HAPPY BIRTHDAY ALYSHA NICOLE

Happy, happy 6th birthday to my Alysha. I love your smile, I love your laugh, I love your voice, I love your determination, I love your tenderness, I love your curls, I love your smarts, I love your shyness. I hope you know how much you are loved and adored. I hope you remain as sweet and pure as you are today. Never forget who you are. My daughter, and more importantly, Heavenly Father's daughter. I LOVE YOU!!

Thank you to all who took the time to phone Alysha and tell her Happy Birthday. You made her day extra special. (she thought the bumps given to her by Jen and Suzanne were awesome too!!)

TOUCHED, MUDPIES, AND GOLIATH

TOUCHED - Our Relief Society lesson today was about Mothers and Daughters. We had a great discussion about how the world views mothers/woman vs how the church views mothers/woman. After that discussion, we shifted to "How can we be good examples and influence and love our children and the children of others?" My friend Sarah answered by saying that whenever she thinks of someone who is a good example to children she said she thinks of me!!????? I was completely taken of guard and completely touched. It is no secret that I ADORE children and love to make them smile but never did it cross my mind that others even noticed. Thank you Sarah.

MUDPIES - The last couple of days, Alysha has been talking about mudpies. For the most part, and this is a terrible confession, I just nod my head and say a couple of "oh ya"s and "um hum"s and that's that, not really knowing what she is talking about. At breakfast this morning she mentioned that there were two mudpies on the fence. Huh??? I looked out the window and saw two MAGpies. So cute.

GOLIATH - In sacrament meeting today, Trentan drew a circle with two lines coming out the bottom and a line coming out of each side. He had attempted to draw a human!! Good job!! I asked him who he was drawing and he said, "Goliath". So grateful to primary teachers who have the patience to teach the little three year olds. They learn more than you think!

THINGS I LEARNED THIS WEEK

1. Given the right circumstance, my nephew Cammy CAN sit still and be quiet.

2. Nathan never has, and never will, noticed when I change my hair.

3. Little boys will try to pee ANYWHERE.

4. Nathan not only gets sleepy when he takes Benadryl, he gets CRANKY.

FIRST SATURDAY OF SUMMER

We had a great day today. Nathan had a scout fundraiser to go to at 8:30 this morning, so I didn't get to sleep in like I wanted to!! So I got the kids ready for the day and we went and picked up all the stuff we needed for my Weesee's birthday party. It is so fascinating to me how the kids just LOVE all the stuff they can find in the dollar store! Cleaned the house in the afternoon and then off to the pool for Alysha's party. We rented the pool for an hour and the kids absolutely loved that they were the ONLY ones in the WHOLE pool. Alysha's friends are so darn cute. After an hour of swimming (guess who started to cry when it was time to get out?..........Trentan. So weird.) We had ice cream cake and opened presents. It was a really good, fun time. I am especially grateful to Nate's sister Heidi who took the time to come swimming with us and was sooo good with the kids. Like I said before, our kids are spoiled by their aunts and uncles. She must have gone up the stairs to the waterslide a million times!!! Thank you Heidi!! Alysha was also spoiled by her friends. She got some really cute stuff. Thank you friends!! I can't believe my sweet pea will 6 on Monday.

YEAH FOR SUMMER

Today I tackled the chore of cleaning the van. Blah. It is ALWAYS a disaster in my van. Especially the back row. But I tackled it, and I tackled it goooood. Vaccumed and washed and scrubbed it inside and out. Dang it looks good. Now, if only I could get it to stay that way......

We went to the Anderson's house for dinner today and had some delicious shish kabobs. Man were they ever tasty. It was fun to visit and laugh. The adults are full, the kids are filthy and and we all have smiles.

Summer has official begun!!! Wahoo!!

NEW BUDDIES

Nathan volunteered me to babysit a guy at works little boy today because his regular sitter was outta town. Turns out, the little boy, Simon, is only a few more months older than Trentman. So when he was dropped off at 7:40 this morning, Trentan was more than excited to actually have his very own playdate for the WHOLE day!! Now, I have been around my share of kids, and I have never seen two little boys get along quite as well as these two. It was so fun to see Trentan so willing to share his toys (cause he usually is NOT) and to watch them walk hand in hand out to the tramp or up the stairs to play transformers. Simon kept saying, "Trentan is my buddy." They copied each other at lunch, they pushed each other on the swing at the park, splashed each other in the pool in the back yard, it was a real treat for my little boy.
It was not such a good day for Alysha however, because she is used to having her little bro at her beck and call on the days she doesn't have school. She was a little frustrated that Trentan wasn't interested in playing with her today, and that she had to settle for playing with me. Guess I am not nearly as fun as I tought I was.

WELL ALRIGHT THEN

Alysha received a few cute things from her kindergarten teacher as an end of the year gift. Today, as she was looking through the gifts (crayons,swimming passes, activity books....) we were talking about her kindergarten school year and what she learned. She talked about the ducks, inuksuks, aurora borialis (northern lights),vowels......the list goes on and on and on. So I said to her, "Wow!! Mrs.Ingram sure knows alot about all kinds of stuff doesn't she?" To which Alysha replied, "Yup. She really does. Waaaaayy more than you mom. You know some stuff, but Mrs. Ingram knows LOTS more. She's just smarter than you."

Well alright then.

ARE WE DONE YET?

After having a few "not so busy" days, I was feeling a little restless. Today, I was cured of that feeling. Today was jammed packed. It was PLAY DAY for the I.V. Macklin kids and they all got bussed to a park with an outdoor pool and fields to goof around for the day. I volunteered to go swimming with Josh and Merynn's classes thinking they would be swimming at the same time. Not true. Also, because Alysha's birthday is next monday when school is over, her class was celebrating it today and she wanted to bring cupcakes to share with her friends. So my day went as follows.

8:50 - 10:45 - Swim with Joshua's class in the outdoor pool. Brrrrrr. But so fun. Met up with my friend Jen (who was also at the park volunteering and had Trentman).

11:00 - 11:20 -Walk back to the van, get the cupcakes, meet up with Alysha's kindergarten class. Hot dog lunch with Alysha's class. Left the cupcakes with her teacher cause I had to be back at the pool to swim with Merynn's class, who started swmming at 10:45.

11:20 - 12:00 - Put on wet bathing suit, got back in the water and swam with Merynn's class. I felt bad cause I missed most of the swimming time with her but I had overbooked myself. We still had a good time.

12:00 - 1:00 - Back out of the pool, find Jen again(who still had Trentan, bless her) Play at the park with Trentan (who kept asking for an "under dog" on the swing) and visited with Jen. LOVE HER!! Also went and watched Josh's class have a "wet sponge" fight. That was funny to watch.

1:00 - 2:00 - Back with the kindergartens to play with hoola hoops and bubbles and face painting. Trentan and Alysha have never had their faces painted before so that was extra cool. Trentan got a shark and Alysha got a butterfly. Looked for Merynn's class but couldn't find them. She sorta got the short end of the stick today.

2:00 - 2:30 - Pack up, walk back to the van, drive and get a slush for Trentman and myself. It was a hot day and my throat was hurting. Maybe too much pool water?

2:30 - 3:00 - On my way back to the school, witnessed a guy on a bike getting hit by a car. He was not hurt too badly, but it was still heart racing. I was amazed at how many people stopped and helped the dude (who was NOT wearing a helmet). There are still good people around.

3:00 - 4: 30 - Alysha had her end of the year party with a dvd to watch , a small presentation and ice cream sundaes. She is officially done school and moving on to grade one!!! Her reprot card was excellent. She is my sweet pea. Then the kids wanted to play at the park at the school for awhile and I though "Why not?"

5:00 - Went and picked up Owen (the cutie I babysit sometimes) from his dayhome and finally got back in the house at 5:15. Fed Owen, fed my kids, bathed my kids, played with the kids, cleaned the kitchen, Owen got picked up and before I knew it, 3 out of the 4 kids were asleep in the front room. Only Josh said prayers with me and then off to bed.

WHAT A DAY......NO........WHAT A FANTASTIC DAY!!!

Nathan is working the afternoon shift so I told him that I could very well be asleep on the couch in the front room when he gets home at 11:00p.m.

GOODNIGHT!

LIST OF THINGS

I forgot, well ok, I actually was just too lazy, to do my list of things I learned for the week on Sunday, so I will do it today.

1. Cotton candy ice cream from superstore is soooooo good.

2. Although the rest of the kids like it, Alysha does NOT like to be sprayed with the hose. At all.

3. I HATE COOKING BACON!

4. I kinda miss my piano kids.

5. I am sooooo not good at softball.

6. I can drive a maual shifting quad.

************

Today was the last class of swimming lessons for Trentan and Alysha. As always, Alysha did fabulous and even passed the level she was in. Now she is a crocodile!! Yeah Alysha!!
Trentan had the time of his life today in swimming lessons, and his teacher kept looking at me like, "What the? Who IS this kid?" It's as if he was never terrified of the water. He is such a strange child. But it was awesome to see him enjoying swimming. The thing I loved the most about going to the pool today was watching Josh. While one of the two younger kids have their lesson, the other three play on the waterslide or in the little pool or in the hot tub. Josh took it upon himself to be "in charge" of the other kids so I could actually watch the swimming lessons instead of being distracted by the other three. Merynn sorta did her own thing with a little friend she met, so Josh attached himself to first Trentman, and then Alysha. He took them down the waterslide, played in the little pool with them, watched them in the hot tub. He was such a good big brother today. He really is a good kid. My boy is getting so big. Has it really been 9 years already?


P.S. Hope your hamburger was good Cammy!!! You deserve it!!! :)

HAPPY FATHER'S DAY

Another Father's Day has come and gone. It was a beautiful day today and had I not had to teach primary, we were seriously thinking about skipping church to be outside. I am glad we did go to church though because some fantastic talks were given in sacrament. They were great reminders of the different father figures that are present in my life and the lives of my kids. It has been a true gift to have a worthy priesthood holder preside over my family. I am so grateful to Nathan for his testimony and his willingness to serve and his example. I am thankful that he takes the time to talk to each kid before bed to find out how their day was. I am grateful that he teaches the kids many, many different skills and educates them on all sorts of things. He is silly, funny, and ridiculous.
He is adored by the kids and by me. LOVE YOU NATHAN!!

I am also thankful for my dad and the love he showed me growing up. He never missed a gymnastics meet, a volleyball game, or a music concert. Thanks Dad.

Also,I am grateful to my father-in-law for giving us many opportunities we would not get otherwise.

I am so grateful to my Father in Heaven, who watches over and blesses my family and me. Who anwsers prayers, comforts and guides. I am grateful for the knowlegde of the gospel.

AUNTS AND UNCLES

My kids are very blessed to have AMAZING aunts and uncles in their lives. Whether its teaching them how to put on their shoes, ride a horse, have sleepovers, or sending them birthday cards, these amazing people always go the extra little mile to teach and play and love my kids. I am so grateful. Today was no exception. We went to a ward(well both wards actually) baseball game tonight, and while the adults played baseball, the kids played at the park. Uncle Josh happened to be there too. Ohhhh how my kids love uncle Josh. Because he was in Calgary for school this year, we didn't see NEARLY enough of him, so they hang off of him when they see him. If it annoys him, he doesn't let it show. As the game progressed, more of the older boys wanted to join in the game. Where do you think my Joshy was? Right next to uncle Josh out in the field. Not me, not Nathan, uncle Josh. Then right next to him in line to bat. I love to see them joke and giggle together. Josh loves uncle Josh's stories and will basicall y do whatever uncle Josh says. Who do you think Trentan talked about all the way home? Uncle Josh. It is so wonderful to have such great examples and roles models for my kids to look up to. Thank you aunties and uncles for all you do. You are loved back whole heartedly.

FUN IN THE SUN

FINALLY some fantastic weather!! Had a great day today. Took the kids out to lunch with the Keslers, then off to Lions park to let the kids play in the water and at the park. Would have liked to have visited more with the adults than the kids but can't complain too much. Totally loving the warm weather. The kids have 6 more days of school left......the countdown is ON!!!!

CAN I HANDLE ANOTHER ME?

As everybody who has seen my children know, they all have a most dominant Piepgrass gene and look a lot like their dad....except for Merynn. She is 100% me. The more she grows, the more apparent it is that not only does she look like me, she acts like me. ALOT. For example, today I washed the van. I went to one of those do it yourself car washes and as I was on the outside washing, the kids were inside the van occupying themselves. Josh was reading a comic, Alysha and Trentan were fighting and Merynn was doing a classic Tricia.......tuning it out by singing. I just had to chuckle. I can always count on Merynn to be my dancing partner or singing buddy. She loves the music cranked right up just like I do. I am glad that my love for music and dancing ( yes I secretly want to be in a show choir) has rubbed off on her. She also is quite good with little kids already, and loves the responsibility of "babysitting" Owen (a little cutie I sometimes watch)for me if I have to run downstairs. Enjoying children is something else I hope she learns from me. I do NOT like that my stubborness, willingness to argue, procrastinating, I want what I want right now, trying to please everyone attributes have also been instilled in her. It is uncanny how alike we are. Twins. Man am I in trouble in the next couple of years..........

EMOTIONS

So many different emotions were felt today. Here is a list of some of the more prominent ones.....

Emotion #1. Sadness - Baby bunny Walter didn't make through the night last night. Well, I am not exactly sure when he died, but he was dead this morning when we checked on him. Poor little fella. Of course, Merynn was the most devastated of all and she cried all morning while getting ready for school. Alysha shed a few tears and the boys were indifferent. There's a shocker. It was really hard for the girls to grasp why he died. They kept saying, "But we took good care of him". Rough start to the day.

Emotion #2. Relief - I had the chance to babysit some kids today, one of them being under the age of one. I am SO relieved that I will NOT be having any more children (knock on wood). He was a really well behaved little boy, I am just passed the whole pulling things off shelves and getting into everything stage. SOOOO passed it.

Emotion #3. Gratitude - Grateful for the kids I have and that I am able to have children, as there are many who cannot. Also grateful for a wonderful swimming instructor who was so patient with Trentan today.

Emotion #4. Excitement - Nathan found a few more neat places to stop and explore when we go on our trip this summer. Soooo excited to get going. It is going to be a fantastic trip.

Emotion #5. Proud - So very proud of Alysha and how well she is doing in her swimming lessons. Also so very proud of Trentan for going through his whole swimming lesson as well. I had my bathing suit on and this time I just sat at the edge of the pool while he went to class. There was a couple of times where he started to cry because he was nervous to put his face under water, and I was going to get in, but as mentioned earlier, his teacher did an amazing job at calming him down and convincing him he could to it. And he finally did!! Good job my little man. (I hardly got wet this time!!!)

Emotion #6. Amazement - We planned to have dinner at a park with a family we don't know very well after swimming. Each family brought pizza and we had a fantastic time letting the kids play while the adults got to know each other. I am amazed at how many wonderful families there are in our ward. I am amazed that we are only getting to know this fabulous family now. I am amazed that they even want to hang out with the "Piepgrass Clan". Also amazed at how good the costco cheesecake was!!
Josh wanted me to cut his hair when we got back from the park so I did. And then Trentman, ALWAYS copying what his big bro does, wanted his hair cut too. I was very reluctant to cut his hair because it is quite long and his beautiful curls look so dang cute. However, he gets so sweaty and hot that I decided I would. I am totally amazed at how much hair was on the floor when I was finished.

Emotion #7. SLEEPY

WHOOPS

For the last week and a half the girls room has been a total disaster. I mean can't see the floor or open the closet door all the way, disaster. I just haven't had the motivation to tackle it. Nor did I think I should seeing as I didn't make the mess. Isn't that how it goes? However, today I had had enough of the mess and the girls and I started cleaning up. Now, my Merynn is a most excellent helper and was doing a fantastic job. My Weesee, on the other hand, is not quite as hard working. She would pick up something, then look at a book (and not put it away), then play with the pipe cleaners (and not put them away), then go and "check" on what the boys were doing and so on, and so on. I had to keep getting on her case to help clean up. After getting on her case 8 or 9 times I found her putting barrettes on a piece of yarn. She was REALLY stalling!! So I yelled, "ALYSHA" , to get her out of lala land and her attention back to cleaning and I scared the bejeebers out of her and sent her into hysterics. Hyperventilating, tear drenched hysterics. Whoops.



P.S. Baby bunny Walter is still hanging in there and the girls room looks immaculate!!!

SO PROUD

A couple of sundays ago, one of my piano students was called to play prelude music before sacrament meeting starts each sunday. Yesterday was the first sunday she started this new calling.
She did absolutely amazing. All I could do was sit and watch her with a huge smile on my face. I am so proud of her. She has come such a long way these last few years and plays the piano so elegantly.
She is a very talented young lady. LOVE HER!!

Last week Trentan and Alysha started another session of swimming lessons. For some reason, Trentman is terrified of getting in the pool this session. Not sure why. He says he will drown if he goes in the "big" pool. He is fine to play in the "kiddie" pool. His instructors this session are two males, but they are really good. THe kids in his class are little cuties, so I can't figure it out. It is just so wierd because when we were in Grimshaw last week and went swimming at the hotel pool, he didn't want to get out.???????? Anyways, because I couldn't get him to go in the pool last week, today I decided that I would go in the pool with him. He cried while attendance was being taken, he cried while we were getting life jackets on, he cried while taking a shower, he cried while we were standing at the edge of the pool, he cried when I got in the pool, he cried when I made him get in the pool, and then, his instructor brought out a ball for the kids to pass around while learning how to float in a life jacket........and you would think this was the greatest thing Trentman had ever experienced!! He still made sure I was close by, but he did his whole class without another tear in sight. Good job little man. I am hoping on Wednesday I can just sit by the pool and not have to actually get wet. Heres to hoping.......

Baby bunny, who apparently has been named "Walter", is still alive. I learned from researching on the internet that mother rabbits only feed their babies once a day and that is at night time. So before we put the kids to bed, we make up some formula for Walter, put it in his cage, and in the morning it is all gone. We put some little bits of pellets in there too. Not sure if he has touched them or not. The kids have been really good to leave him alone and not touch, just look. This is kind of surprising because he is so dang cute. We'll see what happens.....

WHAT THE WHAT?

Wow!! The last few days have been an absolute blur!! I can't believe it is already sunday again. Where did the last three days go? Let's see if I can remember.....

Friday........oh yes, friday, I literally spend the whole flippin' day trying to get the kids passports taken care of. So not fun. Left the house at 10:00 in the morning and didn't get home till 5:00. Why did it take so long you ask? Here is the run down. So the first thing I needed to get done was to have someone sign all four forms saying they knew each kid. My fantastic friend Suzanne helped me out on that one. Then I had to run over to Nate's work cause he forgot to sign the forms. Then I went to the goverment office to mail them in........not so. The pictures we had gotten taken of the kids at costco the day before were no good. Except Trentan's. And Nathan forgot to put Grande Prairie on all forms and a few other things needed to be adjusted. SO then I had to go and get Josh and Merynn out of school, get their pictures taken again, take them back to school, took the two youger kids to McDOnalds for lunch, go and back and pick up the new pictures, go back to Nate's work and have him fix what needed to be fixed, go back to Suzannes and have her sign the back of the new pics, go and get the older two kids from school, go to the government office AGAIN, and then was there for an hour until all four forms were looked over, stamped and sealed up ready to be mailed off. Drove home, walked in the door, and just when I thought the busy day had ended.......nope. Uncle Josh (Nathan's brother) was on his way over with a baby bunny for us to take care of. (We have a pet rabbit named Freckles, so why not bring the baby rabbit here?) Now I was thinking baby as in 3 months or so. This baby bunny was a BABY bunny. The smallest little thing I had ever seen. WHAT AM I SUPPOSED TO DO WITH A BABY BUNNY??? So I did the only thing I knew what to do......called my sister Lindsay. She is an Animal Health Tech. so, in my opinon, she is all knowing about this kind of stuff. She gave me some good advice and options for what the next step should be. Then I went to the vet's office and they said the same thing as Lindsay. SO then I had to drive across town to the pet store to get some kitty formula that I have to mix up and BOTTLE feed to this bunny. Hello people, I am supposed to be done with the whole nursing/bottle feeding.......
Anyways, back home we got, made the baby bunny a new comfy home, TRIED to feed it but it didn't co-operate so I just put the milk in a little bowl in the cage and hoped for the best. Friday, done.

Saturday........because I am in the Stake Primary Presidency, I got to help plan and attend our Stake 11 year day camp. Up at 7:00, out the door by 7:50 and out to the campsite. Set up for the day and then the fun began. Our theme was "BOOT CAMP" and we had a ton of fun with the kids in our stake. Zip line, rope ladder, team challenges, t-shirt making, water balloon fight. It was a blast. Got home around 4:45p.m., totally EXHAUSTED and covered in dust. Thankfully Nathan made supper. Then it was run and get groceries, bathe the kids, put them to bed, finish preparing my Relief Society lesson, and crash on the bed. Saturday, done. (baby bunny is still alive eating from the bowl)

Sunday.......church starts at 1:00 so we take the whole morning to slowly get ready. go to church at 1:00, teach Relief Society (other calling) come back home,supper, play Go Fish and Old Maid a billion times (no I am NOT over exaggerating) I had a really nice talk on the phone with my sister-in-law Kayla (who I adore by the way) put the kids to bed. Sunday, done. (Baby bunny still alive)

That was the fastest/busiest weekend I think I have ever experienced.

Things I Have learned this week:

1. Pine beetles are WAY bigger than I thought they were.

2. 11 years olds are surprisingly braver and more creative than I thought.

3. Leslie Whipple is AMAZING ( I already knew this, but the more time I spend with her, the more it is proven and I just love her to pieces)

4. Scarfing down watermelon as fast as you can will induce gagging.

5. It is impossible for Josh to play Old Maid without giving away what cards he has.

6. I need to think about the Savior more often than I do.

FIRST TIMES

As montioned in my last entry, Nathan was out of town earlier this week. Monday he was in Manning and tuesday & wednesday he was in Grimshaw. Neither place very desirable. At all. On tuesday afternoon he phoned me and started telling about how, surprisingly, nice his hotel in Grimshaw was and that the pool in the hotel was awesome. Next thing you know, I had picked the kids up from school and we drove the two hours to Grimshaw. We got there just in time for supper (Boston Pizza, yummy!) and then we went back to the hotel and did some swimming!! We had the whole pool and waterslide to ourselves and we had a total blast. We were in the water for waaaayyyy to long. I love how the kids get sooooo excited to stay in a hotel.(which was REALLY nice by the way.) I also love that we didn't have to pay for it!! It was such fun to be spontaneous and just up and leave. Because I teach piano, we don't get opportunities like that often so it was a real treat for ALL of us. I am now really looking forward to our trip in July. I know the kids are going to have so much fun and I think I just might too :)

On another note, today was the first time I have EVER had my hair cut by a male hairdresser. Also a fun experience. He was about 45/50 years old and he was hilarious. I found it alot easier to chit chat with him than I do with females. He was fast and he cut my hair the way I wanted it. (well.....maybe he could have done a little more of a angle......) Anyways, it was cool.

The only other thing that is on my mind is.....HOLY MOSQUITOS BATMAN!! They are EVERYWHERE!!!

NO SLEEP TONIGHT

Nothing really happened today that is worth retelling. Just a busy day of cleaning, running errands and taking the kids to their swimming lessons. Nathan is out of town until Wednesday afternoon which means I will be up ALL night cause I do not sleep when he is not here. No matter how much I try, I just can't sleep without him. I am such a nerdypants. So I've got my popcorn and my pepsi (with ice) ready to go.........it's goona be a looooong night. Tomorrow if my post doesn't make any sense, you'll know why.

THINGS I LEARNED THIS WEEK

We went to Spruce Grove/ Stony Plain this weekend to visit my side of the family. It was so fantastic to see them. The cousins got to play, the sisters got to visit (and Mom and Dad too) and the husbands.......did their own thing. Thank you Lindsay & Glen for letting us crash at your house, thank you Mom for b-day gifts for Alysha, thank you Dad for playing with the kids and teaching Josh how to make ash cakes, and thank you Sarah & Gord for letting me hold your sweet angel of a baby. LOVE YOU ALL!!

So I have decided that each Sunday I am going to make a quick list of things that I have learned throughout the week. Here is what I learned this week....

1. My newborn niece, Rebecca Rae, is the most precious thing I have ever seen.

2. I will NEVER live in Louisiana.

3. The BEST laughter is the laughter that is shared with your sisters and your Momzy around the kitchen table. (we love cranks)

4. Sit at the BEGINNING of the parade if you want your kids to get ANY candy.

5. I will never own a dog. Ever. (no offense Lindsay and Sarah)

DUCKLINGS AND JEWELRY

For the last few weeks Alysha's kindergaten class has had duck eggs in an incubator in her classroom. This week the eggs started to hatch. By Alysha's reaction to this, I am almost positive that this could possibly be the greatest experience she has had her whole six years on earth. All she talks about are the ducklings. Every known fact to man about ducklings.....she knows. From the little tooth on their beaks that they use to get out of the egg, to where ducks live, she'll tell ya ALL about it. And then she'll tell ya again. I'm pretty sure she dreams about them. Peep, and Popcorn, and Buzz,....there's more, I just can't remember. She makes paintings of them, she draws them, she makes ducks out of playdough.....she is about the cutest thing ever. Except I'm pretty sure she thinks she gets to take one home to keep. Guess we'll have to cross that bridge when we get there. Sure is fun to see her so animated about learning. Her teacher is fantastic.

Tonight I went over to my friend Jen's house for a jewelry party. The jewelry was beautiful. (I almost bought a necklace but resisted.......for now)But what was even more beautiful, was the love and the laughter shared between so many wonderful friends. And the food was ridiculously delicious too. I had such a good time. I've said it before and I'll say it again, the friends I have here in G.P. are priceless. Love, love, LOVE them.

PUBLIC DISPLAYS OF AFFECTION

Unknowing to Josh, I decided to meet his class for a field trip to plant flowers and go for a walk. When Alysha, Trentman, and I got to the park, I realized that there was more than just classes from his school there. Two other schools where there as well. So we're talking LOTS of kids. When it was his turn to get off the bus, we were waiting for him. He saw us, got a confused look on his face, and then followed his class to where he needed to be. We cought up a few minutes later and he came running over to see us. I was a little taken back by this cause he always likes to look "cool" in front of his friends, and I had just assumed that acknowledging your mom wasn't cool. He then proceeded to allow Alysha and Trentan to sit with him and his circle of friends. ?????. Is this MY child? The theme for the field trip was "Get Active" and so for the first few minutes we did some dancing. "YMCA" and "I like to Move It, Move It" were the song choices. Of course, me being me, I hammed it up a bit and went and danced with Josh and his "groupies". No embarassing looks, and no rolling of the eyes!!! NOTHING! Just a smile. Next on the agenda was planting some flowers. Josh came right up to me and and asked if I would stand in line with him.??????? He made sure Alysha and Trentan got to plant a flower.?????? Right in front of his buddies he came and gave me a big HUG!!! ???????? (I didn't even provoke it!!) As the day went on , more P.D.A's came. And not just to me. To Alysha and Trentan too. I was completely floored. When it was time for the kids and I to go, ANOTHER big hug. No go with a kiss on the cheek though. Can't say I didn't try. Maybe Josh is a big old mamma's boy after all.


P.S. proud of you Josh at your cub awards today. Great job getting all the badges you eraned this year!!!

NOTHING

I took the day off today and did absolutely nothing productive. Got all four kids to where they needed to be in the morning, came home and did nothing. Went and picked Trentman up from playschool, can home and did nothing. Picked up the other three from school, came home, tidied the kitchen a little, then did nothing. Nathan came home, HE made supper while I did.....nothing. After supper, the kids went outside to play, Nate had a meeting to go to, and I did nothing. Didn't even do the dishes. Put the kids to bed, and have still done nothing. I guess I will have to make up for it tomorrow?? (ooooh but it was nice day)