Tuesday Things

This morning for breakfast I made Pumpkin Streusel Muffins and they smelled so good. They also tasted yummy, although Patty, I know you won't make them because they are just like making cake for breakfast for your kids :). S and R liked them but I couldn't get Z to even try the muffins, the little stinker.

I just picked S up from school and I am amazed at how much she loves it. She loves to come home and do homework and practice writting her ABC's and numbers. She loves to color and is so excited to color all her school work. As soon as we come home she shows me everything in her backpack and we read her Letter Book. We then finish any work she didn't finish in class and read her weekly book. They have started the kindergarteners reading 20 minutes a day so I count her reading her Letter Book, her weekly book and we started reading the BOB Books. Then I am reading the Rainbow Magic series with her and then Z, S and I are reading Charlotte's Web.

The school sent home the Scholastic Book Order and I went through it last night and ordered a few books, some of their prices are amazing. I bought an Usborne 1001 Things to Spot on a Pirate Ship for half the price I can find it at Usborne and the 1001 Things to Spot are great church and car books for my kids, they love them. The books I didn't order but wanted to read with the kids I put on hold at the library and made lists of series I thought Z and S would enjoy reading together. I put many of the Halloween stories on hold so we could read them in the next month. I love that we go to the library so much and I don't have to buy all the books I want to read with the kids.

S has a soccer game tonight and she is excited. Her team doesn't have practices so they don't know a lot of the rules and just run wherever the ball goes. I think there wasn't a coach so the day before our first game the asked one of the parents for a 2nd time to be the coach and he agreed but didn't really want to do it so I don't think we'll have any extra practices but S is having fun anyway. Last night she had gymnastics and I signed her up for a cartwheel clinic this Saturday. She has been practicing cartwheels for 2 months and tries really hard but can't do a full cartwheel. I hope this clinic helps her because she really wants to be able to do one. S also has a birthday party for a classmate on Saturday and she can hardly wait. She has wanted friends her own age but there are not any in our ward so I'm happy she's making friends at school.

Z has his soccer game on Wednesday night along with team pictures. His spelling words this week are kind of difficult for him and I worry that he won't be able to spell them by the end of the week. He still struggles with the word WAS and wants to spell it with an I or U. We work really hard on spelling but it's just so hard for him. I'm glad math comes easier for him. I just keep hoping that the more we read and practice the better he will do with spelling.

I off to get A down for a nap and I need to prepare my visiting teaching lesson. I am going to one sister this afternon and I will visit the other two tomorrow.

Monday Musings

I haven't posted in a week, I guess last week just wasn't very exciting. It really wasn't, it was just normal; school, work, soccer, gymnastics, homework and laundry,

Thursday of last week was Grandparents Day for the 2nd graders so my dad came for the program with Z. The sang songs and had refreshments. I never even thought about going since I'm not a grandparent but I wish I had gone. It would have been good to get some pictures of Dad and Z. It was really great of my dad to drive 2 hours up and 2 hours back to attend the program. I wish we had grandparents that were closer (although we are blessed they are this close).

Sunday I gave the lesson in Young Womens and it was on Procreation. I'm just glad it's over. I was stressed every time I thought about it. The lesson went okay but it could have gone better. I just don't know if I'm cut out to teach the YW. I feel like they think I am old but I don't feel as old as they think I am. I'm not sure I am good at relating to them. I'll just keep praying that I can be a better teacher.

Saturday several members of the EQ came to help R with the roof. It is closer to being done, I think they just have the shingles left. I will do a happy dance when the roof is completed and we no longer have to stress every time it rains.

The kids and I started reading Charlotte's Web last night before bed. We've read some of the Magic Treehouse books I want to find some Halloween and Fall stories to read together.

Weekly Menu

Weekly Menu:

Monday:
Creamy Ranch Pork Chops
Parmesan Buttered Rice

Tuesday:
Sloppy Joes
Corn on the Cob

Wednesday:
Spaghetti
Salad
Garlic Bread

Thursday:
Chicken Bundles
Green Beans

Friday:
Pizza Night

Saturday:
Leftovers

Sunday:
Sweet & Sour Pork Roast
Ranch Potaotes

The Bishop's Bride

Today I finished listening to The Bishop's Bride. I really enjoyed this lighthearted book. It was an easy read and very funny and enjoyable. I think I must be hormonal or something because it made me get a little teary eyed in a few places because I was happy. The following is a description from Deseret Book:

Andrew McCammon, a widower, knows that he shouldn’t be nervous going in for an interview with the stake president. They are friends, after all, and have worked together closely over the past few years. But something is still niggling at the back of his mind . . .
In one sentence, his stake president deals Andrew two of the biggest shocks of his life: First, he is called to be the new bishop of his ward. The second is even more alarming — he has three weeks to meet a woman, fall in love, and get engaged.
What follows is a sweet, hilarious, and thoroughly enjoyable story of one man’s faith and obedience, intertwined with a series of delightfully bizarre events that guide the right woman to him. Readers of all ages will love this rollicking, exciting novel.

Check In

It's finally Saturday but I didn't use this day to sleep in. I have so much to do and I do better when I get up early and tackle it first thing before the family is up.

R is working on the roof again today and I just want it done so I hope today is the day but since I know nothing about this kind of stuff I have no idea. The storm this past week was so bad and so stressful that I just want the roof done! I hope he doesn't get called into work.

This was Z's first full week back at school and S went back on Thursday. We had a good homework week so I hope we can keep with our current homework schedule. I make them do it when they get home from school so they have an insentive to play and so far so good. Generally Z has a snack and watches about 10 minutes of TV before we start, then I take the phone off the hook so friends can't bother us and we spend anywhere from 40 minutes to an hour on homework. It seems like a long time but that's including his 20 minutes of reading everyday. Last year it was such a fight during dinner time or after soccer and it just made for a not so fun evening so I'm hoping this helps. The friend he plays with the most is also doing homework first thing so he doesn't start calling right away.

We have soccer through the end of October. The kids are having fun. This is S's first time playing so she isn't very agressive with the ball and just seems to run up and down the field with the other kids. This year is Z's first year with a goalie and he was excited to be the first goalie the other night. I didn't get to see how he did since I had to leave for YW but he said he liked it.

This week is Grandparent's Day for Z at school so we are trying to get one of his grandparents to come for the program. I'm hoping my dad will be able to come for the day because that is who Z picked.

Tuesday Things

Z has school this morning after having a long weekend. Each day before he could play, I made him read and do some workbook pages. We had a fight each time so I am not looking forward to all the homework battles that have already started. I would prefer that he do homework right when he gets home from school and then he can play with friends as a reward, but I don't know if that will work. He will want a break plus he has a friend who likes to play right after school and I don't know if I'll be able to hold this friend off.

S goes back to school on Thursday and she is so excited. She is so sad she isn't going today. I'm not sure I like how the kindergarten class goes for day and then while the teacher does testing they don't go back for a week. It's like teasing the kids. Since her gymnastics class was cancelled last night because of the holiday I rescheduled it for this morning. This makes her happy to have something to go to while Z is going to school. S also has a soccer game tonight.

I need to run an errand or two and then do housework. I have lots of laundry to fold and I need to go through all the kids summer and winter clothes and see what fits.

Kisses

Yesterday A started giving us kisses on demand. Of course they are open-mouthed but it's so much fun to get a kiss from her. She's just so stinkin' cute, loveable, huggable and kissable. We are so blessed she is in our family.

Today I am hoping to catch up around my house. With school and soccer starting this past week, I got a little behind. Yesterday I cheated and took a nap with the girls and then I help R shuttle a van to the dealer and he took us out for pizza and Firehouse Pizza (which our family loves and it's new in Centerville). R is working on the roof with my brother-in-law and I need to run to the store for sandwich stuff to keep them fed. I also have the lesson in YW tomorrow and I need to finish up preperations.