2011 Catch Up - Teacher Christmas Gifts

It has been a while since I have had a chance to make cards or do anything creative, but when Jack was in kindergarten, I kind of went a little overboard making his teacher handmade gifts.  Since Sam has the same teacher, I felt a bit of pressure to make something cute.  Not to mention the fact that my kids have the greatest teachers, and I really did want to do something special for them.

I made them these cute card sets (8 each) with matching boxes.  I used empty envelope boxes and covered them in the same paper that I used for the cards.  I included a bag of kisses and wrapped them all up in a cute gift bag.

I love the way they turned out!

2011 Catch Up - Christmas Card Pictures

A Christmas card photo shoot with the Wiricks
narrated by Angela Wirick

It’s December 14, my Christmas cards have been done for a week or so, but I have not taken a picture of the kids yet. Since we live in Northern Idaho, it gets dark by 4:00, but today is the day. I will take a fun picture of the boys as soon as Jack and Sam get home from school. It has been a little crazy this year, so there are no matching outfits. They each have a nice dark coat which will be perfect for the chilly outside shot. Logan even took a nap – this is going to be awesome.

We start at the front porch, and I get a few ok shots in, but then I realize that there are garbage cans behind the boys which I don’t want to photoshop out – Logan is whining about playing in the snow. I cannot get all three turkeys to look at me and smile! It is starting to get dark – I have to hurry. I get a case of the rage and tell my kids that Christmas is cancelled. The neighbor is outside and just heard me freak out at the boys, because they will not look at me and smile – at least no one is naked!

 Maybe it will be nicer in the backyard. I can sit them on the deck railing. I take several shots before I realize that my settings are screwed up and they are all blurry. Not a big deal since Logan is now screaming about playing in the snow, and the boys still won’t look at me and smile.

Maybe just one more shot here on the step. Jack and Sam get their Christmas restored. Logan is a dead man! I give up completely because there is no way Logan is going to act normal, and it is now completely dark outside at 4:00 p.m. I pout and grumble for the rest of the evening.

Christmas card photo shoot - take two (12/17). We just left a nice ward Christmas brunch. Kids look pretty cute. It is warm outside. I want to go to this park; small problem - I don’t know what it is called and I don’t really know where it is. We went there once for scouts. Tyler is not able to read my mind to see what I am picturing. Hopefully he will be more helpful at the shoot. Success – we find the park.
It might be fun to start at this cute wood fence. This isn’t going as I expected. The kids really want to climb this fence, Logan still will not look at me and smile – whoops, the sun is in their eyes.

 And then an airplane flies by.

Maybe if I move them to the corner where Jack can keep his arms around Logan…  Another fail!

Over to the rocks – Logan decides to smile.  Seriously?!?  He looks like he is constipated.

Here is a cool wall, too bad Logan wants to get up so that he can climb the hill behind the wall.

I tell Logan to put his hands on Jack and Sam’s necks.  He decides that I just gave him permission to pinch them on the neck.  This is also the time where Jack becomes a double amputee (hands), but I don’t notice this until I am home editing the photos.

Maybe we can get some cute pictures on this bridge – Not so much.  Logan sees a bug, rock, stick, who knows.

Down by the water... OK, what was I thinking? I did not get one shot with them looking at me.  Then Tyler my lovely assistant goes bonkers and Jack begs me to use this photo for the Christmas cards.

Finally, a really nice spot where we can see the river in the background; too bad Logan does not want to sit still.

I tell Sam to hold on to his shirt. 

Logan fights.  Sam Persists

And this is as good as it gets folks!  I give up, 2 out of 3 aint bad.  The scenery is beautiful, and it is a good thing I only attempt this once a year. 

In case you are curious, I took a total of 164 shots, and I still had to use one where Logan had his tongue out!



2011 Catch Up - The first Snow

We got our first (and pretty much last) snow while Grandpa and Grandma Wirick were here for Thanksgiving.  I was working while they all played out in the snow.  They had so much fun.  Grandpa pulled Logan and Sam around in a sled, and Grandma helped Jack with the snowman.  They had already played in the backyard and made the cutest snow dog family.  We used the darling snowman set that Kierste sent us a few years back.  I was most excited about that part.  Logan would not wear a hat, but look at those beautiful rosy cheeks!

2011 Catch Up - Halloween

Halloween was an extravaganza this year!  Long before Halloween, we told Logan that he got to be a chicken, and this resulted in various conversations throughout each day where Logan would say, "I be a chicken for Halloween?"  He was thrilled and excited, and has not gotten over this.  When we asked him what he wanted for Christmas, he replied, "I be a chicken for Halloween!"   When he realized that people were going to give him candy, this quickly became the happiest day of his life!

We started the Halloween fun on October 28th.  There was a carnival at Jack's school.  The kids got to dress up, and I volunteered to help at the bounce house.  It was fun.  Sam dressed up as Mario.  The store bought  mustache was too itchy, so I painted one on him.  He is easy to impress and was certain that it was amazing.  At the carnival, there were 5 or 6 other Marios and one Luigi.  I would watch Sam walk over to Luigi and just stand by him with the biggest grin ever.  He would not speak to the kid, but loved standing next to him to complete his costume.  It totally cracked me up.

Jack was dressed up as either Obi Won or Anakin depending on how he had me do his hair and what color of lightsaber he was carrying.  These boys of mine come up with the funniest things!

On the 29th, we had a trunk or treat at the church.  Tons of candy!  On the 30th we carved our pumpkins.  We didn't make it to a big pumpkin patch this year, but we got pumpkins from scouts, the carnival, and our garden.  They were very thick skinned and difficult to carve, so they turned out, how should I say this, different than I would have planned if I could control the universe of pumpkin carving.  Tyler got out the power tools and had a blast.  I spent several days cleaning up pumpkin dust.  You can see that they are very happy with the results.

On the 31st, they trick or treated their hearts out and came home with very full bags of candy.  I stayed home and passed out treats, and Logan came home half way through to get warm.

I was really glad when the Halloween Extravaganza was over.

2011 Catch Up - September/Silverwood

Jack reads a ton of hours during the school year to earn a ticket to Silverwood. This summer went by way to quickly, so we went on the very last week possible! The weather was perfect, and the kids had a blast. Sam was just too short to ride the big rides, and Logan was finally big enough to ride the little rides with his brothers. Tyler and I always divide up and one goes and rides coasters with Jack while the other stays with the kids and lets them ride the kid rides. There are a few fun ones like the log ride that we can all do together. Sam was really funny this year. He loved everything, and he would make new friends at each ride. Logan got scared a few times, but enjoyed most of it. We even ran into some friends from the ward and the kids got to ride some rides with them. By the end, Logan was completely wiped out and Sam and Logan were both zonked before we even got out of the parking lot.

Jack was a great sport - he rode all of the little kid rides with his brothers.

 This baby roller coaster was Logan's favorite.  We rode it over and over again!

 Sam and Coen getting ready to fly in the helicopter.

 Tyler trying to convince Sam that is OK that he lifted him up in front of himself, so that he got most of the water from the log ride.

 How can this be comfortable?

That's it for September - bring on October!

2011 Catch Up - September/First Day of School

Jack was an old pro and very excited for his first day of 4th grade.  His teacher is Mrs. Graybill.  She is fabulous and it has been a great year for him so far.  He has already participated in cross country and special choir.  He is getting all As, and thriving.

 I had to let the kids do a silly pose before I could get them to pose nicely.  They are such goofballs!

Sam started Kindergarten.  It was hard to believe that he had already gotten so big.  He was ready and very excited about it all.  We were thrilled to get Mrs. Sevedge who was also Jack's teacher.  She is amazing and we love her.  She loves my kids and gives them the best kindergarten experience imaginable.  In Post Falls (the city we live in), all of the kindergarten kids go to one school called the kindercenter.  It is so fun to see them every day, just as excited as the day before, with their giant backpacks flopping around on their backs.  They laugh and hug and chase each other until the doors are open.  Sam goes to the afternoon session and then rides the bus home to the elementary school.  Jack picks him up from the bus and they walk home together.  Sam is also doing great and continues to test right at the top.  He can read and write, and he does it all with a grin.

2011 Catch Up - September/Labor Day Weekend

Before I start blogging about 2012, I have to get caught up a little.  I have some great pictures and activities that I have to record - starting with a really fun visit from my parents over labor day weekend.  It was extra special because they brought Jake with them.  We had a lot of fun.  We spent time at the Spokane River (swimming), Riverfront Park in Spokane, "The Lake", and hanging out having a blast.  Here are some pictures that I love.

The first group is from Riverfront Park.  The kids love this place.  There was a food festival going on the weekend we were there, so the boys got free slinkys from one of the vendors.  They then spent the whole time at the red wagon posing with the slinkys and begging me to take pictures.  The park also has this great old Carrousel that only cost $1, plus you can grab rings as you go around.  We also rode the gondola over the river, and watched an iMax show about elephants. 

On to the beach!  Jake wanted to swim in the lake and go fishing, so we made this trip a "2-fer".  The double stroller came in handy to pack everything down to the lake.

This is why you need to come visit us in the summer.  The lakes are gorgeous and warm enough to swim in.  The boys dared Tyler and I to jump off the pier and we did.  We spent the rest of the trip jumping off with the boys and swimming in with them.  Logan loves the water is totally fearless.  It was really good that we had 4 adults to keep track of him.  We met an extra little boy (green shorts) that hung out with Jack and Jake the whole time.  We really played hard with a water balls, tonka trucks, tubes, kick boards, swimming, fishing, climbing, and FUN!