Happy Birthday Schuyler!

Big 16 year old



Egg salad, anyone?

Today is Schuyler's 16th birthday and so far he's turned out to be a pretty great kid. Granted, like all teens he has his moments! To celebrate we went to Brick Oven for dinner (a pizza restaurant), stopped at Sam's club to let him pick out his cake, then opened gifts when we got home. We did all this Monday because I am taking Schuyler and a friend to the Boondocks fun center after school to ride go carts and play in the arcade today. For his birthday we tried to keep things simple. Although being 16 is a big deal. Caleb gave him a book called 301 dating ideas! Kevin gave him a book on everything you need to know about science, Mark gave him some sunglasses and a new CD and I gave him the afgan I had been working on since his 12th birthday! ( We have moved a few times in the last 4 years and I had a baby, so cut me some slack!) Then we had him open his last gift which was his own checkbook with some money in it. We told him even though he has a savings account he needs to learn how to balance a checkbook and learn to be frugal in his spending. We then explained that this money was to be used for any clothes or shoes or things he needs. If he wanted to blow it all on one pair of shoes, or on a fun group date, he could do that but we would not buy anything for him if he needed something else later. We want him to learn to buy his own things. Now that he has finished taking Driver's Ed. he will need to use some of the money to pay for gas if he uses the car, etc...

This will be a good experience for him.

Also the other day I was cutting up one of our many eggs we hard boiled from Easter and found a twin yolk. I thought it was interesting and took a picture. Brielle officially has her 2 front bottom teeth!

Brielle's 1st Easter

Enjoying a nice Saturday together

Caleb and his Cheeseburger Pie!

I could say that raising an 8 month old prevents me from updating this blog as often as I'd like, however, my SIL has a 2 yr old and 9 month old and she can do it! Nevertheless, Brielle is napping and I've got to share these Easter pic's! I found this dress at the DI for $3.00! She just got her 2 front teeth and is chewing on everthing! I would show more pictures of Easter, but we recorded the boys looking for their Easter baskets and didn't take a single picture!

Also Caleb is taking CTE ( Career Technology Education) this trimester and for the cooking section was asked to make 4 recipes at home on his own. These recipes had to be 5 or more ingredients and at least 3 steps to make. (no Rice Krispie Treats here!) So for one of his cooking assingments, he made one of our family favorites, Cheeseburger pie. I tried to suggest something easier, but he insisted and it turned out great! It's a pie crust with hamburger (or ground turkey) with chopped onion, flour, salt pickle juice, diced pickles and grated cheddar cheese. YUM. MY!!

I may not have a full plate of activites everyday, but last Thursday it seemed everything was on my plate. I went walking with a friend in the morning, the twins had a field trip to Logan, Piano after school for all 3 boys, a soccer game for Caleb and then all 3 went to city council with Mark as part of a merit badge requirement. Skyler doesn't need to go to things like that because he has his Eagle, but he wanted to support his dad.

Then on Saturday, Caleb had another soccer game and Skyler had Driver's Ed. I stayed home with Brielle and we actually had enough sun so I could garden. I was excited to till up the garden boxes Mark made last year and add some compost. When the boys got home they helped me finish the garden and we relaxed outside in the sun before Mark took me out to lunch for Mother's day.