Let's see now....

So I just got back from my blog vacation! It was very nice and restful. Here's a few things that happened while I was on blogcation:


Cross country ended.... with Kayden not feeling 100%. His goal was to get his time under 20 minutes, and he got really close at 20:07. He may have been able to beat that time, but at that meet, his shoe fell off right when the race started, and he just kept on running, with one shoe on and one shoe off (check out the pictures that Debi took of him running with one shoe!) He's really missing cross country now that's it over though! He doesn't quite know what to do with all his extra time. This has been a good year for him so far. His Eagle Court of Honor is going to be November 8th at 7:00. (I should really get planning that... anyone know what I'm supposed to do??)




Volleyball also ended... and Malia had some pretty good post-volleyball blues, until she realized that she has lots of extra time to read. And I have reminded her that she now has lots and lots of extra time to practice organ and piano (she's been playing the organ on Sunday's at church.) Somehow she wasn't as excited about that. We have got a really tiny Young Women group in our ward: 5 active. They are some of the neatest girls I have ever met though. Every Tuesday morning one of the older girls has been picking up the other girls and taking them to the temple to do baptisms. (One morning I forgot they were doing that though, and thought Malia was a robber.... nothing like waking up scared... luckily I decided against throwing my pillow at her (the only weapon I could think of at the time!)


Taisha is going strong at gymnastics and piano. She works really hard for her gymnastics coaches (she comes home exhausted and sweaty!) She's started on Christmas piano music and has Carol of the Bells memorized all ready and plays it every time she walks past the piano..... cause we just don't hear that song enough! Glad she's excited about playing though! She's looking forward to club volleyball starting up (so are Rik and Malia... me, not so much...)


McKay has got a perfect teacher for him. I was driving him to gymnastics a couple weeks ago, and asked him if he liked his teacher this year, and he said, "Mom, she has told me a million of times that she is proud of me." That's exactly what he needs. Just a small warning though... don't start up, participate in, or join any "karate chopping posse." Especially if you are a first grade boy, as the first grade girls have got ZERO appreciation for the lost art of karate chop flirting.... and I mean ZERO...

Anaya insisted on picture retakes, because she really hated her hair, her smile, and her eyes in the first picture. *sigh* I should get her pictures back in a couple weeks. I've had all the kids in the dentist getting teeth cleanings and cavities filled. When it was Anaya's turn she got to pick out a new tooth brush. She didn't want the princess or Sponge Bob brushes, she just wanted the biggest toothbrush she could get. So she ended up with blue plain toothbrush. When I asked her about her toothbrush selection, she said she just wanted a bigger tooth brush than everyone else. I guess when you are the youngest and everyone seems to be doing everything first (even though she is doing the same things that they were doing when they were her age....) you get your wins when you can! When she got home from the dentist she lined up every one's brushes so she could see that hers was indeed the biggest. I don't' know if I'll ever understand her "last child" personality!

I've been helping her learn her letters and sounds.... and by "helping" I mean "totally confusing" her. This is conversation we had about the letter "u:"

Me: What letter is this?
Anaya: "u"
Me: What does it say?
Anaya: yuh
Me: No, "y" says yuh. "U" says uh. What does "u" say?
Anaya: yuh
Me: No, "y" says yuh, like the word "you"... oh wait... that's a bad example... I mean "y" says yuh like (looking around trying to find something she can visualize), like ukulele. Oh duh... no, ukulele starts with a "u," but it's not an uh-kulele, it starts with a... you know what? We should just stop for today....

When I went to help in her class, I turned to the "u" page in her skill book (a book that is made by the devil I think....) and she immediately told me she was done for the day and went back in her class to get the next kid for me to torture. When she got home from school I thought of a new way to remember "u" says "uh." I said "u uh-uh ugly!" Which worked!! My only concern is that some mom volunteer is going to call her out to pass off things in her skill book, and Anaya's going to say "You ugly," and I really don't need any other trouble at the school, especially after the whole karate chopping posse incident.

I haven't been doing very good at my goal of napping for the entire school year now that everyone is in school, but know that I have been totally enjoying my 2 1/2 hours of me time. This year seems about right for the first time in a long time. There were some years that were out of control crazy, and this year doesn't feel that way. My days just seem to run so good right now, and I am happy and energetic (which is why the napping goal isn't working.) With the first quarter of school already over, I have high hopes for the year!

Good News! Esther (Rik's little sister) and Jesse had their baby!

Ayden Ezekiel Smitheram
Born 5:25 pm on Oct. 21st
7lbs. 12 oz.