Week Synopsis 9/8-9/14

(Ryland all ready for preschool with his huge gardening hat,bandanna, light saber, butterfly catcher, and pooh bib-gotta love the dress up box!--he really did not wear this for preschool...luckily)

Monday September 8th- First day of Preschool for Ryland! It was at our home this week--and I was the teacher. We started off with a BANG! learning the letter "A" --using the theme of apples. There is a group of 4 kids and their dynamics seem to work well together. It is 3 hours this year (as opposed to the typical 2 hours in the past) 2 days a week, so the kids get more play time together. We made apple jack necklaces, cut out pictures of things that start with an A, glue'ing them to our apple, learned our A song, read LOTS of A books, did show-n-tell, the pledge, calendar, shapes, colors and numbers. It went well--and the kids played outside the last half an hour or so, so I could clean the inside.

(Our living room transformed into the makeshift preschool classroom-above- and the cute little 'critters' stringing applejack necklaces that never made it home!-below-)

That evening it was cool and nice outside so the kids played! We did chalk art, caught frogs, and used our first bell pepper out of the garden for dinner! We also had a friend for dinner (Mr. Snakey) who crawled across the kitchen floor, just as we were getting ready to come in. Colton about DIED when he saw it and I came running in to the response of his high pitch screech. I am afraid my fear of snakes has carried over to our children.

(Colton has been learning about the human body in school-he drew the complete 'insides' of a body with chalk on the sidewalk-- and told me every detail about it-maybe he will follow in his daddy's footsteps!)
(Mr. Snakey slithering in for some snacks at suppertime, much to Colton's suprise!)
(Our first red bell pepper from the garden that we have gotten to eat!! YEAH!!!!)

Tuesday September 9- Dan was home..so I went to the eye Dr's. first thing in the morning. My contacts were running out and it was time for a new prescription and eye exam! It ended up being a 2 hour appointment, because I decided to get new glasses. So look for new posts of my new trendy glasses forthcoming! ha ha--I really am getting brave and wanting to get some lasiks done!~ then I went and got a pedicure! My lucky day. My toes have been awful. Every time I play softball my one toenail and cleats don;t seem to mix well. It was a much needed thing. I say it was a necessity not a want at this point! I came home to help Dan finish his coupon clipping and shopping while I did the budget. Love those 'get caught up' kind of days!

Wednesday September 10- The kids had a SUPER early release day at school and were home about 11am! It started pouring rain right as they were due home from the bus. So I went and got them at the bus stop. It continued raining through most the afternoon, with even some hail! It has been unusually rainy this summer (not that we are complaining) but it is fun to see my children's response to it. You would think it is a such a special day when it rains! They have child-like innocence and awe at the rain. They set up a little 'house' by the back window and watched it all afternoon. EVERY time a clap of thunder or lightening would strike-Dacie would make a surprised face and curl up with her animals. It was cute to watch ALL of them there together that afternoon playing. It is what family-really- is all about!

I answered phones all day as the owner was getting a procedure done in the hospital for his heart.

That night we, the stake YW, did an activity night "on us" for one of the wards...umm, one of my favorites-my Alma mater ward ( I served in the ward YW presidency and was YW president when we first moved to Cottonwood)- MINGUS!!! We played friendship Bingo and had ice cream Sundaes. I LOVE those girls and I LOVE Young Women!

(The kids rain headquarters house they set up by the back sliding window to get front row seats to the storm!)

(Dacie's astonished face she made at EVERY clap of thunder--what a ham!!!)

Thursday September 11- We had our 2nd day of preschool today! We celebrated Johnny Appleseed days-read a book, made a puppet, tasted and chose our favorite color apples, sang songs, and read LOTS more books! It was an 'off' kind of day for me. I was not feeling fulfilled. I am feeling a bit overwhelmed with our children's needs and dispositions as of lately. I get 'home bound' at times-which I typically enjoy...but not today! My softball game did not help that mood either. Our game was over in a half an hour. We got crushed by the other team. I played pretty darn awful. But. I guess it helped that I was not the only one. It also does not help when both teams (particularly the opposing one) has AWFUL potty mouths. I was raised around these words--so it is not as if I am prudish...BUT it was excessive tonight and I came away feeling foul! Dan just let me cry it all out when I got home tonight! I LOVE my best friend.

Friday September 12-It was a new day and I ran errands!!! We have been really getting started on this coupon sense program...so the kids and I went to Walgreen's to capitalize on some deals as well as buy some gifts for the LOTS of birthday party's this weekend.

The boys all went and got their hair cuts at the Barber. I had earned a little more than I usually do last month answering phones--so I could afford the luxury of avoiding hair all over, getting crisp, short cuts, and getting Sterling's LONG hair GONE! Bye bye hair! They have been sending home lice notices--and that was motivation enough to get it cut shorter. I still think Sterling's hair up front might be a little too long for me-we are bordering on the 80's --but it suffices--and it was money well spent.

We also went and delivered a balloon to Colton's good friend who has been dealing with Bells palsy (is that how you spell it) fore a few weeks. It will eventually go away--but we wanted to let him know we were thinking of him. Meanwhile Sterling who memorizes EVERY ONES birthdays-remembered it was his old preschool friend Livi Gordon's-- and insisted that we go get her a gift and deliver it. I am not the one to stifle my children's desire to give--even if his fixation for birthdays is a little crazy!

Colton got to spend the night at a friends home whose mom called and invited him earlier that day (Jeremiah McDowell). They are in our ward and I felt 'safe' with his parents there! He stayed up late and watched Pokemon. Life does not get much better than that for him!

(Dan showing off his new clinic to the kids--who have not gotten to see the new work place!!!)

Saturday September 13-It was a FUN BUSY kind of day!!! Dan's work had their public open house for the new building. Dan even had his picture in the monthly "money in the mail" they do around here for it. Dan had to be there early. But after I got us all dressed (the boys in their daddy's work shirts)--we headed over there. The place is beauty, and is getting its own little post about it. Daddy had to work the elevator--so we only got to visit him for a little bit! They had a radio station there-we spun the wheel and won prizes at it. We got some pizza and cake, danced on the roof of Daddy's work building to the radio station broadcast, and jumped in the jump houses! We came home only to run Colton to a birthday swim party and I got the rest home for naps. Dan had to be there until 3:45pm or so. His parents came up to see the building and came over to our house after!

( Dancing to the tunes of the broadcasting radio station up on the roof!)





(Who could go jumping without their dolly? Hello!!!! After jumping for a bit Dacie kept coming over and pointing at it and yelling for me to give it to her-What a girl!!!)

After naps I got the two younger boys dressed in swimsuits and to our friends (Brandon William's) birthday party. It was also a swim party. My family always has a GREAT time there. We only stayed for a little over an hour so we could go back home and meet up with everyone to go to dinner w/ Dan;s parents. We went and got some yummy Mexican food! The kids fared well considering their social agenda's that day! We could not get Dacie home in enough time before she had a 'meltdown' ( a new and MUCH undesirable trait). It was a great day of friends and family!

(How Many kids can you fit into one hot tub? Sterling and Ryland at Brandon Williams b-day party w/ a bunch of buddies!)

Sunday September 14-We are feeling the effects of fun today--BUT we still made it in time for church! Colton cannot lift his arm over his head b/c his shoulder is in soo much pain from swimming and playing all the arm Wii games. Poor kid--I hate having too much fun. After church we got our Sunday naps to improve our dispositions for next week! We had dinner out on the back patio at dusk. It got dark on us pretty quickly, but with a full moon and the mosquito candle flame--it was a pretty dreamy evening. We got the kids bathed and in bed at a decent hour. Lunches packed and clothes laid out for tomorrow! I better keep a good thing going and sign off for bed!

Hope your weeks were full of friends, candlelight dinners, and child-like perspective on the simple things !