The Lunch LaDy

The kids love these lunch boxes. They enjoy being responsible for them.

I really sucked at making lunches at first. I would pack yogurt and not a spoon. I would pack peanut butter and jelly every lunch. The kids are not allowed to have sugar (sugar-added) items in their lunches, so I have to get creative. They don't normally eat a lot of it, but when it comes to packing lunches for school I was thinking fruitsnacks and juice boxes, pudding (of which there is one kind that is sugar-free). Anyway, you should see what some of these kids come with. There are some that are from India that have some things I'd love to trade for (no tradies).

Quote of the Week....

"Mama, why do I have balls on my pee-pee?"

Author Anonymous

Montessori

We have a new school! All of us (well, except Jason). My good friend Sarah's mom knows the director and has sent her kids to the school. It's exceptional, but exceptionally expensive. SO, I am going to teach in the older children's class so that my kid's tuition can be paid for. Sarah and her kids are working and schooling here too, so my kids are lucky enough to have some familiar faces!

Olivia didn't want to come home the first day!

I'll attach a link to some good articles on Montessori, there's just too much to go into and my brain is fried!

www.montessoriutah.com

www.montessori.org

A study published in the journal, "Science" in 2006:

On several dimensions, children at a public inner city Montessori school had superior outcomes relative to a sample of Montessori applicants who, because of a random lottery, attended other schools. By the end of kindergarten, the Montessori children performed better on standardized tests of reading and math, engaged in positive interaction on the playground more, and showed advanced social cognition and executive control more. They also showed more concern for fairness and justice. At the end of elementary school, Montessori children wrote more creative essays with more complex sentence structures, selected more positive responses to social dilemmas, and reported feeling more of a sense of community at their school.

ChEaP CHeAp

Ok, I may have taken cheap to a whole new level. This spill is a few days old.

Can you guess what it is?

It's powder. I dropped my compact and it broke and spilled powder on the bathroom floor.

Yes folks, I powdered my nose with it.

I know, I know.

That's all I have to say.

The New Look

I decided it had been too long since I'd re-designed my living room

Then I decided I haven't even lived in my house 2 years

Then I decided that's why my husband thinks I'm a lunatic and he's right

A glutton for punishment. Who has time to re-do their rooms every other day?

Apparently me.

I had the brilliant idea to bring my dining table into the room. Now we can actually eat and get up to get a drink of water in the kitchen without climbing over anyone.

AND!...there's now room for a dishwasher and a peninsula in my kitchen!!!

Aren't the colors wonderful? Can you see the zebra stripes?

AGgiE, SWEET AGgiE

I've been putting this blog off long enough. We had to say good-bye to Aggie. She was just too powerful for the little folks. She wasn't all that tall, but she was so happy to see us and so playful. One trip around the family to say hello and it looked like she'd left a hurricane in her wake.

I took her to be adopted while the kids were at pre-school. I was a wreck. Jason told me I had to tell the kids when I got home (because I was the one who'd brought her home). So, I told Olivia to turn off the tv so I could tell her something (I'd already started crying), and reluctantly she did. I told them that Aggie had to go to someone's house that had bigger kids who could handle her and there was a long pause (me sniffling in the background)..."O.K. can I turn on the t.v. now?" One more pause (more sniffling), "Oh wait, can I go outside and play then?"

She was loved while she was here and I know she's making someone really happy now. She was a very smart, very sweet dog! We'll misss you AGGGIE!

Georgia the Magician

Yes folks, one minute she's awake, the next she's asleep. I'll never reveal her secrets!

One minute it's just your average suitcase, the next minute it's giving birth to Georgia Sue~!

Turkey Noodle

Turkey Buggar

Turkey Butt

Seattle, The Greatest City on Earth!

Pike's Market

Seattle makes my breast swell (and gl0w apparently from this photo)!

We had the greatest time. Sarah and I left the children and the men to fend for themselves for 4 glorious days and headed off to the big city. The best part was the company and the food!

I had sushi for the first time (that I liked it). It was wonderful until Colton started on about how he and Lisa GOT to eat pregnant lobsters in Norway. I just about lost it then. I've been craving it ever since!

We had incredible Indian food the next day. The best I've ever had by far.

We walked for miles shopping and taking in the fresh air and city views.

Ice Man

My sweet, helpful little Isaac. I was tucking him into bed and he had a spiderman that I didn't see with him.

He said, "Say goodnight to Spiderman."
I said, "Oh, are you Spiderman?"
"No."
"Are you Batman?"
"No"
"Well, who are you then?"
"I Isaac, sUpERhERo!"

He's a squeaky clean kind of kid, laying out his clothes before he puts them on, enjoys making his bed.
He's able to leap off tall couches in a single bound, landing on our ChilSac.
Eats all his veggies.

Georgia Sue

Georgia Shidezhi is a hoot. Still a Mama's girl through and through. She says, "Watch this do!" then she'll jump (now getting both feet off the ground), and say, "see?"

She doesn't understand the point of wearing two shirts, so she always fights the second one. She really loves talking on the phone. We spoke to her birth mom on the phone the other day. She seems to be doing well. She still calls her Amber. She named her Amber Sky. She said on the phone, "Hi Amber! Oh, your mama calls you Georgia."

Little Big Girl

Liv can write her name!!! She doesn't even need coaching!
What a BIG little girl!

Jason asked me the other day, "Does she have to go to school?"

Uncle I

Uncle Isaac is such a softie. He was over one night last week and left late. A few minutes later he came back in and said, "I know you guys are probably calloused (sp?) by this, but it is snowing and it is beautiful outside! I wish Naloni and the girls (Miriah & Lia), were here!"

The kids always ask him to "throw snow" when he comes over to make jewelry (in our garage). Today they made "MuKu", that's baby Isaac's name for every snowman we make.

The Lindsey Family Connection

Baby Aidan's Blessing Day

He's just like Olivia. So mellow and sweet. Nothing ever ruffles his feathers.

NAAACHOOO!

Gab's Birthday PaRtY!

The gang at the pinata. Notice how some of them look like devils? Some of their eyes couldn't even be fixed with my red-eye editor. The one's that could are the real devils of the group! They're sneaky!