Smiles?

Joseph is at the phase where he understands most of what he is told and he is learning about controlling his little body. He has recently started smiling on cue. But it is a special smile. It is the forced-smile-so-much-it-looks-like-I'm-grimacing smile. Cute!

Homework Time

With Rebecca in Second grade this year, we are being introduced to the reality of homework every night. For homework, Rebecca gets a homework packet on Friday. It consists of 3 worksheets and a spelling list. The worksheets are easy-- she usually finishes them quickly. However, the spelling words are a different matter. She is a good speller, so she can spell most of the words right away. But the assignment is to write a story using all 15 spelling words. This is what Rebecca works on every night. Usually on Monday Rebecca writes her first draft. The rest of the week is spent doing revisions and corrections to the story.

Miriam is not to be outdone. Since Rebecca has homework time, so does Miriam. For her homework, we review her Zoophonics (a pre-reading tool to help kids learn their letter sounds), review her sight words and read a story together. In this picture Miriam is acting out the motions for the letter P (a penguin).

Joseph gets into the action too. He will copy Miriam as she practices her letters and wants to listen to the story.

I know we will just be getting more homework as the kids get older, but it is an adjustment to have homework time every night!

A Monster

Joseph is at the age where he wants to do things, he wants to do them himself, and he wants to do them over and over again. The two tasks he is learning about right now are washing his hands and turning on the lights.

Recently Joseph was whining because he wanted me to hold him up so that he could turn the light switch on and off for some unknown length of time. Jack went and found a stool from the bathroom and showed him how to stand on the stool to reach the light switch.

A monster was created. Joseph carried the stool around with him and turned all the lights on the main floor on and off. Then he decided to carry the stool upstairs to play with more light switches. I convinced him the stool was not to be carried on the stairs.

I am glad that he is learning new skills and is interested in the world around him.

Picture Day

I don't take my family in for professional pictures. I remember when Rebecca was a baby, I took her in to Wal-Mart for pictures every 3 months for her first year of life. I was able to get some nice pictures of her without paying very much for them. (This is my main objection to professional pictures. I am cheap-- I mean frugal.) Then on her first birthday, I took her in. The photographer couldn't get her still enough to even take a picture, while I was listening to the woman waiting scream at her kids. I took Rebecca home without getting any pictures and decided that I could use my digital camera to take 100 pictures and eventually one would look good enough to put on the wall. So Jack and Katie's Photography was born.

I do get the kids in school pictures on school picture day. To me, this is an opportunity to get some professional pictures that don't have the extra time and cost of a normal professional photo shoot. So far we have had good luck getting nice pictures of the kids from the school photographer.

I also like to put a nice 8x10 on the wall of the other children, so on picture day I dress them up and do a "Katie Photo Shoot" of them. This year Joseph was cranky and didn't want to cooperate. So I put on a movie for him (his favorite thing to do) and tried to take some pictures.

Why is it that normally I can't get a candid picture of this child, and when I want a nice, posed smile, I get this instead? Oh, well. That is the beauty of doing it myself. Every day can be picture day until I get a good shot!

Friends

Friday I went up to Fort Collins to visit Laura, one of my roommates from college. We were assigned to be roommates in the dorms 13 years ago. I remember being a little put out by the assignment because I was trying to get away from Pueblo, and here I was assigned to room with someone who was from Pueblo! It turned out to be one of the greatest blessings in my life.

Laura is one of the most positive people I have ever met. She has always been there for me, giving me guidance, support, a shoulder to cry on, and a friend to celebrate with. While we are very different, we have been able to support and understand each other throughout the past 13 years. Laura is one of those people that helps me to become a better version of myself. Joseph and I went to visit with Laura and her nephew Kyle. Laura started doing day care, and Kyle is one of her little ones. Joseph and Kyle are about the same age, and they had fun playing together. Laura and Joel are expecting their first child in February. How exciting!

Trapper's Day Parade

Last week the girls brought home a note from school. We were told that Saturday there would be a parade with a float for the elementary kids to ride on. The girls like to go to parades but have never been in one, so they were very excited. The parade was for Trapper's Day, a festival commemorating pioneers and trappers who were in this area. The theme for the float was "Gone Fishing," so all the kids were asked to bring a fishing pole to carry on the float. We don't have a large supply of fishing rods (read: none) so Grandpa graciously let the girls borrow his. When I went to pick them up, Grandma and Grandpa had cut out little fish from cardboard and tied them to the line. Cute!

The girls had lots of fun on the float. They told me about some kids they knew watching the parade. But the main thing they told me was how cold they were. As we were driving home, the van said it was 55 degrees out. This is not what I consider typical parade weather. They were wishing for heavy coats!

The girls sat on the very back of the float next to their principal, Mr. McNair. I'm glad they had a fun time and got to experience something new.

Counting

Joseph is learning so many new things right now. One thing he really enjoys doing is counting. He can make it all the way to 10, with the occasional 12, 17 and 18 afterward. He has started leaving out 5 sometimes as well. I know it is all memorization at this point, but it is so cute to hear him counting and having a fun time doing it.

He also loves the camera (if you can't tell from the video)!

How to Eat a Caramel Apple

Every week, Jack and I alternate taking one of the girls on a date, just with mom or dad. In the past, we have taken them out to breakfast. Recently, they have decided that riding the train at the outdoor mall and then getting a treat at the chocolate factory would be more fun. Saturday I took Miriam out for a train ride and treat.

She was so excited, she was practically jumping up and down. When the train pulled up, I asked her which car she wanted to ride in. She quickly said she wanted to ride in the coal car. About 30 seconds later, the train driver asked her which car she wanted, and she immediately said the blue one. So we rode in the blue car. (I was actually glad, since the colored cars were covered, and the coal car isn't.) Miriam had a great time riding the train and looking all around the mall.

After our ride was over, we walked to the Rocky Mountain Chocolate Factory. Miriam quickly looked things over and picked out a caramel apple for her treat. Now, they have about 20 different varieties of caramel apples. Miriam picked a chocolate dipped caramel apple. There was milk chocolate and dark chocolate. She picked the dark chocolate. Now, this is opposite of me. I am a 100% milk chocolate gal. But it is convenient for when we get dark chocolate. It doesn't go to waste!

The chocolate factory nicely cuts the apple into 8 slices to make it easier to eat. Now keep in mind these are not small apples. Miriam very carefully ate the whole thing. We sat out in front of that shop for over 30 minutes while she ate. At first, she ate the slice the way it was meant to be eaten-- with a bite including apple, caramel and chocolate. After a while, she started picking off the chocolate, eating it, and then eating the caramel and apple. Then she ate off the chocolate, scraped off the caramel with either her teeth or her fingernails, and then ate the apple. She was purely enjoying this concoction.

I had fun watching her enjoy her treat. She enjoyed it so much I used 5 napkins dipped in water to get the chocolate off her! I wish I'd had my camera...

A Dinnertime Conversation

Rebecca: When you are 12, you get to do lots of things.

Katie: What kinds of things can you do when you're 12?

Rebecca: Well, boys get the priesthood and get to pass the sacrament.

Miriam: You get married! (This is from the 5-year-old who has already been kissed by two boys-- that I know of.)

Rebecca: And you get to go to cemetery. (Seminary is a class high school kids go to in our church.)

Well, we can see 12 is a very important age. Hopefully by the time they are 12, they will have a better understanding of what they do at this age!

Trains

What is it with boys and trains? Joseph really loves trains. He will spend hours playing with our train set. (He even reads the directions!) It is interesting to watch him build the train tracks. With the girls, I would read the directions and set up the track the way it tells you to. With Joseph, he takes the pieces, puts them together in different ways, and will make them line up to make a complete track. Each time he gets a different pattern.

He has also started watching Thomas the Train videos. When we go to the library, he finds the "train" movies and will throw a fit when I take it away from him to check it out.

Joseph is definitely developing his own interests and skills. Watch out, world! Here comes the next engineer!

You've Had a Birthday...

September 2nd is a special day in our house. It is Jack's birthday! We love to celebrate the blessings that he brings into our family.

Jack is a wonderful provider. He works all day at his day job, and then works hard all evening at his side job. I am so grateful for his dedication to supporting our family.

Jack is a good father. The children love to play with him, have him read stories to them, and just spend time with him. They also love to go on dates with him.

I love that Jack makes me laugh. He has a quirky sense of humor that I love. I am grateful that we are so similar in our views, beliefs and opinions. It helps when raising children and building a life together!

Happy birthday, Jack. We love you so much!