** * Our Life with 13 Kids * **: Playing with Katharine

Well, we're on day 4 of elementary school and I'm already missing having Peter at home. He's Katharine's best playmate and I just can't compare with him. I'm doing my best to keep her company though. We read books, color and play and I'm sure in the coming days I'll turn on Daniel Tiger or Bluey for her. I read to her twice yesterday, once in the morning and then in the afternoon, but both times I got soooo sleepy. I couldn't keep my eyes open or my sentences coherent. So then we switched strategies - we headed to the basement where she played while Wes and I cleaned. I'm pleased to say that balance has been restored to one part of that black hole, aka the carpeted room. It was a big mess the whole time Abi was here, now it's nice and neat. I'm hoping Wes is able to help me do the same to the unfinished side, which has also become a big mess. As we cleaned up, we found all of Abi's graduation cords. The light pink one almost looked like hair. Today I thought that could be fun... and I braided it into her hair. Now she's Rapunzel!

Some drawings that Peter and Katharine did today after school.

I was helping K draw a heart, which she found a little tricky. I drew two dots and showed her to go from the dot up and around then down to the dot. She tried, then said with disappointment and a sigh "That's a circle..." (2nd up on bottom left) So then I drew 4 dots, but that wasn't more helpful (bottom left). So then she did one side and I did one side. That worked better. And we could even rotate the paper to make it work. Her best one that we both helped with is top center. It was really cute.

She's got smiley faces down!

Today I enjoyed a hike - 6:15 am morning hike to ruins. 1.35 miles, 40 minutes. A momma deer and her two babies crossed the trail in front of me, so fun

Taking time to consider the wildflowers -

There are paper airplanes EVERYWHERE from our FHE activity on Monday night.

It's cute, I'm glad they are having fun, but I don't want to pick these up anymore. That's enough airplanes. I'm hiding the paper.

This past Tuesday, Katharine was quite sad that she wasn't able to go to Hale Theater with Wayne, and that she's never had a turn. (I was sad she was too young to go to see Frozen last year). She was weeping when we walked Peter to the car to go with Wayne, and Wayne said that he'd taker her out on a date soon. Today he came and picked her up at 11 and they went out for a date. First she needed one more hug.

They went out to eat at Wendy's down the street. Fun!

Then Wayne took her to Kid to Kid, which I had suggested as a possible activity they could do. He said he played the "old man" card and had the store employees tell him what size she probably wore and where it was in the store. I guess Katharine picked out the clothes? She came home and changed into her new shirt and shorts - looks like they fit ok, so good job! Then she was ready for me again. Time to play legos.

We made an ocean with rocks for King Triton and Flounder to live in. These are rose quarts rocks that Daniel picked up at the exit of Three Canyon in the spring. They've all been kicking around in their bedroom since then.

I was pleased with how it looked. We also used one of her blue ballet costumes to be the waves coming up to the shore on the left there.

I'm doing pretty good at playing with her, I hope. I kinda struggle with it though and have to work to quiet my mind of all the other things I need to be doing. Yesterday around 2:30 in the afternoon, Kat was calling me to come play with legos, but I wanted to leave for my ride. I went and played for a little bit, and then the kids got home so I asked Natalie to take over while I get ready for my 3pm ride. I was thinking of that phrase "Careful and _____ at home..." as I left for my ride. I left at 3:40 pm and it was hot, so I took a quick detour and stopped by the Bells Canyon bathroom to soak my shirt. Then the 94 degree temp was tolerable! I quickly googled the phrase in my head and found that the actual phrase and conference talk my brain was trying to remember was Elder Bednar's 2009 talk "More Diligent and Concerned at Home". I listened to that twice as I climbed up the trail as I pondered if I'm being attentive to the kids if I leave when the kids get back home after school. I want to be diligent. He talked about expressing love, bearing testimony, and being consistent with things like family prayer and scriptures, so then I felt ok cause we're doing pretty good at those. After that talk, Elder Uchtdorf's message came on next via the autoplay, and he spoke of things of the same theme "The Love of God". Also the word disciple has been perking up my ears lately, cause if my discipleship is supposed to be my highest priority, I better be studying that and creating a discipleship 101 curriculum for myself. I continued and enjoyed my ride and I shall most likely keep exercising in my 3pm window, cause that is the most available to me this upcoming year.

I rode 11.78 miles, took me 1 hour 35 min. I spent 30 min at the ruins crossing the creek and stuff. I saw two fish try to fly up the waterfall! ...or maybe it was the same fish that tried twice? That's the first time I've seen a fish though! I got the local legend with 16 efforts for Cottonwood Road/Dirt Climb to Pipe for all athletes! (already had it for Women) AND the LCC Enduro Descent, also for all athletes, with 11 efforts (Those two numbers should be the same, maybe minus one for the descent for when I had to bail out of my ride cause of rain, but most always when I go up, I come down too, so I think the "11 efforts" is wrong, should be 15. Last night I was able to go do a little bit of upper body at the gym. I was going to swim, but I got there and learned that the pool is closed for maintenance until Sep 9, boo. I didn't go swim at all last week, and I won't be going this week apparently. I'll try to do other things to help my shoulders, which have NOT been hurting these past few months! I'm wondering if my left shoulder hurt from climbing. Or maybe cause I wasn't stretching it? I've been trying to do stretching and Chinese Qigong (Lymph) stuff to help it and I guess it working, and the arm circles I do when I do the back stroke. I'll try to keep it up until the indoor pool opens up again.

Two more items about clothing. One - washing clothes. I've decided to separate from our current washer and dryer. They will be leaving our home soon. Lest I forget why they are no longer welcome, it is because of Ub by the washer, and 3C by the dryer.

The washer can't spin without much coaxing and having things perfectly balanced in the drum, which try as I might, I can rarely get to it's high standard of perfection. So this past week I've resorted to a new method of just throwing all the still very wet clothes onto two towels on the floor, hoping that will get them unsoaked enough to be able to go in the dryer.