Mega update part 2

Sydney at 5 1/2 months is pushing herself up on her hands and starting to scoot around on her tummy. I caught her right after she woke up from a snooze on Mom & Dad's bed. I love her sleepy hair and cute expression. In later years when I think back to the time when we had babies I will always remember with fondness the time when they were infants. I love snuggling a crying babe in bed at 2 AM and falling asleep. Those first months when sleep is precious it is so nice to scoop up a crying baby and nurse them to sleep in bed. They always start the night in the crib and end up with Mom. Well, Sydney feels the same way and now that she can sleep through the night she wants to do so in Mom and Dad's bed- every night- all the time. Lately, when she wakes up at 1 or 2 AM I will put a pacifier in her mouth to try and soothe her back to sleep. She knows that bink means she has to stay in bed and she kicks it up a notch to full screaming tantrum mode. It's about the only time she screams.



Dave and I love toys as much as the kids. We've been using them a lot for scripture lessons on Monday nights.



















I gave myself a week after school got out to chill with the kids and get a summer routine down. In that one week California decided to spontaneously combust. There have been so many large fires to the north and south of us that the air quality has been terrible. Mix that with the hot weather and the fact that the bad air really affected Toby's allergies/breathing and we were relegated to try to stay cool and keep busy inside for a good part of June. The window air conditioner has been wonderful in the few heat waves we have had. If I turn it on low in the morning until about 4 PM then we are comfortable all day. I'm such a wimp in the heat. I would rather be cold and pile on sweaters, fuzzy socks and blankets than be hot and sticky in the heat.

One super hot day after running errands we walked into the cool house and I said, "OH, it feels heavenly in here!" The next day was also hot, but I needed to cook and the oven was on for a few hours. Jessie was working on her latest art project at the table when suddenly she said, "Mom, it's not so heavenly in here anymore."
Jessie self portrait

We did get out to the zoo one of the less smoky days with Grandma Evie. It's such an easy and fun day to pack a lunch and head to the zoo for a day. We splurged on a year membership so we could go anytime. Our membership also gets us into Happy Hollow for free which is a fun place for younger kids. I just found out that they are closed until next fall which is a major bummer because we didn't have a chance to go once this year.
Finally, Jessie has an interest in reading. We have been trying to inspire this finicky 2nd grader to read books for fun. Miss Junie B. Jones books are what did the trick. We started reading some Junie B's together that Aunt Lauren let us borrow (*waving* thanks Lauren!) and J is hooked. I snuck this picture of her reading in the hall outside her bedroom after lights out.


Toby started a 4-week preschool at our local community center in mid-June. After the first day I asked him how it went and if he made any new friends.

He said, "No, no one wanted to be my friend. I just said Hi to people and they were mean to me."

I reassured him that things would be better the next day and that the other kids might be a little nervous and not want to talk right away. After a few days I found out that many of the kids are "lifers" I call them. They have been enrolled in that class together since they were 3 and will be there until Kindergarten starts. Besides a lot of money being wasted on mediocre preschool instruction, I can't imagine putting my 3-year-old in preschool every day for that long. I cherish the time we have together, and I want to be the one playing, doing art, songs, reading and naptime with my kids. Just my 2 cents, to each his own. Anyway, many of the kids in Toby's class already knew each other and they seemed reluctant, sometimes snotty, to let a new kid into their circle. By the end of the first week though, Toby had a new best friend and he hopes that they will be in the same Kindergarten class.

I have had my doubts about how Toby will behave in school. Based on his crazy, rowdy behavior in Primary at church I thought we were destined to have problems with his teachers. We signed him up for this short preschool so he could see what going to school would be about. He has done really well and his teachers both at preschool and church have commented how attentive he is during class/instruction. In watching Toby play duck, duck, goose with some friends at the park I can see a little class clown tendency in his personality. Toby loves to make people laugh and be silly. Hopefully, he will learn how to do so without getting himself in trouble.

I think Father's Day was kind of a bummer because Dave had to work a soccer game that day. Who schedules minor league soccer games on Father's Day?? Lame. So we went to church, I had a quick choir practice while Dave and the kids visited with friends over Father's Day root beer floats, and we rushed home so Dave could leave. Nothing is better than a quiet family day at home on Sunday, so Logan, Sydney and I took advantage with an afternoon nap while Toby and Jessie read books and watched a church movie. Dave got home in time to ride with us to Gram's for a big family dinner and presents for Daddy. The kids were excited to give Daddy their cards and presents. He scored some shirts for work and a game from Toby.

WE LOVE YOU DADDY! from your kids and the mother of your kids. ;) I am so, so, so blessed to have an outstanding father for our awesome chillies. Thank you Dave for handling bathtime, bedtime, poopy diapers like a champ and an ever-present honey-do list for our family. We are so grateful for all the fun things you do with us and for bringin' home the bacon!

We had a couple family dinners this month with the Bonds, Naylors, Stovalls and Bennetts. Since the weather is nice we have resumed after dinner walks when we can. It feels good to move after eating and I find I don't want evil sugary treats at night after a nice long walk.

June has become the month for wild hair at our house. It started last year when Daddy gave the boys mohawks inspired by Toby's favorite green-mohawk rocker on Guitar Hero. Daddy suggested we braid Jess' hair for the last day of school so she wouldn't be left out of the fun. We did it this year too. Here are the boys before...........
























AND AFTER!! They like to take finger painting to the next level.
























And Jessie:We went all out this year and braided pink and blue into each braid. I was cursing whoever thought that was a good idea (coughdavecoughcough) until I got the hang of it. Jessie was a good sport considering it took us 3+ hours to finish. We sat on the living room floor and watched Anne of Green Gables with Dave after the boys went to bed.

Jessie had a great last week of school. Her class went bowling, which she loved, had a picnic at the park next to school, and she took cookies for her class the last day as an early birthday since hers is during the summer. She loved her teacher and had a great year in the combo 1/2 grade class. I was worried about how the year would go when the principal called to tell us J got placed in a combo class, but it has been wonderful. Jessie has proved to be an incredible speller, and got 100% on most of her spelling tests. She is also a natural at math and loves art time at school and at home. I attribute most of Jessie's success this year to the fact that she is an excellent student and thrives in a public school classroom environment. My only worry with Jessie at school is what filth and brainwashing the radicals and sex-ed movement of the public education system wants to subject her to. We will take it one year at a time.

I almost forgot our sweet Sydney. She is learning new things and changing so quickly. It seems like she went from cute little baby lump that doesn't do much to a babbling, sucking on toes, rolling over, scooting in 360's wild woman. Check out those chubby rolls. She is still so mellow and sweet and all the big kids adore her as much as Dave and I do. I love having a baby in the house again.