April Fools' Day Pranks

Tomorrow is April Fools! To help us get in the mood, I thought I'd spotlight a some fun pranks to play:


The Bedtime Switcheroo - Where you move your kids after they’ve fallen asleep on March 31st to another bed in the house. They’ll wake up on April Fools Day with the joke already on them! I think this one sounds so sneaky! I'll have to try it one of these years!


Got Milk? - If your milk comes in a cardboard container, add a few drops of food coloring. Afterall, it's harmless and who doesn't want to eat cereal with green milk? Or blue, or red, or orange?


Surprise Sandwich - My mom did this for my Dad when we were little. I can just imagine it...wax paper in the middle of a sandwich. The funny thing is that he ate the whole thing at work without even noticing. Maybe tin foil would provide a better zing next time?


Got ya! - My Mom and Dad would put a rubber band around the kitchen sink sprayer. So, when we would turn on the water we'd get blasted in the face! Great laughs on this one!

Do you have any good prank stories to add to my list?

Toothless Justin

Justin was so excited to lose his other front tooth during dinner tonight! He immediately called Grandpa Tooth Fairy in Utah and lucky for Justin, Great-Grandpa Tooth Fairy was there, too! He also called Grandma Guptill to wish her a "Happy Birthday" and to share his surprise for her birthday. I hope the good old Tooth Fairy in Oregon remembers to come tonight...

Do they get paid to do that?

Today was a wacky weather day. Take your pick. It rained off and on all day, hailed two times, snowed, there was sleet, and then the sun came out in-between it all. And it will all end with a chance of thunderstorms tonight. The boys rushed out to play at the tail end of one of the hail storms. Tyler came in with mud covering his eye. Now they are having a play bath. O.K., a splash war.

Why do I always post about weather? Well, I'm raising a little weather vane. Justin finds the weather section in the newspaper each day so he can give me the forecast for the day. He tells me the storm is coming in from the West and how the sun will follow those dark clouds. I asked him today if he will be a weatherman when he grows up. He thought about it and then asked me, "Do they get paid to do that?" (You know, I have asked myself the same question some days.) I nodded and he said, "O.K., do I get to be on T.V.?" I said, "Yes." After a happy laugh, he asked me, "Would I be able to see you when I'm on T.V.?" Nope. "Well, it would still be pretty good being on T.V."

Easter Weekend

We were so happy to spend our Easter weekend with Grandma and Grandpa Davis. My parents flew into Portland on Thursday night and left this morning. The last time they came out here for a visit was about 18 months ago. So, we were really excited for this weekend.



Justin and Tyler had so much fun playing with Grandma and Grandpa. They played games, sang songs, went on bike rides, told stories, etc., etc., etc. Justin told my mom this morning that he wished they could stay here forever.



On Friday, first on our list was a trip to Trader Joe's. See? I told you before...we could live there, I think. My parents brought two extra suitcases for their loot. Note to self: peanut butter doesn't pass as a carry-on through airport security. Oops!

On Saturday, we drove to McMinnville, OR, to visit the Evergreen Aviation Museum. Ever heard of the Spruce Goose? It's huge! No, make that colossal! My dad loved all the old airplanes and helicopters. The kids loved the flight simulators in the children's area.





When we got home, my parents did their own Easter Hunt for the boys.


Thanks for the fun presents! Later, we colored our Easter eggs and Justin was a pro.




Sunday morning we had our Easter Egg Hunt inside because of the rain. No big surprise! Tyler would have been happy with one egg. After he found the one with a little Tigger figurine in it, he was done. Justin was in it for the long haul.




I taught sharing time for the kids in Primary at church. My mom and dad sat in the back so they could listen to my lesson. The kids sang a welcome song to them, too. We learned about the days leading up to the resurrection of Jesus Christ. I asked Travis to come in at the end and share a little bit about his experience in Israel last year when he visited the Garden Tomb in Jerusalem. I also asked a friend who recently lived in Israel to do a show-and-tell about some keepsakes they collected from the Garden of Gethsemane and the Tomb. Thanks, Tiffany! The kids were so reverent and seemed so interested the whole time. I hope their testimonies of Jesus Christ grew like mine did.

O.K, let's take a hug break:








Monday, we went to go feed the ducks and geese along the park trail behind our new library. We love that place and had to show it to Grandma and Grandpa.







We had a great weekend just relaxing and enjoying time together! I hope we can do it again soon! Next time it will be our turn to go to Utah.

Read-A-Thon

Our new fun thing is to plan Read-A Thon parties. Actually, it's a sneaky way to keep the kids doing something good while I'm getting ready for the day. I make each of them a fun "house" in their bedrooms with pillows or blankets or anything silly I can find. Then they get a stack of fun books and away they go. And away I go...



Here is a picture of Tyler enjoying a BIG book from our new library. We go every few weeks or so and the boys each pick out 5 books each and 1 video. That way I always know how many to gather up when it is time to return them. I'm so glad they love to read.

Oh Lucky!

I feel so lucky to have two creative boys (and husband, too!) who made my birthday so much fun for me! Last week, Justin and Travis worked hard to make a leprechaun trap for Justin's kindergarten project. They even drew out plans and everything! I thought it would catch that tricky leprechaun for sure!


It's a leprechaun house. So, the leprechaun follows a trail of gold coins up the walkway and through the front door. Then he sees his friend, a decoy leprechaun, and then falls through a trick floor into the bag.



Justin came home from school Monday telling stories about how the class leprechaun, Lucky, played tricks on their class. When he got to school, his teacher was late and the whole room was messed up. A table was tipped over, the ceiling tile was popped up, all the crayons and markers and pencils were scattered around, green footprints were everywhere and there was also green toilet water. I think he liked that part the best.




Travis took me to lunch at PF Chang's and it was fabulous! We enjoyed our lunch date! Then when Justin got home from school, He and Tyler planned a party for me. We played stick the sticker on the leprechaun and built block cities. Then we did St. Patrick's Day coloring pages and activity pages. They loved helping me bake my birthday brownies. My mom and dad gave me some hilarious pajamas. I used to have that Care Bear when I was a kid. I'm including a picture so Holli and Lisa know the contest is on!



Justin decorated for my birthday dinner. He said, "Mom, I'm a genius at setting the table for your party!" He had sprinkled "Happy St. Patrick's Day!" napkins all around the table and put a holiday candle holder for a centerpiece. The boys each had a shamrock-shaped straw, too. It was definitely a party!

Which Sports Car Are You?

Travis is a Chevrolet Corvette!

You're a classic - powerful, athletic, and competitive. You're all about winning the race and getting the job done. While you have a practical everyday side, you get wild when anyone pushes your pedal. You hate to lose, but you hardly ever do.

He said, "Oh, yeah!" when this picture came up!

I'm a Porsche 911!

You have a classic style, but you're up-to-date with the latest technology. You're ambitious, competitive, and you love to win. Performance, precision, and prestige - you're one of the elite, and you know it.

Justin and Tyler will be so happy to know they have "Sally" for a mom and "Lightening McQueen" for a dad! I think we are perfect for each other!

Take the Which Sports Car Are You? quiz.

Happy St. Patrick's Day!

This year it's going to be FUN! I'm going to make green pancakes and green milk for breakfast. The boys are so excited to wear GREEN. I don't have to pack a lunch for Justin because he gets hot lunch for my birthday. I think I'm as excited as he is. Justin said he is going to come barging in to our room yelling "Happy Birthday!" to wake us up. He wakes up at 6 a.m. and I hope he doesn't wake up until 7:00 tomorrow. That would really be a birthday present!



Travis and I are going to go out to lunch and Tyler will play with a babysitter. I'm really looking forward to that part of the day. Then I'm planning lots of fun St. Patrick's Day fun for the boys. O.K., it's for me, too! We are going to decorate for a party in Justin's bedroom. He has a whole plan for us. Then a party with Travis when he gets home from work. Justin has been wrapping random toys and things from around the house. He wrapped 10+ presents for me. Yesterday I asked him if he ate the last banana. It was wrapped. He can't wait for me to open all my gifts from him.


I found lots of St. Pat's crafts and games online and we are going to really live it up! Funny that I'm looking forward to kids crafts. Hey, I might even bake pennies into my birthday brownies! (Well, maybe a quarter, a nickel and two pennies. Wrapped in wax paper. Come on, some of you have eaten -I mean "won"- money at my birthday parties! Fess up!) I'm realizing as I get older that birthdays have started to regain their magic. Same with other holidays. I get to have fun again with the help of my kids. 32 is going to be great!

Too Far

I'm feeling like I live just too far away. Too far away from family. Too far away from friends.

My good friend Jennie's dad passed away on Monday. He has been a big influence on my life for the past 20 years. I have many good, fun, wonderful memories of my teenage and college years that include him. I wish I could be there for Jennie this week. I'm looking forward to hearing all about the funeral and I hope Jennie knows I love her and miss her and that I would be there if I could...

Then I find out that my good friend Jeri had her baby on Monday. 6 weeks early. In Maryland. Both baby and Mom are doing o.k. and I am so thankful. I wish I could pop in to help Jeri with her other two kids. And make her dinner. And rock that sweet baby. And take Cyrus for a walk.

I could go on and on about those I love and miss. I do have to say though that I am so thankful for the opportunity I have to make a phone call, send an email and keep in touch through all of our blogs. All that along with an occasional trip to visit makes living so far away feel a bit more bearable.

Not for Sale

Travis and I were watching Jay Leno last night and he was showing sales pitches for different inventions. Some were cool and some were nuts. Then the audience votes for whether or not the item was "Sold" or "Not Sold". Jay Leno pointed out that while the rest of us are just sitting around, people are out there inventing things! Hmmm...I wonder what I'd invent...I've got it...it would be a laundry sorter that automatically washes and dries the clothes when it gets full. I think that would be heaven. Travis said he would invent a place mat washer that he would just run them right through and presto they'd be clean. What would you invent?

Here's what Justin invented:



It's a "Snack Hat". He made this one afternoon this past week while I was trying to put Tyler down for a nap. He cut a door in the stovepipe top where he can reach in an get out a snack. The only snack allowed in this hat is peanut butter filled pretzels. It works, too! :) I told him that I liked his idea so much that I'd buy it from him for 10 cents. He said that he wouldn't sell it to me for any amount of money and that I could only borrow it. Then he asks me, "Are you sure you'll borrow it?" Yep, I'm hungry!