Sunday, August 31, 2008

A Little Larson Time

With Larson being in school MWF, I like to spend those Tuesday/Thursdays having fun with him. Thursday we met Jessica and Reece at the water playground. The weather was beautiful and still fun to run around in water. Reece and Larson really did not play together that much but Larson really had a great time. He actually convinced me to stay an hour longer. He played with this one ball the entire time. He loved getting it into the middle of a fountain and watching it go up and down and then he would kick it out of there. It was so much fun spending this time with him. School must of been good for him this week becuase I had my old Larson back. He was such a good boy this week!!



Maddie & JoJo

Madison and Jordan are back in school with other attending Canyon Ridge but they do not have one class together. I picked up the girls after school so that they could hang out. They don't even get home until a little after 4:30 so there is not that much time before dinner. They did manage a game of Clue and had fun making some cookies. Hanging out during the week will become much harder with homework and sports.

Thursday, August 28, 2008

First Week of School


Jordan was jumping out of her skin with excitement coming home from her first day of middle school. She just had so much to tell me. I was just so happy for her.
Some of her favorite things:
"I feel so grown up walking from class to class"
There was not any homework this week (boy does she have a change coming next week)
The cafeteria has different cafes that you can pick from.
Eating lunch with all of her friends and sitting anywhere that they can get a table together.
Dance class
Just excited about the school activities that she can become involved in. Her favorite is the school play, Willy Wonka.
She did have a hard time opening her locker the first couple of days so she named it, "Evil Evil locker of Doom" Then by the 3rd day she had figured it out and now she named it "Tim" .

We were just playing out in the back yard and I took the opportunity to get some pictures of the kids. I was just messing around with black and whites of each of them. None of their hair was brushed but I still love all the photos and the way they turned out. I can just see each personality in them.

Jackson seems to have gotten the best teacher in the entire school from what everyone tells me. That is very exciting although I have not gotten a chance to know her yet. Jackson came home with a smile on his face each day. He looked happy and he tells me that he has had good days but I don't get much more out of him. Each day, the teacher would make them write one thing that they did and she made it into a bracelet for them to wear home. The first day he wrote down "Back to school Bingo" this is where they were learning kids names and Jackson can use all the help possible with that. The next was "building a straw struckter (structure)" He had to use 200 straws and his team won. I keep telling him that he may need to be an architect. Then yesterday he came home with "ate lunch" so it has already gone from some information to basically none. He had a scrapbook page about himself that he took into school today.
I love this bottom left hand picture. Jackson is often thinking hard about things and this just captured that for me.
Jackson and I have had the best week together. I was not sure how the morning schedule would go for us with kids in 3 schools leaving at different times but this week was great. I love that Jackson gets up before the others and it is just us getting ready. I love that one on one time with him. He is so easy to get ready and without any siblings around there can't be any fighting??? We are reading our scriptures together during breakfast and it has been so peaceful. I have even been walking to the bus with him. This morning as the sun was coming up the sky had patches of pink cotton candy everywhere. Jackson noticed it and how beautiful it was. I was so lucky that we had those few moments together to take in that beautiful sight.

When we were outside Larson walked around the corner and had picked the ONE cucumber that grew from our patch. Jackson wasn't mad because he thought that it was big enough. Now, most cucumbers that I see are a nice dark green color. This one was kind of light yellow. I had to tell Jackson that it probably was not going to be very good for eating but he had to try it. He took one bite. It was so BAD!!!!!! That did not stop him, he cut it open to the seeds and tried those because that is his favorite part, they were even WORSE. We just laughed and he got a real cucumber out of the fridge and ate it. Texas has not been so kind to our cucumber growing.
Larson is my photographer and model but this night he was not interested in it so very few pics of him. (that was different but fine with me-its not like there is a shortage of pictures of our kids)
Larson has been enjoying his new Montessori school all week. I picked him up the first day and he actually told me a few things. First and most important, he got to see a friend, Manu, from his old school and play on the playground with him!! He loves the Chinchilla in his school and he did get to roll out a mat like I told him they would do. All work is done on the floor with a mat under the work.
His teacher came out yesterday and told me that he was doing very well and was happy in the class. This morning we were a little early so Larson showed me a few things in his room. He put his backpack away and then we looked at a few things but he told me that he has not had a lesson on those and can not touch yet. Amazing that he already knows the Montessori way. He then got on an art apron and went to the art center. I am sure that is one of his favorites.
Larson has been such a good boy this week!

I have to say, with the 3 older at school the house is much quieter and TAH DAH, Logan is getting in a nap!!!!!! That is so nice for both of us. It is hard to fold laundry with one hand and a baby in the other!

Logans school of learning to sit up this week has not gone so well. He is refusing and will just arch his back and try to hit his head on the floor. I actually think that he may crawl before he sits up. I am not sure that is so normal. He will figure it out. He is just so smiley!!!

He just wants to know where the kids are???


Monday, August 25, 2008

Back to School 2008

Jordan- First year of Middle School!
Last night went smoothly for Jordan. Her outfit for the first day had been picked 2 weeks ago so that was already taken care of. She planned her morning: She wanted chocolate chip muffins and asked if I would straighten her hair. Before bed I painted her nails a very dark blue (hopefully that is not the gothic look starting for her)
This morning she loved the extra hour of sleep since her school starts later. She got ready and had time to get on the computer. She went to Marianas house to go to school with her. On the way there she kept telling her stomach that she was not nervous!
I really wasn't sad. I was just excited for her! I can not wait for Jordan to get home and tell me all about it.

Jackson- 3rd grade
Jacksons teacher is Mrs. Peterson and she called last night just to tell Jackson that she was excited about seeing him this morning. He got up and had a good morning. This is the same routine for him so he knew the drill. I actually got him in a collared shirt for school. He thinks collars are for church. The elementary school is past capacity again this year so Jackson's class gets to eat lunch at 10:30 in the morning. I am afraid I will be making another lunch for him when he gets home at 3:15. A new elementary is under construction for next year and both boys will go to that. That will make 3 elementary schools in our neighborhood.
We are excited to see how Jackson's year goes for him!

Larson- First day of Montessori

Larson loves to go to school and was very excited from his new shoes and backpack to his new school shirts. A new Montessori school opened up right at the end of our street and all the boys that were in his old class are going to this new school too.

Larson just walked right in and met his teacher Ms. Caroline, gave me a high five and out the door I went. I cant wait to go and pick him up to hear about his day.

So its Logan and Mom at home and the first order for my new school year is get this house clean!!!

Sunday, August 24, 2008

Logan- 6 Months


Here is our Logan- already 1/2 a year!
He doesn't have too many new talents at this point in time other than---
just getting incredibly cute and cuddly. He is so happy most of the time even with the little sleep that he gets. I don't know how this little guy can go all day with one 20 minute nap and still not sleep through the night. I guess whatever works for him as long as he stays happy. We just can not get enough of him. Someone is always playing with him on the floor or holding him. Yes, he likes to be held. I think that just comes with all the attention that he has gotten. He smiles so big and cracks up every time that he sees one of the kids! It is very easy to spoil the baby.

Happy Birthday Tom & Chris

The kids planned a birthday party for Dad and Uncle Chris!

We dont have pictures but Uncle Chris came to the door and Tom took him out into the back yard to look at the new fence that just got put in. Lurking from up above on the 2nd story deck were a niece and 2 nephews that started bombing Uncle Chris with water balloons. They yelled mission complete!
Logan was all smiles even though he did not get any birthday cake.

According to Larson you cant have a party without a bean bag toss.

C-H-R-I and the S was turned sideways. Thats OK, Tom always called Chris , Chri when they were little.

Here we have the fake cake that the kids love to make.
Jordan made the birthday party an Olympics theme so she came up with games that Uncle Chris and Dad had to compete in.
(by the way, has anyone besides myself noticed that Jackson is photographed often without a shirt on???)

Saturday, August 23, 2008

Approaching Austin

We left South Carolina at 10:30 am and drove to Atlanta airport where we picked up Tom. (He had been in Chicago for work and just flew back to Atlanta to help with the drive). We did our stop at Ruths house and then on the road to Austin. We got home the next day around 2:30 in the afternoon.
When the boys woke up the next morning from riding in the car all night this is what they looked like!!!
That's pretty good for more than a 24 hour road trip!

My Sweet Ruth

This is my dear friend Ruth with me. We first met in Cincinnati about 12 years ago. The last time that I saw her was at her husband, Boyds funeral in Cincinnati. How lucky were we to be able to stop at her new home in Georgia on our trip back to Texas. There are just those certain people that have an impact on your life and Ruth and Boyd have been that to me. I was so excited to see her "little cottage"(translates into large Ruth designed home) that I had only heard about. It is so Ruth, you just have to see it!!!! Now I can visualize her quaint room where she types E-mails to me.
Ruth, you looked great and happy. That is so wonderful to see!
An added bonus was that the Ackers, another family that use to live in Cincinnati, live right across the street from Ruth. We were able to go over there for a pizza party and visit with Barbaras family. It was a quick 3 hour stop but one that I felt so blessed to be able to do! We love you Ruth!
The kids just loved her little babies!



Thursday, August 21, 2008

Harbour Town



Harbour Town is known for its lighthouse, yachts, playground with Oak Trees, and sunsets.






This playground has the biggest Oak trees you will ever see and the branches grow sideways on some of them. Perfect for sitting on.

It is such a neat place, the kids still love the playground with tree houses in the Oak trees. Walking around talking about which yacth is ours.

One of those Senior photos


Had to add this one--- I think Logan is a cross between Herman Munster and the Fonze.

These are much cuter. Hard to get a good one when they don't know how to sit up yet.


Sunset was perfect tonight. The sun was a huge red ball. The dolphins were swimming by in the sound.

Wednesday, August 20, 2008

JACKSON VS JELLYFISH

Oh the warm waters of the Atlantic----the jellyfish love it!
Larson got one first and then Haylie but Jackson won the prize for the worst stung. His actually left a mark as it wrapped around his arm. They actually all did well with a very quick cry session and then back to playing.
We just kept telling Jackson how cool it was to have a scar from a jellyfish.