Soccer Photos

Thought I better put these up before someone decides to disown me... :)



Ken's Soccer Team:





Arcadia's Soccer:

Tornados and my experiences with them

Growing up in the Panhandle of Texas and various parts of Colorado and Texas and visiting Kansas every summer, you'd think I'd be used to Tornados and Tornado warnings, right? Hey, when we lived in Pampa at one house we had a siren in our backyard and man was that thing loud! But we heard it... every Saturday at 11:30 (right before Fat Albert, LOL) the siren went off and we'd suffer through the test, hoping that would be the only time we would ever hear the sucker. And at the other house we had a storm shelter. The place smelled of mold and dirt, but at least we had one, most houses didn't at least that I remember. Mom, Clark and I were very lucky not to see one tornado or funnel cloud while we were there, though now I see Pampa featured on the Weather Channel all the time with various tornadic activity.

Then every summer I'd spend in Kansas we'd have at least one warning, if not two and I'd spend the time in my grandparent's basement (remember Grandma). I remember one summer, my Grandparents were at their friend's house in the country and my Aunt and I were at their home. We spent a good amount of the afternoon in the basement because of warnings, watches and the like. At least everyone made it safe through that one. And then the one summer we all spent out in Arizona. Grandma, Grandpa and I were traveling back to Mesa after spending time traveling Southern Arizona when we came across a nice, interesting looking tornado. My Grandparents didn't want to own up to the fact that this was in fact a tornado to me. They were afraid I'd freak out. In fact, I truly wasn't sure myself, having never seen one in person. If I knew, I would of been freaking out. I remember driving through a town where the rain started lightly, then harsh, then hail, then nothing... the calm in the eye of the storm and there it was. It was touching the ground, but was quite see through and then the opposite affect on the way out. I remember someone saying when we got back to the trailer park in Mesa that the tornado destroyed one bar and then disappeared. Of course, this could all be my imagination, but it's a very strong memory so I count it as real.

Since I've moved out here to Colorado there have been very few tornados. Two happened around two or three years ago about 2 miles south of my house and the lake nearby, but I never saw them and we didn't have sirens. We now have sirens (that the city reluctantly put up after those tornados) that never go off, even in a warning. They went off yesterday. It sent silent shivers up my spine, but I was calm. Got the kids in the basement and made sure we had what we needed. Before the sirens went off though, I was outside with the camera. I got a few pictures of the nasty looking clouds and one that I learned later was the funnel cloud disappearing back into the clouds.

Quick Update

Thought I'd shoot a quick update out. Ken's last day of school is on Thursday and he's very excited (of course). His soccer team did wonderful this year. His coach stated that they were "undefeated", but since we "don't keep score" that's unofficial... ;) We're signing him up for 1/2 day soccer camp this summer to help improve his soccer skills so he's more of an asset to the team next season (August)

Ken has moved on up to the world of Wolf Cubs (as have I, being the leader of the den). The boys did a skit at the pack meeting and had everyone cracking up. They loved it.

Arcadia is officially out (as you already knew that) of school, so has had a playdate every day with a good friend of hers. They alternate between our house and theirs and it makes life easier on me and her friend's mother.

We're also signing up the kids for Vacation Bible School. That starts next Monday. The theme is Crocodile Rock. We'll have to see how they like it. :)

Busy times...

We've had a lot of stuff going on lately. Geez and it doesn't look like there is an end of site. We have to finish our Cub scout stuff... They are bridging to Wolves at the end of May. We still have four Go See Its to do and a few little extras, but my boys are getting there. And we have to practice a skit to do at the bridging ceremony. I have one in mind, but I need our boys to get involved.

Tonight we're going to the Library (one of our Go See Its and I have to return some books) and then to a curriculem carnival/Kindergarten Round-Up for Arcadia at their new school. I'm still waiting to hear from the other school. They stated that the letters went out this week. Just waiting... and waiting... and waiting... ugh...

Next week is Arcadia's last week of school. Don't know what I'm going to do with a big 5 year old in the house for a month without her brother around to keep her busy.

Well... that's all for now... here's a picture for you...

Teeth

Welp, he needed assistance from the Dentist, but his two bottom baby teeth are out!

My Creation

Ken was star student this week and we had to take in a "special snack". Since Easter is on Sunday I thought I would make something I found on http://www.bakerella.com/. I love her stuff, but can't ever duplicate it, but this seemed easy enough.

Here's her version:

and here's mine:

The Easter Egg Hunt and Ken's New Bike

Every year, the City of Brighton holds an Easter Egg Hunt and every year since Ken was 1 we have been attending said hunt. Usually the only thing we ever get from said hunt is a bunch of plastic easter eggs and the caramels and tootsie rolls that are inside.

This year we were afraid there wouldn't be a hunt since the weather was so nasty. Blowing snow, ice, wind... does not bode well for an outdoor event. Fortunately the city moved the event indoors. It was a little better organized chaos than previous years. We went in, went in line, went to the 5 yo table for Arcadia, received her bag of eggs, a raffle ticket and a hand stamp and then proceeded out the door. (Ken was with our neighbors, their son's birthday was that day and his present was to spend the day with Ken which I thought was sweet). Arcadia and I then proceeded out the door to the gym where all the festivities were. The first thing to do was to find a spot on the floor and open the eggs. I found our neighbors and they didn't know about the eggs, so they took Ken and their son to get their bag of eggs. Arcadia and I sat there opening eggs up. In the eggs they sometimes have a "Golden Ticket" for one of those huge oversized Easter baskets. Ken's friend ended up winning one of those. We all thought that was pretty cool. Then we hung around until 1pm. That's when the raffle was held. Kids ate candy, ran around with their friends, etc while extremely loud music blasted through the gym. At 1 we all went over to the "stage". There were bikes there for all the age ranges that participate. The city gets bikes donated from Target, Walmart and Kmart (our local discount stores) and then they called out the numbers. Arcadia didn't win, but I wasn't surprised. All the years we've gone, we never win. Then they called out the numbers for Ken's range. That surprised me... we won! Ken won a bike! It was all very exciting. I took him up to the stage. He posed with his bike for the newspaper and I brought it home. He's been ancy to ride it, but every night it's been either too cold, or we've been too busy for him to try it out.

Here he is on the bike: