So, as a family with five children, we stay pretty busy with various activities from day to day. Wednesday is absolutely the worst day of the week for us. We have jazz band, Activity Days, Desert Ridge Games, Honors Jazz Band, Chad & Aaron's basketball practice and Bethany's basketball practice. When I first found out that Bethany had basketball practice at nearly the same time as Chad's band rehearsal and the boys' basketball practice (both way across town), I nearly cried. I can only be so many places at one time over all. Sam would like to help, but he has absolutely no time and is pretty convinced anyway that I sign the children up for too many activities. What?!!! Anyway, I got Sam to reluctantly agree to take Bethany to and from her weekly practice while I get the boys (with a little help from the Boyacks) to their Wednesday activities. It worked out for the first couple of weeks but I suppose it was inevitable that eventually we would encounter a glitch. So, last night, Aaron was bogged down with homework assignments and decided to skip basketball practice. Sam, being the best homework helper ever, returned from dropping Bethany at her practice and promptly became focused on helping Aaron. I, in the meantime had taken Chad to his basketball practice. On the way, he decided to kill some time playing a few games and talking to Aunt Emily on my cell phone. (Did I mention that the practice is way across town?) Well, by the time we got to practice, the cell phone battery was dead. I was annoyed but no big deal, right? So, practice went by and I took Chad home to discover my mother at my house. What a pleasant surprise! Only it wasn't a pleasant surprise. Bethany's coach had been trying to contact us for 45 minutes wondering if we were ever coming to pick up our daughter. Sam was intensely helping Aaron and totally forgot to get her and Coach Leslie could not get ahold of either of us on the phone and finally gave up and called Grandma. Oh, the utter humiliation. Sorry Mom! Sorry Coach Leslie! We will so be bringing cookies to Bethany's next practice. :( So, the boys and I were talking about the whole mess this morning on the way to school and decided that everyone in our family is slightly dysfunctional. Sam gets too focused and becomes absent minded, I am overscheduled and often either forget to show up at or am late to scheduled appointments, Chad cannot seem to remember to put away a single book or article of clothing, Aaron somehow completely forgets to eat breakfast some days and the girls - well, they are little but it would be nice if they could keep their toys in some semblance of order. The whole conversation was bringing me down but Chad was fairly philosophical about the situation. He says that we may be dysfunctional separately, but that we pretty much work together as a whole. Well, I might have thought so until last night....
A southwestern Christmas Eve with lights, candy canes, and luminarias!
Five kids getting ready to open up the loot.
Aaron with his magical remote control car that can drive on ceilings and walls. Awesome!
Bethany with her new stuffed dog and Miranda with the bike she's been pining after for several months.
Miranda sitting on Santa's lap at the Schmutz's annual Christmas Caroling Party. It's great fun. The Schmutzes load up two tractors with haybales and everyone climbs on, bundles together, drives around the neighborhood and sings Christmas songs. Then we go back to the house for a fabulous chilli dinner. Good times! Unfortunately, Amber threw up all over me towards the end of the caroling and had to go home with Daddy for a bath. 
Bethany and Miranda posing with cousins after their Christmas performance at the annual Hurst holiday dinner in Monticello. It was a quick trip, but it is always fun to see aunts, uncles and cousins. And of course the food is out of this world.
Amber's first pedicure. Grandma decided to treat all the daughters and granddaughters to an afternoon at the spa. Amber thought it was very relaxing. :)
Miranda and Bethany watching Barbie movies and soaking their feeet. You ought to see the designs on all of our toes. We're quite festive.
Jazz Band I playing at the local retirement center. Chad had concerts almost every day last week. He spent the last day of school before break performing in a school music assembly and playing in a teacher vs. students basketball game. He didn't spend a single minute in class. Chad saved the basketball game during the last five seconds by getting fouled and pulling ahead of the teachers by sinking two free throw shots. Afterwards, the crowds erupted into squeals of delight and everyone ran onto the court in celebration. Ah, middle school!
Miranda at the iceskating rink. The Activity Day Girls had a budget surplus this year and we decided to spend it at the Ice Post. It was a lot of fun. We had a couple of injuries but nothing serious. I wish I had a picture of Bethany but she refused to get off the ice. She got pretty good towards the end and her fellow Activity Day girls told her she looked like a professional. :)
The Desert Ridge "A" season basketball party at Fuddruckers. The boys had a great time and they all love the tradition of signing each others' laminated jerseys after the season is over as a memento to keep.
More Fuddruckers. Kai and Chad (pretending he doesn't see me trying to take a picture) with Amber joining in the fun.
Here is a picture of the cake I made for the party. I decided to make it look just like their basketball jerseys.
Aaron all dressed up and ready to go to his first Desert Ridge band concert. He looked quite handsome and he rocked the house (or I guess it was actually the gym)!
Sam & I took the girls to see a production of the Secret Garden Musical last night. My friend Sharee played the role of Martha and she is an absolute star! Sharee teaches a children's musical theatre class in the the summers that the girls just love - particularly Miranda. When I told her yesterday afternoon that she needed to get ready to go to Sharee's play, she said, "It's tonight? But Mom, we haven't even practiced yet!", thinking I was talking about the plays that she and the kids put on after the class in the summer. :) The girls loved the play and they were absolutely enthralled with the little girl who played Mary. We went to a late show and they got a little bit sleepy during some of the adult musical numbers, but every time Mary would come on stage, they would perk right up. I asked Miranda if she would like to be in a play like that, and she emphatically answered "Yes!"
The three Smith princesses.
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