April sneezes lead to wheezes

It's April, and everybody has allergies. We're not sure what the culprit is, but it's something in our back yard and every body is sneezing, wheezing, coughing, and eyes are watering. Other than the minor health issues, we've enjoyed the few spring days that have come so far this year.

Here is our latest news:

• Thanks to my sister (thanks, Becky) we are now the proud owners of a trampoline. All five children have spent hours every day this week jumping. I love the fact they are outside, and REALLY like the way their appetites have magically risen. Dallin might actually pass Nicole in weight if he keeps eating like this!
• Sierra turned twelve this month. She had a "Twilight" themed birthday party complete with black and red decorations. I watched her friends with a twinge of sadness. My little girl has been replaced with a tall, thin, and very likeable young woman. Her "toys" now consist of Webkinz, so she can get online and build custom rooms for her pets. Her toys are steadily finding their way into Nicole's toy baskets. She loves going to Young Womens, and has lots of friends in our ward and neighborhood. She finished memorizing the Articles of Faith and will get her Faith in God in church in two weeks. We're proud of her hard work.
• Matthew is the fastest runner in his class and will be competing in a school wide track meet. He is very excited, and practices running after school. He's under the mistaken impression I'm still faster than him. I don't want to admit he'd beat me in any race, under any condition. It's fun to listen to Matthew talk about his life plans. At this point, he wants to be a professional athlete. He's leaning toward basketball, but knows he'll be really good in football, too (he's never played on a team). The thought of going to college and majoring in anything besides sports is horrifying to him.
• Scotty is slowly making friends, and is amazing in his ability to remember people's names. He is also talented at continuing to memorize all the basketball stats. He gave me a very detailed, persuasive argument about why the Lakers and the Cavaliers are going to the finals, and the Cavaliers are going to win. Not bad for a six-year old!
• Dallin is reading, and sounds out all the words he can find. That's fine, unless it's a naughty word on the wall! He told me yesterday that he has a secret to waking up. He blinks his eyes eleven times, and then his eyes don't want to close anymore. We just might try that tomorrow.
• Nicole loves preschool, and is a social butterfly. When she's not being social, she is a monster, so we're not sure if she's going to be popular or the school outcast. Maybe '4' will determine that. She does everything by herself, tortures her brothers by hitting them with any available object, charms her way into sleeping with her sister at night, and gives us her opinion on any and every subject.
• Matt is busy with the yard. He has plans made up that will take years to accomplish, but will someday be beautiful. He's currently getting ready to start our garden, which means he comes home with loads of dirt, compost, and other "necessary" ingredients for a garden. He's also enjoying lots of real estate activity. Hopefully, he'll have some closings soon.
• I've been busy with preschool. Next month I have three field trips, a graduation, and four class parties planned. Then, I have one weekend to finish preparing the next four weeks of teaching eight summer school sessions. To top it all off (as if that's not enough) I'm taking a CERT (community emergency response team) class through the city on Tuesday nights.

We've been blessed with a wonderful home, neighborhood, and a peaceful chapter in our hectic lives. The past year has flown by, school's almost out, and we're ready to plan our summer adventures.

More next month...