Sk8er Boy?

I made this hat for Mordecai the other day.  He put it on when I finished it and dressed himself.  I think he looks like a "skater" or at least what we called them back in the day.

Random Pictures

Catch Up

Mikes parents left on Monday, and I think my kids are lonely. HA HA.  We had so much fun with them.  Friday after school we did lunch, and then went shoe shopping for Emily.  All she had was sandals and Mike thought tennis shoes would be nice for the playground.  I looked at Target, Famous Footwear, and Payless and had no luck with shoes in her size.  Finally we tried Rack Room Shoes and found some.  I think Mom & Dad Rogers were going to die laughing at the kids.  Emily was determined to have light up Skechers so every time she picked up a shoe she would drop it to see if it was a light up.  Then Mordecai wanted in on the shoe finding and he pulled down a ballet flat, tried it on and then asked everyone how it looked.  Silly boy.

Mike came home around 4:00pm and we headed out to mini golf.  The temps were perfect, overcast, and the occasional sprinkles.  It was also the perfect time to go because it was empty and so the kids could play the holes around us multiple times and not be in the way of anyone.





Saturday we visited the Hammond Candy Factory for their free tour. This time was much better since Mike was there to deal with Mordecai. After there we hit lunch at Rumbi. MMMM, I just love that place.





Sunday they set Mike apart as the ward executive secretary, and because his parents were here his Dad was able to join in on the circle.  It sure was fun to have them here



-Funny-  As Momma and I were waiting for Emily to come out of the school Momma started talking to another lady.  Some how she found out that this lady was Dominic's Grandma.  While they were talking she said that she had asked Dominic who sat at his table and he said, "Only boys, except for this one girl who talks all the time."  Yup! That would be my daughter.

Tender Hearted

In Emily's class there is a little boy named Dominic.  He has a skin condition where if he get bumped he blisters so he has to wear bandages and rides in a wheel chair most of the time.  When I dropped Emily off yesterday I noticed that she sits next to him.  He is obviously scarred because he is a boy, and a kid.  His face and skin on his arms look stretched and shiny like burned skin.  I just felt so bad when I saw him, thinking that no kid should have to go through that.  Well, when I dropped Emily off this morning Mrs. Hoff came over to me and said, "I just want to tell you how much more I love Emily.  She made Dominic come out of his shell.  I've known Dominic's family since before he was born and he is very shy, but Emily had him laughing and they blew bubbles together at recess.  At the end of the day some other little girl asked to push him out and he said no, that only I was going to do it (Mrs. Hoff), but then he asked me if Emily could push him out so I said I don't know you have to ask her.  Which is why she was pushing him out."

I can't tell you how proud that made me.  I knew she would do well at school and that she would love it, but me as her mom, knowing she didn't judge or discriminate against someone who looks different makes me feel like I am raising one fantastic daughter whom I love so much.

After we picked Emily up from school we all headed over to Costco to do some grocery shopping and lunch.  Mike's parents seemed to enjoy the kids today, and I can tell you the kids enjoyed them because they wouldn't leave them alone.

Big "K"

I have a Kindergartner!?!? What? How did that happen?  I swear I just had her and she was my only baby.  Oh-well, life moves on.  I never thought I would say I was ready for this day to come, but the last couple of weeks before school started we had some attitude issues.  I think she is just growing up and struggling with being her "own" so I chalk it up to that.  I still am however sad that she isn't my little baby anymore.

Monday Emily had her 20 minute assessment with her teacher, Mrs. Hoff, and then school didn't officially start until today.  She got her hair cut Monday evening while Mike attended the "Parents Night", I sent Mike so he would know where her classroom is and who her teacher is.

She looked so grown up this morning!  When I picked her up she just was beaming with excitement.  School is from 8:25am-11:15am.  I drove over to our friend Marci's house and we walked over with them, Addie's in 1st grade and she and Emily are buddies.  It is nice that she lets me do this because the parking lot is crazy...plus I get friend time every morning. Thanks Marc!

Mike's parents got in tonight and the kids are so excited.

Applesauce...

I don't think she likes it very much.

Ruby - 6 Month Well Check

Ruby had her 6 month well child visit on the 15th of this month. She continues to follow her curve, which is small.  We love her tons!  She is pretty good at rolling around, can almost sit up un-assitisted (she is our slowest to do that, but I think it is because I have the other two to help so we don't have a lot of practice.), loves to squeal REALLY loud, mimic daddy, laugh at Mordecai, and smile at Emily.  She also loves to eat which is funny because she isn't chunky.  She is really good at picking up her puffs and making it to her mouth.

We made her scream it out this past Friday and Saturday and she is finally sleeping through the night...well at least she did last night :-D

Stats:
Weight: 13lbs 13oz - 22%
Height: 26 3/4" - 90%
Head: 16 1/4" - 25%

1st Annual Camping Trip- Day 2

Last night was so HORRIBLE!!!  There was a group across the lake from us that was partying until 2:00a.m.  I dozed off once during that time but woke up to Mike putting Mordecai back on the air mattress.  From then on I went to the bathroom like 3 times.  Around 3:00 a.m. I heard a noise that sounded like an animal getting into a bag of fruit and nuts.  Immediately the thought came to my mind that it was the deer we saw earlier.  I then kept looking to see if I could see his shadow on the tent walls, but nothing.  I laid there for a while hoping it didn't get spooked and try running through our tent and trampling us.  Around 3:30 a.m. I heard Marci talking and then come back from the bathroom.  It was then that I decided I need to go to the bathroom again, but was going to try to just sleep.  At 4:00 a.m I finally hauled myself to the bathroom because I knew I wouldn't get any sleep with that nagging feeling.  When I left the tent I smelled a skunk and was so worried that it was around, but I couldn't see anything.  I finally fell asleep at 4:30 a.m and was up at 6:30 a.m to make breakfast.

When I got up Marci was trekking back from the bathroom and she said they had had a terrible night too.  She said she got up around 3:00 a.m. and heard something outside of her tent so she un-zipped and saw something sitting outside their kids tent.  She yelled "Hey" at it because she thought it was Max sitting outside the tent but when she didn't get a reply she zipped back up and got Corey to give her her glasses.  After she zipped open again they realized it was a skunk eating the peanuts that Corey left out that night.  So much for my deer I thought I heard, it was a skunk.  It also explains the smell I smelled that one time I was headed off to the bathroom.

For breakfast we did the whole gamut. Pancakes, eggs, hash browns, bacon, sausage, orange juice and milk.  After we cleaned up Marci and I headed to King Soopers to buy a fly trap, we had flies like crazy, caffeine for Marci and more ice.  The kids played well with Dad's and when we got back we had some PB&J's for lunch.

After lunch it was back to the swim beach where the kids had a better time.  While Marci and I were shopping we bought some big floatie things for them to play with.  We also built sand castles and moats and the like, but have no pictures because it was wet and sandy.

Dinner was nice and quick.  We had Hawaiian Haystacks.  I did the prep work on Tuesday so all we had to do was add soup and cook rice.  We had some dutch oven peach cobbler for dessert and then the kids were in bed.  The adults enjoyed some chat time, well I know Mike and I did.  It was one of those nights of laughing and learning about the other couple...you know those conversations where when you are laying in bed with your spouse and reminisce about the evening and you still laugh and talk about how much you enjoyed it?  It was one of those.

Tomorrow is check out, and so it is going to be a quick and easy cereal morning.  We enjoyed this camping trip so much that we plan on doing one every year.

1st Annual Camping Trip

The morning started early.  I had to go to Wal-Mart before we left because as we were packing the car last night Mike dropped and broke the globe on the lantern, and we needed one of those.  Of course while I was there I scored with buying a canopy on the off chance that we needed it. 

We got to Fort Collins around 11:20 a.m., but couldn't check into our campsite until noon so we decided to stop at McDonald's for lunch.  While I was there I got a phone call from Marci saying they were on the way, but stopping for lunch as well, and to see the future site of the Fort Collins Temple.

 

We got to our campsite and set up.  Boy, is camping with little ones hard.  They wanted to help set up everything which translates into looking for parts and pieces that they hauled off somewhere.  We were almost set up when the Grip's pulled in.  After they got set up we hit the lake and the so-called swim beach.  I say 'so-called' because it was very rocky and not a whole lot of sand or beach to play on, and the water that was cleared of rocks to play in was not very big.  You could swim out of the sectioned off area but you risked the whole kicking a  major rock issue.

Around 5:00 p.m. we headed back to camp for some tin foil dinners and s'more action.  It was a very late night and the kids didn't make it to bed until 9:00 p.m.  Marci, Corey, Mike and I stayed up a bit for adult time, but Ruby has gotten up multiple times so I am nursing her and then headed to bed.

Glasses, Urgent Care & More

Doesn't her little pig-stick on top look cute?  I had a lot of guys compliment me on it today.  They must not like the head band look.

Church was chaotic today.  I should rephrase that and say the last couple of days have been CRAZY!  Mike has been working late hours and with me being tired because Ruby hasn't been sleeping very well I think I might go insane.  Friday (the 5th) Emily had a follow up appointment at 1:00 in the afternoon.  I thought the day would be fine because Mike was going to go with us and so all I had to do was get through lunch and then I would have some reprieve.  All morning long I heard, "MOM! Mordecai's feet are on me." or "Mom! Emily's feet are on my square of the couch cushion." and on and on and on.  I was done, and so glad to be.

Emily's eye appointment went really well.  I thought we were going to hear that we had regressed since I wasn't so diligent in the patching area the last 2 weeks because we had swim lessons, and visitors galore.  They checked her vision this time because her glasses broke all randomly two weeks ago and they said if we had to get new lenses now would be an ideal time if we were going to get new frames.  I was surprised to hear Dr. Nichols say that her vision had gotten a tad bit better in the left eye, and that with Mike being so near sided that she has a real good chance of not needing glasses by the time she gets to the 9-13 year old range.  We are going to continue patching Monday's and Wednesday's for 4 hours for a while just to maintain where we are.  He also said that once Emily hits 9 years old that whatever her eyes are doing alignment wise will stay that way because they will be "set".  So hopefully we can stay where we are, because we are in an awesome spot.

Emily also picked out a new set of frames, they couldn't fix the pair she had because they no longer make them. She looks real intelligent in them.  Again they are the most expensive of all the frames they sold, another 'Juicy Couture' label.  I know a lot of people think that we are crazy for not making her get a less expensive pair, BUT she is really good with her glasses and she would have kept the old frames had they been fixable. 

Last night (Saturday) we did some house work, and then later that evening spent time driving around to find an after hours care for Emily.  She has been complaining about her mouth when she chews and swallows.  I first thought it was her top 6-year old molars that were bothering her since they are swollen.  Later I was noticing her whine when she would drink.  I decided to look in her mouth and I could see that her throat was red and swollen.  They did a strep test since Cherstin's kids have been here and they said it is going araound.  The rapid test came back negative, but are sending away for the longer one. 

Today sometime are stream of visitors continues.  Phil and Hannah and their 3 boys should be here sometime this afternoon.  Emily and Mordecai keep asking when Orion is going to get here, so I hope it is soon.

Carter Visit

Katrina & Neal got in last night around 9:00 p.m.  They have slowly been making the move from Olean, NY to Rexburg, ID over the last week or so.

This morning I headed over to Ryan Elementary to register Emily for school.  I still can't believe it.  She has grown up way too fast for my liking.  I know it sounds cliche, but really I feel like I just had her.  We found out that she has afternoon kindergarten.  I was bummed at first because I wanted her to have morning since I know she is at her best in the morning...but then I got to thinking that this would be a better time because I can drop her off when there isn't chaos going on in the parking lot, and then when it is time to pick her up I can park at Marci's and walk over with her to pick up Addie at the same time I pick up Emily.  We also can still patch her eye in the mornings since I am pretty sure Dr. Nichol's is going to say we need to.  Anyway, we also met her Teacher, Mrs. Hoff, since she was the one telling the students who their teachers are.  She seems like a nice lady and I hope Emily will continue to thrive in her class.

Later this evening we hit the pool.  We were going to do it earlier but Katrina & Neal needed naps, so the kids just played while I made dessert.  Emily and Daniel were so funny.  They really wanted to fly kites, but I kept telling them it wasn't possible because you needed wind.  They must have thought I was crazy because they tried anyway.  They would run and Emily would yell to Daniel to let go of the kite when a "Big Gust of Wind" (a breeze) would come.  It was cute to watch.  I think after a while they gave up to try another adventure.  At the pool Emily showed me that she could actually dive to get dive stick at the bottom of the pool, even though she would usually do this jump and sit thing that made her sink to the bottom and that's the way she would typically get the toy unless it was in a deeper part of the pool.

For dinner we had Stromboli, Cesar salad, and caramel apple bars.  It was a nice evening.  After we put the kids to bed we stayed up late and played Phase 10 Twist and just talked about the kids and the Carters new adventure in life.  They are planning on leaving tomorrow.