Electronics Junkie

Earlier this week I came home from school and found Ryan like this:

Naturally, I took a few pictures. I just thought he looked so cute. He had fallen asleep with Mom's I-touch watching UP. He is so smart, and can correctly operate almost any electrical device or game. I would be willing to bet that he is better than me at multiple video games. He knows a lot more than I do in that department. He independently sets up and plays computers, i-Pods, Wiis, Gamecubes, Nintendo DS--anything.

English

I do not enjoy English very much. Right now I am trying to write a research paper for The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn. My topic is about Twain's views on morality. I have to talk about society and Twain, and more society and more Twain. I am about half way done. This paper is due tomorrow.

The Greek God Ares

Today I stayed home from school to do some last minute studying for the SAT, which I am taking for the first time tomorrow. I woke up around 8, and before I could start studying, my mom needed some help. Apparently, Tanner had asked her the night before if he could stay home on Friday because he had to dress up like a Greek God, Ares, and he didn't have his costume ready. My mom forgot, and so I had to help him make his costume this morning and he was late to school.

Here is our Greek God Ares:

He also had to write a report:

I am the great god Ares. My Roman name is Mars. I am the god of war. My symbols are the spear, vultures, and dogs.

My mom is Hera, my dad is Zeus, and my wife is Aphrodite. My dad is in charge of all the gods, and he is also the ruler of Mount Olympus, the sky, and thunder. My mom is the goddess of both women and marriage. My wife Aphrodite is the goddess of love and beauty.

My powers are decisive, determined, and fearless. A person who is decisive is able to make a clear distinction between options. Determined means to settle or decide. Fearless means you are not afraid of anything. My weaknesses are impulsive and bloodthirsty behaviors, and roaring for a fight regardless of the consequences. Impulsive and bloodthirsty is being thirsty for blood without thinking. Roaring for a fight regardless of the consequences means trying to get in a fight not caring what the consequences are. I am a great warrior.

Carl's Ice Cream

This week the weather was extremely beautiful and sunny, which was a great change from all of the bitter cold, snowy weather we were having. When we all came home from school, Mom decided it was a great day to go to Carl's. Carl's is a local soft serve ice cream shop, and the perfect place for a little treat! Thanks mom for the ice cream!

Our Refridgerator

In my house, there are a few jobs that nobody likes to do. In a smaller household with less people, I imagine that they wouldn't be as bad or take nearly as long. However, with ten people in our house, jobs like mopping the floor, cleaning the kitchen, doing laundry, and cleaning bathrooms are horrible. Definitely in the top three grossest jobs is cleaning out the fridge.

The fridge after it was cleaned. Fortunately for you,

I forgot to take a picture of what it looked like before.

It shines like the top of the Chrysler Building!

Dirty food containers.

Hungry anyone? Mmm... looks delicious.

Superbowl Sunday (just a week late)

For most people, Superbowl Sunday is a great day to get together with friends and cheer on their team. For me, it is just one of many days that provides me with an excuse to bake and cook. Knowing we would not have school the Monday after due to the record-breaking snow storms Virginia has been enduring, I pulled out Mom's baking supplies and baked. Throughout the day, I made peanut butter blossoms, homemade brownies, homemade chocolate chip cookies, and sugar cookies. Of course, we took plates of them to the neighbors. I also chopped up some celery for the wings, and made a delicious buffalo chicken dip. Superbowl Sunday food was a success.

Peanut Butter Blossoms

Homemade Brownies

Football Sugar Cookies

Chicken Wings before Baked

Most of the snacks!

One of four different flavored wings.

Celery Sticks!

Babysitting

I love little kids. I have ever since I was little, when I began dressing baby dolls, feeding them bottles, and changing their diapers (even applying diaper rash cream on their fake plastic butts). I have tons of opportunities to babysit. First, for my own family, of course. Second, for other families.

When I was in either the sixth or seventh grade (I can't remember), I had my mom put up a flier at work. She works on the labor and delivery floor, and knew most of the people there with children, and figured it would be okay. So my mom posted a babysitting flier up on her floor, and there began my great and wonderful "job". It didn't really do all that much. Only one or two families called me, but gradually, news spread.

I now babysit for tons of people, and I love it. I love little kids. I love having them help me make lunch and dinner, and think I am so cool because I am a teenager, and them helping me create cute little valentine hearts, and having them help me make pudding desserts. Plus, the pay is great, too. Most people either joke that I will have no kids, or lots of kids. Probably tons.

Little kids are the greatest.

Heaven and Babies

"Hey mom, where do babies come from?"
"Ryan, they come from Heaven."
"Mom, how do you get to Heaven?"
"You have to die."
"How do you die, mom?"
"You can die lots of different ways. Some good, some bad."
"Well I wish you would die and go to Heaven and come back with a baby."
[conversation between 3-year old Ryan and mom]

"Megan and Gray, do you want the rest of this?"
"Mom, you need to eat that. You barely touched it."
"Yeah mom, don't you remember, you are eating for two. Feed that baby!"
[humorous conversation between Gray, Mom, and I at lunch one day]

Lately, there's been lots of talk about babies. No worries, mom is not pregnant, nor will be anytime soon. We all want mom to have another, but she is done. She and dad say the next kid will have to come from either Gray's family, or mine. Who knows. It has been 3 years since we've had a little baby in this house. Ryan grew up fast. In fact, we often question if he ever was a baby. That kid is way too smart. However, he wants a baby sibling. I guess he will just have to face disappointment.

Cooking Dinner

I love to cook! Growing up as the oldest girl in a large family, I had to learn to cook. I also love to bake. My mom stocked up on flour and sugar back in November when everything was on sale, and between my mom and I, we have used all of it!

I have cooked and baked with Ryan since he was old enough to help out and watch. When he was two, he helped make his own birthday cake. I think he enjoys it. He has helped bake countless amounts of cookies, banana breads, pumpkin breads, brownies, cupcakes, cakes, and even dinners! Last night, he finally helped cook an entire meal for the family! He had a blast!

The Menu:
Fresh, homemade Italian Meatballs
Homemade Spaghetti Sauce
Ziti Noodles
Italian Tomato and Cucumber Salad
Corn
Heart Sugar Cookies for Dessert

Weather Channel Forecast

Sometimes I love weather men. Then again, a lot of times I hate them. It seems that everytime I want the forecast to be correct, it is not. It was supposed to start snowing here this afternoon, and it didn't. I'm really, really hoping that it starts soon, as the forecast says 100% chance of ice/snow. Weathermen, please do your job and be right.

Worst News. Ever.

The new computer system that we set up in our house is not working properly. My Dad thinks it is the hard drive failing. What this means to me, is that potentially all of my pictures from Christmas until present may be lost. It is not positive, just a possibility. I feel HORRIBLE, because a family in our ward's baptism pictures may be completely lost. Ever since I've been promising to make a CD for them, the computers have not been working. Basically, I have worst person ever status as of now. I am hoping and praying Dad's ingenious brain will recover those pictures.

This Humors Me

In order to calculate our semester grades, we multiply our first nine weeks grade by 3 and our second nine weeks grade by 3. Then, we add up those two totals plus the exam grade. Here is my history calculations:

First nine weeks: 97 x 3 = 291
Second nine weeks: 99 x 3 = 297
Exam Grade: 95

Add them together... = 683
Divide 683 by 7... = 97.57

Which would mean that my semester grade should be a 98%. However, according to my ap history teacher, my semester grade should be an 88%. Somebody please tell me how that works.

School

Currently I am in AP German class, supposed to be creating a brochure for the incoming freshmen to "advertise" german. Our school system is proposing phasing out German within the next four years, and so a lot of people are all "hyped up" about the issue. So instead of doing what I am supposed to do, I will blog.

Exam week was last week. One of the most stressful weeks of my life. This year, I took all AP classes--yes folks, that is 7 AP classes total (well, technically 6 AP and 1 DE)--and so studying and grades are basically my top priority. However, I have a huge procrastination problem. I study best under pressure, meaning the night before the exam. So a few nights last week, I studied into the wee hours of the morning (DAD: pretend you did not read that). Thankfully, I did decently on all of my exams, and I survived the week!

Grades are all finalized and surprisingly, all A's. I thought I would definitely be receiving a 92% B, but I pulled through!

Here are my grades, listed exam grade first, then semester grade:

AP English Composition: 93, 96
DE Chemistry: 90, 96
AP Music Theory: 94, 99
AP US History: 95, 97
AP Calculus BC: 90, 94
AP Psychology: 96, 98
AP German: 96, 96

Yes, some of those A's were cutting it close, but they are A's none the less. Another exam week, done.

April Wagner Brinson

When my mom started working at the hospital, she made lots of new friends, one of which was April. Of course, April has met all of us Kemmeys, and helped birth a few as well. April's pretty cool. She scrapbooks with me and my mom, and does lots of crazies parties and such. She plays Bunko (some game with a bunch of other old ladies), and loves the name Hayden.

Tonight I was looking through some of mom's recent pictures and I found this....

Let's hope I don't have nightmares tonight....

Karaoke

For Young Mens/Young Womens combined activity this month, we came up with the idea to have karaoke. It was a great success, and I think everybody enjoyed themselves. With everyone's help, the activity was great. The Hubberts provided us with their huge t.v. and sound system to amplify the wonderful singers of the Fredericksburg ward. Everyone brought desserts for refreshments, and multiple people brought Karaoke games.

We ended up using Karaoke Revolution for Playstation 2, and everyone took turns singing. We have two microphones, so two people sang against each other and competed for the highest score! Very fun.

Here are some pictures of the night!

Group Shot.

Suzanne and Jordan

Our wonderful Young Women leaders.

Jordan. Isn't she cute?

The girls all decided to dress up as an '80s theme. Way cute.