Week in Review

Before I get too behind again, here are a few pictures from our week. Actually, before I begin this week, I must catch up on an event from a couple of weeks ago (I had lost the pictures somewhere on my computer and finally found them yesterday!) Mark's "Uncle Joe" was in town on his way home to California, and we got to meet up for breakfast with the family. It was such a fun time to catch up with someone so dear to all of us. And, it is always an entertaining time when all the grandkids (five of them who are five and under) are together...especially in a trendy hotel lobby for breakfast. :)

And, the newest addition to our family, sweet baby Tyler! He's growing so much!!Now, for this week. ...Last Saturday, we surprised the girls and woke them up early for a special surprise. We went in our PJ's, jumped in the car with blankets, got Krispy Kreme donuts (the family standard for surprise trips), and headed to see the launch of the hot air balloons! It was a fun morning and there were so many cool balloons. It was beautiful to watch in the early morning. Especially when you have a seat like this!The winner of "favorite balloon" for our family was this flower shaped one. We even saw it land across the freeway, as we were driving home. VERY cool.
Sunday, we got to meet up with the family for a birthday lunch and a time to catch up! A GranSunday "on location" at CPK, one of our family's favorites. It's always fun to get all the sisters and kiddos together, especially as our table keeps getting longer and longer! We never could get an entire group picture, because we didn't have a personal photographer along with us. But, Grandad and Grankay were sweet to each take a turn being the camera man.

The gang with Grandad....
The gang with Grandkay...Now we just need to "photoshop" the two pictures together!Abby Kate with her Grandad...
and with her Aunt Cortni...And, my favorite picture of all---my adorable prego sisters, posing so we can capture their bellies. :)

This week was another fun one with school. A picnic with parents for Carlie, along with "Cowgirl Day". She posed nicely for me before she left for school, which doesn't always happen. This time, she was VERY proud of her outfit. :)

In Kendyll's world, school at home was all about Italy. We read the book "Papa Piccolo" and did all kinds of activities based on Piccolo's adventures. This was so much fun for all of us....and even Daddy & Carlie got to participate by eating our Italian dinner that night. Here's the silly three:
That's the last two weeks in a nutshell. We're spending this weekend with Gammy and Papa Ron (and the rest of the sisters!), so I'll return with lots of ranch pictures, I'm sure.

Have a great weekend!

The Bumbo is Gone....

Our Bumbo seat is no more. We have officially returned it to Aunt Jodi.

See my cute baby girl in the Bumbo Seat? I have seen many similar pictures on a variety of blogs, with babies her age, or even older enjoying their cute rubber seat. However, Abby Kate has never really loved this seat much at all. Early on, she would squirm so much in it, that she would end up sideways, or with her legs up under her. The other day, I even looked up the "appropriate age" for a Bumbo seat on their website to make sure....and in case you didn't already know, the Bumbo Seat is suggested for ages 3 months to 14 months.

So, then why is our daughter already flipping completely OUT of this seat???

Here is the best shot I could get of what she does. It is quite hysterical to see in person. I'll narrate from her perspective....

"Hey Mom, see this sly smile? Oh, no! I'm not up to anything. Oh, sure! I love this seat! I'll sit here and play with what you gave me, I promise. Go ahead and clean up the kitchen."

"Ooooo. I don't want this silly teether anymore. I'd rather have those cups that are just barely out of reach."

"Almost there. Just reach a littttllle further...."

"Oh, there's another one on this side! I want it! I need it!"

"I'll just arch my back, flip over sideways, and...."

"Yes! I did it again! I love doing that!"

"What, Mom? What's wrong? Oh, I wasn't doing anything. Just chewing on this cup I found."

Little stinker. Seriously, she flips out SO fast, that my camera didn't even catch it. It's amazing. I even wonder if we could be on Funniest Home Videos with this trick. As you can see, I didn't even catch the moment she flipped, because every time she would get close to going over the edge, I would get the camera ready and she would stop and look at me. She never did flip until I would stand up and turn my back. What should I think about this?!?

My favorite part of the Bumbo's website is the following quote: "Bumbo seats keep babies safe and comfortable and enable them to interact with the rest of the family. The Bumbo is that extra set of hands you have been looking for." It goes on to say that "safety is the #1 priority" and that the benefits of this seat are "safety and security", as well as "being able to attend to more than one child at a time". Ummmm....not so much.

Needless to say, if you have a Bumbo at your house, don't let Abby Kate talk to your baby about how to really use it. Or, you'll be returning yours too.

Quick Updates

I can't believe it's been eleven days since the last blog. I have to say that I haven't even thought about blogging much at all, and it's slowly moving down the list, as the school year begins. For what it's worth, here are a few of the latest updates for those who need them. :)

1) Mark is officially unemployed and I'm loving it. :) For those who didn't hear, Mark is currently job-searching after his entire division was dissolved two weeks ago. The company has taken very good care of us for a long time, as Mark worked there for 10 years, and we feel blessed in so many ways even in the middle of this searching time. We both have the peace that God has already prepared the next place for Mark and is working all things together for good. Mark has been absolutely amazing through all of this, and has been searching and interviewing since day one. He is one talented guy, and God has truly gifted Mark for business and sales. It's been cool to watch him work! What has also been GREAT is to have him home with us so much! We are a one car family right now, and it's been a great excuse to have him join me on all kinds of outings. For example....Today, he took Kendyll to school for me, picked the rest of us up, we took Carlie and Abby Kate to their check-ups, got lunch, had a picnic at the park, played with Carlie, picked Kendyll up from school, went swimming at the pool, had dinner together, and played games with the family tonight. We were with him from sun-up to sun-down and are definitely being spoiled by so much Daddy time!!

2) Kendyll is having a BLAST in school and is already learning so much. She has been randomly spouting out all kinds of information and Mark and I just stand there amazed! (Side note: In order not to bore my readers who really don't care about what specific things Kendyll is learning, I have decided to start a school blog, just for myself. So, this will be the last blog you have to endure these details, I promise!) However, until the new blog comes, here are a couple of stories---or maybe more than a couple:

They have Nature Studies every day and learn about different habitats. Right now, it is the farm. Now, I completely discounted what they could really learn about the farm, thinking she already knew the animals that lived there pretty well. Boy, was I wrong. Yesterday, she told us about how a chicken grows inside an egg, including details I have never heard of, and explaining the process from beginning to end. She also told us that an animal who hatches from an egg is "oviporous"....I think that's right, anyway. On the way home today, she explained the entire process of wheat turning to flour...from seed to loaf of bread. She also told us that "many farmers work hard to produce their crop, and don't make enough money. So, we prayed for them today." For her after school snack, she insisted on having two slices of wheat bread and a glass of milk....to support the farmers. (I actually got her to eat all her veggies tonight by pulling the same plea for those poor farmers!) Her prayers have been absolutely precious, as she copies so much of what her teacher prays throughout their day. She has prayed a great deal about Jesus as her Savior, which I can't get enough of. Last night, she started reciting Psalms 1 while I was drying her hair. I went in and told Mark to listen to her say Psalms 1. He thought I meant Psalms 1:1. No. The whole thing. And, she's been to school four days! This school is very big on memorization and I am just amazed by it. We do scripture memory at home, and I've never been as successful as they have been in FOUR days! She has planted her first vegetable garden, and her specific veggie to plant was green onions. I might actually get her to try them now! We've been getting the daily update on how they're growing, so I think by the time they sprout, she'll be ready to chow them! Somehow, they're also fitting in reading, math, handwriting, art, and music in there too---which we also hear ALL about.

3) Carlie is apparently having a great year too...but I don't exactly have stories for you from her. This is how our after-school conversations go with her: "Carlie, what did you do today?" "Don't know." "Did you go to PE?" "Yep." What game did you play in PE?" "Don't know." "Did you play with Caroline?" "Yep." "Who else did you play with?" "Zachary." "Zachary? I don't know him. Is he in your class?" "Don't know." I'm not kidding. Nothing more is offered up, no matter how I try to trick her into talking. But, overall, I think she's having fun. :)

4) I have officially stayed on our new schedule for a whole week! Carlie has one day home with me alone, so we have done library trips, crafts, and special playtimes. Kendyll has one day home with me alone, and we have done fun school things (which I will save for my other blog too), including science experiments, art projects, and reading books with cooking lessons that go with them. We've also made some time for field trips when we've had everyone home (which have even included daddy while he is around!). Here is yesterday's trip to Owens Spring Creek Farm. This was such a fun day, especially since Kendyll is learning all about life on a farm. This was a beautiful place, and we lucked out with great weather too. (Sorry to my ladies' class friends for skipping out. It was just too tempting to hang out with my hubby all day. :)

Here is Carlie posing before we left for the farm. Kendyll picked out everyone's clothes for the day, including Mark and me. She even picked out accessories for each person too. All of which Carlie decided she should carry...Notice the red heels in the background that Kendyll picked for me. Perfect for the farm!

One of the first stops, after going through the Owens museum, was the "tea party table". The girls thought this looked like a place you would have a tea party. Here they are pretending to do just that. Later, we ate our lunch at this table, which they thought was SO cool. Funny the things that get kids excited.

The farm man gave us food for the goats, sheep, and longhorn. Kendyll jumped right in with feeding everyone....Carlie had to warm up a bit. Eventually she liked it, but only the "baby sheep ones". I have to admit, I even shuddered a bit when the big longhorn stuck out his tongue to take my food. YUCK!
And, this one is just for proof that Abby Kate really was there. Poor thing. She's never in the pictures. This is the only one I had of her!

Tomorrow's trip is to the art museum. Kendyll can't wait. And, I really can't either! I will probably learn as much as she does! In case I haven't already said it a hundred times, I'm truly enjoying being at home with them. I know I've "stayed home" for five years now, but this is the first school year where I really do feel like I'm home and not running five directions. I could get really used to this!

5) Our little peanut is doing well too. Abby Kate had her six month checkup (at almost seven months), and she only weighs 15 pounds, 3 ounces. This is what Kendyll weighed at 3 months. She is our peanut. But, she is also quite the pistol. She is getting up on all fours WAY too much, and is scooting around to get what she wants. I don't even know what I will do when she actually moves. Our lives will change dramatically! She is loving her baby food these days...so she might chunk up after all. :)

Well, I think that's it for now. I know I've been tagged 2 or 3 times, so I'm planning to do that blog next. First I have to think of 8 random things about myself. I'm SOOOO boring that eight might be a stretch for me! Have a great week, blogland.

A Great First Day

What a day! And, from all reports, it was a great one (despite the torrential downpour we had all day!). Kendyll has been talking all evening about everything she did today, and I can tell it's going to be a great year for our girl. She has made fast friends with her little class of 11 kids, and pretty much remembers every detail of the first day (as usual).

Here's a rundown (quick version) of our day. First thing is first---breakfast for the special girl. Red plate again, only different breakfast on it. Kendyll picked pancakes, sausage, and grapes. Everyone gobbled it up and Kendyll could hardly stand the wait until she could get to her uniform....which was nicely laid out the night before. I couldn't help taking a picture of how cute it was sitting there.
(By the way, Nellie---her American Girl doll pictured above---is dressed in the Providence uniform that we found in the school store last week. That was her "back to school" gift and she has been so excited about it. I'm glad, because it was a total rip off. But, worth every penny, really. :)

So, that was "Uniform before cute girl". And, this is "Uniform with cute girl":

As you can tell, she loved seeing herself all ready to go! Next was picture time. Of course, they found time to strike a pose first....

And, then on to the real poses. Yet another sister picture, with the usual "stunned" look on Abby Kate's little face.

Mark and I each had to get our picture with our big girl too...before our tears started flowing. (Actually, my tears already came at the breakfast table, as Kendyll said the sweetest prayer ever about her day, asking God to be with her as she met new friends, and to help her not be too nervous. Oh, man, it was a tearjerker. And, Mark had already cried when she came out in her uniform. Kendyll told him "Oh, Daddy! I knew you were gonna cry your eyes out!")

Off to school we went, through the pouring rain, and running late because of it. I really think God likes to laugh at me by making things a little more difficult on mornings that I really want everything perfect. But, despite the weather, we made it to Carlie's school first, and then to Kendyll's, without being the LAST to arrive. And, I somehow maintained my composure during it all, even though my stomach was turning over from all of this "newness".

Here is Kendyll entering the kindergarten hallway with her teacher's flowers. She is really the cutest kid I've ever seen. :)
We kissed, hugged, and loved on her, and that was it. We had to leave! We both looked at each other in the hallway, and said "That was too fast!" All of that build-up and then it was time to leave her! We really were excited for her to start her day...I just wanted to be able to watch!

She, of course, had a great day, and was so excited when we drove through the carpool line. She ran to the door and jumped in the car. Mark and I both asked her at the same time "How was it?" She just looked at us with this blank stare and for a brief moment, I thought she was going to say "It was terrible". Then, she broke into a smile and YELLED, "Awesome!!!!!!" It was so funny. We videoed her on the way home as she literally told us every single thing that happened.

She had decided this morning that she wanted Starbucks after school instead of McDonald's (I guess that's now just the preschool tradition!). So, we headed to get hot chocolates and desserts at one of her favorite places. Here is the final "cheers" to a great first day.

Twas the Night Before Kindergarten....

That's right. Tomorrow is the big day for our sweet Kendyll Grace. Kindergarten is finally upon us! She's had two extra weeks of summer, which we have filled to the brim with days full of fun. Everything from trips to the library, pool, park, and mall, to making cookies, riding bikes, having movies and popcorn, a sleepover with Kate, and a grand finale trip to Rainforest Cafe to end our "Kindergartabration". She and Carlie LOVE Rainforest Cafe, but have never been able to have the light-up cups or the volcano dessert. So, we surprised her with both, as we celebrated her big school day coming soon. Here she is after the volcano was presented to her. Notice the light-up cup behind her head. Incredibly cool, but probably not worth five buckaroos. :)
Kendyll and I have had some fun days together, just the two of us. For those who don't know, Kendyll will be attending kindergarten two days a week, and will be with me the other three. I have had SUCH a fun time planning our days together, and we have picked out quite a few things to do for the next few months. I really plan to fill one day with learning, but all "fun and experiential learning". We're going on field trips, doing some simple gardening (our own herb garden--if I don't kill it in true "Chelsea" fashion), cooking, art and crafts, piano lessons, ballet, and many, many library trips. :) As weird as it may sound to some, I am looking very forward to having some one-on-one time with each of my kids this year, and am really hoping to rearrange some of my "previous priorities" to make "just being the mom" the most important thing this year. (more about that in another blog...)

Anyway, in the last week, we have also had two playdates with Kendyll's soon-to-be classmates, and it has been such a great thing for both of us. It's great to meet other families who have the same values we do---and I can't wait to get to know them better as the year goes on. We also got to have a "moms meeting" with our teacher last week, where I was blown away once again by the blessing our school is going to be for our family. Our sweet teacher is amazing and a very strong Christian woman who will not only be teaching Kendyll so many life lessons----but she will also be teaching me! I have already learned so much from her, and can already tell that she will challenge us to truly live up to the task of running a Christian home and instilling Godly character in our children.

We were able to sign up for volunteer activities, which was so fun to me! And, we learned a whole lot about what they will be learning and doing this year in kindergarten. One of my favorite things is the scripture, poetry, and hymns they will memorize. It will definitely be right up Kendyll's alley!

But, even with all the excitement for this year to finally begin, and all the blessings that this school will offer us, there was that twinge of nostalgia that I felt tonight, as I kissed my baby goodnight. Where did this little pigtail-wearing 2 year old girl go? Or, what about this baseball-hat-wearing 3 year old? How the time flies....

We had some family time tonight and read a few verses about having peace, working hard for the Lord, and showing kindness to others as a "back to school" devo. Then, we were about to have prayer time for her. She stopped Mark before he began praying and said "Hey, can I ask you guys a question? Can we talk a little more about what it's like at Providence?" I wasn't sure exactly what she was wanting, but I could tell the nerves were setting in. So, I grabbed my packet and began reading to her about all kinds of things. She soaked in every word. Mark prayed a sweet prayer for his girls, and then it was my turn. Before I prayed, she said again "Hey, can I ask you guys one more question? What if I'm a little bit nervous?" Oh, my sweet Kendyll. You are just like your mommy. We talked about how normal it was to be nervous, and that every other girl and boy will be nervous. We went over exactly how it will go in the morning, and then asked her if there was anything we could pray about for her.

She said "Just pray that I won't be TOO nervous and that I'll have the BESTEST, FUNNEST day in kindergarten that I've ever had!" So, I prayed that, along with a whole bunch of other blessings over our girl. And, off to bed she went.

Now, as I sit here at the computer, I just want to tell her over and over how proud of her I am. How amazing it has been to watch her for five years become already so much of the person that God wants her to be. She has so much compassion for others. She is so giving to her family and her friends. She loves so deeply and feels every emotion so strongly. She truly wants to please her mommy and daddy and her God in everything she does (even though that is not always exactly the way things go on a daily basis!), but even when it doesn't go that way, she is quick to say she's sorry and wants a hug to make sure all is better. She is so smart (and I don't say that in a bragging way)----it's just that God has absolutely blessed her with wonderful talents that I stand amazed at every single day. She is a caretaker for her little sisters and any other toddler that she knows. And, I can't WAIT to see what she becomes as the school years go on, and her knowledge deepens---not only academically, but spiritually and emotionally too.

We love you, Kendyll Grace, and are so incredibly proud of who you are. I pray that you will be blessed in your school year and I look so forward to the days I still get to spend with you this year. We are praying for you tomorrow! Love, your mommy and daddy!

Carlie's First Day

I'm a nerd. (Yes, I know most of you knew that already.) But, this last week has confirmed it. This time of year makes me crazy excited. I love school starting, and I have been dying to get started with Carlie and Kendyll's new school years! I'm planning to update on each one of them, but here is the latest on Carlie first:

Today was her first big day of preschool! She is at Sunshine School, where I have always taught. I've been a little sad about not being there this year with her, but am excited to do the room-mom thing instead and be involved other ways. "Just being the mom" sounds pretty good right now!

Anyway, we got her cute new outfit, her backpack and lunchbox, her napmat, and all the other essentials all ready to go last night, and she kept saying "It's my special day tomorrow?!" I think she LOVED that it was just her going to preschool....no big sister around this year, so she can finally be queen bee! She woke up and just had that look of "I'm so proud to be going to school". We let each of the girls pick out the breakfast menu on their first day of school or birthday, and she picked "eggs, bacon, and canteloupe". So, that's exactly what we had. She got to use the "You are Special Today" plate that I NEVER remember to use! And, she truly did feel special.



We were actually ready early for a change (because I woke up early for a change--one of my new back-to-school habits I'm determined to keep!) and had time for extra pictures. Here's a rare "Daddy and his girls" picture with all four of them actually looking at the camera, on Abby Kate's "playtime quilt" in the floor. They sure do love their Mark Daddy Daddy.
The official "pose" before school on the front porch. Lunchbox in one hand, lipstick case full of pennies in the other. You know---the necessities.
One of my favorite pictures of all time. A sister picture of big sister and school girl. And, Carlie sure was glad to have Kendyll take her to school. She held her hand the whole way from the car to her class. It was so sweet to watch Kendyll take care of her. She helped her put her things away, and then went back in for about 3 extra hugs before she could actually leave Carlie there. I just love those moments!
Here is Carlie's "nervous face" as she arrived, with her teacher, Mrs. Julie. Then, it all changed when Caroline, her very good friend got there. The nervousnes changed to excitement instantly. As I've mentioned before, these two are a dangerous pair....but so fun and so cute! I hope Mrs. Julie still thinks so after the first few months of them being together! They love each other so much. :)After school, we picked Carlie up and headed to McDonald's, the after-school tradition, for a special treat. I should have known from the face she is making and the fact that she wouldn't eat any of her ice cream, that we were in trouble. She threw up right there at our table a few minutes after she had begun playing in the tubes. NOT a good end to our fun first day. (I actually think she had been too hot and played too hard at McD's because she hasn't been sick since and ate dinner like a champ! Who knows.....)

But, overall, (except for the barfing) today was a great first day of school for Carlie. And, Monday, we'll have TWO school girls (I'll blog more about Kendyll's school tomorrow....)