all i can say is

REALLY?

Homework: So let's get this straight, France bans homework? So not fair. In October President Francois Hollande vowed to ban after-school work in public schools. The move is in part designed to even the academic playing field between kids with overly involved parents and kids with just the opposite.

 

Is that what we have come to?

Zach is 12

12 years of Christmas interruption has come and gone.  Every year on the 19th, we take a break from Frosty and candy canes to celebrate an amazing boy.  It's a good thing we love him so much, or we might hold a grudge for disrupting December festivities.  But, we are so grateful to have Zach in our home and here are 12 reasons why.

1.  He is full of life and he makes life fun. There is never a dull moment when Zach is around.
2.  Zach likes to participate in everything.  If there were only more hours in the day.
3.  Zach can make you feel like a million bucks without saying a word.
4.  The world is very black and white for Zach.  He knows what is right and doesn't mind telling people about it.  He is already a great missionary.
5.   We love Zach's confidence.  We sometimes wish it could be bottled and sold. 
6.  He is soooo excited to get the priesthood and go do baptisms.  It was his only birthday wish.
7.  We love his gravelly voice and hope it never goes away.
8.  He loves his brothers and sisters, grandmas and grandpas, aunts and uncles, and cousins.  He is a good communicator and loves to chat, text, call, tweet (not), and talk to them.
9.  Zach tries hard at everything that he does. Gym, choir, basketball, cross country, band, school, scouts, etc . . it is always his best effort.
10.  Zach is a great student and wants to always do his best.  He has his sights set on being a Cougar, but has informed us that is only for undergrad because he currently wants to be a dentist.
11.  He is friendly to everyone at school.  I love that a ton about him.  Everyone in his class would call him a friend and I admire that so much about him. 
12. He loves to help others.  I know if I want something done right, I can ask Zach to do it. 

In our opinion, anyone who knows Zach is lucky.  He is a light to those around him and we love him tons. Happy Birthday, Zach!

A post about absolutely nothing other than . . .

I am not a good photographer and it doesn't help that we stopped on the way home from church to attempt a photo of the hungry, bursting out of their church clothes, willfully looking like robots, uncooperative children.  So, here is an early Merry Christmas from the most photogenic, agreeable children.

Did I mention that this was unsuccessful?  And, really, these are the best of the bunch.  Ron had to listen to me whine about my camera again.  It, the camera, took a lot of heat that day.  Anyway . . .

Zach learned his tuck . . .

and he has been hard to live with since.

frisbee golf

Frisbee golf has been the activity of choice this week.  The weather has been absolutely beautiful, so the kids set up a nine hole course around the house.  Ron wins every time, but the rest of us still give it a good try.  I'm not sure why the snow boots come out to play, I have decided it's best not to ask. So, we just continue to go out and fling the frisbee around, wearing the snow boots.  Such fun.

Thanksgiving 2012

We have so much to be grateful for.  Our thankful lists were full. It was a good day.  We love all of our friends and family and missed seeing everyone this year.  

But, we had a great day full of food and our little family.

Happy Thanksgiving!

(My favorites were "Zach" on Anna's list underlined three times.  Boy, she must really be thankful for Zach. And, anytime I was mentioned.) 

park day

Thanksgiving week off of school.  Went to the park.  Had pizza.  Had fun.  

Have I Done Any Good? Official Music Video ft. Alex Boye & Carmen Rasmus...

halloween 2012

The primary had a party. We were unprepared. Halloween can really be not so fun.

share the book of mormon

Casey's Baptism

I love baptisms.  All of them are awesome, but Friday was especially special because Casey was baptized.  It was such a great day for everyone, but especially for Casey.  Grandpa, Nana, and Papa were able to be there to make the day extra special.  He wrote in his journal that he "felt very happy at his baptism.  After I got dipped under the water  I was calm.  It felt awesome."  Everyone there commented on Casey's quiet nature and how easy it is going to be for him to listen to the Holy Ghost.  I couldn't agree more.  We love you Casey and are so happy that you made such a great choice.

Mags turns 10

Can't believe it.  Double digits is big stuff around here and today, Maggie turned 10.  We celebrated with her favorite dinner, mint chip ice cream brownies, crepes, and a box full of balloons.  We love having an amazing Maggie in our family.  So, here are 10 reasons that we absolutely and completely adore our Mags.

1.  Her sisters think she is most definitely the best.  Many nights we find two little people snuggled up with Maggie in her bed fast asleep.  Jill and Anna love to be near her and copy many of Maggie's best traits.

2.  Maggie is able to calm the storm - when she wants to.  I love to overhear the grown-up skills Maggie has when diffusing a situation.  Many times she is able to distract, coerce, or settle a dispute.

3.  Maggie is up for anything.  If anyone wants to play a game, make a treat, go for a walk, read a book, go on a major roller coaster, play kindles, or jump on the tramp, Maggie is a willing companion. 

4.  Maggie loves to cook and has got some master skills.  She likes to help make bread, cupcakes, or mac and cheese and is a super helper at critical dinner times. 

5. Mags is a gatherer.  She loves to have everyone around and is the organizer of games and such. 

6.  Maggie is determined and can accomplish anything she wants to. 

7.  Maggie loves to go to activity days and is excited when it is the first or third Wednesday.  Her leaders are fantastic and the girls are all happy to be there.  I like to peek in the window and see her busy working or just talking with one of the other girls her age.  

8.  We love to watch Maggie create.  She is very creative and enjoys colors and creating with her mind and hands.  She is careful with the sewing machine, thankfully, and I love doing projects with her.  We both wish for an afternoon free of responsibilities and a moment free of people who think glitter belongs on everything.

9.  She loves the bakery.  Enough said.

10.  Maggie is brave - in every sense of the word.  She is willing to jump off the cliff at the lake, she is willing to jump high and try new things at gym, but most of all she is brave enough to be who she is.  We all knew fourth grade would be a hard year at school, but Maggie has been able to be brave through it all.  She is quietly strong and amazes me all of the time.

Love you tons, Mag.  You are a joy and strength to all of us.

oh, no

I think we have had this discussion before.  

You know, the one about how busy and fantastic and wonderful Anna is?  Remember that?  

Well, after hurling her body around the gym yesterday, she took it straight on the collarbone.  Broken.  A sling for three to four weeks.  Poor thing.  She is so brave, but is adamant that it was not her fault.  It would be Maggie's, or Casey's, or Jill's, or whoever is currently in the room.  But, we all know the truth.  It would be difficult to be all that Anna is without ever having a broken bone.  

Congratulations on your first one, sweet AJ.

with a binky, even x-rays are possible

trouble

Mom!!!  Come get me!!  Mom!!   Mom!!!   I'm stuck!!!

Casey turns 8

Anticipated as usual, this kid loves his birthday.  Casey celebrated his eighth birthday and proclaimed it, "The best birthday ever."  Love him tons.  

So, here are eight reasons we love this eight year old.

1.  Casey shows his emotions very clearly on his face.  He may not want to say anything at all, but his face tells you everything.

2.  Casey still love star wars and who couldn't love someone who knows everything there is to know about just about every star wars character ever imagined.

3.  Piano.  You just have to melt as you watch him struggle to learn a new song.  He usually starts out by  using his right hand to press down the fingers of his left hand.  But, after a while, he gets it, has it memorized and is ready for the next challenge.  I love watching Casey turn his weaknesses into strengths.

4.  His quiet nature.  Oh, how we love him for that.  In a house full of loud, aggressive (I mean that in the nicest way), competitive kids, it sure is nice to have a quiet one amid the storm.

5.  Casey is a listener.  Without anyone else knowing, Casey knows what is going on in a room.  Because he is quiet, he can be part of something without anyone else knowing and then use that to his advantage. 

6.  We love Casey because he loves to play.  And, he loves to play anything and has the greatest imagination.  Many a day we have full battle scenes with heroes and heroines scooching across the floor. 

7.  We love Casey because he loves his little sisters.  He is a HUGE help and usually chooses to "be in charge" of one of them when Ron and I are going out.  I know I can trust him and the little one who is his "buddy" is the lucky duck of the day.

8.  I know I have said it before, but Casey is VERY loyal.  Once a friend, always a friend and I couldn't ask for a better friend in the world.  

Love you, Casey, and Happy Birthday!!

Anna's big day

 Anna's big day.  Although everyday is a big day with Anna.

5:55 - Wakes up with a smile and running

6:15 - pancakes with syrup.  syrup spilled on table.  doesn't faze her. just continues to dip pancakes in syrup

6:16 - 6:30 up and down from the table dripping syrup as she goes.  eating 2 bites at each sitting

6:40 - takes sam to school with me after being washed up

7:10 - dumps books out of basket to find her favorite ones for the day. discards those she isn't in the mood for.

7:12 - requests Pinkalicious to be read.  and she means now.

7:20 - starts making her "preschool lunch" which consists of chips, granola bar, applesauce, caprisun, and cookies. super healthy.  all wrapped up in a walmart sack

7:30 -Pulls the play kitchen over to the closet and coaxes Jill into climbing up and getting down the bucket of babies.

7:35 - dumps the baby bucket searching for Susie

 7:38 - starts to eat her "preschool lunch".  first up, chips

7:45 - pulls all of her clothes out of her drawer to search for an acceptable outfit. tutu, inside out, with a pink shirt.  tries to put leggings on from last fall.  too small for her new "preschool lunch" body.

7:55 - goes to wash her chip fingers in the bathroom sink.  leaves the water on.

8:00 - takes Jill and Casey to school with me.  asks where Anna's preschool class is and when does it start. requests playing with the ducks in Mrs. Cawvey's room.

8:30 - back home, starts on the granola bar and searches for something that is still unknown in the toy buckets.  three buckets later, it is still not found, but every other toy is now on the floor.

9:00 settles into a little Max and Ruby time

9:14 - brings me a diaper and wipes informing me that it is time to change her.  do you think it is time to potty train.  she says it is. 

9:45 ices her legs with the bags of ice from the freezer

9:46 done icing

9:50 begs to take a shower

10:00 helps dump clothes into the washer.  white, green, socks, navy blue.  it doesn't matter

10: 15 - runs to walmart with me.  brings her "preschool cookies," smearing crumbs and chocolate everywhere.  I use a dry wipe to get off the big chunks and lick my finger to get off the rest.  she then hangs onto the front of the basket as we zoom along to be done in time to get Jill.

10:30-11:00 begs for fruit snacks for her preschool lunch.  or maybe some candy too.

11:15 - gets Jill with me.  so excited.

11:18 - scratches Jill's cheek because it is still her turn to plays mom's phone.

11:30 - runs into my bed and gets hurt "so bad."

11:45 - plays babies with Jill, but won't let Jill play with Susie.

12:00 - eats the rest of the preschool lunch, spilling applesauce on the carpet.

12:15 - runs into the laundry room to tell me there is a snake in the mudroom.

12:16 - I investigate to find the rubber snake on the floor.  Must have been what she was looking for earlier.

12:25 - sopping wet from giving the snake a bath.  change of clothes.  this time chosen by me.

1240 - plays outside with Jill, spreading petals from the roses all over the rocks to make a birdbath.  water gets turned on and another change of clothes is needed.

1:00 -  nap time

3:00 - wakes up ready for a snack.  nothing left in "preschool lunch".  maybe another granola bar?

3:30 - picks kids up from school.  sings "small potato" over and over for 45 minutes while we drive all around town.

4:30 - locks herself in the car with the keys.  fifteen minutes of instructing her through the window which button to push.  finally pushes the button with her elbow.  lots of tears and lots of hugs to mom when she gets out.

5:00 - goes with us to watch kids at gym so sam can have a much needed nap.  walks the beam.  falls off the beam.  it hurt "so bad."  cries, but brave.  always brave.  spills a water bottle on the floor.  washes her hands three times, with soap.  gets a stamp from Miss Veda.  smears the ink all over her face.  washes her hands and face, with soap.  again.

6:00   eats some pizza for dinner, a few watermelon pieces, and oranges.  yeah.  completed the food guide pyramid.

6:30 - colors in her Care Bears book and spreads crayons from here to there.

6:45 - plays with Zach. plays with Casey.  Maggie reads her a book.  bath.

7:00 - sings Popcorn Popping for family home evening.

7:15 - crawls all over the couch, distracting even the best of us

7:45 - gets out her "scrippies" to take her turn during scriptures

8:00 - bedtime.  after three songs, kissed good night by me

8:02 - calls for dad to come and check on her

8:03 -  three songs by dad

8:07 - says, "mom I need you."

8:10 - mom checks on her again to lay down the law

8:12 - one last kiss and a sigh by the mom.

8:15 - sleeping.  and she really is lovely.

Isaac

Welcome rainy day schedule.  Isaac is on its way.  

The first drops fell today after school.  Three minutes later, the kids were out "singing in the rain."  We are lucky to not have the extreme forces of the full-blown hurricane, but, for us in these parts, the rain is a blessing. We have been closely watching the weather channel all week, anticipating some severe weather.  It must have put Jill on edge because yesterday she and Anna got on their snow coats -with the hoods- to be ready for the "hurricane." Wish I had a picture of them out in the humid, hot wearing their snow coats.

park

All the way to St. Louis and we stopped at a park.  What?  Right next to the temple is a little park that the kids can't see without stopping.  So, with cupcakes in hand we quickly crammed in a little obstacle course run designed by the kids and some swing time for Anna.  

She would sit in the swing for hours, if we had hours to swing.  

Fritz's fizzled

Should we?  Should we not?  With three sleeping kids, we were waffling about skipping a stop at Fritz's Rootbeer.  We finally decided to give it a try.  Well, it wasn't quite as cool as expected.  After waking the three sleepers, we marched ourselves in, hoping to experience as icon.  Yes, there were giant floats.  Yes, we got to watch a little bit of bottling in action.  But, at the end of a long day, it was less than satisfying.  There were tears, screaming, arguments, pinching, major messes, and a little refreshment in between.