Caleb Singing

Today while Caleb was playing and singing, I got out the camera and tried to capture him in the moment.  He did finally agree to sing for me if he could watch himself on the computer afterwards.  He is my little cutie.

School Days

Caleb has been singing the Primary song “Give Said the Little Stream” a lot the last few days.  His nursery teacher told me once that he is one of the kids that actually sings in nursery.  I am thankful he likes music.

Andrew had a great time at his field trip to the Christmas Tree farm.  He thought the best part was seeing a very large garden and to see asparagus growing.  He has decided he really likes asparagus, we have been getting a lot of it in the Bountiful Basket produce we buy.  Tuesday I took Andrew to an orthodontist to have his jaw checked.  The doctor felt like his jaw didn’t need any help right now.  He suggested to let him grow for a couple of years and then have it checked again.  He was concerned about the crowed teeth in the lower jaw.  In fact he suggested to pull out a couple of baby teeth and put in a spacer to help the teeth come in better.  We will probably do that in the near future.  

Friday morning I took Caleb to the doctor for a 3 year old well child visit. He is doing great.  The funniest comment was from the new nurse who looked at him, looked at his chart and said “Are you sure you are only 3?”  He is still in the 95^th percentile for his size.  After the doctor we went to the park and played with friends.  That afternoon after school the kids were outside playing and Caleb tripped and fell on the drive way.  He scraped up his knees bad.  It was cute to watch Andrew walking with him slowly up the drive to the house with his arm around him.  All the kids were so concerned for Caleb as I clean him up and covered this sores.  It was cute they were so concerned.

Saturday I took the kids to the Mayborn museum to the pioneer historic village.  They were doing spring activities outside.  They had people dressed up and activities for the kids.  We enjoyed a puppet show, touching baby ducks and chicks, planting seeds in their garden, playing pioneer games and listening to a gospel choir singing.  It was a fun day.  We went inside the museum and had fun looking at the Robot exhibit again before it leaves at the end of this month.  On our way home from the museum we stopped at a shoe store and I bought everyone sandals for the summer and new sneakers for me and Ruth.  It was a brave of me to take all four kids into a store like that but we made it out without making too many messes. 

Sunday was a quiet day and I enjoyed being with the family going to church.  It always gives me strength to face another busy week.

Monday morning I took Caleb to the park for a birthday party for a friend.  It was fun to see lots of friends, visit and play.  Caleb’s favorite part was the cup cakes.  I am glad that we have friends.   Wednesday morning I took Caleb to the museum again and we met up with some friends there.  It was a fun time too.  I am glad that I can spend time with Caleb.

Ruth had lots of fun at her Activity Days last night.  The girls were planning an activity for May.  Ruth gave me a cute invitation for a “Mommy and Me” activity.  It sounds like fun.  Ruth had the state testing STAAR this week.  She was worried about taking these important tests but I encouraged her and am sure she did just fine.  Ruth finished reading all the letters I have written from when I started writing each week in 2005 until now.  She said it was fun to learn things and remember things from being little.  

Spencer is on a field trip today.  The kindergarten classes went to the zoo this morning.  Then they were going to the Jumping Place, eat pizza and jump on all the inflatables.  They were going to be gone from the school all day.  He was so excited to go play with his friends all day.  It is fun they can do some fun activities with their classes to end the school year. 

Yesterday the kids brought home their report cards.  Ruth and Andrew had all their scores above 90, Ruth even earned a 100 in science!  They are doing well and enjoy school and learning.

Neal has been really busy with work again.  He worked last Saturday and has been putting in long hours all week.  It is hard to have him gone so much.  I am enjoying seeing the garden growing.  I enjoyed some spinach I picked yesterday.  Last night I went to our Relief Society teacher training meeting.  The president and I taught the other sisters about how to teach the gospel.  I think the meeting went well and I felt good about how my part went.

As many of you heard in the news last Wednesday evening (the 17^th) there was an explosion in the city of West Texas.  That is about 25 miles north of us.  It is in our ward boundaries.  We only have a few members that live up there and they were all safe.  This is something that has been difficult for me because it happened so close to home.  Today is a memorial service for the fire fighters who were killed in the blast.  President Obama will be there too.  I read in the paper today that there were 15 deaths and over 200 injured and about 350 homes destroyed or damaged.  This is a lot for a small community of only 2800 people.  Schools were damaged too.  Every day I read things about their clean up and wish there was more we could do.  The church is organizing and waiting for the clearance to say volunteers can come in for clean up.  Right now the area is only open to some families, the area hardest hit even the home owners can’t get in yet.  One thing with all this that has amazed me is how giving everyone is and how the greater Waco community has united together to help these people.  It really is neat to see.  I feel blessed to be a part of Central Texas.  

I hope that everyone can be blessed with the things that they need at this time.

The boys in their new pajamas.  Can you tell they didn't want their picture taken? Do you see the upside-down clouds on Spencers?

I really like spring time here.  The country side is so pretty.  These pictures are from the drive to Robinson, where I go 1 or 2 times a week.  (A good part of our Ward lives there).  It is nice to see the farms between the towns.  This is corn starting to grow.

At the museum village.  Spencer is ringing the church bell.

We really liked looking at the baby chicks and duckies. 

Playing some fun little games.  Ruth and I were enjoying all the rose bushes around the buildings. 

planting some seeds in the garden

enjoying a break on the farm house front porch 

The boys wouldn't look at me, they were too busy looking at the Robot!

Beautiful Spring Time

Sometimes I feel like life is so busy I can’t think about everything at the same time.  Then I wonder why I am so busy.  With sick kids, keeping track of appointments and school work, serving in the church and just keeping the home and yard cared for, no wonder that I feel overwhelmed at times.  

Last Friday morning I was rushing out the door to get the kids to school and they were all in the car and the car wouldn’t start!  It was 7:50, 10 minutes until school started, and there I was stuck in the garage.  The kids piled out, they thought it was great.  I did the first thing I thought of, call Neal.  He didn’t have any solutions for me of course, but did say he would make sure to come home in time to pick them up from school and look at the Suburban to see what was wrong.  Then I called my friend, Jeanette.  I thought of her since she lives close and doesn’t have children at home.  She was willing to come pick up the kids and take them to school.  They were a little late but it worked.  I am thankful for her help!  It is nice to belong to a ward family who can serve each other.  It ended up being the battery and Neal was able to get it jumped and over to a shop.  He ended up buying a new battery and all has worked well since.

Friday morning I also had looked forward to going to play group and felt frustrated that I couldn’t.  My friend Laurel  was able to come pick us up and go to the park.  It was so nice of her and I enjoyed being at the park with the friends there.  Again, I am thankful for friends. 

That evening the missionaries came for dinner.  After they left I just felt physically and emotionally tired.  The kids all wanted to play, we went outside to enjoy the nice evening.  At first I let them all go and enjoyed a minute of quiet by myself.  Then I thought I should go out and enjoy my family.  I ended up throwing a frisbee with Neal and Andrew.  It was fun.  

Saturday was another busy day, of course.  I took the kids to the park for a birthday party for a friend from church.  We had fun with the activities and playing at the park.  That afternoon I took the kids over to the school where there are lots of beautiful blue bonnets growing in the field.  I took some fun pictures.  Neal was busy doing lots of yard work for us.  He was able to get the edging done on our new flower beds.  They are looking nice.  Yesterday I was able to buy a lot of petunias for cheep and planted them.  I am enjoying the flowers and spring time.  

Saturday afternoon the kids had the fun idea to paint rocks. We let them have their water colors out on the drive way and they painted lots of rocks.  It was fun and entertained them for a long time.  And it wasn’t messy because they were out side.  

Sunday Caleb started to not feel well.  He has some simple infection, the main symptom is a cough and a mild fever that comes and goes.  He has played happily and hasn’t seemed that sick.  He slept through the night last night which was really nice.  So today I think he is doing a lot better.  Ruth woke up this morning and didn’t feel well.  She went to school, but called about 45 minutes into her day and said she just wanted to come home and rest.  I hope she can be okay.   (She seems fine now, I have to keep reminding her that she is home sick!)  Today Andrew went on a field trip with school to a Christmas tree farm.  I am sure he will have lots to tell us when he comes home.  

Sunday I helped Ruth hang up some of her flower garland.  A couple of months ago she had a great idea of hanging paper flowers around the perimeter of her room.  She spent a lot of time over spring break cutting the flowers out.  Then the project staled.  I think she got tired of it.  I helped her finish one length of flowers and hang it up.  Now she is excited about doing the rest of the room again.

Andrew had fun over the week end making elaborate train tracks.  He even built a three layer one.  He still loves trains but I think he enjoys building the tracks more than actually playing with the trains.  Andrew read his first chapter book by himself!  I was so proud of him.  He pick up one of his A to Z Mystery books and read it.  It took about a week, he was reading slow and only read a few pages a day.  But he did it and had fun with it.  Then he started another one.  I am so happy that he is finally wanting to read on his own.  He will get up a little early in the morning and read until breakfast.  He is also asking for more time each night to “finish the chapter!”  This morning he was even reading a short story book to Caleb.  I am thankful that his reading has improved so much.

Yesterday Spencer asked me “Mom, how did you get to be so smart?”  I thought it was great he thinks I am smart.  I told him I went to school for a long time and I am still learning through the things I read and do.  I encouraged him to continue to learn how to read.  He is still enjoying Kindergarten but I think is ready for summer and more play time!

Caleb is in his independence streak.  He often will say to me “this is only for one person” or “no people around me.”  His creative ways of saying I want to do this on my own.  He loves to wash his hands right now.  He will lather up for a few minutes and then call to me to come turn on the water to rinse.  He also says “good job Caleb” to himself when he does things. 

I have started getting back into consistent walking.  I didn’t do that great during the winter.  Now the weather is warming up and I can go in the mornings again.  I enjoy that time to start my day.  On Monday my visiting teacher met me at the park and walked with me.  That was nice.  I am thankful for all the wonderful people around me.

Ruth got a butterfly painted at the party we went to, Caleb and Spencer had messed up their face paint too much to take a picture of it!  Andrew didn't want it.

Our spring flower blue bonnet pictures!

Andrew with his three level train track

playing outside barefoot!  they were enjoying the soft new grass

The new edging on the flower beds and all the flowers I planted.

Ruth's bedroom garland