Here's another one for you. Today Kian must have been in a decluttering mode because he told me he was ready to give some of his stuff away. He bribed his sisters into helping him clean his room by offering to give them whatever they helped clean up. Abby ended up inheriting his snap kit (this is the coolest electronics toy and was very pricey). I questioned him, "Kian, do you really want to get rid of your snap kit?" He replied,"I don't want it anymore. I'm moving on to fireworks." I reminded him, "You can't mix chemicals in your room, Kian" to which he replied, "What? I only have gun powder and this fuse in my room!"
Yeah. So. Whatever phase we're entering now is going to have to be closely supervised.
The next story happened the other day while we were studying spanish. I had a spanish-english picture dictionary open and the girls and I were occupied looking up new words and learning how to say them in spanish. Kian was doing his own thing on the staircase, making a tower out of cards. The girls were throwing out common words like baby and dog and such. I didn't even think Kian was paying attention when all of a sudden he asked, "How do you say specimen?"
Monday, September 28, 2009
Sunday, September 20, 2009
Update
I've been trying to think of a good story to share about what the kids are up to, but there's just not anything new around here.
We did have to take Ella for an emergency visit to the urgent care because we thought she had broken her arm while wrestling with Kian and Abby. Thankfully, it was only a ligament out of place that the doctor popped right back into place. No cast, no orthopedic visits. And we can arrange with the office for a discounted payment plan. Phew.
Matt and I got called into Nursery. Well, me really, but he's my unofficial helper till they call one. Not really excited about it, at all, but whatever. We're slowly making friends. For some reason, I miss Utah lately. I miss the abundant produce! And I miss my friends. I'm not liking living in an apartment and having such restricted playtime outside. Matt and I drove to some properties for sale yesterday and fell in love with a 32-acre lot with creek, open pasture, windmill, even a path through the woods. It's too pricey for us. Anyone want to go in on it together? There's plenty of room for two households.
The kids are growing. Kian has discovered crossword puzzles. All of them love to cut coupons with me. Kian spent half a day last week doing odd jobs around the house to earn money for something he wanted to buy at Walgreens he saw in the ad. What was it that he wanted to buy so badly? Epsom salt. No kidding. He could've had cookies. He could've picked candy. But he was so eager to earn money, walk to Walgreens and buy Epsom salt. Three pounds of it, for only $2!
Abby loves to color and read and write. She learns so differently from Kian, but so much more like me, it makes me happy. Ella is just happy, sometimes mischevious, but happy and loving. She is very excited for her upcoming birthday. She wants to invite everyone in the world and get a new lamby. Consider yourself invited!
Felicity is growing too. She is slowly making the change from baby to little kid. I'm trying to teach her spanish, well all of us are trying to learn it. When I wash her hands after a meal, I say "la mano" and she gives me her hand and repeats "la-ma-no." It is sweet.
Matt is plugging on with work. It is hard. He does not like the drive. He does not like the kids' laziness or whining attitudes. I don't think he'll want to return next year, but we'll just see what happens.
Well, that's the scoop. What's going on with you?
We did have to take Ella for an emergency visit to the urgent care because we thought she had broken her arm while wrestling with Kian and Abby. Thankfully, it was only a ligament out of place that the doctor popped right back into place. No cast, no orthopedic visits. And we can arrange with the office for a discounted payment plan. Phew.
Matt and I got called into Nursery. Well, me really, but he's my unofficial helper till they call one. Not really excited about it, at all, but whatever. We're slowly making friends. For some reason, I miss Utah lately. I miss the abundant produce! And I miss my friends. I'm not liking living in an apartment and having such restricted playtime outside. Matt and I drove to some properties for sale yesterday and fell in love with a 32-acre lot with creek, open pasture, windmill, even a path through the woods. It's too pricey for us. Anyone want to go in on it together? There's plenty of room for two households.
The kids are growing. Kian has discovered crossword puzzles. All of them love to cut coupons with me. Kian spent half a day last week doing odd jobs around the house to earn money for something he wanted to buy at Walgreens he saw in the ad. What was it that he wanted to buy so badly? Epsom salt. No kidding. He could've had cookies. He could've picked candy. But he was so eager to earn money, walk to Walgreens and buy Epsom salt. Three pounds of it, for only $2!
Abby loves to color and read and write. She learns so differently from Kian, but so much more like me, it makes me happy. Ella is just happy, sometimes mischevious, but happy and loving. She is very excited for her upcoming birthday. She wants to invite everyone in the world and get a new lamby. Consider yourself invited!
Felicity is growing too. She is slowly making the change from baby to little kid. I'm trying to teach her spanish, well all of us are trying to learn it. When I wash her hands after a meal, I say "la mano" and she gives me her hand and repeats "la-ma-no." It is sweet.
Matt is plugging on with work. It is hard. He does not like the drive. He does not like the kids' laziness or whining attitudes. I don't think he'll want to return next year, but we'll just see what happens.
Well, that's the scoop. What's going on with you?
Saturday, September 12, 2009
Kian, our scientist
The other night, Kian said something I thought was funny. Matt had asked him to do some chore of some kind and he replied, "Just a minute. I have to go to my laboratory first." I was somewhere else in the house but could hear him. I wondered to myself, "Did he just say he has to go to his laboratory? Since when does he have a laboratory?!"
Matt and I walked into his bedroom to find cardboard boxes set up at the end of his bed to create a kind of "room" with all sorts of "equipment:" plastic cups filled with water (for experiments), assorted containers for holding his makeshift chemicals (crushed up Kix, anything powdery I might let him have, torn up bits of paper, etc.) and anything else interesting he might have collected like pieces of metal or balloons or whatnot. Part of his lab is his recycling plant where he takes stuff from our garbage and creates new uses for it.
It's not something I ever played when I was a kid, but he sure has fun!
Matt and I walked into his bedroom to find cardboard boxes set up at the end of his bed to create a kind of "room" with all sorts of "equipment:" plastic cups filled with water (for experiments), assorted containers for holding his makeshift chemicals (crushed up Kix, anything powdery I might let him have, torn up bits of paper, etc.) and anything else interesting he might have collected like pieces of metal or balloons or whatnot. Part of his lab is his recycling plant where he takes stuff from our garbage and creates new uses for it.
It's not something I ever played when I was a kid, but he sure has fun!
Wednesday, August 26, 2009
Ella's Question
Ella to Mommy: "When are you going to have a baby?! I've been waiting so long!"
Poor girl is just gonna have to wait a while.
Poor girl is just gonna have to wait a while.
Sunday, August 16, 2009
Is there a Dr. in the house???
As many of you know, Rhyetta and I have made the difficult decision of not having health insurance for Rhyetta and the kids. Even through work, we would be paying double what we were paying in Utah. We don't like to make such decisions, ever, but they need to be made.
Well, Rhyetta and I have been exercising our faith through prayer in asking for health, strength and safety for Rhyetta and the kids alot lately because of this hard decision we made. Our Ella has really put this to the test. All of our kiddos have gotten a lot more gusto to be more daring in their activities. While swimming last week, Kian, Abby, and Ella were jumping in the pool from off the pool wall. Kian showed Abby and Ella how he could jump into the water backward. Naturally, Abby tries to do what her big brother does. She jumps into the pool, but not far enough away from the wall. You can guess what happened. She landed on her chest on the wall. Thank goodness she had her floatie on, and did not get hurt. As Rhyetta and I were talking to her about it, we hear Ella start crying. We turn our attention to her to see blood coming from her chin. We ask we what happened and she mentioned that she was trying to jump into the pool like Abby and Kian.
We quickly got her out of the pool, as to not get blood into the water. Looking at the severity of the gash, she split her chin through all layers of her skin and you could see a little hole in her chin, we quickly started to apply pressure to stop the bleeding. I mentioned that we need to take her to the doctor. Rhyetta reminded me that it would cost too much money. What a dilema. We quickly got her home and bandaged her chin with a butterfly band-aid and a regular band-aid. Rhyetta checked online what we should do and we did it already.
As you can see, she will have a nice battle wound. Through the whole ordeal, she cried very little, and exhibited great strength and trust in Rhyetta and I as we took care of her. I guess when you need a doctor, there's always Dr. Mom and Dad. Healthcare that costs very little, and gives more care and love.
Well, Rhyetta and I have been exercising our faith through prayer in asking for health, strength and safety for Rhyetta and the kids alot lately because of this hard decision we made. Our Ella has really put this to the test. All of our kiddos have gotten a lot more gusto to be more daring in their activities. While swimming last week, Kian, Abby, and Ella were jumping in the pool from off the pool wall. Kian showed Abby and Ella how he could jump into the water backward. Naturally, Abby tries to do what her big brother does. She jumps into the pool, but not far enough away from the wall. You can guess what happened. She landed on her chest on the wall. Thank goodness she had her floatie on, and did not get hurt. As Rhyetta and I were talking to her about it, we hear Ella start crying. We turn our attention to her to see blood coming from her chin. We ask we what happened and she mentioned that she was trying to jump into the pool like Abby and Kian.
We quickly got her out of the pool, as to not get blood into the water. Looking at the severity of the gash, she split her chin through all layers of her skin and you could see a little hole in her chin, we quickly started to apply pressure to stop the bleeding. I mentioned that we need to take her to the doctor. Rhyetta reminded me that it would cost too much money. What a dilema. We quickly got her home and bandaged her chin with a butterfly band-aid and a regular band-aid. Rhyetta checked online what we should do and we did it already.
As you can see, she will have a nice battle wound. Through the whole ordeal, she cried very little, and exhibited great strength and trust in Rhyetta and I as we took care of her. I guess when you need a doctor, there's always Dr. Mom and Dad. Healthcare that costs very little, and gives more care and love.
Evidence of a Great Teacher
Most of us can remember a teacher that we really enjoyed because they had a meaningful impact on us in some way. Today at church, Kian gave a talk in primary about the temple. Before this, Rhyetta and I were waiting in the hall outside the primary room for the older primary kids to come from their classes. As Kian's class was lined up outside in the hall, Rhyetta formally met and introduced herself to his primary teacher. In the course of asking questions, Kian's teacher mentioned that Kian was such a good reader; better than all of the other kids in his class. She mentioned that all of the other kids had trouble reading but Kian read without problems.
Now, correct me if I am wrong, but I think this is definite evidence of Kian having a great teacher helping him learn how to read and accel at it. Thank goodness we pay top dollar for his teacher. :-)
He did an excellent job with his talk. Insomuch, the bishop, who was watching Kian give his talk, mentioned to Rhyetta and I that he, Kian, should give his talk in sacrament meeting. What an admirable thing to say.
Now, correct me if I am wrong, but I think this is definite evidence of Kian having a great teacher helping him learn how to read and accel at it. Thank goodness we pay top dollar for his teacher. :-)
He did an excellent job with his talk. Insomuch, the bishop, who was watching Kian give his talk, mentioned to Rhyetta and I that he, Kian, should give his talk in sacrament meeting. What an admirable thing to say.
Saturday, August 8, 2009
No More Baby Steps, but Big Girl Steps
Abby has a really great teacher, better than this one in many respects, helping her learn to read. Last night, Rhyetta was reading to the kiddos and Abby wanted to read a Dick and Jane book. She was told to read it to me, and read she did. I am so proud of her reading. Leaps and bounds is what is taking place, with Ella not far behind.
Where we live, there is a pool and since we moved to Missouri we have taken the almost daily pilgrimage to the pool to cool off. Abby and Ella grab their respective "floatie" and they swim their way around the pool, and after me or Rhyetta. They love the freedom the "floatie" gives them so they don't have to stay in the kiddie pool.
Today, after a wonderful morning of blackberry picking, we came home with the kids almost chomping at the bit to go swimming because it was sooo hot. We decided to take advantage of the last day of our free guest pass at the local YMCA (since obtaining a 14-day guest pass, we have gone to the Y for swimming since there is a splash pad and a water slide). As the ritual goes, Abby and Ella grabbed their "floatie" and off we (Kian, Abby, Ella, and myself) went to the pool to cool off. We spent several hours swimming in the pool, dipping in the hot tub, and getting back into the cool pool. About 20 minutes before we left, Abby decided to take off her "floatie" and get back in to the pool. Abby wanting to get my attention in only a way Abby can, she showed me that she was swimming. She got out of the pool to show me the "floatie" was gone, and she jumped in the pool and was swimming to me. OH, how happy I was and how happy I made her feel. Her confidence soared and was cottified by her jumping in the pool off the edge into deeper water and swimming to me or the steps. What a BIG GIRL Abby became today.
Even better yet, just as we were getting ready to get out of the pool, Abby swims over to me and the following conversation ensued:
Abby: Daddy, do you see that blonde haired boy over there?
Me: Yes. Why?
Abby: I was sitting at the hot tub with him talking. (At this point Abby is getting giggly in her Abby way)
Me: What were you talking about?
Abby: The hot tub and we were doing stuff.
Me: What stuff were you doing?
Abby: We did nothing.
I noticed Abby talking to this boy, who was probably around 10 or 11, and over heard her asking him about noises coming from the hot tub. I think it cute to see my 5 year-old girl getting giggly and giddy from talking to a boy. This is a BIG GIRL step that needs to get back to a baby step until she's 45.
Where we live, there is a pool and since we moved to Missouri we have taken the almost daily pilgrimage to the pool to cool off. Abby and Ella grab their respective "floatie" and they swim their way around the pool, and after me or Rhyetta. They love the freedom the "floatie" gives them so they don't have to stay in the kiddie pool.
Today, after a wonderful morning of blackberry picking, we came home with the kids almost chomping at the bit to go swimming because it was sooo hot. We decided to take advantage of the last day of our free guest pass at the local YMCA (since obtaining a 14-day guest pass, we have gone to the Y for swimming since there is a splash pad and a water slide). As the ritual goes, Abby and Ella grabbed their "floatie" and off we (Kian, Abby, Ella, and myself) went to the pool to cool off. We spent several hours swimming in the pool, dipping in the hot tub, and getting back into the cool pool. About 20 minutes before we left, Abby decided to take off her "floatie" and get back in to the pool. Abby wanting to get my attention in only a way Abby can, she showed me that she was swimming. She got out of the pool to show me the "floatie" was gone, and she jumped in the pool and was swimming to me. OH, how happy I was and how happy I made her feel. Her confidence soared and was cottified by her jumping in the pool off the edge into deeper water and swimming to me or the steps. What a BIG GIRL Abby became today.
Even better yet, just as we were getting ready to get out of the pool, Abby swims over to me and the following conversation ensued:
Abby: Daddy, do you see that blonde haired boy over there?
Me: Yes. Why?
Abby: I was sitting at the hot tub with him talking. (At this point Abby is getting giggly in her Abby way)
Me: What were you talking about?
Abby: The hot tub and we were doing stuff.
Me: What stuff were you doing?
Abby: We did nothing.
I noticed Abby talking to this boy, who was probably around 10 or 11, and over heard her asking him about noises coming from the hot tub. I think it cute to see my 5 year-old girl getting giggly and giddy from talking to a boy. This is a BIG GIRL step that needs to get back to a baby step until she's 45.
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