Child labor

I am working on personal progress with Taryn. I never finished the program when I was that age, so now is my chance.

An awards dinner is set for next week and our goal as a young womens presidency is to have each girl complete at least one experience. I have been slacking a bit lately on this. Taryn has a lot already done in the knowledge, so of course I thought she could accomplish the 10 hour project as well in a weeks worth of time since we have a 4 day weekend. Taryns project is planning a menu, shopping list and shopping then doing the cooking. I should have had a little more say in what goes on the menu, but I wanted her to have fun with this as well. Lets just say there is not too many healthy things on the menu. No chicken. I think this is the longest I will go with out eating chicken. Lots of ground beef, steak, and cheese. What else do you really need.

We wrote out the list, I showed her how to put foods in the categories. Now you may think why I haven't showed her how to do this yet. I hate shopping and I want to get it done as fast as possible. I know the things I need and most of the time don't even need a list. Then I had to show her to look at labels, check prices, and get the bread and chips last so they don't get crushed. We got home a I let her have the chance of splitting up the meat in to the portion sizes.



Something I hate even more than shopping is cooking. I always have. I have to tell you a little story. When I was 16 or 17 I was really in to playing sports and doing things that were not "girly". That scared my dad I think. One day my dad told me that if I don't learn to cook I would never find a man to marry me. Well my teenage rebellion in me, (I know I was wild)
I thought, well I'll show you, and I refused to learn to cook. I did get married, and my poor husband had to eat shake'n'bake chicken for a year. He lived. I have no patience when it comes to cooking. I love the crock pot and one dish meals. My girls are always asking if they can help, I never say yes. I don't want to take the extra time to tell and show my kids how to do it. Well, I'm getting a crash coarse now. Taryn has been doing all the cooking and getting the hang of it. She really likes it. I think I will be using her mad skills more. I am getting plenty of babysitting for free also in the name of personal progress. Lauren is only 16 months away from free labor also.

Primary Program

So the kids had their primary program this past Sunday. Taryn was overjoyed she no longer had to participate. Lauren is count down the years left. Just one more year Lauren. She did very well. She was the second speaker and I worked with her not to speak too fast. Even though my beautiful daughter was up there, Jacob stole the spotlight. I guess since it was his first program I wanted to watch him more. He didn't sing very much, and hen they were singing, he rested his head on the edge of the podium. Jacob did sing follow the Prophet like a champ. He also liked to talk to the new twin girls that just moved into our ward. They are in preschool together so they are fun to watch. It was Jacobs turn to get up for his speaking part and he nailed it! Jacob had to say the line "Jesus went about doing good, for God was with him". He may not have know what was going on for that 45 minuets, but he knew when he went up to the microphone what to do. Great job kids.

I just got done sewing Laurens Dorthy costume. I am not a seamstress, and this little project stressed me out so much. At one point I just pinned it on her instead of taking measurements. She wanted it a little shorter than I had sewed it so now she has to wear leggings with it. At least she will be warm, cause Toto, I don't think we are in California anymore. We will be lucky if it's 50 degrees for the trunk-or-treat on Saturday. Jacob is a construction worker. Big stretch I know. Taryn is a redneck, another big stretch I know. I really wanted Bree to be a pig, but my sewing days are done for now. We have a warn monkey costume. That will work for this year.

Jacob

So I am always thinking I do too many posts on Jacob. And I do. It's not that I

favor him, or that it's because he is my only boy....He just says the funniest things,

and acts as if the world revolves around him. Which it does. Here is Jacob at his cousin Kelsey's wedding reception dancing with two girls. There was three, but she left before I could get a picture. I don't even know who these girls are. Ladies man already. It's the hair.

While we were setting up for the reception, Jacob was taking two of his three boy cousins to look at the creek behind a building. They look so enthused. He told Jesse (in the grey) he was going to change his name to Bruce. Jesse just got off his mission, and there is already one Jesse, so this Jesse had to change his name. Sorry Jess.

Jacob and his grandma sitting outside the temple talking about where he might serve a mission.

Jacob is convinced he will serve up on the mountain where his grandma and grandpa live, or while driving on the ice road, AKA: ice road truckers. Then they were talking about who he might marry. All the girls in the family need to watch out!

Jacob with his Grandma and grandpa.

They spoil him rotten!

I need to write down all the things he says, I always forget till later.

Field trip

Jacob had his first Field trip today. He even got to ride on the bus all by

himself. Jacob was so excited for today. He picked out his own pumpkin, but the

rule was he had to carry it on his own.

Bree just completed the trip with her stubbornness.

once she gets on ground, there is no way you can put her back in the stroller.

The prefect pumpkin. He wanted a bigger one but could not pick it up himself.
On the hay ride, pulled by none other than a John Deere.

I wasn't able to stay the whole time due to Bree needing a nap, but

Jacob had a great time and is loving pre-school. Jacob tells me he wishes he could

go all the days. Hopefully that attitude stays around for the next 12-15 years.

Soccer

Lauren wanted to play soccer again. Oh, there goes my Saturdays mornings I thought.

Come to find out all of Laurens games have been around noon. That was a great deal. Right between Bree's two naps. It has worked out great. The weather has even been pretty good.


Lauren really surprised Tom and I this year. The last time she played, she was more interested in who was bringing snack and what it was. This year she wants to play. Her first game she went out and gave it her all (unlike a few years ago when she raised her hand after 2 minutes to go out). She is fast. The soccer club didn't have enough teams for girls her age, so they put her on an under 12 team along with one of her friends from church. The girls she plays with and against go to school with her older sister. She may not play as much as she would like, she is still holding her own.

This is where the real fun was. Taryn brought suckers for her and Jacob, but not for Bree. She was not too happy. The end result was Bree pushing Jacob down for his sucker, then throwing a fit for Taryn's sucker till she got it from her.

First day of school 2010

This is the first time in 5 years that the girls have not gone to school together. Without them telling me how they felt, I think they were a little nervous, but a little excited to be on there own. Taryn did say that she was going to miss Lauren at lunch because lauren never drinks her capri sun and Taryn would get it from her.


This is Lauren on her first day of 5th grade. Her last year of elementary school. The girls will only be away from each other for this year, and will be together again next year. Her teacher is Mr. Defranco. She was so excited to finally have a boy teacher. So far so good. She really didn't want me to take her picture, she is too old for that now.

At the beginning of summer Taryn was nervous about middle school, but she loves it so much. She loves the lunches, even though I have only let her buy lunch once. She loves seeing all her friends that are a year older than her, she loves that school doesn't start till 8:50. What she doesn't like is PE and changing in front of everyone, and not having a cell phone.

These are some friends from church. They are so cute.

Introducing Dodger

I have not been an animal love for a long time....at least since I had kids. They are enough animal as it is. My kids did not prepare me for a puppy. Dodger cries all night, is a picky eater, and has already made us have vet payments.

By the third day Lauren was in tears. It's her job to clean up the crate every morning, to feed him, and play with him. She is tired. She hates the smell, and how much time Dodger takes. I told her it won't last forever, but only for the next few weeks. I have come into the living room and seen that she has fallen asleep next to the dog. Dodger is a keeper, but I can't wait till I don't have to take everything out of his mouth, and get nervous when he is in the house, and will forget to go outside to the bathroom.