Catching up...

I have been a blogging slacker. SLACKER. I am getting started on my Christmas cards and that usually includes a family letter. And that includes an update. And there is a LOT to update.

So this post, is an update, Christmas card style!

Harmony: This girl is busy from sun up to sun down. Band. Reading. Writing. Drawing. Hanging out with friends. She has had so many fun opportunities lately! Playing in the half time show at a UCLA game, going to the Disney studios to learn about art...and of course there are all the band competitions, football games, dances, hanging out with friends, movies, sleepovers...her schedule is tough to keep up with!

Ethan: is getting to be as busy as his sister. He too, is a band geek. With Ben & I having absolutely no musical abilities, we find this odd! I have loved to see him progress in his playing. He took up the baritone last year and has worked his way up, in a little over a year, from beginning band to advanced. He has totally shot up and now towers over me, which he loves to tease me about. He, has a lot of the same talents & interests as Harmony. Reading, writing, drawing & music.

After a year, Connor gave up on the band life! He decided to do something different and it is much more up his alley...yearbook! He has loved walking around the school with his "press pass", taking pictures and using the computer to design pages. He is a "techie" kid and loves anything to do with electronics. Of course he still loves Legos, and designs detailed bases. Mason considers Connor to be his personal slave, and Connor is too sweet to say no!

Ivan: This kid is...fun. He worked hard to prove that he could be safe while riding his bike to school. He has done a great job (even though it still scares me) and loves the freedom of riding back and forth. He has had his struggles at school but we have been working through them. He still loves Legos, pirates and playing video games. He had a rough Thanksgiving break, as his best friend moved. We all took it hard, and were sad to see them go!

Mason had an interesting start to kindergarten...a few of the boys decided to use their scissors to cut each others clothing, lunch bags, back packs etc. Mason ended up with a hole cut into his favorite hat, 2 shirts, and his backpack strap cut. Luckily the kids learned their lesson and we are no longer dealing with it! Mason is, just like his Dad and brothers, a Lego kid. He also loves playing at the park. He is learning to read & write and it is fun to see him learn & grow.

Ben & I are trying to keep up with the kiddos. It is hard to believe how time has passed & how the kids have grown and changed. Ben still travels quite a bit for work. We are currently waiting on our newest set of orders, which will most likely be in San Diego.

So there you have it. Our life in a nut shell.

Sorry Mom!!

I got an email from my Mom today. Very concerned ( after reading Harmony's blog concerning x-rays) and let me know that it had been 8 days since I updated my blog. So, I apologize. I really haven't fallen off the face of the earth...although it seems that way sometimes.

Ben got home( after a delay) on Monday night. The kids were soooo excited to see him. Except for Harmony who decided to skip out on going to the airport and going to Girl Scouts. They were working on a fashion show and she did not want to miss out! So the big boys and I went. Ben of course, came bearing gifts. The kids had a blast opening Legos, video games, movies, books etc. etc.

Tuesday Harmony informed me that she had signed up for the bookfair and would need to have her project turned in the following morning. I wanted to strangle her little neck but instead, I took her to the NEX in hopes that we could find what she needed. We spent maybe 2 hours on it but she was happy. So I was happy. The next day however, she came home in tears because she hadn't won a prize. I had to explain to her that some kids had put days and weeks into their projects and she had only spent a couple of hours. A lemonade stand with her friend eventually got her mind off of it and she was very happy with just her participant ribbon.

Thursday Ben had a softball game. Since Spring Break had officially began, I took the kids down to the field to watch him. On one side there is a nicely lit park although the toys leave something to be desired. However a little bit down the sidewalk is a nicer toy, just no lights. I took the kids over anyway and everything was going fine until...Connor and his friend Kameron crashed on the slide while playing Star Wars.He complained that his finger really hurt. So being the mean Mom that I am, I gave him a kiss and a hug and told him he was fine.

The next morning he wakes up and his finger is completely swollen. I felt awful. I took him to the doctor and she said to get x-rays just in case it was fractured. It wasn't but it is still pretty swollen. She said because of all the soft tissue on the finger it could take a little while to go down.The kid had a fun story to tell though!

Saturday I felt like I got nothing done. I went to a baby shower, which is always fun hanging out with friends, then grocery shopping. I took the kids to see the Spiderwick Chronicles and they were scared to death! Connor was in my lap, literally shaking, using my hand to cover his eyes.Ethan was next to me with his face buried in my shoulder saying, " I want to go home. I just want to go home." Harmony sat with her knees up to her chin and a stuffed animal in front of her eyes. I had no idea they would be so scared!

Sunday was a pretty typical Sunday for us, with out too much excitement.

Today, Harmony was off with her Girl Scout troop riding horses. Her leader said they had a great time but the girls were really hot and complained a lot about being outside for so long. I think they were expecting an air conditioned barn or something! Harm's leader is so great and she has a lot planned for them this week. Thursday night she gets to go camping. She is really excited and I have to go and find her all the gear she needs!

So there you have it. An almost complete wrap up as to what has been going on in the Turner household. And just to give her a little plug...you should head over and check out Harm's blog. She has been better about keeping it updated than I have. If you don't have the address you can email me for it!