Back to School

Monday was a fun-filled day (like so many of our days are-we do our best to have fun all the time).
First up was baking the lasagna I made Sunday afternoon and taking it over to the school for the teacher/staff luncheon. We also dropped off Olivia's school supplies and met Mrs. Spencer who will be her teacher for the first half of the year until the regular teacher comes back from maternity leave (she's the teacher Elizabeth had). The first graders were having a little open house Monday evening, but it was right when Olivia's ballet class was, so we just did it early. It was nice to meet her teacher. She's a grandma and seems great!
Olivia next to her locker. Our school was built just five years ago, so everyone has lockers and it's so nice to not be tripping on bags and jackets when I help in the class. She's excited to start first grade!A friend dropped of all but one spoonful of my lasagna a little while later. I was happy to not have to cook dinner. After lunch and a stop to pick up PTA stuff for membership we were off to an ice cream social at a friend's house. This is the fifth one she has done here (fourth one we have gone to). She invites all the school age kids and their families over for ice cream and we bring an ice cream topping to share.
The kids divide up by age and do a cheer for going back to school, they do a relay, and then some other fun games before ice cream time while the moms enjoy visiting and watching our kids with their friends. I would estimate at least 50 people there (including about five babies). It is a fun way to kick off school starting.
This is a capture the flag type game where the person in the middle drops the cloth and then everyone around the circle tries to get it first. Elizabeth was pretty good at this game. She's there in the middle holding the cloth.
The preschoolers, kindergartners, and first graders were a little small for the big kid games, so they all played duck-duck-goose. Vincent's in green near the middle and Olivia's on the right side in red.
Finally! Ice cream! Vincent played in the sandbox under the slide just long enough for someone's tipped over ice cream to drip all over his hair (it looked frosted like highlights) and to get all dirty and muddy. I couldn't take him home in the car like that, so I asked my friend if we could hose him off. His shoes were removed and then he had a nice warm hose shower (the water in the hose had been sitting in the sun). My friend let us borrow a towel and he went home in it.We came home to clean up and luckily Abby was sleeping so I gave Vincent a haircut before his bath. It was getting too long and it's so hot for him! Then it was time for Olivia's ballet. She is all excited that this year they get to do ballet poses on the barre. Elizabeth has decided not to do ballet this year, but plans on trying out for Nutcracker again. After we got home, we packed up some lunches and heated up our dinner and had a good family night. We painted some puff paint on plain shirts with the kids for fun.
Tuesday morning school started. I was up late the night before finishing projects (and all of the laundry! Yea! I'm obsessed with finished laundry...), but got up early to make the kids French toast with last week's French bread that I stuck in the fridge and some bacon and juice.
Have to get first day of school pictures of the kids. I took Olivia's picture facing me first and then wanted a backwards shot to see how big the bag is compared to her and Vincent wanted to be in it too. Elizabeth was getting something she forgot.
Elizabeth and Olivia are great sisters. Elizabeth is now a third grader and Olivia is a first grader.
Backwards shot of the girls.
Vincent and I ran errands all day. I figure if I get them all out of the way, I can relax the next day and be done. Abby cooperates pretty well too. We had several short visits to: two friend's houses to drop something off, the library, the bank, the UPS store, back home because I forgot my coupon bag (and needed it), to Target (for $2 12 packs of Diet Pepsi for Andy, diapers, and a few other coupon finds), then over to Kennewick to Andy's parent's place to pick up the birthday present we left there last week and the coupons and we saw Torrie there too and realized that we left Vincent's sunglasses in the cart at Target, over to Pasco to the Paper Factory to get some thank you notes for Olivia's birthday, some super discounted secrets that will be birthday gifts for a few lucky people, and free Transformer costumes (they over-bought and had them in big bins in the front of the store marked free) for Vincent and several boy cousins (the lady told me to take some for them-8 total), then back to Target to get the sunglasses that were miraculously still in the cart in the cart holder outside so I didn't have to take the kids back in, and then to Albertson's to get some free stuff with the doubler coupons, home to drop off all of our stuff, and then we walked over to the school and on the way dropped off something for a lady I visit teach. While at the school, we returned the borrowed towel from the previous day (now clean), gave a friend my unused coupon doublers, gave the other lady I visit teach her little Mom's back to school gift (*Post It Notes-to remember things or for reminders *Pens-to write things down and sign all those papers *Skittles-in case you start feeling scattered *Starbursts-For a ‘burst’ of energy to make dinner) and then we walked the girls home with one of the girls from Elizabeth's grade.
Olivia with a smile when we picked her up. She even ate her entire lunch.
Elizabeth and Olivia in front of the schoolElizabeth with her friend walking home.We stopped at her friend's house and they wanted to play, so I arranged that with her mom.
She ended up coming home a little less than an hour later because she bumped her eyelid on a gate or something and it had a bump (now it's almost a black eye).
Abby slept in the stroller on our walk.The kids played most of the afternoon until Andy came home for our leftover dinner and fixed our water heater (hopefully for good this time) and then left for a meeting. I read to the kids until my sneezing became too much (forgot my allergy pill today) and then Andy came home just in time to take over and I took an hour nap before Abby needed me again. The kids all got to bed and Andy and I watched a favorite show of ours. A busy, but great day. Tomorrow Vincent, Abby, and I are going to the park, hanging out with a friend, and then playing with cousins all afternoon and evening. So much fun! Whew!

Sitting up, Family, Slipping

Saturday while Andy was filling up the baptismal font at the church for a lady in our ward to be baptized, Abby and I had a little photo session in the living room for fun. When Elizabeth was a baby a couple in our ward gave her this little dress. I love it.
Abby is really catching on to crawling so quickly and I wanted to get some pictures (and video, but she squeals too much to load it here) of her before she's too fast for them (I'm seriously worried.)
She did great posing (always looking at the camera and being pretty happy) for me and I cannot pick my favorite, so please scan through quickly if you don't care or enjoy these fun pictures and expressions and her developing crawl.She's sitting up so tall. I always like baby posture.
She follows the camera even when I move.
She's just a happy baby (unless she's tired, hungry, poopy, mad, etc.) She's got a sparkle in her eyes for sure (and siblings to learn from). She's going to be spunky.
Getting her little tummy off the ground and up on her hands and knees. Even since Saturday morning, she's gotten better at moving forward. We're in for some fun since she's just barely seven months!
We attended the baptism which was wonderful (after a trip home to pick up the programs) and then came home for a little bit before heading over to Walla Walla to see my little sister's family and wish her son a happy birthday. The cousins enjoyed playing and it was great to see them. They were having a fabulous time playing tag with these little weapons. And the girls did their share of bossing the boys around while Vincent whined about which weapon he had until we had to intervene and take them home.
My baby sister Janessa with Jacob before she went and laid him down. He is two months younger than Abby, but several pounds heavier. Just look at those legs!
Jackson is four years old now and was able to celebrate with both sides of grandparents since they live just a few blocks from each other. Jes was eating cake with him and it was SO good. I love Costco cake.
It was just too hot for Abby to nurse and she was getting cranky (and so were we...) and the other kids were starting to swim and we didn't want to be outside long enough to let our kids swim and they were getting sassy about that, so we were spoil-sports (a little) and left kind of early (we were there for two hours though and it was nearly 100 degrees-30 degrees warmer than it is inside our house where we are most of the time and 20 degrees cooler than it is in Yuma, Arizona where my sister lives).
When we got home, I set up the slip-n-slide for the girls while Vincent napped because I told them if they didn't complain about not getting to swim for the whole ride home that we'd let them do that. I bought it for $5 at Kohl's a while ago, but we have been so busy that we haven't used it.
Olivia trying to use the body board thing that came with it. Elizabeth was getting frustrated because she couldn't slide on the slip-n-slide.
They liked getting wet after being so hot, but they never did make it all the way to the end. I think they just don't weigh enough to propel them to the end, but they'll get the hang of it eventually, I'm sure.
It was nice to have a relaxing evening and not have to run around all over after the last week of so many errands and events. Elizabeth got home from Walla Walla with my parent's Friday night after going to watch "17 Miracles" with them (it's about the Willie and Martin pioneer handcart company) before being dropped off at an Eagle Court of Honor for a young man in our ward that we attended.
Sunday was church and the lady who was baptized Saturday was confirmed, the power went out for a second while a young man was blessing the Sacrament, another young man talked about his mission, and the kids were pretty well behaved. All in all, a great Sunday. After church, Vincent, Andy, and Abby napped while the girls played and I made a bunch of food. I made a lasagna all ready to bake Monday morning for the teacher luncheon and took some dinner to a family down the street because she is due soon with her third son and not feeling 100 percent (enough that they went to the hospital Saturday night). I made spaghetti and meatballs, French bread, green salad, Elizabeth made her fruity salad, and brownies and took over some cold cereal (that I got for cheap with coupons) and some green beans. I also made some cinnamon bread with a third of the French bread dough to eat here. Then we came home and ate our yummy meal too. Then it was time to clean up the kitchen and rest. Whew! Andy gave the three big kids Father's Blessings for school (Vincent is going to do a co-op with three other little boys in nursery) and read to them and put them to bed and took care of Abby while I slept for a little bit and then worked on our air conditioner again (because it wasn't relaying right and it was getting too hot) before heading to bed. I married a great guy!
This week the girls start school and Olivia starts ballet and we are having a meeting to figure out a schedule for preschool and having our mother-daughter book group (we read Mrs. Piggle Wiggle) and visiting with my sister and local brothers and babysitting some cute nieces. It's going to be a fantastic week.

Lazy days of Summer? When?

Wednesday we drove to Walla Walla to visit my mom and dropped Elizabeth off for some crafting fun. We got to go and see where my mom quilts with one of her buddies and stayed long enough that my dad came home from work so we were able to visit with him too.

I took this picture of the kids before we left. Amazing. Four kids looking at the same time. I call that success (and if Abby would have been happy without the pacifier, it would have been nicer).
My mom blogged about their first day crafting here.

Meanwhile, back at home, we had game night and cake. Thursday morning, Andy's mom came and picked Vincent up for special grandma time too, so I just had my quiet, easy-going kids with me for a little while. Vincent had a fun time looking at animals at the fair and had an ice cream cone and a snow cone with Grandma Shirley. We really appreciate grandmas who are so willing to be grandmas and who love our kids so much.

With Vincent gone, we ran a few errands before Olivia's well check appointment at the doctor. We finally mailed the picture and check to have an acrylic plate made of Abby's baby picture like the other kids (the hospital changed companies and it wasn't offered through them anymore). We also went to Rite Aid to pick up a prescription that I called in Thursday night last week and they told me that it wasn't in stock and asked if I could wait for a half hour until a different brand would be ready. I don't know why they didn't call me and tell me or ask me about it since they had a whole week to do it....annoying. I couldn't wait because it was time for the doctor appointment, so I had to go back later and pick it up. I needed it today....that's why I called it in to be refilled a week ago. I don't understand pharmacies. Why does it take so long to slap a sticker on a premade pack of pills? They don't have to count, sort, or create them. It really shouldn't take so long. (Rant over...for now.)

Olivia is growing and although she is still 25-30 percentile, she is perfectly proportioned and makes up for being small in size by being big in personality and spunk. I weighed Abby while we were there and she is now 14 and a half pounds at seven months.

After the doctor, we stopped by Albertsons to pick up some free ranch dressing with coupons. It took less than five minutes for this errand.

Then we were off to Sonic to use the birthday meal coupon they sent Olivia for her birthday. I figured the best time to go would be when I only had to buy additional food for me. We ordered and waited and waited......and while we waited, Olivia played and kept telling me how hungry she was.
...while we waited some more....
Finally, after the car next to us left and I knew they came after us, I pushed their little carside button to ask when our food would be ready (it had been 50!!! minutes-enough time to call four or five people with one conversation taking 15 minutes-and to nurse Abby) and they didn't have an order recorded, so they retook the order in the drive through and gave it to us for free (I kept the coupon to use with Vincent in September while the girls are in school). We got home just as my visiting teachers were pulling up, so I rudely ate in front of them because I was hungry too.

While I was visiting with my visiting teachers, Shirley brought Vincent back home.

Since I still needed my prescription, I had to load the kids back up to go and get it. It was ready. Finally, we were home to stay for a little while. I fed Abby, put Vincent down for a nap, and made a cheesecake for a baby shower in the evening. I took a little rest before Abby needed attention and then she slept for a bit and so did I. (Did I mention that she was up until 3am the night before? At 3am (after rocking, feeding, changing), I finally strapped her into her carseat and put her in the family room to put herself to sleep. I guess she did because I didn't have to take care of her again until 8am. Yeah, I was tired. Then this morning the water heater wasn't working, so I didn't shower-eww.) Andy came home a little early and fixed the water heater and made tacos while I rested. Yea!

Then I was off to a ward friend's baby shower. It was great to visit with friends and of course it's always nice to see cute new babies. Our ward has so many baby girls. It's crazy. But, then again, in nursery on Sunday (I was subbing), there were 10 boys and one girl (some of the girls were missing). It all evens out sometime.

Look at this adorable baby girl.

I took some pictures at the baby shower because no one else was and I always have my camera in my diaper bag. (Yesterday my dad mentioned how my mom takes a lot of pictures, but he thinks I take even more. I think so, especially now that everything is digital and it's so cheap to take them. I guess I'm becoming my mom? Okay. =) It's the worst when you don't think of taking pictures until the party is over, so I took care of that for them (and they are now all edited in Picasa and emailed to the mommy, the people who threw the shower, and the people who are in them. I have to do it all right away or it's too overwhelming and I always like to get pictures soon after the event too.)

Tomorrow my only sister is flying in from heck (Oh, I mean Yuma, Arizona where it's as hot as heck) and we get to see her family (including her new baby) this weekend.

I've been trying to figure out when the "lazy days of summer" happen? I vaguely remember loafing around a little in June for a week or so.....

I really should add that every day is NOT quite this busy. I usually don't have quite so much going on, but I like to document the super busy days. It makes me feel good to have the day finished.

Olivia's SIX!

Olivia had her sixth birthday today. Olivia woke up and wanted to open her gift from us immediately and I was still sleeping (after going to bed late because of Abby's current sleeping schedule-or maybe it was up late making cupcakes?- and a feeding at 6am), so I told her to wait, but she got her gift out of my craft room and it was reported to me that she started opening it. I made her wait a while longer (ie: until Abby woke up again). Finally, she was able to open our gift (normally we'd wait for Andy to be here or do it before he went to work, but he was working late again and is now done with that job, but he was gone all day and evening).
She got a cupcake necklace and some stretchy bracelets...And the complete collection of the Beatrix Potter books. She loves these stories and always picks them out at the library to read at home.
Here are my cupcakes. Not the fanciest, but pretty good and fancier than I've ever made. I was frosting pretty quickly while Elizabeth and Olivia kept Abby busy this morning.
We invited Olivia's class to the park at the end of kindergarten in June, but had no idea if any of them would come or remember, so we also invited her primary class and the kids in the neighboring ward who used to be in her class and a few select friends. See the cake, mini cupcakes, and regular cupcakes behind her? I made them. I have been saving store bought containers to use. They worked great! I had to over-prepare, but I always do that anyway. Several of her friend's siblings came to play too which kept Vincent busy and my friends came and helped me. It was a Pinkalicious party. We went over to the park about an hour early to get all set up and make sure we had some tables. This is a place that you are supposed to reserve, but I looked it up and it is $10 and hour with a minimum of four hours (so automatic $40) and decided to take my chances that one of the two picnic table areas with the cover would be open and the one closer to the playground and farther from the water that we weren't using was open and we claimed it and there was still another area that had picnic tables with no cover. (Just as we were leaving, it looked like someone else was coming.) We had the playground to ourselves for most of the time and it worked out great. We decorated the place with pink balloons and streamers while we waited.
Abby is hitting milestones so quickly these days! Since turning six months (she's seven months on the 25th), she has learned how to sit up, scoot around on her hands and knees, and can now go from crawling to sitting up without help! That's a great milestone! She did it this morning, but I wasn't totally sure, and then at the park (she did it just before this picture and I asked everyone there if they moved her or if she did it herself and it was her), and again when we got home. She likes the grass. She is getting mobile faster than any of our other kids.
Back to the party. After playing on the playground toys for a bit, the kids came over for water and to play the "hold the cute baby girl" game. Yeah, that one was an impromptu party game. It was pretty popular though. It was a limited time edition game and only lasted until Abby had had enough. =)
Elizabeth read the kids the Pinkalicious story. We had quite a crowd there. It was great! One of the other moms told me I should get a picture of Elizabeth reading to the kids so if she ever becomes a teacher, we could show it to her. She read it well and kept their attention, even the boys, which I expect was probably because they hadn't ever heard it before. One said that he wished it was "Blackalicious" instead.
After their storytime, they took a lap around the playground on the sidewalk playing follow the leader (Olivia) while I got the candles ready and one of my friends held Abby and helped her go to sleep.
Here is a picture of the group of kids. So many great friends.
The traditional singing and birthday candles. Pink frosting with chocolate sprinkles over a strawberry cake. (Yes, I see those spaces. They weren't there as much before we were out in the heat today).

Blowing out the candles one by one. The kids chose either one big cupcake with the cherry or two little cupcakes and when they finished if there were still more little cupcakes, they could have more. We saved the big cake for game night Wednesday.
Olivia was completely spoiled by her friends. She likes this horse a lot. Her friend even added a white mitten to one of the hooves to be a bandage for pretend owies.

After we got home and brought everything in, she picked out a few things to open right away and share with Elizabeth and Vincent and played until dinnertime. We had her favorite meal for dinner: Chili (out of a can) with sour cream and cheddar cheese and Elizabeth's special fruit salad. Andy came in and said Hi and Bye between work and his church meeting tonight as he picked up his binder. We read some Beatrix Potter before bed tonight and they were all in bed before Andy got home.
Olivia is such a sweet little girl and we appreciate how easy-going she is and how willing she is to be a peacemaker in our home. She is a great helper and sharer.
She is all excited to go to first grade next week and keeps asking about her cold lunch. She is looking forward to it. We finally found out who our kid's teachers are and Olivia has Elizabeth's first grade teacher (kind of since she's going to still be on maternity leave until December and she'll have a full time sub) and Elizabeth's third grade teacher is nice too, but I don't know her very well yet. One more week of summer and then school starts. I'll hardly know what to do with just two kids at home ALL DAY! Maybe I can keep forcing Vincent to nap and I'll have time to read more books or craft or cook or maybe even exercise (I'm terrible at that!)

We had a fun day today, like always, and look forward to many, many, many more days with our sweet kids.

Skate Night

Sunday night we had some cake for Olivia's sixth birthday at Andy's parent's house. I forgot the ice cream. Fail. Oh well. The cupcakes were yummy. (I think we forgot Olivia's presents there too.)Monday night we were able to go to a free skate night for our library summer reading program. We usually end up going about once a year, so our kids aren't very good at it and it shows, but they have fun anyway. They are all so much taller with skates!
Olivia ready to go!
Vincent did pretty great on the carpet. He slipped a bunch on the hard floor, but I was holding his hand, so he was fine.
Abby was hanging around in the front carrier because Andy was working late and I was on my own with four kids. Abby slept most of the time. I guess loud music, kids yelling, and me moving makes her sleepy. I think that's just called a fourth child. They have to be a little more easygoing, don't they?
Elizabeth wanted to go instead of letting me take a picture.
Some of our family friends were there with their kids, so he took his son and Vincent for a few laps.
Olivia decided that she'd try the limbo. This little girl (I don't know her) in the blue was holding her hand until Olivia started slipping.
Skating over to the limbo stick...
And boom. Poor little bottom.
See? She's holding it a little. =( She's a trooper and still went a few more laps after this.
This is what I looked like. They let parents helping kids just wear regular shoes, which is very nice. One of us has to be steady. I had a kid on each side and if they slipped, I could hold them up a little to soften the fall. Vincent and Olivia were both able to skate without hanging on to the wall before the end, but still needed my hand most of the time.
I felt like a survivor after this. Maybe it was the four or five laps around the rink and the four kids I brought. I kept telling myself, "I can do HARD things."

The Diving Board

Vincent conquered the diving board today! He did a great job! He almost jumped on his own the first time, but by the third time he did it all alone.

Vincent with his teacher Heather whose parents are in our ward. She's going on a mission in October.Getting right back in line to go again.
The hand off jump.Olivia and Elizabeth were right next to each other in line.Elizabeth's turn. They tie the noodle around all the kids in her class.Olivia swung her little arms back and forth a few times before jumping in. Brave girl!

The kids all did a good job in their lessons this session and helped each other before and after each class.