Lots of Sleeping

Just realized that I take a lot of pictures of people sleeping. Babies sleeping...

Toddlers sleeping...

Toddlers sleeping with babies...

Teenagers sleeping...

Teenagers sleeping with babies...

Babies sleeiping with children...

Dads sleeping with children...

And of course, if anyone was ever around to take a picture of me sleeping, then there would be a lot of "mom's sleeping with babies" pictures. That's what Owen and I do almost the whole day long. And here's one last sleeping moment ~ Friday night Corey and I had several visitors join us in our bed...

You can see Sophi's leg there out at a 90 degree angle with her foot pointed at Owen's back. When Corey and I opened our eyes that morning to greet each other from our bookend positions, (as we were keeping all the little bodies from falling over the edge), the first words from Corey's mouth were "It's like human Tetris..." Aren't we talented? We can play games in our sleep.

Ethan's Creations

Last year in Ethan's school CTE class he learned how do make pictures on the computer, and how to use other pictures and Photoshop them together. He made quite a few creations back then and even whipped out a Holiday greeting card for our family. Now with school back in session, he's hard at work again. The files are saved there at school, so I had to take pictures of his pictures to document them. This is our new computer wallpaper that he made - Ethan says it represents his best work ~ Behold, Natalie the giant toddler sleeping in the Grand Canyon or something as tourists look on -

And he also has made it possible for Barney and Elmo to join the Avengers - (Elmo's tail is on fire, and Barney is looking a little tired I think, he might not be up for the job...)

And he's even made it possible for pigs to fly! (some kid crinkled up that one) ... but wow, pigs can fly ~ Anything is possible!

Eye Exam for Sophia

So I noticed in February that my little 3 year old Sophia was beginning to cross her eyes. I tried to schedule an appointment up at the Moran Eye Center at Primary Childrens, but they were booked out several weeks and I was not going to be able to get her in before we were leaving for Brazil at the end of March. The Moran Eye Center is where I've always gone when my toddlers needed glasses (aka Hyrum and Abi). Somehow this time I came under the impression that they were the only pediatric ophthalmologists in Utah - cause when I called to schedule Sophi's appointment, and they couldn't get her in until April, the lady said "There are only 5 pediatric ophthamologist in Utah." Really? I took their word for it. They didn't have a waiting list, so I called a few times over the next few weeks to see if anyone had cancelled so I could jump in line, but no luck. So what ya gonna do. We went to Brazil in March, and in June I called again to schedule an appointment for Sophi after we returned to the US. And this time they were booked through October! Drat, apparently I should have called earlier. I scheduled an appointment for October 22nd. Then when we were at Scofield with friends in July, it dawned on me that they both have young children in glasses and I asked them were they went. Come to find out there is more than one place in Utah to take small kids to, I'm sure there are several, not sure why I didn't figure this out in February, but I should have known better. So I called Rocky Mountain Eye Center and was able to schedule her for August 27th. That's much better than October. Especially since the poor girl has needed glasses since February. Well today the day arrived! You ready Sophi?

She was so cute the whole time and even though she didn't know her ABCs perfectly, she is able to match two letters or two pictures. So now we know our little girl is farsighted.

Dr. Peterson was wonderful, we had a great experience. Just 30 minutes for her eyes to dilate, and everything else was quick and painless too. We looked at glasses at the optical shop they had there. Even though they didn't have any Sleeping Beauty glasses, Sophi was willing to get the pretty purple glasses with a sparkly bow on the sides. Final cost for one pair was going to be $230. I asked if she could hold the order and I was going to look at Walmart if we could find something less expensive for us, since we do have a lot of kiddos in glasses. Luckily at Walmart they had a pink Sketchers pair that had a pink sparkly heart on the temples. Sophi approved, yay! and we found another hot pink pair in some $9 buck frames, sweet. So we ended up getting the two pair at Walmart for $130. Go Walmart, I am grateful. Her glasses should be here in a week! Excited for my little girl to see more clearly soon! (And she's gonna look super cute in them too!)

School Week 1 Done

Wesley cleaned out his backpack recently This is the collection of pencils he had in there:

I thought I remembered him once saying that he liked to have his pencils short so he could fit them in his pocket. Upon further inquiry, he told me that no, that's not why he had such a plethora of tiny pencils. It was just because his pencil sharpener didn't work very well and would always break the lead so until they were all whittled down to nothing.

As for school, it's Wednesday again, so we've officially survived our first week of school. 5 down, 175 to go. Older kids were practicing music until 11 pm last night. (And I believe that is why my little girls have slept in until 11.)

Little kids were playing with toys and legos - Lily made one of the lego city trees "be on fire" - the tree right by the school. Hope the school doesn't burn down! I thought it was funny though~ not sure if you can see it here but it was cute.

Melodie was finishing up homework on the couch as her brothers practiced in the same room close by her. Corey was playing with them, and took it as a noise challenge when he noticed Melodie doing her studies with orange plugs in her ears.

Corey started blowing and making the loudest noises on the saxophone that we've ever hear - sounded like a big boat honking out a warning or a fog horn, it made us laugh.

And then he tickled her and gave her dead leg punches. And then we tried to wind things down... good luck with that huh.

Deer Neighbors

As the kids were eating breakfast last week (8/20), they were excited to see a deer visiting our yard - and then they saw another, and another... we had a total of four buck deer in the backyard.

Pretty cool. I don't mind since I'm not attempting to garden this year and have no tomato plants for them to destroy. Not too many roses either, or atleast I'm not invested in the roses and flowers, so our deer neighbors are welcome to come and eat our weeds at their leisure.

Shoe Police

Natalie is the head officer of the Shoe Patrol ~ our little police unit here that is in charge of ensuring that all citizens are wearing shoes at all times. You may not "kick of your shoes and relax" around our household at the time being. Natalie and Sophi have enacted laws against that kind of behavior. Clothes... you don't need clothes. Clothes are optional, you know, like how it is for barbies - atleast at our house - barbies are found laying around with no clothing on but you can be sure they're sportin' their high heel shoes. And that's how it is for everyone around here. Here's Natalie putting on Lily's shoes when she was found having a snack shoeless at the counter.

When I sit on the couch to nurse this little cute face...

...the shoe police come by. If they see I've tried to kick back and relax, they get those shoes and put them back on. No relaxing shoe-less allowed aroudn here. Natalie will sweetly say "Shoes!" and pick them up and put them back on me.

It's cute.

Sophi works closely with Natalie as shoe enforcer. Lately they've been raiding my closet and getting out the pretty Sunday shoes, thus there are high heels are strewn all over the house. and if they catch you barefoot, watch out, cause they'll make you wear high heels. Once the shoe police caught me in my closet, where I was hiding to try and throw them off my trail... and I took of my heels. Sophi came in and looked at my feet and said "Where are your shoes?!" And I said "do I have to wear the high heels?" and then Natalie came quickly behind her to look at me - without either of them saying a word, Sophi turned to look at her and then accusingly pointed at my bare feet. Natalie looked at my feet and with sirens going off in her head, promptly went over to my shelf, grabbed the heels that I had discarded, and put them on my feet. You just don't get a break from these girls! I think I might need to hide any and all of my and Melodie's "pretty shoes" up higher in the closets, or else I have to wear them in the kitchen while I load the dishwasher and while I vacuum. It's the law!

Natalie's Salon

Welcome to Natalie's hair salon. Natalie is very competitive for customers. Even stealing away other hairstylist from their own beauty parlors to come be customers at her establishment. Here she is stealing Sophi away from working on Melodie's hair. "You must come to my salon!" 

"Sophi, Sit down! Sit down!"

(She was particular on where they sat, like to the inch.)

Ok, first the brush...

Next, the whistle. Now blow...

Good. Ok, now the clipboard (pulls your hair and sets your hair next to the board to be examined...)

 Lastly, the hanger. (Pulls hair out and briefly hangs the hanger on it...)

 

Thank you! NEXT! When Ethan was in her salon, and after she was done, she totally pushed him out of the spot and said "GO AWAY!" Now it's Wesley's turn.

Such good siblings, Wesley trying to appease his little sister and still do his homework. Just another day at the salon.

Ready, Set...

Ready or not, the first day of the 2015-16 school year is here. Joseph started off the first day with jazz band at 6:30. I took him. As we drove on the freeway and approached the exit, we went under a walkway, where there was some disrespectful thing spelled out with cups in the chain link fence. It so offended me that on my way back I parked and took 15 minutes taking down all the cups. I thought I'd be able to stack them up, but the cups were big and thus had to be crushed to put in the fence which made them unstackable for me. I didn't have a garbage sack, so I attempted to hold them, but there were too many, so I decided to just rip them out and then them fall on the walkway. I felt a little bad just leaving them on the bridge, but decided that littering was less worse than having all the freeway drivers see the offensive word that had been displayed. Plus I didn't want the new students to have a bad impression of the area or school. Owen was nice and slept while I was gone. Then Corey took the rest of the junior high kids at 7:15. All the elementary kids got up way too early at 7:00 - they were just too excited for the first day! I told them "You have an hour and a half to wait... don't get up this early tomorrow!" And I'm sure they won't since they'll be recovering from today's full day. (Lily did have a major recovery day - on Thursday she fell asleep around 5:00 when she went with me in the car for an errand, and she slept until 10:30 pm!)

They left for school at 8:20 - everyone was excited to ride the bus!

Then Owen and I went and took a nap until 11 while Natalie and Sophi kept sleeping. I'm ready for a lazy and unproductive few months since all my baby holders and protectors are gone. I just nurse Owen and try to protect him when he's sleeping from his adoring toddler sisters.

School Year's Eve Lunch

Now that we're back from Brazil and now that Owen has been born, I'm ready to start doing little family "parties" again. We started off with a "School Year's Eve" event, like we did last year.

We began our celebrations today with a fun dinner, but it was more of a lunch. Last year they took hot lunch, so this school lunch was more in memory of cold lunches from year's past. Sandwiches, chips, fruit, gogurts, and Little Debbie snack cakes. H and A acting weird...

Ok, everyone grab your lunch tray and go through the lunch line for your dinner.

You're cute Lily

It was a busy last day of summer ~ the kids all went over to a neighbor's birthday party at 2 and then Hyrum had a band concert that night, so we squeezed this little activity in at 4:30. Corey wasn't able to make it, but ya do what you can.

The kids smiled for a photo, then Joseph asked me to give him a count down so I could capture an action shot ~ can you spot the "action"?

Yes, Joseph threw a fruit snack at Ethan's head. the kids liked it. Joseph wanted me to get him in action catching a gold fish. The gold fish cracker as harder to see... But Sophi is cute

Ah, there is a little gold fish in flight!

Everyone's excited for the first day of school tomorrow ~ it's gonna start bright and early with Joseph leaving for Jazz band at 6:15. That will definitely feel early, when compared with the teenager's usual 11 am rise and shine time this past week. We're going to do more activities during the week - like our supply station (I gotta make another run to the store for binders and notebooks), a annual school year questionairre, and we'll probably do father's blessings on Sunday. Ready or not, here the new year comes!

Mega Night Games

Ethan told me this afternoon about how he hasn't been able to hang out with any of his school friends all summer. I told him to plan it and make it happen. Yes, you can do night games, sounds good. Yes, you can invite friends over to our house. So he made it happen.

Most of the kids at the nigh games party were neighborhood kids, and I think there were 3 from school.

I didn't realize how many kids were over until one of the little girls scraped her knee - and they brought her in to get a band aid - and I mean EVERYONE brought her in. "How many kids are out there?" (this isn't all of them, but it is most of them)

It was a good way to spend the last night of summer (cause tomorrow night is a "school night"!!!)

And in other exciting news, we have a visitor from Germany ~ Her name is Lisa, but the little girls think it's Princess Aurora. She is very nice, just like a princess, and she is pretty, just like a princess, and she has long blonde hair, just like Princess Aurora. Yes, she must be Princess Aurora!

The four little girls are smitten, especially Lily and Natalie. Lisa was so nice to stay up and read scriptures with us, even though with her jetlag her body thought it was 6 in the morning. We all took turns reading a few verses, and skipped over Sophi...

And when we were finishing up, Sophi said "I read!" "Do you need to read? Sorry Sophi, go ahead" and then she "read" her scriptures, which sounded a lot like one of her prayers... She just talked in her little quiet voice for a few minutes, talking about baby Owen and her friends and toys. It was cute, and I thought she looked like a little angel in her light green dress and white sweater. I love these kids.