preschool idea

This school year Adeline is attending "Mommy's Preschool." We've been having a lot of fun together. Her lessons are about 30 min. long. We work on 1 letter & 1 shape each week. After 5 weeks I will have a review week with each day of the week a review day for 1 letter and 1 shape. After we've learned the basic shapes I will move on to numbers. So each week will be 1 letter and 1 number.

I've been using resources off the internet (of which there are a plethora) and books from our public library. One of the book series that our library carries is called The Sound Box. Each book focuses on a letter of the alphabet, and the character finds objects that begin with that letter's sound and he/she puts it in the sound box. I thought that would be a fun activity to do. So I made a letter box. The letter's on the box are removable, and each week I attach the letter we're working on. We do 1 letter a week. For the letter A we did the letter box twice, once for the short A sound and once for the long A sound. I print out pictures and tape them around the upstairs. Then Adeline "hunts" for them. She LOVES this activity. We do it on the day that we read the Sound Box book for that week. I plan on making a shape box and a number box for those review weeks.

first day of school

All ready for the 1st grade!

Showing off his new back pack (that I bought last year for $4).

Silhouette Giveaway!

Melanie over at Sugardoodle.net is having a Silhouette Giveaway. Check out all the cool stuff it can do!

http://www.sugardoodle.net/joomla/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=6344

before and after

This summer we've been doing some furniture make-overs. This first dresser is one of two dressers that Dallin bought at an estate auction for $70. I didn't get a picture of it before I sanded and took off the handles, but here are the pictures I did get.

BEFORE

Here's one of the handles from the dresser. Stunning, aren't they?

Here's a little teaser. Here are the new handles.

AFTER
This little dresser is one that Dallin inherited from a college apartment. It has been in our bedroom for 5 of our 7 years of marriage. It spent 2 years as Tyler's dresser & now it is in our family room housing the DVDs.

BEFORE

AFTER

happy birthday, adeline!

I had bought the strawberry cake mix (because it is pink) months ago when it was sale knowing I'd be saving it for her birthday. But then Adeline announced she wanted a purple cake. Food coloring to the rescue! I earned Mom of the Year with this simple purple cake. Purple strawberry cake. Who could ask for more?

happy birthday, mckay!

last day of school

The last day of school was on Monday, but our family left that morning for a trip to Utah. So Tyler's last day of school was on Friday. He felt pretty special getting done a day earlier than every one else. Mom was a little sad because he's had perfect attendance this year -- except that last day. I know it's silly to be upset over it, but it really bothers me!

Here is Tyler on the last day.

And here he is on the first day of school back in August.

kindergarten graduation

Last week Tyler had his kindergarten graduation. Both kindergarten classes put on a program about all the things they learned during the year.

I love that he moved his head out from behind the girl in front of him! Thanks, Tyler!

addie's surgery

Thursday morning Adeline had surgery to put tubes in her ears. Everything went well, and all the nurses said she was a brave little trooper. She cried a little when they put the mask on her, and when she woke up the nurse said she popped right up and asked for her mommy. She had some pain immediately afterward before the Tylenol kicked in, but by the time we got home she was running around like nothing had happened!

Showing off her "hospital socks."

Showing off her ankle bracelet. They tried to put it on her wrist, but she's too tiny!

check it out

There are lots of pictures! Make sure to scroll all the way down!

ten months

Wow! My baby is 10 months old already! Time goes by way too fast! And in these pictures I can see that my baby doesn't look so much like my baby any more, but more like a little boy.

party like a rock star!

Tyler's school had a carnival & as a room mom I was in charge of a game. Tyler & Adeline came along to help during my shift at the game, and then we had some fun playing around.

easter

much needed update -- March

Ironically, after my technology post our USB cable died, and I couldn't get any pictures off my camera! And then so much had passed that getting pictures off the camera & updating the blog became a daunting task. Don't you love how that happens? So, here are some pictures & video from March.

Every morning after taking Tyler to school Adeline asked to go play outside. When she's outside with out me she is only allowed in the back yard. She loves to ride her bike around on the deck. And McKay loved standing at the window to watch her. I was trying to be sneaky getting a picture of him at the window, but just before I snapped the picture he looked back and gave me a big smile! What a ham!

This is the position McKay gets into when he goes from crawling on the floor to sitting up. However, there are many times when he never tries to sit. He just does "down face dog" for about 20 seconds and then scoots away on his tummy. I may have myself a Yoga partner. :)

This yellow outfit is Adeline's favorite. She would wear it every day if I let her. As soon as it is washed she wants to wear it -- even if she's already dressed and wearing something else!

One of Tyler's birthday presents was a Hot Wheels track with this big black spider. I don't do spiders. Even though I know this is fake -- it looks fake -- I cannot bring myself to pick it up. The kids have to put it away -- all the time. Last week I was cleaning up the toy room & the spider was on the floor. I vacuumed around it. The kids also think it's hilarious to put it on me or chase me around with it. Dallin had the kids pose with the spider for my benefit.

Dallin snapped this picture of Adeline. We just think it's so funny! She looks so forlorn and forgotten.

We had just put the kids to bed, and I was in the kitchen cleaning up when Adeline came wandering in complaining that she was "scared in my bed." So, she chose a less scary place...guarding the front door.

preparedness drill

Our bishop has really been on us ward members to be physically prepared for emergencies. He told us some time ago that we would have preparedness drills. Today he announced that this week is our first drill. We are to go the whole week without doing any shopping -- we can buy gas for the vehicles & water. He said not only will this be a test of our individual families' preparedness, but it will test the ward as well. We are to ask each other for help if we are in dire need of something. Next Sunday the Bishop will call someone from the congregation to give a 3-5 minute talk about his/her week. I am grateful that yesterday was my grocery day for the next 2 weeks. This would have really tested our family because our diet would have consisted of beans, brown rice, canned veggies & fruit and homemade bread. Not too bad, I guess. But not super exciting either.

technology

There have been some changes in our house this month. First of all, we no longer have cable in our home. Our "new customer" package rate came to an end, and something had to go. We decided we could do without cable. Now with only internet and phone we are still paying the same amount as when we had all 3 in our package deal. I don't miss it as much as I thought I would. I think that's because I still have access to the world through the internet. The kids don't ask for it as much as I thought they would. We might get a digital converter, but for the time being I don't miss TV at all. It's also been great to pull out some of the movies on our shelves that have been collecting dust. I'm also grateful that there are no longer nights when Dallin and I flip through 100+ channels with nothing on worth watching!

Our family computer also bit the dust. My sister has offered us an old laptop of hers, and while it will need some work done on it, it will hopefully still cost less than a brand new laptop.

We also bought a wireless router -- yeah! Now I won't be stuck downstairs working on the computer. I can be upstairs watching the kids while they're outside and still get work done. We also splurged on a new printer.

And it is AWESOME! Not only is it a great photo printer, but it is also wireless. I love this thing! And I don't even mind that it is my anniversary, birthday, and Christmas present for the next 2 years! LOL

hope you know

Just wanted to share.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wz41YxNiHEg

snow, snow, and more snow

Just thought I'd share some of our snow with those who don't have any. We've had over 60 days with 5+ inches on the ground, and we've had about 54 inches of snow fall since the beginning of the month. Oh, and I found out last week that some of our snow is in Vancouver at the Olympics! That's right. They trucked some of it out of here. Anyone else want some? We should sell this stuff! Talk about rejuvenating our economy.

This is just some snow in our neighborhood.

Some people still have Christmas decorations up. Seriously, though, can you blame them?

Icicles on Tyler's school.

A picture of the playground and the big "mountain of snow" that all the kids think is just so cool!

It's road conditions like these that have given us 10 snow days this year!

Dallin and I just think it's fascinating how there can be clear roads and then just a complete white out all within a few yards!

This is just one of many dug out mailboxes!

Garbage day.

This is the gate to our back yard. We've had knee/thigh high snow there most of the winter.

I just think this view of the sidewalk is neat with the snow so high on both sides.