The boys and I took these blankets to the Veterans Hospital. It wasn't quite the inspiring, patriotic experience I hoped for. First of all, it took about an hour to get there. We weren't prepared for that length of a trip. :) Second, we got a little lost (no one is surprised, right?). Third, when we found the hospital, it was in a less-than-desirable part of town and was surrounded with razor wire. We ended up pulling up to the entrance and handing the blankets through the window to a volunteer. I just couldn't see trying to find parking and then herd 5 boys through to find the office, etc. Hopefully some of the good of the experience made it through. And, hey, we got to go to lunch with Mike on the way home--we LOVE extra time with Dad!
Allie and I got to attend #4's Thanksgiving Feast
Mike LeBaron Day is November 14th!
Thanks to Earl for editing yet another photo for me for Mike LeBaron Day. This year the cake said "Mike LeBaron Day 2009" and "I'd like to thank the little people." Past years have been Arnold and Qui-Gon.
#3 taught a lesson about putting more effort in up front so that you get what you want in the long run.
#4's kindergarten class took a field trip to the pumpkin patch since they were rained out in October.
#5, his best friend, and I got to join #4 at the Big Orange Pumpkin Farm to feed animals, take a hay ride, play in the sun, pick a pumpkin, and have a total blast.
#4 was much braver than #5 and his buddy. In fact, said buddy told her mom that she and #5 don't like cow slobber, but his mom does! :)We had Thanksgiving with the Hamiltons and a totally laid back week, complete with kids home from school and Mike home from work. Loved every minute of it! For quotables, read the Christmas letter--it should be arriving soon!
#2 displayed hats he helps make to donate to Parkland Hospital as well as some of his artwork. #4 also displayed some artwork--he is prolific, especially focused on "lego guys" as subjects.
We did a TON of swimming--very unusual for a mom who's very nervous with kids in water. I think this year marked the beginning of a new era. I now have 3 strong swimmers and 1 who knows his limits!
We loved swim lessons with Mrs. Ruth. We took for 4 weeks, so we got to do a LOT of work outs.
#5 even decided he could live with having to do a back float.
#5 absolutely loves the temple. He asks all the time to go there. One afternoon, mom and dad took him for a special trip all by himself.
We love the feeling of calm and peace we get even just on the grounds of the temple and recognize those feelings as being from the Spirit of the Lord. We loved a chance to help #5 recognize those feelings, too.
We redid #1 and #3's room in blues, greens, and purples. Here #3 shows #5 the magnetic aquarium he created to help decorate his room.
This seems to be a LeBaron family tradition--each of our boys has put both legs in one whole when trying to learn to dress himself. We've always cracked up about the skirt it creates. This time #4 even joined #5 because he thought the "tail" was pretty cool--#4 even used LONG pj pants!
We have a tradition the week before school (and spring break) of giving the boys a budget and a calendar and letting them plan. We hope this teaches some awareness both of budgeting and of time management. This year our fun was cut short because mom got sick. We did manage a little "Christmas in August" at the Dollar Store and caroling to some friends with treats.
Thanks to an amazing mom of #2's friend, he got even more scout requirments done (this is a fish carved from soap).
And during mom's sickness we played a LOT of monopoly. Hey, budgeting awareness, right? :)
Mom even rallied for a trip to the zoo on Friday.
Back-to-school was hard on mom this year. #4, who has been her little buddy and entertainment and fan, started kindergarten. Combine that with missing #s 1, 2, and 3, and it was a pretty lonely day! This is one mom that loves summertime and having everybody home and getting to choose our schedule and...
#5 even wanted to go along. Mom made it through everything without tears until during a quiet--and I mean QUIET--breakfast with this little guy, he kept asking for his brothers back.
#1 started MIDDLE SCHOOL!
Watching the middle school bus turn the corner may have been the most gut-wrenching moment of the day. Mike cracked up as I took pictures because there just wasn't anything else to do about it.
Happy reunion at the end of the first day of school...We finally got all our brothers back!!
We had a wonderful experience visiting Temple Square in SLC, UT. #5 even decided he wants to be married in the Salt Lake Temple.
We spent a week in Monterey with the LeBarons. 
The cousins LOVED being together...especially when it was time for the ice cream line up. Highlights were the Monterey Bay sea lions, seeing pink (girl time and getting to fix my nieces hair, nails, etc.), Dennis the Menace park, kite flying on the beach (OK, not so much a highlight for #3, who got pelted in the head by one), swimming, Santa Cruz, the aquarium, the farmers market, Mario Kart (they kids loved it so much that we caught #3 "driving" his toast without even realizing it--sort of akin to a mom rocking anything she holds on her hip), and family history devotionals.
Highlights were the Tide Pools (except having the window smashed and my purse--with driver's license--stolen), Upper Crust Pizza, San Francisco Zoo, bounce house & snow cone machine, girl time (GILROY!), a dinner at Pedro's (my all time favorite restaurant because it's where my dad always took me when I got him to myself), movie time, tie dyed and embroidered shirts, Mario Kart, and swimming!
We also got to spend the next week with my folks (and part with my sister, Em).
Highlights were mini-golf with Grandpa, NASA museum with Gram, the incredible Redwood Forest, the Lego store, swim time--complete with ice cream stocked freezer next to the pool, bike riding, and the splash park in Turlock. I even got some one-on-one time with Grandpa, Gram, and Em.
Then we took our time driving home.
Highlights were visiting Ridgecrest, CA, where Caleb was born and we have many dear friends (unfortunately, it was only for an hour or two, so we missed most of them!), getting to visit with the boys Lamoreaux great-grandparents, Hoover Dam, the Grand Canyon, Albuquerque (one of my first homes), the modern art Cadillacs, driving on Route 66, and lots of prizes, games, and songs along the way.
#5 got bored a little easier than the others, as you might imagine. We heard "Loudly Brays the Donkey" on repeat for about an hour at one point. Another time he asked grandma, "How do you make it work?" literally 27 times IN A ROW. #1, our biggest entertainer/helper, had to get a bit creative! #5 was totally thrilled, though, to come home to a new bike as his 6 month birthday present (we do that because his b-day is so close to Christmas). Having his binky taken away upon settling back in wasn't as joyful...
#4 turned 5! This child is a total joy. He keeps us laughing and is just so much fun. It's breaking his mom's heart that he's going to be making someone else laugh 8 hours a day when he starts kindergarten! Here is the cake we made together--our version of kung foo panda.
On his birthday, we went to the zoo, the zoo McDonald's, and Aunt Allie's house for a movie.
He opted not to have a party, but to take his very best buddy to Build-A-Bear, where he got a dog with cowboy boots. If you know #4 at all, you know he chose cowboy boots over a chance to choose any toy he wanted when he was 3 or 4 and this year he spent most of his birthday $ from Nan-n-Pops and Gram-n-Pops on a new pair of boots. We all really laughed, though, when he insisted on naming his dog "favorite son." Like father, like son?
Mike and I celebrated 12 years. It was very low key this year. But after 12 years, we still enjoy each other so much. No one can laugh or make me feel special like Mike, even in all the little details of daily life...and five boys!
We redid the bedroom of #1 and #3. They chose blue as the primary color, green as the secondary, and royal purple as the "pop" color. 
We also worked in fish for #3 and space for #1.
