Troutman grankids (and great grand son)

All the grand kids were here for the holidays, so we took advantage and got pictures of all the kids together, and a few spouses too.  One little great grandson was in the mix too.  Grandma is sitting with the kids in this picture.

Jacob loved to be in this picture.  He's one of the boys.

Christmas 2011

Christmas this year seemed a little different than usual.  There were people gone that are usually there.  I think that lots of people have a lot of stress in their lives right now and it's showing.  We did the usual and had dinner Christmas eve at my dads house. The kids opened PJ's that night.  Taryn was the first to get up like usual, and Bree had a bad attitude when I woke her up.  Jacob was so excited for Christmas this year.  After we went back to my dads to open gifts and have breakfast.  Up to the Mt. we went after that.  My father in law had been calling since 8 to see when we would get to his house.  We of course were the first ones up there and had to wait for everyone else to get there to see what the surprise was.  A go-cart Toms dad built.  The kids are having a blast riding it every chance they get.

Jacob with his airplane.

Lauren and her 20 rolls of duct tape. 

All the older girls got a pair of jeans from the Buckle. They had to show off the pocket designs.

What a great looking bunch of girls!

The kids in front of the go-cart.  The note from "Santa" in short read, it can be ridden anytime, but if Jacob wants a ride, he goes to the front of the line.  He is not spoiled at all!

hairless

My poor kids.  All of them have been mane challenged.  A couple of the kids have out grown it, one has not yet, one is still to be determined.  Jacob was a bald baby, but at 3 was getting a hair cut every 2 months.  Every time we get his hair cut I make a deal with the devil that he keeps his curls.  So far so good.  Lauren too was a bald baby with some wisps of hair at about 3, but poor Taryn.  She longs for hair so bad.  She would put on tights, leggings, shirts, shorts on her head and pretend it was hair.  Every Halloween she would be some sort of princess that had long thick hair. What was a mom to do.  I got her wigs.  She would always have something on her head.  she would whip her head back, sweep her hand over her shoulder like she had long locks.  Taryn's hair is still painfully thin, and I am working with her hairdresser on anything that might work to thicken it up.  So far no luck on that.  The only ray of hope is that I had the same kind of hair when I was young, but when I got pregnant the first time my hair thickened right up.

(Taryn with shorts on her head)

Poor Bree is in the same predicament.  She loves the thought of long hair.  She loves all the princesses.  They may have an African American Princess, an Asian Princess, an Indian Princess, but no princess with thin hair.  Every Sunday she loves to play with Laurens or my hair, not so much Taryn's.

Bree has taken to putting things on her head for pretend hair.  This is funny because both Taryn and Bree did it.  One day Bree was in the kitchen with me and she took the dish towel off the fridge and put it on her head.  From there its been her blanket, towels, and her favorite, sweaters.  No pants or tights yet.  One day girls, one day.

At least she is color coordinated.

fall sports

This September and October were some busy months!  I only had one weekday a week that I didn't have something to do.  Jacob played his first season of soccer and loved every minute of it.  Even getting knocked down time and time again didn't stop him.  I can't find the pictures of him where you see his face, but he has a huge smile on his face all the time.  Jacob even scored a goal.  One for his team and one for the opposing team.  The one for our team, Jacob took the ball down the field all by himself.  The goal he scored for the other team, there was a lot of confusion by the goal, and it happened to be Jacobs foot that kicked the ball in.  Oh well.  Jacob can't wait till spring soccer.

Lauren played her first year of volleyball.  I was asked to help coach like this: (picking pears at the church pear farm) Damian: Hey Cherie, I saw Lauren at volleyball tryouts so I signed you up to coach with me.  Me:Okay.  We had a great time coaching these girls.  Practices were on the worst nights of the week, Mondays, which we would have family home evening, and Wed. when we had church activities, and Thursday were the game days.  Tuesday I play city league volleyball.  Last night was my last night of playing ball for 2 months so things will slow down now.  I always say that, but something else takes it's place. 

So proud

So these are the times you feel like you have succeeded at parenting.  Jacob got his first student of the month for October award.  Now I know what you are thinking, yea, well his aunt is his teacher, but his aunt didn't pick him.  It was his reading teacher.  All on his own, no family favoritism there.  Not only did Jacob get that award, but I got my girls progress reports this week and Taryn got straight A's, and Lauren got all A's with one B.  I am so proud off all my kids.  Now if I can just Bree to use the toilet all the time, I've got it made.

Jacob picking out his prize.

Looks like I punched him here or something, but he just found out he still had to go to class, that I was not driving him home.  Sad little boy.  And oh yea, it was pajama day.  At least I got him in matching ones.

Jacob just found out he could go home early.  Happy boy.  Thanks Aunt Kym, I mean teacher.

first day of school

 Lauren, age 11, 6th grade.  First year of middle school

                     Lauren and Taryn

   Taryn, age 13, 6th grade.  Middle school vet.

            The only day I drive them to school

      Jacob, age 5, kindergarten.  Teachers pet.

        I decided to let Jacob go to his Aunt Kym's kindergarten class.  She is an excellent teacher, and he will be exposed to many more things than is he went to our local kindergarten.  Our school is great, but Sam Valley, where Jacob goes, has all day kindergarten, as opposed to 2 1/2 hours.  He has a Aunt that will make sure he gets what he needs to succeed.  He is doing great.  He is very young for school this year, but has far exceeded my expectations for the whole year already.   If he would have been a full term baby, he would not have made the deadline for school this year.  I am so impressed with him and all the teachers out at the school.

Bree's second birthday

Poor girl.  We drove all day on her birthday, then her mean mom didn't even make her a cake.  I think
I had Lauren wrap the presents and gave them to her.  No celebration really, she is the last and therefore really lucky she even got any presents. 

She does love her Minnie and princesses.  She also got light up dress up shoes that she has managed to wear to church a few times.  Those time being when Tom gets the kids ready for church because I have a meeting.  Like I said before, she is the 4th, so she is pretty lucky shes not wearing Jacobs old clothes.