Library Splash Pad

All summer long we have talked about taking the kids to the Library splash pad and the carousel, but it never seemed to happen. Until it is late August, and it is still 110+ degrees outside! Then we decided that it would be a great way to cool off for FHE. The kids were super excited, since their mean mom had never taken them to the carousel! How was I supposed to know that it only cost $.50 a kid?!!! I want to know how they even make money on such a thing, but who really cares how! My kids loved it and I loved seeing their happy faces!

Shocking picture of Tony, huh?!!! I think I am going to hide that thing on Monday nights from now on!

After that, we let the kids play in the splash pad....I wish we had splash pads when we were kids! They would stay there all day if we let them and never get bored! They are so fun to watch!

This girl is the funniest! She was sky high and having a great time doing her own thing, as usual!

Chocolate Diet

This girl is one of a kind and always seems to amaze me! A while ago, as I watched her double fisting 2 chocolate lava cakes, I jokingly told her that I would buy her the Lego set, Deathstar, if she would give up chocolate for a year! I NEVER thought she would even consider it, let alone actually take the challenge on! I was wrong! So after our family camping trip, Tony and I left the kids at my moms while we went on Trek and Kenzie started her "chocolate diet" I believe the actually start date was July 12th....we will probably need to know that date when her year is actually up!

She has done so well! There have been a few tempting moments, but she has definetly found a way to compensate! Using carmel chips instead of chocolate, eating strawberry pancakes instead of chocolate chip, enjoying carmel syrup instead of chocolate syrup! She is figuring it out! She also is trying and liking a lot of new things that weren't even on her radar because she always went for chocolate.

At first, Tony thought I was crazy for even offering this to her. He even has tried to play the devils advocate on her a couples times. He is kind of changing his mind after seeing her be so strong as so dedicated to not eating chocolate! I have no doubt she will make it the whole year.

I think that this is a lesson that will help her more than just to give up chocolate. Chocolate is just the vehicle through which she is learning the real lesson here! Having self control and being able to control your appetites and cravings is an important lesson to learn. I wish I would have learned it as a child. Maybe then I wouldn't give into every treat that I want, hungry or not!

She says her eyes are turning a lighter shade of brown from the lack of chocolate! I am very proud of her for her commitment!

First Day of School! Yeah!!!

The first day of school is aways kind of a bag of mixed emotions for me! I am so excited to get back into a routine and have them doing more than asking me to entertain them, but I also miss seeing them for those 6 1/2 hours! I am so happy to not have to stop fights every time I turn around, but those moments when I see them playing together nicely, or one of them helping Daxton, will be missed! They are all such unique and great kids and I feel so fortunate to be their mom! We are also so excited about the teachers they got, thanks to both Kamren and Kenzie having the same teachers again. Karlin also has Mr. Keeler, who is an awesome teacher! Here's to another great school year!

First day of school!

Tony made a pretty good crossing guard!

Daxton is going to get used to waiting around at the school for his mom! What a good little man!
After we dropped the girls off, it was Daxton's turn to go to! He is going to the Washington Rec Center this year! I am so excited that he is happy about going there! They add a lot of extra activities like gymnastics, karate, Zumba, and cooking to the curriculum. I know it will be good for him to have all the extra activities. It was hard for me to leave him there and walk out the door, but I am adjusting well to my free time! :)
After school, I took them all to Sweet Tooth Fairy for Cup shakes! Yum! I recorded each of them telling me what their favorite thing about their first day was. They all liked recess the best! Shocking!

18?!!!!!

I am not quite sure when it happened that we had another child become an adult, but apparently it has! Kaylee turning 18 is quite a shock to my system! It is strange that she is not the cute little toddler asking us for her milk/juice and repeatedly changing her mind. Or the little girl who will only let her dad hand her anything in the car, but it has happened.

She wanted to go to Anasazi grill for her birthday, expensive taste! :) We had a great time, even if she wan't too keen on her siblings climbing all over her! She tolerates them and I guess that is all we can ask for!

I love the annoyed look in this one! Typical reaction to them being silly!


Tony and Kaylee have this thing they do where they see who can give the cheesiest grin! Tony wins this time!

Happy Birthday, Kaylee. I hope being an adult is good to you and that you make wise decisions that will make your adult life a little easier! We love you!

Stitches

It was bound to happen! This boy has been cruisin' for stitches since shortly after he made his entrance into this world! He has done everything fast and without regard since his first moments. I am impressed that he made it to 4 and 1/2 before we had an event like this, but it still wasn't something I was really prepared for!

We went to a back to school BBQ, last night. I thought nothing of it, and let the kids take their scooter with them to the park. Apparently, splash pad + scooter = disaster!!! My bad! I am not even sure how or what happened, there have been several different stories come from several different kids! We were only there about 15 minutes, when I hear my girls come screaming with pure terror written all over their faces. Then I see Daxton walking towards me screaming with blood all over his face and body. Kind of scary, but we acted fast! Even Tony was a champ! I was impressed with him not fainting or even getting squeamish! We got to the bathroom, Teresa went and got her first aid kit, and after a few minutes, the bleeding had subsided. We put some bandages on him, and headed back out to the BBQ to figure out what to do with the boy with the 2 inch gash down his head. Somebody at the BBQ offered to take us to his office and stitch him up. At first it sounded like a good plan, but then Dax started saying he wanted to go to sleep and that freaked me out. I also forgot, in all the chaos, that we had purchased supplemental insurance a couple month ago, and decided that I would rather go to Instacare. Teresa offered to keep the girls, and we were off! But not before Daxton downed a hotdog, some cheese puffs, and some watermelon! This boys not going to let a head wound stop him from eating!

We got to Instacare and we were the only ones in the entire building! Weird, huh?!!! They got him right in, numbed his head with some gel, and stitched him right up! 7 stitches! They were shocked and amazed at how calm he was! He didn't make a single wimper or whine the whole time! I think I need some of that numbing cream around the house! He was such a champ!

Teresa had taken the other girls home for a bath, thanks for that! But what I was most impressed by was what she told me. Apparently, when the whole thing happened, the girls all kneeled down in a little circle, and prayed that Daxton would be alright. I thought that was so sweet and thoughtful of them! They have been so worried about him and really mothering over him since the whole thing happened. Asking him if he wants to sleep with them, making plans to paint with him, asking if they can get him anything to eat. I don't know what I am really needed around here for right now. I think I will take a vacation! Karlin even sat with him on her lap at scriptures this morning! I was smiling at that one!

His stitches come out on Saturday, then he will be good as new! With one additional scar!

My Little Mini Me-Karlin!

This little girl is so me, it is scary sometimes! I watch her do things and know that she learns from me...so I have to be careful! But I also see in her a fire and a drive that has made me the person I am....so I just keep reminding myself that she too will grow out of some of her more challenging habits! I can't believe that I these kids are really starting to come into their own! Karlin's little personality is starting to really shine though! I am so blessed to be this beautiful child's mother! I want to share 9 little somethings about my little lady.....

1. She has a love for babies and small children that is amazing! She loves to pick up toddlers and tote them around on her hip! I have thought several times as I watch her that the child she is carrying must weigh close to what she weighs! It is so funny to see her with her hip caulked out to the side carrying them like they weigh nothing!

2. She is madly loyal to her little brother! We cannot even think about getting mad at him or she is right there standing in front of him ready to fight us! She is always the first one to his side if he is crying or if he has a problem! I love that she loves him so much!

3. She loves to read! I find her most nights in her bed with a book fighting to keep her eyes open to read just one more chapter. I am so happy that she is developing a love for a hobby that is so important to her growth and education!

4. She has finally found her a bestie! Karlin has always been my one that hasn't really latched on to anybody for very long. Even at school, she has friends, but not one that she would hang out with dawn to dusk, every day and never get tired of. They look the same and it is so fun to watch their little relationship....I am so happy for her to have that person that she is so comfortable with!

5. She is quite the little cleaner and organizer! If I need something cleaned well or if I need her closet organized, she is my girl! She does a great job and I love this! I don't even need to check her bathroom on Saturday anymore because I know it is clean! Apparently her dads OCD has been passed on and I can't say I feel this is a bad trait to have!

6. She still has her rubbing fetish! I have a like/dislike relationship with this! There are days when it drives me bonkers, but then there are those moments when she is snuggling with me and I realize that these days will soon end and she will not think snuggling with me is so great!

7. She is a little smarty pants! We could worry about her being the youngest in her class, but we don't because she is holding her own! She does great in school and doesn't need much direction-thank goodness!!!

8. She is my little fashion diva! You know I love this one! She always picks out cute outfits from head to toe, including earrings and shoes and comes to me telling me how she would like her hair done that day! So me and she does a great job of it!

9. She is my little firecracker! There are good and bad in this! She is usually involved in things that don't really involve her, but she also doesn't let anybody push her around! This is something we are definitely going to have to help her to refine, but I am glad that she knows who she is and what she wants at such a young age! We will just have to help her develop this in a healthy way!

Happy Birthday, Karlin! I am so happy that I am your mommy!

Pancake Girl

I woke up from my nap today, to find these sitting on the kitchen counter. We have a deal at our house on Fast Sunday, if you fast, you can have whatever you want when it comes to be dinner time. Kenzie always picks pancakes, not just pancakes, but chocolate chip pancakes. When Kenzie makes the pancakes, I think they are actually more chocolate saucers than pancakes! I love that this child has started to stake her independence-some good, some scary! I have been thinking a lot about this child recently. She just turned 10, only a couple more years until Young Women's, and she seems to be very impressionable right now. I am finding I am making more mistakes than doing her good at this point. I have yet to really had a child in my home full time to really go through all the different phases that follow toddler/early childhood. So this is new for me!

I sat in church today knowing that I had to tell her she couldn't watch a show anymore that I had been letting her watch. I didn't think it was a big deal at first, but as time has gone by, and she has continued to watch this series, some of her actions and ideas of play have changed. I was really worried to talk to her about it, because I knew that it would upset her, but I also knew that this was something my Heavenly Father expected me to fix. I sat her down and told her how much I love her and how much I appreciate the child and big sister she is. I then went on to tell her that things that are dark are not of her Heavenly Father. He does not want us to be scared or sad or feel unhappy. He only wants light and happiness and love to be in our lives. She knew where I was going with this, and was a little sad, but I also saw in her an understanding that I was trying to protect young mind from things that will be with her forever. She asked me if I had seen things as a kid that I wish I hadn't, and I told her yes. I still have some insecurities in the dark because of some Twilight Zones and Tales of the Crypt shows that I saw at her age. I feel such a huge responsibility for her to grow up to be an amazing and strong daughter of God. I know some of it is because she is adopted and her Birth Mom and Heavenly Father chose us to raise this child and I want her to be the best her she can be. I just have to find that balance between letting her spread her wings and make some of her own choices about the things she likes and protecting her from things that are not good for her mind and her amazing spirit. I have decided that it is going to be a daily struggle for both of us. She is drawn to things that most 10 year olds are not so I am finding that I have to be more vigilant in explaining to her the good and bad in all things. I know she will be an amazing person. Her Spirit is strong and bright and her little testimony is amazing. I just hope that I can help her to let those things shine!

I took her, last month, to Grafton, just her and I . We had so much fun! I love taking one child at a time to do things. It is always amazing to me how much their little personalities come out when they get some alone time. She has such an amazing presence about her, it wasn't hard to get good shots pretty fast! I love that she likes me to take her pictures. I used to think when she was little that she had an allergic reaction to the camera, but I think we are over that. I am so grateful for the little lady she is becoming and am so excited to help her figure of what her path will be in life because I know it will be bright!