Tickled myTummy!

Tonight I had to take Hunter to soccer practice. The great part about his practices are that he is at a park, so while he practices, my kids can play. I always bring something to read while they play and he does his soccer thing, but tonight I got on the swings with my 3 little ones. I pushed them "higher" and "pulled their legs" and then got in swing beside them. I pumped my legs and laughed hysterically (Dallin found me quite amusing) as I swung back and forth. My stomach 'tickled' as I went back and forth. I couldn't stop laughing. For those brief moments I didn't have a care in the world and the laughter was contagious. At one point I put Dallin on my lap and he held on both chains and I held on one handed with the other hand across his tummy....this technic worked for a bit and we got pretty high and then the one handed hold on my part started us going crooked. This started his laughter (good hearty belly kid laughter) because we twisted and turned and it was great! I found myself kissing his head as we went this way and that and Tyler and Gwendalin thought it was hilarious! I realized I love doing stuff like this with my kids....I was FREE from all adult thought, all stress, all chaos, and loved to sniff Dallie's head as we went back and forth and as I pushed Gwennie and Texas super high! What a blessing it was to be able to swing with my kids!

Jog R Walk at School

Every year as a fundraiser the elementary school does a "Jog or Walk" and the kids get pledges for how many laps they do. I went for the first time this year to cheer on Hunter - it was super fun. I got a few shots of other kids in the ward as well. I will go again next year! (Hunter is in the 2nd and last photos) He ended up with 15 laps or 3 miles in just under 40 mintues....

The Many Faces of Dallie...

The other night Dallin had all 3 of my other kids rolling with laughter with the faces he was making at the table. He realized it was he that was the center of attention and ate it up. I captured a few shots!

A New Stage -

I never really appreciated all that my parents did for me while I grew up. My leaders too for that matter. As most kids, I was the same, I figured the world revolved around me. My parents loved taking my to a million things (piano, school events, etc.) and my leaders had no life except that of being my leader. I am not upset that I look back and think that- however I do wish that I was a little more appreciative and vocal to those who considerably influenced my life.

I am now the mother of 4. Oldest is 8. And we are entering a new chaotic part of life. Homework is no longer "write your name" - it's big projects with salt dough and paint and looking up parts of speech in the dictionary. We still have the "write you name" and "letters" homework too...which makes it all even more fun! But you add the extraciriculars to that and bam! life is crazy all of the sudden. It's driving to scouts, driving to piano lessons, driving to soccer practice, driving to soccer games, trying to find time to read with the kids, clean my house, work out, chill with my husband, garden, etc. But alas, I feel as though I have entered the "live in your car" stage. I don't mind because my parents did it for me and I know that what I have my kids involved in is important and worth the toll it is on me so that they become good productive people.

Hunter hates the piano, but I have made my mind up that my kids will all play. They don't have to take lessons forever but they do have to be able to play any hymn in the hymnbook at any given time and then I will tell them it's their choice. This battle is taxing - but one that I will not budge on. It will pay off eventually and he will be glad that I fought this fight.

He also playes soccer which requries two weekdays for 1 1/2 hour practices and Saturdays full of games and prep etc.

Gwennie is in Kindergarten and loves it, but with Kindergarten comes homework (simple as it is) that adds to the after school chaos. I love doing homework with my kids, it's fun, looking up words practicing their names, etc. But it is late when they get home (4:00) and then we have dinner at 5:00 - throw in a practice here and there and then the night is here and the day begins all over again.

So, the point of this post is really just to make sure that my leaders and parents know how grateful I am to have had them be willing to help me become a good person, productive and well rounded in the ways that they could. I am hoping my dilligence in leading a crazy "taxi driving" life will help my kids turn out ok too.

Names...

I thought when parents named their children that's what they would be called, nicknames make come but it wouldn't necessarily be a bad thing. Well, I named my Gwennie - Gwendalin becuase I thought it was so very princessy and I thought she was beautiful and loved the name. As she has grown more and more people are calling her GWEN! I HATE THIS! I am ok with Gwendalin or Gwennie but do not at all like Gwen. It doesn't phase her and that's what matters, but I thought my vote counted....I am learning to just deal. It's not a battle I am willing to fight over and over. OH well....she's Gwendalin and Gwennie to me.

Kitty Sitting

Bill went out of town for 10 days and asked us to take care of Charly - so we did. He got a little lonely towards the end and came over one night when I had the doors opened and Travis and I watched TV - he sat with each of us and then decided he liked laying by the diapers instead. He was so sweet!

Wants are good right?

Okay, so I decided that I am going to BLOG my want list. It's all "wants" no needs, but hey- dreaming can make life fun even if it never comes to pass. So here goes, at the moment my want list is this:

**New Couches (Mine are 11 years old and plastered with pen, marker, goo, and whatever else you can imagine) I can't really get them "clean" anymore.

**An RV. We just went camping with my mom and dad. Loved it loved it loved it! I really want our own trailer ( I don't fare well camping in tents) so that we can camp side by side and enjoy nature together!

**Clear skin. yes, I am 31 - yes I still break out like I'm 16. It's not fair. I paid my dues in high school...even took the dreaded "you can sue if you've ever been on it - ACUTANE" - it worked and breakouts are not nearly as bad or systic like they were, but I want to have nice clear skin- the pregnancy spots could go too, while we are on the subject. :)

**A Maid - hey while we're dreaming let's just put it all out there. Once a week deep clean would be heaven sent. I am finding that with my kids getting bigger and bigger I am having less and less time devoted to the "deep" clean. Ah....**sigh**I miss it.

**Patio Furniture - a table and some chairs for my backyard patio....ahhh dinner outside. :)

**Porch Swing - enough said.

**Healthy Fast food....c'mon we all do it way more than we want to and if someone made a good healthy french fry life would be PERFECT! But alas, there is not (unless you do Subway - and sometimes I want a burger....)

Well for now - my mind is blank...but it's a pretty good "dream" list....I don't want a huge house (more to clean) or brand new cars, I want things that I can do with my family- play and have fun without the stress of monetary obligations....so all of these "wants" would have to be paid for with cash. :) I am a big dreamer. :)

A Camping we will go....

Every year at the start of "Elk Season" we go camping - I would love love to go more, but sometimes it doesn't happen. This year we went up to Warm Lake - it was beautiful....there were trees, streams, HAMMOCKS (we brought those :)), dirt, and lots of fun. It was great. In spite of there being a BEAR - yes a BEAR that would visit the campground at night it was great. Mom and dad slept in a screen room on an air matress for 2 of the nights....yes we knew there was a bear and they did it anyway, I told Travis we should since we were sleeping in their trailer, but they insisted on sleeping out there and Travis said he didn't like to be able to see what was going to come and eat him . ;). Robby and Mary and their family came with their dog and Justin and Rebecca met us up there the last night (they had a personal visit from the bear that night - all night).....Justin now has a vengence to get him back. The kids loved the hammocks, loved our "bath" at night and loved junk food. I forgot how much I love being in the woods (in a trailer of course) where I can't do the normal things I do at home....I played slap jack with Hunter - we swung in hammocks, read ( I wish I did more of that)...and played games at night. It was awesome and I make a vow right now that we WILL be going more often.

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First Day of School

We made it through the summer! Whew! School started this week and I got pictures of all the little schoolers. Hunter was much too cool for pictures, so his are from a far distance. He told me not to follow him to school to make sure he found his class...but I did anyway (he didn't know). Gwennie loved her first day - except changing buses - it scared her and she wanted Hunter. Yes, I am the mother that puts her kids on the bus and follows it to school and takes pictures. I am awesome! It's ok though we survive it! Tyler loved his first day at preschool and wanted to take all of his toys to share...I made him leave them in his backpack. He was so tired that he came home and napped for a few hours. Gwendalin is PM Kindergarten which makes for interesting days on T-Th since Tyler is AM Preschool....it's gonna be fun! I am pretty sure I have the cutest kids. (There is one random photo at the doctor's office- we had wellness visits on the first day of school and I happened to have my camera.)