School daze.

well...yesterday was the first day of school for the youngest 3, Luke, Victoria and Emme, in 6th, 4th, and 1st grade, respectively. There were mixed emotions, as well as some very clear thoughts of "I don't want to stay here" once we found ourselves in the midst of hundreds of kids throughout the school grounds. But...all in all, they each had a great first-day experience, which was great, since this is all new to them! The sun was shining brightly at our house by 8:20 a.m., which made for a squinty photo pose!

The girls and I were up first, and together made a fun chocolate-over-biscuits breakfast. Not healthy AT ALL, but a fun treat...and your brain doesn't have to work too hard on day #1! After all 3 were ready, Ben & I drove them to school, and went walking to find where each of them belonged. We had missed back-to-school night when Emme said she felt ill right at the last minute...THAT unfortunate moment made for a nervous mom and kids Wednesday morning! Each grade has their own entrance/exit door, and before school begins, they stand in line and wait for the bell to ring. School begins at 8:50, which provides time for a very relaxed morning. I am LOVING that!

On day #2, I walked with the kids...leaving Luke a little embarrassed that all the kids in his class would see his MOM, but providing me with an energetic start to my day - yahoo! By the time we rounded the bend today, Emme scampered off ahead of me to her line, with no worries or tears. another "Yahoo"!

BIRTHDAY!!!

Our baby is 6...sniff, sniff...HAD to happen, but boy, do I love to still cuddle them in my arms when they will give me a moment to do so...time goes by WAYY too fast! Here are some clips from our "Teddy Bear Breakfast" We thought we would try a morning party, b/c the birthday girl is always "fresher" before noon....and it might be nice to have the afternoon to clean up after the celebration!! Guests arriving in pj's were welcomed at the door with a fun display of bear items, and pictures and memorabilia of Emme, including some handpainted baby shoes she wore as an infant. After enjoying teddy bear pancakes, they all played games, including "Musical Bears"...where the BEAR had to find a chair! Once a bear was "out", they received a special party hat and sat on the side lines. Our friend Daisy made fun placemats to color, which were then covered in clear contact paper. The kids then crafted special brown bear bracelets, all while big sister Victoria read a story. Once "pin the heart on the Bear", and "hot Potato Bear" were finished, it was cupcake time...and everyone was treated to little chocolate cakes graces with pink hearts, or peanut butter frosted ones with oreo paw prints! Small cinnamon bear cookies, vanilla piroulines and cheery chocolate teddy bear cookies completed the spread. Everyone took home their fun goody bag, complete with pink Glurch...which is still entertaining Emme's big brothers!

Wonderful Utah....

We went picnicking last Sunday up in the mountains..it was SO nice - almost 10 degrees cooler than the sweltering dry valley heat which we left behind. The giant trees (one that two men could barely wrap their arms around) shaded everything just the right amount, with sunlight glinting through the leaves as we listened to the nearby river flowing and splashing. A deer gracefully passed by, about 40 feet from where we sat roasting marshmallows, headed to the river for a cool drink. I, NOT a camper mind you, fell so in love with the surroundings, that I talked some friends into a little jaunt up there next weekend to TENT, no less, for two nights. When I tried to reserve a spot, though, I was met with disappointment, as that weekend is a HUGE Utah holiday. "Pioneer Day" they call it - the day that Utah was officially a state. It took decades to be recognized as such, due to the religious practices and conflicts with the law regarding their traditions. People who have not been here or done a lot of research, believe that most "Utahns" live in families with multiple wives. Well, for the record, that is a rare, unusual, and very sequestered practice. The average family where I live has one wife, or no wife at all, and for the most part, they are normal. They DO have an odd accent...they stress the "g" at the end of any word with an -ing suffix. They leave out hard consonants in the middle of words. (i.e. "kitten" is "ki-ehn", and "mountain" is "mou-ehn") But it really is a wonderful place to be, and would be absolutely perfect if they could just make the temperature remain at 70 degrees or more year-round. HA! In my dreams, says Ben. I don't know...I am holding out for global warming!