School!

Wow - a kindergartener! I swear she was just a rolly polly baby. We have now moved into a new stage of life where I am running to drop kids off and pick them up several times a day everyday and now there is also homework! Emma is very ready for school. She loves it and being Miss Independent wants to ride her bike by herself to school, umm I think not. She also would like it then if I would just drop her off her and not walk her to classroom. But I think this is too fun. I like watching her be one of the big kids.

So here she is on her very first day wearing her favorite new shirt. It's Princess Celestia from My Little Pony, her favorite show.

She also loves her backpack.

Out in front, waiting for the bell to ring.

So one the first day the parents got to go with their kindergartners and stay for a 40 orientation because us first timers have not idea what is going on. Then the kids leave with their parents. So here is Emma at her spot at the table looking a little bored and embarrassed that her parents are taking her picture. She is ready to get started.

 

So now that we have been going a few weeks I still don't know a whole lot because Emma doesn't like to talk about it. I do know that recess is of course her favorite. She also has P.E., computer lab, music time, and library time. During rug time she has to sit crossed legged which sometimes hurts her legs and the teacher just talks which can get a little boring. They are making a quick run through the alphabet. They are also going over shapes and learning nursery rhymes to help them as they learn to rhyme. That is about it. I am anxious to hear from the teacher about what kind of student Emma is because at home she still cries when I try to teach her the correct way to do something or when she can't do it the right way the first time. She can also talk your ear off and of course the thumb sucking. We shall see.

 

A week later James started Joy School with 3 other Moms in the neighborhood. We had a rocky first day because this is what he was doing when I got up that morning even though the cabinet was locked. He was able to get his tiny hand through the small opening of the door and turn it on. He has been loving playing Lego Star Wars and Lego Indiana Jones (Minion Jones is what it sounds like when he says it). He started playing with Quinn in July and at first I would hear things like: James stop falling off that cliff, James come this way, James stop shooting me, or Dad I jumped! So cute, but now he is a bit addicted and will play on his own. When he gets stuck he asks me call Dad at work because he knows Mom is not very good (I'm getting better).

 

 

So after tearing him away from the game and getting him buckled in the car while he is kicking and screaming we got to preschool and he loves it. It's not very long only 1 1/2 hours which is perfect for 3 boys and 1 girl who are only 3 and 4 years old. Just long enough to run one errand with only one child who is still confined to a car seat, heavenly!

 

 

So here is our boy on his first day of preschool!

He already can't wait till he is 5 and can go to the big kid school like Emma.

 

Summer Bucket List

In August we had some fun finishing up some things on our Summer Bucket List.

 

We made it to the children's area of the Church History Museum.

We made macaroni/cereal necklaces.

 



We went swimming at the Rec. Center.

 



 

 

For Family Home Evening we made it to Family Art Night at the Bountiful Davis Art Museum.

Emma made this lovely creation out of clay and then painted it at home.

We made it to the zoo again.

 

Love this polar bear - could watch her all day!

Emma with her favorite bird - the Peregrine Falcon. She can tell you all about it.

 

We went bowling one very hot Saturday.

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Thanks for a very fun summer everyone!

Bear Lake Again!

In August we headed back to Bear Lake with everyone this time for 4 fun days. Great Grandma and Grandpa Moore were there this time, with Grandma and Grandpa Van Bibber, Aunt Carly and Cousin Owen, Aunt Annie and Uncle Brock. Then Uncle Bruce, Aunt Shelly, Cousin Heidi and Cousin Quinn came for a few days too. Great Grandma and Grandpa Zundel drove up for a day as well. Then Cousins Becca and Missy showed up late one night. We had a great trip with fun at the beach and lots of Forced Family Fun!

This girl was 6 months old on this trip and the best sleeper. She is such a good and happy baby and was so happy as she was passed around to people she didn't know all day.

We have found a way to keep the kids happy and not have to go to the lake every day!

It's fun, it's exciting, it's challenging, it's Sequence!

Sisters in their Bear Lake shirts.

Relaxing with dad.

 

Emma is super brave and caught a lizard again!

 

She showed Grandma and Cousin Owen, Grandma wasn't so brave.                                                                         

 

 

 

Heidi shucking corn with Grandma Grandpa Moore.

 

We think this is the baby moose from the year before. He walked by our tent the night before and we found him the next day relaxing down below us on the hill.



Here's James playing on the kindle at night and Grandma's phone the next morning. I know it looks like that's all they do but it's what keeps them out of my hair when they are the most cranky so I can get things done are ready for them. (Okay it also is just easy so I can enjoy my vacation a little bit more too!)

 

 

A perfect day at the Beach!

Beach Baby - she was a little upset because we wouldn't let her eat sand.

Making another sand castle - no picture of the finished product though.

I guess we were having too much fun or else a Giant (James) came through and wrecked it.

Cousins going for a boat ride.

Happy baby, loves the water.

Momma and Mia

Had to update the boat driving pictures with Papa.

James is a little sad because he forgot to honk the horn with driving.

 



I got Emma to ride the tub with me this year. She screamed/talked the entire time yelling, "This is so much fun, Ahhhhh!" So glad I was sitting in back of her. I will have to remember that she is a screamer on amusement rides. A few times she almost flew off when we hit a wave but I was able to wrap my legs around her. We did get dumped off but not by a wave but by Dad slowing down and then going again, we just sank. But it was good because it showed Emma that we would be alright and that our life jackets really do hold us up. She had a worried look on her face she finally popped up (I landed on top of her so that probably didn't help) but once she found me she was okay. As we got back in the boat she said, "That totally awesome but I'm never doing that again." Love this girl, and we are so doing it again.

 

The beach is way for fun with Cousins.

 

 Mia was just a bit sandy in all her rolls so she got a quick bath in Grandma's toy tub and loved it.

 

So here we go on the Forced Family Fun:

Balloons again.

 

Minute to win it games: Junk in your trunk.

Cereal box puzzles

Stack four apples

Ding dong stacking

Blow the cups off the table with a balloon

And finally our bike ride.

Quinn is all tuckered out from pulling the kids. Mia and Owen stayed with Aunt Annie and Uncle Brock who somehow managed to get out of going. Quinn definitely earned his Bear Lake Shake don't you think.