Riley Highland Choir

(video)

Halloween

 The chili cook off at the church-

Hey Salt Lake, what does it take to get more than a fourth of a gym for a cultural hall?

Fall Break

The second week in October we went to Atlanta to visit Amy and Dave during Fall Break.

We visited Amy at her school, shot guns, played in balloons, and Todd and I went to the temple. 

MOPS

I go to a MOPS (Mothers of Preschoolers) group at Bellevue Baptist Church.  I looked into it when we first moved here, just because I didn't know any other stay-at-home moms, but I talked myself out of walking into a room of Baptist women I didn't know.  A year later a family moved in across the street from us that goes to Bellevue. The mom, Beth, is a stay-at-home mom and we have become good friends.  I asked her if she went, she said she didn't but had thought about it.  I told her if she did to let me know and I would go with her.  Well, last year we started and it has been really fun. I have gotten to know so many great, faithful mothers, and I look forward to our meetings we have every other week.  Now that there are two other Mormon stay-at-home moms in Owensboro, I have convinced them to go as well.  So it is all these women that go to the Baptist church together and me and my two other Mormon buddies.
Usually we meet every other Tuesday from 9-11 and have a pot-luck breakfast and a guest speaker on family, discipline, relationships or some other relative topic. It has been really good this year.  A few of the girls I am friends with pretty much organize everything and I have been really impressed.  It is very uplifting. It reminds me that no matter what our religion may be, we are all trying our hardest to raise our children in Christian homes with Christian values. I really like it.
One of the annual family activities is to have a hot dog roast at the Claypool farm. The kids love it and it is a good chance for our husbands to associate with each other.

 Last year the fire was huge and flaming.  This year was quite disappointing with the smoldering briquettes. 

We also went to the Evansville Zoo.  Owensboro doesn't even have a zoo.  Pitiful.  No Zoo.  

No Old Navy. So weird. 

Sadly, the Evansville Zoo may have been the most pathetic zoo I have ever been to.  But it had its perks.  We got to feed the giraffes and the botanic garden was pretty cool.

Teeth

So.  Extra teeth.  Apparently, if you have one extra, they pull five.  

Macie was a trooper.  The oral surgeon wanted to put her under general anesthesia at the surgery center because she gets so nervous, but when I found out that would cost us an extra $2,000 

I bribed her to be brave. 

Just sit in the chair, they will give you gas, and you won't feel a thing.  

She was absolutely horrified, but she did it.  

And luckily, I was right about the not feeling a thing, or I don't think she would ever trust me again.  

Pre-surgery:

the front one fell out two days before she was scheduled to go in.  So that was lucky.  Pretty much, she has an extra front tooth.  If it was just an extra baby tooth, it wouldn't be a big deal, but she had the extra permanent one up there as well.  It was coming in sideways preventing all the other teeth on that side from dropping down.  She had lost all her baby teeth on the other side, but none on the extra tooth side.  

 So they went in and pulled four teeth that were exposed, then opened up her gums to extract the extra one.  It was pretty disgusting.  And, yes, I am THAT mom that took pictures of the whole grotesque procedure. 

She wasn't happy about any of this.  Quite mad, really.  She is pretty self conscious and will only smile with her mouth shut.  They were pulled mid September.  It is now December 29th and the teeth haven't come in yet.  But they are hurting, so I am hoping that means they are on their way. 

I had bribed Macie with things like an Ipod, a trip to Holiday World, or getting her ears pierced. Normally she would have to wait until she was nine for piercing her ears, so that is what she chose.  Fabulous!  I saved two grand and only had to dish out $30 to get her ears pierced.  It was a win-win. I failed to document the piercing, but she said it hurt more than getting the teeth pulled.

A few shots from her program at school.  The school is doing the "7 Habits of Highly Successful Students" by Stephen Covey, so the program was all about the habits:
Be Proactive
Begin with the End in Mind
Put First Things First
Think Win-Win
Seek First to Understand, then to be Understood
Synergize
Sharpen the Saw

Cross Country 2013

 Macie finished in the top 10 every time.  She usually got third or fourth place in the k-2 division. We were really stoked about the final race, pulling for top three and a trophy, but then they canceled it.  Conflict with the high school meet or something.  Riley also did awesome, shaving seconds off her time each race.  This was Charlotte's first year.  She ran the first time and did great!  I envisioned her walking, crying, sobbing, crying (you get the picture), but she got out there and ran the whole thing! After that she refused to run in the next three, but then finished strong and ran the last one.

I didn't get their PR's, but at one race Macie finished in 5.54 and Riley in 6.15

Back to School

Amy came to visit right before we headed back to school on August 7th.

Can someone please take some pictures of ME with my children? 

And then have them magically upload like this? Okay? Thanks. 

-Preschool-

-Kindergarten-

 -Second Grade-

-Fourth Grade-

Carver. In preschool.  Melts my heart just typing it.  

He was so excited to go to "his school". He didn't start until a week after the girls did, and each day he would wake up and ask, "Is it my school day yet?"

I hope I never forget the image of him strapping on his backpack every 

 Tuesday and Thursday morning.  So proud of himself.

He loves it.  

Charlotte in Kindergarten.  Where do I even begin? Charlotte has been my napper.  During preschool last year it wasn't uncommon for her to come home and take a two hour afternoon nap three times a week.  We were down to only one most weeks during the summer.  

I still knew all day kindergarten would be hard for her. 

Honestly, it's been hard for everyone.  

When Charlotte is tired she is mean. Or maybe she isn't tired and she is just mean? 

It's not fun.  I try to be ever so patient, but it is hard not to get angry and/or frustrated with her behavior.  I miss my sweet little girl.  I really do.  Some days I question if this is just the new norm. Is Charlotte going to be miserable her whole life? I hope not.  Her teacher assures me that she is her go-to-girl. She can't say enough about how wonderful she is in class.  Although I am relieved that she is great at school, it makes me sad that she appears so unhappy at home.  I am hoping we will get to a turning point here where she has a change of heart...where she can be happy and fun instead of grumpy and whiny all the time. 

Regardless, I love her. I really do.  I just miss the sweet little Charlotte. But, to end on a good note - she has the sweetest, most heartfelt prayers.  I need to secretly record them, because they are genuine and beautiful. She thanks Heavenly Father for the trees and the flowers and the beautiful sky, she includes little details about her day, and she remembers to ask for blessings for people that I often forget...I just love them.  They are sweet.  She is sweet.  We just need to work on consistency :)

Macie, Macie, Macie.

Mace is one of a kind.  I think Charlotte learned some of her greatest skills from Mace.

Macie has had a pretty eventful year, which I will document later, but she is growing up to say the least.  I wish my kids could all freeze in time at certain stages.  Two. Two is great.  I just don't like them growing up and becoming independent.  I don't like that I have to nag Macie about sucking her thumb at night, because really I would like it just fine if she could sit on my lap and suck her thumb and twist her blanket all day long.  But there comes a point...or that is what I am told...that that all has to stop. And Mom has to be the enforcer that makes growing up happen in a socially acceptable way. Bummer for me. 

Macie is a perfectionist.  She has the greatest handwriting. As a leftie she doesn't even slant the wrong direction! She loves to read. At her parent-teacher conference a couple of weeks ago she tested above the 98% in all the reading and comprehension categories, so she has been referred to special programs. (Yet if you ask her she would say something like, "I don't even know how to read. Everyone reads faster than me!")

She is also quite the artist.  I love going to school and seeing her stories and illustrations hanging in the hall. 

Some of her work from last year -first grade- just because I had it uploaded already.

Riley.  Riley gives me hope for the rest of em'.  Riley had some hard times with respect and attitude, but she has turned out lovely. :)

Riley is responsible, hard working, and creative.  She loves to make crafts and she has the amazing ability to watch youtube videos to figure out complicated things like weaving little elastics together into intricate bracelets. She is a wonderful student and friend. She is a leader and a good example at church.  She tries really hard to do what is right.  She wants to be good. We are lucky to have her. Oh, and all my friends love her because she likes to hold the babies and play with the little kids while we (the moms) chat.