Why can't a kid be a kid?

What is the world coming to when children do not get to be children anymore? A little boy in Devin's 5th grade class was suspended from school for bringing marijuana. 5th grade! I can't believe we have to deal with this stuff in elementary school. I had no clue what drugs were in 5th grade. Gone are the days of innocent childhood. I am pleased to say that my son's teacher handled it wonderfully. He gave them a lecture about both drugs and befriending this child despite his bad choice. The child who brought the drugs is the smallest boy in the class and very sweet. He is not a bully or a trouble maker. Where does a 5th grader get marijuana? Why do we have to start having these "talks" at such a young age? I am very grateful that when we were talking to our kids, they had no idea what marijuana is. As my kids get older, I have been wondering a lot lately what is the key to keeping our children on the straight and narrow. Are we doing enough to teach them to withstand temptation in these scary times? What will keep Satan from corrupting my children's lives. It definitely gives me something to think(and worry) about, but most of all, it just makes me sad.

Five in a bed and the little one said...

The week we brought Kasidy home

This past Sunday

I thought I would let you know what has been happening with our family the last couple of months. It seems like there is not enough hours in the day to get everything done, so blogging has been low on the totem pole. I am so grateful for my five beautiful children. I am thankful that they are healthy and happy(most of the time) and feel extremely blessed. Big things have happened around here since Kasidy's birth so I decided to do a post on each of my children. You may have to go to older posts to keep up. So here goes...

"D"

Devin is busy being the BIG brother. He is super busy, yet he always has time for his sisters and brother. He loves the baby and holds her all of the time. I am so grateful for him, he is a good helper and is so easy going. His big news is that he got braces. This is his first round of braces called Phase One. They will help with the spacing in his mouth. He has not complained at all. He just got his Weeblos for scouts and is almost done with his Arrow of Light. He also just finished basketball and did awesome. He mostly played guard but was a pretty good little defensive player. Devin's favorite time of year is here. That's right, it's baseball season. This child lives for baseball. His super league started a few months ago and has already been to a tournament. City league try-outs were over the weekend, so things are about to get really busy around here. We love watching him play!

Miss McKenzie

As for McKenzie, she stays pretty busy. She played basketball this year for the first time and did really well. She was a really good defensive player and one of the shortest on her team(the team is 3rd and 4th graders). She had her 3rd grade program and did a really good job. Her jazz dance class also went to a competition at Thanksgiving Point and her class took first place! She also got picked to participate in the storytelling festival and got to tell her story at a school assembly. She made up a story about lions, tigers and monkeys and had the audience make the animal sounds. I was very proud of her. She did an awesome job. She is so creative. The biggest thing that has happened to McKenzie is that she got glasses. The week after I had the baby, Jared took her to the eye doctor and they picked out the glasses. She only really needs them to see far away. She takes them to school and to ball games. She loves them. Apparently they are the hottest thing with the girls in her class. She is playing soccer right now and is looking forward to this summer because she can finally play softball for the first time. She still loves her friends and is excited to have a birthday coming up(see a future post).

Little Loo Loo

Before

After

If you look closely you can see her pierced ears.

Alexa has had a couple of big changes since we had the baby as well. First off she got her ears pierced. I have always said that it was their decision when they were old enough to decide for themselves. She has always said no when I've asked her until out of the blue one day she decided she wanted them done. McKenzie and I took her and she just held on to her stuffed animals we brought and was so brave. On a side note: I was excited to take her because Jared took McKenzie and "surprised" me while I was at camp Jeremiah Johnson with Activity Day girls. I nearly cried because isn't that a mother/daughter moment? I threatened him with his life that I got to take Alexa. The other big event in Alexa's life is she now has short hair. She has had a hard time adjusting to the new baby(she was a lot worse with Jaxon). She decided to cut her own hair. I have always been scared that my girls would whack their hair, so scared in fact that I hide the scissors. Well, McKenzie can reach them now and left them down after a paper project. It could have been a lot worse(see the before and after pictures). I miss her long hair. On a good note, she sure has a smile that lights up a room.

Our little buddy Jaxon

Our little buddy Jaxon is getting so big. He just turned three and is so cute. He loves "my baby Kas", as he calls his little sister. He has not had a hard time adjusting to a new addition at all . He just adores her and smothers her with kisses and hugs. He loves his Daddy, his "mororcycle"(his green 4-wheeler) and anything"lightning queen"(Lightning McQueen from the movie Cars). He had a birthday party at Grandma Wood's and he loved the train cake I made him. He got lots of fun gifts from Grandmas, Aunts and Cousins. We gave him a bike and scooter and the kids gave him a Geotrax addition for his train.
5 Things I love about Jaxon
1. The way he talks. Everything is "her do that" or "me do this". Since he turned one, he has always said, "Hold you me" when he wants me to hold him(I love it!). I know I should correct his bad grammar but it is way too cute. He says the cutest things and always has us laughing. When people hear him talk, they cannot believe how much of a chatterbox he is.
2. He loves trains, airplanes and helicopters. He talks about them all of the time. He watches for them constantly. He says he wants to fly in them when he "grows bigger". He went three days straight walking around the house whining saying, "I ride in helicopter". We finally took him to see the helicopter at the hospital and that is now his favorite place to go.
3. He loves the vacuum. He has loved the vacuum since the day he was born. He has never been scared of any vacuum. He has two vacuums and he begs for me to vacuum so he can vacuum too. The biggest tantrum he has ever thrown was when I made him leave the vacuum repair store when I took my carpet cleaner to get fixed. He will clean anything. Give him a rag and he is a happy camper.
4.He has to have on clothes, especially socks. He has always had to have socks on. When he was a baby, he would wake up crying if his sock fell off. He has never ran around naked. His new thing that his Dad taught him is to make sure in between his toes is clean. It drives me crazy because he takes off his socks twenty times a day and has me put them back on.
5. He still loves my hair. He has always used my hair as his security blanket. Unfortunately, his favorite place to put it is under his nose(yuck!). He even takes my hair and puts it in Kasidy's face because he thinks it will make her feel better. I don't mind because it makes me feel loved and feel that he still needs me.

Our little princess Kasidy

Our little baby girl has been a very sweet addition to our family. She is such a good baby. She has brought so much joy to our home. She is smiling quite a bit now and loves her Mommy(I don't mind a bit). She is adored by her brothers and sisters and never lacks any attention. It is fun to have a little girl again. My older girls are not as into the frills and girly stuff any more. She is getting big way to fast. We cannot imagine life without her. She makes our family complete.