Jensen Family Week in Review April 14th-20th

Really long, you might get bored reading this if you're not a relative, version!!!!!

(But I DARE you!)

The big news or obnoxious news of the week was the weather. Snow. Sun. Wind. Sun. Freezing. Sun. Can't it just be spring already?!?!?!!A sign in Sugar City. I HAD to turn around and take a picture. Too funny. Yet true and sad.

On the few days/moments that it was warm Connor spent every second he could outside. One day he was outside from 9:30 a.m. until 7:00 at night. I finally bucked up and made him come in for a short nap around 2:00. (It is so hard for me to make my kids come in for a nap when the weather is so nice and they're having so much fun. BUT, I have to. I'm not giving up naps yet. I'm NOT.) As soon as he woke up he was back outside. The kid ate a bowl of cereal and 2 hotdogs ALL DAY. He is loving the sun.Oh wait.... I fibbed. The REALLY BIG news of the week wasn't the weather BUT that tax season came and went and we didn't have any big catastrophe. Hurray! On the 15th I was using the microwave and it suddenly went out. Of course. I was willing to take a dead microwave over a dead well, or car, or septic system as in years past. But still. Come on. Kendon came in, unplugged and plugged it back in and presto it worked again. Phew. I'm still a little edgy thinking it's just too good to be true. Hold your breath for me.Tax Season 2004- New well.

Tax Season 2006-New Septic

Connor was in heaven watching the tractor.

So, with our tax money we bought this:

We are finally going to get Connor out of our bedroom and sharing with Sirri!!!! Everyone is excited about this. Especially Connor. He will tell anyone who will listen that he is getting a bunk bed and he gets to sleep on the top. We are going to swap rooms with the kids since our room is bigger. As soon as Meg is sleeping through the night consistently (I know. 18 months old and still a terrible sleeper. grrr.) she will move into the kid's room as well. That means Kendon and I will finally have our own room for the first time in 3 1/2 years. This is LONG over due. But what do you do when you live in a two bedroom home? You improvise and do what you can. I'm super excited too. I've never had a nice bedroom. I'm going to save my pennies and get a new comforter and maybe some matching pillows even!!!! I can't wait to have a pretty room (yet masculine, Kendon) that I can relax in at the end of the day, read a book and have no children in there!!!!

Kendon also bought a rototiller. He has borrowed one for years for our garden and now he has his own. He deserves it. It's really big to match our garden. (And it's quite pretty as far as rototillers go!!)

How about some small news. Small as in Sirri wore these pants this week.Hello! A size TWO! She is almost five. Good grief. She told Jaci the other day, "I think I'll just always be short." (In her defense, the size two pants were a tad bit short. A tad.)

Brooke lent Sirri her MP3 player this week. Sirri though that was the coolest thing EVER! She wouldn't even look at me for a picture. She was so sweet to let Connor have one of the ear buds to listen too. She kept coming up to me saying, "Mom! You've got to hear this!!!" Oh, Sirri. Please stop growing up.Meg had a big week. She is growing and changing everyday. I forget how much happens at this age. It is so fun.

• She learned to do a fishy kiss. It is so cute. (mental note: get this on video.)
• She learned to sign "I love you." Talk about melt your heart. (video too.)
• She has been communicating with her sign really well lately. She will tell us when she is "hungry," when she is ready for "night night," and when she wants "more," and when she wants to go "bye bye." It has been really helpful.
• Her receptive language is getting better as well. She is really beginning to understand commands. "Go get your shoes." "Take this to the garbage." "Go see daddy."
  
• She began calling for me. She has never done this. Now when she is sad or wants me she will cry, "mama mama mama mama mama." This makes me happy. Except in the middle of the night.
• Meg is really beginning to catch up in some of the developmental areas that she was lagging in. I'm not much of a progress comparing mom but with Meg I was beginning to worry a bit. She has just been a bit slower, but she's getting there.

Every spring (and several times through the summer.) the kids and I walk up and down our road picking up garbage. They really look forward to it. This week we had our first garbage walk. They were such great helpers. I was really sad that about 1/3 of the garbage was beer bottles and cans. My kids smelled like drunks by the time we were done. Good thing for baths. We have a little song that we see as we clean. Sing to the tune of Lollipop Lollipop.
"Litter Bug, Litter Bug, don't be a litter litter, Litter Bug, Litter Bug, don't be a litter litter, Litter bug. badoomboomboom!" Feel free to teach this to your children!!!

This weekend was a ton of fun. Kendon is the president of his archery club and they had a BIG shoot this weekend. The weather was supposed to be crummy but it heard our prayers and was absolutely beautiful! It was so much fun to watch Kendon take charge and put this whole thing together. I loved watching him interacting with the other archers. I can tell they respect him and enjoy his company. He did a great job!

Ever since I got my bow, Sirri has been asking if she gets one too. I think she thought bows were for boys until Mommy got one. So, this weekend Kendon got her a bow and she was so excited. He is making her arrows with purple and yellow/greenish feathers.

Look at that face. That is one proud daddy!

The kids shot a few targets and their favorite was the "great big grizzly bear." Connor is getting great form in his shooting and is becoming a great shot. It was sometimes hard to remember to cheer Sirri on just as much as Connor even when she was missing all the targets. (I can see where sibling rivalry comes from.)

Bulls Eye!

All in all it was a GREAT day. I'm just still so thankful that Kendon enjoys having his family join him in his hobby. We are looking forward to lots of shooting this summer! (IF summer ever comes. I'm starting to doubt it!)Seems like a nearly perfect week. I like those. I am getting a tooth ache and need to call the dentist. Other than that, just another week in paradise! HA!

P.S. I made my first cake from scratch. It was yummy but I think I'll stick to the box. As they say, "if it aint broke, don't fix it," and the box has always worked for me!!!!