The Love Triangle

As Ashtyn was getting ready to leave for school this morning she showed me her book report. She had the choice of 11 options that included a movie roll of the events in the book, make a new book jacket, make 3 bookmarks, make a poster to advertise your book, you get the picture.
She chose to do the DIORAMA. She had spent the previous evening (while I was playing soccer and going to a movie with the 'girls' and not staying home to help with homework...guilt....) drawing a very lovely picture from a scene in her book and glued it to the bottom of a shoe box. I could not let her turn it in so I told her we would work on it when we got home. I really appreciate her independance and very rarely have to ask her to do her homework or to practice so I am glad she had it ready a day early. She just didn't have a complete understanding of what a diorama is. So I made her look up diorama and learn what exactly it is. Then we discussed the book. So when she started to tell me the story line of her book I was floored and decided I need to become more of a reader just to keep up on what she is reading.

The movie we saw (while I was not helping her with her homework) was 17 again, a movie about a father in 'freaky friday' fashion who is turned into his younger self and attends his children's high school. He sees first hand what his kids are really like, good kids making bad choices but in the end everything was happy and good and he saves the day...Adorable movie ( for the 16 and older crowd)

So I of course felt myself starting to panic as Ashtyn is telling me how the aunt Carol is in love with the assistant principal but the main character Jaime finds her favorite teacher jealous and wanting the assistant principal to fall in love with her......WHAT!?!? She is in the 3rd grade! So I immediately flipped through the pages and we decided she could read some less dramatic books, The title is "dear dumb diary, can adults become human" for heavens sake! This explains a little in the attitude department which maybe is just a stage? I may have overreacted a little but I do the same thing with Disney channel all the jokes are being sassy to adults or poking fun at others and the radio I won't even go there but when Alayna sings "hush girl, hush your lips do the Helen Keller and talk with your hips" ..... ??? How do you keep the innocent, innocent? So here's to the Diorama. I'm sure Mrs. Hall is going to be thrilled to have polly pockets holding hands (at least we didn't glue their lips together...)

yes, this is an actual page from the book

Is this normal? Seriously though I am off to read this book....I think I may be over reacting, I hope.... I would love any suggestions for good kid reads (especially since I don't take the time to read a whole lot)

Memorial Day

I don't know if we have ever stayed home for the memorial holiday? Although the original plans had us going anywhere from Vegas to Idaho, and then changed to Argyle Canyon where Jay's family Cabin is; I was so excited and grateful to be able to say NO to traveling this past weekend. We stayed and I enjoyed my yard, my home, my mountains, my kids, my husband and my friends.

We did a short 3/4 mile hike up to doughnut falls in Big Cottonwood canyon. It was beautifully sunny. Chilly enough for a jacket. Great fresh mountain air and the perfect hike for little legs. There was surprisingly a lot of snow, people and run off. I am not sure what I was expecting but our shoes got a little muddy. (Jay wore his newest under armour shoes) We stopped to eat our sandwiches in a little meadow with rocks and grass that was not too wet to sit on. It was so nice. I hope we will do more hiking this year. I am working on getting Jay to cross the Tetons, a hike I did a few years back, but this time in one day instead of two. (Less packing).

We buzzed Jacob's hair. He is such an adorable little (BIG) guy. He barely fit in the pack. Ashtyn rode in this until she was THREE! He loved the hike and continues to see if he can out run is mother, father and sisters.

A week or so ago, our date of the month was taking a grilling class. We learned a lot. Jay was so excited to use his new skills and made a wonderful dinner (and made up for the 18 holes of golf he played the day before after being gone recruiting the entire week. I am whinning but I was bummed)

Ribs that fell off the bone with a red pepper jam BBQ sauce (Thanks for the jam Amy)

yummy smoked, grilled brussel sprouts

Smoked granny apples with a vinegar and mustard sauce (I was so leery of this one but I crave it on a daily basis)

Smoked tomatoes, we decided would be best in a spinach salad with bacon and fresh mozzarella

And for dessert DUHN - DUHN - DUHN - DUUUUHN

Banana and nutella angel food cake sandwiches with ice cream and whipped cream. At the class the dude did it with the pound cake from Costco and I would use that over the angel food cake from now on. But still a fabulous finisher.

As I watch our summer calendar fill up and our summer evaporates before we even get there, I am glad to have kicked it off here at home. Hopefully it will entice us to stick around little more.....