Pre-School

A couple of friends and I are having pre-school for our kids. We meet 3 times a week, rotating teaching duties among us. So far it is great!


On our first day, we learned about allegiance. I taught them all the pledge and we recited it together. They were so cute! We also learned "America the Beautiful." I was amazed how quickly they all picked up on the tune and lyrics to the song.




They seem to really enjoy learning. Each week we focus on a letter and build lessons around that letter. I am hoping we can teach them all to read before long. Lindsey and Bradley absolutely LOVE going to school!

What's Been Going On

Chris took the kids on a fishing trip to this really cool pond at Vivian Park in the canyon. All 3 had a great time, and they even caught several fish.



Believe it or not, all 3 kids were there -- not sure why the other 2 didn't make it into the photos. Here's Nathaniel with his proud catch. They were all a little shaken once they realized a couple of the fish they caught were badly injured and would die. Chris said they should bring them home and eat them, which they reluctantly did. I heard several "poor fishies," and "why did you cut his head off, daddy?" comments, but in the end, they actually ate the fish.


We had yummy cake on Mel's birthday. (She's going to kill me for this picture.)

Lindsey and Bradley ended up in the same bed -- trust me, they do have their own beds. We may be packed in this little house like sardines, but everyone has a bed!


Walking home from the bus stop one afternoon, Bradley said, "Mom, can you take my picture?" Who could resist?


Chris had 3 little helpers when he set out to put together a small shelf for my desk. Each grabbed a screwdriver and jumped in.






Oh, the concentration!

A Bittersweet Day

The first day of school -- a blend of excitement and apprehension! It is always such a sad day for me, as a mom, to watch my little boy go off into the world, where I cannot monitor his every move. Where I cannot protect him from every hurt. But it's also a happy day, seeing that he is growing up, becoming more independent, and learning so much. The thing I'm grateful for is that Nathaniel loves school, and that makes it so much easier for me to let him go. He loves to learn, and he really loves being with friends and enjoying the social side of school.



He looks so grown up to me in this picture.

Big 4th grader!

Outside on day one, getting ready for entry.

After the first day, he gives it a thumb's up!

Primary Pioneer Day

Our Stake and ward Primary leaders put on yet another fantastic activity for the kids in our stake last week. They gathered at the Pioneer Village, dressed for the occasion, and experienced many activities similar to those of the pioneers. The boys had a wonderful time, and Lindsey was jealous that she wasn't able to attend -- although Chris ended up bringing her over and she was in heaven tagging along with the other kids.



Lindsey and Bradley in the wagon.


They made pioneer toys -- Nathaniel working on then playing with his.


Tin plate punch art.

This boy cracks me up. He did not want his photo taken, and couldn't bear to smile for the camera.


Two good lookin' pioneers.

What's down here? (Note the dirty britches!)


Pulling the handcart.




A great time was had by all, making ice cream, making candles, and lots of other cool stuff. I so appreciate the leaders who give their time and creativity to making meaningful experiences for my kids. Fun times!

Nu Shooz!

As back to school time approached, Nathaniel and I went shopping for shoes. I tell you what, buying shoes must release endorphins or something, don't you think? Even if they aren't for me, I love new shoes!
So I wanted him to get a pair of nice, brown leather shoes for fall and winter, and I found some I really liked. He, of course, did not like them, and wanted instead some new tennies. So we compromised, thanks to the "buy one get one 1/2 off" sale at the store, and got both pair. (Is that really a compromise? It's more like a win/win!)
Nathaniel wanted a pair of DC shoes like his uncle Adam (Bearden) would wear, and the nicer shoes I liked looked like something his uncle Adam (Cox) would wear, so he ended up with a nod to both uncles. I must say he looks pretty kickin' in both types.

A Visit to Seattle

Well, we dropped everything and took off to Seattle to visit my sister, Amanda. It was way last minute, but we were excited to have the chance to go and see her, and it's always fun to go someplace we've never been before. So we loaded up our van (praying it would make the trip ok) and drove the 14 hours to Washington, through Idaho and Oregon.

The kids were thrilled to see Aunt Amanda, Uncle Drew, and to meet their cousin Olivia for the first time. As we got there pretty late, the first thing they did was go to bed.


The boys on the awesomely comfy couch!

And Lindsey in the bed with Chris and me. Three's a crowd, girlie. (Not like we aren't used to that already!)


It was fun swimming in the pool at the apartment complex, though (no matter what Manda says), IT WAS COLD!





So we warmed up in the sauna.

One way cool thing about Seattle is riding the ferry. Although it is quite expensive -- like $15 for car and driver, plus $6 for each additional passenger or something like that -- it was a neat experience. I love boats, so any chance to ride on one of any type is good with me.

The Beautiful Beach

Having spent several of my childhood years in Florida, I got enough exposure to beaches to realize I didn't care for them. The sticky, humid air, the heat, the yucky (and I mean YUCKY) sand, and that gross feeling after you get out of the water. Blech. And yet, I was to find that a west coast beach is a different experience altogether when we visited Seattle. We found a great beach at Port Townsend; it was simply gorgeous. The view was amazing, with Canada off in the distance. The water was so blue, and though the wind was a little nippy, the weather was comfortable. Obviously there was to be no swimming in that ridiculously cold water, but we had so much fun just sitting on the sand or walking along together. My kids had a blast.

The boys loved skipping rocks into the waves. This is a new hobby of Nathaniel's that he has passed on to Bradley. . .



. . . who was more than happy to show Lindsey the proper methods.


Bradley found this cool heart-shaped rock which he gave to Mel with the proclamation, "This is so you can always remember that I love you." I tell you, that boy is so amazingly sweet and kind.


Uncle Drew buried the boys in the sand. This picture is so funny to me.



Bradley "making fire."




Lindsey really had a good time, though we couldn't get her to keep barrettes in to keep her hair out of her face.

Nathaniel running along the shore.

Later in the week we went to another beach at Deception Pass State Park. That was truly beautiful, despite the "bridge of terror" we had to drive over to get to it.

I got these two great shots of Lindsey and Chris, together in the late afternoon light.




Mom and Granny, don't worry. Yes, she was leaning over the edge of a bench on a cliff that was 50 feet above the rocks and water, but she was perfectly safe. :)

Woodland Park Zoo

One of the coolest places we visited in Seattle was the zoo. Lindsey had not been to a zoo since she was about 6 months old, and she was in heaven; all those wonderful animals. Here she ponders a pool of ducks -- not that she hasn't seen pond after pond of ducks in Provo, but she can never pass up a duck without a look.



Just a shot of my handsome boy having lots of fun.


Another one of Lindsey enjoying herself.



The boys spent more time clowning around on these statues of animals than looking at the real
thing.




They were all super impressed with this neat gorilla. She was so cool. At first she was just lying in the sun stretching, but eventually she came over to check out all the kids who were watching her. It was cool to see her interact with them.



So yeah, fun times at the zoo. I have never been a big fan of zoos; it has always seemed wrong to me to keep animals caged. But this zoo, and so many like it, stress how much work they are doing for preservation and conservation, so I guess that makes me feel a little better. Anyway I am torn because I love for my kids to have the chance to see animals up close that they could never see otherwise. Hmmmm.

We had a great week in Seattle. Many thanks and much love to Manda, Drew, and Olivia for hosting and taking care of us!