Why you don't ride your sister's bike...

Especially if your sister finds you riding her bike!

Just a second...

Poor Elmo is getting potty trained! Emily is fascinated with the opportunity to go potty. I thought I would bring the potty seat in and just see what she would do. She will be two next month so I am not pushing this, just seeing how interested she is. MOST all of the time when she wants to go "potty" she is just sitting there talking up a storm. She has once or twice managed to tinkle a little. Just the other day she really did go potty! She was beaming with pride! High fives were given...way to cute! But after that it has just been an exercise in what will become a habit very soon! (I hope...anyway)

Yesterday, after removing her diaper herself, she marched in to go potty! She got up and said "look" showing me the potty as she stood up. The potty seat was empty. I told her "it's empty Emily, you need to go potty." To which she replied to me with her index finger extended and her arm raised to her side, "Just a second" and then she really went potty!

Yummy Goodness.....

We have a sweet neighbor who offers us the surplus of veggies from his garden. We love it! Included in these generous offerings are zucchini. So we are eating zucchini quite frequently all summer long. We eat it steamed, breaded and fried, baked into cake and now baked into this most yummy, chocolately delicious bread! You must click here to get this recipe from my favorite recipe spot, Our Best Bites, and try it out for yourself! I think they even suggest to go and buy some zucchini to make this recipe if you are not so blessed by neighbors or your own garden! If you don't tell people there is zucchini inside they would never know!! My kids call it brownie cake.

He's 12!!!

Can you believe Logan is 12 now? I sure can't! Time sure flies by! He has already been to his first Young Men's activity last night. There was a combined activity which included swimming and food! What more could a 12 year old want?

Her 1st Bee Sting....

Last Friday evening we went over to our little neighborhood park to play. Emily LOVES to play on the slide and was happy to play with the other children there too. Steve sat on the bench next to the play structure and was swarmed by bees/wasps. So he moved from there. Emily however headed right for the bench after coming down the slide and was stung almost instantly.

I had some first aid wipes in the car for stings and quickly applied that to her sting. She seemed to get over it pretty quickly. It has been a few days since then and Emily will still hold up her arm to show you her "Bee".

This is Emily....

This is Emily after the kids leave for school.....

This is Emily when the kids get home from school.....

Emily will look for or call for the kids during the day while they are at school. The first day of school we dropped the kids off at the bus, two separate times. After the second group had left for school Emily came in and started calling for everyone. She is just delighted to see everyone when the get home.

Back to School....

On August 17th, with tissue boxes in hand and backpacks packed full, the kids boarded their buses headed back to school. This is our last year for grade school (for a couple of years anyway), our last year before I have a high schooler, the last year of split bus schedules, our last year of senior primary (until Emily gets up there). It is Emily's first year in nusery at church. It is the first year that Emily waves and says goodbye as the kids get on the bus. The first year for Kristina in Middle School. The first year that Katie and Carson are not in the same class. The first year that Jonny liked the first week of school. The first year that we don't go to the fair!

We have been to two class presentations since school has started. Carson gave his "I am an Influencial American" presentation during the first week of school and Katie gave hers at the beginning of this second week of school.

Goofy kids....

Oh, baloney...

I said to Emily yesterday, "You are stinky" to which she replied, "Oh, baloney"...

2nd visit to Quick Care...

Carson LOVES dogs. He was loving his favorite dog and fell onto the dog. The dog didn't like that much and responded so...

No stitches for this kiddo, just some steri-strips and some bruising. I think they need to go to school now....

School hardware...is it on your supplies list?

We are slowly getting ourselves ready to go back to school. I am NOT ready to be getting up early again and the homework everyday. After two visits in the last week to the Quick Care clinic I am ready to have them in a classroom all day.

In preparation for backpacks being put back into action, I was going through them and cleaning out what was left and checking to be sure they are ready for another year of wear and tear. I was surprised at the supplies Carson was keeping in his backpack.