Tick Tock Tick Tock ….

(No this is not a staged picture – Samuel really was watching the minutes tick away on his new clock)

I think I’ve passed on my punctuality phobia on to Samuel. I absolutely can’t stand to be late – if I’m late somewhere it’s usually because I’ve decided I’m going to be late or something very crazy has happened. I set our microwave timer whenever I know I’ve got to be somewhere giving myself plenty of time to find shoes, get kids in the van, etc. Then I don’t worry about watching the clock or forgetting I need to be somewhere. When the timer beeps the kids know to drop what they’re doing, get their shoes and get in the van. It works great! The only problem – I also use the timer for time outs and cooking. So now they hear the beep when the food is done and think it’s time to go somewhere.

Samuel has wanted his own clock  in his room for awhile but I’ve resisted because I also can’t stand to have a clock in my bedroom. When I was pregnant and would literally lay awake for hours every single night for months on end the clock in the bedroom became the enemy. Once I removed the clock, I felt so much more peaceful. Even if I couldn’t sleep at least I didn’t know just how much sleep I was missing! But after Samuel woke me up two separate nights last week at 3:30 a.m. wondering if it was time to get up and practice the piano I decided maybe having his own clock wasn’t such a bad idea.

The first night he was so excited about having his own clock he just wanted to watch the numbers change. About an hour after bedtime he came downstairs and said he just couldn’t fall asleep. I told him that he could no longer take his nap in Sacrament Meeting (yes, he has trained himself to fall asleep every week in Sacrament Meeting) if he wasn’t going to be able to go to sleep at night. Then he said, “It’s not that mom. It’s the clock! I just can’t stop watching it!” I knew it! So now we cover the clock up with the blanket each night so I’m not sure why we really have it, but he hasn’t tried to wake me up at 3:30 in the morning lately!

Bella Girl

This little girl makes me smile every day! She is seriously the sweetest thing ever! The kids all go through their stages where sometimes you just pray you make it through (and you buy a mini-van just to try and keep your sanity) and sometimes you just can’t believe how wonderful they are. Bella is so kind and helpful. The other day I went out to the van and she had already strapped Jenna in her car seat! She’s only 4 so it didn’t even cross my mind to ask her to help get Jenna in her seat, but she just did it and now every day she gets Jenna in her seat. Wonderful!  

The other day when I went to pick up the kids from tumbling, Bella’s teacher asked if I could stay a few minutes after class. She wanted to show me how Bella could do a one-handed cartwheel but then she voiced her main concern that Bella was going to kill herself so I needed to remind her to stick out her hips before she did a back bend by herself. This girl has no fear, so she pretty much taught herself to do a back bend and yes, occasionally she had fallen on her head and scared me to death, but she just jumps right up and goes at it again. But after reminding her to stick her hips out a few times she’s a pro and won’t kill herself until she decides to try some new trick on her own.

 

And my little mermaid can now swim across the pool on her back. I’m not sure what she’s going to do when we have to drain the pool in a few weeks.

Bella also started piano this week.

Love this sweet heart!

Yellow Belt

Samuel had Karate promotions this week. The little ninjas that were promoting to the Junior Class had to preform Star Block as a group and Mr. Wilson asked Samuel to lead them. As you can see from the picture he is pretty intense.

Samuel is now a solid Yellow Belt and pretty serious about this rank advancement.

Made Me Smile

Don’t you love the sleeping Superman! This is the scene every day when we pick Samuel up from school (well, minus the costume). Isaac somehow manages to fall asleep on our short drive to the school every day.

Saturday morning Chuck took the kids on all sorts of adventures so I could finish my mom’s big birthday present (don’t worry I’m not ruining the surprise she asked for this particular present – you can do that when you’re turning 60!)

When he returned he told me what a great time he’d had with the kids and how good they all were. I could hardly believe that they had ALL been good because really that NEVER happens to me. Then when I was downloading pictures I saw this – and there were a lot more pictures of this same face just with her body in different positions. I KNEW they couldn’t have all been good for him!

1st Grade

I needed some school pictures of Samuel for my August Back to School display on my front entry table. So several weeks ago I took these fun pictures of my guy.

I love the Magic Tree House chapter books. Samuel’s been reading them all summer and it’s no surprise that his favorite is Night of the Ninjas.

I Survived!

Well, I survived Samuel’s first week of 1st Grade!

Notice how I didn’t say he survived. I was thinking maybe he would be tired the first couple of days after spending all day at school especially since he gets up pretty early (I help him practice the piano each morning from 6:30 a.m. to 7:00 – crazy mom I know!) But he was full of energy each day, so excited to tell us all about school and excited to hear what we’d been up to all day. So yes, he loves school again this year.

 

Chuck actually took Samuel to school his first day. I really wanted to, but could just see in my mind the chaos that would take place with me hauling all the kids and 3 big bags of supplies into school. It is really wonderful that Chuck can drop Samuel off at school on his way to work. It makes my life easier for sure!

I did make Chuck take the camera to snap a few shots. I called Chuck after I knew he had dropped Samuel off and wanted all the details. I was a little disappointed when all the information he could come up with was that he had dropped the supplies off to the right teachers (I told him several times to make sure he looked at the sticky notes, don’t get the two Clark teachers mixed up etc. – driving him crazy I know!) and then he’d taken Samuel to his first class of the day. That’s it! Did Samuel seem excited, what did he think of the teachers etc. Chuck always reminds me this is my first child and it so shows!

 

While Samuel was away at school, the kids and I were working hard on what is now our traditional 1st day of school snack. I made a cute pencil brownie last year and Samuel kept reminding for days that he hoped he got another pencil brownie – the kid remembers everything.

Let’s just say that this year’s brownie pencil has now taken the place of Isaac’s 2 year old Dinosaur birthday cake as my ugliest creation! Note to myself: mint powder sugar frosting may taste super yummy, but it is not pretty for decorating! Just look at that frosting oozing down the sides.

   

  No one cared that it looked bad because he sure tasted wonderful! (As always, love your brownie recipe Audrey)

I make Samuel’s lunch for him each day and the first day I made a little note like this, taped a piece of candy to it and then stuck it in his brown paper bag. The first thing he said to me when he got in the van after school was I got your note mom and it said, “Love You! Have a great day at school!” I was only going to do this the first day, but that night as I was getting part of his lunch ready he said, “Oh, I can’t wait to see what note you write me tomorrow!” Each day he has come home and told me he got my note and then tells me what it said. So I guess I will be writing lots of lunch time notes this year! Chuck laughs and says there’s no way I’ll be doing this by the time Jenna rolls around to 1st grade – he’s probably right!

Other Weekly Happenings

Bella got her first pair of ballet shoes and took her first dance class this week!

As I sat and watched her during class, I had the biggest smile on my face the entire time. It was just too cute to see her leap, twirl and spin around on her tiptoes with such gusto. It also reminded me of my ballet dancing days and I felt like jumping up and joining her, except for the fact that I’d probably tear a muscle if I tried to leap or twirl these days.

 

When Chuck got home from work, Bella turned on the music and wanted to show him all the new dance moves she’d learned in class. Isaac was cracking us up because he kept saying, “Boys dance with girls” and was insisting that Bella or Jenna dance with him. Jenna finally gave in and twirled around the front room with him. Bella was happy as could be to have Chuck as her dance partner. Samuel wanted nothing to do with this dance fest and I was just the happy photographer/video mom.

After ballet class, Bella takes a gymnastics class from the same teacher. The class was getting ready to start and on a whim I asked Isaac if he wanted to try the class. He flashed the biggest smile and excitedly nodded yes. I asked the teacher if he join them and she happily agreed. I then left with Jenna thinking he would do better if I wasn’t watching. I returned after class and the teacher said he got a little pouty lip when I walked out, but he quickly recovered and did really well paying attention and participating. He was so excited when I picked him up to tell me all about his class. This little guy spends lots of time each week watching karate, gymnastics, music and now dance class. I think he was overjoyed to finally be able to participate in something himself!

Chuck’s sister Julie and cousins Maddie and Lacey stayed with us a few days this week. Jenna, who is pretty hard to win over, loved Maddie. It was so fun to stay up late visiting and my kids loved having their cousins play with them. Maddie and Lacey both have such beautiful red hair, I hope baby Jenna keeps her red hair!

As soon as Julie and family left, Trina and her kids arrived to spend a few days. The kids spent HOURS in the pool. This little redneck pool has proved to be a big hit in our house. Bella has turned into a little mermaid (she doesn’t like when I call her a fish).