Beware Old Ladies!

I was in the office supply aisle of the store a few days ago when, what I assumed to be, an older woman and her mother passed by us at the end of the aisle. Sydney was sleeping in her carseat resting on top of the cart. Logan, who's mood sets the tone for any outing, was entertaining himself quietly in the cart. Jessie and Toby were playing I Spy or something around me. I was actually enjoying our time out of the house and everyone was well-behaved. So these two old ladies walk by and all the sudden I hear, "Oh look. In my day those things were called mohawks!" out of the old lady. It is true the boy's mohawks are like flashing neon signs in a store window- they attract attention much more quickly.

Sidenote: I have a terrible track record with old ladies while out with the kids. Either they get mad at me for something that is not in my control (like having to wait behind my cart full of groceries in the check out line instead of going to the express lane) or they are just rude and grouchy. I have long considered any old lady hostile territory until proven otherwise.

So the mohawk comment comes floating my way and I braced myself. The daughter comes closer and says, "Oooohhhh. Is the baby a girl? That's so sweet, you have two of each." Jessie and Toby launch into the names, ages, and current likes of each child while I anxiously wait for them to leave us alone. They popped the bubble that was my ideallic shopping experience with my young kids. Plus, I hadn't determined if the old lady was a friendly or not. They kept walking past the aisle and as the daughter leaves my line of sight she says, "Good Luck!" I had to stop and process that for a second. The way she said "Good Luck" you would have thought I shuffled in the store in my pj's with black bags under my eyes and 4 dirty, slobbery kids hanging all over me and filling the aisles with whining and crying. The kids were perfect and I even had on earrings, a little make-up, and wedge sandals that matched my outfit. Her comment momentarily ruined my day, but I didn't dwell on it long. I am well aware that anywhere I go, most people give me a second glance because a young mother with four kids is such a rare sight where we live. I wouldn't have it any other way.

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.

Mega update part 1

I have been a pretty sucky blogger lately. Here is the update I promised myself weeks, nay, months ago.

Jessie had an assignment to complete a dinosaur diorama as part of her report on the mighty Brachiosaurus. We were very busy the week before it was to appear at school, so Dave (and I) helped J bust out a killer diorama the day before it was due. Jessie has a pretty cool Dad. He whipped together a custom rainbow-colored (Jessie's favorite) Brachiosaurus out of tin foil, toothpicks, and Fimo clay. I couldn't have done better and I consider myself a pretty competent crafter. Toby was feeling left out so he made a "dam-o-rama" with the dino toys. Yeah, that misnomer came back to haunt us when Logan said "dam-orama" in nursery at church and playing at the park.

























Memorial Day meant a bike ride with Dad in the morning while Sydney and I went shopping with Gramma Evie. All the kids love riding with Daddy, so he did laps around the neighborhood and dropped kids off at Bennett's when they got tired. Much to the delight of her father, Jessie loves to ride her bike and was anxious to get out her brand new 21-speed. It's no surprise that Jessie went on a marathon ride with Dadddy on the street. I think as J gets older bike rides with Dad will be one of her favorites. Toby is a good bike rider, and as you can see, Logan loves to do tricks on his bike.




























We had a short heat wave mid-May and spent one weekend in Bennett's pool. That Friday afternoon I was going to watch a friend's kids at our weekly park day. It was too hot so we did an impromptu swim at Mom & Dad's. The Thompson kids didn't care that they didn't have swimming suits and Dave was a trooper to watch all the non-swimmers in the pool at the same time. That weekend Dave had an Activator seminar all day Sat. and Sun. so I was on my own. The kids and I cleaned the church Saturday morning (they worked so hard!) and escaped to Bennett's again for swimming and BBQ with Stovalls that afternoon. Getting to church early on Sunday for choir practice went surprisingly well since Dave wasn't home to help. All the kids are getting so big and more independent which makes the mundane stuff like getting dressed and eating breakfast go faster.

We helped some friends move the last day of May. Thankfully, they will stay in our ward at church which seems to shrink more every year. Everyone seems to be defecting to Utah. Blah. (love you Ken&Cassie)

Toby has started reading so well. We tried starting reading lessons a few months ago, but he just wasn't into it and it started to be a battle that I didn't feel was necessary. We took a little break and now he loves to learn new sounds and his writing is much better. I have used this book with Jessie and Toby and I love it. It really breaks down phonics-based reading into an easy program that costs a lot less than the bells-and-whistles programs.

Me, my chillies, and both Mom's on Mother's Day which is about where I left off in May. I agreed to sing in church which meant I had to be there early to practice with my accompanist. Getting anywhere early in the morning is a challenge when still nursing an infant and I barely made it- Happy Mother's Day to me. We hosted a nice lunch with both sets of parents (and Tom & Kristy) after church. Even though we all live so close we don't take enough opportunity to get together and chill, so it was a nice afternoon of relaxation and playing with the kids. Our kids loved having all 4 Grams and Grampys at their house (we usually go visit them) and had show & tell all afternoon. Then it was off to Gram Bennett's for a big family dinner and b-day celebration for Evie and Grace. That monkey in the middle couldn't resist the candles and Grammys obliged.

Every night when we put the kids to bed they listen to these Book of Mormon stories. We were eating lunch at the zoo with Gramma Evie when Toby asked her if she wanted to hear a story. He started telling her about Joseph Smith and I soon realized he was reciting the story from the tapes they listen to at night. He had memorized the entire story and several others and talked Gramma's ear off for at least 10 minutes. I was so surprised and impressed. Toby has an awesome memory and ear for music. He recited one of the stories as his talk in Primary a few weeks later and melted several ladies hearts who were in the room.
Meet Alligator. He loves to people watch with his nose pressed against the glass and trick people into thinking he is only a statue. He drifted up to the surface and touched the glass right in front of Logan. It made Logan step back for fear he would actually reach out and chomp him. We were so close we could have smelled his nasty fish breath. Definitely one of the highlights of the day.
I think the kids walk through all the animals just so Mom will let them get to this magic place- "the leap pads." It's inevitable that someone's foot goes into the water so nice shoes are never worn that day.

Logan is our resident comedian in the family. This kid cracks me up. Jessie has had a weird dry cough recently and got to have cough drops when we went out. Logan being our sweets freak has coveted those cough drops since he smelled one on Jessie's breath.

Tonight at bath time Logan is lathering up in the shower while I wait for him in front of the curtain and he starts fake coughing. He knew I was on my way out to whip up a batch of cookies before bed-love summer!


L: "Mom, I need a cough drop. *cough, cough*"

M: "No you don't silly. You're not sick."

L: "YES! I'm sick, *cough*cough* I need a cough drop!"

M: "Well, sick boys don't get cookies."

L: "Mommy, I'm half-sick!"

Smart kid- or so he thinks. The sick half would get a cough drop and the well half would get a cookie. That is a win-win isn't it! Didn't work but I sure laughed.