Catching up-again!

As you can see, we've been a little busy! Where to start? First, the kids are OUT OF SCHOOL! WOOHOO! I really do enjoy having them out of school. Things are just so much more laid-back. Pictured above are Rylynn and Tristan with their teachers on the last day. They were awesome! End of the year reports were good. Maryn got a Presidential Fitness award, as did Kaydin. Kaydin, Trevin and Rylynn were on the high honor roll all year. Tristan made amazing progress this year. He has worked so hard! Kaydin's teacher and principal want to skip him ahead to 7th grade. They feel he won't be challenged at all in 6th. Kaydin is 100% not interested in doing this, so we probably won't do it. But, it is still pretty cool that he is so smart. If he changes his mind though, I will have a jr. high schooler on my hands. Crazy! We took a trip to the zoo and became members, since a membership was only $4 more than the cost of a one-time admission for a family of our size. So now we can go to the zoo all summer long! The kids attended an end of the year party, which there are also pictures of. They had so much fun, bouncers, pools, volleyball, slip-n-slides, food. Good times! Joseph and I went to our Flight of the Conchords concert. We went to dinner at Chili's first and then to the concert. It was hilarious. I have no good pictures of the concert, as "flash photography was prohibited" but there is a shot of me and Joseph (and yes, that is correct grammar, in this instance it is "me and joseph" not "joseph and I") outside of Abravenel Hall. What a flipping funtastic date. We now have 8 cats! No, I am not the crazy cat lady. One of our 2 cats had SIX kitens. She did Kaydin the honor of giving birth on his bed in the middle of the night, which effectively woke him up. They are super cute, so if anyone is wanting a kitten, they will be ready around the 4th of July. Rylynn turned 7! This is madness and I am not sure how it happened. She just keeps growing. It needs to stop. I love this girl and I am so proud of her. She is sweet and beautiful and smart and talented and I am so blessed to be her mom. Seven years of Rylynn! What did we ever do before she came along? Joseph is still building multi-million dollar homes in Park City, and in his spare time, is building a pretty sweet-looking deck in our back yard. I am still glamming it up at Walmart. Hopefully not for much longer. I am hoping to have my Walmart days behind me when the kids go back to school. I am looking forward to a fun, lazy summer. Maybe do some camping, a lot of hanging out (the kids still have to do school work because I am a nazi-mom), swimming, and just spending time together. Bring on the sunshine!

EWAN IS 2!!!

On May 7th, Ewan turned 2!!! I can hardly believe 2 years have already gone by. It is hard to believe Ewan hasn't always been with us, but at the same time, it doesn't seem like he should already be TWO! Some of his latest accomplishments are: talking A LOT more. We were starting to wonder if he'd ever speak. We taught him to sign a little, and for the longest time that was all he'd do. No words, just signs. But he is starting to make up for lost time. His favorite word, which he always says loudly, is "NO"! He also says puppy, kitty, mommy, daddy, Tiny (Kellyn's nickname) and a bunch of other words. He wakes up in the morning and will sit (or stand) in his crib talking and singing to himself. He loves to be outside and takes about 3 baths a day, on average, because he gets sooooo dirty. He is such a love and gives hugs and kisses and blows kisses all the time. When he is ready to go to sleep, he just starts waving bye-bye to everyone and we will just put him in his crib and he goes right to sleep. We love your big blue eyes, conatgious laugh and all your loves, Ewan! We are so glad you are part of our family!!

Random

What to do? I'm sitting here with a raging case of insomnia, my laptop overheating because it is on my lap instead of a "flat, stable surface", and I am trying to put myself to sleep. Why not blog a little? I had a date with Joseph tonight. We went to dinner and a movie-not the most creative, I know. But just getting to spend some time with him is good for me. Such a great guy-really! How lucky am I! Trevin had a run-in with some neighbors today. He and Kaydin and Tristan all have wands. Ok, they are really just sticks they cut from tree branches. But the looked for the best, wand-looking sticks they could find. A neighbor girl grabbed it and broke it into about 5 pieces. What is up with that? She knew it was important to him and that he was playing with it. It obviously wasn't "just some stick" to Trevin. And it wasn't even his wand-it was Kaydin's. This is how sweet my kids are: Trevin is crying and all kinds of upset because Kaydin doesn't have a wand and he doesn't want Kaydin to be mad at him. Rylynn stomps home and announces she will never play with that girl again-she won't play with someone who is mean to her brother! Kaydin gives Trevin a hug and tells him it's ok and he is not mad. For his part, Kaydin was all for egging and toilet-papering their house. I obviously dissuaded him from doing so (but it was hard, because in my secret heart, I WANTED TO DO THE SAME THING! HOW GROWN UP IS THAT?) But I love that my kids look out for each other and care about their brother and sister's feelings. Only 4 more weeks of school! I can remember being a kid, and that last day of school. It was so exhilarating to finally be FREE for 3 whole months, but also a little sad that you were leaving that teacher behind, and there was always that possibility that a friend would move away over the summer and you wouldn't see them again. But I love having the kids home. We are a little lazy, more relaxed. Swimming and camping and just hanging out. That's what I'm talking about! Ok, I feel sufficiently tired now. It's 3 am. Time to catch some Z's. Hope you have enjoyed this random blog entry, courtesy of my insomnia!

OH MY GOSH! OH MY GOSH! AAAAHHH! I WON!

As you may have read in my last post, I was terribly depressed that "Wicked" was in town and I could not afford the $300 a piece tickets. I had read the book and listened to the music from the original Broadway production and decided that the deepest desire of my heart was to see this show. But lo and behold, due to the popularity of the show, and the kindness of the Capitol Theater, the held back 20 tickets for each show, to be purchased for only $25 each! How did one go about purchasing said tickets, you may ask yourself. You simply had to show up at the theater an hour and a half before showtime and put your name in a drawing. If they drew your name, then TADA! you had the opportunity to purchase 2 tickets. I went by myself on Wednesday. No luck. Again on Thursday. Again, no luck. Friday I got smart and hauled 5 of my kids, my husband, my sister and her fiance down with me. All of them wrote "Kendra Baker" on their card-I had 9 entries in the pot. AND I GOT THE TICKETS!! They called my name, I screamed, jumped around like a pentecostal on crack (accidentally hit Kaydin and knocked his glasses off-sorry again about the Kaydin), and went and bought my tickets. My sister took the kids home for a movie night, Joseph and I grabbed a quick bite at Carl's Jr. and then we headed back down the street to the Capitol Theater and "Wicked"! It was all I had hoped for and more!!! So, so, so good. I would reccommend it to anyone. The music is so good, very clever and catchy. The plot, although it didn't stay true to the book, was still excellent. They wrapped it all up and gave it happy ending. I even got a little misty a couple of times! This has made my month!! Thanks to my family for going with to get my name in there as many times as possible! I am still riding the high from the win and seeing the show!! WOOOHOO!!

Maryn's party



The boys at the Fablehaven release party
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The devil puppy

Kids at the wedding


Young cousins

My concert!!!

catching up

I have been the most craptastic blogger lately. Ok, if I am being honest, I have been pretty craptastic at most things these days -motherhood, wifeyness, exercise, spiritual things. But that's the beautiful thing about life, right? You can try again the next day to be a better person. With that in mind I thought it was high time I got this blog up-to-date. You may want to settle in with some popcorn and a drink-this could be a long account of our goings-on for the past little while!
The family in general: At the end of March, my entire family (except my dad) came to visit. We had dinner here on that Sunday and it was so much fun to have so many babies and little kids running around. Lots of laughing, and the first time we have all been together since all 3 of my siblings have joined the "procreation" club. I think there are 13 grandkids now on the Young side of the family. On March 17, my sister had a baby boy. She was staying with us at the time, and my kids were in heaven having a brand-new tiny baby in the house. On April 15, Joseph's sister had a baby girl. They haven't seen that new cousin yet, but they can't wait. Joseph's brother, Jeremy, got married on March 27th. It was really beautiful and his new wife is very sweet and, I think, a perfect match for him. The overall theme of the wedding was, well really that is was more like a funeral than a wedding. Ok, anyone who just read that and knows what I'm talking about-don't get mad! Come on, I had to say it! We got a new puppy in March. We haven't found Scout and we miss him, especially since his offspring is a terror. The kids named him Thunderkleez-after a favorite cartoon character. If you are reading this and have heard of that character and can tell me which show he hails from-you are my new best friend! HAHA! We had a lot of fun over spring break; going swimming, to Chuch E Cheese, to the aquarium. The kids taught me how to play the wii fit. Kaydin and Trevin have both gotten really into the "Fablehaven" series ( I recommend them), and we went to the realease of the 4th book, the author was there and they had a cool program. Hilarious.
Now for a rundown of each, individual family member:
EWAN - Our little man is talking a lot more. He is a handful, and as a result of my frustration, he will now answer to the name "Damien" Ok, not really. He is just much more impulsive and high-energy than any of my previous babies. But he is hilarious and smiley and we love his guts.I can't believe he will be TWO in a few weeks!
KELLYN - She has entered that stage of life where there is a stream of non-stop chatter and questions coming from her. From the moment she wakes up until she falls asleep. Love it. She is learning her letters and loves to read books and play with play-doh and color and draw and paint the entire bathroom with nail polish and all those regular 4-year old activities. Ok, maybe not that last one. She makes me want to have another little girl.
RYLYNN - Rylynn is still singing and dancing all the time. She has decided that when she grows up, she will be a pop star. Never mind the fact that when you put her in front of a group of people to "perform" she can barely move for all her shyness. But it the the sweetest thing in the world to watch her, unaware that you are there, singing and dancing her little heart out. She is well ahead of grade level as she nears the end of 1st grade and has made soooo many friends! She is just about the most beautiful little girl you will ever see! And that's not just a mother's bias, that's scientific fact.
TREVIN - This kid is my saving grace in motherhood. He is such a sweet-natured, sensitive kid who never lets a day go by without saying " I love you, mom" and "You're the best mom in the world" at least 50 times. He reminds me of how "worth it" all the hard work parenting is. He is finishing up the 3rd grade, again, well ahead of grade level. He loves the Wii (a little too much) and has started to display a real passion for drawing.
TRISTAN - Tristan is READING!!!!! I never thought that would ever, ever happen! I am so proud of him. He has worked hard in school this year and has made a ton of progress. He got one of those "how to draw" books, all about drawing Spiderman, and has used up hundreds of sheets of paper drawing, with surprising aptitude I might add, all the Spiderman characters. He and Trevin are both nine and looking forward to summer vacation.
KAYDIN - Kaydin continues to astound us with his academics. He is so advanced, we are hardly surprised anymore by anything he does. Still extremely proud, but not surprised. The other day, Joseph said to me "sweetie, I think Kaydin has a bigger vocabulary than I do". This is probably true. He also has better grammar than most adults. He is like a mini-adult in a lot of ways. We are going to try contact lenses this summer, and he is excited for those. He has also become Joseph's basketball buddy and is picking up the game pretty well. Pretty soon, he will be able to give Joseph a run.
MARYN - We are now experiencing the indescribable joys of the schizophrenia that is adolescence with Maryn. One minute she is sweet and sunny and helpful, the next she is sullen and pouty. Wow. She has struggled somewhat in school this year, but I think part of that has been the adjustment of being at a new school, with new rules and curriculum. She is a super-helper and has also made lots of friends at school. She plays sports alongside the boys, but still loves all things girly. She turned 11 in March, and we had a mani/pedi/facial/karaoke party with a few of her friends. Lots of fun!
FABIOLA - Fabiola has been at Job Corps for 2 months now. For those of you not familiar with the program, it would take too long to explain here (just google it, if you are really that curious). She seems to be doing well, although the initial novelty has worn off and she doesn't enjoy having to do the actual work. She is now working toward a GED, and should start driver's ed soon. She is also taking classes in culinary arts. She only comes home every other weekend, and the kids really miss having her around. She still loves Joseph more than anyone in the world, and I am happy to see that they have such a close relationship.
JOSEPH - Joseph is still working in Park City. He loves this house he is building right now and I am so happy that he is able to make a living doing something he loves. Of course, at church they put him in charge of basketball. So he ran that and played in 2 city leagues (one is still ongoing). He says it feels weird to be playing with "old guys", because he still feels 17. He still plays like a teenager too, by the way. I would pay money if I could bottle that energy to take as needed.
KENDRA - I entered a stage of deep mourning upon my discovery that the only remaining tickets to see "Wicked" were over $300 a piece. So sad. This depression was tempered, somewhat, my being able to get tickets (for my birthday) to the FLIGHT OF THE CONCHORDS concert! Yeah, baby!!!! If you have never heard of flight of the conchords, you need to look them up. Seriously. The funniest thing ever. I'm still working at my ultra-glamorous job, still tired. I took the weekend off to spend with the kids when they had spring break, and it was hard to go back to work after all that time off. But, hate work as I may, we are fortunate that Joseph and I both have jobs and I have met some really good friends at work. Still looking forward to the day I can quit, though.

So, there's the up-to-date rundown on our family. We are a busy, crazy bunch, but we have a lot of fun. I can't waith for SUMMER!!! Below are pictures of some of the above mentioned activities. Enjoy, and please, be generous with the leaving of comments. I need to feel some love, people!

SOOOO Proud

So, the big news in our family is this, which Kaydin got last week:

Dear Parent,

I am thrilled to inform you that, based on his academic achievements and leadership potential, your son, Kaydin, has been nominated to attend the Junior National Young Leader's Conference to be held this summer in Washington D.C.
Kaydin was nominated by his teacher, Mrs. Donni Baase, who recognized him as one of a select group of students with the scholastic merit, maturity and strength of character to represent Syracuse Arts Academy and the state of Utah at this unique leadership program for exceptional 5th and 6th graders. On behalf of the members of the United States Congress who serve on our Honorary Congressional board of advisors, I congratulate you on Kaydin's achievements. You must be very proud.

Well, I tell you what-I am very proud. Kaydin works so hard in school and is doing work at 8th grade level. At PTC last week, his teacher informed me that they have had to modify the curriculum for Kaydin and have purchased new materials just for him because he is so advanced and was bored with the regular class work. Dang, that kid is good. He will head off to DC for six fun-filled days in August, where he will get to tour the White House, Capitol Hill, the American History Museum, the Lincoln Memorial, all the war Memorials and will get to stage a mock trial. We are excited for him to go and he is totally excited about it. Way to go, Kaydin! We are so proud of you!!!!!