Monday, February 27, 2012

Corbin 10 months







Isn't that the cutest little10  month old you ever saw?!?   I tried to take some pictures inside but he was moving around way too much.  So I took him outside and Ryan took some pictures with much more success!

WOW!  This year is going quick!

Corbin is getting around quite well.  He alternates between crawling on his knees and doing more of a crab walk on his feet.   He has become a pro at getting into a seated position by himself.   He is able to pull to standing but hasn't really started cruising along furniture yet.

 Corbin started clapping his hands recently...it is adorable....and he thinks he is so cute when he does it.

I have started feeding him some table food...when I get the chance...which is not often enough!

We traded out his infant car seat for a transitional car seat that can be faced backwards.  I found that I wasn't taking the infant car seat in with me anywhere, so I decided I just didn't need it anymore!

Friday, February 24, 2012

Five for Friday

1.  President's Day:  Ryan was home and no school for the day!  Kessiah and Jenessa came up with the idea of doing a "Chopped" competition (show from the Food Network)  It made for a fun day...I came out the champion...but it was close!  I ended up in the final round with Jenessa.  I made a fruit pizza and she made a fruit salad with a yummy dressing...the verdict was that mine looked better but hers tasted better!

2.  On Wednesday evening I got to take Kessiah to New Beginnings.  They invite all the girls who will be turning 12 in the coming year.  It was fun to be able to go with her and hear the Young Women talk about the values and the theme for this year...Arise and Shine Forth.  The parents got up and spoke about their daughters and how they shine in their lives.  As a favor, the girls got to take home a small lantern.

3. We have had a really nice week that allowed the kids to spend some more time outside.  Mason has LOVED it!  On Thursday I decided that he had been spending too much time outside!  He started acting like the dogs...clawing at the door from outside and even eating dog food and drinking from the dog water (GROSS!)

4.  Physical therapy continued this week...Monday, Wednesday and Friday.

5.  Kessiah had her sewing and art 4-H meetings today.  The same person is the leader for both groups, so we have just been doing them back to back for 1 hour each.  But it just hasn't been enough time...they really needed 2 hours for each project.  So, they met for 4 hours today!

Friday, February 17, 2012

Five for Friday

1. On Wednesday, I had a doctor appointment to follow up with my shoulder.  I have to go back to doing physical therapy 3 times a week (I'm so tired of that!).  He gave me a steroid shot to see if that would help loosen me up as well.

2.  On Friday we went down to Mesa for an eye doctor appointment for Mason.  He is looking fine and we'll go back down in about 3 months.

3.  On the way down to Mesa, Mason and Logan both complained of being carsick...Logan ended up being fine...but Mason threw up all over himself several times!  Of course, I did not bring an extra change of clothes for him!  (I had an extra pair for Corbin!)  So, when we got to Mason's doctor's office I had to strip him down to his shoes and socks and diaper.  I found a sweatshirt of Corbin's (thankfully, it was a little large...12 months) that I put on Mason.  So, when I went into his appointment he had on a sweatshirt that was too small for him, a diaper, and shoes with socks!  Talk about making a fashion statement!  After his appointment we stopped at a Walmart so I could buy him a change of clothes before we went to #4

4.  After our quick stop at Walmart we spent a couple hours at the Arizona Museum for Youth in Mesa.  They kids enjoyed themselves and we got home in time to...

5.  We signed 4 kids up for Little League on Friday evening.  I realize I'm going to be spending every evening for many weeks at the ball field!  I'm crazy but at least I'm somewhat prepared for what we are about to do!  Jenessa almost didn't sign up...but I talked her into it!  Maybe I shouldn't have!  Kessiah has gone to just doing 2 sports (she hasn't done soccer for a couple of years), next year Jenessa is going to have to do the same thing!

Tuesday, February 14, 2012

Valentine's Day 2012



So, this year....since I'm not pregnant and my baby is getting a little bigger....I was actually able to plan some fun activity sheets involving conversation hearts for my little ones!  Mason did a color sorting page, Logan did the color sorting page plus a graphing page.   Sienna sorted colors, did a graphing page and some math worksheets with her hearts.   We actually did these on Monday since we had big plans for Tuesday which was Valentine's Day.

 Kessiah doing an online class while in her pajamas holding Jack!  Ahhh, the beauty of homeschooling!

Jenessa doing a science experiment...she made a water wheel!  She was very proud of herself for doing it all by herself!


Tuesday was Valentine's Day!  My kids have been looking forward to this for weeks because I told them about an activity one of the homeschool groups was doing and told them we could go!  We went to Peter Piper Pizza where they took a tour of the kitchen area and made their own personal size pizza.  The group had paper bags for everyone to decorate and then everyone put in their valentine's they brought along with candy!  It was fun and I left NOT feeling like I was going to pull my hair out...which is great since I usually HATE taking all my kids in that place by myself!

Ryan came home for a late lunch, but remembered to bring flowers for his girls and balloons for his boys!  What a terrific guy!

That evening I got to go out on a date with my sweetheart!  This day was Arizona's Centennial...there was a big thing downtown which Ryan had been given tickets too.  So, we got to enjoy a very nice dinner (duck and tenderloin) and entertainment.  We came home just a little early and Ryan took the girls to the Civic Center where they watched fireworks from the roof!

And well, I just feel like adding a picture of Corbin since he didn't make it anywhere else in this post!  Here he is doing one of his favorite things...eating a graham cracker!


Sunday, February 12, 2012

Basketball Season: Kessiah



Kessiah moved up an age group this year...she is playing with 11-13 year old girls.  Although she is the shortest one out there, she is holding her own.

Basketball Season: Jenessa



Jenessa is a great player.  This will be her last year of co-ed...which makes her happy!  She is finding that the boys aren't as willing to pass to a girl anymore at this age!

Basketball Season: Sienna



This is Sienna's first year of basketball...and she is great!  She is not afraid to go after that ball and is one of the best dribblers in her age group.

Friday, February 10, 2012

Five for Friday

1.  I just love walking in my closet and seeing Corbin sleeping.  Lately he has been sleeping on his belly quite a bit.  I love that look of him sleeping on his hands...so adorable!

2.  Kessiah has been introduced to some subjects lately that just make me smile...algebra, chemistry, biology.  It kind of makes me giddy...which of course makes her roll her eyes!

3.  I finally found a good icing for sugar cookies this week!  And just in time!  4-H Community Meeting this week was the annual treat auction, so Kessiah needed to bring a treat to be raffled off.  She wanted to bring heart sugar cookies...which we made and iced.  They turned out very cute!

4.  I've been ordering Bountiful Baskets again...I've ordered a basket for the past several weeks.  It's been good for us.  For some reason when I go grocery shopping I just stick to the basics...apples and bananas.  Bountiful Baskets helps us eat more fruits and vegetables.  But because of our basketball game schedule I won't be able to order for the next 3 weeks! 

5.  Another week of physical therapy done...I'm getting tired of this!  My shoulder still has some progress to make.

On a side note...We learned today that a friend, Derek Todd, an MPA classmate of Ryan's, has stage 4 colon cancer.  My heart and prayers go out to them.  He is Ryan's age (so around 40), they have 6 children and my impressions of them have always been great...they are wonderful people.

Thursday, February 9, 2012

Mommy Momment

OK, so Wednesday night I had a major mommy moment.  I seem to have more and more of these...maybe because my kids are getting older!

Kessiah and I enjoyed our afternoon making sugar cookies for community meeting (Jenessa and Sienna were at some friends' house...so we had few interuptions).  It was the annual auction and Kessiah wanted some money to buy a treat.  I gave her $10 to buy a treat for the family...for the family.  So, I was surprised and disappointed when she came out of the meeting with a stuffed teddy bear with a stuffed heart and a few pieces of chocolate (I was in need of some chocolate after spending 1 1/2 hours in the car with my 4 youngest kiddos so I was hoping for a try of brownies!)  I felt like she spent the money on a stuffed animal for her bed...not a treat to share with the family.  I thought that was something she should have bought with her own money.  I expressed my disappointment as she was getting in the car...maybe too strongly!  It was a quiet ride home...very quiet!  When we got home, she went to her bedroom crying.  I got everyone at the table with food in front of them and then went into talk to her.  I explained very calmly my point of view...she continued to cry.  Thankfully, Ryan got home soon afterward (he is always a calming effect!)

Today, we were good again...but I wasn't.  EVERYTHING was overwhelming to me and I had forgotten Kessiah's EXPO papers the night before so she could get them signed....so we had to make an impromptu trip to Prescott.  (yes, even though I've had that on my calendar for weeks!  I need to make some improvements in my organization...with 6 kids it is vital!)  So, that blew our normal routine for Thursday mornings.

Thursday evening was our monthly Relief Society Meeting.  I haven't been a very good attender of this meeting...ever.  But lately I have come to feel a NEED to go...not necessarily to learn more about whatever topic they are talking about that night...but let's face it...I don't get out very often without my kids and have the chance to talk to other adult women without their children!  So I need to go for me and my mental well-being.  (Even though I have to take my kids with me and drop them off at the nursery and I still have Corbin with me...I feel better when it's over)

Friday, February 3, 2012

Five for Friday

1.  Every morning at the end of our devotional time we recite our scripture of the month.  For the past week, Mason has been standing in line for his turn!  I say a few words and in his two year old gibberish he repeats it...it has been really cute! 

1a.  I have another Mason Moment!  His speech therapist came today...she needed to do a more detailed evaluation at a time when we wouldn't be interrupted so much by Logan and Sienna....so I scheduled it for Friday when Ryan would be here.  During the course of the evaluation Mason was his usual self...he told her "no" several times when she asked him to do something.  She recommended the book "Your Strong-Willed Child" to me!  Ummm...maybe that would be a good read considering I have several of those in my home!

2.  One day this week Logan got in trouble and had to sit on a kitchen chair (that is typical in our house, that way I can still keep an eye on him...except in this case)  I was in another room doing something and there were scissors on the table from "table time"  The next thing I know, Jenessa is yelling at him in his bedroom...so I go in to see what the problem is.  Well...he had taken those scissors and cut the sleeve of his shirt!  When I saw it I just didn't know what to say...so I said nothing and just told him to stay in his room...so he did and missed lunch!  I guess that shirt will become a short sleeved shirt for summer!

3.  I caught Sienna reading a Magic Tree House book this week!  I was surprised...she is only in kindergarten.  Jenessa has been reading them to her and Logan during Mommy Time...I guess she likes them so much she decided to read them on her own!

4.  Kessiah and I have struggled this week with school.  I guess I have let her be a little too independent with her school work and she has let some things slide that I wasn't aware of.  I guess I'm going to have to be more diligent about following up with her about her assignments.

5.  It has been nice to only have physical therapy twice this week.  My shoulder is getting better, but I still struggle with reaching certain directions.