ACTIVITIES

This school year has brought us some new activities.

We are continuing 4-H garden club.

Michael joined a 4-H shooting club (archery & rifle)

(he is doing awesomely by the way!!)

The girls are attending a karate class and pioneer girls.

We all attend a co-op once a week.  Michael takes a class called "How Stuff Works" and Lego club.  Carina and Rian are in an art class and "Jesus Storybook Bible." and Travis is in art and lego club.  Jared and Grant hang with me in nursery one hour and then come into the class that I teach.

  

Jared just exited the Early Intervention program, but will continue speech services at a clinic.  

I am also teaching the Pre-K Sunday School class this year.

We have missed a month or two due to various other things, but we also still have Family Fellowship Group with church as well.

This has been the first time in about 5 years that we have NOT done soccer in the Fall.

Well, let me modify that--

we signed Travis up for an age appropriate soccer club that met once a week.

I asked him multiple times if he wanted to do it and he seemed psyched to do it.

He is probably our most athletic child, Carina being the second most at this point.

Anyway, so we signed him up and when it came time to actually go practice, he refused to participate.

Mike even went onto the field with him to encourage him and it did not matter.

We tried for 3 or 4 weeks and then just called it quits.

I had my reservations about doing that because #1, we paid for it and #2, who wants to be a quitter or say that quitting is okay??

However, it really was a waste of time and he just wasn't ready.  I won't sign him up for anything else until he initiates it or shows some signs of being ready.

I had asked the other kids at the end of summer if they wanted to do soccer, this or that.  Soccer was not at the top of the list and so we didn't sign up.  I can't say I'm sad.

I think that is about it for scheduled activities..until baseball season that is!

Add that all onto our regular stuff and it is rather busy this year!

What are you up to?

MOUTHING OFF

This guy recently visited the emergency room.

He slipped on the ladder to the bunk bed (wearing footie pjs) and slammed his mouth somehow on the ladder causing the gums to separate from his teeth.  On top of it all, there was an actual hole in his gum.  LOTS. OF. BLOOD,

Mike brought him to the ER while I stayed home with the rest.

The ER doc didn't want to touch it and said go to see an oral surgeon first thing in the morning.

After searching for an oral surgeon that #1 took our insurance and #2 took pediatric patients--(not an easy task!) he was off.  

He looks pretty happy in that picture, no?

A little bit swollen, but even that is hard to tell--all the nastiness is inside.

Thankfully, the oral surgeon said to leave it alone and it should heal up.

I can only imagine the trauma it would have created in this one, who doesn't even like regular check-ups.  

So,, that is the story.

I hope never to repeat it.

1 & 3 & 8

Hi!  We are still here.  Plugging along.

I have missed on updating so much!!

I don't know if I will play catch-up or not, we will see.

November is always so crazy around here and this year has been no different.  

In fact, it has been worse!

If I can find the time, I will elaborate on that a bit more.

Today, I just want to share some of our blessings.

In the past 5 days, we have celebrated 3 birthdays.

Carina turned 8!

She made a card for herself and read it out loud to all of us.

What a character she is!

Jared turned 3!

 He is a quiet, sweet little boy.

Carina was not feeling well yesterday and when he saw her up this morning, 

he went and asked her "Carina, are you better?"  If you know Jared, you know he has speech issues and of course it was not articulated so clearly, but it was just soo sweet of him.

Grant also turned 1!

He is developing quite a personality!

He is taking steps and babbles quite nicely, with a few intelligible words thrown in there too.

We had a small open-house style celebration with family for the three of them and of course on the actual birthday, they got to plan the dinner menu .  For the record, Carina chose pizza and 

fish sticks (!!) with some sides and Jared chose waffles.  It was easy for me anyway.

Birthday night for Jared and Grant.

Michael made brownies.

Birthday buddies waiting to blow out the candles.

One more November birthday to go!

BACK TO SCHOOL

Of course, I must share our "first day" pictures.

We trickled over the summer and had our annual Not-Back-to-School Celebration yesterday.

Today was our official start to the new school year.

Let me tell you--we have a PACKED schedule.

I'll share curriculum and all that one of these days.  I have about half of it in pictures already.

Anyway, without further ado--

Happy Schooling!

FAIR

We headed to the County Fair the following week.

The 4-H kids got wristbands for admission, under 5 is free of charge, and Mike rode in on the firetruck, so that left my admission.  I can handle that!

One of the highlights of this fair is always the hot air balloons.

Face painting.

A clown and playing in the kid's tent.

Staying cool.

(It was a humid, sticky night!)

Yeah, you know it!

Each of the kids got to pick one ride.

I'm pretty sure that this was the first time Jared and Travis went on a ride.  

Travis always backed out previous years, if my memory serves me correctly.

I could be wrong.

Either way, they both enjoyed the cars.

I rather view these things as a big waste of money, but seeing the smiles made it worth it.

As this ride started, Michael and Rian were non too sure that they liked it.

Afterwards, Rian said she loved it and Michael said to remind him not to go on it again! 

Carina playing it safe!

We went over for the fire truck judging contest and hung out there for a bit.

They won 1st place for the engine.

Prizes were a trophy and money.

Then we all stopped for some ice cream,

and that was enough for one year.

IN PREPARATION

The Garden Club  met mid-July to prepare for the county fair.

There were weeds to remove, ground to be raked, and a pizza garden to plan and plant as well as pepperoni to paint.

Over the summer, each child had a plant to take care of at home.

We brought those plants to the fairgrounds to set up.

The finished product.

If you look closely, the "pizza" is divided up into slices.  Some of the plants included tomatoes, parsley, basil etc.  All pizza related.

We ended by actually eating pizza!

Next stop, county fair.

SUMMER

Going..

going..

Gone.