Summer Day 4

With no swim team practice this morning, the day started LAZY ... I even had to wake a few of the girls to get things moving!! We started the day with a trip to the bowling alley with the Wilsons! An hour of bowling finished off with pizza and root beer made for the perfect morning :)

Cougar

Alex

Amanda

Kendyl

Kayla

Ashton

Brinley

Of course, we had to spend some time in the arcade, too. I love that they were thoroughly entertained without actually paying to play a single game!!









After a break at home, we headed to Krispy Kreme to celebrate National Doughnut Day with free doughnuts!








Next, we hit Costco and bought every snack that they carry so we can start our summer snack buckets on Monday - YAY! After a quick trip to drop a smoothie off to a friend who had his tonsils out on Wednesday, it was home for some pickup and some Wii time ... Just Dance 2 *WOO HOO*


After a super speedy dinner mac & cheese and grilled cheese sandwiches for the kiddos, Steve and I snuck away for dinner at Rubio's followed by frozen yogurt. It was the perfect start to the first weekend of summer 2011!!

Summer Day 3

We took the kids to lunch at Wendy's where Cougar had some fun with French fries ... he's kinda obsessed with mustaches right now.


Then it was off to see Kung Fu Panda 2 - loved it!! After a little time to relax, we were off to the first swim meet of the season *YAY* Here are some of the highlights ....

Waiting for the meet to start

Cougar and Alex snacking (all meet long)

Ashton freestyle

Ashton backstroke

Kendyl backstroke

Kendyl freestyle

Both girls swam in a freestyle relay and then individual backstroke and freestyle. They did great!! Brinley opted not to swim in the meet tonight, but will be swimming next week :)

On the Seventh Day of Christmas ...

Aunt Kris came to visit!! We picked up my sister at the airport about 10:30 this morning and then came home to get ready for church. This is a terrible picture {courtesy of Kendyl} but it proves that we have her here and we're excited to have her with us for Christmas!!

After we got home from church it was time for "dressing down" and getting things ready for dinner. Kendyl came down in this number ... wow ... that girl has a serious sense of style, huh?

My sister brought this teddy bear for me - she's had it for more years than I care to admit! This is from back in my high school dance team days!! The outfit on that bear is just like the ugly things we had to wear when we danced half time at the football games ... talk about a flashback!

I took the subway art that I created for my friends and the ladies at Steve's office this year {oh - I still have more to deliver ... sheesh!!} and "jumbo sized" it for my house ... I love the way it came out!!

I got a friendly reminder from my friends at Dove today, too ...

On the Third Day of Christmas ...

Today we started the day with our babysitting swap! I trade with 4 other girls {although Cougar goes to preschool twice a week instead of swapping} so we have some time to run errands, clean, work, or shower without our kiddos while they get to have a playdate for a few hours in the morning! Not all of the kids come every time, but we have a fun bunch and love having them to play!

Kendyl came home with a cute story/writing assignment again today. It reads, "One night win santa came with his raindeas I woke up then santa saw me. Then santa lut me pet his raindears and i liket it. The End. By Kendyl." I love first grade writing and watching them learn to sound out their words!!

I give fair warning ... once you start you may not be able to stop eating these. I found them at Target today and am super glad I bought two bags. I hope they continue to make them after the holidays. My hips and waist hope they do not.

Tonight we had Brinley's Jazz Band concert. She is playing the keyboard in the jazz band and we are so proud of her ... this is an "extra" activity that does not help her grades but she loves it in addition to her "regular" band class where she plays the french horn. That concert is tomorrow ....

Cougar tolerated the concert a little better tonight - he even asked me to take his picture. Please note how thrilled Kendyl appears in the background ;)

I won't go into all of the details behind this pic because I'll talk about it tomorrow, but my kids and I went out shopping tonight for items to donate to a service project that I am spearheading for our Bunco group ... I'm so excited about it and my kids were thrilled to be able to help with the shopping! Ashton told me several times how good it felt to buy so many things for other people. That is what I want them to remember.

Going, going, gone ....

I should be working on my Relief Society lesson that I have to teach tomorrow but instead am trying something new ... posting to my blog from my phone! How's that for being distracted? Not that I couldn't try it any time or that I couldn't do it from my last phone - which I never did - but my new Android phone make me want to use it for EVERYTHING!

So the real story here is that Kendyl lost another tooth. Not just any tooth, mind you, but a front tooth ... the one that completely changes the way your child looks forever. It happened so suddenly, too. Tuesday night she mentioned that her tooth was wiggly. Wednesday morning she was showing me just how wiggly it was. Kayla came to pick up the girls to take them to school (we carpool) and I got a call before they even reached the school that her tooth had come out. I sent my baby out the door that morning and picked up this little girl after school (photo taken w/ my phone in the car ... don'tcha love the hot sweaty look?):

I think she's pretty cute ... and looks older *sigh*

Middle School Mama

First I have to say thanks so much for all of the sweet comments that have been left or e-mailed to me ... you sure know how to make a crazy girl feel the love!! I hope my reentry didn't leave you feeling like I was in the bottom of some dark abyss - it never got that bad ;) Life is fabulous most of the time and the rest of the time it is the pits or somewhere blissfully in between ... like everyone else's.

Last week met us with another milestone in our house - Middle School. That's right ... summer is over {in the blink of an eye} and the kiddos are back in school (can I get a little WOO HOO? We really did have a great summer but it was time for ALL of us ... the kids miss it just as much as I do)!!! Brinley has stepped up to the big leagues of Middle School. I'll be honest - I've been dreading it for at least 9 months. The mere idea of the new campus, administrators and teachers I didn't know, lockers, "tween" clothing {including training bras}, cruelty, language, "outside influences", etc. were enough to make this mama want to lock her up and homeschool her!! That, however, would never be an option for me because she is too passionate about school (and I couldn't do the homeschool thing ... having been a public school teacher). Toward the end of 5th grade I started to notice her attitude toward "moving up" become more nervous and I was afraid that my own fears were rubbing off on her - yikes. A change of attitude {for both of us}, 2 tours of the school during open houses, some fun school shopping for clothes and the MANY school supplies required by the middle school and we were both feeling much better. She dove right in last Monday and is loving the whole thing. She was accepted into the honors program so she has the same group of kids in her 5 core classes ... some of which she knows from her elementary school. She has a few friends in her homeroom class, too, which was comforting to find out. She's got a group of girls that she eats lunch with every day (I had nightmares of her sitting alone in the cafeteria). She got into band and has decided to play the french horn which, by the way, is one of the most expensive instruments to rent or buy ... just learned that last night. Ugh. Tonight she announced that she wants to run for Student Council which is awesome - she's a great leader. The kicker about that? She can start hanging posters and campaigning on Monday and has to have a speech ready for approval on Monday ... and I have to teach Relief Society on Sunday. How in the world am I supposed to have the time to work on a campaign over the weekend?!? No sleep is the only answer, unfortunately.

Now so you don't think she's the ONLY one who started school last week I should mention the other munchkins. Ashton is in 4th grade this year and Kendyl is in 1st grade. I am the luckiest lady around because they both got the teachers that I wanted them to ... both of which we have had before!! I am thrilled to work with these ladies again and plan to do some extra "spoiling" just cuz I love 'em. Kendyl's teacher is actually the one that I babysat for after she had her first baby so there is an extra special connection there ;) Both of them are doing exceptionally well and are loving being back in the classroom.

And now a photo of the girlies ... with a preview of my new product releasing in my shop on Monday!

How about the littlest of the bunch, you ask? He started preschool two days a week! I was really torn about it, to be honest, because he is still very young and has 2 years before he will start school. What it came down to was that socially he needs to be around other kids more. He is so lonely when his sisters go back to school and while I try to plan playdates for him, it's nice for him to establish his own "routine," too. He's loving it so far and his teacher says that he is doing very well in terms of participating and focusing {when required}. Here are a few shot of him as he headed out the door on his first day:

That kid cracks me up!! Well, I think that covers our first day of school happenings ... I'm sure I could go on but that is MORE than enough for one night!!

It's September, Right?!?

One thing that seems to always hold people back from starting to scrapbook is that they feel so far behind. In my case I've got 4 children and 12 years of marriage to document - and that only takes me back to being 25!!! That's exactly how I'm feeling about my blogging right now. I didn't post a single entry in June or July. I've only posted 18 times since the beginning of the year ... and now it's September. I've missed out on writing about so many things, posting silly happenings, stresses, accomplishments, struggles, etc, yet I'm going to take a page out of my scrapbooking theory - start with the current. Don't worry about what you haven't recorded yet ... you can always come back to that.

The girls started school on August 3rd and progress reports are just around the corner. Brinley is in 5th grade and is clearly growing up. She even said that recess is SO boring now because there is nothing to do now that she is older. I've been meaning to get her into an orthodontist to see when we will be diving into that whole mess ... maybe I keep putting it off because I know how expensive it is going to be. She ended up needing glasses this year and just got them yesterday. She had been complaining about not being able to see the board clearly and sure enough - she couldn't. She is still extremely focused in school and is planning to run for student council again this year. She is still taking piano lessons, singing in the school choir, and is taking a swim stroke clinic right now. She really loves to swim and did a great job on the swim team this summer.

Ashton started the 3rd grade this year and loves it. She has a few friends in her class again this year which is always nice. She's lost a few more teeth and is starting to care a lot more about what she wears ... ugh. She got her ears pierced back in May and is always concerned about what earrings will go with her outfits. She is jumping into the world of soccer this year and will begin practice tomorrow - officially making me a "soccer mom" for the first time. She is also taking piano and singing in the school choir, too.

Kendyl is FINALLY old enough to start Kindergarten!! She misses the cutoff here by only 2 weeks, so she was really more than ready to go last year. Lucky for her she got to spend 2 years with Ms. Beckie so at least she was getting top notch preparation for her "big" school debut. She absolutely *LOVES* school! She has a wonderful teacher and even with all of the crummy state budget cuts to education she is attending all day - really a good thing for her. She has a class bunny named Chloe who gets to hop around the classroom while they do their morning work. I go in on Tuesday and Thursday mornings to check homework folders and offer my help for a few minutes. It is so fun to get to know the children in her classroom as they adjust to being in school full time. She has decided that tennis may be the sport for her (at least for this month) so she will begin lessons next week. She will probably do the swim stroke clinic in October with Brinley since it has been so fabulous. She also started taking piano lessons in August and she's learning to read music but also picks out melodies by ear! I miss having her with me on our Tuesday lunch dates with Beth, but am so glad to know she is happy to be at school.

Cougar is a mess. That boy keeps us moving at all times. He makes us laugh and scream in frustration. It became very clear the first week the girls were in school that life would be much more challenging with only one at home. I have never had only one at home his age ... I always had another by this point (and no, I will not be having another). It is a challenge, to say the least. He changes his clothes at least 3-5 times a day. His clothes are literally all over the house and it is rare to find anything in his drawers ... even if I've just put laundry away. Errand running is great but trying to get any housework done with a shadow is near impossible - I never noticed how much the girls helped to entertain him!! Well, I noticed it, but never fully APPRECIATED it until now. If I am folding laundry he is on the bed unfolding it. If I am trying to sweep he will get out another broom and mess up my pile. He loves to feel "helpful" even when his help is usually more destructive. And yet we get the best smiles and silly expressions out of him when he is on his own. Lunchtime is so much fun when Steve comes home and it is just the 3 of us. He constantly has us cracking up!! His favorite word right now is "AWESOME," and he always turns things around on you. "Cougar, pick that up." "No, YOU pick that up!!" He cries everytime someone else starts to say the prayer, so we have to let him bless every meal and offer every family prayer - even if we follow it up with someone else (who's prayer he will cry through because he is not the one offering it). He has at least one weekly playdate and is still my Tuesday lunch date buddy (along with Beth and Alex). So much fun and so much work all in one little boy!!

Steve was released from being the Young Men's President this past week and called to be 1st Counselor in the bishopric. UGH. The up side to this is he was already attending most of the meetings that he is required to attend now, so hopefully scheduling won't be that much worse - except for Sundays and an added night during the week. He was so sad to be released from YM ... he was really starting to see things moving in the right direction ... but I know he will enjoy working with the Bishop and getting to know the ward members even more. I'm so proud of him. He's always been such an amazing example to me. He drafted his Fantasy Football team this weekend and is looking forward to a great BYU Football season as well - starting with the BIG game on Saturday vs. Oklahoma. GO COUGARS!!! He is always looking for the perfect practice to buy and even tosses around the idea of opening his own. For now I am just grateful that we have a good, stable job!! He wishes he could golf more than he does and still plays basketball on Tuesday nights.

I should probably save myself for another post for fear of writing an entire novel in one sitting. Anyone who actually reads this should really receive some type of medal. Then again, I'd be surprised if anyone even bothers to check my blog anymore. I deserve it. I haven't been posting and I haven't been checking/commenting on other people's blogs. Shame on me. I just got to the point where something had to give and blogging was the easy choice. Stinks, really, since it is the one thing that connects me to the "outside" world and keeps me informed, but it is what it is. A few of my highlights (to spare you the many boring details):
* I survived Girls Camp (and even tried rappelling for the first time)
* We traveled to Utah where we hung with family and ate at all of my favorite places
* I took on a co-leader position over the hybrid creative team at ScrapMatters and also help oversee the hybrid design team
* I became a hybrid designer at ScrapMatters and opened a teeny tiny (so far) shop at SM where I am selling my designs - and will be adding more as time allows
* I got to see Wicked again this summer and especially enjoyed sharing the experience with Jill and John
* I was in charge of coordinating the 2nd birthday celebration at SM ... so much work and yet completely rewarding
* I upgraded to CS4 from PSE6 and am loving learning my new software (when I'm not cursing because I don't know how to do something)
* I am still writing tutorials for The Hybrid Chick blog once a month
* I am still serving as stake YW Secretary
* I decided to chair the hospitality committee for the PTA this year and will also be Kendyl's room mom
* I've started running again after taking too long off - schedule took over back in January and after gaining back more weight than I wanted to (who ever wants to gain weight they worked so hard to lose?) I am regaining control and hoping to find some races to motivate me
* I learned to can chicken and have 24 pints to show for it (well, 22 after giving one to a friend to try and using one for dinner tonight)
* I am headed to Utah in a few weeks to meet up with some dear cyberfriends and help out at the first Digital Scrapbooking Experience - as a TA for the amazing Jessica Sprague
* After 10 years I am no longer a Stampin' Up! Demonstrator ... bittersweet
* I can't imagine how I survived (and held it together) before my BlackBerry

I'll stop there for fear of boredom (and sensory overload with the mere IDEA that I even posted again ... let alone wrote a book). The layout of me is actually one I did months ago that I never posted - it's still one of my favorites from my JS classes. I've got a few more pages and projects to post as well as previews of the goodies in my shop, but I'll save those for another day. Feels good to be back. Seems like I said that after I got off the treadmill this morning ;)

Party Central!!

We're partying away here ... 3 today, to be exact! We kicked off the day with an "always fabulous" party with Ms. Beckie in Kendyl's preschool class. Lots of gluing, frosting, eating, stories, songs, games, and fun to be had by all. She left with a goody bag bigger than any 5 year old should aquire at school - and claimed a puppy in the gift exchange! Lucky for me it sings "We Woof You a Merry Christmas" - and Cougar loves to make it sing and dance. The mouth even moves and he loves the feeling of having the puppy nibble his fingers ;) The best part is I don't have to potty train it and I can now check "PUPPY" off of their Christmas lists again this year with no guilt!After a quick trip to Costco to pick up last minute teacher gifts - which was VERY difficult for me to do since I would much rather make them something fun on my own but had absolutely no time this year due to our vacation - Kendyl and I enjoyed lunch in the food court (so fun just the two of us) and headed off to party number 2 in Ashton's classroom. Another hour filled with cookie decorating, stories, painting, birthday celebrations, and congrats for her teacher who is graduating with her Master's Degree tomorrow!!We came home to regroup, check in with Steve and Cougar who had been off shopping all day (and spending money they shouldn't have been), and finish homework. A few hours later it was back up to the school for Ashton's "Publishing Party" where they got to show off their writing from the first part of the year. How fun to see all of her hard work! She has been telling me all about the stories she has been writing and publishing in Writer's Workshop so it was great to see her creativity in print!Now I'm off to work on some more projects that are already overdue ... who needs to sleep anyway?!