First Day - 2nd Grade

It's finally here! Second grade has started and Maggie is a happy camper.
It was a very cold and rainy day today. So we bundled up and headed to school.
Zoe wasn't happy that I wanted to get a couple of pictures of just Maggie, but when it was her turn she came out with a bang!!

Wyatt's ready to run...

Since we all got up so early I actually lost track of time and we ended up being a tad late. Not really. She was just the last one in line to go to class. No biggy, but to Maggie it's a pretty big deal. She thinks she's late if everyone is lined up when we get there.

She has been worried that she wouldn't know any of the kids in her class. Luckily she knows Nayeli and actually gets to sit next to her.

Good luck in second grade, Maggie. We love you and miss you while you are gone!

First Homework Assignment

Maggie got to meet her new teacher on Thursday (Aug. 26, 2010). Her name is Mrs. Sharp and apparently she is an awesome teacher. All throughout last year Maggie was getting help with her reading and math. Her reading teacher was Mrs. Sharp's daughter. We loved her! I have a feeling we will love her Mom too!!

It has been rumored that Mrs. Sharp doesn't give any homework. She makes sure the kids get ALL their work done in class. This is good news to me. Not just because I am sick of the homework meltdowns, but because it means we can concentrate our "homework" time on reading now. No other distractions. She did give one homework assignment though. Maggie was to fill this paper bag with 10 items that reflect who she is. These kinds of homework assignments are very difficult for me. I'm just not that creative. What 10 items would describe Maggie? Here is our attempt:


1. She likes to play soccer (I'm not sure where this came from. She has never played it before)

2. Her favorite thing to eat is Chicken Nuggets from McDonald's.

3. Her favorite color is blue.

4. She has a rock collection.

5. She really likes being a big sister.

6. Her favorite candy is gum.

7. Her favorite season is fall.

8. Her favorite holiday is Christmas.

9. Her favorite number is 100.

10. She has to wear eye patches.

I think we did alright on our first homework assignment. We are looking forward to a great year and Maggie is super excited to FINALLY be in second grade!!

Zoe just HAD to do her homework too. Here is her list of favorites at the moment:
1. She likes playing with her friends.
2. She LOVES strawberries.
3. Her favorite color is purple.
4. Her favorite candy is Skittles.
5. Her favorite season is winter.
6. Her favorite number is 3.
7. Her favorite toy is her microphone.
8. She REALLY REALLY wants a pink computer.
9. When she grows up she wants to be a Doctor.
10. She enjoys coloring.

We are so happy to have you in our family, Zoe. You know how to make us laugh and keep us entertained. You are such an amazing little girl. Everyone that meets you loves you. Keep smiling happy girl!!

Slow Down High Speed

Wyatt tried to drive off in the truck after church.
Then he tried to escape in the van a few days later.
Slow down, buddy!! We'd like you to stick around a while!

Barfing Dogs

We have rearranged a few pieces of furniture lately. We now have our table positioned so we can see out of our sliding doors. We have a very boring view of our neighbors back yard, but they have been rebuilding their deck the last couple of weeks and work on it while we are having dinner. We get some entertainment while eating.

So we were all sitting at the table watching the "show" and listening to all the different sounds outside. SEVERAL of our neighbors have really obnoxious dogs that bark ALL the time. None of us really like dogs to begin with and the constant irritating barking doesn't help us like them any more. Zoe made a comment about the "barfing" dogs. She doesn't like dogs "barfing" at her. I don't either, Zoe. It's so very annoying to have dogs barfing at us all the time!!

PLEASE STOP BARFING!!

Water Babies and a Little Muffin Top

I am so in love with this little mans muffin top...and Buddha belly...and cottage cheese thighs...and...well, just everything about him!!Zoe and Wyatt have such a cute relationship. Most of the time. He just hears her voice and gets happy and giggly.Do we have a diva in the house? At least one!

Loco Lizzard Beans

They were not a hit!

Getting Ready

I decided it was time to get a few school supplies the other day. I was dreading it. I had memories of shopping for supplies in Houston. The aisles looked like a bulldozer had run through the place with kids a parents scrambling and scattering items everywhere. Bad bad memories!

Although our Walmart parking lot looks like it is full ALL the time the store itself is rarely really busy. We get tons of trucks and campers that go through here and spend the night in the Walmart parking lot. So even after (almost) two years of a more calm Walmart experience I still dread going because of my Houston experiences.

In the last few months our Walmart has done some remodeling. It is so nice to have a face lift and an even better shopping experience. As part of the remodel they sent everyone in the area a $5.00 gift card for their "re-opening".

Thank you Walmart for buying Maggie's school supplies! There is no way we could have gotten all this for $1.34 in Houston. I didn't feel like I was in a roller derby either!

I certainly do love my Maggie, but I am so ready for the yelling and ugly attitudes to end. Summer is just a few weeks too long! Happy school, y'all!!

Train Park

We had the chance to go to the train park with the Vidaurri's the other day and the kids had so much fun. It's kind of funny how much fun they had here since the only real piece of equipment is this merry-go-round. They can climb on the train, but they really spent the majority of their time spinning in circles on the merry-go-round.
I haven't taken the kids to this park even though it is right next to Maggie's school. I don't know that Zoe has been on a merry-go-round before. She almost got flung off at one point and then decided it might be a good idea to brace herself against the bars. Smart girl!

Then she got even smarter and decided to us Abby as a guard.

The merry-go-round was always my favorite piece of equipment on the playground. At some point my head decided it no longer liked spinning in circles. I can't even stand the thought of spinning anymore. Even watching the kids play gave me a bit of a headache. This is how I would be spending my time on the merry-go-round these days...

Thanks for the fun day, Carianne, Zackary, Caleb and Abby!

Wyoming Fun

So what do you do for fun when you live in Wyoming?
Go shooting, DUH!!Many moons ago in a land far far away from here Glenn and I went to an Elder's Qourum activity in Vidor, Texas. What did we do at that activity? Shot lots of guns of course. I have a permanent reminder of that activity. I had the misfortune of walking beside someone just as they fired the shotgun and got hit by the shell right in the chest. It's hard to see among all the freckles in this picture, but the little dot that is kind of highlighted by the light is my wound from Vidor. I almost got a matching wound today.Luckily it hit me lower this time and my shirt got the shell.The things I go through to get a good picture!!

What's for Dinner?

I found this recipe in Taste of Home several years ago. Glenn really likes it so I make it every now and then. It really is delicious. Doesn't it look yummy?
For some reason we started calling them Sloppy Zoe's. She actually loves them too. Tonight she took them to a new level. She added a piece of graham cracker to the top! Whatever gets you through the meal kid!!Bon appetit, Zoe!!

What do you do in the summer time?

Stick your brother in a container and force him to be part of the train!Help me...PLEASE!

A 3 Year Olds Imagination

Yesterday Zoe was spending some time playing with Wyatt's toys. She was happy. She was quiet. She was having fun. After a few minutes she said "Look Mom, they're dancing!".
She pushed the button and they started spinning around. We all had a good laugh and Maggie said, "they need a boy!".

Here is Zoe's solution...Hey Howdy Hey!! Let's dance partner!

I am putting in a request to Fisher Price that they come out with two new characters. One should be Zoe and the other Wyatt. Both of the girls here are the Maggie character. How fun would that be to have characters named after all your kids?
It's funny to see the girls get excited about the baby toys. They have a tendency to take the toys away from Wyatt while he's playing with them. Good thing for them that he is pretty even tempered and doesn't really care. I hope that lasts a long time! They could have this to deal with...

I Love These Kisses

You never know when he's going to strike! He has amused a few people in church by his "kisses" for Mom!
You are just too cute!!

Zoe's Obsession

Zoe felt like she needed to read the paper and she came across this Toys-R-Us ad. She zeroed in on the pink Barbie computer and would not put the paper down the rest of the night. She now asks for a pink computer every day.
Every night since she even prays for a pink computer.

"Heavenly Father,
help us to sleep. And hope to have a pink computer. And hope to go to Lindseys..."

I love the prayers that come out of this little girl. She keeps me laughing! Little does she know, but Santa has already made her pink computer and set it aside with her name on it. SSHHH!

Summer Makeovers

The girls had been asking me for "makeovers" for a while and I finally caved. What they really wanted was to play in my make-up. Maggie went all out and got into a dress and fancy shoes and all. She was having a hard time with the light. Her eyes are so sensitive they started watering and itching before we could get very many shots.I told her to do a model pose and this what I got...
The make-up really accentuated Zoe's eyes and made them even bigger...Zoe apparently inherited my thin lips and crooked smile.

Once Upon a Time...

there was an awesome big sister that could not get enough of her baby brother.

I hope this love continues forever and you always have a great relationship!

My Never Ending Nightmare

I spent all day doing laundry and got everything done, except some sheets and Maggie's comforter. I was very impressed with my progress today and then when I was getting ready for bed this is what I saw...
ARE YOU KIDDING ME!?
As you can see in the next photo the last load hadn't even been taken out of the dryer yet. The laundry piles up so amazingly fast with five people. Especially when one of those people continues to spit up on his shirts, blankets and bibs, and poop his pants quite regularly. I was a bit cranky after seeing this, but I wouldn't give up any of it. This pile of a job means that I have four people that care about me and that I can't get enough of living with me. We are together. We are happy (most of the time). We are learning and growing together. Although I don't love the messes, I do love the people that make them!