Wen: the trial run

You've probably heard of Wen. The spendy hair cleanser that doesn't lather and is supposed to be amazing for your hair.

My friend Tracey recently gave me her bottle after she tried it just once and didn't care for how it left her hair, and so I thought I'd give it a whirl.

My first time reading the instructions I laughed out loud. 24-32 pumps per wash for long hair? What??!!

I actually googled it to see if anyone else thought that was as ridiculous as I did. But after my first time using it I saw how you'd need an awful lot, since it truly does not lather a single bit and you really have to work it in.

So... my trial run began, and while I didn't care for how greasy my hair felt at the end of the day, I did like the smell and the tingly feeling it left, and thought I'd give it a full two weeks for my hair to get used to it, like many people online suggested.

And the final verdict?

We shall never know. The bottle lasted EIGHT WASHES.

EIGHT.

I think I've been punked. 

These Three

About a month ago, while in the middle of some really beautiful and kind of rare early-spring weather, Russ told our kids to go play outside and enjoy the sunshine. After ten minutes of activity they came back in, "tired of the outdoors already", they said, and Russ swiftly booted them all back outside again. Half an hour later he found the oldest two asleep on the trampoline, where they proceeded to take an hour nap because they "didn't know what to do".

It was at this moment that Russ, frustrated that our children didn't seem to remember how to play outside for longer than half an hour, declared our house to be "electronics free" on weekdays from here on out, with the exception of watching something together as a family in the evening.

I think I panicked more than the kids did. What were they going to do? How much were they going to pester me?

But by the end of the week I knew it was the best thing we could have ever done. The kids adjusted waaaay quicker than I thought they would, and never complained even once over the simultaneous loss of all TV/movie time, xbox/wii time, computer time, or playing on the ipod (Kendall only - since she's the only one with one.)

I was shocked. I'm still shocked!

But I love it! We have been keeping to the rule and the kids fill their time just fine, and today as I walked around the house and noticed what they were all doing I couldn't help but smile and get out my camera, it was just so fitting to their personalities...

Outside watching daddy trim trees and playing with something messy. 

This one actually loves to be outdoors, but doesn't really enjoy being by himself so wants company. Exactly like his father.

On the couch reading a book. 

Always reading, reading, reading. 

This one makes me smile because in that respect at least, he's just like his mama. 

At the piano playing and singing. 

For hours on end. EVERY SINGLE DAY. 

This one can't walk by the piano without stopping and sitting down, it calls to her so. 

Constantly creating, she makes me smile because she sure didn't get it from her parents! 

Monday Confessional: party planning

Poor Blake. He always gets the short end of the stick when it comes to birthday celebrations because ever since he was born, either our boys or girls basketball team has made it to the state finals in Baker City the weekend before his birthday and all our planning goes into that trip.

Every year we come back, realize Blake's birthday is in two days and we have nothing scheduled... and scramble.

This year was even worse... we came back Sunday night from Baker, I spent Monday working, taking Cooper to the chiropractor and going to an evening meeting, and when Tuesday rolled around (Blake's birthday), I hadn't even grocery shopped, let alone birthday shopped!

You know what we're good at though? LAST MINUTE.

After school on Tuesday I picked up the kids from school, dropped the older two off at home, and took Blake on a special trip to buy his presents and pick his birthday dinner (aka GROCERY SHOP. Wink Wink.)

Stop 1: Dutch Bros. for a smoothie

Stop 2: Costco for presents and dinner (and mommy's groceries)

Blake is such a clothes horse. Summer pj's, basketball shorts, and a cool jacket were his first picks!

But the snorkel set won the day!

He thought it was all AWESOME.

Then we picked birthday invites and planned a little after-school party for 4 friends to come over on Friday.

Activities included playing "Jurassic World" outside...

See-sawing...

Trying out the new skate gear we surprised him with...

And plenty of wrestling. 

Happy birthday Blake! We'll do something equally as fun and spontaneous next year ;)

Last year's equally last-minute and awesome celebration

Baker, Baby!

Well since we've been back for 3 4 days now, how about a recap of our trip to Baker City last week for the 1A basketball state finals?

I'm sure you've been on pins and needles.

(Except for my personal friends who are on facebook. You've been flooded with updates and pictures. My instagram friends too. So actually, probably NO ONE is on pins and needles. But it must be documented! Posterity!)

Here's how it went down. Russ drove with his team. Blake rode with his grandparents. Kendall rode with her cousin, Maddy, and this left me with Coop and his cousin Drew. 

You may think, "6 hours with two junior high age boys... yikes!" Because that's totally what I was thinking. But in reality, it was 6 hours with zero bickering siblings and it was wonderful! I listened to an audiobook and ate my red vines and salt & vinegar pringles and was juuuuuust fine. 

This doesn't mean I wasn't wiped when I met up with the rest of my family at our hotel. Russ and I were both so exhausted we just flopped on the bed and laid there... WE ARE SO OLD!

 Not the chitlins... this is all they wanted to do. ALL DAY, EVERY DAY.

(Since we've been back Blake has asked us to take him swimming approximately 17 times.)

When we weren't down at the hotel pool, and we weren't at the gym cheering our on teams, we actually made it out and about around Baker City, the coolest old town.

 Ice cream at Charley's.

The girls team exploring the town a bit. 

Ice cream parlor selfie.

I even bought myself my first ever pair of aviators. (Because of the polka dots of course.) I took this pic at a stop light to send to my friend Jana, and busted up laughing when I saw Kendall's face!

But on to the basketball games! 

Russ's face after his team won their first game... and this is pretty much how the whole tournament went! Our boys and girls both won their quarterfinal and semifinal game, putting them both into the championship game Saturday night! This was so, so huge, guys. The furthest either team has come before is 5th in state, and we've never both made it over to Baker at the same time, let alone both made it to the final game! You should have seen our school crowd... it was CRAZY AWESOME. 

The girls ended up taking 2nd in state, losing by just 5 points. I couldn't have been prouder. 

And our boys won the title! Cue madness and mayhem! It was incredible!

Best Baker trip ever! 

(Until we had to move the clocks forward for daylight savings and drive home the next morning and get back to real life. Womp womp. I'm a sad and sorry end of vacationer. So let's not discuss Sunday.) 

Wednesday thru Saturday were STELLAR though ;)  

We Won! (and now we're leaving)

If I was to sum up our weekend with one word, it would be this: BASKETBALL.

Our high school varsity boys and girls teams played in the second round of state Friday and Saturday night, respectively, and both won, sending them into the final 8 state playoffs in Baker City starting this Wednesday.

ROAAAAD TRIIIIIIIIP!

Our family looooves going to Baker for the state finals. And in a delightful turn of events, the school is even closing for 2 1/2 days to accommodate as many families traveling over to support the teams as possible, which means one thing... no more Nazi school mom (that would be me) making her kids do their school work in the hotel room! YEAH!!

(our niece Miranda, a senior on the team)

(sweet Harrison - a crowd favorite :)

(congrats, Coach! And how timely, the boys coach is in the background! Congrats, Coach Nof!)

(two of Russ's biggest fans, Nanna and Duke)

(our other niece on the team, Debby, a freshman)

(Cooper's ability to work his way into every team picture cracks me up ;)

Now, off to continue my mountainous task of catching up on laundry so we can pack!