A Case of Mistaken Identity

Friday night the phone rings, Bryce answers and says, "Paige, it's for you." A few minutes later Paige comes to me and asks if she and Brett can spend the night at Darby's. Darby is a friend from school who lives in our neighborhood and has a brother Brett's age. They have played before, but sleepovers have never come up. I ask, "Are you sure she has permission and wants both of you to come?" I am assured she does and that Paige remembers which house is theirs.

Twenty minutes later we are driving up and down her street and Paige can't seem to pick out the right house. So, I call home and ask Bryce to check the caller ID. He gives me a number which I call. No one answers, but I get the voicemail of my friend Andrea. I call Bryce back and "kindly" explain that he has given me the wrong number and to look again. While he is looking Andrea calls me back. I tell her, yes, I called, but Bryce had just given me the wrong phone number, then she asks, "So, are you coming?" "Coming where?" "Oh, I thought Paige and Brett were coming to spend the night?" The lightbulb comes on and I realize that it was not Darby who called Paige. "Yes, we are coming." As we drive, Paige and I have a discussion about making sure she knows who is on the phone and how embarrassing it would have been to show up at Darby's with two kids ready to spend the night who have not been invited!

Anderson Family Winter Olympiad

Every Olympic year for quite a while now, we have had a family olympics for Family Home Evening. I wasn't sure it would happen this year, but Paige and Brett really wanted to, so they took charge. They came up with events and gathered everything we would need and made medals. Our events included: Curling, speed skating, skeleton, hockey and biathalon.Brett competing in the skeleton event.

Paige in the running portion of biathalon.

Bryce and Ty shooting in biathalon.

Paige Plushenko is not very happy with her Silver Medal!

Mardi Gras

Normally, we avoid the Mardi Gras craziness (not that it is THAT crazy here). Parades here are much different than I grew up with. They involve lots of things being thrown at you, mostly beads and candy. The big boys were gone on a youth temple trip and Paige and Brett really wanted to go to a parade. Brett was born 2 days after Mardi Gras. That year Dave took the other kids to the parade and we haven't been back since.

So, I gave in. We picked up Dave at work and met some friends down by the court house. It was a little cold. But Paige and Brett had a great time catching beads and cups and the occasional treat. Brett's spark teacher made sure he got one of the twinkies she was throwing.

I will admit it wasn't that bad, and we may go again some year.

Bryce's random fact of the day

"The romans did not know about pants until the huns came along."

Brett quote of the day

On the way home from school yesterday we were discussing how both Paige and Brett ended up on the front row of their class pictures. Brett said, "Well, it is just because some of the kids in my class are freakishly tall! Really, some of them are as tall as second graders!"

100 days of school

School is keeping all of the kids busy. Lots of homework, projects and extra curricular activities. Brett celebrated the 100th day of first grade this week. He was assigned to display 100 of "something" in a creative way. He made an alien with 100 eyes. Paige did a science fair project on hovercrafts and won third place. She will now get to go to the region science fair next month.

Ty tried out and made it into the region honor band. There were two bands and Ty was 5th chair alto sax in the second band. They practiced all together on Friday and Saturday morning and played a concert Saturday afternoon.

Bryce made it on to the quiz bowl team again this year. He really enjoys the practices, but wishes he was just a little faster on the buzzer. He also was surprised at how few members of the team knew the bible questions.