Direction

Somewhere along the way Tyson learned his directions.  He has been stating his Left and Right for a while now.  It's pretty amazing to me since he's still three.  Today I found out just how smart he is at giving direction.
"Mom, remember when we turned left and came on this road?"
"Yes."
"Next (remember how I love this word?) we'll turn right to go to the house we went to last year (yesterday!)."

I hate to admit it, but I still struggle sometimes when I'm giving directions.  I have to literally stop and think which one I write with.  He has no trouble whatsoever!  Again, he's three!  I love witnessing my child's development.  Even if it makes me look like a fool.

Simple Walk

Last night Jamie and I went for a walk after our kids were in bed.  Cameron had made the comment that he was nervous to have us walking in the dark.  We brushed him off, saying we had our flashlights and cell phones and began our walk.  We got right on to the path that is well traveled through Richland.  We were walking at a brisk pace, loving the freedom of walking without strollers, and talking about whatever we wanted.  It was a beautiful night!  Every once in a while I would hear footsteps behind me.  I wasn't really freaking myself out, but I wanted to make sure that we weren't in the way of a runner or biker.  Each of the three times proved to be nothing.  No one was behind us.  So, the next thing I know, someone comes running up on my left- without a sound.  I am a jumpy person- I HATE being scared!  So, without sound I see someone creep (not really, but that's how it felt) up on my left and I let out a blood-curdling, murdered-in-the-back-alley, save-me-from-death kind of scream.  Jamie must not have heard her come up on us either, because when I let out my scream of death, she grabbed onto my right arm with enough force to bust a can of refrigerated biscuits with her bare hands.  Naturally we started laughing!  Hard!  I think she may reconsider my offer of walking the next time.  Who needs that kind of stress?  You never know when I'm going to let one of my infamous "tiger screams" loose!  As a side note, the runner didn't even break stride!!  She didn't even  pause to see if I had had a heart attack.  That's dedication ladies and gentlemen!  Ded-i-ca-tion!   

Landscaping

Flower Garden Before and After

 I never understood why they chose to put the bushes in the way they did.  There was no rhyme-or-reason to their placement.  They weren't symmetrical, they weren't evenly spaced, they were kind of just thrown in there.  So, while my dad was here for Easter, I had him help me pull out the bushes.  It was a big project that involved strapping the base of each one and yanking them out with our Yukon.  Fun for the guys!  My mom and I took each rock out by hand, placing them in a bucket, and dumping them in the strip between the two driveways.  It was a lot of work that I did mostly by myself.  I put bushes around the perimeter that bloom a small Lilly in the Spring.  I also put an Azalea bush and some grasses to kind of hide some of the electrical stuff.  We put down a red mulch and stepped back to admire my work.  Until winds blew the mulch away in patches.  Back to the drawing board for me!

Our neighbor across the street was putting down some curbing and had extra, so they came to our yard and put it around the flower garden.  For FReeEEEE!  I was super giddy!  This prompted me to pile the red mulch around each bush and get those rocks we moved back in there.  Again, bucket and by hand, I felt like I could get more precision this way.  I LOVE the way it turned out!!  No more drawing board for me on this side of the house!  Now it's the backyard that needs some serious TLC.  The previous occupants had three large dogs (as told to us by the postman that was chased by one).  The yard was neglected in a bad way.  I will now give it my undivided love!  Hopefully I can get it looking decent someday.  Enough to maybe invite friends over for a BBQ!

Quilt

Mrs. R sent Shelby home with a 12x12 square of white cardstock and asked her to decorate it to show our family.  She knew exactly what she wanted!  This was ALL her idea.  She asked me to make letters so she could color them in.  Done!  So glad Amber Watts showed me how to do bubble letters in 9th grade.  She is an amazing artist, I was always jealous of her talent.

 She also wanted to show that we were Latter-Day Saints.  We decided on the CTR shield. I love this little Missionary!

Wish this would turn already!  I couldn't get it to turn for the life of me.  Lame!  Anyway, we decided to also put some facts about only her.  She could NOT wait to take it to school.  I love her enthusiasm to learn.  She comes home each day just bursting to tell us how "AWESOME" it was.  She enjoys homework, reading, and just playing with her friends.  I love it when school is not drudgery!

Home Economics

Caden started 7th grade this year, which means...Home Ec!  He is SUPER excited.  They'll have a unit on washing clothes, microwaves, sewing, and baking.  He came home and asked if he could back some cookies.  It just so happened that he was "treat" duty for Family Home Evening, so it worked out perfect for him to choose what we had...and make it!  They turned out good, but not perfect.  He forgot the Brown Sugar!  He was a little disappointed, saying we should separate the "sugars" in the book so you made sure you didn't overlook one.  I concede that that is a good idea, but I showed how to double check each line before scooping.  It's just one of those times I realize how grown up my son is!

Palouse Falls

Saturday, September 14

Palouse Falls

 

Danielle pinned a picture of a waterfall on Pinterest that said it was near Pasco, WA.  I was shocked!  So, we called some friends to come along, packed up our Yukon yesterday, and headed to a great unknown.  We drove an hour and a half through land that reminded us a lot of Wyoming, absolutely nothing to see but lots of farmland plotted miles apart.  It was kind of neat.  It reminded us a lot of Ayers Natural Bridge.  All along that drive you kind of wonder how in the world there could be something so beautiful at the end.

 We were kind of bummed that we couldn't get closer to the actual falls.

 Look at those cliffs, I don't think Ty would be up for that kind of hike.  Please, who am I kidding?  I would not be up for that hike!

 Matt, Tara, Halle, & Paige Beynon. 

This is the friend that Randy met while in training with GSK.  So excited to do more with these guys!

I missed a perfect opportunity to capture the winding road.  This is not nearly as good as the one I wanted.  However, you can see there is NOTHING to see.  And then it opens up to a beautiful canyon and waterfall.  Love those little surprises!

Nap?

Tyson has been more vocal about not taking naps the past few days.  Monday, Randy told him he didn't need to nap because we needed to take him to the airport.  Tyson was all for it and ended up falling asleep in the car between the airport and picking up Caden from his crossing guard duties.  Nice!  Yesterday he said, "Mommy, remember how I don't need a nap anymore?  How I don't have to take a nap when Brennon is at school?  Huh, Remember?"  So, I took him to the library for some Mommy/Tyson fun.  We ended up staying for over 90 minutes.  He started out playing with the blocks, like he always does, and ended the time with me reading books.  We were by the Halloween section, so we read about 15 books all about Halloween.  My favorite part was when he'd ask in a whisper if the "Ghostess" or the "Punkins" were real.  As the time progressed, I found his head on my shoulder more and more, yawns every other word, and eventually some eye rubs.  Again, he fell asleep between the library and picking Caden up.  Today he tried the whole line of questioning again, trying to get me to realize that he just didn't need naps.  I was having none of it, I learned my lesson two days in a row.  He was not happy!  He was super ticked that I was marching him up to his bed.  Then a moment of remembrance came to me in the moment of need!  I remember a time when Shelby was having the same desire to stay up.  So, I came up with a plan to tell her that she "Didn't need to sleep.  Just lay on your pillow until you hear the alarm (which I never set).  Just lay here and listen to the alarm without getting out of bed and you won't have to take a nap."  Sleep inevitably followed every day.  The same held true for Tyson today!  Love those genius moments of enlightenment!  I have also told my kids that they would not have to take naps when they turned 5.  Sad that that is only 13 months away!

Backsplash

I have wanted a Beadboard Backsplash for about 3 years now.  I saw the girl on www.thriftydecorchick.blogspot.com do one in her kitchen and knew I wanted one for my own.  I tried to get Randy to do one for me in Bar Nunn, but we ran out of time before we moved.  In all honesty, I don't think he really wanted to do one.  Here is my before and after party of my very-own Beadboard Backsplash:)

 I posted these same pictures last month after I painted my countertops. 

 (Please excuse the massive Diet Mt. Dew above and below.  This was a very hard time for me during the sickest time of my life.)

 Close-up reminder of what the countertops looked like before we painted them.

 Notice the chintzy backsplash shown in our powder room.  This was the previous backsplash in the kitchen.  Each of the bathrooms have this still.  Still unsure what we'll end up doing to update them, maybe tile.  Anywhooo, onto the "after" photos!

 Just to clarify, we started this right before lunchtime on Friday and worked directly before and after dinner as well.  The sink is full, the "Kitchen Manager" (You like that?) is embarrassed, but I had to take pictures of the process.  Without the trim, caulk, and even paint, I was still giddy!!

 Dishes are done...phew!  The Kitchen Manager has not been fired.  Dang It!!  The caulk has just been applied.  We needed to wait the allotted 30 minutes for it to dry, however, we ended up leaving it until the next morning.  I was completely drained.  Please, I mostly watched while Randy worked and I was done by 8:00;)  Bedtime for the Mommy/House Elf!

 A few different angles.  I love that Beadboard doesn't sit on a laminate backsplash.  It makes it look like my countertops really are faux "granite."

 We used an Oil-based Gel paint to really make it shiny.  I wanted to brighten up this drab little kitchen!  I couldn't be happier with how it turned out.  The true compliment was when Randy told me how much he loved it.  That it turned out better than he thought.  That we really should have done it in Bar Nunn.  That it would have looked awesome in Bar Nunn.  That it brightens up the place.  That he loves looking into our kitchen now.  That he's glad I used my "want" budget and made him do it.  That it was fun to do a project together two months in a row.  That he loves it...

 And just like that, I feel validated for my efforts.  Even though this is just a temporary house for us while we search for the house we want (preferably in the same area for schools and ward but with more land), I still live here right now.  I still love it right now!  I want to make it ours.  I want to spruce it up while I live here.  And maybe, just maybe, Randy will love it as much as I do and opt never to move again! 

It looks even better with the covers over the outlets:)

  I'm not sure what my next month's project will be.  I'm using most of my budget to go to Time Out for Women in Tacoma with Jamie!  However, I'm thinking of maybe saving the rest for a new faucet and sink.  Cause that sink makes breakfast dishes look like we haven't done dishes in days!  Oh wait, you've seen proof of that in above pictures;)

Enlightenment

Last night our dinner included Tuna (well some of theirs did, not mine.)  Brennon said "Tuna Fish" a few times and then stopped mid-sentence, he looked as if he was deep in thought.  Then, as if it was the most amazing thing in the world, he said, "Guys!!  Tuna.  Fish.  Tuna Fish.  Tuna is a Fish!"  He looked so proud of himself for making the connection and sharing his knowledge with us.  I love it when things connect for little kids!  Or me, for that matter. 
We were on our way to Stake Conference- telling our kids that it was going to be a longer "Sacrament" meeting and that there would be no classes after.  They were asking if it was General Conference.  I was explaining that that would be in a few weeks when it dawned on me that I was going to get to use my ideas I put together for April.  When I was making all of my reminders, booklets, and getting the snacks ready for each of my kids, I had only planned on using it once a year.  Sunday I realized that I would get to use it TWICE a year.  I was super giddy the rest of the day.  I'm going to make General Conference a BLAST for my kids.  Again...in one year!!  (Plus, I plan to have the family healthy.  We were SICK in April for G.C.)

Saga

Here is an update of what has been known as "The Saga" in our home.  So, Friday night ended up not being my favorite night.  Saturday was full of turmoil over whether I was really going to fight to get Brennon back in AM Kindergarten.  I was just so up-in-the-air.  Sunday came with no real clear answer until around 3:00.  Tyson had told us around lunchtime that his throat was stinging him.  Sure enough, his throat was full of white puss nodules.  Since I needed to attend the last two hours, I sent Randy with the other kids to Sacrament while I napped with Tyson.  When I woke him at 3:00 I started getting ready for church.  He came into my bathroom with the saddest face asking in the most pathetic little cry, "Mom, where is everyone?  I just want to be with them!"  It was then that I knew I wanted to stay in PM.  This was what I had wanted from the very beginning.  I had changed my mind in the moment of AM bliss, but ended up getting a blessing when I was changed to PM.  I got the other kids off to school and headed to Walmart to get lunchboxes that were insulated.  We went to the park where the boys played with another little boy and ended up giving a group hug when he had to go.  We came home to send Randy off to Oregon and started playing some games when I got a call from the school, Brennon had been marked absent.  WHAT?  I was all sorts of confused.  Was he supposed to be in AM and the other call had been a glitch?  I had gotten a call that morning from the Principal letting us know that the reason he had been changed was because a mother in PM needed her SON (remember how they try to even out gender in the class?) needed to be in AM for it to work with her own work schedule.  So they took another little boy that was more advanced (this was nice to hear!) and switched them.  I was personally asked by the Principal if I would mind staying in PM.  I said I wouldn't mind at all if it made it easier for another mom to get a break.  So this call about absence was confusing.  I didn't get an answer at the school, so I loaded up Brennon, sent Tyson to Jamie's and headed to the school with Brennon's backpack just in case.  I found out that he is registered in PM, so they couldn't figure out why we got the call.  How can you have a child absent for a session that hasn't even started?  We couldn't figure it out.  So, we came home for another hour and then went back.  It was nice to meet his teacher again, see that there was another Brennan K. in his class (have fun with that Mrs. L!) and go home with only one hand to hold.  I put Tyson down for his nap, cleaned and decorated like crazy in my basement, woke Tyson to pick up Caden from his duties as a crossing guard and came home in time for the other kids to get off of the bus.  Pretty much perfect if you ask me!  It was pretty comical to get a call at 2:00 saying my son, Brennon, had been marked absent.  Again!  The office asked me to be patient as they worked out the kinks of the start of school.  I feel I have been pretty darn patient. 

Seeing as this is the second year that my child has been placed in AM only to get booted to PM at the last possible second, ensuring that they don't get bus privileges (which means I have to take Brennon every day) I think I should get to call in a favor from Mr. Mancinelli.  "Since this has happened two years in a row to me, since I have sacrificed my own comfort for others', could you ensure that Tyson gets Mrs. L AM in two years?  Thanks!"

Churros

I can't believe what a small world we live in.  2006 found us moving from Utah to Wyoming for Randy to begin his new career path with GlaxoSmithKline.  While in training, Randy became friends with the only other LDS member of the group, Matt Beynon.  Low and behold, a new family moved into our ward two weeks ago.  Can you guess who?  Yep, the Beynon's.  It's pretty cool to have instant friends from good times remembered.  They invited Shelby over for a play date of swimming and pizza on Friday.  She was super excited to play with her new friend Halle, I was super excited to meet Tara, Randy was just plain (not super) excited to talk shop with Matt.  Although he likes his new field of Law Enforcement Software Sales, I know for a fact that Randy really misses Medical Device Sales.  That night, they brought her back to our house and couldn't wait to tell us their favorite part of the evening.  They live in an apartment while their home purchase goes through, so they were swimming with another family when another child pooped in the pool.  They decide to take this time to go grab their pizza and Churros from Costco.  When they got back to the pool and found it still unavailable, they decided that they would let the girls swim in the hot tub.  Shelby had eaten about half of her pizza, saving it for later.  Halle had finished her pizza and was about halfway done with her Churro, but wanted to go swim.  Tara told Halle to just put the Churro on Shelby's plate and go play.  A little while later Shelby came back to her food.  She called over to Halle saying in a matter of fact tone, "Um...you're going to need to take this off of my plate.  Or else...I'll eat it!"  You can tell we live in a dog-eat-dog world.  Snacks don't last very long at the Dirks' home.  If it's left out, it's free game at our house.  I'm just glad she had the manners to give Halle fair warning:)

Kindergarten

Kindergarten registration has been super difficult this year.  We got a letter two weeks ago letting us know that Brennon would attend a 20 minute assessment session on the first day of school for the rest of the kids.  We went to the assessment and then waited to hear which teacher he would get- we knew we would be AM because of our neighborhood boundary.  They had asked if we would be interested in an All Day class if they were able to swing it.  I said YES!!!  As it turns out, there were less Kindergarten registrations at White Bluffs so they were forced to take on a Preschool class from another school in one of our PM slots, so it took away the opportunity to have Full Day.  I was super sad.  However, I was SUPER happy to hear that he got the teacher I wanted.  We liked Mrs. W last year enough, but had heard from EVERYONE that Mrs. L is the kind of Kindergarten teacher that everyone imagines and dreams of.  We got her!!  We also were super excited to hear that a friend from the neighborhood was in his same class.  The only dark spot in the whole thing was that Evelyn (my Bestie Jamie's daughter) was placed in the PM session.  This came a quite a shock since we'd been told that our neighborhood is always an AM session placement.

Fast-forward to yesterday- Orientation.  We heard that over 67% of the Kindergarteners live in PM placement neighborhoods.  The Principal was saying that nothing was set in stone and that if anyone would like to make a change, they needed to fill out of form there.  I was happy with AM and his teacher, so I just went to his class, signed up for a bunch of volunteer stuff, listened to Mrs. L's schpeel and talked with the other mom in our neighborhood, Emily.  I was so happy with our arrangement!  As soon as I got in the car, I called Jamie.  It was my impression that they were actually having a hard time filling the AM slots, so I told her to call and try to get into AM.  She did and was told to just come to the PM Orientation and fill out a form then.  She later told me that the Principal was offering people a cup of coffee if they would change to AM.  Jamie said that only 5 people filled out a form, I was sure she was going to get in to AM.  How cool would that be?  We would be able to help each other carpool, have the kids in at the same time, be able to have play dates with only our littlies.  It was going to be awesome.

Fast-forward to 7:00PM last night- The unexpected phone call.  As the Principal began Thanking those that had come to Orientations, that had willing changed from PM to AM I wondered why he was calling me.  I just figured that maybe they made one big recording and sent it out to all of the Kindergarteners.  Nope...for some reason I was moved to a PM class.  I was shocked.  And then I was ticked!  I instantly called Jamie to see if she had heard from the school.  Yep...she was moved to the AM session.  What.The.Heck?  Why would they offer a cup of coffee, practically begging on their knees for PM to switch to AM and then switch someone that was PERFECTLY HAPPY in AM to PM?  I tried to call...nothing.  I wrote and email to Brennon's teacher...

Mrs. L,

 

My name is Stephanie Dirks.  My son, Brennon, was placed in your AM Kindergarten class this last Thursday.  We attended your orientation this morning as well.  It was my impression that with 67% of the kids living in PM boundaries, they were having a hard time filling spots in the AM sessions.  I even heard that Mr. Mancinelli was offering people in PM sessions a cup of coffee if they would change to AM.  I had a friend that was placed in PM to begin with (even though our neighborhood is an AM placement) that willingly changed from PM to AM to be with us and one other friend in the neighborhood in the AM session.  I was HAPPY in the AM class.  However, I just got a call saying that Brennon was moved to the PM class.  Why?  I didn't fill out a sheet today saying I wanted a change at all.  We live in AM boundaries, they were offering incentives to change from PM to AM, so why do I have to change?  It worked out to our advantage to be AM, we wanted AM, we got AM and then got a call last minute that we were changed.  Is there an explanation for this?  I will go wherever I need to, I know that this has been a hard few days for you, but I am kind of bothered that this decision was made without my choice.  If I would have been given PM to begin with, I would have actually filled out a paper to change to AM (even though I don't care for that cup of coffee, lol.)  As it is, I don't really want to change to PM unless there is a good explanation.  Could you let me know why this has been made?  He was looking forward to being in his best friend, Connor E's class!  Thank you so much!!  Again, I will change to PM if it really is needed, I don't want to be a bother, I just want to know why this has been pushed on us at this last minute without a reason.

 

Steph

 

Her response was...

 

Hi, Steph!

I am so sorry this has been such a difficult start for you and Brennon. Your frustration is understandable, and we appreciate the flexibility you have already shown concerning many changes.

Placement this year has been complicated and I am sorry to say that due to many factors, there were additional changes made by our administration that were necessary. You will need to talk with our principal, Mr. Mancinelli, or Mary Greene, our counselor. Our assistant administrator, Michelle Ladow, may also be able to give you more answers on Tuesday, when we return. I do trust that significant time and thought were given to making these decisions while considering factors such as work schedules, child care, transportation, balancing classes, and more. I hope that you will be able to get the answers you seek and am sorry I cannot provide more information. 

Let me know how things go.  Have a good weekend, and I will see you Tuesday!

Karen =)

 

I had originally wanted PM!  It would give Tyson time in the morning to play with a sibling, then we'd have lunch, take Brennon to school and come back for naptime.  With this, there would be a lot less time for Tyson to miss his best friends.  But after seeing the ease of the AM schedule and having my two friends in AM, I know it will just be so much easier to be put back into AM.  I don't like confrontation, I don't like to be a bother, so it will be hard for me to go on Tuesday and ask for him to be changed back.  I just want an explanation!  Why has this happened?  Why did I get changed when I am in an AM boundary, when I had AM, when they were begging to change people to AM?!  WHY????? 

 

My other question...why did they wait so long to get this organized?  I find out on Friday at 7:00PM that on Tuesday Brennon will not get on the bus first thing in the morning with the girls, he will be moved to after lunch.  Maybe they should have done this process two weeks ago to help them get things ready earlier.  That way they don't have an irate mom that plans to show up at 7:30AM to fight to get her child changed!!  One that will be so ticked, so worried, so emotional that she might just bust up bawling the second she gets there.  Maybe I should just let it be!  We'll see what this weekend brings, what decision I'll make.  No matter what, I just want an explanation!  Why do emotions run so high when children are involved?

Goose

We have been playing Duck, Duck, Goose with our kids for a few FHE activities recently.  It was Randy's idea the first time, and Tyson and Brennon's idea the other times.  Last night Randy had a meeting at 7:00, but called us out for a quick game at 6:40 before he had to leave.  Tyson was SUPER excited!  After a few runs around the circle, Tyson decided that he needed to be chosen next. 

 

"Caden, when you touch my head, say "GOOSE!" 

 

  At one point we all wanted to choose Tyson.  It was so much fun watching our kids' sweet excitement.  And their minds' working.  Randy thought it would be funny to say Duck as if he was actually saying Goose; fast, as if he was getting ready to run.  Each time, Tyson would start to stand, realize he'd said Duck, grin, and sit down.  Randy did this three times in a row before he actually said Goose.  Tyson's face would show deep concentration and understanding each time.  I love watching kid's minds at work. 

Love my kiddos!!

 

Word to the wise...Don't wear sandals in this game if you even want to win!  My feet were killing me after our short game.

One of those days

Shelby came down asking if I'd clean her glasses while she brushed her hair.  I was asking her if she'd gone through the hygiene list for the day.  As we were checking off the list, and I was cleaning her glasses in my hand, I remembered that she hadn't been wearing her glasses daily for a few days.  I told her that she needed to be vigilant about wearing them, that they helped her see better, that it was good for her eyes, and proceeded to ask her where he glasses were and told her to go put them on.  She looked at me with the funniest quizzical look and said, "Mom, they're in your hand!"  They were, I just got carried away on my soap box lecturing:)  It's going to be one of those days!

Peddle Boat Fun

August 20th

What we thought was Sacajawea State Park:)

 We have been having such a good time exploring our new state, our new town, and our new peddle boat.  We have been doing so much more outside of the home as a family.  I love it!  On Tuesday, Randy was preparing to go out of town for Sales Training when he suddenly put everything down and declared we were going to a new place with our boat.  We packed up in a hurry (is there any other way with Randy?) and headed to a place we'd seen when going to Hood Park.  I thought it was Sacajewea, but that was a sign for the street just before this place.  So, we have no idea what to call this place.  For now, it's our own little resort.  NO ONE was there.  Just us, the lake, and a million fish jumping all over.  It was pretty magical!

 I wish I could get more stills of Caden and Keilie.  They are always the first to jump in and paddle away.  I'll miss it when the babies can go further than my immediate reach.  There will be a lot less pictures I'm afraid!

 Caught my man jumping into the deep end.

 I tried to capture a picture of me with family in the background.  I kind of suck at self-portraits.  I just don't have the arms length to span out that far.  The kids joked about my "bugsy" sunglasses.  Hey, they were $2.00 at Goodwill.  I'm not complainin'!

 I had to get one of my fam in the boat. 

 Keilie's face says it all.  She was SO sick of pictures by the time Randy got his sunglasses.  Come on, I have to document these times, the least you could do is pretend that you like it!

 While they were out on their "drive" I was able to sit in the silence and enjoy the beauty.  I LOVE living so close to so much water.  It really is quite beautiful here!!

I know we'll be back for more at this nameless place.  I wonder where our boat will take us next time!

Pretty Princess Dance Camp 2013

August 5th-9th

Kreutz's home

Pretty Princess Dance Camp

 Caitlin Kreutz sent around an invitation for all 5-8 year old girls to attend a week-long camp to play, do crafts, and learn a simple dance routine.  All with the theme of Disney Princess's.  It was JUST what Shelby needed!

 She came home many times excited to show us "manners" she'd learned while at camp.  "You hold your pinkie like this when you drink from a tea cup."  "A Princess always says 'Please' and 'Thank You!'"  I knew she was having the time of her life!!

 There was one day that she didn't tell me she was supposed to show up in a dress.  It just so happened that she couldn't find her sandals, so ended up wearing Tysons.  She came away telling me that she "felt ridiculous!"  And so it begins!

 

 Shelby has been in gymnastics since we got to Richland.  I wanted them to all have something that they could release their energies and emotions, and that was what she chose.  I really wanted her to get into a dance class, but she said she wanted to tumble.  After this class she wants to dance.  It's a good thing that Caitlin is opening a studio in September.  Shelby is going for sure!

  The dance was put to the song "When will my life begin?" from Tangled.  At one point in the song, they grabbed at their hair, "brushed" it while singing along, "And then I'll brush, and brush, and brush, and brush my hair..." At that point, I really did miss her golden curtain of hair.  Then I remembered that she combs her hair all by herself these days without crying and I'm back to loving her cut again!

I caught this at the wrong moment, but after their performance each girl curtsied.  Shelby went one stop further and blew a kiss to the crowd.  And just like that I knew she would be a performer.  She has more confidence than I do, felt no fear at being in front of others, and LOVED every minute.  There were cheers all around for the "little girl in the front blowing kisses!"  She was getting pretty good at tumbling, but I think she'll enjoy dance so much more!

Bikes

August 9th

I came home from Visiting Teaching to find Randy out playing with the kids.  We had recently purchased a few bikes from Goodwill.  Shelby needed a new tire after a blow-out front tire on her hand-me-down bike.  It was cheaper to buy an entire bike from Goodwill than it was to buy a tire from Walmart.  While there, we found a new bike for Brennon.  Love those $20.00 finds!

 They were showing off their new found skills- riding without feet:)

 Shelby learned to ride a bike without training wheels this year.  We were hoping Brennon would follow suit.  Nope!  He's too nervous.  We kind of expected that from him.  Maybe next year.  Or when Tyson learns.  Or maybe after Tyson learns.  Who knows?!

 Tyson is a fearless little boy!  He will do anything, try anything, eat anything.  He just goes with the flow and tries all things dangerous and fun.  Here he is showing us that he can ride his bike without sitting on the seat!

 Caden and Keilie were getting more daring that I would have liked.  This was definitely a "Dad" activity!

 No hands?! I put an end to it after that!  I know I am such a mean Mom, but come on, I don't want a concussed son because he wanted to prove to his Dad that he could do something cool!

 I think the cutest thing of the whole morning was when Tyson decided to ride his bike in the gutter.  All of my kids have loved when their bike stayed stationary while they peddled their fastest.  This was that much funner when water splashed up his back.  He did this for a good 20 minutes.  I don't think I will ever understand boys!  Especially when they prefer wet clothes! Yuck!!

Again, I just love this house.  Since we live on a loop with only one entrance/exit, I feel it is much safer to let them ride their bikes in the street.  The only people that actually drive on this road are mainly those that live here.  We all drive slow, we all look out for kids, and we all understand that at some point a child may make a mistake and ride out in front of us.  We are forgiving.  And vigilant in our watch of kids.  I LOVE LOVE LOVE it here!!!!!