little things

At the beginning of each school year I have what I like to call my “honeymoon stage” with our new schedule.  It’s when all the hustle and bustle of the “extracurricular monster” has yet to work his sneaky fingers into all the nooks and crannies of life and we mosey along smoothly getting to what needs to be done. Sadly my honeymoon stage has come to a screeching halt and I find myself rushing from one thing to the next trying to listen to five children tell me something at once. It is a conscientious decision.  Dave and I have carefully picked what we will put on our plates. But that doesn’t mean I’m in love with being crazy.  When you have five children it all adds up more quickly that you are ready for.  Max and Elle have to leave at 6:55 for school. By then we are done with scriptures and breakfast.  I get to hang out with these three for some quality time after that ‘til they leave at 8:20.  …unless that “quality time” involves nagging and nagging and nagging them to get their morning stuff done.  Then it isn’t so much “quality” any more 🙂 It’s a good thing I’m so in love with them. Claire’s bike-riding posse:Love these girls. I adore Elle’s friends too.  Here are a few of them: The two on the left below got split into a different high school this year.  We are all pretty sad about that but happy that they still get together when they can.They don’t generally pose like that in pictures (ha ha)…they are making hand signals to show off their rivaling mascots. This is more like how they pose for pictures:They are goofy 🙂 A few people have asked what these kids do for fun around here.  They basically sit at each other’s houses and talk, a lot of times they bake, or they get creative. For example, a couple weeks ago they begged for a ride to Goodwill and made this big video about their adventures there. Pretty creative I must say. Having a “mud-fight” is also a great cure for boredom… Seriously, can you believe this? It was a church activity put on by some very nice (and hard working!) people who got it all set up like that.  (Elle begged to sneak back into our old ward for it 🙂  I was mesmerized enough to go watch for a little bit…. …and got his “gift” from one of my fav. girls as a reward: …along with mud splatted on my white shorts. I know, serves me right for wearing them after Labor Day 🙂 Max’s club volleyball has begun in full-force. They are pretty determined that they need to take state this year, so they are practicing hard. They practice for almost five hours on Tuesday and Thursday each week. This is how Max’s hair looks after that. Yeah, I’m thinking it might be time for a cut… (More funny stuff about that fluffy hair back here.) There is pretty much not a moment when he is home that there isn’t a volleyball bouncing off the walls. I have a love/hate relationship with that little fact. I love Max’s friends too but he would be mortified if I made them pose for a picture… The kids swim pretty much every single day. I finally grabbed some “clearance” swim suits at Old Navy so that we could outfit all the swimmers that need them all the time over here. Grace (my “gatherer” child) has sure had some fun of her own with her friends.I’m SO grateful we are surrounded by such good, nice kids around here. I forgot to put this  in Elle’s birthday post, but these girls pulled through with the traditional birthday candy bar poster: Claire has taken up being a videographer and a photographer.  Some day I will be both over-the-moon and horrified at the things she has most likely captured of our day-to-day life.  I think this one depicts a lot of how she sees her mother: She took this one of Max too which I love.Can you see that glimmer of love he has for his little sis? Dave’s parents came for a visit.  We love when they come to town and are looking forward to having them around more often in the winter.  After dinner Nana had a nice heart-to-heart with Elle about India: And we played “Ripple.”  …apparently Max got a bad card 🙂 We have some great memories of playing games with Nana and Papa.  They are the best. Lucy is really into writing. And writing. And writing. Her handwriting kills me with cute-ness.  (I know: I’m cheesy as can be, but seriously is it not darling?….) She also draws: …and draws and draws.(That white-board Claire got for Christmas is Lu’s pride-and-joy right now just in case you were wondering.) She is in such a great phase right now.  She’s gaining so much confidence in Kindergarten and is seeming to keep up really well academically. It’s been awesome except for the occasional begging for other’s “treats” at lunch and bawling reported in the halls from her big sisters because she wants to buy a pencil-topper and doesn’t have a quarter.  That makes my heart ache but I think we’ve talked her through it pretty well by now. I hope. Crazy Hair Day is always a hit around here. We brought bread to some of our leaders we are missing and are SO grateful for in our old ward after we made the switch-over (back here). …and made some really late-night deliveries.We still have more to go but can’t seem to get around to the bread-making part. I read a good half of this hefty book before book club last month:“Half?” you may ask…”what’s the big deal?” …or maybe you wouldn’t ask knowing my track record for book club the last few months.  But I’m coming back.  I hefted this thing all over India and Thailand… …and learned the most fascinating things about Catherine the Great who lived in Russia coinciding dates with all we were learning about Indian history.  That made it even more interesting.I learned so much from all the characters in that book based on all their memoirs.  I’m so impressed with the author and all the fabulous information he painstakingly gathered for that book. Grace is in ALP for math this year (“Accelerated Learning Program). It’s tough stuff but she’s rocking it. Elle has started stepping in helping to read with the little girls when I can’t get to helping everyone at the same time at night.  She has finally caught on to my secret: it’s awesome to have your hair done-up while you read. More when I can pull it together, but in closing I must report on my new church calling as the Junior Primary Chorister:  I don’t think too many of the kids have caught on that I haven’t a clue how to lead (or how to sing for that matter).  But the teachers aren’t quite as clueless.  One of them (who happens to be an amazing musician) has kindly pointed out that there are some conducting classes coming up and some resources where I can find some instructions in the meantime.  Lucy decided that she simply must adhere herself to my leg the whole time I’m up there trying to maneuver my way through the songs even after some serious talks about being a “big girl.” Today (attached once again safely to my leg), she decided it was a good idea to pick her nose whilst I was bumbling through the songs we are in crunch time to learn in time for the primary program this Sunday.  Yes, you heard that right: This Sunday.  Yeah, nothing like jumping right into it.  But boy, I sure like those kids already.  And the teachers and other primary leaders are the bomb.  Wait, is that like from the 80s?  You know what I mean 🙂