lifelong teacher

• I really liked the Curriculum Night last night at Allen's school. It was good to hear the teacher's management plan, the policies and what kinds of things they will be learning this year. It reminded me of how much work it is to be a teacher. When I got home, Ross asked if I missed teaching. Nope! And I really said it that fast. I love what I do now. I am a lifelong teacher to my kids and I get to see them grow and change year after year instead of getting a whole new classroom each fall (and working with their parents and following No Child Left Behind guidelines). No thank you. And it's weird to think that this would be my 7th year of teaching if I never retired.
• A big thank you to Catherine Bailey for coming over to watch my girls this morning while I went to a routine doctor appointment. How did the appointment go? I was expecting a lecture for how high my blood sugars have been lately, however, it went better than I thought. I saw a new assistant today, my lab showed 6.6 A1C (which is much lower than I thought it would be), and the doctor helped me make some helpful changes on my insulin pump settings. Four months until I get to return and do it all over again.
• Jane and Emma are wearing matching Winnie the Pooh shirts. I didn't buy them, they were given to us, but it surprises me that someone had two of the same kind of shirt. Maybe they had twins too.
• Abby asked for me to gel her hair this morning. After I diffused mine, I did hers. It looks cute! She's got light brown, wavy hair. Abby also loves to color. While I was gone this morning she spent lots of time coloring at the table in her new My Little Pony coloring pad from Grandma Schmidt.
• Allen took his ME bag today. His favorite color? Gold -- he took his Batman cape to show the gold emblem. His favorite snack? Popsicles mostly because there are jokes on the stick. Three things about him or that he likes -- he took a picture of his family, a soccer ball and a map of Six Flags.
• Today is laundry day. Working on the third load now. Later we'll pick up Allen on the last early day, go to story time this afternoon and then drive Catherine Sawaya to the airport.
• Emma stands and cruises a little better than Jane. She seems to have a little more control and now she crawls on her knees, instead of doing the army-style crawl using her arms. I wonder who is going to walk first. Jane just fell on her face after standing up and holding onto the wall. Looks like she's going to have a big bump on her forehead.
• Tonight while Ross goes for a jog I will finish up Anne of Green Gables (I'm watching the third one) and work some more on my recipe book -- Tucker Tastes.
• I've invited Ross several times to write up a blog post or two, but until he does you'll keep getting the scoop from me instead. Hopefully you don't mind.

slight rain

• I'm pleasantly surprised. I heard rain this morning on the skylight just about the time Ross and Allen were loading up to go to work and school. I love listening to rain and seeing it out the window, especially in the morning when we aren't going anywhere. Too bad it only lasted a few minutes.
• I put the babies in the toy room and opened the shades. They both immediately, side by side, went to the low sill, pulled themselves to their knees and then their legs. Now I understand what people mean when they say "double trouble."
• Ross told us that two new clerks started their one-year clerkship yesterday. Now there are three male clerks. Ross is the only married one. We'll still keep things interesting whenever we visit the office.
• We had some yummy donuts as our Family Home Evening treat thanks to Catherine Sawaya to celebrate her house selling. Yay!
• Allen wore a new Cars outfit from Grandma Schmidt today to school. He told me yesterday he passed his assessment. He said he did lots of math problems for his teacher.
• Abby has been working on a masterpiece called "Abby's Designs" on our whiteboard. It is only drawn with a red marker. That girl loves drawing and coloring.
• Ross is coming home a little early to be with the kids so I can head over to the school for a parent's curriculum night.
• I just finished an Amish Christmas story yesterday. I couldn't put it down. Next I started the library's book pick for the month called Sweetness at the Bottom of the Pie. It's a mystery involving an 11 year old girl who likes chemistry. After that's read I have a stack of books by my bed to tackle. When I say stack, I mean 8. I just counted them.
• The babies are both wearing 12-month size onesies, new from the clothes box, and they aren't really big on them either.
• I'm going to take the girls to story time later today. It's another early day so we'll pick up Allen early, come home for snack/reading/quiet time and then meet Madeleine and Catherine at the Ark.
• For homework, we need to get Allen's "Me Bag" ready for school, placing items in about him so he can show his class.
• I love how when I carry Jane, she will "pat my back" with her little hands. She also started opening and closing her hand (like a bye-bye gesture). She still only has two bottom teeth.
• I love when I see Emma smile with her two little teeth on bottom, and a few on top (I need to count them once she's up again).
• The home teachers are coming tonight. My other evening projects, besides the school event, are to spend 30 minutes on recipes, wash my hair and get back to my book.  

school at 7:15am

Allen seems much better today, but the girls, especially the babies are still very congested. Ross and Allen left earlier than usual this morning (7:15am) for a 1st grade assessment. For the next three days the younger grades will be getting out at 12:30pm because of these assessments. (Regular school hours are 7:50am-3:05pm.) I'm eager to see where Allen falls in his reading skills. They seem to have skyrocketed this summer.

Other tidbits for today:

• The high today is forecast at 106 degrees. Friday should be 92 degrees.
• Tonight I am teaching the Family Home Evening lesson about talents and goals. After that Catherine Sawaya and I are going to do our 3-mile walk and perhaps have time for some projects following that.
• Abby is eager to start co-op and dance next week. We bought ballet shoes and tights last Friday.
• Allen and Abby both got new shoes on Saturday. Ross took them and let them pick a pair. It worked so well I think he should take them shoe shopping again.
• Two sick infants call for a lot of tissues and a few mini-naps.
• This afternoon the kids and I will be making some cookie deliveries to sisters I visit teach.

jam session

After I finished writing in the journals, I went to put them away, and saw Ross playing instruments with the girls. Pretty soon Allen joined in on the fun too.

This is what I saw at first. Of course, I had to grab the camera.

I like Jane and Emma's pink polka dot dresses. They don't match exactly but I thought their outfits were cute.

While Abby taps on the drum, Allen plays a recorder.
The babies tapped some of the toys too after they watched Ross do it.

Allen and Abby have already planned what their band is going to do once Ross gets back from home teaching. They are ready to continue on jamming out.

sick Sunday

Ross is attending a special ceremony this morning (a Catholic Mass / law event) where they are honoring Judge Boyle. The event started close to the time our church starts. I was planning on taking the kids alone and Catherine Sawaya was eager to help throughout Sacrament Meeting and Primary, as usual, however all four kids are sick.

Allen, Jane and Emma started to get colds yesterday. I've wiped noses and I've heard some coughing and congestion. And then last night Abby woke up in the middle of the night with a barking cough. I have a sore throat this morning. And people are really fussy.

So instead of going to church, we are having church at home. The kids are on the couch next to me and we are watching many of our Sunday movies together and the babies are napping, luckily. Hopefully everyone can rest up today and feel better tomorrow.

Tonight Catherine Sawaya is coming to dinner. We are going to have chicken taco salad (crock pot) and she is bringing caramel brownies for dessert in celebration of her house in Indiana closing tomorrow. Yay!

Dallas Arboretum

We took advantage of the August Dollar Days at the Arboretum and experienced an enjoyable and HOT time wandering around the grounds, looking at the fairytale castles, feeding the large fish, dipping our feet in the Frog interactive fountain, and going in and out of the tee-pee and cabins in the Texas Town area.

FAIRYTALE CASTLES

The Little Mermaid

Jack and the Beanstalk

Beauty and the Beast

Rapunzel
There is long hair coming out of that tower.

Princess and the Pea

Allen and Abby posed with the pea which was in the part of the castle.

Mufaro's Beautiful Daughters
This is an African version of the Cinderella story.
I had never heard of it -- we'll be checking it out at the library this week.

The throne inside.

Aladdin's Castle
The hardest one to find.

 TEXAS TOWN

Going inside the homes ,which were hot, musty, dirty and uncomfortable (like the bed), made me re-realize how many luxuries we enjoy daily.
Like a soft bed, a vacuum, carpet, air conditioning, separate bedrooms. We are really blessed!

If you notice the babies' faces it was really hot.

OTHER

The cool walkway from the frog fountain.
It reminded me of some of the roads we saw in Houston.

I put wet, cool washcloths on the babies' heads to help with the heat.

This site, Mount Vernon is what they call it here too, from across White Rock Lake made me miss Virginia.

We found some cool waterfalls and ate a snack there.

We found this HUGE fish all swimming really close together and they moved toward us when we got close.
Ross guessed they hungry.
I found a bag of cheese crackers that I was hoping to get rid of.
We threw in some pieces and the fish went wild.
Sometimes fish of them would lunge for the same piece.
It was amazing to watch.

I took a little video but it was at the end of our feeding so the fish weren't as wild as they were near the beginning.
On the video Abby wants to feed the squirrel behind her that acorn that she had found and was carrying around.
The squirrel liked the cheese crackers too.

This was a cool garden area.
There are white chairs set up past that long fountain for a wedding.
A wedding ourside in Dallas in August? Hot!

These were massive lilypads.

After we left the Arboretum Ross drove us around White Rock Lake. He ran a half marathon around the lake last fall and showed us a little of the route.
We found Mount Vernon up close. They even have white rocking chairs on the porch, copying the real one in Virginia. 

White Rock Lake

The kids riding in the van and looking out the window at the lake.

After the Arboretum we had lunch at Burger King. Their shake machine, which one of the reasons we wanted to go there, was broken. The kids enjoyed the play place.

In the evening Catherine Sawaya came to watch the kids so we could go to the temple. Ross was sealed for his grandpa to his great-grandparents. It was really special, I couldn't help but cry. We got some dinner (and queso/chips) afterward at Taco Cabana.

September Ensign 2011

The mailman dropped our monthly magazines in our box on Friday. I opened it and read almost half of it by the time that we picked up Allen at school. I finished the rest of it Saturday morning. I love the Ensign. It is such a spiritual boost and once I start I'm eager to finish it. While reading the September issue I really liked the theme of eternal marriage and temples. My favorite articles "Dreams, Covenants, and Secondhand Buses", "A General Conference Just for Me", "Qualified through Church Service", "The Temple was Closed" (the third story in the Latter-Day Saint Voices section), and "Temple Blessings Now and Eternally".

Note: They haven't uploaded the September issue online yet. Once it's on the church website, I'll add the link to it.

family picture 2011

We did it! Another year, another family picture... 

the clapper

• The babies fight over the same toy -- a clapper we got when Ross ran the DC Marathon. Jane steals it right away from Emma (who cries from it). Jane's got a good swiping hand and knows how to defend what she wants. Luckily I found another one.
• Abby loved "All By Myself" story time. This program means that parents stay out and the kids get a short "school experience". Abby said they read books about apples and sang songs that went along with the apple craft after. As usual, she was the last child out of the room because she spends lots of time coloring and adds lots of detail. I love it!
• Ross took Allen to soccer practice tonight. Ross said that Allen did a great job running around even through it was really hot.
• Mrs. Scott told me what an awesome week Allen has had at school. He's adjusted well and is excited by the new procedures and routine she's set up in the classroom. Here's an line from her email: He was so funny today, when we were waiting to go into specials he whispered, "I just love everything about school! Everything, everything!" It was so neat!
• Allen and Abby prefer taking showers over baths.
• Our toy room is awesome now that things are rotated and labeled. I need to sort out the big toy box today and that room will be complete. I noticed all the kids spent more time in there yesterday. The babies, especially, love crawling around, finding toys on the shelves, looking out the large window and being on the soft carpet. I'm so glad we converted our extra dining room to a toy room. Plus, a dining room .. with carpet? with kids? Nope. We didn't even attempt that one.
• I tried a new crock pot recipe: sloppy joes, or as Ross renamed it, Messy Moes. I think we'll start calling them Messy Moes.
• I stayed up too late last night finishing A Place of Peace (Kauffman Amish Bakery Series #3). I just had to know how it resolved. I really like the series. These books remind me a little of the Work and the Glory series. Catherine Sawaya introduced me to them.
• Emma will laugh out loud while playing with toys. She's been more fussy lately (maybe because three of her top teeth are out or coming out), but she will be playing alone with something and just start laughing out loud. It's really cute.
• We ran out of Pull-ups and I haven't bought anymore. I wonder if it's a good time to brave it out and let the kids figure out staying dry at night (which we tried last night), however, this morning is day one of extra laundry. I have a trip to Walmart planned this morning and I'm debating about buying another pack while I'm there. That, or staying brave, saving a little money, and doing more laundry. Hmmmm... it's a toss-up.   
• Jane and Emma tried pieces of grapes yesterday for the first time. I also gave them brocoli, corn, cheese, bread, baby food, baby cereal, crackers, and yogurt, which is still their favorite thing to eat.
• Ross played basketball last night. He said there was a perfect number of players where no one had to sit out and wait. He'll be going again next week. While he was gone I watched a half hour of Anne of Green Gables and compiled a section of my recipe book.

who needs napkins?

Today's plans: take the girls to story time, go to a lab to get my blood drawn (I have a routine appointment next week), take down all our "summer routine" signs and replace them with our new routine signs, put away all the anniversary decor above the fireplace (and, just like our actual wedding reception, we forgot to use the festive napkins I pulled out -- who needs napkins anyway?), put away everything on the counter by the back door, label the toy room (because Emma and Jane pulled off all my other labels) and arrange the shelves (and while I work, the girls will have lots of fun playing on the floor), a piano lesson after school and Allen has soccer practice.

***

We like to play "the hooray and the awww game" at dinner. We go around the table, starting with the youngest, and as each person tells the family something good or bad about their day, the family responds with "hooray" or "awww". This could have been yesterday's game:

• Ross: "We went out to lunch with the judge and staff at the Cheesecake Factory ("hooray") because Katie and Cort, two clerks, are having their last day on Friday." ("awww")
• Andrea: "Abby was a great helper while ironing. She was in charge of the spray bottle and sprayed all the clothes while I ironed. ("hooray")
• Allen: "I didn't have time at lunch to eat my fruit roll-up" ("awww")
• Abby: "We went to the park this morning and the librarian read a funny book called Bark George" ("hooray!")
• Jane, if she could talk and was awake during dinner, would say, "I got to crawl all over the primary room while Mommy played the piano. I even crawled over her foot on the foot pedal, like I usually do." ("hooray")
• Emma, if she could talk and was awake during dinner, would say, "I lost my soothie. I had to use a different one at bedtime." ("awww")

***

This morning Ross was amazed by Emma's kneeling and getting-under-his-desk-and-getting-into-things abilities. I told him that the babies have been doing that kind of thing for about a week -- they are starting to get into things and I really have to watch them more. He didn't realize it yet; it was new to him. It reminds me of how much time, as a mother at home, I spend with my children. I really get to know their personalities. I'm so lucky.

a little screamer

Plans for today: play at the park, practice the piano at the church, do four loads of laundry (which includes putting away and ironing), clean the highchairs, vacuum (or try to because I didn't get to it yesterday), color with Abby, play on the floor with toys, storytime after school and a project night at Catherine Sawaya's apartment.

What's new with us?

• Ross coached another soccer practice and finally got a his new CD, a gift for Father's Day, in the mail.   
• Andrea finished another Amish novel (I couldn't put it down, it was just such a cute romance) and rotated all the toys. 
• Allen chose to write about his dad for his writing homework.
• Abby continually reminds me to smile. She almost always asks for cheese when it's lunch time.
• Jane tries to pull up and stand whenever she can and she typically has a sweet grin.
• Emma has become a screamer!, especially while riding in the car.

day one of school

Yesterday Tidbits:

• It's day one of school and I got the kitchen mopped (Abby helped me move the chairs), 8 pinnies hemmed for Abby's soccer practice tonight (Abby was my model to make sure I got the length right), an Amish novel finished (I completed it while sitting in the car-pick up lane at school), did 15 minutes of exercise, two file folders sorted (Jane and Emma's baby stuff), the hymns for September emailed out, a phone call made about a future appointment... that makes most of my week's to-do list crossed out on just Monday. Happy first day of school to me!
• Jane and Emma are both still as active as ever. Ross will need to fix the crib because we need a new bolt for the crib railing (which is missing) and both babies are standing up at it which makes me a little nervous. The mattress needs to be lowered some too.
• For breakfast (Muffin Monday) we had "Bunny Muffins". Allen was a little disappointed when he got to the table and saw plain muffins on a plate. I knew what he was picturing in his mind, but I told him that the "Bunny" in the title refers to the first neighbor Ross and I had when we were married.We lived in an apartment in Provo and Bunny, an old widow, lived below us. Bunny wasn't in our ward because we attended the married student ward (which don't exist anymore), but I really liked the weekly Relief Society flyers she pass with all kinds of recipes and information. The muffin recipe I tried was from one of her flyers. Anyway, Bunny was very friendly and whenever we would take her treats around the holidays. One time when Ross took something over she told Ross she enjoyed my laugh. She said, "Whenever I hear Andrea laugh, it just warms my heart." Do you think I was a little more self conscious after hearing that? Yes, indeed. 
• Allen told me that his favorite thing about school is that he has the same teacher and the same classroom, just up a level. You know, with him having the same teacher and class it didn't really feel like "the first day of school". Just a long break and now we're back doing what we did before. The day didn't seem that much different, just a little quieter.
• Abby, the babies and I went to the park. The babies spent most of the time in the swing. Abby played princesses with a girl named Annabelle.
• After school the kids enjoyed popsicles and then played "Adventure Allen and Abby".
• We had pizza bubble for dinner, Ross taught a Family Home Evening lesson about obedience using examples from scripture stories, and then Catherine S. and I walked in the heat afterward. You know it's hot when you can feel your sweat rolling down your back, only after 25 minutes of being outside, and I don't sweat that much.
• While Ross was out jogging, I was washing my hands and I reached for the soap and something brown ran. A lizard! Yuck! He wasn't very big, but he scared me terrible. I couldn't help but keep my eye on him so Ross could handle him once he got home, but he finally ran in a hiding spot. Good thing he was still hanging around the soap when Ross got home.

Today's Tidbits:

• Abby, the babies, and I will drop off a stack of library books off on our way to the castle park.
• We'll enjoy storytime at a library in Carrollton.
• Abby requested we get out some toys from her closet. Sounds like we'll be doing some toy rotation today.
• After we pick up Allen, we'll go enjoy a free indoor playroom at a local Baptist church. We love that place!
• While Ross and Abby are at soccer practice, Allen will do his homework on the computer.
• My big task for Tuesday is to straighten the whole house and vacuum. Not sure what I'll get to but the first thing I want to do is get out a storage tub or two and put some of the kids papers and stuff away. I also need to finish sorting out the babies' clothes tub.
• I got our co-op preschool teaching schedule and topics. I'm excited to start it in a few weeks.

end of summer

I should have posted this last week, but here is our Summer To Do Did list:

• play!
• go to the park (we went to several of them at 8am!)
• go to story time (we visited three different libraries)
• go to swimming class (we did three sessions)
• take piano lessons (Allen has almost complete two beginning books)
• practice singing and learning new songs (we know lots of tunes!)
• read stories after lunch (we read over 300 books just this summer!)
• help cook in the kitchen (the kids especially like our breakfast menu)
• read half of the Caldecott-award winning books
• practice drawing (none of us are very good at drawing still)
• laugh often (the babies help keep things light and humorous)
• follow our hourly schedule (Allen is good to check the time and schedule to see what we should be doing)
• use math skills (I liked the sorting we did with the people pegs, the kids liked Mummy Math the best) 
• attend two family reunions
• spend time in the toy room
• meet Superflex and all the Unthinkables
• follow our chore chart

first day of first grade

It's the first day of school...

Allen is all ready!
His backpack has his lunch, a snack, a water bottle and two Star Wars book to read in the gym.
He chose to wear his new pirate shirt from California.

While Allen was going out the door the babies found out bath-toy bucket.
They had lot of fun.

Then I got them dressed. I opened our tub with 12 month clothes and got out two new outfits.

Abby got all dressed and we even did her hair.
Too bad she didn't get to go to school with Allen. I know she'd love it.
Since we were all up and ready we headed to the park.

pictures from this weekend

HOME

The babies just got up from their naps. I took Jane out of the cribs and her and Emma had fun playing through the pack 'n play mesh.

 BALLOON FESTIVAL

Sunrise at the balloon festival

We've seen Smoky a few times at the Provo balloon festival.
We talked to the balloon guys in charge of that one.
It was too hot for that one to lift off.
It was already 200 degrees inside and the maximum temperature is 250.

Abby and Allen loved the free stuff from the booths.
Allen wore his frisbee as a hat.

Lake Lewisville

After the soccer game.
We got free balls as we exited. A perfect souvenir for the babies.
As we exited Six Flags we got 8 free little toys which are a perfect souvenir for Allen and Abby.