Some Good Times!

Well, this is the infamous fish tank that has caused all the turmoil in my life.  It sure looks nice, doesn't it?  Yah, well.....looks are one thing.  So far, after quarantining all the fish, I've slowly added some of them back to the big tank and they're not dead yet;  I guess I'm getting better at this whole thing.  Oh, and I spotted the frog again yesterday.  I can't believe that little bugger is still alive after all of this.  Truman's happy!

Speaking of "happy"... here is Truman the night of his first Pack Meeting.  He's got his new Webelos uniform on and is quite proud of himself!

He earned his Citizenship badge today and also did a funny little skit about 3 boy scouts going camping for his Showman badge.  He did so great!  And was soooo excited about his new pin (shown in the pic on the yellow strap).  He's working on several new things in the coming months; craftsmanship is one, and he sure seems to be having a good time with his den.  He just completed his Aquanaut requirements too!  It's pretty fun to see him enjoy something so much.  Scott laughs at me all the time because I have no idea how this whole 'scouting-thing' works so I'm always getting Truman to wear something that Scott says is nerdy, or I do something else that he teases me for.  What can I say?  This is a whole new world to me!  I'm just glad Truman's having fun.

Truman actually took these pix of our basement the other day so I thought I'd throw them on here for those of you who haven't been able to see the progress this last year.  I can't believe all of this planning is finally coming to fruition!  This is a pic of the main gaming area, with the kitchen far off to the right.  Everything is painted but we're waiting for wood paneling and pillars to be cased in (that will complete most of the look); then all of the electronics, light fixtures and furniture can go in.  You can see in the picture that the floors look like big tiles but they're actually concrete.  It was super cheap to do and we thought it looked just as nice... I think it turned out pretty good if I do say so myself! :) 

My craft room (paper is covering the concrete floor) looking out a window into the play room.  Look below and you'll see the very same window!  

This is the playroom.  I had the window to my craft room put in with a very low sill so my desk could go right up against it.  That way I can see everything the kids are doing.  They can also easily see me... hopefully that will keep them in the playroom and not in my crafts!  On the left wall of the play room is a large double door opening into the gym.  There is a child's gate there so I can also see the kids and vice versa, while I'm working out.

A view of the gym from the playroom door opening.

A view from the main gym entry.  The floors in here are rubber and have a lot of sheet rock dust on them.  Hopefully when they're all cleaned up they'll be nice and shiny black.

I do have to say, we are very excited to have the new addition to our home.  Our kids desperately need their own place to play; not that the family room isn't nice (cuz it isn't, really :), but it will be so nice for me to do some of the things I enjoy at the same time the kids can be playing in their own playroom.  Though this has turned out to be a terrible time to be finishing up a project like this with the economy falling apart, we sure feel blessed to have started it when we did or it may not have ever happened.  Over all, we're just anxious to be able to share what we have with our friends and neighbors.  We all (even the kids) look forward to having some pretty fun parties in our new basement...even playing a little Rock Band!  Oh yah...I'm an awesome guitarist.  Seriously.  No, I'm not joking...I could win an award.  If there were awards for that kind of thing.

Jaxon Mraz at the paramount November 9th.  

Scott and Uncle Matt took Truman and Grace (I was home sick, with sick babies) to see Jason Mraz in concert.  Grace can't stop talking about how much fun she had.  Scott said she was up on the chair dancing and singing along with Jason!   And when the two kids listen to him in the car, each one of them will tell me over and over if the song that's playing is one that he sang at the concert.  They're so funny.  Scott said the concert was the best he'd ever seen.  I'm so bummed!  I got the tickets last August and of course, the night of the concert I got strep throat and Beckham got a double ear infection.  What's up with that?  Unbelievable.  So, I get to hear how amazing the whole thing was over and over and I just start to feel sick all over again.  I can't believe I missed it!  Huge bummer.  

The kids before they left for the concert.  Jaxon had to be in the picture.  Not sure what's all over his face, but at least he's saying cheese.

Well, since Beck is almost 9 month's old now, I thought I'd better put a picture of him in here at 8 month's so I don't get behind!  Isn't he just the cutest thing ever?!  I mean, I might be just a tad biased, but he is just the sweetest boy in the world.  He's always smiling and when I pick him up, he doesn't just let me hold him, he wraps his arms around my neck and presses his face tight against mine.  How lucky am I (and Scott) to have such sweet babies!!?!  Beckham is trying sooo hard to crawl.  He sort of pushes himself up part-way on his knees, just enough to push himself forward, but it's not an actual crawl.  Nonetheless, he sure is getting around; and quickly, at that.

And here is our sweet Lolo.  My girl.  I just can't say enough about this little one.  She's just barely starting to sit up in this picture and still hasn't gotten it completely down.  She likes to eat her hand, so whenever she picks it up to put in her mouth she falls over.  She's so chunky and rolly-polly.  I love it!  And I love to kiss her chubby cheeks.  Her face lights up just huge with happiness.  She never fusses...I know that's hard to believe, but she really never does.  She's just been a little gift... like we got her "just because".  Never thought we'd have two at the same time, but we couldn't have asked for two better babies.  

This is London's 5 month pic and she'll be 6 month's on the 14th.  I've finally gotten around to telling everyone they're twins when people ask.  They're the same size in everything and I'm so tired of having to tell everyone that Beck is adopted.  I end up in the middle of the grocery store talking to a total stranger for 5 minutes, trying to explain why I have two new babies that are 3 months apart, yet they both belong to me.  It ends up being this terribly long story.  I used to get stopped 4 or 5 times, or more even, every time I'd take them out and it just got to be a long, long day.  Anyway, life is simpler now that people assume they're twins.  Beck can tell whomever he wants that he's adopted when he's old enough, but until then he's just London's sweet, little, adorable twin brother.  Anyway, London is growing so fast and has finally found her voice.  She sings in octaves.  It's funny to listen to, except for the fact that her octaves are ear piercing and her vocal chords don't tire easily.  She's always smiling though, probably just like her mom, and she's got Scott's long dimples that I just love.  She's almost bald in the back with long hair on top, so I get to make those great pig tails on the top of her head.  My mom says she's going to hate me for that one day.  I don't care... I love them.

Jaxon has been ornery as ever.  The other morning I was getting the babies out of bed and changing their diapers, etc. . . I was maybe out of the kitchen area for 5 minutes, tops, and when I came out I couldn't believe what I was looking at.  I looked straight ahead and saw a naked little toddler, sitting on the bar stool with a poopy booty, pulling string-loads of paper towels off the rack while saying, "I wipe up, Mom". 

 All around me was poo.  Yes, POO!  You know how they say in the scriptures that when it's about time for Christ to come, mother's will be pleading with Heavenly Father in agony because times will have become so hard?  Well, I finally experienced those feelings.  All around me, on the doors, the carpet and the walls was poo.  There were even poopy little booty prints in different spots around the kitchen floor where for whatever reason, Jax had decided to rest for a minute!  So, I guess you could say I had a pretty crappy morning.

Seriously though, if life really were crap, I'd never know it.  My kids bring me so much joy and peace.  People tell me I'm crazy for packing 3 to 5 kids with me every where I go, but I do it because I just love being with them.  I truly was meant to be a Mom.  Even on the crappy days!  Ha ha! 

By the way, I can't end this without mentioning how great Grace has been doing in Gymnastics.  She got bumped up 3 levels last week to an "invitation-only" team.  There are 3 of these teams, each a different level and all are intended to prepare the kids for the "Competition Team".  Well, Grace and I went to practice tonight, her first night on her new team, and half way through, the coach pulled her aside and asked her to do all these different turns and spins, etc . . . Then he told her he'd be right back and left for a minute.  When he returned, he came over to me and said, I'm going to move Grace up to the next team.  I said, "okay!" 

Grace didn't know it until we got to the car, but I just wanted to cry because she was just so excited!  And I'm just as excited for her!  She loves it so much.  She comes home and begs me to go downstairs and help her practice.  It's just so amazing to see that kind of drive in a little girl.  Her Dad and I are sooo proud of her.