Politically correct?

We went down to IKEA last weekend to kill some time while Mike was at the eye doctor. The kids were excited about the elevator and "excellerator". I was excited about the thread that I got for a whole lot less than I am used to buying it for.
Anyway, before getting in the store, we encountered the yellow beetle bop Volkswagen bug that is out in front of the store. Jake thought it was pretty cool and was asking all about it. As we walked into the store, he said "wouldn't it be cool if we put a whole pile of Mexicans in it?!?"
A whole pile of what? I wasn't sure how to take this comment from the boy. I hurriedly looked around to see if there would be any people who might be offended by the statement. Then I frantically searched my mind trying to decide if this is a teaching moment or just what to think of it in general. I chose to ignore it, after saying "let's not say things like that Jake."
We walked around the store and I forgot about the whole scene. Then, on the way out, we saw the yellow bug again and Jake said, "why can't we talk about putting a whole pile of Mexicans in that car. I think it would be funny!" I didn't know what to say, so I just asked him why it would be funny to put a pile of Mexicans in there. He started to explain that it would be funny to see them pretending to drive. He said "we could even put that dog Mexican in the back." (I am still wracking my brain, the Taco Bell Chihuahua? What is he talking about?) I finally asked him when he has seen a whole pile of Mexicans with a dog too. "Old Navy mom"...
Oh...he meant mannequins. Now it makes more sense. Yes Jake, it would be funny to see a whole pile of mannequins in the car in front of IKEA.

Two Left Feet

We were driving past the DI yesterday and I decided to stop in and see if there were things I had to have. (I am on the hunt to add to our Lincoln Log collection. I know I am never going to find those at DI, but what if I do?)

Anyway, Allie found some shoes that she had to have. Ugh. They were a dollar and I didn't even want to spend the dollar on them. I tried in vain to talk her out of them. So I fished a dollar out of my pocket and we came home with the beloved shoes. The whole ride home, she talked of inside play dates where she would ask friends to bring over their princess shoes. She talked of what dresses would look nice with her new shoes...who can begrudge the shoes now?

When we pulled into the driveway, she showed off her new shoes proudly and that is when I noticed that we had bought a pair of shoes that were the same. We had two left shoes.

She was only slightly deterred. It was funny to watch her take her first stumbling steps in heels.

They were the first things she put on this morning and she is getting better at walking in them. We definitely have a girly girl on our hands...

Stuff They Said

I was cleaning out my files on the computer and came across a file I labled "cute things they say" I had to share a few with you, sorry if I have posted these before...

...Conversation at lunch...

Me: Allie, do you want one of these plums?

Allie: A plum that came off the tree?

Me: We bought it at the store, but it came off a plum tree.

Allie: And it’s ripe?

Me: Yep.

Allie: Sure. Plums have a bum just like nectarines.

Me: A bum?

Allie: Yeah, they look like a bum. A nectarine can go ‘shake my bootie’ cause it has a bum shape on it.


Then this one...

Allie: “Did Jake lost his balloon?”

Me: “Yeah.” (remembering an incident that happened months ago.)


Allie: “Did it fly up into outer space?”


Me: “Yeah.”


Allie: “So the aliens could pop it?”


Uh…


Allie: “Yeah, then it will come down later, all popped. And Jake can use the string as a kite.”





...Or when we were in the car...


Jake, after a police officer zoomed past us with siren and lights blazing,


“That officer friendly is going to have to give himself a ticket.”

I hate school

I never though I would be the one to say that. I loved school all my life and was sad to graduate college and have to leave school. I guess hate is a strong word. I don't hate school. I guess what I feel is love for days off school. Now that Jake is in school, I have to make him go to bed early, wake up early, eat fast, get dressed, and run to the bus. I watch him walk out the door and I am bummed to say goodbye to my little buddy. This week is parent teacher conferences and Jake has a three day break from school. Monday morning was a dream. He was still asleep at 8 and I didn't have to go wake him up. When he did wake up, he and Allie played on the stairs for an hour without fighting.

We took Allie to dance and I held my boy's hand as we went to the library. We talked about Halloween and had fun picking out spooky books. We took our time picking out a science movie that he could watch that night because it wasn't a school night.
So, it's not that I really hate school. I like that he is learning and having fun there. I just miss the life we had a few months ago. I miss having one on one time with Jake. He hasn't been out of the house for anything but school and church for a long time. I had a lot of fun with him Monday and I know it won't be long before he won't hold my hand as we walk to the library. I know it won't be long before he'll be too cool to want to hang out with me at all.

I don't know why I am writing such a whiny post. I guess if I am looking at things with the "glass is half full" view, what I really mean to say with all this is that I have loved these days with Jake home. It's probably because he is in school that I have enjoyed them so much. So really, I can't hate school. If this were our everyday life again, I wouldn't think it was so cherished. Allie would get along with him for a little while, but then the screaming would begin again because they would be around eachother so much every little thing would make the other crazy. I would take him to the library each week and it wouldn't be anything new and exciting so he would run away from me in the parking lot and make me crazy when he wants to stay at the computers longer than we can stay. So, I guess I am grateful that he is in school. It makes days like these last few days even better than ever.

Food art

I have been spending a lot of time with Allie lately. They always say the first child is spoiled because they get so much undivided attention as a baby. Well, poor Jake. He spent that first year sleeping tons. I'm sure we had our share of fun times, but come on...he was a baby! Then Allie came along and my attention was divided. As they have gotten older, Allie has stolen the spotlight. Jake went to preschool for two years. In those few hours a day, it was just me and Allie. Jake goes out to play a lot. Allie's friends still nap, or are in school also. So it's still just me and Allie. Luckily she likes to play by herself a lot. She does get bored though, and that brings me to the point of this post.

I was in the shower and our kind neighbor brought us over a stock of tomatoes from his garden. Yay, salsa for us! Anyway, Allie decided to take them out of the bag and line them up on the table. Why is this post worthy? Because it reminded me of my little brother Steve. He always liked to make what he called "food art". At the grocery store, he lined things on the conveyor belt in a visually pleasing manner. He arranged the food on his plate, or the candy he was about to eat, all in the name of art. So when I came in the room and found Allie's creation, it made me think of little bro. Allie, your uncle Steve is pretty cool. I hope you pick up lots of habits from him.

Home school

I couldn't sign Allie up for preschool in the Spring. I didn't know when Jake would have kindergarten and I wasn't about to have them be gone at opposite times of the day. So we waited till we knew when Jake was in school. By that time, there weren't any more slots in the preschools I knew. I called a few and got discouraged. Allie was really looking forward to going and she was really bummed when I told her it was out. Then I decided that we would just have "home school preschool" I told her that two days a week we would work on letters and numbers. She could cut things out, color, play with paints...all sorts of fun and messy things. So far we have had a lot of fun.

Some of the best things about preschool at home...

You don't have to get dressed and do your hair.

You can have "school" on mom's un-made bed.

You get to have mom's undivided attention.

You get to pick the theme of the day.

Today's theme was M for monster. Monster books, monster drawings, monster faces...

I love you cute little monster girl!

Millions of peaches

Peaches for me... (I kinda hope I get that song stuck in your head because it's been circling my brain for days:)

It's canning season again. I have gone the rounds with Mike about whether or not bottling peaches is more or less expensive than buying canned peaches at the store. I don't really care. The fact is, I like canning season. I really like to see the shelves lined up with pretty jars full of things my kids like to eat. So I do it year after year.


The kids really wanted to "help" out again this year. They didn't believe me when I said that it would help me a ton if they went and played in the sand box. They wanted to be in the thick of it. So I did give them a job that they could do. They added sugar and water to each of the bottles.

They watched as the peach skin came sliding off, and got bored when they realized that nothing new was happening for a long time. Then I was finally given the help I really needed when they decided the sand box did sound good after all.

I listened to a good book and worked away.

Next up...pears. It will be my first time doing pears. I hear it's annoying to peel each pear painstakingly, but my kids love pears so we'll give it a go.

We went down to Orem to celebrate Sam's birthday. When I asked the kids what they wanted to do to celebrate Sam's birthday, Allie wanted to let balloons go into heaven and Jake wanted to visit the cemetery. Mike had to be in Salt Lake for a meeting, so we just went down with him.

On Thursday morning I gave the kids a set of Tinkertoys as a family gift for Sam. They were a big hit. I loved them when I was a kid and it made me so happy to see that they love them too.

The kids drew pictures to tie to the balloons that we would let up on the air. I asked the kids if they wanted to give Sam a gift for the year. I suggested things like "not fighting with eachother" or "helping mom around the house" and all sorts of things that would be really nice for me :)

Allie decided "I will try to obey" and Jake just wanted to write "I love you Sam". Then they each drew a picture of Sam.

We bought balloons and met up at the cemetery. Aunt Dixie, Aunt Lori, Aspen, and Grandma were there. It was a super windy day so the balloons didn't have a nice and lazy float up to the sky. One was caught in a tree, another stuck on a fence, one popped...oh well. The thought was there and I think it was nice.

When we got back, the kids begged to feed/chase the ducks and play at the park. That is one of the fun things about my mom's house. They built a new park (well, new because it wasn't there when I was a kid) behind her house and the kids love to go there.

My main goal for celebrating Sam's birthday was to go to the temple. I knew that's where I would feel close to him. I wanted to visit one of the new temples that have gone up in Utah lately. Mom watched the kids while Mike and I went to the Draper temple. It was beautiful and I was rewarded with the feelings of peace and comfort and love that come from being in the house of the Lord.

I love the month of September. It cools down a bit and we end up with so many days with a beautiful blue sky. I love that Sam was born in September because it is a happy month for me. Of course, it would be nice to have celebrated Sam's birthday watching him devour birthday cake or take his first steps. It would be nice to see what he would look like at one year old. But I know where he is and I know that he is happy. I am grateful for that knowledge. I think of him every day and I know that he is a blessing to our family. Thanks for your beautiful life Sam. We love you.

Happy Birthday to Sam!

A year ago we got to meet our cute Sam boy.

What a sweet little body for a beautiful spirit. We love you Sam!

Kindergarten Boy

Jake loved his first days in kindergarten. He has a great teacher and a brand new school. I don't get too many details, and he's only been 2 days, but I know he is having fun. He loves riding the bus and playing at the playground.

By the time Jake got home he was starving. He's not used to eating so late. We fixed his favorite, grilled cheese and tomato soup. He inhaled his first sandwhich so fast I couldn't have another ready when he was done...2 whole sandwiches and a bowl of soup!

So, there you have it. For the next 12 years Jake will be a school boy. Then it's more school after his mission. Life has changed forever for him, but he loves it. I'll learn to love it too.