Swim Team

It took me a long time to convince my kids to join a swim team. I asked C when she was 6 if she wanted to join, and most years after that (not including the year I had the twins!) She is now finally doing it at age 10! I enjoyed swim team for many years growing up and even coached for a few years. I have taught my children how to swim and the twins are starting lessons with me this summer.

We have now been on the team for one month and their progress has been wonderful! From the first meet until now all my kids have dropped 10-20 seconds off their time. They know how to swim breaststroke and butterfly now. They are not the fastest kids in their groups but they are getting better every week.

This week A "got it". He put all the pieces together and looked awesome doing freestyle. T swam breaststroke without DQing....he is not perfect yet but so close. C is excelling in all 4 strokes. That truly was my goal this year for them. I told them that even if we do swim team for just one year it will be worth it for them to learn all the strokes.

We are having fun and they are already talking about next year!!!!

Happy Little Helper

One of my 3 year olds has developed a new passion.....washing my dishes. He has helped me in the past, but on Mother's day Daddy let him "DO IT MYSELF!" and he actually did a pretty decent job. We do need him to keep the food on the disposel side of the sink but he cleans the dishes well and does not get too wet in the process. Well that one night has created a bit of a dishes monster. He is always getting the step stool to check my sink to wash any dish he finds. Glad we use mostly plastic dishes, but then again it was planned that way because we do encourage them to help and each child has a dish night.

PS Don't you love the inside out and backwards undies!! He does it himself and I love it!

Field day times 3!

This was a busy week with 3 field days in a row. I enjoy field day with the kids. I get to see them having fun and they really look forward to field day. I also get to know some of their friends (and those not so friendly) a little better. I get a chance to talk to the teachers and other parents to get to know them better.

The twins come with me on field days and they have a blast. They like being a "Big Kid" and doing what the Big Kids do. I often let them try the activities after the big kids and sometimes with them depending on what it is. But it is a long time, 2.5 hours or more to hang out at school and that is going home at lunch time. The twins still nap so we do not stay to watch the tug of war and other fun games after lunch.

R developed a taste for my camera over the last 3 days. Thank goodness for digital. He probably took over 100 pics mostly of shoes and grass, but he had fun doing it. Here is a few pics of my kids from the last 3 days.

Sunday Forts

We try to keep the Sabbath Day holy and one way we do this is by not turning on the TV, computer or even the video games for most of the day. So our kids have to find other things to do. It is usually the best day of the week to see them interacting happily.

They put train tracks together, play games, and most Sundays they build forts. Here are some pictures of today's forts. Somedays they all work on one but today they split up and built a few. I remember building forts growing up with my brothers and sisters too.

We do spend other quality time together on Sundays. Big Breakfast is fun. Today, Daddy made pancakes. He doesn't just make them simple, He goes all out and they are full of surprises. Today we had lots of variety. We had chocolate chip, blue chocolate chip, butterscotch chip, banana, strawberry, and apple pancakes to choose from.

We also have some "Sweet Hour" time on Sundays where we focus on gospel topics. I would like to say it lasts an hour but usually not..hopefully it will grow as our kids do. Sometimes during this sweet hour we read The Friend magazine together and discuss things. Right now we are learning the Articles of Faith. Sometimes we have Family Home Evening on Sunday mornings since Dad works nights and the 2 nights he is home can get kind of busy.

It is nice to family time on Sundays! If only we could all go to church together every week. With Toby working Sundays that does not happen. I can't wait until we have church in the morning again and not at 1:30 in the afternoon. I hope those building our new chapel will hurry up!

PS...why will my paragraphs not have spaces between them??

Picture decisions

We took a family picture over Easter weekend and now I am deciding which is best. Do you want to help? I want to update the big 16x20 pic on our wall. We took close to 50 shots and I have narrowed it down to my two favorites.

The first has a great crop and background but the faces are not quite as nice as in the second one. Also in the picture they kids are all hiding the candy they just got. They had to sit still for a few more pictures before they could eat it.

The second one has better smiles and I like the faces better but I cannot crop it as I would like. It cuts rather close to Carissa and Steven and I cannot zoom out.

Which would you choose? The first or the second?

I'm sorry Mr Frogs

Dear Mr Frogs,

I am so sorry that my boys have fallen in love with you. You thought the black water meter box would make a lovely little home but unfortunately you were discovered. And little boys, that are learning to be gentle are learning on you!

Those little squeezes in their hands are really hugs. He doesn't mean to throw you or drop you so much, but my sons are merely curious and do not understand how what they do can harm you. I am trying to talk to them, to teach them. I'm sure you have heard me begging my child to be soft and kind to you. And every evening when we are done playing I do have them return you to your home. I do not let them keep you in a bucket in the back yard. Yes you have tried to move to a new home, but every black box is checked now. They have found you or your cousin every night.

I'm sorry you have to be a little abused by little boys who are learning to be boys. But thank you for enriching their lives and bringing them a little joy. They will yet learn how to treat kindly all of God's creatures.

Love,

A mom to 5 kids, including 3 boys who are learning to love softly!

NO MORE DIAPERS!!!

After changing 5 little bottoms over 10 years, I am now ready to leave the diaper stage! Really I have been ready for months but S was not ready yet. But he has finally gotten it! R was trained last July but S was not ready yet. For months we have been asking him, bribing him, even begging him to pee in the potty.

Well last Sunday after pee 90% on the floor, I rushed S to the potty and he got the last 10% in it. BOY did we celebrate! It is the moment I have been waiting for. He is 3 years old and never produced on the potty. He said "It is too Hard". I could detail our entire struggle but it does not matter now.

All my other kids trained by 2 1/2. Each was fairly easy to train WHEN THEY ARE READY! A actually trained himself. He would follow his big brother in and copy him then bring me his diaper to put back on. T trained in a weekend with Daddy using M&Ms a few weeks before A was born.

I knew that once S got the idea he would train quickly and he has. I have used 5 diapers/pull ups this whole week! The first few days we had a pair or two of wet underwear, but no accidents or diapers wet since Thursday!! Day and night, he has got it. R also is staying dry overnight. So I think it is safe to say I have purchased my last diapers. I bought 1 package of pull ups this week, but I doubt I will use them all. I did not use the whole package I bought for R until this week putting them on S.

I am so happy. I am done with diapers!!!!!!!!