First Day Of School

Alice started mom school this week and loves it. We sing songs, play number games, and color. I like to keep it short and simple and she loves anything that involves just me and her. While we were playing with flower beads (making patterns) she just sang and talked to me about her favorite colors, it was a tender moment. I am so glad I get to be with just her while Scarlett is at school/Jack naps and witness first hand her little mind grow. I just love the age of three and am over joyed she gets to stay home with me. I do not want to miss one minute of adorable three year old Alice...seriously she melts my heart! Just now she saw her picture on the computer and said "Oh mom thats me. Give me a big kiss on the lips." Haha, yes sir!

I have treaded sending Scarlett to school for 3 years! She is my biggest support and fan. All day she looks out for me, entertains Alice, holds Jack, and gets snacks/drinks for her and Alice.  Not to mention she is adorable to talk to and keeps me laughing. I love my little side kick! She was zoned for a school I did not feel good about and started praying in January that somehow things would work out. Sure enough they started building a charter school next to our house in February and I shouted for joy!! It is not the perfect situation (it starts at 8...yikes) but it is super close to our house (30 second drive), is half day kinder, and not year round. Which is all pretty awesome in my book!! Best of all... she gets to wear adorable uniforms! 

We woke up bright and early on Monday and Scarlett picked out which uniform she wanted to wear. She quickly ate breakfast and off we went. Just her and I walked to school to avoid the first day of school traffic. She held my hand the whole way and just hopped up and down with excitement. I loved talking to her about making friends, raising her hand, and being kind to everyone while we walked to school. She said "Mom, I will make sure that I am friends with everyone. I will even be friends with kids that are younger than me". Scarlett has a heart of gold. She is sweet, caring, mild, quick to smile, and very forgiving! When we got to school she ran to her teacher, followed her class into the school and did not look back. She did this all was hopping up and down in her classic Scarlett walk. This girl is pure joy and I love it!!

Jackson 9 Months

                              

This boy is on the go!! He crawls, pulls himself up, climbed stairs, and gets into everything. He is so happy and content roaming around checking everything out. I have so many baby toys that are going unused because his favorite thing to do is chase after his sisters and join in all their fun. I followed him as he climbed up all two flights of our stairs to get to his sisters upstairs. He could hear them laughing and playing and he did not want to miss out. When he finally found them in there room he smiled and started to clap his hands. We have a lot of sibling love in this house. My favorite thing is that while I get ready in the morning they take him into my closet and play house. They make his a "play room" and have him be the "dad". It melts my heart.  

      We have struggled with his sleep a lot this month! He was waking up very every couple of hours at night and then not taking naps. I let it slide because he was just so happy despite no sleep. Then I realized that I was a walking zombie and completely exhausted so I set out to try and remedy his bad sleep habits. All I really had to do was start feeding him more and the problems resolved itself. He eats breakfast, lunch, and dinner in his high chair and LOVES it. He loves food and eats anything, of course. We are still trying to get him napping better but I bet when summer ends and a routine starts that he will fall in line. But through all this lack of sleep he was still the happiest baby and content as ever! Thank you Jack for being so adaptable, patient, and energetic. 

Summer Cabin Trip

We all love the cabin! I love the cool weather and watching the sun set behind the mountain. The girls love playing outside for hours without any adults supervision. Nick loves sleeping in and good food. Jack loves the constant attention and finally being able to get naps when we wants. On the way home Nick asked my what my favorite part of the weekend was. I told him I loved watching Scarlett play make believe outside with all her cousins. They played for hours in an a tree fort home that had a "couch" and "kitchen". I just loved seeing the pure joy in her eyes and the wonderful except nature can be. My second favorite even of the weekend was going on the treasure hike and digging for rocks. This hike was made fore my treasure loving children, espceially Scarlett. She loves finding "lost things" like Tinkerbell and could have spent 3 hours just digging for fossils/rocks. My least favorite part of the weekend? Well, that would have to be the stomach flu that caught Scarlett and I. That was no bueno!!  But it did little to dampen the fun and magic the cabin brings! 

Emily is the crafting guru! She kept the kids entertained for hours with puerile beads and glitter.

Fishing at Panquich Lake. Nick caught the only 2 fish but the kids still loved it.

Summer of FUN

I look forward to summer the moment it cools off in November. I live for summer. I dream of summer. I am fueled by hot sunny days, warm pools, lazy afternoons, and tan skin! This summer has been nonstop fun in the sun and we have all loved every minute! Even Nick, who is always looking forward to change, commented on how he never wants summer to end. 

Our days look something like this....wake up, eat breakfast, learning time/mom school/read books, head to moms, nap Jack, swim, swim, make yummy salads (its been a thing this summer), swim, movies, play the wi, swim, eat, crash! We have mixed it up with story time at the library, the children's museum, lazy days at home playing toys, mornings playing at the gym, and splash park with friends. But seriously, we have not gone more than 2 days without swimming at moms with all the cousins. Even as I type this Emily is texting me " swimming at moms in the morning?" When I really think about our summer days I realize they have been nothing short of magical. We soak in the pool and play with all the people we love most. I feel so blessed to have Emily and her boys close and always willing to play. It also could never happen without the perfect summer house full of all the best summer activities (aka grandmas house). My girls LOVE going to grandmas house to eat all her food, play with her dress up, swim in her warm pool, and run around her house screaming. I am filled with joy knowing that my kids are making wonderful memories and will grow up loving the freedom and fun that is

 Alice loved her swim lessons from Ms. Juliet. She taught scarlett to swim and will most liking teach Jack.

 A perfect morning boating with grandpa

Also, my girls have not once, not even close mentioned they have been bored all summer long!!

Half Birthdays

These two girls are the best of friends! They get in little arguments sometimes but for the most part they play very well together. Everyday when I see them enjoying each other's company I am thankful they have each other. As different as they are I know they compliment each other perfectly. They need each other and I hope they always stay close!! They love to play dress up together and set up a picnic with all their play kitchen food. They also love to color and do art projects together. Scarlett always has to help Alice cut and I love watching them work together. They need each other and I hope they always stay close!!

Alice 3.5 Years

Alice can be a very disagreeable child but then completely loving and adorable. I have to constantly be on my toes in order to discipline and interact with her correctly. If she sees that I am in an overly giving or nice mood she will completely take advantage. She can be hard! Hard in a way that is very difficult to describe. She does not get into things or be mean to other kids but she is very, very stubborn. Alice knows what she wants, when she wants it and will not accept anything less than what she wants. She has a mind of her own and it doesn't matter how tiny or big the issue there is no convincing/bribing her otherwise! But with the bad comes more than enough good. She always wants to give me hugs, kisses, and snuggle with me. When I lay her down for a nap she picks out two books and while I read them she plays with my hair. If I offend her in any way she will whimper and cry until I hug and snuggle her. She needs love and lots of it!! My favorite part of Alice right now is her imagination. She loves to play make believe and I catch her talking to her toys making stories all day long. She loves to be in her own little world and have no other bother her. Her favorite

 things in the world are: reading books, mac and cheese, chicken nuggets, drinks, strawberry shortcake tv show, that dress she is wearing, any dress, princesses, gum, bossing cousin Spencer around, playing with Jack and Scarlett, and getting her way. 

Alice wears this purple dress every chance she gets! Those plastic pearls have not come off in months and she loves to chew on them.

Scarlett 5.5 Years

Scarlett is the most perfect oldest child. She listens, picks up, takes care of the younger siblings, shares, gives in, and has a heart of GOLD! I would not be the mother I am without her constant love and support. The other day she was getting ready to leave on an errand with Nick and she stopped going down the stairs to yell "Dad I forgot something". She then ran into my room and gave me a hug and a kiss. That is Scarlett, always aware of others's feelings and emotions. She is very observant of the world around her and asks questions all day about space, the earth, the moon, heaven, and how everything is made. I love watching her mind and curiosity grow and I know that going to school in a couple weeks will be wonderful for her. I call her "my finder girl" because she is so observant and always knows where everything is. If it is lost then Scarlett can find it! Scarlett is easy to be around and mother. She needs love, approval, fun activities, and a big hug... that's it. My favorite part of Scarlett right now is her growing testimony of the gospel. She knows that Heavenly Father and Jesus love her and what the spirit feels like. The other day she said that when she was afraid of the dark she said a prayer and her heart got "all warm and fluttery inside". She knows what is right and wrong and always tries to do the right thing. In the picture you can see her CTR ring and she loves to wear it! Her favorite things in the world are: eggs, cereal, art (she is very artistic and is always coloring), swimming, helping with Jack, picking out what to wear, telling me how to do her hair, headbands, swimming, and everything pink and girly.  

She loves those sea horse earrings that she picked out while on a date with Nick

She loves that Hello Kitty necklace and has kept it on since Christmas of 2013!

Jackson 8 Months

Jack is a wind up toy...twist him up and off he goes! He is a very busy and happy little boy. In the past month he has learned to crawl, give kisses, clap his hands, pull him self up, kneel, and go from crawling to sitting. He is into everything and almost falls down our stairs every 5 seconds. I have to keep a very close eye on him! Since he is a little more sturdy the girls love hauling him around and playing house with him. They lay out a blanket, put him on it with play food, and go into make believe land. It is adorable and very helpful. When he wants my attention he gets super smiley and giggling cause he knows I totally fall for that.  I love that whenever he see me he begs (little grunts) for me to pick him up. When I pick him up I kiss him all over and set him down happy as can be.  He puts his little hand next to my mouth for me to kiss it and rub his arm when ever I nurse him. He loves me most of all and I love it. 

I love his full face smiles!!

Two new teeth. He is still not a huge fan of baby food but he is liking finger foods. I mostly just nurse him still with about 1-2 bottles a day.