School Days are here again…

The summer has flown by once again and school has started.  It is always bitter sweet sending the kids off to school.  On the one hand I don’t have to endure endless teasing and fighting, but I want my kids with me.  I don’t like thinking that they are away from me for such long periods of time.

Here is what they looked like on the first day of school.

Aubrie is off to middle school.

She didn’t want me to follow her into her classroom – go figure- so this is my last glimpse of her as she get out of the van.

Keeley had safety patrol the first day, so she had a photo taken in the car on the way to school at 7:25 a.m.  And again by her classroom door at 8:15.

Henry is a second grader now and was so satisfied to come home the first day having played soccer with his friends at recess again.

Today is Jesse’s first day of kindergarten.  He was excited and nervous.  There are so many new people in his class he was very quiet when we left the classroom.  He also has a black eye…

He and Tracker bumped heads last night after dinner.  Matt told him that he would just have to go to school with a black eye for his first day of school to which Jesse replied, “It’s not black it’s purple!”  So true. 

So off goes another child to spend most of the day without me.  They survive fine but I miss them terribly.

I was so busy on Wednesday that we did not have our traditional bus cake.  But here is this year’s version.

 

LIFE IS SO GOOD!

Sweet moment…

Today I had a sweet moment  in the garden with Henry.  I had let my strawberries grow in the aisles so my friend could get some transplants from me.  So today she came to get them and while Henry and I were pulling out the extras and the hiding weeds he began to sing primary songs.  We sang and talked together about many things and I will never forget this little moment of joy in my journey.

Thanks bud!

What am I supposed to do?

I have already had enough of the free for all days of summer.  That’s pretty bad seeing that today is only the third day of summer…

 

Here is my solution… another list to follow….

What do I do…	Aubrie	Keeley	Henry	Jesse	Andee
7 am - 10	breakfast bedroom get dressed job	breakfast bedroom get dressed job	breakfast bedroom get dressed job	breakfast bedroom get dressed job	breakfast bedroom get dressed job
10 am - 1	practice piano math lunch	practice piano math lunch	practice piano math lunch	reading lesson read lunch	read stories play lunch
1 pm - 4	read book craft project play outside	read book craft project play outside	read book craft project play outside	read book craft project play outside	quiet time
4 pm - 7	help with dinner clean up play	help with dinner clean up play	help with dinner clean up play	help with dinner clean up play	help with dinner clean up play
7 pm - 9	Job get ready for bed scriptures/prayer	Job get ready for bed scriptures/prayer	Job get ready for bed scriptures/prayer	Job get ready for bed scriptures/prayer	Job get ready for bed scriptures/prayer
Lights out	9:30 pm	9:30 pm	8:30 pm	8:30 pm	8:30 pm

 

if you’d like a Word copy of the file that you could customize for your family let me know and I’ll email it to you.

 

If my kids get finished with the tasks in the box before the time allotment is over, then they get to have points added to their ‘Friday computer game time’.   My kids will do just about anything for a few minutes on the computer – it is always earned time – never just for the asking.  I know, I know…that’s what helps me keep my position as ‘the meanest mom ever’ in tact.

Here’s to hoping for more organized  ‘crazy days of summer’…

We have been busy…

With…

Henry’s birthday…

making everything clean and having fun while doing it…

Matt’s 40th b-day…

playing in the dirt/expanding the garden…

having baby #6…

isn’t Remi sweet…

taking kitchen cruises…

getting belly buttons…

Tracker, our new puppy, doesn’t everyone need a new baby and a new puppy all at the same time…

baby blessings and family visiting…

significant fishing trips with grandpa, Bailey, Aubrie and Daddy…

baseball season… see Henry above the ‘R’…

better late than never birthday parties…

more birthdays with pierced ears and makeup…

growing babies…

classroom presentations that mommy takes really great photos of…see Henry’s nice haircut…

fun, fun, fun preschool outings…

where we feed the fish…

and get rides on the lawn cart…

more fun with bubble baths…

more birthday fun…

beautiful stormy days…

award assemblies that mom actually makes it to…

and growing babies…

As you can see, this is why I don’t post very often. I’m too busy living life and enjoying my family… I hope your days are filled with happiness, the wonder of life, and you are as grateful for all of the blessings the Lord gives to us as I am! Isn't life wonderful.

Deals to Meals

I love Deals-to-meals. They have a great blog that I spend a lot of time looking at. They are giving away a Bosch machine! Come and check it out.

http://dealstomeals.blogspot.com/

You'll get hooked too.

RUDE

Why am I so rude?

Let me back up and set the stage for you...

Last night was Aubrie's first mutual. The youth went to the temple to do baptisms for the dead. Who could wish for a better first mutual experience for their daughter... Not me. However, I was unable to attend. I cannot be way from Remi for that long. (They left at 5:15 p.m. and returned at 10:30 p.m.) Too long between feedings... Anyway, Matt was able to go with the youth and drove our van. I did not begrudge him the time spent with Aubrie, and felt like it would be a good experience for them.

Well, this morning as I got into the van, I realized that I would have to replace the car seats before taking Jesse to preschool. So I opened the back doors of the van and grab Remi's base and Andee's chair. Upon pulling them from the back my eyes fall upon... a taco bell wrapper. Crushed into a ball, and in my mind's eye I can see the occupant of the back seat trying to be funny and throwing it over his shoulder into the rear cargo space and snickering to himself. Of course I say 'his' because I cannot see any of my young women doing this.

So here it is. Why was my first thought to find out who was sitting there in the back and then save the wrapper and give it to them on Sunday with a professed innocent comment something like "I noticed that you dropped this on accident in my van on Wednesday." Why am I so rude that this is my first thought and not, "Goodness me, I'm glad I found this wrapper and could be the one to throw it away. What a great opportunity to be of service to the youth." Ok, so this comment would be just as rude, the way that it is coming out of my mind, but really, couldn't I be a bit nicer? I wasn't even as upset by the cheese and lettuce all over the recently vacuumed seat and floor. This is not what my mother raised me to be. I can be better.

Thank you for reading my personal tirade this morning...have a good day filled with generous thoughts for and of others.

Here she is…

Remi Elisabeth Stevens

born: Friday, March 12, 2010 at 1:39 a.m.
weight:  7 lb. 8.6 oz
length:  21 inches

  

You can also view her hospital photo at  www.kadlecmed.org

Click on visit Kadlecmed.org and then enter the newborn gallery.  (the button is on the right of the screen)

 

We are so glad she is here.  She is a very content baby.  She sleeps well and eats well and is well loved. 

I am constantly followed by a swarm of smaller mommies waiting for a chance to hold, burp, or participate in some way… it is fun to see the kids’ excitement. 

"That which we obtain too easily, we esteem too lightly; it is dearness only that gives everything its value." ~Thomas Paine

This quote today seems so appropriate. Life is so beautiful and the blessings we are given are greatly appreciated when we see them through the eyes of understanding ~ tempered by the hardships which refine us into whom we claim to be.

Tomorrow I get to give a lesson to my YW about the importance of life. Yes, lesson #32... it would have been cut out of our schedule later this year because of extra meetings with the YM, but it was too wonderful to cut out...

I am hoping to get through it without crying, but, dang it, at 35 weeks into this pregnancy how could any mother discuss the beauty of giving life to another human and abortion in the same lesson and not feel the extreme emotional pull???

It is getting late, and after a night of little sleep due to too much excitement and a day filled with BBall games and personally vacuuming and steam cleaning the carpets in the van, I am tired.

Love to all!