Thursday, June 26, 2008

Summer Happenings

It's been three weeks of summer vacation and we've been trying hard to have a balance of relaxation, fun and "skill building". I try to do two days of pool/swim, one park day, and an Adventure day. We have a chore chart and a "smart chart" with the daily routines. The kids do a pretty impressive job with the 'smart chart" (reading, worksheet, piano practice) and the chore chart. They have learned not to complain and to do their jobs before asking to do other things. We have also decided to read the Little House on the Prairie series this summer and into fall. The kids really like it and after ever third word McKell yells out the word I've just read and says, "Yeah" and claps her hands, it makes for a very LONG chapter. I've tried unsuccessfully to suggest and distract her with other things so we can actually read, so I hope to have the series finished before Christmas.

The past three weeks we have visited Kennecott Copper Mines, Hogle Zoo, This is the Place Heritage Park and the Utah Natural History Museum. It's been really fun exploring the Salt Lake area.

I've included pictures of the cute kids at our various adventure spots. All I know is that this summer thing is exhausting, but we're having fun and that Ellie is a champ. She frequently misses a nap when we are out and she doesn't scream or cry. She'll just smile and go along for the ride. What a sweet baby! Enjoy!


McKell wishing on a flower - the cutest thing I have seen!


Learning the Deseret Alphabet at This is the Place Heritage Park


Hogle Zoo picture


Our happy, sweet baby.Tyler with his Narnian Centaur ears - he loves his goggles for this purpose!

No Teeth


I am delayed in posting this but I wanted to share "Austin-no-teeth" with you. He has the cute first grade teeth look. Along with that cute smile are two cavities. Yes, this boy gets to have two cavities filled in July. I'm hoping we can by-pass the entire shot conversation and he'll just be loopy and relaxed when he goes in, otherwise, this smile will not last for long...

Friday, June 6, 2008

It Happened Again...

I forgot to put the dollar under his pillow again.

He pulled his other tooth out at school yesterday and looks like a backwoods man. I don't think I'm going to get the Mother of the Year award anytime soon.

Ellie's been up literally every hour of the night crying because she has a really bad fever (the flu's been going around our house) and all she want to do is be held and then she'll whimper as well. I'm so deliriously tired it's not funny. How fast we forget when they don't sleep thorough the night. That is why I forgot the dollar.

She just fell asleep an hour ago and is crying in her bed again. Man, it's going to be a long day.

Thursday, June 5, 2008

Just everyday life...

Dogs stink. Last night I was getting the kids ready for bed and all I could smell was that wet dog smell. I kept asking, "Why does it smell like wet dog?" I kept sniffing around everyone and everything. I finally went up to the dog - the dog smelled like wet dog because well, she was a wet dog and REALLY muddy. It had been raining all day - hard rain and she must have been running down the hill in the backyard and slid (she slides without the rain). So now we have this really dirty, smelly dog that I should just wash but can't handle a 90 lb. mass of chaos when wet, so we're loading her in the car and taking her to the groomer.

Other tidbits from last night.

The term "washable paint' applies to bodies. All the kids were painting after dinner last night and Austin suddenly asked, "Is this paint washable?" I said yes. He then took off his shirt and painted his face two different colors and painted an "A" on his chest. I videoed it but didn't have the camera - it's with Randy at High Adventure.

Tyler says to me, "Are you going to have another baby? You're tummy's getting big". Thank you Tyler. I actually thought I was looking better. I told him after you have a baby your tummy is big for a while and then tried to convince him that it was getting smaller.

McKell screaming at the top of her lungs and shaking because she saw a fly in the house. A fly the boys knowingly pointed out to her because they knew what her reaction would be. I don't understand her - she's super confident, not afraid of anything and then become incapacitated when she sees any flying insect. She howls like it was the worst thing it the world. It's going to be a long summer.

Austin trying to pull his loose front tooth out last night. He and Ian teamed up and said, "This tooth IS coming out tonight". They tried everything - even the old slamming the door trick, in which I saw and almost threw up it made me sick to watch. He got it out and was very excited about. McKell then thought she had a loose tooth. We wound up checking each tooth to see if they were loose. Shockingly, none were...

This morning I hear a 'where's the dollar?' Yep, I forgot. I made him look around his pillows and slipped it in on the side of his bed. He then said, "I think I should get more because it was the biggest tooth".

Off to control the masses.