Thirteen years later...

Well, almost 13 years ago, I graduated with a Master's in Piano Pedagogy.  I finally started using it today!  I am teaching 2 of the Mulberry kids, a family in our ward, and good friends of ours.  I had a good time and am looking forward to continuing.  I also have another little girl who is going to start after school is out.

About time, huh, Dad?

Oh yeah!  I forgot to mention that my semester is officially OVER!  I'm so glad this time because that research paper was a real drag!  It feels like such a weight has been lifted, and I am now a free woman.  I have been organizing all the cabinets and shelves and desks in our house.  The floor is a disaster zone, but little by little it is looking good.  Scott is being very patient with me.  It is certainly much too big a job to do in one day, although I'm sure my mom would be able to do it.  It's kind of like growing your hair out and you're in the annoying in between stage.  That's where we were this morning, but now it's getting almost long enough to put up in that pony tail!  But I just found out that summer semester starts in 2 weeks!  BOOOOOOOO!!!!  At least I'm only taking one class.

Sunday, oops I mean Rainday...

Funny saying of the day:

Mommy:  Margot have you finished putting up your clothes?

Margot:  Well, I need someone to help me.  And that is you.  Not Jack.  I chose you because I love you, Mommy.

Mommy:  LOL!



Props for Jack:  Jack's Sunday school teacher stopped me today and said, "Jack is so good in class.  I wish all the other kids were more like Jack.  If I just had him, it would be a breeze!"  SO PROUD!  That is music to a mother's ears!



Tonight after I thought he was asleep, Jack came into my room, frantic.  "Mommy!  I have to show you something."

"Can I please read the Star Wars Japanese book?!"  He is so funny about Japanese writing and people and language.  I remember last year at the pumpkin patch, we saw an Asian man there, and he was nice enough to speak to Jack in another language for a minute.  Jack thought that was the greatest!  But he's always telling Katie, "Would you please speak English?!"

And this is what he looked like on the trampoline the other day!  He certainly keeps us laughing!

Katya is loving the books on tape (actually books on ipod) I downloaded for her.  Saturday, she listened to the entire Black Beauty book!  Of course, she still reads normally, too.  She is currently reading The Little Princess, one of the books I got her at the thrift store.  I am currently reading The Minpins outloud to her at night.  Good book by Roald Dahl!  More spiritual than political/social like his others.

Don't look, Mom!

 I think Katya is turning into a teenager...and look at those new shoes!  She is so excited about them, she said "Oh, they're so pretty!  I think they look even better in the picture!"

Random thoughts:  I know a lot of people pay good money for a "quiet" dishwasher, but I like my loud dishwasher dinosaur.  It drowns out the whining.

I think the whole "taking forever to get ready because you're a girl" thing starts when you are very young.  Jack has been standing around ready to go to church for like an hour now, and it's all I can do to keep him from going to wait in the car.  Meanwhile, Katya and Margot are just getting out of the bath (they all started their bath together), need to get dressed, eat breakfast, and get their things ready.  Sound familiar ladies?

And here's a video of Jack with his headphones on listening to music like I mentioned in a previous post.

Bree, don't read this...And just to make the rest of you feel better about yourself, the ONLY time my floor gets mopped is when the kids spill a drink...and that is with a rag in one very specific place.  Oh well!  80/20 rule right?!

weekend not so fun

You know it's bad when your 4-year-old prays, "Please help Mommy to finish her paper."...Ugh!  I spent all day yesterday on a group research paper.  Did I already mention how much I detest group work?  My group members are all very nice, smart, and hard-working, but it is not easy getting everyone on the same page for a 25-page paper.  I was doing all the revising, formatting, editing, etc, yesterday, and it took me from 10 am to midnight.  We did take a short break to go to church for an hour for the Scout spaghetti dinner, mostly because I did not feel like making dinner, and also because I knew the kids needed to see someone other than Mommy all day.  Thankfully, it was a beautiful day and the kids mostly played outside, except for Katya who is reading like crazy.  I just went to the thrift store this week and got her about 10 books, so she is busy with those. 

Funny saying of the day:
When Margot was fixing my hair this morning, Katya said, "Be careful Margot.  Mom's hair comes out easier than ours because she's had kids pulling on it for years!"

Pics:  Margot in new dress up clothes from our friends, the Mulberrys.  The other kids "hamming it up" before bed.

Video:  As promised, Jack riding the Big Wheel down our back hill.  His favorite part is crashing.  I'm sure you're surprised!

Oh, and Jack has been looking so handsome in his new Sunday clothes from our friends, the Simonds.  I just had to include this picture.  Doesn't he look so grown up?

springtime fun

We've been having such fun this week with all our breaks outside playing.  We've broken out the baseball balls and bats, the scooter, bikes, and skateboard.  We've had lots of Royal Rumble time on the trampoline.  Jack even asked if I wanted to go for a walk tonight:)  We visit a lot with our new neighbor - who just happens to be my old boss, and friend, Martina!  Margot is now combining dress up with wearing swimsuits.  She told me today she was getting everything ready to pack for our beach trip (it's in 5 weeks!) 

Do you think we're ready for summer yet?!  Jack has been playing daredevil and riding this little kid tricycle/big wheel down the hill in the backyard and "crashing" into the woods.  He thinks it's great.  I'll try to get a video tomorrow to post.  We went to the neighbor's today, and their driveway and sidewalk are very steep.  He thought that was great, but I made him put on his helmet!

Happy Birthday, Courtney!

We spent the evening with the Hilchies tonight to celebrate Courtney's birthday.  She's 17!  I cannot believe that!  She is such a lovely young woman, and we had a great time visiting with them.  Can't wait for our beach trip together in 6 weeks!  (Jack assures me it is in 2!)  I can't believe I didn't get a birthday picture, but I left my phone in the car...

However, I do have an old one of her.  I'm sure she will kill me for posting this:

And she actually had that same shirt on tonight, but something else was different...

Here's one of us after church today:

And yes, I know, I need to change our pictures at the top of the page, but I am having a hard time getting rid of Margot's baby pictures.  She is just so cute looking every time I log in!

This is how we spent our day...

Mountain Valley Farm and Post Oak Horse Farm

This was our lunch, and the kids (even Jack) ate every bit!

I think this was the most beautiful day of the year so far! 

Beautiful Day

I cannot believe how lovely today was after those crazy storms last night!  We just got back from playing at the park and having a picnic with friends.  After two hours, I told Margot it was time to go and she said, "But we just got here!"  I guess she was having fun!

Now I'm listening to Southland in the Springtime by the Indigo Girls.  Ahh...life is good!

(I'm sure that is a pencil in Emily's hand...not a cigarette!  They're doing the crossword...And check out that ad that pops up!)

Thunder always follows Lightning

10 points if you know what movie that's from.  Anyway, I love thunderstorms.  I missed them when we were in Washington.  Even though it rained all the time, no thunderstorms.  They are really beautiful out west because you can see them from miles away.  Well we are having a doozy tonight!  The kids are entranced in their beds watching the lightning and getting scared by the thunder.  We haven't had one like this in a long time.

Funny sayings of the day:

#1

Margot:  Mommy, Dexter (our dog) is cleaning the plate for you.

Mommy:  Isn't that so nice!  Now I won't have to clean it.  Do you think we can just put it straight back in the cupboard?

Margot:  No, Mommy, you need to dry it off first!

 #2

Mommy:  Katya, how do you spell Utah?

Katya:  Oh Mom, that one is soooo easy!  V-E-R...  I'm just kidding, Mom!  I was spelling Virginia.

Mommy:  ... No, Katya.  You were spelling Vermont.  Virginia is V-I-R.  Now come on.  Spell Utah.

Katya:  U-T-H-A

Mommy:  Oh my goodness!

(P.S. - Although Katya is very bright, she is known for her very poor spelling!  She has actually come a long way, but you can tell she hasn't worked on these words very much this week!  And don't worry, we do actually wash our dishes with soap, not the dog's tongue...)

Wednesday, April 10

Just a couple of pictures from today:

Margot was playing photographer and took this cute picture of Katya:

And Scott is an awesome dad and is helping Katya with her science fair project:

I also forgot to write about the fun that Margot dreams up while the other kids are in school.  She had me put a regular umbrella on the back porch table because our table umbrella got blown off the deck in a bad storm and busted.  We rigged it up in the utensil pot, and she had quite the picnic outside on the back deck.  Tonight she prayed that her brother and sister would get done with school quickly so they could play with her! 

Funny saying of the day:

Daddy wanted all the kids to root for me for my quiz I was taking, and said, "Go Mommy, Go Mommy!"  All the kids were cheering me on, and Margot said, "Go Mommy! Wait...where is she going?"

a few random things

Whew! I have been so tired the last couple of nights, I have just gone straight to bed.  Not good for schoolwork or blogs... Anyway, I just wanted to jot a few things down so I don't forget.

Katya's definition of satire on her Gulliver's Travels exam:  "Saying something important in a fun way."  I really like that definition.  And did I mention, I've really enjoyed reading with Katya this year.  I can't believe how much she's read!  We've read Robinson Crusoe, Island of the Blue Dolphins, The Mixed Up Files of Mrs. Basil E. Frankweiler, Pollyanna, Caddie Woodlawn, and tons of short stories and poetry.  Jack read lots of short stories as well this year, and one book, Mrs. Piggle Wiggle.  And that's just for school.  Jack and Katya both LOVE Diary of a Wimpy Kid.  Jack looks at it almost every day.  We just finished Charlie and the Great Glass Elevator as a family, Katya is currently reading The Wide-Awake Princess (about Sleeping Beauty's sister!), and she is listening to Black Beauty.  I found this awesome website:  booksshouldbefree.com that has TONS of free audio books.  All the classics, adult and children, fiction and non, are there.  She loves having some time to listen to a book.  I think it is just a fun new way to hear a story.  I tried this with the other kids, but they were not as excited.  Jack listened to about 5 minutes of Peter Pan, but he did listen to They Might Be Giants on headphones while he swept the kitchen.  He loved it and was dancing all over the place.  I'll have to try that more often for those not so fun tasks.  Margot did the same with her Anderson's Fairy Tales.  Maybe they're just too young; I'm not sure.  But I can force them to listen to the in the car!  We listened to Old Testament Stories and Greek Myths on CDs this weekend on our trip to and from Marietta.  They came with Jack's school books/supplies!  I am currently reading Anna Karenina.  That means I am trying to remember to pull out my phone and read it in my few spare moments a day.  I might read a couple pages a day.  Oh well, I'll have more time someday.  I remember when I was in undergrad I don't think I read a book for pleasure the entire time!  I always felt guilty like I should be reading a textbook instead.

Katya also accompanied us for Family Home Evening on Monday.  Yes, you read that right!  I was so excited.  She played Follow the Prophet and we sang along.  It was awesome.  She is really growing up.  Thanks to Grandma for being such a good piano teacher.  I don't know what we will do without her for 2 years!:(

And I don't know what "sweet nothings" Jack whispered in Katie's ear this weekend, but last night he whispered to me, "You're sooo beautiful...and pretty!"  Made my day...

G.C.

We love our General Conference weekends.  We take a short break from "life", spend time with family, and are spiritually fed.  Unfortunately, Scott had to work all weekend, so he couldn't join us.  I remember the tables were turned a couple of years ago.  So is the life of the nurse.  Kristen was also sick, and we were sad to miss their family.  We had a great time with Briant's family and also with G and G and their neighbors.  We had some yummy meals (as usual).  Grandma always comes up with fun meals.  Last night we all made our own pizzas.  I said I couldn't remember the last time I had pizza with exactly what I wanted on it.  We usually compromise!  Then tonight we had a Persian-style dinner, with kabob's, hummus and naan, and jasmine rice.  Katie made "magic bananas" for dessert which were a big hit. Rosie said the magic is in the making!  I'm so happy we've been able to spend lots of time with cousins lately and can't wait to see even more this summer.  Jack asks all the time if we can go to Caden's house!  We also had a belated Easter egg hunt today and asked the neighbors to join us.  They are sweet kids, the same age as Katya and Jack, and played so well with our kids all weekend.

General Conference was wonderful.  We heard so many inspiring messages, and of course, beautiful music.  One of my favorite quotes was, "A child who sings is a happy child!"  I'll have to reread the messages and post some of my other favorites.  I have a poor memory these days and would hate to misquote.  Jack actually watched/listened to/paid attention to most of the last session because Grandpa put the closed captioning on at his request!  Pretty cool.  I wish I could cc my voice sometimes - ha ha!  Katie was also happy because he sat in her lap and gave her a kiss and "whispered sweet nothings in her ear" as she put it.  Margot and Katya were in heaven all weekend being able to play with Rosie and Natalina.  They pretended their hearts out.  The weather was absolutely heavenly, so the kids played outside during all the breaks.  Here are some pics of our picnic and egg hunt from today!

 And just a pretty picture of Margot...

Oh yeah, and tonight Jack said in his prayer that he was grateful for his Daddy...me too!

Remember when...

Remember when you would put your 45 on your record player and change the speed to 33.  I had "Elvira" on a record that I used to play all the time.  I'm sure my parents were so happy they got me that record! Anyway, it would sound hilarious slowed down to 33...Uh - giiidddyyy - uup - uh -ooooommm - paaa paaa - oooommm - paaa - paaa - moowww - moowww...in a very deep voice.  The Oak Ridge Boys already had low voices on regular speed!

Anyway, I think of that almost every night when we are praying...Because Margot reminds me of the Oak Ridge Boys slowed down to 33.  She is soooooo sloooow!  Every word is stretched out and her prayers are seriously longer than a Baptist minister on a hot day in a little country church with no air conditioning...at revival...!!!!  Whew!  But they are so sweet, it's hard to be grumpy about them.  Tonight she prayed the Hilchie's would come home safe from their trip.  At least I think that's what she said.  It's really hard to understand sometimes at snail's speed...

Headed to Grandma's tomorrow for General Conference.  Woo hoo!

thursday apr 4

One of Jack's latest sayings is, "We're starving over here!"  This does not mean he is hungry, but just that he wants something really, really badly!  Here's another link to yesterday (That is NOT me at the beginning of the movie with the crazy hair...):

And Margot prays that she is grateful for Benson every night.  He is like the newest member of our family.:)  (We are pet sitting for the Hilchies)

Scott built a really cool fort today, which all the kids are sleeping in tonight:)

Playing Hookie

Today we decided spontaneously to go to Six Flags and took the day off of school!  We had a great time as a family, and the kids were awesome!  Here are some cute pictures:

And one video:

Last night, in our prayers Jack said he was grateful for his grandmother...and Margot prayed that Jesus would come back to life.  You can tell we've been talking about the Easter story!  So cute!

He is risen

Happy Easter!

We enjoyed a fun Easter dinner with Mildenhalls at Briant and Katie's house.  Here are a few pics:

 Cute deviled eggs by Grandma!

 I found these matching dresses at the thrift store and they were the perfect size!  Can you believe it?  The girls have been dying to wear them for months!  Below is Uncle Taylor being silly!

 

The last picture is of Margot at the playground today.  Two nights ago, Jack said he was grateful for Jesus and Jackson, and Margot prayed for the Hilchies to come home safely.  Very sweet!  Katya went with me to Rahab's Rope, where I volunteer on Monday afternoons.  She had the best time and says she wants to go with me every week.  When Scott asked her why she enjoyed it, she said she enjoyed getting to talk to everyone (she did talk non-stop!) and seeing all the beautiful things as we were unpacking them.  We had a lot of fun with our friend Deborah King, and I think she got a kick out of Katya.