Disgrace to the Country

Payton came home from school yesterday with stooped shoulders and his face a bit down and gloomy. He said, "Mom. I'm a disgrace to the Country." His eyes were down at the floor when he said it and I could tell he felt pretty bad about himself. After asking why he would say something like that, he said, "I was on flag duty today and I let the flag touch the ground."

I assured him he was NOT a disgrace to the Country, but it was probably a good lesson for him to learn early on. I'm glad he has good scout leaders that have taught him the importance of taking care of the flag and when he knows he hasn't done it exactly right he feels bad about it and doesn't just think it's ok.

I think he'll probably be more careful the next time because he'll remember how he felt. 

I was a little proud of my "Disgrace to the Country" Son.

Halloween 2013

I can't wait until my kids get to the age where they 'make up' what they want to be instead of having to buy costumes. Payton's there and so is Jess, but only because she doesn't have much of an opinion yet. Here's this years results...

Julia, Sarah Curtis and Courtlin Atkinson (school/primary Friends)

We went trick-or-treating with the Topham's, just like last year. It sure makes it fun for Todd and I when our kids can run together and we get to chat with Seth and Mandy.

Julia's in Preschool!

School had started for the boys and the question remained...Do we send Julia to Preschool? Neither one of the boys went to a preschool but I saw what a benefit it would have been for Porter to have gone. I couldn't bring myself to shelling out $75+ every month for her to spend a couple hours a week having a social experience...at least that's what I figured it would be. We had applied to the Preschool the district has close by at Sandstone Elementary but the odds weren't very good that we would be accepted.

One of the ladies in our ward was going to be doing a preschool at an affordable price ($55/month) but got offered a job with the school district doing preschool at another Elementary in town so there went my option.

When I came home from running errands one day there was a message on my machine asking if I would still be interested in the preschool offered at Sandstone. I couldn't believe it! We were in!! I ran up to the school and gave them all the documentation they needed and then had an appointment the next week for Julia's testing. While we were there we found out Courtlin (from Julia's primary class) would be in the same session! Yeah for instant friends in school!

Julia LOVES school and she's learned so much already! The first few weeks were hard because she really wanted to be able to write her name. She has practiced and practiced and after a few months of school she's finally got it!

She walks around singing her ABC's and other fun songs she's learned in class. She's even taught her baby sister the ABC song! We were blessed and fortunate that she's able to go Monday-Thursday for 2 hours every day and I see such improvement with her desire to learn. I hope it lasts through most, if not all, of her schooling years.

Hanging up her back pack and putting on her Lanyard

Julia and Courtlin

Ms. Smith (the conductor) and Julia's Preschool class

A Little Snot

This morning I tried to help Julia get dressed. It was a waste of time. She's in a phase where she wants help getting dressed but doesn't want anything you choose. After 5 different options I'm done helping and threaten to leave. This results in hysterical crying. So, we do the routine all over again ending in the same result. At that point I really do leave and in the process I join her 4 year old game and call her a little snot for acting like that. Jess hears my name calling and joins in my rant about what a spoiled girl Julia is being.

Jess and I go into my bathroom, trying to ignore the streaks and wailing coming from down the hall. I start doing my hair while Jess sits on the potty (which she's doing so well at by the way--as long as she gets a gumball when she's done). While Jess is sitting there she says, "Duya's bein a snot!" I agree and say, "Yes she is. Do you know why she's crying like that?" Jess nods and says, "Because shes got snot up her nose."

Well, I guess she's right by now. After all that crying one tends to build up something in the eyes and nose. Good observation by the two year old.

Chocolate Chips? I'm All Ears!

Julia loves having little tea parties lately. On a good food day (when there is actually some food in the house) there are crackers, string cheese, chocolate chips and water. On a bad day there is usually only chocolate chips and water. Great tea party, huh?

Well, one day--it was apparently a bad day, with only chocolate chips and water--Julia and Jess had a fabulous tea party. G-pa and G-ma Turek called to see if we wanted to make a Costco run with them (they ARE my Costco membership right now). I quickly got the girls shoes on and tried to do a quick run with the comb through their hair and we were off. When we met G-pa and G-ma at the door I noticed something brown by Julia's ears but thought it was just her headband covering over her ear. After closer inspection I could tell is was chocolate that was pooling in her ear and starting to run from the inside of her ear to the outside of her ear and down her temples. 

"Julia! Did you put chocolate chips in your ears?" She quickly plugged her fingers in her ears and kept them there for quite a while. When she finally pulled her fingers out, they were covered in chocolate. Thank goodness there are so many samples in Costco so we had plenty of napkins to clean the chocolate off her fingers and stop it from running out of her ears. Much more fun than wax I tell ya!

When we got home we finished the clean out job. I took one picture on my cell phone while Julia wasn't looking because she didn't want any pictures of what she had done. She knew she would get laughed at. When I tried to show Todd the picture I discovered I hadn't saved it. So, unfortunately, no pictures but I know G-pa and G-ma Turek got a great chuckle over it (G-pa even said, "Well that's something I've never seen before!") and so did Julia's mom and dad. And hopefully we've learned a lesson not to put things in our ears, especially not chocolate chips!

Tax Return In Use

We wanted to redo the back yard with some of our tax return this year. We got started early (before we even did our taxes-Heck! Before we even got all our W2's!) and with the help of friends we got the back yard ripped up from the old grass, rocks, tree roots, dog poop, etc. During the process Rusty didn't lay in the dirt. He would use the cement or tramp as a resting place. He also wouldn't poop in the dirt. We were really hoping his habits would continue when we put sod in the back.

The wrecking crew (Topham's)

Out with the old...

With the help of a friend, Todd redid all the sprinkler lines and sprinklers in the back and also put in two new water taps that are going to be really nice to have. We laid some pavers around the tramp so we have a good edge to mow against (and it just looks good). One day while I was at soccer practice Todd went and got sod and started laying it all out. It was a fun surprise to have when we got home!

pavers around the tramp

 

Rusty's been pretty good NOT to use the new grass as his bathroom but I can't say he's never done it because that would be a lie. It's one of our favorite places to be together now that there's some nice green to run on. Bring on the sunshine!

Goodbye Crib

I took down the crib today. Jess doesn't stay in it anymore. She has mastered the scaling of the prison walls and knows to how to wake up her big sister in the middle of the night to get the bedroom door open. They both come into our room EVERY NIGHT. So, what's the point of leaving the crib up? There just isn't one.

Julia sleeps on the floor by my side of the bed and I end up pulling Jess into bed with us. Todd doesn't allow it too long because he can't sleep so he puts her on his side of the bed with the threat to, "Be quiet or you're going back to your crib!" In time Jess falls to sleep followed quickly by her mom and dad only to find the morning sunlight is too quickly right around the corner. 

With the crib being taken down this morning the girls were enjoying jumping on the crib mattress. Julia started jumping from the top bunk down to the ground and told me, "Mom! When you grow up to be a kid you can do this!" I can't wait to grow up to be a kid. It looks way more fun!

Make A Wish

Today I pulled a loose eye lash from Julia's eye and held it on my finger. I told her that when you get an eyelash like that you put it on your finger and make a wish and then blow it off. She made a quick wish, and blew off the eyelash. Then I asked her what she wished for. She replied, "I wished for a new mom!" WHAT? I didn't tell her that if you tell what you wish for your wish won't come true.

See Rusty. See Rusty Run.

One of Rusty's favorite spots to sit in the sunshine is on the trampoline

As much trouble as this pooch causes (biting and chewing EVERYTHING; trampoline pad, electrical cords to Seth's trailor, the kids shoes, kick ball, basketball, socks, chew toys destroyed, drip system, patio furniture, the girls new playhouse, outside chair, blankets...and so much more--but who's keeping track, right?) the kids sure love him.

I love watching him run. Todd will take him up in the hills and have him run beside the truck. He can get up to 20 mph, leaping over bushes and even kicking up sand and rocks at the truck when he runs in front of it. He is definitely in his element when he's running in the hills sniffing for anything and everything he could chase.

Hello 2013!

Grandpa Turek didn't stay here long because the kids started running and chasing. Not a safe zone.

New Year's Eve took place at the Hurricane Community Center this year. Tiff is prego so she's not feeling very good so it's nice of her to even try find us a place to party. The rec center was perfect! We usually play Bunco but didn't even roll the dice this year because the kids were so busy running, dancing and playing games. There was plenty of good food and fun for everyone. We were cleaned up and out of there by 11:30 and home before we watched the ball drop in time square at 12:00 our time. The kids love New Year Eve and even though I know Todd would rather go to bed I love that he'll stay up with us and party!

I don't have any pictures of the big boys in playing pool or ping pong but that's where they spent most of their time. Thank goodness Tayosha was there to play some fun games. They played color tag, freeze dance, missionary tag, and a new one that I don't know the name of but involved things pioneers might have to do while they were traveling across the plains...or something like that. I'll have to get the official name from Tayosha.

Happy New Year!

Porter's Before and After Christmas Pics

Porter has recently lost his two front teeth. He lost one a week before Christmas and one a week after Christmas. Amazing how those teeth make such a difference in looks and speech. 

The first tooth we popped out with some floss (a technique I learned from one of the girls while working at Johnson's one day). We made the mistake of doing it while he was in the bathtub so when it few out it landed in the water and we had to fish it out.

 The other tooth would have come out Christmas Eve but mom talked him in to waiting until after Christmas so Santa and the Tooth Fairy wouldn't collide into each other that night. Then he forgot about it until almost a week later. That one we just flipped out with our fingers while he was laying in bed. There's not much room there for a couple teeth to get in so I'm going to enjoy the space while we have it. Those 2nd grade pictures of gangly teeth are going to be awesome...just like everyone else, I guess!