Bring on the Tooth Fairy!

Natalie had her first wiggly tooth for what seemed like forever. One fine morning, after 10 minutes of super-drama (from her not me), it fell out in a tissue just before school. If it wasn't for her fear of the impending blood-letting, she would have scored a prize from her Kindergarten teacher.

I had to write the tooth fairy a letter for the tooth back so I could photograph it, as I forgot of course. Second child and all. So here it is. Can you see it? Her tooth is so stinkin' tiny, it's doomed to get lost.

I'm laughing at you squinting to see it.

Momma, Can I Make With You?

This is Marissa's new passion. She asks "Momma, can I make with you?" It's super cute and surprisingly she does a good job. She patiently follows directions, is careful, and has become a superb egg-cracker. Her favorite thing it to gather the eggs from the coop and prepare scrambled eggs right away.

I'm not oozing with patience (silence the laughter) but teaching my little one to cook is simultaneously teaching me patience. So praise God for my little children and food to cook!

Back to School

Back to school at a new school with two kids this year. Hayden went off to 2nd grade with no trouble. The night before I asked him if he was nervous (because I was) and he asked me why he would be nervous. Nice.

Natalie started Kindergarten the day after and was beside herself with nerves. Poor baby girl! I held it together until I stepped out her classroom door and she started crying hard. Ugh.

Marissa started daycare twice a week the week after and is still (8 weeks later) maintaining her hatred of it. Sigh.

So goes Back to School . . . . .

Summer Fun ~ aka Taming the Boredom

"Water sliding" with friends at the church campout. . . .

Free bowling with MOPS friends and an uncountable number of children. . . . .

A

weekend at the Beach. . . .



Boating and intertubbing. . . . .

Many play dates including a friend's amazing pool, jumpy place, McDonald's. . . .

Back in May, a really good, original thought came to me on how to tame the Summer Boredom.

You know, the sleep in until 9 a.m., lay around the house in pjs, where can we go today, what's for dinner, oops the summer's over Boredom.

Each of my children composed a list of 10 things they wanted to do over the Summer, edited as necessary by mommy, as Natalie quickly shouted out "Go to Palm Springs!" We composed the list together on the computer (teaching them computer skills and Publisher ~ good mommy), choosing their own graphics to design it, printed it out, and hung it.

We've done well doing the fun things off each person's list, but it wasn't all about that exactly. For them it was learning to make a to do list and planning outings. For me it was making sure these 3 months "off" were not wasted. My children's time goes by so quickly, I would so much rather it be filled with events and adventures to treasure for all time.

I'm looking forward to next year's lists....

HAYDEN:
1. Spend the night with Trenton
2. Spend the night with Conner

3. Race remote control cars

4. Go to the beach

5. Play date with Talon

6. Hunt for turtles

7. Sleepover with Kyle & Casey

8. Date with mommy

9. Go to the Pacific Science Center

10. Bowling

NATALIE:

1. Go to the beach

2. Ride horses with Ty

3. Spend the night with Ty

4. Play date with Whitney

5. Go to the zoo

6. Jumpy place

7. Putt putt golfing

8. Date with daddy

9. Children's museum

10. Picnic at the river

MARISSA:

1. Slip n slide with Josie

2. Play date with Josie

3. Play date with Max & Sam

4. Play date with daddy

5. Jumpy place

6. Go to the beach

7. Play outside

8. Camping with Ty & Josie

Garden Harvest!

So I lied and didn't take more photos of my garden. I just couldn't do it....the weeds are taller than my children. But we have been eating (and canning) so much yummy food! Yes I said canning....that's a little pat on the back for me. Sorry....spicy pickled green beans, pickles, pickled beets, and jams so far.

My mother-in-law said it perfectly when she came over one night. She said she did her time canning but she had to take a peek at my pantry, because she knows how proud you are when you open that door and see all those beautiful jars. Thankx, mom!

I've also spent many hours baking zucchini bread. Look at these giant zucchini! That was just 3 of the 5 giant ones we came home to from being gone camping over the weekend. The sight of my children carrying those humongous things was too funny.

Maybe we should enter them at the fair.....the zucchini not the children.

Howdy Pardner!

This is Natalie's friend, Ty.


This picture is worth a thousand scary thoughts of her teenage years.


LOVE YOU LIL' COWGIRL! *hugs* Mommy


Brooks And Dunn - Cowgirls Don't Cry lyrics LyricsMode.com

Happy "ish" Hens

I finally talked Jason into getting out his tool belt and making an addition to the hens' nesting boxes, thinking they would be happier with more private spaces to lay eggs. There were only 5 boxes and now they have 10--10 boxes for 19 chickens. Well it worked for a few days....one day we got 5 eggs. Now we're back to 1 or 2 per day. First it was too cold, then they wanted more grass, then different feed, now it's too hot. I tell ya, these birds are so darn hard to please! Hopefully in the fall when the Rhode Island Reds are a full year old, we'll be getting about 6 per day.....