Swim Team!

Karianna started swim team this week, which I was so excited about! Karianna is such a natural swimmer and she loves the water-I thought this would be a perfect fit.

This week was definitely a process though.  The first few days, Karianna came home with a weird attitude.  She was constantly talking about how hard it was, how much she didn't like it, how she didn't want to go back.  After talking to her a bit, I think I figured out that it wasn't that she disliked swimming-it was that she wasn't used to this type of swimming.  She told me on the first day they swam 12 laps across the pool and it made her so tired.  I can totally understand that.  We had a good conversation about how her body would get used to swimming that much at those speeds, she just had to give it a few days to acclimate.  We also talked about the importance of having a good attitude.  I told her it was okay for this to be kind of hard at first-but it was also important to be persistent and see things through, even if they are hard.  I told her when she made negative comments, it makes it sound like she is not willing to even try-and she might end up convincing herself of that....and that's not how we should live life.  She seemed to get it, I was super proud of her during that conversation.

So the last few days this week, I saw a marked change in her attitude. She would tell me, "today was better, I think I'm getting used to this".  I hesitantly asked her if she was liking it, and she said, "Yeah, I'm definitely liking it more and more every day".  I think it helps that she has gotten to know some of the kids more, and she feels more competent at swimming true blue laps.  I am so excited to see her progress over the course of the next 8 weeks-it will be exciting!

The other thing I realized about swim team is there is way more to it than I realized.  Karianna came home the first day with a bunch of paperwork, and I was overwhelmed with the info about weekly meets, time trials, relay meets, divisionals....yikes!  Thankfully her coach answered a lot of my questions via email, and that helped.  Still-this is a lifestyle for sure, and she's only 8!  I have been really laying into Karianna how winning at meets is not important-what is important is participating and trying her best and seeing something through that may have been hard at first.  She will do great either way, and we are already super proud of her for having such a great week.

Next week will be the freestyle meet at Kino-it will be interesting to see how that works!

We Own a Bus

It is official....we own a bus.  We picked it up today from the dealership and we have survived the initial ride home from Glendale.  We now own a 15-passenger Ford 350 XLT.  It is affectionately known by our kids as the White Whale.

I'm still trying to wrap my mind around it...that is, the idea that we own a car this big.  There are times I will sit back and feel kind of embarrassed that we went ahead and bought a car this big.  We obviously don't need all that space, and never will!  But then, I have to remind myself this car was about 6000 dollars cheaper than the 12-passenger van we were also looking at...and that's a lot.  So what if we have an extra bench? We'll take it out, and I'll never have to worry about cargo space.  I just have to wrap my mind around it, that's all!

Driving a vehicle this big is going to take some work.  I have only driven it a few times thus far, and I am already hyper-aware that things like changing lanes, parking, and turning will never be the same again.  Checking your blind spot is obsolete in this car-it doesn't help, and if it supposed to, I'm missing how to do it.  My rearview mirror is also ineffective....all it helps me see is the last few benches and a muddled glimpse out the back windows-nothing that will ever help me drive.  I have to really get used to relying on my side mirrors, which have an upclose view and a farther away view...I have to learn to switch my gaze real quick from one to the other, like bifocals, to ensure safety before jetting out into another lane of traffic.  Parking I can handle-I think. Of course, handling means parking out in the boonies and hope no other cars are silly enough to park near a 15 seater van.  We'll see how that one goes.

I do have to say though, I love driving this car because of the sheer power.  It's like a tank. I have no qualms driving it, and the kids think we are so cool being so high up.  It's in good shape that way,  I just have to get used to the other quirks.

For now, I am feeling less inclined to go out on errands just because it seems like such a hassle to drive around in the White Whale.  That will have to change next week when a whole barrage of summer activities start.  Hopefully, that will go well and my worries about driving a bus will dissipate quickly!

The End of Preschool (for now)

Jordan and Sara also had their last day of preschool yesterday, and I thought it would be fun to do those comparison pics too!

Sara on Day One

 Sara on her Last Day-I cannot believe how beautiful she looks here!  Sara will be going to afternoon preschool next year with Ms. Cathy.  Her IEP goals will change, and she'll be with the older kids, which is great!

Jordan on his first day

Jordan on his Last Day

 Jordan never loses his silly touch! He designed his own mohawk :)

 He also came home with an awesome Graduation pin and bracelet, he is so proud of himself!  Kindergarten, here we come!

Last Day of School Comparison!

 Okay, just for fun, here's a comparison of the first day of school and the last day of school!  Here's what the kids looked like on their first day of school....

And here's the last day of school!  So much growth in a year!

 This never changes though.

The End of Another School Year!

Just some pics as the kids got ready for their last day of school (the older kids anyway).  Karianna's class had special events every day this week.  Monday was math facts competition day, Tuesday was Spelling Bee day (Karianna came really close to winning both of these!), Wednesday was sand castle day, and Thursday was board game day.  On Wednesday, they also made these shirts-its hard to read, but it says "I am in 4th Grade...Here I come!"  They were super cute, and Karianna has all her classmates sign it.  She looked so grown up today-I wonder if it's just because I know another year has flown by, or if it's just the idea that I have a 4th grader now!!!!  Karianna's report card was stellar as always, and I am so proud of her progress!  She brought home her writing portfolio, and had a blast showing me all the creative projects they did this year.

 Action shots of JD!  He loves playing soccer at recess.  He and a couple of his brave buddies always join in with the 3rd graders for their pick up games, and he really hangs in there! It was so funny watching him every time the 3rd graders would score (which was, cough cough, a lot...), he and his friends would stand there all confused and ask each other, what are we doing wrong?  Loved watching him interact, he gets along with others so easily, and is so acclimated to the school environment, yet he clings to me in line, giving me tons of last minute hugs before finally waving goodbye.  He has loved school this year and like his big sister, had a stellar report card.  I really enjoyed his teacher Mrs. Cawood, and got to know her fairly well-her oldest daughter is in Karianna's class, and we are hoping to get the girls together for play dates this summer.

 Don't know why JD is pointing his finger in this pic....

 Can you see Karianna?

Happy last day of school guys!!!

JD's Scrapbook Party

JD's class had their annual scrapbook party last week-great time for the kids to show off their scrapbooks of best work and to get awards from their teacher.  JD got an award for completion of 1st grade of course, as well as an award for being a great reader. He was so proud of his scrapbook, and it was so cool to see how his writing has changed from the beginning of the year to the end. His pictures are night and day as well-I always forget how much little kids grow through the course of the year and JD is no exception!  I am so proud of JD and his progress, this has been his lightbulb year-he really got on track with reading fluently and went from easy readers to chapter books.  He excelled in all areas of math-he wasn't able to pass his 1st-grade mathblasters, but his understanding of how to do addition and subtraction is stellar.  His writing is so full of voice-he needs to work on his punctuation and other mechanics but I am so pleased with his overall writing pieces.  Mrs. Cawood always tells me how much JD loves school, and that is one thing that has never changed-he really does love to learn, and I am so glad that has not changed.  Great job this year JD!

Side Note: Of course, James decides to poop about 2 minutes after we got to JD's classroom.  All he wanted to do was rifle through my diaper bag for snacks, or steal stuff off of other kids' desks.  He was in desperate need of a nap or a playpen-neither of which I could give him at the time....fun times.

Happy Anniversary!

On our wedding day 11 years ago, someone put toothpaste all over our getaway car.  We left the reception in that car thinking it was something different and decided to go through a car wash real quick. That's when we realized it was toothpaste, and that's when we realized toothpaste is one of the worst things you can put on car windows-especially if you try to roll the windows down.  Needless to say, it was a very stressful moment to start our marriage off with, and we couldn't even take that car on our honeymoon-we had to borrow the Lautenschlager's car.

So 11 years later, we celebrated our anniversary with what we now deem an appropriate event:  the demise of our Kia Sedona.  Here's the story.

Jared decided we would go up to Flagstaff for an overnighter as a family.  I have been really leery of pushing our van very far since it was on its last leg.  However, Jared had asked our mechanic specifically to see if it was okay for a trip up north when we had it in to check the transmission about 2 weeks ago.  Our mechanic fixed a few things and said he thought it would be fine-and if the check engine light came back on, to bring it back in.  It didn't pop on, so we thought it would be fine. The car did great-drove smoothly, no issues to speak of whatsoever. We were really glad we decided to go.

We checked into our hotel in Flag, got everything set up, and then decided to head out for dinner as planned.  We loaded everyone into the van, started it up (just fine), and tried to leave. We couldn't.  The car wouldn't switch into reverse. Jared revved the engine, and it lurched backward enough for us to put it in drive to move forward....wouldn't do anything.  He revved the engine again, and it lurched forward right back into our parking spot.  That was all it took-we knew it was trouble.

We got the kids back upstairs, ordered pizza, found a movie, and got to work strategizing.  Jared went back down to the car and managed to get it to drive around the parking lot.  He tried to take it for a longer test drive and managed to pull it halfway into the street when it stopped working again.  He had to push it down the street and into the neighboring gas station.  He walked back to the hotel with the bad news-it wasn't going anywhere.

It was at that point we pretty much knew we would not be able to drive the van back to Mesa, much less any other things we had planned on doing with the kids.  We hurriedly looked up rentals and found an option that would get us back to Mesa.  We looked into possible ways to get the van back to Mesa.  Towing was way too expensive.  Jared thought maybe if we rest it overnight, it might work-I wasn't holding my breath.  It already seemed obvious to me the van was not returning to Mesa with us.  Jared obliged me by looking up junkyards that would buy old cars for parts, and we got a few quotes, just in case.  We finally called Jared's parents to see if they had any suggestions. They had connections with a transmission guy in Flag they were trying to get ahold of for us, and they told Jared to search out a safer spot to get the car to, if we did end up needing to leave it in Flag.

There was nothing else we could do at that point, so we tried to stay positive for the kids and engage with them until bedtime.  Morning came with good news and bad news.  Jared tried getting the car to move again with absolutely no luck.  However, Jared's parents did let us know they were driving up to help, along with Aubrey and Brennan.  We were so grateful for their willingness to just help with no thought as to whether or not they should-they are so wonderful that way.  So at this point, we knew we would not need to rent a car to get back to Mesa-we just needed to figure out what to do with the van.

Once the Lautenschlagers got here, we checked out of the hotel, got all the car seats switched to their car, and cleaned out our van in its entirety.  The guys all tried to get the car moving with the hopes of just pulling it to a nearby transmission place with a tow rope Jared's dad brought-no go.  We ended up calling a tow truck to get the car to a very reputable transmission place that Jared's parents had researched.  They ran a quick diagnostics test for us just so we could be sure there was no way to get the van to Mesa:  no go.  The transmission was completely shot.  1450 for a used part repair, 2700 for a rebuild repair.   And that was it.  That was the final answer.  We knew we would be leaving the van in Flagstaff and heading home without it.

We spent the rest of the day in Flag with Jared's family, trying to make it up to the kids with a fun park day in the beautiful Flag weather and forest.  It was so enjoyable actually, once I managed to stop worrying about things I can't control.  We caravanned home together, and once we got back, Jordan, JD, and Sara all asked where the van was.  I told them it was staying in Flagstaff and we would never see it again.  They gave me the most shocking looks I have ever seen.  So I take that to mean we did a decent job trying to put up a good face for the kids in the midst of an emergency situation.  Can I call that the silver lining?

So right now, we have two main tasks, both of which are full of smaller tasks.  Number One:  we need to get our Kia sold off in Flagstaff.  We will be selling it to a junkyard for pieces, we are just doing the research on which one to go through.  Jared is prepared to drive back to Flag one day this week to finalize that if necessary, though a few of the shops we have looked into have a pay-by-mail option that I hope will be reputable enough to use so we can avoid an extra trip.  Number Two:  we need to buy a car.

Sigh.

I highly dislike buying cars. We have known for a long time that we were approaching the demise of the Kia.  Thus we have been saving up for a huge down payment with the hopes of paying it all in cash.  We were trying to get through at least summer while Jared works his extra job, but that is just not going to work anymore-so we will have to go with the down payment we have now and finance the rest--not ideal, but doable.  We know we want a Nissan NV, and there are currently 6 in the area that we are considering-3 moreso than the other 3.  Jared has already reached out to the dealerships, and we are hoping to wait until Saturday to catch a memorial day weekend deal, but we may have to go in sooner-we'll see.  We do still want to try a credit union for pre-approval if they will do it for this vehicle, but we are also prepared to just go straight through the dealership if necessary.  The only thing we still need to do is come up with a backup in case getting the NV is not possible-we have a certain price threshold we can't cross, and with how limited these vehicles are, we can't be certain this will work out as we want it.

So lots to get done this week, and somewhat difficult just because Jared is working so much.  We will make it work though, and we are just praying like crazy that the Lord gives us a clear path to follow.

So Happy Anniversary to us!  The gift was a clear answer on when we need to purchase a car-the time is now apparently!  Hoping this week goes more smoothly than I anticipate, even in the smallest degree.....

Jordan: Preschool Graduation!

It is hard for me to believe that Jordan is done at EMECEC and officially moving to kindergarten at Bush.  He's just been at EMECEC for nearly 2 years... it's part of our routine!  He's so ready for kindergarten though, I know he'll do great!

  Today was preschool graduation day for Jordan and his other buddies.  Sara and James and I went to see him be presented with his graduation certificate.  I wasn't planning to stay all that long, but we ended up hanging out for the entire afternoon.  Sara did centers with Jordan, she made another art project with him, and of course had cookies with the rest of the graduates.  James was funny, he wandered the room the entire time, only stopping to try and color on other people's papers and to eat a cookie.  He had no fear of that place--I REALLY hope that's what he is like in nursery!

I am so proud of Jordan, he has learned so much at EMECEC and I am so glad we put him in this program.  His speech has improved so much.  He is taking his IEP over to Bush with him, but I doubt he is going to need it much longer-there are really only a few sounds he doesn't have yet, and those are the fairly developmental ones.  Sara is going to be taking Jordan's place in afternoon preschool next year-she fit right in with all those older kids in afternoon preschool, even speaking more clearly and more frequently than about half of them. So grateful for these resources that are available to my kids!

Happy graduation day Jordan-you ROCK!

Talent Show!!!

A month ago, Karianna told me she was trying out for the talent show at her school.  I congratulated her and really encouraged her to do it-she sometimes doesn't like performing, and I thought this would be a fantastic boost to her confidence.  I was a bit nervous that she was putting together a dance with a couple of girls at school though-no adult help, a bunch of 3rd graders (half of which dropped out in the first few days)...I was just hoping they would make it to the audition stage.

They did, and despite the drama (they forgot the CD, and Karianna considered dropping out because the leader of the group was suggesting singing while dancing)--they made it into the Talent Show!  I was super proud of her, but still a bit skeptical.  They were trying to figure out costumes, and I wondered if they were actually practicing, and doing a legitimate dance.  I had images of them getting on the stage and doing a smattering of somewhat synchronized steps before just looking at each other like, "what do we do next?"  Have a little faith though Rachel-Karianna assured me they were practicing every recess to the point where some other kids in her class were starting to get mad at her that she wasn't playing with everyone equally....ah, 3rd grade drama!

So tonite was the talent show.  Karianna was dolled up in her outfit, boots, fedora, make-up and all.   We went early to get a good seat and to snap a few pictures.  They were 14th in the lineup, and we patiently waited until their turn.  They got on stage, and I was instantly proud of Karianna: she was standing with her head held high, smile on her face, and completely confident.  Major success already!  And then the dance actually started.  They danced their way through Taylor Swift's "Trouble", which, preteen or not, is actually a catchy tune.  They were fairly synchronized.  The dance moves matched the words.  Karianna had SWAGGER!!!!  She smiled, she mouthed the words, she had attitude, she put emphasis on her moves--I was so IMPRESSED!!!!!!  I couldn't believe this was my little girl, who only a few years ago dissolved in tears in a primary program because she was overcome with stage fright.  She has come so far in her confidence in herself-she even told me afterward she isn't scared anymore of being on the stage-she's "used to it".  I can't say how much it means to hear her say that.

So the entire dance was great.  The rest of the acts in the talent show were great.  I am already looking forward to the next talent show Bush does.  I am such a proud mom tonite-I am just so proud of my kids and all their accomplishments, and their sweet personalities and their talents that just blossom all the time.  The Lord has blessed our family so very much, and I am very grateful for that tonite!

Playing Family

Jordan and Sara have been playing really well together this week.  Their big game is playing "family". They get babies, dress them up, make beds for them, and then pretend to be the mom and dad together.  I caught this little moment of them this afternoon making a bed on the couch.  I overheard Jordan say to Sara, "Good night Rachel, I love you!" and then Sara replied, "Good night Jared, I love you!"  It was just super cute!

Mother Tell Me A Story

Here's our Mother's Day story, short version:

The kids ushered me back to bed Sunday morning after I got up early-as normal- to lay out church clothes and toothbrushes.  I obliged, and they met me in my room 15 minutes later with a lovely mother's day breakfast and flowers from Jared.  It was a lovely start to the day and was super yummy-I love breakfast foods!

We got ready for church and the kids sang with the primary, and a group of mothers.  Their song was beautiful-it was exactly what I had pictured in my head, and the bishop was crying for 10 minutes straight after it.  That's when you know you did it right.

I got to go to Relief Society today and spend the time wrestling James while trying to listen to the message-which I actually really enjoyed!  That boy goes to nursery in 3 weeks, and I love watching his mischievous little eyes try to get away with things.  The lesson was a good one for mother's day, all about families.

We got home and since a mother's job never ends, I did the dishes and cleaned the kitchen while the kids ate lunch that Jared made.  The kids gave me their beautiful cards and homemade gifts from church and school-made my entire day right there.  Jared had a beautiful card for me, and I really needed to hear the message that was in it. I love that man so much!

We visited with both Grandmas thereafter.  The kids made them all cards, and I sent them up to the door each holding a flower for Grandma.  I made corsages for both of them for church...I've never attempted that before, and I think they turned out okay.

We went to bed later that night with another mother's day tucked under our belts.  It was a lovely day-not perfect, but what day in the life of a mother is perfect?  I am blessed with beautiful children who amaze and teach me every day.  I am blessed with a husband who loves me more than I think I can understand.  I am blessed with a beautiful mother who has done a fantastic job raising her children and is thus a great example.  I am blessed with women all around me who are likewise wonderful mothers (whether or not they have children) and who nurture the children that our Heavenly Father has entrusted in our care while we are in this mortal life.  It is a unique blessing, calling, and privilege to be part of that army.  Happy Mother's Day to all.

The End.

Chapter Books

JD has been reading Junie B. Jones chapter books for a long time now.  I was surprised he liked them, since the main character is a girl.  I think he just likes how irreverent they can be, and figured that was just fine!  The other day though, he brought home a book I personally don't like, and I THINK I remember telling my 3rd graders long ago that I would never put them in my school or home library.  I think I have to change my mind now.

JD read a Captain Underpants book.  He loved it. He finished the last 6 chapters by flashlight under his blanket so I wouldn't make him put it down. He loved it.  Did I say that already?  I meant it.  How can I deprive him of reading something he loves?  Sigh.  Guess we'll be stuck getting Captain Underpants books this summer.  I am going to introduce him to Magic Tree House books as well though, see if we can get him into that.  A bit more "appropriate".  Oh, too funny.  Jokes about wedgies and toilets.  Wonderful. ;)

Preschool Water Day!

Both Sara and Jordan got to have their preschool Water Day today-which is SUCH a blast at EMECEC, they really go all out to set up 15-18 different water stations that they rotate the kids through.  I went last year for Jordan's to help out, and was planning to this year, except our van was in the shop, so we couldn't go.  But the kids still had a blast and had so much to say about their favorite stations, getting all wet, and eating otter pops.  I didn't get a shot of Jordan before the bus got here a bit early, but Sara sure looks ready to jump around in the water!  James does, too, in the background--too bad he was outta luck!

Karianna Wins!

My company had a contest this week for teacher appreciation week.  Employees had to get their kids to draw what they thought their mom or dad did for Educate Online.  As soon as I read the prompt, I immediately thought of those gifs that float around Facebook, the one about moms has maybe 5 boxes with captions like, "What my husband thinks I do", "What society thinks I do", "What I really do" etc.  I decided to make up a template with 5 boxes all about what teachers do for Educate Online.  I gave it to Karianna, told her to have at it, and then submitted it.  Here's what she drew (and you really have to blow it up to get it).

Lo and behold, Karianna's picture won!  She won the award for "most funny" (which I really think should have been "funniest"). It means I get a 25-dollar amazon gift card, and I had already made a deal with Karianna that she could have 5 dollars from me if she won.  Now that I type that, it does sound kind of cheap...she did do most of the work...but she's happy for it, so we'll go with it!  Yea for Nana!

Friday Funny

Just thought I'd share a "Friday Funny" from my 5:45am session today with a Virginia student.  He's a 7th grader and we were working on a fractions lesson.  He was working on some improper fractions and while assessing prior knowledge, I asked him what type of fraction 7/5 was.  I was expecting him to say "improper fraction" since the numerator is bigger than the denominator.  Instead, this very awesome student told me, "It's a Dolly Parton fraction."  I couldn't fault him--the top is bigger than the bottom in that case as well.  :)  We had a good laugh about it!  

JD in Goin' Buggy!

As is 1st Grade tradition, JD got to perform in the annual performance of Goin' Buggy! He was the first speaker in the entire thing, and we have been working hard at having him speak with both clarity and prosody   He did fantastic-he got a few claps and cheers after his lines that didn't come from our family row, so I figured it must have sounded good to everyone else...of course it sounded good to me, I'm the mom :)  I was super proud of JD, it is so cool to see my kids being so brave and standing in front of others to perform in any way.  He sang all the songs loud and clear, and I kept holding James up to help direct the songs or make funny faces.  I also kept asking James where JD was, and he would point him out every single time.  JD would crack up or smile really big every time he caught one of James' antics!  It was just so cute, I am sad Jared had to miss it, and proud of the other kids who did quite well sitting with me and Grandma.  Great job JD!