What a LONG strange few weeks it's been....

Scott's thyroid problem has finally been diagnosed and though it's not good news we feel at least a bit of relief to know what is going on and that it's treatable.  Basically, he got sick a month or two ago and within a few days of what we thought was just a mild flu he was in bed for a few days and couldn't move by himself even to roll over or move his leg out from under the covers.  It was odd and terrifying.  I finally got him to the doctor and they did a whole bunch of blood tests.  His numbers came back all messed up but by then he was at least moving again.  They re-tested and we were told "everything is just fine".  Well, turns out they were looking at the wrong paper or something when they gave us that information because two weeks later he got a call that all was NOT fine and he needed to see an endocrinologist.  So finally after more tests they came back with the results that he has a combinations of Grave's Disease and Hashimoto's Disease----both are autoimmune issues dealing with thyroid failure.  Grave's Disease is Hyperthyroid and Hashimoto's is Hypothyroid-----supposedly it is not uncommon for these to present together (even though they are opposites!) and Scott's Grave's Disease is dominant so he basically has Hyperthyroidism.  More tests at the end of this week to figure out treatment.  But basically, this will be with him for life. 

The weather has been getting nicer and nicer and we've been spending a lot of time outside in the afternoons after school---when the schedule permits, that is:  we have had some whopper schedules here this last week.   Here's the run-down in photos:

Ethan on the jungle gym

Asher in his favorite climbing tree

Asher practicing half-pipe

Ethan's got the moves

Ham

Ella flying

Later in the week we hosted our homeschool Girls' Club which is always a ton of fun.  They spent the time making flower barrettes and headbands and perfecting their skills with the hot-glue gun.

Here's Ella modeling one of her creations:

Scott took the kids to a Chemistry Show that our homeschooling group organized.  It was a one hour show put on by the chemistry department at BYU in which the kids got to witness lots of things blowing up and liquids turning different colors.  That's what I heard, anyway, as I couldn't go (teaching oboe).  Ethan did many experiments at dinner that night in the attempt to make his milk or water turn blue. 

Saturday the 20th was full of a rehearsal for the Irish Dance spring concert. 

Then I took Ella and her two friends Summer and Chloe (sisters) up to Temple Square to an Orchestra at Temple Square Concert. 

The next week (this past one) was spent doing school and normal things like dressing up as pirates,

having half birthday parties (Asher turned 5 1/2!!!),

and playing with baby guinea pigs (our next door neighbor's) at Girls' Club.

Then the crazy end-of-week-full-of-too-many-concerts-and-recitals began.  Ella got to play in the ASTA Festival Honor's Recital because she placed well at the festival.  She played Gossec Gavotte.  Then the Irish Dance Recital was the next night.  And Saturday morning was the violin/viola studio recital (Ethan "performed" by taking a bow on stage....he's starting viola lessons).

Finally they got to go adventuring with Papa yesterday afternoon.  They went to Ophir and Mercur in the Oquirrih Mountains (about an hour drive from us) and visited some ghost towns and mining museums and piles of dirt full or iron pyrite.

Read Alouds (at night to all):

Finished The Magician's Boy by Susan Cooper
The kids are loving Danny, Champion of the World by Roald Dahl

Ella is reading (not including school stuff):

Fablehaven Book 3 (finished)
The All-of-a-Kind Family (for the second time)
a few Magic Treehouse books
a few Littles books

I am reading:

Olive Kitteridge
Daughter of Persia
The Elegance of the Hedgehog

Movies:

The Proposal
Night at the Museum 2

School News:

We just finished Term 2 (out of 3) and will have "Exam Week" this week.  Ella LOVES exam week because she gets to tell all she knows.  Here are a few questions:

1.  Draw a flower and label it with as many parts as you remember.
2.  Tell all you know about pollination.
3.  Tell the story of a) Davey Crockett and b) Johnny Appleseed.
4.  Tell all you know about Queen Elizabeth I.  What was her nickname?
5.  Show Marco Polo's route on the map and describe some adventures he had along the way.
6.  Choose your favorite scene from Swallows and Amazons and give a retelling using whatever form you want. 
7.  Tell all you know about mammals and list as many mammals as you can.
8.  What do you know about the poet Hilda Conkling?
9.  Write your own version of a Michelangelo biography and illustrate it.