeks ago, Jeremy and I joined a gym. It was great less than 5 minutes away, and I was going almost every morning unless I worked, and also going some nights with my husband...yes, that equals twice in some days. Our friends went there and I was very motivated by them. It was all going so well, too, until we were told it shut down 2 weeks ago. Now our memberships are all transfered to another gym, (both are atleast 10 min plus away and our friends aren't going so now my motivation is gone, and I haven't been once since...Of course, I have really good excuses for this also!

Pinewood Derby - HERE WE COME!

Well, this was Benjamin's last pinewood derby, needless to say, I wasn't too sad. The saddest thing was that he had a really good plan for a car (the geico -say a buck-theme). His dad helped him cut it and then told him to sand it. Well...aparently...Jeremy was gone a little while and when he returned Benjamin had sanded the bottom of the car. This ruined where the wheels needed to be set and since we procrastinated just a little bit, we didn't have the time to make a new one. Benjamin settled on using one of his brother's old cars. He still had an enjoyable time. He didn't win a place, but the races are always fun!

ALOHA!...ALOHA!

Videos of these wonderful dances will be coming soon to a blog near you!

The girls and I enjoyed going to the Aloha Festival to watch Aunt Monica perform her hula dances. Uncle Adam saved us a great seat on the front row! Wow, She is Really Good. She performed in many dances. Afterward, we enjoyed an authentic Hawaiian Shaved Ice (w/out the beans and ice cream-real authentic!), a plate of teryaki chicken and a side of PIG! It was delicious! Thanks Aunt Monica for giving us this opportunity!

SPRING BREAK!!!!
"Look, Mom There's a RED BRA in the Tree!"

Ski Lift Highlight: Jessika wondered why there was a bra in the tree, truthfully, I couldn't answer that...just said how funny that was. So everytime we went up that lift, the girls laughed and pointed out the bra. After about the 25th time, I stopped counting!

So for spring break we headed up to Aunt Monica's house Sunday evening. We took off to go skiing Mon & Tues. We had a great time staying with the Hornes and are so thankful for their hospitality, good food, and fun!

I took the kids skiing Monday and they all had a wonderful day. We truly enjoyed beautiful Spring Skiing Weather. We even got hot...imagine that! The girls got a little nervous from having a whole year off, but after one time down the hill they were like pros again. Chelsey started the day off with her french fry stance and drop and roll to stop, but I worked with her a bit and she was able to overcome this approach and actually learned how to do big pizza slice, turn, french fry, etc... She learned the concepts well, but still truly enjoyed fast and furious down the hill. We even managed one run from the top, Crown Dancer...Chelsey did great, Jessika..well...remember Monica getting dragged up the stairs of the water slide at Trafalga???(kicking and screaming bloody murder at the top of her lungs...just incase you forgot...or didn't get to experience that...) Well that was Jessika, but instead of UP the stairs it was all the way DOWN the ski hill! Chelsey got so far ahead of us, I was silently praying that she didn't accidentally ski off into the trees somewhere and get stuck and I'd miss seeing her. Well...that didn't happen when we finally got down to the bottom of the run (a good 30 min later) Chelsey was lying in the snow in the middle of the runway and had tears in her eyes. I asked her if she was okay and she said "I'm okay and I wasn't scared, but I've been here a long time and started to think I got lost" How heartbreaking to mom!

We made it through Monday, and I wasn't sure about one more day, but I knew it was our only chance this season as Sunrise was closing on Saturday and the passes were all free. Soooo...back up to the slopes Tues...except this time the boys really thought they wanted to try snowboarding...well mom had only tried snowboarding once for a run or two when she switched her skiis with her sisters snowboard one year a long long time ago. I had no idea how to even tell them what to do or where to start...so Dad said I could put them in a lesson. So we did just that. I let the girls ski the bunny hill while I got the boys settled in a half day lesson. They learned a lot from their lesson and it helped a lot, even tho they were bored. We enjoyed most of the day skiing, snowboarding until about 2:00 (Mom, quit and turned her skiis in by 1:30-just a little exhausted!) The boys did great, but Anthony's butt was very sore, atleast that is what he said! and YES, they would both snowboard again!

After skiing we picked up our stuff in and out at the Hornes and headed home. Benjamin had a baseball practice at BIG LEAGUE DREAMS and we hoped we could make it home in time. We did and even though he was pooped from the day of snowboarding he had a great time at his practice.

Oops!, I've fallen and I can't get up!

Chelsey

Anthony
Jessika

Benjamin

Wednesday, we went from skiing to swimming. Our week of spring break landed the weather in the 90s. It was really nice. So we went to Hamilton Pool with some friends and enjoyed swimming and relaxing that afternoon. The rest of our week was recouperating from our ski trip, swapping winter clothes for summer clothes, seeing a movie, and just taking it easy. Well, that was for mom, Benjamin, Jessika, & Chelsey.

Dad and Anthony took off Thursday on a 3 day scout hike to Rodgers Trough. (Once again, trying to get ready for their big 50 miler in June!)They had a good time, as they saw a gila monster and some diamondback rattlesnakes in the wild. They also went in a cave and saw some Indian Ruins. -Anthony thought this was the best part. The worst part being that the decline part of the hike was very steep (dropping drastically in elevation) and they had very sore calves on Sat afternoon when they returned!

We had a fun week and I don't think any of us were ready for routine come Monday morning. (Ohwell, it came whether we wanted it to or not...)

The week went pretty smooth getting back to school, piano practice, lessons, homework, chores, etc...By Friday we were all ready for the weekend. The kids got their report cards this week and Benjamin got straight A's! Congratulations Ben! (We did bribe all the kids with straight A's, and Anthony tried really hard, but missed by just one percentage point in math!) They all did really well on their grades this quarter and we are very proud of them!

Saturday was busy...The girls have felt somewhat neglected with dad being gone so much with scouts, so they decided they would have a Sat. Morning Breakfast Tea Party. Jeremy fixed all kinds of yummy little breakfast items (fruit (with carmel and chocolate dipping sauces), cheese, mini star egg sandwiches, juice, choc milk, etc...), they dressed in their fancy clothes and Daddy was the butler. The girls main purpose was so daddy could ask "What would you like my lady?" (ofcourse, with an accent) and they could tell him anything and he would bring it. They had a good time and it was fun for them all.

Meanwhile, Benjamin had opening day ceremonies for Baseball. I took the boys and we went and participated in the parade on the field, first pitch of the season, and talk from an ASU baseball person. Saturday was very busy. After returning home, I took the girls to their song/dance dress rehearsal in Queen Creek (11-1). Jeremy took Benjamin for his pictures at noon. And then at 2:30 we went to the ball field to watch Benjamin's game at 3:00. It was a great first game...at first. The boys made plays we never dreamed on them making. They were really on their toes and by the bottom of the last inning they were up 11 to 3 (holding the team with an instant 3 outs every inning but the first). But then...I guess they thought they had won the game. With the excitement of thinking they had won we watched players miss balls, goof around, and completely loose the game. Benjamin was catcher and made a great play to get a player out, but the ref was out at 2nd base and called the kid safe. So they lost 12 to 11. So SAD...but Benjamin still had fun and after all it was the first game of the season! Go METS!

Well amazingly enough, after having written a book for my blog, gone through over a hundred emails, I have finished my laundry also! WOW!