This was the week Allison has been waiting for all year.  5 days and 7 performances of The Little Mermaid.  She was a tentacle, a sea anemone and a bird.  When I heard the parts she was doing I was thinking that wow they are really stretching to make sure every child gets included.  But actually they were very neat parts and costumes.  And Allison loved every minute of it.  She just beamed up there on the stage.  She had to miss school for two days as they did matinees for school field trips.  And then she had a performance every night Tuesday through Saturday.  I got to go Wednesday and see her and work as an usher.  Then we were all there Saturday night, hence the cool photos courtesy of Jeremy.

For more pictures you can see them on Jeremy's gallery.


Allison was tired out today and enjoyed the sunshine appearing at last.  Kids took their different animals outside for play dates in the backyard.  (It is starting to feel very zoo like around here!)  We went for a long bike ride/walk up by the canyon and ate dinner outside.  Kids even helped do dishes so we could rally with badminton for awhile.  I think she will enjoy regular sleep schedules and being able to play with friends again.  The last night the director pulled me aside to tell me how much she has enjoyed having Allison in the play, that she just loves having her there.  Made me feel proud of our little actress.  She has already signed up to do it again next year.


The chicks have become rather unkempt teenagers.  We have had wind, cold, rain and even snow this week.  This weekend the sun finally appeared and we have been introducing them to the big backyard.  They are getting very fed up with their small crate in the kitchen.  Jeremy spent one evening sketching out the plans and dimensions of a neighbor's coop that he intends to copy.  I am getting excited at the thought of kicking the chicks outside.

Saturday, due to the rain a planned Eagle project that Spencer was helping with was cancelled.  That meant he was free to go with Taylor and me to Repticon up in Farmington.  Imagine a small warehouse packed full of weird people, animal presentation and reptile vendors.  He was in heaven.  I was very touched how he even packed a lunch for Taylor and me so we wouldn't get hungry.  Taylor won one of the raffles so Spencer gets a reptile world magazine subscription and some lizard stuff.  Tonight was an act of true love, as if the convention was not enough.  Jeremy and I helped Spencer clean out Chaz's cage and put in new sand and transfer 100 crickets (no that is NOT a typo) to his cricket keeper.  There are some things like cleaning out the garbage disposal I never imagined me doing!

While the boys and I were holding snakes and tarantulas, Jeremy took our girls out to lunch:

It was to help console Robyn who had a birthday party cancellation at the last moment.  The salt in the wound was that Allison was also going to a birthday party that afternoon and her's wasn't cancelled.  Robyn came home sick Tuesday from school with a tummy ache.  She had a small fever and fell asleep in her bed for the afternoon.  Always a sure sign that she isn't faking.  The next day she woke up with a new bottom tooth and was just fine.  I think our girls take after me and don't do tiredness very well.

Jeremy has had a couple of photo things come up and has been staying up late almost every night working on projects.  He has truly been burning the candle at both ends.

It is sort of hitting me that my century bike ride is in a month.  So I have been trying to sneak more rides in.  Friday morning, while out with my friend Carol, the clips finally caused me to do a slow motion fall at a sudden stop.  Glad I was wearing tights as they took the brunt of it.  There is nothing like falling and knowing that you cannot just jump away from your bike.  I am sure the motorcyclist I suddenly stopped for was laughing for the rest of his ride.

Taylor has been happy all day today.  He is our weather barometer.  If the sun is shining, then he is chirping.  I was feeling so good about myself this morning as I gave him a shower while the MoTab played.  I was going to have him all ready for church so he could have a long breakfast.  Just as I was patting myself on the back I noticed the blood streaks on the floor everywhere he walked.  I was too busy to notice that his toe had blood all over it form being stubbed.  Not my finest mom moment.