Check! Happy Birthday! SNOW DAY!

During the really cold snap in early january, we roasted marshmallows and made smores - and burned our shred pile. (Rob did the best and he doesn't even like marshmallows or s'mores.)

It's birthday month for some of us....

After about 1 year, the braces came off! He has a retainer, but it is clear plastic so when he's wearing it (he's not in this picture) you can't really tell.

The 5th grade district strings concert(s) were this month. It sounded...better than I expected. :)

He actually does really well when he takes his time in practice. He likes to play and when we aren't paying attention to make sure he's playing assigned songs, we often overhear the sounds of Indiana Jones theme song, Jeopardy, and primary songs as he is trying to play by ear.

Seth got honorable mention in the school's 5th grade science fair this month. He chose not to go to district to compete, although he had the option.

(We make them do their own projects, but we guide and suggest and teach skills to help. So everything takes twice as long as if we'd done it. Rob helped him with the science part and I helped him use excel and cut up my scrapbook papers to make it look pretty. This was our first science fair project, so I felt lost. Plus, I hadn't yet learned where all the stuff is in our new excel. Plus, he forgot to bring home his sheet of requirements the weekend before it was due, so the night before was a late night for him - note the clock in the background - 20 til 10 pm...very late for Seth.)

Awards Days for 2nd quarter - they all got something, but awards pictures all look the same - standing at the front with a cheesy smile holding a piece of paper. You get the point with one picture. :)

Chess Tournament (our district elementary)

Don't mean to make this a Seth post, but he had kind of a big month!
Last Seth big deal: Seth won the tournament!
And both S & C were gracious at each game's outcome (whether it was win or lose)

Rob had an eventful birthday weekend. Besides the chess tournament Seth won, Jacob's family came into town. Rob was called to the high counsel in our stake (and made a high priest)...so Happy Birthday - here's a new calling! :) (I'm kind of excited about the change. I like change. He still hasn't been released from his previous calling, EQ pres, but it's coming this month.) Can't fit everything in a weekend :)

And everyone is still loving the turtle. Glad to know Leafer isn't being ignored now that the newness has worn off. Although, I think he'd like to be. We mostly see him on the rocks when we come back home from being gone or after the kids are in bed. I think they overwhelm him. Can't say I don't understand. :)