Chloe's 7th Birthday

It may seem as though I have stopped working on this project. I'm not giving up yet, just trying to find something to motivate me to get it done. We've had a couple full weeks. I have tons of things to post, but I'm going to start my "catch up" with Chloe's birthday.

She wanted to go camping for her birthday, and after looking at several different ideas we settled on staying at a cabin in Star Valley. We went up there Friday night. Grandma, Grandpa, and the gang met us up there and brought pizza for dinner. After they left we got to relax in the hot tub before going to bed.

Saturday morning we left the cabin and went to Grandma's house. We stopped at the store she works at and checked it out. Chloe had requested (at mom's suggestion) going to The Red Baron for her birthday dinner. It's a hometown drive-in in Afton with some really good food. And the fact that it's only open during the summer makes you long for it all winter long. Luckily they opened the Monday before. Chloe requested a cake AND pie for her birthday, and that's what she got. We bought her cake from Target (did I mention they forgot to make it!), but we got one done in rush and then Brandon made her an apple pie.

Annie Get Your Gun

I've got to tell you my exciting news. We took a tour of the Hale Centre Theatre with a group of homeschoolers several months ago. They gave all the kids a free ticket. Unfortunately, Chloe and I had gone to see "The Secret Garden" there just the night before. I've been waiting for another play that we would like to see. Merrill Osmond was staring in "The Civil War" last month. I really wanted to see that, but we just didn't make it. I knew "Annie Get Your Gun" was coming up, so I was saving the free ticket for that (I thought Chloe might like it better). With Brandon's church calling we don't have a lot of free evenings anymore so I knew I was limited to a Tuesday night. I looked at tickets a week or so ago, but they were selling out fast. There were very few good seats left, and I needed to confirm with Brandon what night we could go. April is my month for a date with Chloe (we switch every month), so without it running into May I was limited to the 22nd or 29th. I was still frustrated that there were no good seats left and I didn't want to end up on the back row, but I also knew things weren't going to improve.

Thursday night we were in the middle of playing Cranium (a game that was just not meant to happen), when at 7:10 our home teacher calls. He asks if we want to go see "Annie Get Your Gun." This production was being put on at our local theatre by the junior high. There were about 6 kids from our ward performing in it, so he had gotten tickets for the young men to go. I guess 4 of them flaked on him, so he thought of the Nicholls. The play started at 7:30, so we didn't have much time to think about it. We just left Cranium on the table and ran to the theatre. It was a good show, but now I had to decide if I still wanted to take Chloe to see it at Hale Centre. She said she wanted to, so I decided I better get the tickets.

Yesterday I got online to see what I could get. I noticed that April 22nd was sold out, which left me with only the 29th if we were going to be able to go in April. So I decided to look in May (thinking I could just push our date back). There were much better choices, but just for the heck of it I checked the 29th again and that's when I noticed two seats right on the front row. I was so excited (I guess it doesn't take much)! I called the theatre and asked the lady if I could have those two seats (I couldn't order online since I had this free ticket). She gave them to me and I was one happy girl. I ran to tell Chloe the news. I'm not sure she was quite as elated as I, but she seemed happy. Maybe just a hint of "why is my mom acting so crazy?"

Babysitting Eli

We had the pleasure of watching Eli today while his parents went house hunting. We gave him a piano lesson, fed him, fought over who got to hold him (or push him in the stroller), and we took a few pictures. Chloe is heartbroken over the fact that she thinks once they move she will NEVER get to babysit Eli again. I tried to assure her we'd still see them, but truthfully it will probably be a lot less.

Spelling List

Sophie brought home her first spelling list today. I recalled the lack of challenge there was when Chloe brought hers home last year, so you could say I was a little less than enthusiastic; however, Chloe made up for what I lacked. She grabbed the list and immediately started quizzing Sophie. Soph got them all right on the first try. I'd love to brag about her accomplishment, but really, how hard is it to spell I, a, is, to, and go? Then Brandon gets home from work, and Chloe decides to give her dad a shot at it as well. He's occupied washing some dishes (yes, he's a great husband) when she gives him his first word, I. He says, "I don't know what you're talking about." So, she gives him the next word. Again, he's still a little frustrated and doesn’t answer correctly. Chloe then goes over to Sophie and says, "You’re a lot smarter than dad." We can't argue with that.