pre-S-chool day-S!!!

Preschool was at our home last week -with the LETTER S

... AND despite our rampant sickness

(we took Dacie into the doctors AGAIN this week--she has an ear infection after just finishing her first round of antibiotics AND bad allergies).

We were able to postpone preschool until the end of the week-rather than the typical Monday. That is one blessing of being in a mothers preschool swap, is the flexibility and understanding of sickness.

I have been really pleased with how the swap has turned out this year. It has satisfied all my needs for Ryland--AND then some.

It is so great to work with such creative momma's!!!

What a reputation you have to live up to..so this S week was no exception!

We had a GRAND time making Spaghetti S's (right Sean?)
Unlike some of the other letters in the alphabet the kids had an easier time writing and shaping the letter S
Dacie even took her own shot at it (above)

Snack time of Skittles is always a fun treat! Spencer showing off his letter S

Ryland smiling with his

Makena's S!

~

Of Course Safety starts with S-so our weeks theme was safety

stranger safety

bike safety

...you name it!

A bike safety course we set up in our driveway with street signs, has always been a preschool hit!

Spencer the speed demon!

Dacie was so proud of herself--she just had to clap!Sean is speedy!

A stop sign with the help of Isaac

Ryland the racer (or so he thinks)

Makena's making it!

~

We had a Super S week!

How about you?

POKE ME IN THE EYE..for real!

WILL SOMEONE PLEASE POKE ME (us) in the EYE!!!!?

This sweet, angelic, 4-year-old child of ours

decided our van needed a new paint job

AND took some of this (sand paper) and sanded down the back side of our van!!!

What was he thinking?...we ask ourselves that same question--Isn't he old enough to realize that when the paint is getting scratched to stop? ..you would think!

~

AND YES--HE IS THE SAME kid who...

Re-upholsterd this EXACT same " new off the lot" car with permanent marker

AND dry-shaved with his dad's razor in the back seat of that same van

AND re-painted the side of the house, drive way, basketball hoop, and garage with barn-red exterior paint

AND hung himself on his bunk bed ladder

AND has climbed this, and ANYTHING else dangerous in the house AND did this the whole first year of his life

Come to think of it-Don't poke me in the eye GIVE me a few more...I need a few extra sets to WATCH HIM!!!!

Good thing I LOVE that kid and that he is so darn CUTE! AAARGH!

The Rest of OUR Spring Break!!!

Although Spring breaks HoLiDaY Celebrating (St. Patty's Day & Ryland's B-daY) kept us pretty busy...

Here is what we did to fill in the rest of our "spare" time! Colton's baseball season started this week! He is in coach-pitch (really kid pitch) this year.

We were excited that we could request teams. Colton gets to play with one of his fondest friends Dallin (who is in another school district) so they never get to see each other as often as they would like. Dallin's parents requested a team with a coach they really liked--so we got the same great coach. They practice 2 x's a week, until the season starts.

We are waiting to hear about Sterling's T-ball team which is LOADED with all of our FAVORITE people!

We played at the park a time or two...

as well as the river !

Friday we headed down to Phoenix to get some teeth cleaning done, as it was that time of year again!

ALL of us got cleaned and checked...including little miss Dacie (here she is, above, as we were loading the car up to head down to the valley).

Dacie ROCKED at the dentist. She let them clean her teeth with picks and scrubbers, and fluoride. She sat still long enough for x-rays (and bite wings at that) and let the Dentist look at her teeth as long as he wanted! All her teeth are in (even her 2 year molars). What a barely 2-year-old champ!

The only one who is going to need cavities filled and teeth pulled is...Colton (of course)

What better way to spend spring break than sleeping under the stars in Grandpa's backyard tent (thanks for setting it up Uncle Scotty 2 Hotty) and smelling the orange blossoms as you drift off to sleep?

oh yeah- and having Annie "the dog" (below) to keep you company back there?

The boys slept comfortably out there. It was perfect weather (not too hot-yet).

... of course, they had to cart remnants of Ryland's b-day down with them (balloon below). Ryland did get another cake while we were down there!

Stories were told by grandma every night, and they got their own water bottle (below)..life does not get much better than that?

Friday after work...daddy joined us (thanks for your help grandpa)
Saturday morning Dan took the kids to the library and then to lunch at Peter Piper Pizza. While I wet and got my hair highlighted by my FAVORITE Jessica Ashworth--who use to live in Cottonwood (who has been on maternity leave) to get ready for my brother's up and coming wedding.

Afterwards, I stopped at the outlets and went looking for wedding outfits and spring attire for the kiddos.

In the late afternoon Dan and I went through an early evening temple session. It was our stake temple day and we were able to do some names for a couple in our ward.

We were glad we went...we have been starting to get some promptings about our future...I guess we can't sit too still for too long!

And after coming back to help lay the boys down, we caught a late bite to eat!

At the beginning of Spring break week. Ryland started barking out this nasty cough, followed by a fever. We were worried it may ruin his birthday plans. But after getting a blessing-he seemed to have gotten ALLOT better.

Thursday afternoon Dacie started showing signs of sickness and running a low grade fever. By Saturday the poor girl was on FIRE. Her appetite was down and we were pumping her full of Motrin. It was no wonder she "threw-up" Saturday evening at Grandma's.

That is one blessing having relatives to watch your children--there is no way we could have left Dacie with anyone else when she was feeling so miserable to go to the temple!

She progressively got worse and worse.

We returned home Sunday in enough time for us to make it to our ward. Dan and I swapped, so that Dacie could stay home and rest.

We got a call from the primary to come and get Ryland later that afternoon. He was miserable too and was once again running a fever.

By this time the congestion set in and it was hard for Dacie to breathe. Every time she coughed we thought she might throw up. Vicks vapor rub, tissues, and humidifiers were in short supply

So we ended our FUN on a very sick note, and began our week back on the same one

~

*Epilogue: The kids got even worse by Monday and I had them both into the drs. that morning. Ryland had and ear infection and Dacie had a sinus infection-- BUT it was a virus and she had to let run its course. She ran HIGH fevers, some over 103 until Wednesday morning. We are still working on our sleep patterns, humidifiers are still running...and the brothers are getting little forms of it-- but it is MUCH BETTER, and we have been able to have preschool at our home the last 2 days!

HaPpY 4th RYLAND!

On the kids "even" birthdays they get to have a friend party. I try to limit the number of children to the age they are turning (i.e.-turning 4, have 4 friends over). So as Ryland's b-day approached I was NOT surprised that he was already requesting what kind of party he wanted-
...however, I WAS surprised by the theme he chose. It wasn't race cars, or transformers, or spiderman, or ninjas..or something boyish like that --he wanted a "BUNNY" party. I asked him if he was sure and there was no question, Bunny won hands-down.
Having his birthday this time of the year made it ALL the easier...so I RAN with it!

We stamped some FUN bunny invites (thanks to Micheal's Easter bins)

and included some of those bunny stamps in their party bags with stickers, jelly beans, and bunny chalk!

The Decorations had to be a manly bunny color, of course!

Bunny Plates were NOT hard to find!AND the BUNNY cake, I was pretty pleased with how it turned out.

To Dan's benefit. He cooked the cakes the night before (After the spaghetti dinner auction desserts, funeral cookies, playgroup cupcakes, and a birthday cake...I was about baked out!) AND he also did the streamers.

Good thing because the cutting and icing of the cake took some time the next morning.

Thank heavens Uncle John (he was ON the party invite list by Ryland's special request) and Aunt Cara came over to help!

We started by decorating our own bunnies.

Then we moved on to a bunny relay race.

Dress like a bunny in white,

put on some ears,

and eat some bunny food (carrots and celery) FiRST!

Good thing it was spring break because all of the other "party go-ers" opted out of this game and Ryland's brothers pulled through in the pinch.

and of course, Uncle Big Bad John!

Onto a MAD game of "popcorn"

and plain ol' parachute FUN

Then it was time for Cara and I to show off our artistic abilities AND...

face-paint us some BuNnIeS!!!

Then onto melted, malted egg hunt in the back yard

The kids did not mind licking it off their fingers...it may have ruined some of the fun in their party bags however!

Then it was FINALLY time for the cake and presents!

One of Ryland's presents was money inside blown up balloons (cute idea kashley).

Everyone was too scared to do it.

Finally... I awkwardly popped them with scissors!

Then we enjoyed some cake before heading outside to draw bunnies on the driveway with our bunny shaped chalk (thanks again Michael's)!

All good things must come to an end...and we sadly said good-bye to our bunny buddies!
~

BUT when daddy got home....

it was ROUND II

Since we rarely let our children get happy meals, it is always their birthday treat to go get one

& Ryland's dinner was no exception!

FOR ROUND II on the cake, you could definitely begin to see it disappear

There was NO complaints about more presents

(including a kangaroo costume from Gma H)

AND cards!

Mom-even broke down and bought him a "pet"--

we'll see how long Mermaid and Termaid last (our hermit crabs) can last!

Oh-How we LOVE that RYLAND joined our Family.

He is such a necessary personality and cuddler in our life.

I love looking at him and seeing me (he is the one closest to how I looked).

Ryland could not stop smiling for most the day...and there was hardly one "melt-down" which is a pretty big "feat" these days-

HAPPY BIRTHDAY LITTLE MAN!

oops! I meant BIG BOY

(as he would have assuredly corrected me)