Another visit, another bear

She managed to stay healthy for the two weeks that it went through the other kids. But when it hit her, it hit her hard....Katanya is three and it's her 7th ER / hospital visit. Early Thursday morning she woke up with the croup. Over the span of an hour and a half, I tried taking her outside twice to get her to loosen up. It kept getting worse so at 5a.m. we headed to the ER. After a round of steroids and a dose of the epinephrine mist we were ready to go back home. At this point she was bouncing off the bed (literally as she thought it was funny.) We made it home just in time to get the girls ready in their costumes and their hair done and on the bus. We are out of school on Friday so I am looking forward to sleeping in. It was a long day with little sleep the night before.

Facts
This brings our total (ER / visits) to 16 since being married.
Katanya is learning (is it learned or inherited?) Jacob's smile. When I told her to smile in the hospital her response was, "I am, like dad. See?"

3 Simple Rules

In FHE Monday night we talked to the kids about being nice and saying nice things. Lately we ALL have been guilty of snapping, teasing, or something to that effect. We told them there were three simple rules we wanted them (and us) to obey and to remember before speaking:

1. Is it the truth?

2. Is it nice?

3. Is it helpful?

If you can't answer yes to all of these things then it shouldn't be said.

Kirsten was definitely paying attention. We played Uno for our game and she advised me when she got Uno called on her for having one card left that you couldn't say that. (One) It wasn't helpful and (two) it wasn't nice.

50's style

Daddy - Daughter Date

I still can't get over the pegged suit pants (or the Vaselined hair).
Besides Jacob learning how to do her hair and paint her fingernails, the most exciting event of the night was when they took FIRST in the dance competition.

mommy pre-school

Actually Cruz call it his "school" but you can figure out who the teacher is.After our lives finally settled down and we were able to get into a schedule, we finally started preschool. I've always been one to do it myself because of our crazy lives. This year we are working with a program called Frontline Phonics. Since Cruz missed the deadline by 10 days this year, I am hoping that he is reading (or close to) by the time Kindergarten starts next year. He has a love for learning and has loved doing his pages everyday. I originally started out only going to do preschool 3 days a week but since we started last Monday, it has been every day (as begged by the kids).

Katanya is in his class as well. I'm not focused on her writing or reading like Cruz but rather the letter recognition along with the sounds. She will follow Cruz in Kindergarten the following year. Wow, what a reality check when I realize that all my kids will be in school by 2011.

***The day we started pre-school, McKay and Kirsten were home sick. They felt left out and had to be included by doing the M page and coloring also. "They never get the fun stuff."

free time?

What a crazy week. In the last three days I have:

• helped two mornings at the school. (this is normal)
• made desert for dinner and FHE at a friend's house.
• 9 loads of laundry. (this is normal)
• made funeral potatoes for a funeral.
• 3 dinners for a friend who had a c-section and no one brought dinners in. (I don't get some people.)
• took Jacob lunch and his books that he forgot on the counter. (this happens somewhat regularly)
• run to different grocery stores 5 times. (more dinners and potatoes on short notice.)
• picked up a sick daughter from school while I was in Rexburg. I need to make note that every time I am in Rexburg the school will call.
• clean the entire upstairs thoroughly.
• helped and corrected homework.
• traced 6 feet and carved 6 pumpkins to update header.
• endless amounts of dishes (four loads just today and my sink is full again).
• visiting teaching.
• cleaned out the winter gear and organized it in tubs and put in on the shelves.

What's left of this week:

• dentist appointments for three of the kids tomorrow.
• cleaning the downstairs thoroughly.
• babysitting my friend's kids tomorrow.
• sew one (just one) Halloween costume.
• more laundry.
• more dishes.
• more errands I'm sure.

Jacob asked me on Monday how I accounted for all my time (and free time.) At that moment, I couldn't explain, I just knew I stayed busy almost all day long. Now it's documented.

lemongrass

Fiestaware's new color is lemongrass.

It's my new favorite (I love this green)!

Now my set is up to 15.

a fish story

This past weekend my grandpa took the kids fishing. It is something he has been doing the past 7 years. My kids still ask him every time when are they going to go.

This was the first year that Katanya really enjoyed it. She would throw the line in and wait for the fish. When one bit the hook she hollered with delight. She needed a little help at the end getting it out of the water. She wasn't sure if she wanted to get too close while it was still wiggling.

Cruz was the serious one. His faces were priceless.This was the first year he wasn't afraid of them. It always amazes me how much he looks like Jacob (from what I have seen through pictures).

This picture was just too priceless not to post, although it didn't resemble anything about Kirsten's fishing trip.

She went around wanting to pet every fish that was caught. I think she was trying to show me that fish aren't that gross. (I hate (HATE) touching fish.)She even played with the worms. And her very last fish she carried it with her finger through the gill to go get cleaned. Jacob promised her something if she would do this. I still think he hasn't paid up. Kirsten is my counter and I'm sure she won't forget.

McKay's the pro. This was her first year of holding a fish as well. My girls are tough!

I think next year I am going to made her bait and hook (and de-hook) her own fish.

when we're helping we're happy and we learn as we go....

....for we like to help grandpa, for we all love him so.

This weekend the kids had a couple days off of school so we went down to Utah to do a couple things with Grandpa that we normally do during the summer. Although with the first frost already happening a few days before the grapes were ready to be picked.So Friday morning, we found ourselves going back to childhood memories. I remember my parents always picking grapes we would sit there and pick the grapes off of the stems while we listened to conference. Jacob also mentioned memories of him picking grapes as a child.I found it rather fun and relaxing. We went through three separate vines. What my dad worried about taking him days took less than one and we had memorable family time.Of course, the kids were playing monkeys in the trees.