Back to School

It's that time of year again. Ahlea started 2nd grade and Ethan started Kindergarten. They were so excited. Ahlea started on the Wednesday and Ethan on Friday. We went and met Ethan teacher on Wednesday and he insisted on bringing his school supplies then. His backpack was so heavy that when he put it on, it almost tipped him over. He wanted to bring his supplies so that he could ride the bus on his first day. when he got on the bus he had a smile that stretched across his face. Ahlea has been great helper. She helps Ethan get on the bus and find his class
I love my kids greatly, but it has been nice to get our family back into a routine. This past summer has been so busy that there were nights I would go to bed and think, did we eat a meal today. Since school started I am proud to say we have had family dinner every night.

Guess Who

So I was uploading pictures from my camera today and I found some interesting pictures That I know I didn't take.


There was this beauty:

And This One:











After Looking at a dozen or so out of focus pictures of anything and everything. I was trying to decide which child had gotten to the camera when I came to this picture:













I guess my dear Ahlea is only good at getting focused pictures of herself.

Japan

Tonight we were over at my in-laws house and we were watching the Olympics. A young man from Japan had just one an Olympic Gold Medal. As they were standing on the podium with thier team uniforms on, we were all trying to pronounce his name Kosuke Kitajima. Then my wonderful mother-in-law said Oh I thought it was Jaa Paan. We all looked at her funny until we realized she was reading his uniform that said Japan. It has been awhile since I laughed until I cried. Thanks Ann!

Look Mom No Hands

So Ahlea has been taking gymnastics for a few months now and she absolutely loves it. She is very good and the teacher wants to move her up to the intermediate level soon. She is always practicing at home. That sounds like a great thing until you are walking behind her and she decides to do a hand stand and you get kicked in the face. This happens more than you would think. Well today we were at Grandma Smiths house and she was practicing her cartwheels. Whenever she practices, Ethan thinks that he needs to practice also. This is where the competition starts. Ahlea decides that she needs to one up Ethan, so she says I can do a one-handed-cartwheel and performs her trick. Ethan then chimes in and says well I can do a no-handed cartwheel. We all look at him in amazement (hoping that he doesn't actually try it knowing that we would end up in the emergency room with stitches or a broken bone). He then says well I forgot how to do it but I know how. Then when no one is looking he says "oh, I just did one". I am so proud of my no-handed-cartwheeler!

Vacations!

I think that the thought of going on family vactions sounds like fun and relaxation. I don't know why I always forget that there is NO relaxation and all you want to do is come back home and sleep in your own bed.

We went to Pocatello on Thursday and came back Friday evening. We went swimming all day at Ross park. Everyone has a beautiful tan and I (even though I applied sunscreen twice), am burned to a crisp. By the end of the day the children were extremely tired. They kept fighting about who sat where and who was looking at who and when are we going to eat. After a long night in a hotel bed we decided to go shopping. Where on of the children had a little accident and since all of the clothes were packed way down deep in the car, we had to buy new clothes.

Ethan also learned that the little booties that they let you use at shoe stores make great masks. He kept putting it on his head and pulling all the way over his face. He looked like a picture that wasn't in focus.

We did have alot of fun even with tired children. We went roller skating and played laser tag. Ethan and Ahlea didn't become skate masters on their first and (if they get it there way) final time skating.


As I sit her typing all I can think about is how comfy my bed sounds right now. If you were to ask me if I wanted to go on another family vacation right know I would tell you no way, but by tomorrow I'm sure all I would remember is the great time we had and how much I love spending time with my family.

"Say Mom"

I've been trying to teach Traysen how to say MOM for quite awhile now. He's almost 8 months old now and it comes out as "Bob." BOB?!?!? Do I LOOK like a Bob? Maybe it's a pet name, or something and will become an endearing thing to me sometime in the future. WAY in the future.