Last Day of Kindergarted

It was my last child's last day of Kindergarten.  The thought of having no children at home with me next year hits me in waves.  Like just this morning I thought how much I couldn't wait for school to start so we could go to the pool with out all the crowds... then it hit me - I have NO ONE to take to the pool.  A knot in my stomach formed.  But this post isn't about that... 

MADISON!!  She is amazing.  Truly.  I have just loved having her home with me - alone - this past year.  She is the only child I ever had ANY alone time with (minus Brock's first 15 months of life).  It was a delight.  She is such a joy.  She also rocked Kindergarten.  With 3 older siblings at the school she didn't ever feel alone, scared, or unsure.  She jumped in with both feet and never looked back.  She is as smart at a whip as well.  The problem right now is that she knows it.  She is reading on about a 4th grade level (with comprehension as well).  This actually makes her the best reader in our family - and it has been this way for over a year.  Because some one so small and so adorable was reading so well so young people would say to me (and sometimes her), in amazement, "wow - such a great reader".  Now after Madison reads anything she says, "I am a great reader".  She is not shy about telling people she is the best reader in the family - EVEN though she is the youngest.  I have been trying to humble her and get her pride in check - but at the end of the day it is pretty cool.

They, of course, had a end of Kindergarten program.

This is her teacher, Mrs. Dawson.

Lucky for Madison, Jason and I were headed on a vacation one hour after her graduation, so Jason got to come to her graduation.  It was the first one he has been to.

Madison's good friend, Callie.

Madison and her BEST friend, Kaylin

More Summer Days

Friday: We "babysat" Lincoln (one of Brock's friends) all day.  We still did our usual morning routine and he just did it right along with us.  I don't remember what we did in the afternoon - but it was something.  Then I had to go to cub scout camp with the boys - so at 2:00 the girls went to a neighbors house and I took 7 boys to cub scout camp.

Saturday: Back to cub scout camp at 8 am!  Woo Hoo.  It is my only year that both of the boys will be at cub scout camp together - so I spent all day Friday with the Weeblos (Brock) and today I was with the Wolves (Noah).  We got  home around 3 and I crashed.  Well... I went down to Jen's house and sat in her driveway with her for a while.  Then we all made home made pizza for dinner (one of our favorite things to do) - then we watched Beauty and the Beast for family movie night.

Sunday: Fathers Day!

Monday: Cleaning day, swimming, Base ball practice, family home evening, I went to a girls night out

Tuesday: Hike with 6 other families - we took Finn and Zoe with us, the kids had screen time while I made some dessert and got ready for a shower I was throwing that night for one of my visiting teachees, my visiting teachers came over.  I made spaghetti, breaded shrimp (it was the first time I tried breading them myself), and bread sticks for dinner and left for my shower.

Wednesday:  All my kids had "play dates" - Brock rode his bike to his and I dropped Megan and Noah off at theirs.  Madison came with me to meet friends at a park/splash pad.  We all got back together around 3.  I did some gardening while the kids played in the front yard.  Boys went to cub scouts - I watched my friends kids becasue she is a den leader and her husband is out of town.

Thursday: Woke up at 6:30 am to get the trees trimmed before it got too hot - the kids job that day was to pick up all the cut limbs and put them in garbage sacks.  When that was done we hurried and did our morning routines and school and then met some friends at another splash pad/park.  I took Finn and Zoe with us again.  Then we all had some down time.  Then off to gymnastics.  Dinner.  We had some families over to our house for root beer floats.

Summer Days

Monday: Monday cleaning.  Got packed and went camping.  The kids helped a lot with getting packed this year - especially Brock - it was awesome.  Jason got home from work about 1:00 and we were out the door by 1:30.

Tuesday: Camping

Wednesday: Camping.  Got home about 1.  Brock went to Weeblos cub scout camp at 2:00 (I had to drive) then Noah had baseball at 7:00 at the batting cages - while he was there I walked the girls over to the skate park to ride their scooters.  We spent the afternoon/evening cleaning up, unpacking, and vegetating!

Thursday: Back to normal life.  School hour, Brock had tutoring, we went to a park with several other friends, the boys had cub scout camp (together), the girls had gymnastics.  Our internet was broken all day so we couldn't' have any screen time.  It was fantastic.  It is working now - but I might brake it again.

**Personal note: so far summer has been kind of hard.  I usually love summer and love having my kids home.  But that was back when I always had a (or some) kids home with me during the school year.  But now I am USED to having 2 or 3 hours a day all to myself - it is really hard going from that to not having ONE SECOND alone.   Wow.  I was not expecting to feel this way.  Having 4 people talk at me all day and expect me to listen and respond 24/7.  I find myself mentally drained by 4:00.  Good news is I am still regenerated every morning (so far) and am excited for the new day - but by 4:00 I don't want another person to talk to me or look at me or touch me or ask me any questions.  I am now realizing that this school year I will have 6 hours alone everyday - I will have to be prepared emotionally for an adjustment period next summer.

Women's Conference: Being home

It is always nice going back home.  Some things never change - case in point - a Jazz party.  I grew up on Jazz parties and it was nice attending one again.

I loved spending some time with my little nieces and nephew.  I am sad that they don't know me and I have missed them growing up.

I also miss my sister-in-laws. They are wonderful women - my brothers both married up (which is saying a lot because I think my brothers are pretty perfect).

summer days

Thursday: early morning in the front yard  - I watered my newly planted plants while the girls played in our front yard sand box and Noah played with the hose (Brock was still sleeping), chores, school hour, went to park with ward friends, screen time, gymnastics, dinner

Friday: went out to the yard first thing to finish my planting before it got too hot.  Brock was still asleep and the kids squirted each other with the hose.  We did this from 7 am -10.  Then school hour.  screen time.  Then the kids argued for an hour and a half about what we were going to do that day.  We settled on going to Beauty and the Beast.  That was fun.  Came home and worked more on the flower bed (found out I have a leak in my sprinklers and need to pull them up tomorrow), went to a park clean up service project, then came home and played "spoons" before bed.

Saturday: Baseball pictures and game.  Garage sale shopping.  Then nothing the rest of the day!! Jason pulled out our camping stuff to go camping next week.  I fixed the leak in my sprinkler line and I am officially done with my flower beds for the year!!! (now just maintenance) Brock went to Lincolns all day, Noah went to Finn's then David's, the girls played in the preschool with Zoe and then in the front with me while I did sprinklers, dinner, baths, and then another game of spoons!

Summer days

This feels like a very important summer. My kids are at a perfect ages (6-10). Everyone can ride a 2 wheeler, swim in the deep end, clean a toilet, make their own lunch, read a chapter book, and enjoy a real hike.  Also - the boys still tend to want to hang with us and not just go hang out with friends all day.  I realized while washing my face tonight that this might be the last (and only) summer like this.

So in between my "catching up" posts and longer blog-worthy posts I want to just do a quick post of what we do all day. Because one day I won't remember how we spent our long summer days. This is not an all inclusive list.  There are a million little things of course and some days I will mention something that might happen everyday - but I felt like mentioning it that day (like make dinner).   I really hope to keep up with this.  I think it will be fun to look over in 20 years.  These seem to be noteworthy days.  Even now I wish I would have done it 5 years ago when they were 5 and under - now THOSE were noteworthy days!

Things that happen pretty much everyday: high 5 (get dressed, clean room, make bed, brush teeth, say prayers), breakfast, morning family scripture story and family prayer, jobs (2 a day except Monday is cleaning day where everyone has about 6 jobs and we clean for about 3 or 4 hours), school hour (we rotate 4 stations in 15 minute blocks where one of the stations I read with each child for 15 minutes), lunch, I make a snack with a child, screen time, dinner time, eat dinner, family scripture study, family prayers, bedtime.  

Saturday: 7:30 am baseball game. Mow lawn. Piano Lessons. Went fishing. Laundry. Baby shower.  Grocery Shopping.  Girls shower.

Sunday: 7:30 am Just serve meeting. Get ready for church (Jason is sick - he will stay home). 10:00 missionary meeting.  11:00 church (drove back home to get kids).  Church.  Made dinner (breakfast - it is a fast Sunday tradition).  Went to "pie night" (a get together for new people in the ward each quarter).

Monday: cleaning day. Kids played Ninjago in preschool. Brock went around neighborhood looking for a friend.  Rode bike to park with Finn and Zoe.  Baseball practice. Family home evening. 

Tuesday: hung out with Herbert cousins who spent the night on their way to California.  Kids ran around the neighborhood with neighborhood kids and rotated houses for about 2 hours (I did a little cleaning, made smoothy popsicles for the week with Brock and watched a little Netflix).  School hour.  Pool for 6 hours  (I sat on a lounge chair and read a whole book and took a nap).  Made dinner. Date night with Jason (West Wing and peanut butter M&M's)

Wednesday: chores. School hour. Brock tutor. Girls play date with Pailey at our house.  Noah play date at  David's.  Made granola bars with Maddie. Went to Home Depot with girls to buy flowers for garden. Planted flowers while girls and neighborhood girls played with fairy houses. Boys hung out with Finn. Scouts. Played slap jack with girls. Dinner

ACTUAL Women's Conference

Oh how I love Women's Conference.  I would say 80% of who I am and the things that I do come from learning things at Women's Conference.  I am overwhelmingly grateful to Jason who seems to make it happen year after year.  I don't love to do things for myself - so I am grateful that he insists that I do them - because - oh - how they fill my cup.   And it was pretty empty this year.

Women's Conference is kind of MY thing - in a very selfish way.  I don't really love to go with people becasue I like to do it the way I want.  I am not there for fun and social - I am there for spiritual nourishment.  I like to RUN to my classes to make sure I get a good seat - I DO NOT mess around - I don't like to miss classes for lunch or shopping.  I have had a few friends or family come with me in the past, but no one has ever come with me twice (maybe that should tell me something).  I warned Krista far in advance about my craziness AND I even took it down a few notches.  Krista was a good sport about my neurotic behavior although after our FIRST class she told me she would never run to a class with me again.  ha  

I just LOVE being with so many women - the spirit is so strong when we are all together.

My three favorite women's conference companions!  My mom has been going to Women's Conference for as long as I can remember. In the past it has always fun having her (and her group) there and I catch a class or a meal with them when our schedules align.  But since I moved to Colorado when I go back to WC I go WITH them - and it is a lot more fun.

Pat (my mom's best friend), my mom, mu aunt Jen.

It was so fun having a friend at Women's Conference - so for the first time ever - I did the photo stations

Aren't we cute?! This was by far my favorite year at women's conference.  

And these are kro-nuts.  The best thing ever.  A cross between a doughnut and a croissant.  We may have had a couple - and I cant' wait to go back and have more!

We also got to meet Sharon Eubank - the new first counselor in the RS general Presidency - and the STAR of Women's Conference.  She was the first speaker the first day and she alone completely replenished my cup - I turned to Krista after and said, "well, we can go home now - if I get nothing else from WC this was enough!"  She is amazing.

We also went to breakfast one morning with our friend from Colorado who had moved to Utah a few months before.  We miss you Karen!