This week has been a flurry of activity. We have all been busy. Here's a short (I'm using that term loosely, mind you!) synopsis of our week!

Sunday- We took a day trip to Nephi to support Chantelle. She has done amazing things despite her disabilities. She has risen above her challenges and we're so proud of her.

Monday- Despite Amber being out of school for the week, we still had to make a special trip to school for Amber's post assessment test. I hate having her tested just for them to tell me she is reading above level. No duh! She's a McAuliffe, do they really expect her to not read well?

Tuesday- I think this was our only non-busy day. I honestly don't really remember what happened this day! Maybe this is the day we planted the little tree saplings Verree gave me about a month ago. Finally, they are planted outside. I hope they survive.

Wednesday- Emma's birthday! Emma had her end of the year preschool program! It was so cute. The birthday bear made her day when he (and everybody else) sang Happy Birthday to her at the beginning of the program! Pure delight filled her face when she got the spotlight for a bit! We like to take our kids out for dinner on their birthday and they usually pick where to go. I sort of guided Emma in her choice this year as funds have been severely limited. So she said she wanted pizza! Easy for me, I could go pick it up, bring it home, and everybody could enjoy the joy of her birthday dinner! Yay for Emma being so easygoing about it all. Then I did a small cake for just us. It was enough for 5 small pieces, one for each of us! Emma had just wanted a simple square cake with sprinkles, so I cut off the end of the rectangle for Wednesday night and put the rest away for the family party on Thursday.

Thursday- Emma's field trip. They went to the West Valley Fitness Center and played for about an hour. Then we went back to the school where the kids had popsicles and said good bye to their friends! Like Amber, Emma loved the bus. She kept saying, "I'm riding the bus!" What fun to watch her.
We had all the family over last night for cake and icecream! What an adventure, always is when my family is involved!

Friday- (Okay, so we're not done yet!) We finally have a day with no definite plans. Yay. But these are the hard days. The kids get so bored, hungry, sleepy, etc., etc. Here's to a good rest of the week!

Homemade bracelets, etc.

Check out this other blog. She is giving away a watchband or bracelet that she made herself. They are so cute. I think it would be fun to win one of these, but hey, go on over and check it out yourself.

Book giveaway!

To be consistent with my entries in giveaways, here is another one. I just happened upon this one this morning, and she has lots of book giveaways. This one is for the audio book of "The Horse Boy." The contest runs until May 26th so go on over and check it out here.

Fresh Rhubarb

My neighbor gave us some fresh cut rhubarb. I'm not sure how to cook it, but it is sitting my kitchen table in a bag. I guess my girls thought it was celery (except they don't like celery!) and they asked if they could have some. So, thinking I would be funny, I sliced off a small piece for each of my three children! HAHAHA! I couldn't stop laughing. I knew they wouldn't like it. Amber took one bite and spit it out! Yuck, ick, ick! She tried to spit it out for a few minutes! HEHE! Then there was Timothy. He took his piece, chewed on it, then took another bite! That's my boy, he'll eat anything that looks like food! I think he ate the entire piece, but maybe I'll find it on the floor in awhile! Then there's Emma. She had been in the other room when Amber spit it out so she didn't know it was gross. But, Amber, trying to be a good big sister, warned her of the yuck factor! "It's yucky!" Amber, be quiet. I wanted Emma to try it and decide for herself if it was yucky! of course, I wouldn't take a piece myself. So I made Emma try it for herself. She would only lick it like a lollipop and decided it was yucky! So I told her it might be ok if she took a bite. She didn't totally believe me, but took a bite anyway. At least she didn't have to spit as much as Amber did!

Call me mean, but I laughed so hard at their reactions. I delighted in their pain! This comes with drawbacks though. Now I can't cook the rhubarb and tell them what it is! They won't eat it. I can't make a strawberry rhubarb pie! But it is worth these drawbacks to have a few laughs in my house today!

Check out these giveaways!

Okay, to risk being annoying, I had to tell you about the awesome giveaways over on Mormon Mommy Blogs! There is a pedi party set, photographs, jewelry, books, music, and more. Wonderful stuff! Check it out. Enter the giveaway. I know, if you enter, it will lower my chances of winning, but hey, I want you all to check it out! Seriously, if you don't check it out, you'll never know. These are being given away! Just enter the drawing, no strings attached. Come on, I know you can do it! Join in on the excitement. See for yourself why I am addicted to giveaways! I love, love, love it.

I didn't poke the worms!

Just this morning, the girls were enjoying some time outside. They had all the buckets and shovels out, digging in the pile of dirt in the middle of the lawn in the front yard. I don't mind that they were digging there, the grass hasn't grown there since oh, I can't remember when there was grass on that patch. But, I looked out just to make sure they were all okay and Emma had my gardening shovel with a sharp point on it! Ack! Then, choosing my battles, I told her she could use it just as long as she was careful and didn't hit anybody with it or poke anybody with it! I thought I had my bases covered. Then she asked the quintessential question, "Why?" I attempted to explain about the sharp point and that it could hurt someone. While I was still watching, she dug up a little dirt, turned around, and said, "See, I was careful, I didn't poke any worms!" I was about ready to die laughing. She was so serious about not poking the worms. So I looked at her and said "Thank you for being careful!" Then I had to turn and go to another room. I could not let her know I was laughing!

Neighborhood Cleanup!

Every year I am the skeptic, but every year I am turned into a believer. My ward sponsors a neighborhood cleanup day each year in May! Why am I such a skeptic? Because I don't ever think there is much enthusiasm for the labor involved in cleaning up the neighborhood. But each year I come away believing in the concept more and more. But what is so great about it? We are spending all day out in the sun, weeding gardens, mowing lawns, dragging tree branches. It isn't light work. But, I always come away a believer because we get to rub shoulders with wonderful people in the neighborhood. We get to see what it means to people to have work done that they are not able to do themselves. We are forging bonds with each other that creates a closer knit community. This year I once again spent time with the young women. Their enthusiasm and willingness to just jump in and do a job I didn't think they would want to do spilled over into me. It is hard not to be enthusiastic about a project when surrounded by enthusiastic people!