My Daughter. A Beautiful Young Women.

It seems like just yesterday Zane and I took our precious baby girl home from the hospital. I can't believe that baby girl is 12 years old. Olivia is growing up to be a beautiful young woman, on the inside and out. I am so thankful I get to have a daughter. I am so glad that daughter is Olivia.

I pray that all of the girls and leaders in Young Women's treat Olivia with respect and care. I hope she will be taught with love and good example. I have heard the youth leaders in our ward say they teach the kids through failure...."we are going to let them fail, and that is how they are going to learn." This will be new to Olivia. I am the kinda mom that tries to avoid my kiddos feeling like failures. This could get interesting. It is taking every bit of self control I have not to go to Young Women's with her. I guess I am going to have to step back and let her get a taste of the real world. My daughter has a lot of self confidence and great self esteem. I hope this teaching through failure method doesn't change that.

Olivia has already been assigned to speak in Sacrament Meeting. WoW! She didn't even make it two week. I hope she has a good experience. Not a failure. LOL!

Happy 4th Birthday Jacob!

Jacob's cupcakes he took to school. They are all frosted together. HE LOVED IT!

Yes, slightly obsessed with Thomas the Train. He is sleeping in his new Thomas tent, on top of the bed :) So cute!

The smallest cake. ever.

Happy Birthday to our little Jacob. We are so thankful to have you in our lives, little buddy.

I had to fill out a questionnaire for the developmental doctor he is seeing in a couple months. I realized as I was filling it out I have not kept track well of developmental milestones in my children's lives. I am going to try to do better. Here it goes...these are some of the things that I want to remember about Jacob this year...

There are so many things I love about Jacob! I love how he adores his brother and sister. I love how they love him back. I love that when I get home from work in the mornings, Jake comes and lays down in bed with me. He always says "tickle". Jake loves "tickle". Which is to tickle his back.

Lately Jacob tells me several times a day one of two things. "I like your hair." or "I don't like your hair." Either way I laugh every times he says it. I think it is funny he notices my hair.

Jacob hates seeing me wear my glasses. He always says very sternly to me "glasses off!" Usually it is accompanied by a grunt.

This year Jacob's speech has improved dramatically thanks to the wonderful speech therapy program he is in through our school district. We can now figure out most everything Jacob is saying. He is finally putting his words together in sentences.

Some of Jake's Favorites:

He loves when Zach gets home from school. He asks several times a day if we can go get him.

He loves playing with Zach. He just wants to be with him. Zach can be in charge of the activity. Just tell Jake what he is supposed to do and he will do it.

Jake loves snacks. He prefers them to meals.

He loves "boney". It is Chef Boyardee Ravioli.

Jake's favorite color is orange.

Jake loves Sponge Bob and Thomas the Train. There is a Sponge Bob Doll wearing tighty whities at his preschool. The teacher gives it to him to make him happy or to distract him. After summer break, Jake was so happy to see the beloved Sponge Bob Doll.

Jacob still loves his "gown gown" which is chocolate milk. He can now say chocolate, but prefers to call it "gown gown" which is what he has alwaye referered to it as.

He loves to go in the car. He always wants to go when someone is going. He tries to go with me to work every time I leave.


Jacob is very social. He loves to talk on the phone. This can be tricky, his speech is very difficult to understand over the phone. He doesn't care. He just keeps talking.

I love how patient Jake is. I know it must be frustrating to him that we can't always understand him. It never seems to rattle him. He will keep saying over and over what he wants until we figure it out.

Love you so much Jacob. You were the best surprise in our lives...
Life doesn't always turn out how you expect it to. Sometimes it turns out ever better.

Jake's First Day Back to School

Very excited about going back to school.

Jake packed the essentials for school.

Jake was so excited to return back to school and see "Mamos" (Mrs. Ramos). He talked about school nonstop for days before it started. On the first day he was a little nervous, and he cried as I was leaving. Mrs. Ramos handed him his favorite Sponge Bob Doll. She was his teacher last year also. She said he only cried for a few minutes. There has never been another tear since.

JACOB LOVES SCHOOL! Yay. I am so thankful for the blessing of the speech therapy program he is in. I am seeing huge improvements in his speech and vocabulary. Almost daily.

Back To School!

Back To School! I always have mixed feelings about this time of year. I love having my kids home with me. I miss them when they are at school. Although I get more done while they are at school. My house is cleaner. I sleep better between my night shifts at work. This year I am looking forward to having some 1:1 time with my baby, Jacob.

We are going to a new charter school. We are in the trial period now. So far, I really like what I am seeing. Olivia has struggled a little in Math. It has never been her strong suit. Her Math teacher stayed after school a few days ago to help her prep for the test.

I see it's curriculum is more challenging than the schools we are coming from. It is requiring my kiddos to spend time learning how to be actively engaged in their studies. It is more work for all of us. I am positive if we can stick with it, it will be rewarding, and I will be glad we did.

The values that this school are incorporating into the cirriculum are something I have never seen/noticed at public school. It makes me really like the school. On Zachary's curriculum night the GOLDEN RULE was written on the marker board. "Do unto others as you would have them do unto you." He also has memorized the First Grade Constitution:

We the people of the Archway Trivium first grade,
In order to form an ideal classroom
establish humility, integrity, friendship, perseverance,
wisdom, courage, responsibility, honesty and citizenship,
do ordain this Constitution for our class.

I am thankful that their school is teaming up with us to teach the same values we are teaching in our home. I hope it keeps going well. I hope our children can keep up with the fast pace.