Pumpkin Carving with Friends!

Our Pumpkins this year were special for two reasons: 

1. The girls grew them themselves in our garden over the Summer!

2. We got to carve them with friends! 

 We grew sixteen pumpkins in our garden this Summer.  It was really fun to watch them grow and change as the Fall grew closer.  We ended up with some of all shades and sizes.  None of them very large but many of them cute.  Each of the girls got to pick one to be their jack-o-lantern.  We gutted them at our home and then took them to a friend's home for carving. 

 Too Young to Carve....

 Yummy treats!

 

SUCCESS!!!!

(yes, Sami's was a Harry Potter Pumpkin in honor of the fact that her mom finally let her read the series this Summer.)

Halloween Music Makers

 

Emmy and Kassi love Music Makers!!!

As we geared up for Halloween, we did a special music makers where the kids could wear their costumes!  Emmy wanted to be Tinker Bell and I had forgotten that I found this adorable Bee costume for Kassi last year.  They had so much fun and all the kids looked darling.  October was a particularly fun month with Kassi because she started getting into the actions and movements.  I have been taking her to MM since she was two months old and she finally started getting the hang of it--this day was the FIRST day that she actually used her puppet!!!  She also learned to walk in October, so the movement and dance became a lot more fun!

 Every year in October, my friend, Shannon, pulls out her parachute and we bounce ghosts on it.  Kassi discovered that she LOVES the parachute!  She would squeal with glee every week!

 We Love Music Makers!!!  Especially at Halloween!!!

Mother's Log October '13

Oct 1:
Kassi starts dancing while standing!!! Go girl!

Oct 3:
I get braces!  I have only wanted them for over 15 years. And now that I finally have them. They hurt. Not fun. And I can't eat. Great diet.

Oct 4:
Auntie heads back home. :(

Kassi takes her FIRST STEP!!!!

Oct 5:
I walked into my entryway this afternoon to find Kassi and the floor completely covered in FLOUR!  Who's to blame?  Her two older sisters. Apparently Ally and Emmy decided to turn Kassi into a Snowman in honor of the skiff of snow we received on our lawn yesterday.  The trail of flour stretched all the way to the kitchen cupboard and I wasn't able to wash all the flour out of Kassi's hair on the first try. Crazy kids.

Oct 6: 
Gotta love Conference Weekend! I know the kids think it's long and rather boring but I have come to really appreciate the joy of being spiritually fed....while still in my pajamas.

Kassi takes two steps!!!! 

Oct 7:
Emmy has her first filling while on a small dose of Valium and laughing gas at a Pediatric Dentist office. She does great and is totally cooperative (unlike her appointment in September with our regular dentist).  When it's over she announces that she really likes her dentist.  "He's cute!  Can we have a play date?!" Yes, she was still a little drugged.

Kassi learns to bounce on the trampoline while standing!  Still won't walk much though.... She thinks plopping after the first step or two is a fun game!

Oct 12:
We enjoy a very nice visit with GG and GP in Idaho. I'm glad we live close enough to visit often now and be able to make it a one night trip.  We love Jeremy's grandparents!

Oct 16:
Kassi gets into Music Makers!!  We have been going pretty much her whole life and she is finally starting to get into it!  Ally loved it during her preschool days and this is Emmy's third year. Today, Kassi sang, danced, and even let out shrieks and screams of joy when we played with the parachute!  Then she tried running like the bigger kids and took TEN STEPS!!! Go Kassi!!!!

Oct 17:
Kassi was up at 4am with a stuffy nose. Half awake, I rubbed some Vicks vapor rub on her chest. Then at 8:00 this morning when I still hadn't heard from her, I assumed she was sleeping in from being up. I was wrong. Kassi found the open container of Vicks sitting next to her crib and covered herself and her crib in it. Now she is going with the slicked back hair and shimmering face look for the day because I can't get it all washed off.

Oct 18:
UEA!!!!  We didn't go far because we have soccer games tomorrow but we did have a very nice time staying the night in Park City!  We went bowling (something we haven't done as a family since we moved to UT) and had so much fun!  Then we went swimming in the "heated" pool in 35° weather. The girls loved it!  I thought they would complain about being cold the whole time but we had to drag them back into the hotel in fear of them getting ear aches after about 30 minutes. They could have easily stayed another hour. Then this morning we watched a movie in our jammies with our breakfast.  After packing up and leaving the hotel, we hit downtown Park City and had lunch at our favorite place--Bandit's-and sweets at Rocky Mountain Chocolate Factory. I discovered the saddest thing: I can't have caramel apples with braces on!!!!

We have officially come to the decision that Kassi is a home body and hates the Pack N Play.  Both last week and last night she was up for two hours in the night. She is currently crashed in her crib. Home Sweet Home!!  We have sworn off traveling until April. And we will be getting a hotel crib at that time.

Oct 19:

Today was soccer. The team Ally played only had three players show so for the second half, Ally and her friend, Sydney, played for the other team.  Ally played the full second half and did great!  The other coach complimented our coach after the game saying that Ally has a natural sense for defense!  She seems to always know where the ball is headed and is not afraid to get in the way. Go Ally!!!

BTW, Ally taught herself to whistle!!  Funny how each of my girls are so talented in different ways. 

The girls have taken to playing 20 questions in the car. When it's Emmy's turn, and her sisters get it right, she triumphantly says "Corrrrrrrrect!!!!"

Oct 21:
Kassi figures out how to climb onto the fireplace. Oh goody. A climber.

Oct 31....
What the!!! Where did the month go???  How did Halloween become such a production that life just got crazy busy!  Parties, parades, costumes, and candy. It's exhausting!!!  But oh so fun! I got Jeremy to dress as the Scarlett Pimpernel and I got to pretend to be glamorous Jane Seymour (as Lady Marguerite) for a night. I have the coolest husband ever!!!  Kassi made an adorable bee, ladybug, and parrot!  And she is up to something like 16 steps now!!!! Just quit sleeping on me....Anyway, Sami and Ally both took on different versions of Elizabeth Swann and Emmy made a marvelous Tinker Bell and Mermaid. We had a marvelous time!!  Now comes the week long sugar high....

Emmy's Debut

Today was our primary program!  I am so glad it is over. That was my fourth program in six years where I was the chorister. I so love my primary kids and working with them, but it is such a relief when another program is finished! 

Today's program was extra special, though, because it was Emmy's first one. She was so stinkin' cute!!  She got up and said her part perfectly loud and clear. And she sang out really loud on most of the songs. Like REALLY loud!!! So much that the teachers all around her chuckle and the kids cover their ears. The best part about her performance today was that she wore an Aurora princess crown the whole time. We tried to get her to take it off before church started but she somehow ended up on the stand with it. Like I said, too cute!!

Then, tonight Emmy said the dinner prayer. She said, "please let us have good food and make it good for us" then "please help daddy come home safely" even though how was standing right in front of her, then she finished "please help me be a princess when I grow up!"

Ally got up and did her part perfectly at the program today, too. Big improvement from two years ago when she wouldn't even get on the stand without crying. She is also one of my good singers!  And, of course, Sami was did really well all around. Sami also performed in the little orchestra as one of our recorder players for "My Heavenly Father Loves Me." (We had two violins, two cellos, four recorders, a stand up bass, and a duet on the piano all played by primary kids and with the rest of the kids singing. It was fun!!  But, again, glad it's over....)

Mother's Log September 2013

Sept 1:
Jeremy adds a new story to bedtime routine. This one involves llamas and pigs who go to war.  Good stuff! 

Sept 2:
Jeremy leaves for five more days.  

Emmy goes through growing up crisis about 15 years early and spends an hour wailing and stressing about how she doesn't want to leave home.
             Emmy: "I don't want to have to go on a mission!" "I don't want to have to get married!" 
             Mom: "that's OK, Emmy, you won't need to think about those things until you are as big as Mommy."
             Emmy:  "I don't want to have to get bigger!!!!"
             Mom: "I promise, you can stay here as long as you want to"
             Emmy: (sniffling) OK.

Sept 4:
I found out that Ally told a big and serious lie which resulted in me almost making a fool of myself by getting on her teacher's and almost her principal's case. Then I had a crazy busy and stressful day with several places I had to be. Then I blew up jars of peaches all over my deck. Glass shards and peach splotches are everywhere. Then I had a breakdown right in front of my kids. I am so ready for this day to end.

Sept 6:
Spent hours spraying off my deck with a pressure washer. May never can again.

Sept 7:
Jeremy came home after being gone another week at his trial in CA!!!!! And just in time for the girls first soccer games!!  He is only home for 24 hours and then he has to go back. But at least we get to see him!

Sept 8:
Bad Mom Moment.... I allowed my toddler to ride her bike right down the deck stairs. Stairs are so evil. Poor baby has a fat lip. So grateful it wasn't more serious.

Sept 11:
Jeremy finally comes home to stay for more than 24 hours!  Trial in California is over!!!!!  It has been a really long three weeks. Now if only this was television and we could have the verdict before November....

Sept 13:
Spent a night at the firm event in Park City over the weekend. Guess it was our last one as we decided to change jobs today.

Sept 26:
Kassi, now 15 months, stands herself up in the middle of the floor for the first time. The look of triumph on her face is exquisite!!

Sept 27:
At last!!!! A little less stress!!!   This has been the longest month of my life. And definitely packed full of stress. While Jeremy was doing his trial and changing jobs (which turned out to be an extremely stressful transition for him, just with all the start up stuff that comes with going out on your own), I was--on top of doing my best at being a supportive wife and attentive mother--dealing with school starting, figuring out carpools for three different schools, scheduling out dance classes, piano lessons, and soccer, dealing with one of my children having a very hard time adjusting to the change in dynamic in her new grade, dealing with Kassi deciding she hates sleep again, preparing for a primary program (which included scheduling and running orchestra rehearsals and me having to sing in the program!  Yes, the choristers had to sing a duet...) planning, preparing, and executing Green Ribbon Week at Sami's school, AND planning and throwing Sami's Tenth Birthday Party. And those last three things were all THIS week!!!  Today was Sami's party. And the end of green ribbon week. And once I am done making frosting tomorrow morning for the sugar cookie party the kids earned for doing so well in their primary program, that will be behind me too.  Maybe I could start cleaning my house again. Or keeping up on the laundry. Or doing some much needed weeding and prepping on my yard for winter. Or maybe just paying attention to my garden again. Or perhaps I could actually decorate and get ready for Halloween. The possibilities are endless!!! As is the to-do list.....

Sept 29:
My baby turns 10!

Emmy defends her daddy when someone starts to tease him about "quitting" his Partnership at a well established firm.  Emmy strictly rebukes with a finger pointing at the offender, "He is NOT a quitter!!!"
Do I get on her case for not respecting an adult?  She was so sweet to defend her daddy. And she was so quick to respond!

Sept 30:
Auntie comes to visit!!!!

First Day of School!

Ally started First Grade this year!!  She was so excited!  She wouldn't let me leave when we got there, though.   She thought that since I stayed for the whole time on her first day of Kindergarten, then I should stay for the whole of her first day of First Grade too!  After standing in the hall for about 20 minutes, I began feeling more like more of a distraction than anything.  So as hard as it was, I just left.  She wasn't too mad at me later, though.  She loves her class and her teacher!  Once we get through adjusting to the longer day, I think we may have a promising year!

Sami started Fifth Grade!!  Yes, FIFTH!  She is growing up tooooooooo fast!  She is with the same group of kids this year, so there was less anxiety over who will be in her class, but she has a new teacher.  New to the program and the grade.  Sami seems to like her ok. Sami always takes a while to get used to her new teachers...  The first day went well, over all.  Sadly, that nigh she came down with a fever and missed the next two and a half days of class.

EMMY'S FIRST DAY OF SCHOOL!!!!!!!!!!!!

Emmy was ECSTATIC to go to Preschool.  She had to wait until the next day to have her first day, though.  That morning, she was up early, dressed and ready!  She even sat on the front porch with back pack on and waited for Ally's carpool to come pick her up.  Emmy said she was going to wait for hers too but since it wasn't coming for another FOUR hours, I convinced her to come back in once Ally was gone.

Emmy LOVES Preschool!!

This was Sami on Emmy's first day.  She was not happy about having to miss school.  Poor Baby.

It was the strangest bug.  All she had was a fever for about 52 hours.  No other symptoms at all.  Weird.  She's fine now, though.