April Fools!!!

I made Clint and some of his friends a special strawberry drink that is really good. "You will love it!!!"



"Hey, wait a minute...there is something wrong with my straw...Hey...what's going on"???!!!


"April Fools!!!" It's jell-o!!! Even though the last picture is blurry, it gets Mason's expression when he realizes it's jello...pretty fun stuff!

The Salt Lake Tribune and Rex...

Clint and his friends had their interview on Friday with the Salt Lake Tribune. I just sat and listened and was very impressed with the kids and their ability to express their concerns and desires to the reporter...who was also very sweet and great with the kids. The story is going to be in the Friday edition, but he said the stories were about 2 or 3 weeks out...so I'll be buying the Friday paper for the next couple of weeks. It was very exciting for Clint and all of his friends. And I think that they are missing all of the excitement. They told the reporter that they are thinking of doing a fundraiser for Golden Retriever Rescue in the summer. They keep saying that it was a blast! They are good kids...and I think they felt really good and excited for what they have all accomplished! I am very proud of all of them! The total amount raised for Rex was $1928.32 (pie sales and family contributions, and a $226.32 kool-aid sale, and Clint's allowance and sweet friends who care.) It's unbelievable. And it's been a life-changing experience for Clint and his friends.

Just Catching Up...

I've had these smileboxes for a while and never got around to posting them...I know what some of you are thinking.... We all have the same amount of time on our hands...We all just use it diffrently.

Make a scrapbook - it's easy!

Make a scrapbook - it's easy!

Make a scrapbook - it's easy!

Make a postcard - it's easy!

What has Derek been doing????

While Clint has been out changing the world and winning science fairs...Derek has been having lots of fun. He recently discovered Superfriends Concentration, which has become his favorite game that everyone in the family has to take turns playing with him. He is learning all the names of all the superheros! That is very important stuff.

He loves to make us laugh, and really is the clown of the family...

He loves to climb trees, and race whoever he can and always reminds us that no matter where we are going, it is a race "I'm donna win!!!!" (He doesn't say "G" sounds either...)I love the way he talks.

He also has lots of really good friends that he likes to play with. He likes to make messes and do projects...I guess a clean kitchen really is not the most important thing....right?
I'm really grateful that he is still so little and cute and fun and I try not to think about him growing up so fast. I'm having the time of my life being his mom.

"It's a sunny day" by Derek

Conversation with Derek:
(Read without pronouncing the "s" Derek does not say "s")
Derek: "Mommy...It's a (s)unny day..."
Me, still laying in bed: "Yes, Derek, it's a sunny day."
Derek: "Mommy, it's a (s)unny day!"
Me: Yes Derek it is sunny
Derek: "It's a nice day...It's not a angry day...it's a happy day....

He's right....I love my little boy.


And he likes to pretend that his shirt is a silly hat.

It's 11:00 pm...

I can't stop thinking about that little girl who was just found yesterday murdered in Salt Lake City. And how trivial everything in my life seems right now. I feel sick inside for her family. I tried not to think about it. Derek never takes naps, so when he took one today, it was really nice to have some extra computer time. I didn't want to think about it then. It is all too horrible, and I feel so powerless, and selfish for being so wrapped up in my own problems. Recently, so many people have done so much for me. What can I do for this poor family. Zion's bank has a fund set up for them so people can send donations...I will definately do what I can there...It just makes me sick. The Salt Lake Tribune called again today and Friday they are coming to do the story on Rex and Clint and all of his friends raising money...how can we talk about it now? I feel guilty and undeserving. I don't know what I am trying to accomplish by writing about this. I guess at times like these, maybe we need to be reminded the most, that even though evil exists, many people are good and they want to help. Sometimes we just don't know how. There is a quote from the movie A Series of Unfortunate Events that is not in the books. It is when the Baudelaire children find a lost letter from their parents. I keep thinking about it now. "At times the world can seem an unfriendly and sinister place, but believe us when we say there is much more good in it than bad. All you have to do is look hard enough. And what might seem to be a series of unfortunate events, may, in-fact be the first steps of a journey..." I don't have any real answers...but I will pray for that family...and I will always try to do what I can...Just like so many people did for my family, I will try to do whatever I can, in small ways to make the world a better place. Even if it is only a small corner of the world...we all have to try.

More on Video Games Live (Jeff, Clint & Me at Abravenal Hall)

I have been thinking about the concert I went to last weekend, and since this is kind of like my journal, there are some things I wanted to remember about the concert. I loved the Kingdom Hearts tribute, because, of course, they showed Disney clips along with the music. I also really loved when they pulled 2 kids out of the audience to play Frogger on a giant screen and when the frog got squished, the entire audience went"Aaoooooohhhhh!!!" It was funny. I didn't like the Medal of Honor section at first. I guess Steven Spielberg helped to develop that game. I don't let Clint play WWII games because you shoot real people, and I just feel like there is something not right about it. It is disrespectful somehow....so they played the score from Medal of Honor and showed real WWII footage that was hard for me to watch. The end was triumphant, but I was feeling like...how are we suppose to get this back on track...the audience is suppose to go through this emotional journey of WWII, and we were all expecting video game fun. I was really worried, but as soon as the Medal of Honor arrangement was over, the lights went down, and the orchestra and choir just started in on the score from the game "Civilization". I have never heard of this game before, but the score is beautiful, and on the screen were pictures of buildings...first primitive, and then more advanced, and they were being built. The building and rebuilding of civilization. It was beautiful, and powerful, and a perfect and respectful transition from Medal of Honor, giving the people of that era the respect that they deserved, and then leading in to how there is always hope for the future. Always a way to rebuild after things have been torn down. The producers of Video Games live are brilliant. I really have a new respect for Video Games. I loved the Civilization score so much that I added it to my playlist...you should be listening to it right now...