September 24-30

We had a fun week with our cousin Jade who came to play.  She surprised us when she drove back down with Grandma for the week.  I thought Jade would want to go home after one day with us but she said she wanted to stay!  The kids loved playing with her.  Carden made sure they did a lot of things during the day like building forts, riding bikes, playing steam roller, and hot lava.  They sadly couldn't swim since the pool is being re-plastered.  Jade caught on with the COTTON BALL JAR and loved sharing with everyone.    Here are some pictures from the week:

 We love making side walk paint!  It is the best pinterest pin my far!  So easy to wash it all away and doesn't stain and I don't have to get out tons of PAPER!

Another Pinterest inspiration is my bulletin board idea.  Saw this lady paint her own circles on her bag and thought I would try it on burlap for my board!  What do you think?  The kids love it.

 We did a lot of coloring and a lot of DORA and OMI!

 We only had ONE BIKE ACCIDENT and of COURSE it was poor RHEAD's HEAD!!! ohhh it was so sad but he is ok.  It looks way worse than what it was.  We was good about keeping ice on it.  Poor guy.  He is sure TUFF!

 And of course another pinterest idea with Brooke's skirt.  I decided to take her plain navy skirt and add dots!
I thought is turned out cute.  She loved it.


And another shot of McKay watching the laundry! Oh I just love it!!  He just makes me smile every minute of the day.

Here are some shots that we took of the kids one Sunday afternoon.  Sundays are soooo LONG and hard.  

So September is over and now comes October.  I am looking forward to the new month.  Hopefully it will start to cool off!  We have a lot more projects to work on such as getting their costumes ready for Halloween.  I also want to make a card holder for our little school room!  Guess I will let you know next week what other things get done!  Oh and another PINTEREST idea we did was the knotted headbands which were cute but didn't stay on very well.  Sadly I don't have a picture of Jade and Brooke in their matching ones.  I think I will have to alter that one a bit to make it work.

Carden is still working on his Song Saturday which he will sing in a couple weeks for Stake Conference.  Brooke and Rhead know it as well so maybe they can sneak up there and sing with him!!!

Rhead's scab broke and of course he didn't even care.  He actually ran around the house laughing and roaring.  Guess he's ready to be in a horror movie!!!!!

The week ended with our Relief Society broadcast and dinner which was so perfect.  The dinner was delicious and the talks were humbling. My sister and Mom went with me so it was a fun girls night!  It was also nice to see my old friends from the first ward as well as my zumba buddies!  

What a TREAT it was to come home to all my sleeping babies!

Our kids actually went to sleep by 8pm, wow, there is hope!

McKay

McKay is long and skinny.  He just had his 9 month appointment.  Here are the stats:

9 Months (9-26-2012):
Weight: 18lbs7oz  (25%)
Height: 30" (95%)
Head: 18 and 1/4"  (75%)

6 Months (6-30-2012)
Weight: 17lbs 1oz (25%)
Height: 29" (95%)
Head: 18" (75%)

He loves to crawl. Loves to stand up to things especially the washer and watch the clothes turn! Still sleeps through the night.  Loves to say "Daa daa", blow his tongue at you, and give kisses.  He still loves carrots, chicken, potatoes, and the new one is spaghetti.  He has two teeth now the bottom two.  He loves to be rocked and nursed to sleep.  Loves Peek-a BOO!  Claps his hands.  Smiles and responds to his name "Kay"(what Rhead calls him), "Kitty"(what Brooke calls him), and "McKay!"    

September 17-23

I think I might try to start blogging every Sunday.  It is a good thing to do on the Sabbath day since it is really our family journal.  I also feel like each week we go through so much and I want to stay more positive about the things we really are accomplishing.  Sometimes, actually most of the time, I get discouraged because I feel like my kids aren't progressing but really we are doing better at a lot of things.  We have a lot to work on and I think if I keep up weekly with our "teaching experiences" that maybe we can see how we learning and growing.

Monday was a busy day.  I have started to attend the Stake Zumba class which is only an hour.  I usually take Carden, Brooke, and Rhead since they LOVE "going in the car!"  Almost every morning Rhead says, "GOING IN THE CAR MOMMY?"  My kids love to go places.  It is so challenging taking them somewhere but for the most part they are doing pretty good at behaving themselves.  So during Zumba my kids just play with the other kids while the Mommies work out.

After Zumba I usually stop at FOOD MAX because it is on the way home.  So as I was at the checkout counter getting all our food bagged I saw Carden with some batteries.  He has been begging for batteries for his cars and trains at home that needed new ones.  I told Carden that we would get them later since I wanted a bigger box from Walmart or Costco.  So I turned around and continued bagging.  (Brooke and Rhead were fighting over the button and who got to push it).  So I was pretty busy.  We luckily got out of the store without making too big of a scene.  However when I got home I found batteries?!  WHAT!  I didn't buy these.  Carden sadly stole them and we had a great FAMILY NIGHT that night on STEALING and REPENTING!  

 So part of our family night I remembered this PINTEREST find about a jar that had the words, "CAUGHT YOU DOING SOMETHING GOOD!"  So instead I took a cotton ball and we talked about what it felt like and looked like.  Carden, Brooke, and Rhead understood that it felt soft and clean on their face and hand.  They said it was white and pretty.  But then I said what if I took this cotton ball and rubbed it into this plate of mud, which I did and then asked each one of them if I could rub it on their faces.  They all made a yucky face and said, "NO WAY!"  But I did rub it on Carden's face because he let me and I wanted him to describe how it felt.  He said it was rough and sticky and didn't feel soft.  Well our lesson went on and Justin and I related the clean cotton ball to being pure and doing GOOD THINGS and then how the dirty cotton ball was sin like stealing the batteries.  It was a great teaching moment.  Carden is going to use his money he has been saving to pay for the batteries he stole.    He wants to repent and make things right.  We are now working on filling our jar with CLEAN cotton balls when we do GOOD things.  If we do something bad then we have to take a cotton ball out.

Wednesday night we had a PRIMARY run through of our program.  So Carden and I got to go together.  It was so nice having a little outing with just the two of us.  The primary kids did so well.  I am amazed at how many had their lines memorized and how well they all sang their songs.  It was a good practice.

We are still working on sleeping in our beds and staying there the WHOLE NIGHT!  Sadly we have had no luck.  The kids still come into our room and sleep on the floor.  I just hope it is because we are all stuffy and coughing a little.  Rhead turned into a SUPER HERO while sleeping!! HAA HAAA!! It is pretty fun to go in and check on the kids once they fall asleep.  We never know what the SURPRISE is going to be!

Justin and I also got to go on a FUN date to the temple and out to eat at Wahoo's Tacos!  We didn't even know Fresno had one and it actually ended up being close to the temple!  

As for today the Primary program as so perfect.  It was so beautiful seeing all the kids up on stage smiling.  I was sitting behind Carden with my class so I didn't really get to see his face the whole time.  But Carden got up and stood so tall and looked out into the audience and said his line perfectly.  It was so clear and he didn't even sound nervous or scared.  We have been working all week on his songs but honestly the primary kids had all their songs down!  We have a GREAT SONG LEADER!  Sister Foster just does an amazing job at getting ALL the kids singing and smiling!

During Nephi's courage though Justin was holding McKay and having him do some of the hand motions to the words.  It was so hilarious.  My whole class is in LOVE with Mckay and spotted him in the audience which sure made them giggle a little while singing the song.  It was pretty neat watching McKay spot me on the stand.  His little face is sure fun to see in the audience.  McKay even was entertained by all the kids.

Well that about sums up our week!

My Primary Boy!

Today was our first practice for the Primary program which is next week.  Carden has been saying his line every day.  So for the 2nd and 3rd hour in Primary we had practice.  Carden was nervous to even go up on the stand to sit but I told him that he would have fun.  I had to remind him that Luke and Cohen were doing the same thing!  He sat next to me for a little bit but then I had him go sit next to his  friends Savannah and Jordyn!  Carden only has GIRLS in his class.

Carden is such a good little boy who loves to help out.  For example, the primary kids are supposed to go to the cultural hall to wait for their teacher but instead Carden loves to go straight to class to set up the chairs for all his friends and teacher.  He INSISTS that he goes and does this service for his class!  It is so funny that he picked up on this himself and decided that it was his responsibility!

But anyways back to our practice.  Carden sat quietly up in the front and then sang the songs when told to.  When he went up to say his lines I was a little nervous for him but he stood up tall and spoke so clearly and calmly.  He didn't even look down.  He looked straight out into the audience and spoke his line, "Jesus Christ teaches me to choose the right."  It was such a great moment for me as a Mommy.  I just got called to the primary as the 8 and 9 year old teacher so it is really neat being able to be a part of the primary program!  I can't wait for Sunday and I hope Carden does it just like he did today.  He is such a good example even though right now we are going through this "BUGGING" phase.

I really enjoy being in Primary and seeing all the kids and their bright smiles.  I REALLY LOVE IT!  I love the kids I teach.  I really do LOVE being around KIDS and PERFORMING!  Part of me really misses teaching at a dance studio with all different ages!  I love watching the little kids look back at me and sing with a huge grins!  Even Carden looks back at me after each song to get a smile in return.  Sometimes I just forget what a SMILE can do!  So SMILE and laugh and let the Spirit be in your home!

Camping!

 We went CAMPING for the FIRST time!  The kids loved it!  This is one of my favorite pictures.  McKay loved rocking in the tree hammock with Grandpa!  I just love their faces!

The drive up to the mountains was only an hour but with all the switch backs the kids faces were getting a little scary!  I was so glad we made it there with NO THROW UP!  But sadly on the way home Carden and Brooke threw up.

The MEN made some REALLY good FOOD!!

Will was in charge of the TINFOIL dinners that were AWESOME!

Thanks WILL!

MAX was all about the DIRT!  He wore this outfit the whole time we were there and never had goose bumps!  He is a little HOT body.

All the HAPPY CAMPERS!

I loved watching the kids pick out a stick to roast the hot dog on!

Some were really flimsy!

The SMORE cones were so GOOD!! MMmmm!

The kids enjoyed their glow sticks and made going to bed easy since they had their own NIGHT LIGHT!

The boys all slept together and I didn't even have time to get Carden's pjs on because he fell asleep so fast.  I had to put on his warm pjs while he was still sleeping.  They were so worn out by 9pm from running around.

Brooke and Rhead slept with Daddy and Mommy and McKay.  They actually SLEPT the BETTER camping and slept LONGER than at home.  Guess we all need to sleep in a tent!

There is SO MUCH to pack when camping and we forgot a shovel which made our dutch oven almost impossible to cook.  We also didn't have any OVEN mitts so we had to experiment with a STICK! 

haa haaa!!  Love it MEN!

Our results.  Sad.  It could have been good if I would have stuck with the recipe! My fault.

 I love this boy.  He is saying "CHEESE!"  as he leans forward and tilts his head to the side at every picture!

The MUD BUDDIES!

 They liked the ROCKS!  Here are the three boys at the top.

Thanks van Beevers and Grandpa for making this happen.  It was a good outing! Fun memories!
I thought our first camp out went well.  Only one GASHED open leg.  And only a few things forgotten.  But overall with ELEVEN kids it went well.

At 9 MONTHS Guess who is who?

Okay so I am LAUGHING SOOOO LOUD and SOOO HARD right now as I uploaded these pictures!!!!!!  You probably know why!  You can for sure SEE their personalities!!  :)

McKay

McKay at 8 Months:

-He loves crawling

- He LOVES the bath and helps me take off his shirt to get in!

-Loves standing up to things and can stand for a few seconds and lower to the floor with control

-Can use his fingers to lift a cheerio to his mouth!

- He likes eating carrots,  broccoli,  lentil soup, apple sauce, and oatmeal!

-Started clapping

-Will give you a kiss when you say "Kisses"!!!!

- He loves to play peek-a-boo!

- He is extremely ticklish in his inner thighs!  But he pretty much cracks up at anything!

-Still likes his tongue out!

-ALWAYS has a smile!

-Loves the pool and does BUTTERFLY like a natural!!

-He loves Mommy!  But loves to find Daddy, Carden, Brooke, and Rhead in the morning for cereal time!

-Still sleeps through the night from 8pm-7am!
-He loves to blow with his tongue and make silly noises
-He still sucks on his toes when i change his diaper
-he still can't take a binkie
-He loves his sippy cup and  enjoys drinking water

I love coming into his room after his nap and finding him standing in his crib!

 He loves finding the clothes.  He slaps the couch and makes this little squeal! 

 The laundry room is his favorite place which is right next to the kitchen where I usually am!

 Sometimes McKay will just fall to the ground like he is asleep!  Carden use to do this! Funny boy!

McKay loves his toes!

We love having McKay in our family.  He is soooo sweet!  Loves to play and laugh!

I seriously could sit and watch him for hours!!!  He just makes me SMILE!  I wish he could just stay this age.  I love having a baby around!

Can McKay just never become a TODDLER!!!  :)