Remodel Part 1

On March 29, we finally pulled the trigger on our kitchen/bath remodel.  The demolition was really fun to watch, although we had to keep out of the way, obviously.  The first set of pictures is just before they started.
    

By the end of the day, it looked like this:
  

Kitchen

Bathroom

And all this was dumped out front on our driveway!
  

    
The day after the start of the demo, Connor attended his last Pack Meeting, and officially bridged to Boy Scouts.  Our pack has an "Arrow of Light" ceremony that involves a story with coordinating symbols drawn on the scout's face.  Then, the add-on tradition is that the boy gets 30 seconds to scribble on his dad (or mom.)  The leader doing the counting gave Connor waaaaaay more than 30 seconds to decorate his cubmaster/father, it was hilarious.
   

 

 
We have a great wooden bridge to use for the official "bridging" part of the meeting.  It's a little hard to put away, though.
  

Shaking hands with the Scoutmaster

  
On the next day of demolition they pulled even more stuff out, including the wall between our bedroom and bathroom.  Ryan thought it was too creepy to sleep in our room after that.
     

Bathroom

Bedroom Closet

Bedroom Closet (From Inside the Bathroom)

Kitchen (With the Wall Gone!)

We then started the long process of deciding on and buying the million and one things that make up a kitchen and bathroom!
    

  
Elise made a whole family of huge, creepy monsters, and taped them on our family room window.  She also got her first pedicure at her friend Sarah's birthday party.
  

  
Corinne built herself a nest of toys and blankets one evening, and just put herself to sleep there.
  

  
We finally used our snake stick and snake bucket for some Do-It-Yourself Rattlesnake Removal.  We took the snake to a canyon near the golf course and dumped it.
    

  

Ryan let the kids experience our crawlspace via the new hole in our kitchen floor.
  

  
In mid-April, I finally got out the growth chart and did our "first of the year" measuring and picture.  Also, I decided I needed at least one picture of the kids doing P.E. at Co-op.  The coaches come up with so many creative games that the kids don't mind they're getting tired and sweaty.
    

They're usually getting more exercise than this...

March

Connor turned eleven years old.  Unbelievable.  For his birthday dinner, he wanted to go to Black Angus, so we celebrated there with Big Mountain Fudge Cake and a giant cookie. 
    

The next day, as part two of Connor's birthday celebration, we went to Disneyland!
  

   

  
Connor started attending 11-year-old Scouts, where Ryan was also volunteering for awhile.  Here they are learning knots, I think.  Also, Elise got to attend a Star Wars themed daddy-daughter party for Activity Days, which was adorable!

   

These are just three cute pictures of Corinne.
  

Park Time with Preschool Friends

Two-Headed Monster

Singing/Dancing in the Rain

 

Ryan planted a variety of lettuces in our garden boxes a month or two earlier, and the kids were bizarrely excited when the time came to harvest some.  Elise made a salad for everyone, all by herself.
   

  
As part of my co-op insects class, I got an ant farm as a visual aid.  I think I prefer the old-fashioned sandy kind, but this gel one was much easier to carry around.
  

  
There is no reason why this needs to be on the blog, but I must record the fact that we finally found a place nearby that makes cheeseburgers with avocado and fried egg.  Because what would be the point in eating a burger otherwise?
  

I got to plan and run the Primary Easter Egg Hunt this year.  It kind of stressed me out, but it turned out okay.  We had leftover eggs from the previous year, but I had to get three (four would have been better) giant bags of candy from Costco.  The older Primary kids helped me stuff the eggs, and I divided up the age groups at the park using soccer cones, pencils, and string.
  

For our Easter Week at home, we colored eggs (with faces and hair,) and did our Resurrection Egg hunt.
  

  

 

Towards the end of Easter Week, I left for two days to go visit my family in Utah.  Evan and Corinne were upset about me leaving, and said they wanted a picture of me so they wouldn't be so sad.  I taped the pictures next to their beds.  Ryan just rolled his eyes over how secretly pleased I was to be missed.
    

  
My flight was lovely.  Within elbow reach of the lavatory door.  I had a great time hanging out with my brothers and sister-in-law, attended the temple, and made banana pudding with my mom and Aunt Joyce.
   

  
When I got back home on Saturday, we found this tarantula in front of our house.  I tried to save it to show the insect class, but it was mostly dead after three days.  I released it to die with dignity in the wild.
   

  
On Easter Sunday, the kids found their baskets, and we were able to visit Forest Lawn cemetary.  I really enjoy all these silly traditions!