Coop to the Hoop!

You have to go check out this youtube video. My 10 year old nephew and his buddies filmed themselves making crazy basketball shots, edited it, added music, and uploaded it to youtube all on their own. As if being able to make the stunt shots wasn't enough? Go Coop! :)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=99isk_OQ6fE

October Maddness

A lot of things happened in the month of October for the Washburns.

Mom successfully talked Connor out of football this year and into giving soccer another shot. Connor played for the Sea Monsters and was on a team of mostly beginners. (That's not very good when you are signed up for competitive 10U team.) However, I am still undecided as to if that was good, or bad for Connor. Sure, he never got to win a game which was a little discouraging... but he also looked like a super star out there on the field next to his teammates. :) And honestly, I think he felt a bit like one too. But apparently not enough... because he told me once again, that this would be his last year playing. It kills me because of all the sports he plays... he has the most raw talent for soccer. He got very aggressive this year and even started slide tackling. That is still not allowed at this age and even though every time he did it, the other team got a free kick-- I couldn't help but be proud. :)

Eli also played soccer again this year and was on a team with two of his buddies from church. He played for the Transformers. This second season of soccer only confirmed my conclusion of Eli's lack of coordination and no raw talent for the sport. But that's 100% ok... he's a lover, not a fighter! :) He has so much fun out there even if he never touches the ball the whole game. Eli can't be bothered with getting sweaty and hot (and soccer season is VERY hot here) and the thought of trying to fight a crazy mob of 5 yr old boys for a ball... just isn't appealing enough. If it rolls directly into his feet... he will kick it, but otherwise... it's just simply too much work! :)

On a rare free Saturday we had that month... we decided to jump in the car and go see the Sam Houston Statue about an hour away from our home. It is 67 feet tall! The thing was ginormous! Then we went from there to his home town in Huntsville, TX a few more miles down the road where we were able to go to a museum dedicated to him, and saw the home he raised a family in, and the home he died of pneumonia in. It was a fun day.

October was also the month that my niece, Ashley, had to have a surgery to remove a tumor on her brain. She has been recovering well. They had to shave part of her head to perform the surgery...so all her Uncle's and Poppy (my dad) decided to shave their heads with her. :) Per Ashley's request... they all shaved mohawks and took pictures of it, before it all came off.

Eli thought Seth looked pretty awesome and wanted to do it, too! (Connor thought he was crazy.) But Eli insisted on KEEPING his mohawk. (Although, I wouldn't let him shave it to the skin... we shaved it to a #1 guard.) I couldn't help but think he looked like a white, little 'Mr. T' every time I looked at him. "I pity da fool!" :)

October was also the month we also had our primary program (a first for me since being in the Primary secretary) which seemed to go fairly smoothly and without too many complications. YAY! (Here is where I need a picture of me jumping up and down in my Sunday clothes!) The kids did great and the spirit was strong. There is not a lot more you can ask for. I never realized how much work goes in to those programs before... but they prepare and work towards them ALL YEAR LONG!

This was the month Eli had his second set of tubes put in his ears as well, and once again had his adenoids removed. I guess they grow back... or the scar tissue does? And once again, they were affecting his breathing at night and needed to go. I think it was a little bit scarier for him this time around since he was a little older and more aware of what was going on. When they gave him the "loopy juice" before surgery and IV... it majorly freaked me out. He was funny on it at age 2... but he scared the heck out of me at age 5. I hope I never see that stoned look in his eyes ever again!!!

And of course we did some pumpkin carving, had multiple school, church, and friend Halloween parties, and went trick or treating! I think 3 must be the magic age for trick or treating because Dal took off this year, leaving us all in his dust! Last year we could not get him to be bothered with stepping foot out of the wagon, but this year we had a hard time keeping up!

Happy Halloween!

Our darling boys at the church 'trunk or treat' on Friday night.

(Dallin was a pirate, Connor was a bum, and Eli was a vampire.)

Saturday night our neighbors had a Halloween party. We opted to go as white trash. We figured it wasn't too far of a stretch from the truth! :)

My sexy man. Back off ladies! He's all MINE! ;)

If you have a local walmart near by (for the mu mu) this costume can be yours too! Just add some balloon boobs and dodge ball baby! :) I've never felt so glamorous!

(After I put on my rockin dollar store makeup... Eli told me sincerely that I looked beautiful! I hope that is not a hint as to what the future holds for us one day. ;)

After Seth and I figured out what we wanted to be and how we wanted to dress... I had no idea where to even look for a mu mu. Good Will? After striking out at Good Will... Seth suggested Wal mart. Jack pot! We found a whole rack of them. But my favorite part was when a lady stopped Seth and I as we were searching for that perfect one... and told us that there were "some REALLY cute ones for a steal a couple racks over... clearanced for only $5". We both had to bite our tongues and hold back our smiles as we thanked her for the tip. :)

Happy Halloween!

Mathletes

A few weeks ago Connor came home with a note asking if he could join an after school math group called the "Math Olympiads". He was one of three kids in his class asked to join and I knew it was a privilege to be asked. But to be honest, my first reaction was hesitation (although I didn't show it!).

You see, I come from a family where I think maybe there was a little more emphasis placed on being a starter for the school soccer team... than there were on academics. (I'm totally going to get a phone call for this entry! :) Don't get me wrong. There were standards. Like if we didn't get a 3.0 (straight B's) or higher, we had driving privileges taken away. So we weren't allowed to be total losers. But, my senior year when my report card came home and said I had 29 absences in my College Comp class in ONE semester... no questions were asked... because I had my B! Striving for excellence? Probably not.

So when Connor was asked to join the Mathletes... I was worried by accepting I would be setting him up for a future filled with Star Trek and pocket protectors. Not to mention it was one more extra curricular activity. The boy already has piano, scouts, golf and soccer at the present time. And I sure as heck wasn't going to drop a sport to join the math club! :)

But after talking to a friend about it, I was assured that Connor would remain untainted. That he is too social and too much of a people person to ever be a complete nerd. :) And not that there is anything wrong with nerds... I love nerds! I really do. I'm probably the biggest nerd of them all! But let's at least keep the kid's options open and let him decide if he wants to go down that dungeon and dragons road, or not. Right?

Seth on the other hand is always telling me we want our kids to be nerds. That nerdom is the key to raising good kids. He may have a point?

And don't worry, I am well aware the McKeehan's have always thought they were far cooler than they actually were/are. But that's OK... because it doesn't seem to phase us much. :) Seth just told me the other day that he thinks Connor got a double dose of the McKeehan genes. I'm not sure, but I'm fairly certain he was not meaning it in a positive way. ;)

So when Connor came home from his first day of Math Club... I asked him how it went. His response? "Uh, it was actually pretty boring."

Ahh, that's my boy! It looks like being a Mathlete is going to work out after all.

But I draw the line at buying him a T-shirt for it!

World's Easiest Party!

For Eli's 5th birthday he wanted to have a pool party. Awesome! I didn't have to fork out hundreds of dollars to rent a place out, or even clean my own house! We headed over to the neighborhood pool... and just out of sheer dumb luck- aside from the lifeguards, we had the entire pool to ourselves!

Per Eli's request... he wanted donuts this year and not cake. Even better... I didn't have to bake! We tied balloons to a table and kept it stocked with watermelon, licorice, donuts, chips, soda, popsicles and sunscreen. What more could a 5 year old possibly want on a sunny Memorial Day morning? :)

They swam and ate... and ate and swam. No one even got cramps! :)

I think we had 8 kids show... plus my three. We asked each child to bring a parent so we didn't feel overwhelmed making sure everyone stayed afloat. But from the looks of these flotation devices... I don't think anyone was going anywhere! :)

After a couple hours at the pool... we took the presents home, got cleaned up, and opened them up in the comfort and peace of our own home.

I think I will be pushin for the pool party every year! :)

We are so grateful we to get to celebrate another year with this little guy! We love his kooky self, his lack of coordination in every aspect, and that smile that could melt any one's heart. XO

Connor's last day of 3rd grade.

Yes, I realize I am a century behind. And I am aware that I am constantly mixing in the old with the new. But whatever. I am trying and that's just going to have to be good enough. :)

Connor had the GREATEST teacher for 3rd grade. Ms. Szoeke stole both our hearts. Probably his best teacher yet! He cried several nights before school got out... and several nights after... because he was positive he would never see her again.

She was a first year teacher and with cut backs they were only holding on to a few. For awhile we didn't know if she would be back (and neither did she)! She was so wonderful, that upon hearing this news I felt the need to march right into that front office and tell them all that if they let her go... they were making a HUGE mistake! Newbie or not... I could think of a few others we could trade her out for! :)

Luckily, this story has a happy ending! And she came back. And Connor was SO happy! Now Connor has another great teacher that he seems to be equally smitten with. But I think after Ms. Szoeke, she has big shoes to fill. We shall see. :)

Connor and some of the boys from his class. Who doesn't love a group of nerdy lookin 8 year old's? :)

The mind of a 5 year old.

I carpool with a friend of mine to preschool everyday. I drive the morning shifts; she drives the afternoon shift. It seems to work out great. I know Eli really looks forward to the car ride with his buddy.

I also look forward to this car ride and the conversations these two little five year old boys are going to have. It's hysterical! I make sure the radio is off so I can hear... and if I have been asked to put in our favorite "rocket ship" song... I make sure it is turned down low. These boys are way more entertaining than even the best children song artists!

Some of my favorite conversations/debates between these two boys have been that of what actually killed off the dinosaurs (actually this seems to be a topic of choice), what the proper name for a mother is (Mom vs Mommy), the geographical location of volcanoes, what the proper age for having a girl friend is, and to compare and contrast what their younger siblings (that are only a couple months apart) can and can't do (both of which refer to their younger sibling as "my baby"). Don't let it fool you though; there are plenty of potty words and horribly bad knock-knock jokes mixed in among it all.

Or, at least I have always enjoyed these conversations until I heard today's. It went something like this...

Eli: You're house is better than mine.

Buddy: Na-uh.

Eli: Uh huh.... You're kitchen is TOTALLY better than mine!

Buddy: Thinks about it. No comment.

WHAT?!? This kid always has an argument! Gosh dangit. It is a sad, sad day when two 5 year old boys can agree that your kitchen is less than par! :)