Monday, November 28, 2011

Thanksgiving Weekend

I thought it noteworthy to record some Thanksgiving happenings this year...

Owen's little pre-preschool goup have a thanksgiving snack...


Lucy's first school performance..."Gobble Gobble Gobble" and "The 10 days of Thanksgiving"

Adorable!



Kurt wanted to point out that all this food (including 3 different cooked birds--one turkey and two Guinnea hens) were prepared for just two families. :)















Lucy and Sabene learn how to ride a 2 wheeler!


The kids participated in a "fun run"

It was pretty fun, but the educator in me had a few ideas about how it could have very easily been made a little more fun! Like maybe not have all 70 children ages 3-12 run a 50 meter dash at the same time. By the time the children actually had enough space to start running the race was over. :)
Michael O. donates a candy machine to our family...bored blue turned into gumball red in a matter of hours a couple of coats of paint and plenty of bug shooing.

We are now the favorite house in the neighborhood!




Tuesday, November 01, 2011

Fall Fun


the New York Aquarium with the Chappells
...carpooling in their new van
....best sea lion show I've ever seen!!
....who knew walruses were so graceful?
....scaring the pants off Jayden and Owen in the Halloween version 4D theater
...getting stuck in traffic
...tons of fun






The Blackhams visit






Caroline's baby blessing

Eagle Project....Trail beautification



The VOLCANO....aka Van's first birthday cake

Surprisingly he still dug right in and even more surprisingly it tasted pretty good.
And NO it was not meant to be a volcano--I am sometimes a very impatient baker!



Apple Picking





It's Halloween....




Lucy won the cake walk at a ward party






Monday, October 17, 2011

All in a days work!

Today by 8:48 a.m. I realized that I had already

--Gone to exercise class
--Nursed Van
--Taken a shower/got dressed
--Started a load of laundry
--Gone to the Bathroom
--Fed myself, Van, Lucy and Owen Breakfast
--Put away last nights dry dishes
--Swept the kitchen and dining area because Owen had made such a mess at breakfast
--Wiped Van's nose several times
--Cleared a counter
--changed a poopy diaper
--given Van a bath because his bum was sore
--Opened all the curtains in the house
--said a family prayer and sent Kurt off to work
--Cleared another counter
--Given Lucy her medicine and eardrops and had a big talk about why she had too because she threw a fit about it.
--wiped Owen on the toilet, found a huge wad of TP in the bowl already and talked to him AGAIN about how that was too much, not good for the system etc.
--Send the bus off with out Lucy
--Put Van down for an early nap
--Found Owen naked in his room and explained AGAIN that it was not ok to be playing naked in the house. Told him to get dressed
--picked up a few things
--called Lucys school to say she wasn't attending
--Found Owen playing in his underwear only, told him to get dressed again
--cleared the breakfast dishes

It was at this point that I recalled hearing someone say. Take a day and record everything that you do that day...I decided this was as good a day as any so I kept going....

--Started a craft with Lucy, we made pumpkins and bats
--Helped Owen get dressed
--Sort the rest of the laundry--looks like it will be 7 loads today
--Changed the laundry, let Owen help
--Look in the mirror for at least the 3rd time thinking I should really do something about my hair, but still don't
--Turn off all the lights in the house
--Read my scriptures--YEAH!
--Get Van out of bed
--Start cleaning off the kids dresser so we can put up Halloween Decorations
--Stop for a snack
--Go to the bathroom
--Help Lucy fix a locket that she brought to me, asking for help
--Wipe a nose
--Help Lucy tape her monster back together that she wants to hang
--Fix a problem between Van and Owen and in the process realize that the kids have locked Van's door. (no one was in there)
--Try to find the key
--Still look, pray, look more, try to remember if we ever even had a key to his door, listen to Van squak at my feet as I still search around....give up for now.
--Sit on the couch holding Van looking out the window
--Wipe Van's nose
--Get Lunch started
--Change laundry
--Wash a cut on Owen's finger (then Lucy bandaged it up)
--Feed Van, Lucy, Owen and myself lunch
--Nurse Van
--Wash the grill from still dirty from last night
--Think about how I need to empty all of our tiny overflowing garbages, think of how I should put all the safety plugs in....
--Get the Halloween decorations from the basement
--Start decorating
--send kids to room for fighting
--call Kurt to see if he remembers about the key to Van's room
--change and fold laundry
--Read a few books with Van
--Renew library books via the computer
--empty garbages
--Get stool, take it outside and send Lucy through Van's window to unlock the door--send Owen in as well just for fun
--Sing Van to sleep
--Sing to Owen
--Sing to Lucy
Fininish clearing lunch
--Lay down
--Get Owen something
--Go to the bathroom
--Work on Computer--primary stuff
--change and fold laundry
--Get Van and Owen a snack
--Sort through Van's clothes, put away things too small, get out new sizes
--Put Owen in time out for sneaking crackers
--Get Lucy a snack
--More laundry
--Do 5 little pumpkin poem with Van nearly 10 times (he was LOVING it)
--Play Donkey Donkey with Van
--Help Lucy with a word search
--Put Owen in time out for coloring on the Laundry basket (in his defense he really was having an off day)
--Sit with Van looking out the window again
--Wrestle with Owen, play silly games with him
--Wash off the "washable window crayons and markers" of the window....quite a process
--Read this whole list to Lucy because she was curious about what I kept writing about every few hours through out the whole day
--Play letter D game with kids, help lucy find her D object for school the next day
--Go to the bathroom
--Help kids clean up the house
--Help Lucy clean up the craft mess
--Nurse Van
--Watch the kids dance
--Look up a song Halloween song on Itunes
--Put a bun in Lucy's hair with Jell (to complete the ballet costume she was now sporting)
--Help Owen get his underwear on
--Make dinner
--Eat dinner
--Clean Van
--Change and Fold Luandry
--Put Van to bed
--Clear dinner prep.
--Give Lucy Medicine
--Family Scriptures and Prayer
--More primary emails
--Read wtih Lucy, help her finsish her homework
--Change Laundry
--Load dishwasher
--make a little bowl of apple crisp with left over topping (tried for the first time using the microwave like a friend told me)
--help Lucy find her monkey
--More Laundry
--Watch biggest loser with Kurt

Not ALL days are this full, and they are not all spent at home, they are not all this Long. Kurt and I stayed up later then usual to watch that show. But I have to say that very MANY of my days seem to have me changing direction it seems every minute straight from feeding someone, to changing the next, to sending that email quick to picking up that toy I just stepped on etc. It doesn't always feel too "busy" necessarily, but very FULL and in constant motion. I figure this will be a fun little glimpse into this stage of my life down the road. Sometimes I am overwhelmed. If I feel that way too many days in a row, I evaluate and ask the Lord to help me figure it out!

p.s. I never did get my hair done although that is NOT all that unusual :)

--

Tuesday, September 13, 2011

Lucy first meeting her teacher, seeing her classroom



Back to School Dinner


Off to the first Day of School






I would just like to report that the first day they had a full day and ate lunch at school I sent Lucy with a Brownie (her favorite desert). She brought it home uneaten because she didn't have time to eat it at school. The rest of her lunch was gone...sandwich, veggies etc.

Is anyone else impressed??

I can't say I'm surprised though. Lucy is a rule follower. Her teacher is going to LOVE her!