Kids dress up and Making Crepes and etc

lots and lots of pictures....

AFter the school carnival...matthew is quite scary with this spidey painted face. His hair colorist was better than Tyler's.
Every Saturday morning, we have a Jamboree where we have either Crepes or Pancakes. Michael has made his famous crepes for some of our friends, and Dan asked him to teach him. In preparation, Tyler sliced the ham (ham and cheese crepes are more hearty and must be eaten in our home before chocolate--nutella).
Matthew and Alyssa shredding/eating the cheese
Michael teaching Dan the art...

eating

I LOVE having cream cheese and strawberries in my crepe...oh yeah, and nutella and bananas, and powdered sugar with lemon juice.
Just reading a book to herself....
Making our job chart for family home evening:)

Matthew, Alyssa, and I went to HEB plus and got lots of yummy fruit samples...I love how they can sit side by side in the cart.
Scaling the pantry shelves
Family movie time (with popcorn) does this look staged? Just me:)

At a shower for my friend Liz, I was sent this pict of me by my friends Natalie (doncha love her socks?) and Debra, and Amber not looking

Kim (my sis in law) sent me this of us in Washington, I like it:)

Chrissta sent me this of Matthew and his buddy Ethan painting at a pre school field trip
Little siblings: Carter and AlyssaLove the hair

Prepping for Alyssa's Birthday

I have several posts in draft form...I realized there were so many pictures that I never blogged about, so I am purging in a few posts, and I want to do it before Alyssa's birthday, so beware over the next few days! Here are some picts of the doll I plan to give her for her bday. My friend Natalie in my ward here helped me make the cutest doll. She had made several and was kind enough to teach me and help me make one for AJ. Natalie got the instructions when Black Apple appeared on Martha Stewart and watched the video on how to make the doll. Something I wouldn't have tackled well on my own, but in the company and conversation of a good friend (who had made several) I got mad at myself and my sewing inabilities much less:)



I am so excited to give it to Alyssa, I hope she loves it as much as I do:)

This will be fun...

Thanks to my dear friend Linda in Florida, I have something fun (just for me) to look forward to each day for the next 30 days. If you want to follow, I've started a blog for her to see my reaction each day.

End of First Grade field trip party

The day before the last day of school, Tylers class walked to a park nearby. Matthew, Alyssa, and I joined them and it was a fun day. I brought along my little camera to get pictures of the event. When the walk started out, Matthew wanted to be up with Tyler and his friends. Tyler was guiding the way, and I just adored walking behind them and seeing Tyler protectively hold Matthew's hand (they never do this). It was a great Mommy moment for me:)
At the park with his friends: Jacob Daniel Brady and Tyler

The girls in his class whose mom's happen to be my friends: other room moms

Tyler, Brooke, Molly, Grace (Brooke's mom told me that Brooke said she was going to marry Tyler and I enjoyed Grace chasing Tyler around the park--he seemed to enjoy it, too).

With Kush

Since I kicked Matthew out of the boy picture (above) to just get Tyler and his friends, Matthew wanted me to take a picture of hime with Daniel (in the red). Tyler wrote a story during the year about how Daniel is his friend and does nice things for him.

Beginning of the water balloon fight

Here I am with Tyler...upclose and unedited

I really enjoy being involved in Tyler's school day. I tried to go up to the school at least once a week throughout the year, either to lunch or something in the classroom. It didn't happen every week, but it was my goal. One week a few months ago I went for lunch and Tyler asked me to stay for recess. We did and then he got sad when I said we were going home because he wanted to go too. It frustrated me because I told him he wasn't coming home and to not even ask. He actually cried and it broke my heart. At that point, I decided to not go for a little while. As I relayed the story to Michael he said, "you need to cut the aprong strings" to which I got quite hurt. He didn't mean it to be hurtful, but suggested I not go up to the school as much anymore. I really thought about it, and it really isn't just about me wanting to be there because I miss him. The importance I find in seeing Tyler in his school environment, knowing his classmates by name and knowing their personalities, hearing stories from his classmates about Tyler, or just about whats going on because Tyler doesn't seem to divulge much. I probably learn more from his classmates than I do from Tyler...which is a spring board to having more conversations with Tyler, now that I'm informed about things. I think it also feels special to him to have us come, it makes him happy. So, I took a break, and then when I went back, he was fine. After I explained all of this to Michael, he got the bigger picture and said that he appreciated that I did take the time to go. He had a great year and loved his teacher. He said he wanted her to be his teacher every year.

A bunch of random pictures

Alyssa brought me my little camera and wanted me to take a picture of her.....
When Aunt Karen was here, she gave the kids a brain that grows in the water. It took several days to get big, and she didn't get to see it at its biggest...so this is a picture for her to see the final size.

Alyssa is quite independant and likes to dress herself. Usually I'll set something out for her to wear and leave it on her bed for her to put on. This day, I told her to go get dressed...I had a pile of winter clothes on the floor ready to pack away, but they were still out. She saw this black thing that looked like pants, and when she came out, she was all proud of herself. We noticed they weren't quite pants...it was a black turtleneck and we dubbed the opening a "pee hole."

A field trip I chaperoned with Tyler's class in April...the only shot I got...us by the San Gabriel River.

I've had a boy from church come every other week the past few months to play with Alyssa and Matthew for 2 hours while I get a few things done. It has been so great for all parties involved:) He's gone the whole month of June, but Tyler feels he is missing out because Zane comes during the day (he is homeschooled). I'll get him to come by in July....

Helping Michael assemble the grill....

Alyssa playing and jumping with her best buddy, Ashlee (she takes this Strawberry Shortcake doll with her everywhere...EVERYWHERE)Matthew lightsabering with Bryce

My 3 latest inventions

As a mom wearing many hats, I never really considered "inventor" as one of them. These ideas came from bits and pieces of thoughts over the past few months and seeing how others implemented their ideas. Not completely original, but I took steps to make them my own. I was fed up with a few things (jobs not getting done and stuffing the face with too many treats) so I took some measures to work on those areas.

First, this is our new job chart: I intended to do something that said "Bee Helpful" but then did just the beehives and bee's.

We assembled this for a FHE activity a few weeks ago. Searched all over to find the perfect shelf which ended up being at Michael's. My Michael drilled holes into the bee's I found at the same craft store. Drilled in the hooks, glued down the cups. Our names on each beehive (1 extra just in case--THIS WILL BE USED AND SUCCESSFUL FOR THE NEXT 10 YEARS). The bee's each have a certain job written on them. They are on the hook during the day and when each task is done, it is removed from the hook and placed in the cup above. I was trying to implement a way that you can kindof "check off" each job as you go in order to help the boys not get overwhelmed (I know because I do). We even put jobs down such as "make dinner" for me and "go to work" for Michael. So the boys can see that we do jobs that they don't see as jobs. 4pm is job time. I just tell them the time, and if they are done by 4:30 they get bonus points (3 points) If at 4:30 I need to remind them, they lose the bonus. At 5pm if their jobs aren't done (5 each) they don't get their entire 2 points. When Michael gets home at 5:30, it is determined if they get 1/2 a point or 1 point. This has worked fairly well. My goal is to not have to keep reminding them to do it...I simply randomly say the time (or sometimes I don't) and they have responded to this pretty well the past month or so.

Next, I'll talk about our Summer Fun Jar..... I am SO excited for summer. To have all my kids home with me, to sleep in, to not have to rush to and fro. However, I was concerned that I would see it as an opportunity to send my kids to the back and suck my life away on the computer. No structure...too much idleness... So this isn't just for them, but for me. To give our summer some structure. To guide our days that we would do at least 1 thing each day deemed "fun." It may only take 10 or 15 minutes, but by golly, it would be fun. I did lots of surfing/research to form my list of crafts, treats, games, activities, and just do the fun things randomly that I find myself telling them we can't do. Such as getting a snow cone at the stand near our local grocery store. I made a list of 70 different things, and I am very excited about them. Each Sunday, we choose 5 things/strips of paper from the jar and depending on the week activities that are already planned (gymnastics, piano, swim lessons, playdates), we choose which day is best to do which activity. Then we hang it on this cool metal magnet strip that I found at the container store (also found the green box there).
Here are the 5 things selected for this week:

1. Pull out old home videos and watch them together (the kids LOVED this...Matthew said, "Mommy I want to hold baby Matthew.")

2. Have a blindfold guessing game with food at home (this was so much fun, too)

3. Have a picnic for lunch (we went to a park and sat in the shade)

4. Make bubbles and a wand

5. Make a sundial

Nothing big...most don't cost anything, some a few dollars here and there. I am worried that they will pull 5 crafts for one week or 5 outings that are more intensive, but I think we got a good variety for this week! Let me know if you want me to email you the complete list. CLICK HERE to see the full list.

Lastly, The Snack Boxes, came from the boys learning how to scale the shelves of the pantry to the top shelf where I keep the goodies. AND them constantly asking if they can have a snack and getting annoyed (both them and me) when I tell them what kind of snack they can have. I actually got this from an article at LDS Living magazine this past quarter, and loved the idea! I printed off fake $5 bills and $1 bills. Each boy gets 5 each for the week (Alyssa is too young to grasp this concept). Granola bars, fruit snacks, and the occasional ding dongs are a $5 snack and can only have 1 a day. Crackers, pretzels, goldfish are $1 snacks and they also get 1 a day (need to get some baggies to portion them off). Fruit and vegetables are free, so they can eat those unlimited.

I'm excited about this plan, and this will also help them manage their fake money. Keeping my fingers crossed.....

A crazy crazy day

I have a daily journal I type up and this was just so comical, I thought I'd share my crazy day today.

7:30am call the Mazda dealership about fixing our car (can't go on the planned morning walk with Jessica)
8:30 try to start the car (the key wouldn't come out of the ignition last night) and it was dead--then the key came out.Called Jackie and Heidi to see if they could pick us up and take us to party (we can't all fit in any one persons car with their kids)
8:45am Whoops, alyssa tries to reach a bag of pretzels on the counter and down comes last nights dirty dinner casserole dish to the ground....crashing shards of glass everywhereI sternly tell her to get out of the kitchen (so she won't step in glass) and she gets her feelings hurt and starts to cry and walk away...oh well...I'll talk to her in a minute clean up the wet, nasty glass: sweep, mop, vacuum Talk to Aj and explain why I had to quickly tell her to get out...so she won't get hurt
9:15 am kids play, i work a bit on computer get us dressed find alyssa in my bathroom putting on my make up (isn't she too young for this?)
9:45 heidi comes, and tyler sits in between her boys in her car
9:50 jackie comes and matthew jumps in the back with her boys while alyssa sits by "baby brooky"
10:10 we all arrive at the mall for birthday party...a jumpy placekids jump, I run out to a few stores chat with friends
11 upstairs to eat cake and ice cream, i run to a few more stores
12 wind down, head to cars
12:30 home, heidi trys to help me jump my car, but I can't get it out of the garage, won't go into neutral...run to clairs (across the street neighbor) to look for longer jumper cables, call russ (my bro) for help, etc. no dice, send her home
12:35 listen to voice mail that I signed up to feed the Sister Missionaries tonight
12:45 tyler has his first piano lesson in 45 min. try to call 5 or 6 people for rides (lots of friends have napping children at this time) and only one person was home...she had extras at her house and it wouldn't work
1:25 call piano teacher and leave message about our dead car
1:30 put on Madagascar for the kids while I try to unwind on the computer IM with michael about the situation.
1:35 call AAA to come jump start my car
1:45 piano teacher calls to see if we remember the lesson and I tell her about the message I left that she didn't hear. I feel bad, but she is really understanding and offers a 3:30 slot if we can get the car fixed
2:05 AAA is fast and starts the jump and diagnosis (while I chat online with michael)the car starts, but the key won't come out again, AAA guy says I need to take it in somewhere and get a new ignition
2:20 I let the car sit idle in our driveway...not the best plan, but oh well
3:10 car still idle, kids movie is over, I tell 'em to get shoes on and get in the car
3:30 drop tyler off at piano...drive around with matthew and alyssa and stop by candida's house and tell her my scenario and that I'm gonna take it to the dealership and just rent a car...she offers her white mini van (she just got a new van and they haven't sold the old one yet).wow...how nice...I take her up on it
4 go get tyler from his first lesson (he was all smiles)
4:10 back to candida's, she sends 3 of her kids to a neighbors and follows me to the dealership up a few miles north on the interstate
4:20 people are starting to call me back that I called earlier to check on me (Stacy, Becca, Jessica)
4:30 drop off the car, unload my kids, load them into her new van
BREATHE
4:45 back to her house, get her white van, load my kids into THAT one hurry home b/c Sister missionaries come to dinner at 6
5 my neighbor Clair offers to pick up anything at the store for me and I tell her french bread and 2 frozen apple juices
5:15 make spaghetti casserole and mini choco cookies bread and juice delivered by clair's husband, Brad, Michael home, Quick clean of the house
5:50 Sisters come just a bit early we finish cleaning the kitchen
6 sit down to dinner nice chat, but I have a headache
6:30 they shared a message about Abinidi and ask the kids if they know who he is, Matthew says, "He was killed by the bad King Noah" and Tyler says "by fire" and the Sister says, "but his message was heard by a good Priest of Noah" and Tyler says, "Alma" to which they amazingly said, "yes, wow you really know this one" to which I just sat and smiled:)
7 they left...time to do our "fun jar" activity that never got done b/c of all the chaos: blindfold taste testing...it was a lot of fun, thinking of different things to put into each others mouths...a test of trust, too. Tyler and Matthew really got into to:)
7:25 Michael got the kids ready for bed, I took Tylenol, laid on the couch for a minute we read scriptures, prayed, and sent the kids to bed
7:30 Alyssa and I watched a few minutes of "mommy's show" and then I walked her and Strawberry back to bed singing "popcorn popping" all the way back. As I said goodbye, she reminded me as she does every single night (doy=door) "Leave my doy open, leave the brothers doy open, leave your doy open, leave everyones doy open." It makes me smile coming from her cute 2 year old voice.
7:45 I get on the computer, my mind numbing activity...and eat a few cookies.
8 send emails to a bunch of photography forum peeps reminding them to submit recipes to our Photographers cookbook
8:30 edit picts of michele's baby sophie blessing day
9 blog a bit
10 pray with michael and send him to bed
10:30 write this little ditty
11 go to bed myself

My new motto

Thanks to Laurie, I've hopped on board to a new motto....Her friend posted on her blog about a theme/legacy...Laurie posted on her legacy, but I couldn't access her friends blog that started it all (darn private blogs). Anyway, I emailed Laurie to ask what her friend said and she emailed me back what was on the friends blog. I'm so glad I did...it is a quote that really resonates a lot of what I believe in. We had a Family Home Evening last night, pretty much explaining what Jill (Lauries friend) said on her blog. I actually am having this quote made out of vinyl lettering and am going to put it on a board in our home. My kids are already saying the second half of it, when I say the first. I really don't like unkindness to each other or to others...and haughtiness counts in this. It is a bit of a difficult phrase to understand as a 5 and 7 year old, but I tried to break it down (they don't quite get vanity yet).
This is what Laurie emailed me from Jill's blog that ended up being or FHE lesson:


"It's nice to be important, but it's more important to be nice!" After thinking about all the possible phrases I want my children to remember from me, this is one saying that keeps coming to mind. I think it encompasses a lot of important lessons.
Humility. Although it is great to accomplish a lot of wonderful things, it is so important to be humble and not get caught up in ourselves.
Gratitude. Success may come our way, and that is great, but we always need to remember the people who helped us get there, and give others credit for helping and teaching us along the way. Generosity. If we achieve recognition, popularity, intellect, fame, fortune, whatever, we should "share the wealth" with others. What good is it, if we hoard it all to ourselves?
Kindness. Christ was kind to everyone, all the time, and we should be too.
Thoughtfulness. Rather than always thinking about ourselves, we should think about others and how we can reach out to them. Somehow that solves the problem of thinking we need to think about ourselves! :)
Perspective. You might be good at something and I might be good at something else, and it's ok, to not be good at everything! Everyone has different strengths and there is no need to compare or judge or criticize. But there is a need to encourage and celebrate our strengths together.

See my post below if you want to see what my friends said, or if you want to add your legacy. I'm planning to do a FHE lesson with my kids on each of them, so I'd love to hear more.

End of School year festivities

I found these little confetti poppers that I thought would be fun to celebrate the end of school. Kinda fun...yipeeee, its summer time!