life in general

little red schoolhouse

Since 2007 our kids have attended a charter school in the most adorable little red schoolhouse.  It is situated out in the country among rolling hills, past large pastures with roaming cows, next to a holly tree farm, with a lovely drive that provides morning views that can take your breath away. 

We have loved it.  And our kids have been dearly loved there.  We've been fortunate to have some great teachers who "get" our kids.  

Lots of great memories, relationships, and learning has come out of this place.

On Conner's last day his teacher set aside some time for a good-bye party.  He brought cookies, I think they played a little game, and Conner had an opportunity to show off his best bendy joints trick in front of the class.  He went with the leg behind his head trick.  ;)

Payton's teacher held a party on Payton's last Friday.  She popped popcorn and they got to watch a movie.  It was a surprise -- he didn't know this was going to happen until it started.

Anna's last day almost didn't happen.  We woke up on that tuesday morning and got the phone call informing us of 2-hour late start due to snow.  When there is a 2-hour late start AM kindergarten is cancelled.  I was just heart-broken for her!  A few minutes later she came into our bedroom all dressed for school asking, "can you zip me up?"  Oh my, that brought up the emotions.  I looked at Scott and mouthed, "I just can't - you tell her."  Not too much longer I got an e-mail from her teacher wanting to re-schedule or make accomodations for Anna to stop in the next day (even just for 5 minutes) so they could say good-bye to her.  Luckily, we would be in town the next day.  And luckily our awesome friends the Habels let me borrow a vehicle for the day so I could get her to school.  (The plan was for Scott and the boys to start driving on Wednesday - so I would be van-less, Anna and I would stay behind to clean the house, and then fly out on thursday.) 

So Anna's last day party did happen.  It was also a surprise for her.  I was so thankful to her teachers for setting aside a chunk of classtime for her.  And additionally grateful for the class mom who showed up with cookies and drinks for all the kids!  Seriously, the state of my mind and the house in that last week was so far away from me being able to think about and put together treats for my kids' classes on the last day.  So many awesome teachers and parents stepped up to the plate and made these important memories happen for my children and I am so so so grateful.

And if a going away party wasn't enough one awesome mom, Ellen B., put together a wonderful keepsake for each of my kids.  She is the 5th grade class mom and waaay back last September when we announced we were moving, she got going on a project for Conner.

He received a binder with notes from each of his classmates.  "Conner, my favorite things about you are . . ."

What a treasure!  The common themes are playing four-square, writing a book, and being smart.

Ellen also went on to share the idea and materials with Payton's 3rd grade class, and Anna's Kindergarten class.  She didn't want any of my kids to be left out.  Talk about so sweet and thoughtful and going over & beyond.  

It was so fun to watch the kids huddle around Payton as he flipped through the book.  They all wanted to point out the pages that they made.

Common themes in Payton's book:  funny/silly, likes the color blue, plays on the swings a lot, smart, he is crazy.

A few priceless excerpts:

• You take a good sniff of your mom every morning.
• I will make sure I remember you so much Payton.  And I will talk with Brooke about you so much.
• You have a lot of energy.
• You always make me laugh when you laugh.
• Here is a poem just for you:  Payton I know you are moving it's just so sad. I will miss you forever and it's just so sad.
• You are so kind to the new kids.

After school we looked at the book and Payton shared that he had learned that over a period of time, the kids in his class took turns missing recess so they could stay inside and complete their pages for Payton.  Keeping it a secret from him the whole time. Oh my heart!  Imagining these sweet 3rd graders giving up a recess -- the thing they all hold precious and dear in their school day  . . . . if that isn't a tear-jerker

Anna's teachers wrapped her book in a pink bag with pink tissue paper and presented it to her while she sat in front of the class.  You can just imagine how her face lit up when she heard the word "present" and saw the color pink.  :)

A week or two earlier the teachers had spent some time taking some photos of the class at recess and posing with Anna at her desk and included those in her book.  I think she absolutely loved it.

And I won't mention the fact that I shed a few big tears as I looked through it.  In the classroom.  The day before we watched all our belongings get packed up into a moving truck, we spent the night on the floor in an empty house, and that morning I said good-bye to Scott and the boys as they headed out on the road.  I think I'm justified in being a bit emotional!

I think my favorite entry came from her friend Jaren -- Anna, my favorite things about you are . . . "Your hair and your shoes.  I love your smell and the way you're nice.  I like that you are funny and happy."  Hehe.  They have a super cute relationship.  I drove Jaren home on this day and I had so much fun listening to their little conversation.

• Anna:  "What would I do without a friend named Jaren."
• Jaren:  "I think I'm going to cry when you leave."

Sweet, right?

Well, I don't want this post go on forever.  But I just wanted to record this incredibly thoughtful and much appreciated keepsake that each of the kids received.  Thanks to Ellen, the kids' teachers, and all the parents who helped their children write and submit these pages.  They will be treasured!

new school // first day follow-up

Anna:  Other than the fire drill that scared her to bits, I think she had a pretty successful day.  She was too shy to tell the class her name.  But now that she knows everyone she can talk to them today.  She loved music -- they sang counting songs and she got partnered up with Benjamin for an actions song (shake hands, high-five, and hug).  There is a Conner and a Payton in her class.  But most importantly the Payton is also a boy!  (a rare find these days).  This morning she found a friend as she walked into the kindergarten play yard and I heard the girl say, "Hi Anna."  Being 6 is awesome -- all you have to do is say hi and you're instant friends.

Payton:  He broke into tears in the morning when the teacher instructed that all their work had to be done in cursive.  He's been practicing cursive on worksheets, but he hasn't had to write exclusively that way.  She told him it would be okay to write however he liked (she felt bad).  But she says that not too much later he was writing everything in cursive.  That's Payton.  He gets pretty jarred initially when there is a change to the routine or something he "thinks" he doesn't know how to do -- but then he's able to adapt and figure it out pretty quickly.  He was also a little grumpy about lunch time and the fact that all the kids were squishing him on the bench.  I'm not sure that he met anyone today -- it sounds like he played by himself on the play structure.  He was excited to start earning his ice cream sundae by passing off multiplication facts.  The teacher has some fun incentive programs that I think he is excited about.  His morning line-up routine is pretty simple, so he has that part figured out.

Conner:  Well, when I picked him up and asked how his day was . . . he gave me a thumbs down.  But as we talked about each subject/class I was able to pull a positive out of each one.  The boys in his class were really nice and they kept asking him to sit at their table.  His class rotates to 6 different classrooms and he was always the one at the end of line because it took him so much time to write the homework in his assignment book.  And one time his class left him behind.  But he was able to catch up.  He liked writing and science class the best.  We had a torturous afternoon trying to sort and get through all his new homework.  (Finally finished at 9pm).  Hopefully today will be better.  One of the most challenging things for him is knowing where he is supposed to go first thing in the morning (it changes everyday).  I tried to track down his homeroom teacher this morning to get my hands on a schedule this morning, but no luck.  I told the office and they are going to help us get that information.  This morning we found a very nice and helpful girl from his class and she was able to help him get where he needs to be.  I think once we get that figured out we can at least start the day on a good foot.

So, everyone had their own little hiccups on the first day.  Which is understandable.  We can just hope and try for fewer hiccups each day going forward.

Okay, 2 text heavy posts in 2 days is a little much!  So here's an image from pinterest.

Source: piccsy.com via Shannon on Pinterest

 

Right?

new school

This morning I took the kids in for their first day of school.  THAT was a whirlwind.  All the information on schedules, classrooms, teachers, pick-up, etc . . . I'm feeling a bit lost.  Going from a close-knit school of 200 housed in a charming old red schoolhouse in the country . . . .  to a "city" school of 950 where Conner has 5 teachers and there are over 70 rooms.

Anna has been really nervous the last 2 days.  Missing her friends.  Worried that she isn't going to know the routines and will make a mistake.  When it was almost time to go this morning she started feeling sick to her stomach and said she didn't want to go.  I cuddled her for a bit and distracted her with the camera on my iphone.  On our tour of the school, hers was the first classroom we went to.  As soon as we walked in her face lit up.  She met her teacher with a smile.  And I was able to say good-bye feeling like she was feeling good.  Later, on my way out of the school one of the ladies in the office asked if I was the one with the new girl in kindergarten.  "Oh she is just so sweet!"  Knowing Anna, I am sure she has warmed up to everyone just fine and is telling her silly jokes and stories already!

Leading up to today Payton has shown no sign of nerves or apprehension.  He's been very easy going about it all.  And the same was true today.  We saw his classroom, found his desk (which already had his name on it), and then went outside to the huge play yard to find where his class lines up in the morning.  He was all smiles when the staff member introduced him to the girls who were already in line.  The girls smiled back.  I said good-bye and looked back a few times, he was still smiling.  The last couple days he has been commenting with a laugh, "I bet when I walk into the class everyone is going to turn and look at me!"  As in, how cool will that be?!  He is such a funny, happy boy.

I think Conner also had some nerves going into today.  We've been trying to coach him on how to make a good first impression.  His plan was to tell everyone about Bionic Booger Boy, and demonstrate one of his bendy joint tricks (like, his foot behind his head) to the whole class on the first day.  We suggested rather, that he just try to be nice and friendly today, and share all those special parts of his personality in small doses over time.  :)  Don't overwhelm them in the beginning.

By far, he will have the most adjusting to do.  As he has spent the most time in a school, routine, and teaching method that he is used to.  And now he will be faced with subjects that weren't as prominent in his previous curriculum.  He has 5 teachers: math, reading, writing, social studies, science and then they rotate through specials (music, p.e., etc.).  This morning I dropped him off in Humanities class.  Humanities!  The sweet old lady who teaches the class shook my hand and in her gentle voice said, "In here we try to learn how we can all be more human."

There was a natural divide in the classroom with girls on one side and boys on the other.  (Which I'm sure is odd to Conner because the boys and girls in his old class mixed and conversed and played together pretty easily -- they were all great friends).  The only available seat was in the "girls sections".  He was whisked to his seat in the middle of the classroom before I could give one last pep talk or a hug good-bye.  I stood in the doorway and he looked back at me -- I could see the nerves and the "lost" look in his eyes.  I didn't want to make a scene in front of his new classmates or disrupt class which was already underway.  So I walked up to him, put my hand on his shoulder, and whispered, "do you have any more questions?".  His answer was no.  "I love you, have a great day."

Next comes the part where I walk back to my car with tears in my eyes, praying hard that they can make it through the day.  That they will just breathe and listen as all this new information is coming at them - we will learn the routines in time.  Hoping they will find a friendly face.  

Ohhh, this is hard.  Scott and I have never changed schools before so we don't have any tips from personal experience to share with them.

What we do have, is the priesthood in our home.  Last night Scott gave all the kids a father's blessing.  Each message of counsel and advice was perfect for each child.  I'm so glad that we were able to do this.  To let the kids know that we love them.  And especially to let them know that their Heavenly Father is mindful of them, their worries and concerns, and He is there to strengthen them, love them, and help them through this transition.  If this is all we can give them, then I think we're doing okay.

The Oreo Cakesters in their lunch might help a little too.

I know it will be a great school.  I know this will be a good experience.  I know the kids will get up to speed with their classes and just blossom.  I know they will find friends.  There is just going to be an adjustment period.  And we'll ride that wave together.

the pool party

At age 9 our kids get to have a friend birthday party.  When we originally brainstormed ideas Payton wanted a Mario Party at home.  As we discussed the guest list I learned there were a few girls he wanted to invite.  Hmm.  A Wii party with a bunch of 9 year old boys and girls.  I'm not sure how that is going to work.

So I told him no.  I just can't come up with a good party theme that would work in our home (where we always hold parties) for boys and girls.

"I know!  Let's have it at the pool!", he said.

Sometimes that boy has some great ideas.

So a pool party was born!  I wanted to keep it simple.  I had already dodged the obligation to clean my house (and clean it again after the party ended), I wouldn't have to entertain the kids for 2 hours (entertainment is provided for me), and the whole moving thing was feeling eminent.  Keep it simple!

For invitations I printed these from TomKat Studio:

And for a personal touch I rounded up a few photos of Payton in and around the pool and put them on a teeny tiny photo strip.

Put it all together and wah-la!

Roller stamp across the front of the envelope

Now for the actual party . . . .

We held it during public swim hours and just reserved a space for our group on the bleachers.  Kids arrived, dropped their towels, and headed for the pool.  I had a few pool toys on hand as well.

Diving rings, inflatable shark (everyone went home with one), and underwater cameras.  I think the cameras were a real hit.  I had four cameras that the kids could play with and pass around.  At the beginning of the party I gave Conner the job of getting underwater photos of everyone in attendance.  We just got the photos developed and they are pretty fun!  It's also interesting to see the party from their perspective, in the water.

Payton finished writing his thank you cards yesterday (gotta get those in the mail) and we included each child's underwater photo in the envelope.  

While the kids swam I took photos and handed out snacks (Capri Sun, Goldfish crackers, shark fruit snacks).

After 45 minutes of swimming I gathered everyone out of the pool so we could sing happy birthday, eat cupcakes, and open presents.  I got the great idea for shark fin cupcakes here.  Card stock and toothpicks.

After another hour of swimming it was time to go home.  Everybody went home with a box of swedish fish and an inflatable shark.  The "thank you" tags" also came from TomKat Studio.

I think fun was had by all!  Payton had a great time, he was so excited to have his friends there, and so excited to open his gifts.  I'm not sure these kids have ever seen such a joyful reaction to present opening (I told you that he has a gift).  Which is awesome, because it makes the giver feel that much more special.

Party Supplies

Fujifilm Quick Snap Waterproof 35mm Single Use Camera (4 Pack)

Shark Inflatable Toys 24" (12 pack)

Swedish Fish Assorted Soft & Chewy Candy, 3.5-Ounce Boxes (Pack of 12)

I want to remember . . .

. . . when he sits in the front seat and gets his hands on the ipod his music of choice right now is Rumor Has It (the Glee mash-up)

. . . the odd lunches he packs for school.  There is never a sandwich.  Usually it is a mish-mash collection of whatever is appealing to him that morning: a fruit cup, go-gurt, chunks of cheddar cheese, a bagel (with a small container of jelly or cream cheese for dipping), sometimes carrots, and Sweet & Salty bars.  And sometimes he just fills his lunch with fruit and is stoked about it.

. . . his growing rock collection and how each one brings him such joy.

. . . his love for his stuffed animals Beary and Octopussy (a bear and an octopus).  For Christmas he asked for a rubber fish.  We had no idea why.  This boy is pretty random, so we didn't think too much of it.  When he found the rubber fish in his stocking on Christmas morning he ran up stairs to fetch Beary (who is a polar bear), brought him downstairs, and then "fed" the fish to him.  All this time Beary has been hungry and we didn't even know it!  :)

. . . the funny things he writes in his Diary of a Wimpy Kid Journal.  That one is a keeper.

. . . that he has the best random quotes.  Like this one, "Rule number 872 . . never give a chainsaw to a bear."

. . . the way he recognizes and appreciates good design.  He likes things with nice patterns, order, symmetry, and colors that are pleasing to the eye.  One day while in the car, he looked down at my iphone and commented on how nice it looks.  Adding, "Ya, that one button looks so much nicer than other phones that have 2 or 3 buttons."  What 9 year old notices these things?

. . . he is such a comedian.  As if Brian Regan didn't provide enough material for him, every episode of Phineas & Ferb, Ninjago, Wipeout, and now Strongbad (the 6-DVD set came to our house this Christmas) just keep adding to his act.

. . . that he is such a happy, giggly boy.  Nearly everything sentence or story ends with a laugh.  I've actually heard other boys ask him (on several occasions), "Why do you laugh so much?"  It's because he is HAPPY!

. . . that he can also go from 0 to -60 in no time flat.  He responds quickly and emotionally to loss, mistakes, and hiccups in the day.  I'm trying to teach him to breathe, stay calm, and don't freak out.

. . . his wild imagination and creative story telling.  He has started writing a book about Aser (pronounced "ay-sir"), a character that he and Conner came up with.  They have spent a year or more telling "silly stories" about her each night in their bedroom.  Aser is an acronym for: Acrobatic Supergirl who Eats Ranch.  She hatched from an egg and she likes to blow things up.  Each time he finishes a chapter he likes to read it to me, but he can barely make it through because he is laughing so hard.  I'll let you know when he publishes his book.

. . . when we went to the dentist for a cleaning last week and all he did was talk and talk and talk.  The hygienist and I were laughing so much because we couldn't get him to stop talking and just open his mouth!

. . . the time we were driving in the car, just he and I.  I reached over and held his hand.  My hand was icy cold.  His was piping hot.  Upon grasp we both let out an "ahhhh, that feels good."  I told him that we were a good match.

 

embrace the camera: february 9th

Today I'm embracing the camera with Payton.

On his birthday I handed the camera over to Conner and asked him to take a photo.

Love this boy.

He's popping up in a lot of blog posts lately, I know.  And I've got 2 more in my head that will make it onto the blog when I have time.

Embrace the Camera

the many faces of payton

I have learned that when it comes time for Payton to open a present (Christmas, Birthday, whatever) I need to grab my camera, get into position, and snap snap snap away.  Because these are the faces he gifts us with:

This one isn't as excitable, but these are signature "Payton faces" that I was happy to capture.

When Payton was about 4 months old I make a scrapbook layout titled "The Many Faces of Payton".  Back then he had a wide arsenal of distinctive looks and today that hasn't change one bit.  The collection is just growing larger, I think.  

Thank you, Payton, for always entertaining us with your adorable face and awesome personality.

nine years for P

one

two

three

four

five

six

seven

eight

nine

a quick photo this morning

Oh for cute!  I love this boy.  His smile, his cheeks, his happiness, out-of-control loud laughter, sense of humor, and ability to extract loads of joy from the smallest, everyday things.

Happy 9th Birthday, Payton!

movie monday

So, it looks like I spent Sunday evening playing around with iMovie.  Yep.  The house is quiet and my photos are entertaining me.

movie #1 - Last week's Pack Meeting.  Payton received his Wolf badge (yay!) and I handed the camera over to Conner when I was called up to receive the mother's pin.  You'll see that he was a little shutter-happy and captured every. single. moment.

Did you catch my masterful music/photo editing match-up of the lyrics "I throw my hands up in the air sometimes" . . . if not, watch it again.  Pretty proud of that one.  ;)

movie #2 - Driving to the aiport to pick up Scott and once again, Conner is operating the video camera.  And please excuse my filthy windows.  We don't notice those things until the sun starts to shine through them!  We made sure to take a trip through the car wash on the way home.

And no, this is not "one of our last looks at Portland before we move" as Conner says.  There is no moving date as of yet.

movie #3 - So Anna isn't left out, here's a short one featuring her ninja/spy moves.  

invention convention

For the longest time if you ever asked Payton what he wants to be when he grows up his response has been:  Inventor.  He is always coming up with wild ideas for contraptions, sketching them on paper, and rigging his toys to do things they weren't originally intended to do.

So when his teacher announced that their class was going to have an invention convention he was 110% on board.

He came up with his idea over a month ago and it was surprisingly simple, but very useful.  And he was gun-ho about making it a reality.

I present . . . . the Scooter Basket

Because . . . "when you ride a scooter you have to use both hands, so you don't have any hands to carry your stuff."

He plans to sell it for $5.  It will come in different colors and future models will feature a lid.

His biggest selling point . . . "it's big enough to fit a chicken."

Because you know how annoying that is when you want to ride down the street and you have nowhere to put your chicken.

{sandwiched between two of his best (girl)friends}

On Friday the classroom was open for parents and a few other classes to come by and visit.  The desks were lined up around the perimeter of the room and the kids stood behind their desks to present their inventions and answer any questions.

Here is Payton contemplating his answer to a parents' question/comment:

It was a really fun event.  And I was very impressed by the creativity of these kids.  

This model was just plain awesome

When you have a sore throat you text what you want to say on your phone, which then relays the message to a speaker you wear on your head.  It's the Talkity Talk.  I see an infomercial in her future.

And I will definitely be first in line when this comes out

Extra Arms!  Sign me up!

The whole event was so stinking cute and fun.  All the kids were just beaming with pride over their inventions.  Loved, loved, loved it.

Later, Payton told me that he was sooo happy we were still here for the invention convention.  That's 1 point for not moving!

a look at soccer season

 Soccer season is more than halfway over.  The boys have 4 more weeks.  Anna has 3.

Back in May when I left the highschool following soccer sign-ups I asked myself, "what the heck am I thinking?!"  Three kids in soccer means 3 games every Saturday and 6 practices every week in different locations.  And I knew Scott would miss half the games which meant the handling of all the uniforms, shin guards, cleats, water bottles, chairs, umbrellas, cold, rain, and mud would rest solely on me.

So I tried to lower everyone's expectations for the season . . . I helped the kids understand that they might have to take turns missing a game because I can't be 3 places at once, and decided overall that we would be content doing what we could do.

But I have been pleasantly surprised at how smoothly things have gone.  When I received all 3 game schedules and mapped it out I found that through the entire 9 week season we only had 2 little hiccups.  It has worked out to be doable.  A little hectic, but doable.  I breathed a happy sigh when I realized it would work out . . . I consider that a tender mercy.  And the weather has treated us well (knock on wood) so far.  We've only had to bring out our umbrellas once at game-time.  Another blessing.  

This is Anna's first year playing soccer.  Since age 1 she has spent every September and October on a soccer field watching her brothers practice and play games.  During the games she would occupy herself by kicking around a ball.  For a long time we have known that she would love playing this game.  

She is so much fun to watch on the field.  First of all, she always has a huge smile on her face and she is always laughing and giggling.  Just so entertaining.  No melt-down, tired, grumpy, or frustrated moments on the field whatsoever.  She is pure soccer joy!  She also does a great job of running hard, keeping up with the ball, and I think she has scored a goal at nearly every game so far.

Payton - year number 4

In past years Payton could easily be voted as the soccer player who is "mostly likely to chase butterflies on the field."  He moves a little bit slower, and doesn't have a whole lot of competitive drive when it comes to sports.  Which is fine.  I'm the same way.  He often spends more time entertaining his teammates and getting them to laugh with his silly antics, rather than focusing on the game.  But this year we have seen a little more energy and intensity emerge.  

He started the season with a bang when at his first game he scored 2 goals!!  Scott and I were so so proud, excited, and happy for him.  Cheering, whooting, and clapping . . . it even brought tears to my eyes.  Especially after all these years of encouragement, coaching, and practice . . . to see him succeed and his face light up like that was just priceless. We were both a bit choked up, witnessing our little P find a piece of success.  And it was on my birthday!  I couldn't have asked for a better birthday present.  

He has done a good job this season of knowing and playing his position, being a team player, and anticipating where the ball is going to be and getting there.

 

Conner - year number 6

Conner loves loves loves soccer.  Loves it.  And on several occasions has shared with me his aspirations of playing soccer for BYU.  He also wants to be a professional football player for the Oakland Raiders.  And be an engineer.  And a chemist.  And . . . .

Wanting to give him a reality check without totally dashing his dreams, tonight I told him about intramural sports at BYU and how fun it is to gather a group of friends and roommates to form your own team.  Then you can just play for fun and have a good time and not worry about all the time and work that it takes to be on BYU's official soccer team.  He really liked that idea, so I may have (sneakily) won him over.  :)  That's what moms do, right?  Carefully plant ideas/options so that the kids eventually think that it was their own idea and everyone is happy.

Anyways, back to Conner in soccer . . . . he has a lot of fun with his team.  They really get along and have a fun time playing together.  They have just had a really tough season so far.  1 - 3.  Two of those losses came from a top-notch team that plays year round and you can tell they've been playing together for a few years.  Conner's team has been playing together since late August. 

But they've had a good attitude and try their best.  Conner is doing a good job this year of being a little more aggressive, getting in position, working with his team, and pushing himself.  We have been very proud of his effort at every game.

I typically bring my camera to just one game each season and I was so happy that the game I happened to photograph was a winner.  His team was all smiles coming off the field at the end of the game.  The parents were too.

And here are my 3 soccer players all together:

Pretty cute bunch, eh?  And Payton's epic head of hair . . . don't worry, I took care of it last sunday.  He looks a lot less werewolf-ish.

first day of school - 2011

Okay, I couldn't wait until the end of the day to post these pictures.  They are way too cute to keep to myself any longer!

First we have Anna, starting Kindergarten!

What a cute girl!  And I really don't think I'm biased just because she's mine.  :)  We started taking pictures and then she said, "wait, how about I go like this" and then pointed her toe forward.  I never knew that ballet training would come in handy for back to school photos.

Then, Mr. P who is entering 3rd grade.  I think he grew up quite a bit over the summer.

The bonus of starting school 30 minutes earlier this year was that the blaring morning sun hadn't hit our front porch yet.  Every year we struggle with back to school pics because of the sun in the eyes.  Although, Payton was the last of the crew to get his picture taken so the sun was teasing us as it crept up behind the tree branches.  Hence the orange glow on his face.  No, there were no spray tans before the start of school.

And finally, Conner is a big 5th grader this year.  How and when did he grow up so fast!

Conner is in such a good place.  10 years old.  Helpful.  Great at initiating and carrying on conversations.  Funny.  Confident.  Thoughtful.  Just a good boy.  I think he is going to have a great year.

And now for some jumping pictures . . . . 

Payton is super excited for school.

And he's about to launch . . . . 5, 4, 3, 2, 1, we have lift-off!

It is pretty fun to have all my kids at the same school this year.

I look at these pictures and they make me especially happy.  To see their relationship -- they laugh, joke, pick at, and love each other.  (Well, most of the time).  In the father's blessings that Scott gave the kids on Sunday he touched on this sibling relationship and encouraged them to strengthen it and to be each other's best friends.  With the upcoming move and all the changes it will bring, if they will look out for and help one another, and be each others' friend then it will be okay.  I really feel that more and more.  Our little family unit and the relationships in it, are really all that matters.

Have a great first day, kids.  I love you!

spirit week at the pool

The second week of swimming lessons also happened to coincide with Spirit Week at the pool.  Usually there's a silly theme each day and the lifeguards will dress up.  But when Conner's teacher told him that he would get extra jumps at the end of the lesson if he came dressed for Pirate Day on wednesday . . . oh boy, it unleashed an enthusiasm for spirit week that I'm sure the staff has never seen before.

Wednesday: Pirate Day

Friday: Crazy Hair Day / 80's

But Thursday takes the cake . . . . Super Hero Day

Let me introduce you to Flower Power - 

And the man of steel, Superman -- 

Finally, the one and only Bionic Booger Boy -- 

Bionic Booger Boy was created this last year when Conner began drawing comics.  All of his stories feature this green super hero, fighting his nemesis Mr. Clean.  I love his creativity & imagination, but after a while I have to put the "lava boogers" talk to rest.

Conner came up with the design and materials for his costume and I helped him put it together.  An old day camp t-shirt became a cape and mask.  An undershirt + fabric markers and he was all set.  Oh my goodness, he was absolutely giddy.  He wore the costume all day for 2 days.  It was pretty fun to see his excitement over this character coming to life.

Who knew that swimming lessons would be such an adventure?

summer fun #26: swimming lessons

it's official.  Our children are fish.  

The kids did awesome in their swimming lessons this year.  Both Conner and Payton moved up a level.  And Anna is doing great with her beginner arm strokes and back floats.

Here are some photos from the last day of swimming lessons:

Payton -- So proud of this kid.  He worked really hard in swimming lessons to improve his arm strokes and floats.  He set a goal for himself to take the swim test on the last day of summer.  At our city pool you have to pass a swim test (one lap arm stroke, one lap elementary backstroke across the width of the pool -- no stopping, no touching the bottom) in order to swim in the big lap pool.  This big pool also holds the brand new giant, twisty water slide which he has watched Conner enjoy all summer.  So after swimming lessons on friday, we went back to the pool in the afternoon for one last swim.  Payton headed straight to the swim test line and was raring to go.  Conner and I watched with baited breath . . . excited/nervous for him.  But mostly so proud that he made the decision to do this all on his own.

Oh, and during the test you can't wear goggles.  Which is huge for Payton.  Remember how sensitive his eyes are to the sun?  Same goes for the water.  

He closed his eyes tight, took a deep breath and pushed off from the edge.  Stroke, stroke, stroke, breath . . stroke, stroke, stroke, breath . . . and pretty soon he had reached the end!  Then he put his skills to use and did his very best elementary backstroke, even bumping into and re-routing around kids who got in his way, and finally made it to the finish by the lifeguard chair.  Woo-hoo Payton!  He actually made it without stopping on his very first try.

But . . . as I suspected (and what was the best decision for everyone) the lifeguard didn't pass him.  He made it back and forth, but he still needs to work on becoming a stronger swimmer.  His little body was exhausted at the end of that test, and I know that I would not feel comfortable sending him into the big pool.  

Conner and I congratulated him on a great job and tried to lift his spirits with lots of encouragement.  A little disappointed and a lot tired, he spent the rest of his time swimming in the small pool and had a great time.  I think it was great for him to see that he could do it, but also to realize that it takes some work to build up the stamina to safely swim in deeper waters.

Like I said, I was so so proud of him that he set a goal and with drive & desire he did his very best to follow through.  Super champ!

 

Anna - As I've mentioned before, this girl's biggest achievement this summer was ditching the water wings.  She doesn't have free reign in the pool, but when we are there she spends half of her time underwater diving for rings, watching her brothers do silly tricks, and swimming like a mermaid.  

 

Conner - Last summer Conner was in the level 4 class.  When we went to sign up this summer they told us that they have changed the numbering of the classes and a 4 was now a 3 1/2.  Conner was not happy.  He was really proud of his level 4 rank and had worked really hard to earn that.  For this over-achieving boy, being bumped down to 3 1/2 was a major bummer.

But . . . it was all good.  He had a fantastic teacher -- Rachel, one of our favorite young women from church (we have quite a few favorites).  She helped fine-tune his strokes to where they are strong, smooth, and precise.  It is so much fun to watch him glide through the water.

This session he finally figured out the diving thing, from a standing position.  And he has got all the strokes down.  It is high on my list to track down a swim team or club when we get to Vegas and sign him up.  He is a swimmer.

Oh, and he easily passed all the requirements to re-enter level 4.  :)

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I've said this on facebook and I'll say it again . . . . it makes this California girl (and former swim team member) so happy to see my kids love and thrive in the water.

how to pack for a trip

So in our packing for the mega road trip we brought . . . .

• 3 duffel bags
• 1 rolling duffel bag
• 1 swim bag
• 2 computer bags
• 1 camera bag
• 1 hanging garment bag
• 2 temple bags
• 1 food/snack tote bag
• 3 bicycle helmets
• 2 ipads
• 2 guns (I'll get to that later)
• 1 ammo box
• 3 road trip boxes filled with activities for the kids
• and 4 golf club bags

That's right.  4 golf bags.  1 for Scott and 3 for the kids.  Scott was planning to golf.  That is a given.  We discussed the possibility of him taking the boys out, but it didn't work out.  Soon, our time in Idaho was growing to a close and those 3 extra golf bags were still sitting in the garage unused.  Nothing steams me more than packing super large items for a trip and then not using it.

In our early married days we lived in Utah, and from time to time we would drive up to his parents' house.  Scott would always bring his golf clubs, his bowling bowl, and his roller blades . . . . just because you never know what you might be in the mood to do.  Ackk!  The excessive packing drives me just a little crazy.

Anyway, with just 2 evenings left in our stay in Idaho we packed up the golf bags and headed to the driving range.  Tantrum averted.

Here are some photos from our delightful evening at the driving range.

See all the balls lying just inches from Anna?  The reason for her frustration.

But on the good list is getting to collect all the balls that are 10 steps away . . . . to hit again!  It's almost like an easter egg hunt.  :)

Some pointers from dad . . . 

He swings and . . . ooo, it's a miss.  Nice divet.

Placing his tee for the next shot.

Scott getting slouchy with Anna's driver.

Golf was something that was completely foreign to me before meeting Scott.  And now I have to say that I quite enjoy scenes like this (below).  It makes me happy.

My boys with their bags (see Conner's monogrammed golf towel?) after hitting a bucket of balls on the driving range.