Christmas time programs and plays

Z.s class performed a fun Gingerbread kid play. She was very serious about her acting and did a really good job on her lines and singing.

S. was too busy to pay Z. much attention, there was a class pet (hamster) right by her chair as a distraction.

I wont post the pictures of N's  class at NOVA graduation, the back of the Gym makes for less than great quality picts. He did graduate again, and had fun with the program.
T. and his fellow Kindergarteners performed a super cute snowman song. He got really into his acting and singing as well. Once again, the pictures just arent blog worthy because of how far away the stage was from the Gym back, where I was standing.
Its such a fun time of year with all of the celebrating, the kids especially are loving the ease of the schoolwork and looking forward to their break.

2nd attempt at Gingerbread Houses

This time around we used the houses that my sister and I put together on Halloween. It works out so much better for the kids if they dont have to patiently wait for icing to dry. Also the bigger the candy the better.

Once again the icing is too tempting to keep out of her mouth.

N. opted to skip out this time on the decorating, he doesnt like sticky fingers. Z. loved the idea of having 2 for herself.

What artists we have, there is even a marshmallow snowman! YUM!

The good thing about waiting until mid December to decorate the tree.....

..is that your kids will take the incentive and do it for you!

They did a Great job too!

S. was worried about the extra bulb she found. She likely stuffed it into a branch with the other extra decorations she found in the box.

GingerBread Houses with Grandma M

Grandma and Grandpa M. were super nice and brought over a gingerbread house for each of the kids to decorate for Family Night.

Reading Christmas books while the houses were setting up(that is the hardest part, the waiting).

T. was just as excited about the decorated plate as his house. Maybe next year we will just give him a plate and some icing!

S. was left alone for a second. Can you tell what her favorite part of the evening was? Icing! She liked that it resembled blood. She did end up with quite the sugar high. Thanks so much to the Grandparents( not about the high, about the fun night)!!!

Canning in December

My awesome sister and I decided to make applesauce. Yes, we know canning season should be over by now.

She is a pro, but this is my first attempt at canning anything. I always thought it seemed difficult, but its not. It just takes a long time and a messy kitchen. AppleSauce. Check. Lets get on with what we really should be doing in December, Christmas stuffs!

A little catch up

T. turned 6. Amazing. He somehow lives although he seeks out danger at every turn. Mom is having a hard time grasping the idea that he isn't still 4. It seems like a whole year would be long enough to settle the idea that he was 5 but it just never sunk in, and now 6? They dont really grow up this fast do they?!

Super Hero Guy!

Why is it that when Mom is at the end of her rope with the dog that the kids suddenly take a real liking to her? Maybe all the threats of selling her on KSL. I think even the dog realized I was serious because suddenly she is acting much better. Now if I could just get her to want to run on the treadmill instead of around town in the freezing cold mornings. Its the same energy burned. Isnt that the point? I guess not, to a dog.

N. working on his baking skills. He rocked at making bread! What a kid!

The kids talked us into going to the skating rink. They had a blast! It was their first time on a rink that wasnt frozen. It was nearly impossible to get them to leave, they were some of the last kids on the rink when it was closing time. Z. tried skates, blades and her scooter and was great on all 3.

S. stuck with her trusty scooter, some of the time running beside it instead of on it when she needed a break. She had fun playing around with her cousin S. Hilarious to see their little bodies skating and dancing to the pop music.

T. took the DJ's instructions very seriously, even when it seemed like no one else was listening. He is skating backward as instructed because he wasnt couple skating. You should have seen him try to Scooter backward! He didnt stop to rest the whole night and got a little mad when it was girls only, he chose to skate around the rink on the bordering carpet instead.

Its a good thing N. eats for 2 although he is just 1 boy, he worked off a days worth of calories on his scooter. Sometimes he was so fast we could hardly see him! He had a blast cutting off his sister and her friends. Typical.

It's not really Halloween time without hay in your socks....

 Punkin' Head is Pink Punkin' Head this year.

 Fortunately landing on hay is much softer than the cement and rocks he has been landing on all week. I tell you, there is just not a slow speed on this kid. Full speed or nothing!

 N. tries to scare mom, again, in the hay maze. This time mom spotted his head poking out first. Hah!

 

Halloween shirt and enough lost teeth to resemble a jack o lantern, Z. is ready for Halloween all right.

... and a pair of googly eyeballs. Creepy. Also quite unsafe for walking around without running into everything!

Cousins

We got to see S. all week while her momma went to Wiscansin. Too bad I forgot to charge the camera batteries until the last day. The girls are a riot together. We miss S. already and she has only been gone for a few hours. Maybe we'll talk her momma into bringing her over everyday from now on.

Double Rainbow

Heaven sent, just for us(at least we pretend).

Autumn living part2

Bro.'s Bike Ride.

Only happens a few times a year and every minute is Great.

Don't let Autumn pass you by!

Checking out the Fall color up American Fork Canyon

Crawling in the deep dark cave under the amphitheater @ Aspen Grove

It was a tight squeeze. What brave kids to get down there with the spiders.

The latest goings on (is "goings on" a correct statement?)

The kids are motivated by treats and parties so we have been earning a Book of Mormon Reading Half Thru party. We finally got there this month. Each kid had a friend over for fun and candy and a late night watching a movie. Not only did they get a party but the Spirit that we feel that comes into the living room each night we read from the scriptures is worth the cavities and difficulty of keeping the routine. T can read a few words on his own now, instead of just repeating them. The older 2 are really good at the Scriptural language now and S. is better every night at patiently waiting her turn to say, in 3 year old jabber and valley talk what Daddy reads to her.I am surprised that the 2nd time around reading the Book of Mormon that we don't get bored, just the opposite though. The prophets and other characters are becoming more real and more is being understood.What a great challenge and what great blessing we have been given undertaking Scripture Night every night. Anyone who hasn't tried it recently really should, you might be surprised at how great it makes the rest of life.

 

 

D. and wonderful helpers finally finished the Roof! Hooray!

Part of the view of Utah Lake and the Valley from up there. Its Awesome(minus the power lines)!

Yard work was next on the list after the Roof project. To keep S. occupied one day I made the mistake of letting her take a few pictures around the yard. Although pictures of dirt and out of focus rocks are fun to take they aren't as fun to look at. The worst part about letting a 3 yr old carefully(and only semi-supervised) use a camera is the inevitable dropping or otherwise mauling of the camera. Fortunately it is under warranty, although I won't have use of it for a few weeks. Oh the trade offs we make for a few hours of trimming and weeding. I still think it was worth it, just next time I will barter with less expensive and less used items and Not electronics.

Caught red handed, well red toenailed at least.

Labor Day, er um, Week

Who knew that taking old shingles off of the roof would create a pile of mess as tall as the actual roof?! BTW where are the trash cans and bikes that used to live here? Just wondering.

A couple of roofing pros and PeterPan showed up. J/K. I wish that getting up there were as easy as flying like Pan though, the ladder terrifies me!

Huge  THANK YOU!!! to the neighbors, and family that showed up to help. We would still be doing tear off a week later instead of a day away from completion.

Now, if the ladder didnt scare me so much this little guy still would. Short Story, but a scary one: Daddy tells kids who are helping to just "jump off" onto the tramp. "Its like the diving board at the pool." Fortunately mom wasnt there to have a heart attack(kids wouldnt be up there at all if mom were there!) . Unfortunately daddy forgot that T. isnt your average 5yr old who jumps in feet first. I'ts head first or nothing! Good news. He landed it. Nice! The End.

Speaking of nice. My Super Nice sister spent the entire day watching my kids, feeding them several times and then CLENAED MY HOUSE!!! Wow! Thank You so much!! Just knowing the kids were still alive would have been good enough. How did you do that all with 1 hand (babycakes in the other)?!

Countdown to Kindergerten 3,2,1 BlastOff!

Walking to the First Day(couldnt help walking along the fence at least some of the way)!

Kinny Garteners get to hang out with the Hawk!

School is going to be great! When is recess?!

Finally, the long awaited day is here!