Rock Band!

We got Rock Band and a Playstation around Christmas time. We tried playing Rock Band with the kids. Regan insisted on singing and Haden would not let anyone else touch the drums. Needless to say, we quickly got booed off the stage every time! The kids always blamed Clint's guitar playing skills! Regan preferred just to turn on her Taylor Swift CD and sing along to that while Haden rocked out on the drums. (He usually does have a clean face...) Haden sometimes insists on wearing his "Rock Star" sunglasses as he rocks out on the drums.
Clint also brought home a new, big, flat screen television to go with his playstation. After watching Haden swing his "Let's get down to business" stick (He likes to mimic Shang on Mulan as he sings "I'll Make a Man Out of You", but instead of a staff, he uses a broomstick.) near his expensive television, it was promptly returned. I think we will wait until the kids are all grown before investing much money in something that easily destroyed!
I am sure it is only a matter of time before Lila joins the band. I hope she likes playing the guitar because I doubt either of the other kids will give up their instruments!

Happy Birthday Savannah!

My sister, Savannah, came to see us for her birthday. Okay, she was actually in search of warmer weather than what Provo had to offer, but the timing was right, and we got to celebrate with her! The kids LOVE their Aunt Savannah. She is a good sport. She lets Regan teach her ballet dances, spends hours playing Barbies, fixes Regan's hair in fancy grown up hairstyles, takes her clothes shopping and still sword fights and wrestles with Haden. Because she had a break from work and the weather here stayed nice, she stayed with us for nearly a month. Both kids were devastated when she finally left.
Clint had just gotten back from a camp out with his scouts and the kids talked him into setting the tent up in the living room. And then they insisted that Savannah was only allowed to open her presents in the tent.

Tubing!

This weather this year has not been typical. Finally, when we did get snow, we took the kids tubing at a park close by. It was probably 50 degrees. The kids were rather skeptical. Regan is not very adventurous and Haden just copies whatever Regan does. After the first run, they were hooked! They loved going down with Clint, more weight=tube going farther and faster! After a long time, they got tired of walking up the hill, but weren't quite finished going down the hill. They talked Clint into pushing them in the tube up the hill so they could tube back down. (He's kind of a sucker when it comes to his kids!) Even Lila had fun going down!

My first race

In preparation for the Bolder Boulder, which I will hopefully be running this year, I ran in the "Love 'Em or Leave 'Em" 5K Race on Valentine's Day weekend. It was the first race I have ever run. I think it was killing Clint to be on the sidelines with the kids watching me instead of running himself! I had been having issues with low-iron so I was struggling at the end of the race and immediately after, but we still all had fun. There was a pancake breakfast and a fun run afterward. The kids had a lot of fun running with their friends!

Regan running. She was talking smack to her friend about how she was going to run faster, but then didn't. Regan said she just ran out of energy and Brooklyn was just too fast! I'm afraid she inherited her father's competitiveness!

Haden running.

At the finish line.

The kids had so much fun earning their medals and water bottles!

Tiny Tots Symphony

On a very cold and snowy day in February, Haden, Lila, and I went on a preschool field trip to the Tiny Tots Symphony. The Colorado Symphony presents a concert appropriate for preschool aged kids every year. This is the second time we have gone. The orchestra is arranged in a large circle and the kids & parents get to sit in the middle. The conductor is wonderful and very entertaining for the kids. He does an excellent job of narrating the music. This year an opera singer came. Haden was not too impressed until he saw the drums. He was rather disappointed that he was not able to play them. After all, thanks to Rock Band, he is a very experienced drummer! Lila loved the music. It is always neat to expose the kids to different experiences.

The Conductor

The opera singer

It is kind of hard to take pictures when you are all squished together on the floor!

Red Rocks

Wow! I am really behind on blogging. So before I forget everything that happened this winter, I better get started!
One beautiful Saturday at the end of January, we headed to Red Rocks. Even after living here 4 years, we hadn't yet been there. The kids had fun climbing on the rocks, posing for pictures, and dancing on the stage while Clint ran the stairs. There was a guy playing the guitar and Regan had fun dancing to his music.

Clint is the white dot in the middle.

Haden's 1st Crush

Haden has been in preschool for a few months now. Every time I drop him off or pick him up a cute little girl named Ellen runs over to play with Lila while I talk to the teacher, sign Haden out, etc. Last week the class was walking back to their classroom after watching a movie when I came to pick Haden up. Haden and Ellen were holding hands. It was super cute! I'm not sure who's idea it was. Haden has been talking about Ellen a lot at home. She is his favorite friend at school. He really wants her to come over for a playdate and will say that he misses her when there is no preschool. He didn't want to go to school when he was sick, though because he didn't want to get Ellen sick. Very considerate! Yesterday when we got to school, Ellen exclaimed, "Haden, you're here!" and ran over to give him a hug. When I ask him why he misses her, he says, "Because I love her, mom!"