Tae Kwon Do

Christopher started in Tae Kwon Do this week. Tae Kwon Do is a Korean martial arts form. We are hoping that Christopher will learn discipline, balance, coordination, and self-defense from this. So far he seems to be really enjoying it. His mom and dad are enjoying watching him improve every class.

We have all learned to yell "kee-up" when we punch and kick and change stances. Even Xander and Darci will join in practices at home.

Sorry for the new obsession

I'm enjoying taking some of these videos. I promise not to put too many. This is Darci singing and dancing while Bret plays the piano. One of her favorite past times.

Something New

I just recently learned how to work the video camera on our digital camera. I should have been doing this a long time ago. I can't tell you how many times we've taken the digital camera and had a moment where we wished we had the video camera. DUH!!! We had one right with us. Now I can show you how adorable my children are in motion ;).

Enjoy!

Meadow Elementary Dance Festival

Christopher had his dance festival today and they did a fun gorilla dance to the "Breaking Up the Camp" song from Disney's Tarzan. He did an excellent job and Xander and Darci had fun playing on the playground while we waited. Kindergarten was last, so we enjoyed watching all of the grades do their dances.

Happy 6th Birthday Christopher!!!

We've been celebrating Christopher's 6th for the past couple of days. His actual birthday was yesterday. I always find myself reflecting back on that day they were born on their birthdays. Sometimes I think birthdays affect mommies more than the actual birthday boy/girl. I told Christopher that his birth was so special to me, because he is who made me a mommy.
He got a trampoline from Bret, Xander, Darci, and I. We gave it to him yesterday morning before Bret had to leave for work. It was still in the box. He was so excited I just had to put it together for him. The instructions said it was a 2 person job, but I knew I could do it myself. 4 hours later Christopher and Xander were having a blast.
Christopher had Kindergarten in the afternoon and I got to bring treats for him. All the kids sang to him and enjoyed their cupcakes. I forgot until yesterday morning that the treats needed to be store bought and not home baked. I was lucky to find a large selection of cupcakes with plastic rings on them with Star Wars, Ninja Turtles, and Disney Princesses (for the girls).
This morning I woke up and started working on getting everything ready for Christopher's birthday party. He chose a cowboy theme and Grandpa Pingel ran with it. He brought one of his horses, bales of hay with lassos, and stick horses for racing. There were friends from the neighborhood and cousins and it was lots of fun. Christopher loved ALL of his presents. He's like his mommy and is just excited that his friends would get him ANYTHING.
A little later that evening his Grandpa and Grandma Armstrong came and gave him a gift and watched as he and Xander jump on the trampoline. This trampoline is already used more than I was hoping for and I'm thrilled.
It's been a fun 6 years and I feel so blessed to have a son as amazing as Christopher. Those that know him know how sweet and sensitive and caring he is. He is a very good boy and so very smart. He has a sensitivity to things of a spiritual nature and has started talking a lot lately about serving a mission when he's 19. He also takes his education very seriously and wants to make sure we do lots of reading and writing and numbers (his favorite) this summer. What kid does that!! I'd like to say I'm doing something really right, but a lot of it is just Christopher. He's a special and GREAT kid.

EGD

Esophagogastroduodenoscopy... that's what EGD stands for. I had one done today. They put you under sedation and put a camera down your throat. They look at your espophagus, stomach, and duodenum. I guess during mine they found a lot of inflammation in my stomach. They took a biopsy and I'm waiting for results now. I've been having stomach problems on and off for several years now and in the last month it has gotten pretty bad. I have horrible heartburn and stomach aches. I've taken every medication under the sun. Hopefully the good drs will find something that can be taken care of easily.

Christopher's Field Trip

I had the opportunity to chaperone a field trip with Christopher's class to the BYU Bean Museum. It was fun for both Christopher and I. We've been to this museum lots and he felt like he had a lot to show the kids in his group. They did an animal search and then watched a live animal show. I wasn't able to find a babysitter and so took Xander and Darci, too. Xander just went with the flow and you would have never known he wasn't a part of Christopher's group. Darci was in the stroller and was mad at me because she wasn't running around free and exploring with all the big kids.
Christopher's favorite part of the day was riding in a school bus and petting a real live lizard.

Grady and Rachel visit

Aunt Carrie Pingel came up from Las Vegas to Utah to attend BYU Women's Conference. While she enjoyed classes Bret and I got to look after cousins Grady (1) and Rachel (3). It was so much fun to play with cousins we don't get to see often. Grady was a little nervous around us at first. Then he totally warmed up to Bret. That entire first day Grady became Bret's little shadow. Darci wasn't sure how she felt about that. Rachel loved playing with Christopher and Xander and games on the computer were a favorite.

A day at the zoo

The kids have been on spring break this week and we had lots of fun activities planned, but then we got hit with weather more fitting to early March and not middle of April.

But TODAY we finally had sunny skies and no wind.

It wasn't too warm or too cold. The animals we're active and engaging.

Darci LOVED the penguins and the monkeys. Also, the little playground where she could run around. She cried so hard when we left the playground.

Christopher likes the big cats and the several mother/baby groups we saw. There was a baby giraffe, baby colobus monkey, and teeny tiny baby tamarins. Bret got a picture of the Giraffe mommy and baby and me with my baby all together

Xander was excited to go, but once we got there didn't want us to stop very long or look very much so he had some rough times. Although he really enjoyed the giraffes and a very engaging wolf. He also was fascinated by the white alligator. The picture of Bret with the kids has the alligator in the background.

Hogle Zoo gets nicer every year as they improve the animal enclosures and we enjoy using our annual pass as the weather warms up.

It all falls apart at 30

2008 has been the hardest year physically for me. I turn 30 and my body starts to fall apart. Makes no sense! I've had more illnesses this year. I'm probably eating healthier and exercising more than I ever have in years past and yet I continue to have health and weight problems. Right now I'm struggling with things in the category of "female problems". I've been to 2 different drs now and talked to many other drs and nurses. I have another appointment on the 7th of April and hope to get some answers by that point. In this day and age when people are living longer and longer I'm getting the short end of the stick.