Last Sunday in June

Ross's home teaching visit this morning got cancelled so he was here to help bathe and dress all the kids, After slathering them up with sunscreen yesterday it's nice for them to go to church all clean. This is the last Sunday that  we meet at 12:30pm. Next week we will start meeting at 1pm (they moved a 4th ward out of our building) and also starting next week I will be subbing as primary chorister for 3 weeks in July.

Going over the calendar with Ross this week tells me it's going to be busy -- Jill's heart appointment, Allen in charge of Family Home Evening to pass off a Faith in God requirement, Court Night at the Rangers baseball game, city fireworks, city parade (that Allen gets to be in with the scouts), another city firework display, taking Catherine to the airport, and having Allen's friend Nate over to play --and I realize I haven't gotten out our 4th of July decorations yet. Better do it soon. The kids will love all the flags.

Free Tickets to the Arboretum

Last night for our date we ate at Smashburger, played two games of miniature golf, did the batting cages and went on many go-kart rides. It was awesome! Very fun, especially riding in the double carts, switching off driving, and passing other people. I kind of felt like the Grandma in Ferris Bueller, the one that swerved right and left and the dad can't get past her. Yeah, people couldn't get around me. I kept blocking them. Oh, and you had to keep your mouth closed during the ride because bugs were all over. A grasshopper ended up in our car and I could feel it jumping on my legs. On the way home we got Slurpees. It was a very fun date! Thanks to Catherine for offering to tend.

This morning we went to the Dallas Arboretum. Ross won free tickets from the Dallas newspaper back in December that we used. We explored interactive Texas Town with the little cabins and wagons, walked around the gardens and waterfalls, fed the Koi fish, the kids enjoyed the toad fountains, and visited each explorer home and Alice in Wonderland exhibit. The kids liked the misting fans and spray bottles I brought to keep us cool. They even sprayed lots of the plants. This is the 3rd time we've been to the Dallas Arboretum and each visit has been during the hot summer.

Allen working in the field

Emma wanted to try the farm equipment too.

Jill and Mommy are inside a cabin.

Emma is wandering to the next house.

Three girls are checking it out.

That mudhouse was closed. 

Jane got inside the long wagon

I like how Abby and Emma are smiling at each other.

I kept a wet washcloth on her head to keep her cool.
She loves sucking on her hand.

More of the gardens.
Jane really wants to touch those fountains.

White Rock Lake, were Ross once did a marathon, is in the background.

A new area with more lilypads and falls.
Tons of people are taking pictures all over the place.

Feeding the fish some crackers.

Twins and Mommy watching the waterfall.

Allen and Abby at a different one.

I don't have very many Mommy and Daddy pictures.

Jane trying out the Aztec pyramid slide.

Love that tree canopy!

Time to get wet!

We dried off and went to see the Alice in Wonderland exhibit.
Abby is looking at the caterpillar.

The tea party

The pagoda for Marco Polo

The arctic, another explorer exhibit.

Teaching Classes

Friday has arrived. Abby is so excited about her play date with Rebekah this afternoon. She has been preparing stuff all week for it --a book she wrote that they can read, a "present" or box filled with things they they can unwrap. The kids are doing a slip'n slide at VBS today and tonight Ross and I are going out on a date, once he decides what he wants to do.

The kids did great with chores yesterday. I taught some cleaning classes on how to sweep, wipe bathroom sinks/mirror/counter and mop. I would explain what we were going to do, demonstrate and let the kids try it while I watched, in hopes that they will be able to help with this tasks on their own in the future.

Allen read a non-book yesterday during quiet time called Deadly!, containing interesting animal facts, and said he was going to teach a "class" about it in the living room after dinner. He made lots of posters (and once Abby saw one, she wanted to help make more) and hung them around the house that say: "Coming Soon! Allen (and Abby's) class about dangerous animals. You learn it in the living room. A.C.D.A." The last four letters at the bottom of his poster stand for Allen's Class Dangerous Animals. When Ross got home we sat on the couch as a family and listened to Allen's class where he told tons of interesting facts he had memorized from reading. He must have enjoyed "teaching" because before Allen went to bed last night he added an extra part to his poster. It reads: "Also, Allen's class for Nerf gun shooting." 

Skittle Lady

It was a good day yesterday, especially exercise-wise. After I got all the girls into the stroller for VBS drop-off we walked loops around the parking lot for about 10 minutes, until my heart rate took off and I started sweating. Later in the day we did an aerobic routine (yes, I still use my old copy of "Hooked On Aerobics") and then in the evening I did a walk/jog for about 20 minutes before picking up some groceries at Kroger. It's good to squeeze in a little exercise here and there, especially because now I'm the "Skittle Lady". I carry a bag of Skittles in my pocket and hand them out as small rewards throughout the day. I find it easier to hand someone a Skittle after they make a good choice than to repeat myself over and over, saying things like, "Go get dress. Put your seat belt on. Sit down. " It makes for happier kids and a happier Mommy. Sugar does wonders.

Yesterday while picking up the kids from VBS another mom asked if I was a foster parent. She was a foster mom herself and wondered if I was too when she saw me with so many kids, so close in age. She told me that she and her husband liked our stroller and watched me use our stroller and collapse it into our van with ease, she said. (Again, another example of me not being "invisible" to others. You never know when people are watching!) I said I had a lot of practice the last two weeks. And I told her I thought it was great she did foster care. I might have thought more about that route if I wasn't able to have so many of my own kids.

I took some pictures of the kids while they were watching a Dora movie they earned. And I finished up the ironing.

Ross came home and pointed out that Jill's outfits colors matched the bouncer. I hadn't thought about it.
Emma came over to give Jill a kiss.

Allen loves his new Nerf gun.

Abby is showing me a silver streamer from VBS.

Jane is waving a Pinkalicious book.

Jill smiled and waved her arm.

She liked sitting in the Bumbo on the kitchen table while I got the hamburgers ready for dinner.

After the family ate dinner Jill earned a bath. She was looking at herself in the mirror and "talking". Then when I pulled out the camera she was looking at me. I absolutely love that my babies look and track for Mommy. They like me! We share a special bond. And this picture kind of looks like Jill has a twin. Reminds me when I had two babies to give baths too. 

1400 pages

Jane and Emma loved playing with Jaxson yesterday. I took them to the school playground to play and because of the heat we lasted only about 15 minutes. The school principal was coming out of the school and going to our car near us. She came over to say hello, see the kids, and asked when we were moving. (I may have mentioned this before, but throughout my life I have felt kind of invisible to other people, knowing them but not really thinking others know who I am. Well, I am no longer invisible. In fact, I stand out a little in a crowd being young with so many kids, where many parents are older than me and have just one or two.) I was surprised she remembered we were moving. I hope the kids' next principal is friendly and talks to me.

While I made lunch (toast, grapes, carrots, string cheese -- and I'm glad Jaxson ate this time because the last two lunches he never really touched it) the kids played with the garage set and cars I pulled out. They weren't ready to stop playing when it was time to eat. And then as we drove into Jaxson's complex gate, Jane started it, but then both girls were saying, "I want Jaxson. I want Jaxson." They are excited to have him over to play again on Thursday.

In the afternoon after bible camp and quiet time (the girls napped and I got a little one too while Allen read and Abby played with her ponies) the older two did great playing piano, reading to sisters, doing chores and writing (they wrote letters to my parents). We even got an aerobics routine in before they earned some movie time.

And today I finished Les Miserables, the un-abridged version, which is about 1400 pages. I had downloaded a copy to my Kindle and started reading it in January. I would read large portions mostly at OB doctor appointments (I had read about 50% when Jill born in March) and sitting in the school pick-up lane, but since Jill was born, and school is out I am not reading as much during the day. Well, I kept plugging along, reading only after I had read my scriptures and one general conference talk and only when I was out and about with my purse in hand, because I have other books I read at my bedside. Anyway, glad to have read it and am interested to read more about how they made a musical out of that story. I seriously knew nothing about it when I started reading it, nothing about the musical, not even the character names. The story was completely new to me and as I read it, I had no idea what was going to happen. I found it exciting to hear the main character referenced in Elder Christofferson's conference talk about redemption.

Last night Catherine came over and we were able to walk again and then Ross went to play basketball. It feels good to exercise, my blood sugar stays more even and I sleep better.

Here is cute Jill in another new onesie. This one is covered with ballet shoes and words saying "prima ballerina" and was given to us at her baby shower.

Little Lady Bug

 

Jill wore a new outfit yesterday from my Aunt Nancy. It's a perfect outfit for the Texas heat and comes with a little ladybug friend. Thanks Nancy!

The kids enjoyed another day of bible camp and got matching t-shirts. I asked what they learned about and Allen said, "corruption in Genesis 6." I noticed their rainbow crafts and asked if they talked about Noah. Yes. They did.

I cooked 5 lbs of ground beef yesterday and divided it up into 4 up-coming meals. The kids really liked spaghetti and meatballs last night for dinner. I even heard one of them sing "On top of spaghetti all covered with cheese, I lost my poor meatball, when somebody sneezed," which is the tune of one of Allen's new piano songs.

Abby is really excited for a play date with Rebekah, a classmate, on Friday. She is making her a book and has a "curtain" up on her bed so they have "play in privacy", she says.

Emma still has a runny nose (and has since Wed of last week) and Jane was really hoarse yesterday, but has no fever. Not sure if Jaxson is going to come over this morning, I'll have to call Emily and let her decide.

Last night Ross taught a Family Home Evening lesson on change and with the kids help we thought of all the things that would be new to us after moving: new house, new state, new friends, new school... and showed pictures of pioneers and explained that they also had lots of changes to face as they moved from one place to another after facing persecution. Luckily that is not the reason we are moving, but like the pioneers, we are uprooting again and starting over soon in a place we know little about. Ross explained to the older two they we needed their help because when we moved to Texas we only had two kids and now we had five. Our family has experienced lots of change these last three years in Texas and it's not over yet.

After kids were ready for bed Catherine and I went on our usual one hour walk. When we got back Ross left for a run. It's nice for both of us to get our exercise in. After he got back I was in bed finishing Rump: The True Story of Rumpelstiltskin, written by a friend from our Chicago ward, and when he climbed in bed we watched several hilarious episodes of Studio C, a comedy group from BYU, on the new Kindle before we said prayers.

Last Week of June

• This is the last week of June and the kids have one Vacation Bible School, Soul Train is the theme, to attend. 
• Allen is loving his new toys (Nerf gun, wizard glow wand, voice changer) he got from the mall on Saturday and it's funny when Ross grabs the gun for me and lets me take aim at the toys that are set up for targets. 
• Abby loves her giant My Little Pony animal she made at Build-A-Bear and she named it Abby Jr.
• Jane and Emma love to play in Allen and Abby's room, climb all over their bunk bed and get in, to their special boxes of things. It's hard to keep them out of there, especially because the door no longer closes all the way due to when they tried to fix the house foundation and were drilling the concrete outside the front door a few months ago.
• I heard Jill sucking on her hand, but now she is still sleeping. She is a little congested which ties back to Emma's runny nose from last week. 

Weekend

Saturday was taken up by cleaning the church, mowing the lawn, Jill's 3-month pictures, kids playing with Daddy, a baby shower, Camry getting headlights fixed, claiming summer reading program prizes, checking out new books, free snow cones at SnoBall Plus and jumping in the bounce house, Allen and Abby using their birthday money/gift cards to buy new toys at the mall with Ross, early bedtime for three little girls, bourbon and orange and teriyaki chicken dishes from the mall's food court for our date food, older two in bed listening to a book on CD, Catherine coming over so we could go out, playing tennis at a court by a lake, and sharing a shake.

Sunday is going to be spent getting up early, watching kids play, writing in six journals, getting everyone reading for church, printing out the program and attending 3 hours of meetings before church for Ross, going to church as a family and while riding in the van reading our new "I Am Going To Church" social story complete with pictures to remind us of the expectations, a shortened church meeting for only 2 hours with the Sunday School portion removed due to the evening broadcast at 5pm and 7pm, quiet time for the girls, an early dinner (Tater Tot Casserole), hanging out as a family, kids going to bed, Catherine coming over so we can attend the 2nd broadcast at 7pm, reading the pile of church publication by my bedside, and an earlier bedtime for Mommy so she can function tomorrow when little people get up at 6am, like they did today..

Picture Party

I haven't had time to download and look at pictures from this week... until now. Enjoy!

• "Last Summer on Earth "Concert on Monday

The first band was called Guster

They had a screen behind them with their pictures.
It must have been outdated because I couldn't figure out which person was each in the picture.

2nd band -- Ben Folds Five.
We've heard Ben Folds two other times but he was a solo then.
My favorite is there are only three in the group, but they have "five" in their title because it sounds better.

Ben Folds is rocking on the piano.

The Barenaked Ladies

We originally had seats up in the balcony but got moved down. We had really good seats for a balcony price. It was awesome!

• Jill turned 3 months old this week. And I noticed we were both wearing yellow on the same day, which earned a little mommy/baby photo shoot. I had my hair pinned up and then I pulled it down in a few. I even got Jill to smile and then laugh!

This yellow romper is from Catherine.

•  Some artwork from Abby's art camp, which isn't in the correct order.

On the 3rd day they did oil pastels.

This is one she did with some free time -- her and a pink pony and butterflies.

I recognize some buildings from Dallas.

On the 2nd day they did oil painting.
This is Mount Fuji.

2nd day.
This is a vase of sunflowers.

1st day was watercolor.
She did a farm at sunset.

This is the beach.
I love how she put her initials in the corner. We have the same initials.

Last day was more oil painting.
She did a rainstorm.

And this is space.

•  Crafts from Vacation Bible School

Their shields. Allen's in the round one.

Their banners.

•  Cub Scout Day Camp:

This is Allen's bucket.

Everyday before he left we would fill it with water shoes, water bottle, his dinner , his bandanna and totems.

And everyday he wore this shirt.

Egg drop activity

Allen is panning for gold

Sitting in a meeting

They were learning to make pancakes from mashed potatoes.

They used the leather press to stamp this belt loop.
Each black strand hanging represents one of the days of day camp.
Each bead represents a station that they participated in that day.

This was taken after the boys came home.
Ross put the towel over his neck, just like he had it at camp.
Allen had one bandanna around his neck and one pinned on his hat to block the sun.