Random Pictures

A little train action. Nathan mimics absolutely everything Kenny does. His sentences, his expressions, and every actions. What is hilarious is that he can't pronounce everything. You hear Kenny say, "Whoo hoo, I can go play a game." Nathan will say, "Whoo whoo. I go go (blah blah blah) a tame." Very cute!

Pudding mustache. He did this on purpose. He used the edge of his spoon to "draw"on himself.

The kiddos are coloring at their art table in the dining room.
The boys were playing Star Wars and they "died" each other with other with "life savers" made out of little sticks the hamster is supposed to chew on.

Playing Family

Kenny likes to play family. We were playing in the toy room tonight and he kept calling his brother "son". He'd say, "Son, what is it you want?" He also decided that we were going to have roles. He assigned Nathan the role of the baby, Kenny was the Daddy, Ken was the big boy, and I was his honey. He was so cute!

I Survived!

Sorry about the sparse nature of my blog posts as of late. I have been SWAMPED with school stuff. We got a new principal a week before school started because our other principal was...um...encouraged to resign. Which she did-the Friday before school we went back. So not only am I adjusting to a new grade level, but we are under new last minute management (new assistant principal and counselor as well). I love the new administration and have been impressed at how well they have pulled things together on such short notice.

Now the reason for this post. School started today. The first few days are always a little crazy and today was no exception.

So, kindergarten. I really love it, but I am so tired. My class is so small and sweet. So far I have 9 boys and only 5 girls. I hope with the registration over the next week I'll get a few more girls. Having a lot of boys means a rough and tumble class. The copy room didn't get to making any of our copies, so we had to kinda do things on the fly. Luckily, a few of my first day activities were things I had made papers for on the computer and I just printed them at home. We made a class book with each child contributing a page. The each page has their name and a self portrait. We also made a memory page by stamping their hands. I didn't have any criers, though a few of the other teacher's did. I can't wait for the first few weeks to be over and things finally settle down into a nice routine.

Sorry if this post seems a bit random, but my brain is only functioning on half speed right now.

Train Ride

I'm testing out the new video clip posting option. Hope it works!

Five Year Old Logic

Daddy: "Why don't you eat some of your fish?"
Kenny: "But I don't like it."
Daddy: "How do you know if you don't like it if you don't try it?"
Kenny: "Well Daddy, I don't try it because I don't like it."

And there you have it folks.

Take A Tour of Kindergarten

I have spent the last week setting up and getting ready for the new school year. It took some time to set up my classroom because it is smaller than my room last year and it is an open concept room (it only has 3 walls and opens up to a common area). Anyway, here are some pictures of my new domain. I am missing pictures of the listening and computer centers as well as my kidney shaped teaching table. Enjoy!

My desk and source of power.

My circle time area in the front of the room.

Storytelling Center (the black thing is a felt board and there is a bucket of puppets and stories)

Library Center

ABC Center

Investigation Station

Games and Puzzles Center

Home Living Center

You Know They Love You When...

You kiss them on the cheek and they grin and say, "Thank you Mom."

They hear you leave after they have gone to bed and they sleep on the floor next to their door, waiting for you to come home.

Telling them, "I'm proud of you" produces fits of giddy giggles.

They compliment you on the dinner you have made and thank you for getting their favorite things.

They wake you up at 3:30 in the morning for help brushing their teeth.

They fake sick just to sleep on the floor next to you.

They pledge to marry no one else but you when they are old enough.

They give you plastic food and pieces of yarn because they want to share their most prized possessions.

The list goes on and on. I will always cherish all the little ways those boys show their love. It's one of the great things about being a parent.

I need to go to bed. I have to go back to work tomorrow.

Sorry for getting all sentimental. It always happens before I go back to work.

Night Time Wanderings

Please make a note of these points. First, Ken feel asleep watching the news on the couch last night (which I have to admit is nice because I am selfish and enjoy getting the whole bed to myself. It's terribly annoying to be knocking into someone all night and therefore being confined to a small area of bed. I love spreading out. Sorry- sidetrack over.) Another point to be taken into consideration is that when our kiddos are sick, we usually put then on the floor on my side of the bed with a bowl to catch the puke (sorry- but we do.)

Anyway, onto my story. It begins well before 3:30 a.m., but it is 3:30 a.m. that I enter the story. I wake up to the sound of my bedroom door opening and the interruption of my lovely dream in which I actually own a king size bed and a chocolate factory (sigh.) Nathan came in, dragging his blankie, and with the biggest grin his little face can muster pronounces, "I sick. I sick." I want to be irritated, but he was so darn cute I couldn't. So, I made him a little bed on the floor, retrieved his pillow, and settled him down. With slight irritation, I head downstairs to turn off the t.v. and lights in the living room, and try and get Ken to come upstairs to bed (after all, it is the polite thing to do and I am always a lady.) I noticed that he had Nathan's toothbrush and toothpaste resting on his chest. This meant that prior to waking me, Nathan had come out of his room, roamed around upstairs in the dark, found his toothbrush and toothpaste, gone downstairs, and done who knows what. I retrieved his oral hygiene products and as I go upstairs I am greeted by Nathan, grinning, at the top of the stairs with a sippy cup in hand. "Drink water, drink water." When I took the cup he starts jumping up and down without actually leaving the ground, cheering, "drink water, yeah!" I get him settle down and get back in bed. Just as I began drifting back to my chocolate factory dream, the door to my room opens again. I looked over and Nathan is missing. I got out of bed- again (the time is 3:50) and helped Nathan and his pillow, sippy cup, binky, blankie, plastic donut, and purple plastic letter "g" get back into his own bed. Finally, I got to go back to spreading out on my bed and my chocolate factory.

On a compltely unrelated side note, while saying family prayer tonight, Kenny said, "And please help Mommy and Daddy know how to handle me better."

Future Plans

My friend was watching the kids while I was at the doctor's office. She shared this little conversation with Kenny.

"Miss. Tiffany. When I get big I know how I am going to sneak out. I am going to go out the toy room window and jump onto that roof (the garage roof). Then I will jump over to the neighbors roof. Then I will jump down into their yard and go swimming anytime I want."

I asked him about this little conversation at dinner and he did confirm he plans to sneak out- with his best buds Logan and Hannah- to go swimming next door in the middle of the night.

Should I worry? He's only 5!

Pray for me...pray very hard. I think we're going to need it.

PS- Check out the new quote on the side bar.

Ball Player

Before the tropical storm hit, the men of the house went outside for a little manly bonding. They graciously invited me to participate because apparently I am not a girl, I am a mom, which puts my in a whole new gender category. Anyways, I chose to be the photographer and play with the buttons and settings on our digital point and click.


Nathan enjoyed hitting the ball, but not as much a fetching them.

"I do it! I do it!"Daddy worked on Kenny's stance and pose the whole time before he realized that he was teaching our right handed son how to bat left handed. He's left handed, so he forgot to switch it around.


They had fun. We tried to play three way catch with Kenny, Ken, and myself, but Kenny is...shall we say...scared of the ball. And if he has enough of my genes in him, he should be scared of balls. He will attract them like magnets.

Questions

On the drive home from the bookstore, Kenny asked the following questions.

"How do doors get on houses?"

"Are toys real and people pretend?"

"Do apples have eyes?"

I love how little minds work. They find joy and delight in everything they see. How many adults earnestly wonder about how houses get doors? It makes me wonder how much simpler and happier life would be if only we could be as little children. Laughter would come easily, forgiveness given swiftly, a kiss would heal most wounds, and imagination could turn anything into a rainbow.

I'm so grateful I have two sweet little boys to remind me of all that is precious and important in this life. I am so blessed!

Picture Day

Family movie time- Veggie Tales Lord of the Bean (an adorable mimic of Lord of the Rings)Kenny made stew for the dog's supper. Yummy! I was a bit jealous he did not make any of his tasty creation for me. I asked if I could have some, but he scowled at me and told me I could not eat dog suppers.
Nathan in the ball pit.
My Apple Dumpling Gang.

Chopsticks

We had Korean food yesterday and Kenny had a Styrofoam cup with water for a drink. Within 30 seconds of getting his cup, he stabbed it straight through with his chopstick. Water started pouring out. It was like a dam with a hole in the wall. I used my finger to stem the flow while trying to dodge the water leaking off the table and onto my lap.

We took the chopsticks away.

Nathan and Kenny both did a great job at trying the different types of food. Kenny didn't complain and he even ate his rice- something he never does. Nathan was amazing. He volunteerly took bites of everything- the kimchi, bean sprouts, fried rice, onions, meat, potatoes, etc. We were so proud. He really has a large taste palette. He loves spicy food and unique flavors. It makes his Daddy so happy to his baby enjoying Korean food.

My Boys

Ken went downstairs and found Nathan in the dryer and Kenny running away. He was yelling, "Nathan's in the dryer,Nathan's in the dryer." Daddy asked if he helped Nathan get in the dryer. Kenny said,"Yes, but Nathan's in the dryer."

Yesterday, I turned off the T.V. after Kenny was finished watching a movie and he said, "For what purpose are you turning off the T.V.?"

Gotta love them!

The Recpetion

I have four siblings and each of them is married. When we all get together, we can be a rather rowdy bunch. We have a good time at wedding receptions.

The munchkins...they always keep things interesting. Landan and Kenny both have...shall we say...dominant personalities. Which means they only get along about 50% of the time.
Awwww...so cute!


This is one of the few pictures of Kenny because the only way to photograph him is to bolt him to the floor. He kept trying to interrupt Ken and I while we tried to get in one kid free dance. A friend from the ward called Kenny over and entertained him by feeding him chocolate. She also encouraged Kenny to run up to the groom's cake and steal a chocolate covered strawberry right after David cut it. Of course, Kenny was more than happy to oblige in doing something naughty. The next morning, Kenny came downstairs and said, "Last night, I ate lots of chocolate and now I'm having a sugar crash."

This was a special moment. Poor Cassie was unable to attend the wedding and Jonny was lonely. Being the wonderful man that he is, Ken decided to cheer Jonny up with a dance. I have to admit, I was a little jealous at first, but after several nights of tear-filled ice cream binges, I think I have made good progress.

Nathan had a great time. The tables had little candy bars with David and Katherine's names on them. Nathan spent the entire night walking around reaching his little hands up on the tables and feeling around until he found a candy bar. He probably ate two dozen mini-candy bars. He ditched his shirt and tie about halfway through. He loved dancing. Here is a picture of him dancing with Eppie and Papa and another of him dancing with Ashlyn.


Grandmama- this photo is for you. After all, no family event would be complete without pictures of people eating.
We had a good time.

We Survived!

It has been a whirlwind weekend. Family came into town for a power-house 3 day weekend. Ken and I have made 3 trips to the airport and I know my parents have made quite a few as well. We had a great time and truly enjoyed all the family time.


It was about an hour long drive to get to the temple. The boys passed the time watching VeggieTales, while Ken, Jonny, and I did Mad Libs. The sealing was beautiful and I got a little teary-eyed. Then came picture time. They had a great photographer who kept things quick. This was great news because it was roughly 4000 degrees outside and the dress I was wearing retained as much heat as a wool jacket worn on the equator.

From the left- Marissa, a stunningly beautiful redhead, Jessica (bride sister), Katherine, David, Jonny, Mike, and Nicholas (her brother).
Seven years and he still makes my heart beat fast and my toes feel tingly. We were the first of the sibs to get married in July of 2000. We were followed by Marissa and Kevin in December of 2001, Mike and Ashlyn in June of 2005, Jonny and Cassie in December 2005, and David and Katherine in August of 2007. Five weddings in seven years. Now we are all married off and my parents are finally officially empty nesters.

Look at these two little hooligans. They're so cute I just might have to take them home with me (wink, wink).

This is my grandfather (my mom's dad). Kenny and Nathan call their great-grandfather Papa 2 because they call my father Papa. These boys are 2 of his 16 great-grandchildren so far.

I'll post about the reception tomorrow. That is where the REAL fun took place. My family gets a little crazy when we all get together. Couple that with a severe lack of sleep by all- including the children- and we had a good time.

Quick Update

It's been a few days since I wrote. I haven't been super busy, but I haven't had any down time. Check out my sisters (Marissa and Ashlyn) blog to see pictures of the boys and their new baby cousin.

We took Kenny to the doctor for his 5 year old check up. His ped. is sending him to a gastro-intestinal specialist due to unsatisfactory weight gain. Over the last three years, he has made minimal progress and his latest growth numbers show a dip downward. Since this is a trend that has been happening since birth, she wants to make sure there is nothing going on in his system that is inhibiting weight gain.

Otherwise, we are just getting ready for the wedding. I went shopping with Ashlyn on Tuesday and had a great time. I got a new dress, a pair of jeans, and a shirt. I bought Nathan a new pair of dress pants and a white dress shirt (his Sunday clothes were getting small.) Family has started coming into town. Uncle Jonny is staying with us. I'll post more about this weekend later.