The Princess and the Pea

So we were talking about missionaries, because we saw them at the store and Emmerlyn shunned them, and I had asked her why she didn't like the missionaries and she told me "I don't like our missionaries mom, I just like service missionaries!" I think this is because Grandma Allen is a family history missionary and Emmerlyn loves her! What an internal conflict for her to finally come to that conclusion.

On a related note when discussing another missionary recently returned from his mission Emmerlyn had refused to talk to him until he wasn't a missionary anymore but then still wasn't sure she really wanted to talk to him. When I asked her about it she said "I don't know mom, I think it's his face, he has a missionary face, I just don't like his face!"

You can picture her saying this with her very serious look.

*Disclaimer, no feelings were meant to be hurt with these statements! If you are offended remember that she is 3 :)*

From the Mouth of Goobs

So the other day we were working in the kitchen and Charley randomly said "mom, what would happen if the eggs HATCHED in the fridge?" (insert shaking wrists here)

"I guess we would have chickens in our fridge then" I replied

"Yeah mom, they would be saying 'cheep cheep brrrrrrr! cheep cheep brrrrrr!'"

Yeah we laughed hard!

Bird Watching

I think that bird watching has taken up more of my time this last week than anything else. While I teach piano lessons on Wednesdays Charley and Emmerlyn play downstairs and William babysits Brevick in the sunroom. Well this last week William took the time to stand by the windows and show Brevick the birds as they would come and go to our neighbor's bird feeders we don't feed birds because I hate them (think noise and bird poop) and want them to all go away. Brevick LOVED this and since then has constantly wanted me to go in there and hold him so he can watch the birds. Of course this takes a lot of time and he is very heavy so I brought him in a chair that he can push around to the windows and watch them and the dog. He can totally say Jetta now and it is so cute! He still likes me to come and look but not nearly as often!

 His pudgy-ness is irresistible these pictures don't do it justice but I love the form of his legs!

 Personal reading time. William has been really into these I survied books and really likes to read. Charley is also doing great with his reading and was able to read the Foot Book to Emmerlyn all by himself. Brevick just likes to get in the way, take peoples books and through things.

 He was 'helping' with the laundry!

The soccer games went really well this week. Charley did really good he even scored a goal! William did great watching the ball and he liked to get into all of the action. He has been practicing and is working on being a little more aggressive!

Emmerlyn likes to ride on the spinny merry-go-round (yeah the ones that are SO dangerous and I thought had been removed from all parks. Nope not in Glasgow!) Brevick likes to do a mix of soccer watching and running away. 

Ben is doing great working hard. We cleaned out the garage this weekend for our date because we are that kind of awesome. Have you noticed that there are never enough hours in the day to do all that needs to be done?

Busy

Busy is the word of the week. That is what we have all been The boys are busy with school and they started Soccer this week so that is fun! William is also busy hating piano lessons and getting ready for cub scouts to start up this year. Charley is busy trying to burn energy and sit still in church at the same time. Emmerlyn is busy keeping me on track for the day and wishing she was taking ballet.

She was practicing for the long jump.

We did apple painting for the letter A this last week. We are also working on writing her name and learning opposites. She loves to learn and I love to teach her so that is working out!

Brevick embodies the word busy. These are a few shots of what he likes to do during the day.

 Marshmallows! (He found a work-around for our now sugar cereal during the week rule, dump out the box while mom is puting away laundry and then eat it as fast as you possibly can!)

 Sometimes I am not sure if I will every keep up with him. Our goal with him is to make it through the Sacrament on Sunday then I spend the rest of the time in the halls. I have been taking him into nursery during 2nd hour (only 3 more months. . . ) then Ben and I take turns wrestling him during 3rd hr. 

He loves to get into stuff, I spend literally all day chasing him from one disaster to the next and let me tell you those little legs can really move! He is super cute and loves to go on walks in the stroller to pick up the boys.  I love the stage he is in right now because he is so sweet and innocently curious. I just don't like to take him anywhere. Leaving the house gives me anxiety. :/

Ben is busy with his work (yay for a billion deadlines and being understaffed!) his calling, and his family. He does a great job trying to balance everything!

I am busy just hanging on so I don't fall off this crazy ride. I did get to go to Glendive on Saturday for our stake Relief Society activity. It was great and sometimes it is a little good to get away for a day. Ben enjoyed his sample of 8-5 life (he had it lucky because Brevick took 2 REALLY good naps!)

Binkies, Blankies, Snuggles, and Dimples

This last week we worked on getting into the swing of a new school year. The boys had a great first day and Emmerlyn, Brevick, and I have been keeping busy! So far the boys are LOVING school, William keeps saying it's going to be the best year yet. I am so grateful for his enthusiasum because at the end of last year I wondered if I was going to have to drag him by his ears to school this year! 

Emmerlyn has been helping be do all of the things I need to do each day. She keeps a tight rope she likes to know what we need to get done and then as soon as we finish one task she likes to get started on the next one. She is not one for taking breaks! She had a fever over the end of last week but seems to have kicked and is back in action.

 I love to see him sneaking in some extra reading time! He has really started to enjoy reading. He still hates piano but he is coming along nicely. Only like 9 more years right?

 The boys wanted to buy science kits with some of their money so we let them. They started a project While I was at mutual last week and they are growing a dinosaur! They are pretty enthralled and I am glad that they are so interested in science.

 A fat little dude enjoying his favorite food. He LOVES bananas more than any other food *note the huge mouthful.

 Adorable. That's all there is.

 This weekend we got to have Grandma and Grandpa Allen come up to visit us! It was so good to see them and there was lots of fishing and playing and even some swimming. The weather wasn't super cooperative but it really never is so we just went with it. We had a fun time showing them the Interpretative Center. The kids were sad to see them go and Emmerlyn was pretty bummed that they went all the way back to Idaho, not just back to the hotel. . . 

It has been a very busy but great week!

Back to school

Yep this did finally happen! We went to the open house last night and met all of their teachers. The both have great teachers this year! (Emmerlyn and Brevick do too if I do say so myself. . . ) We dropped them off this morning just in the nick of time. Of course they were ready to leave at about 6:55 am and their school didn't start until 8:30 so the morning dragged on, and on, and on. Then when it was finally time to go Brevick had a big diaper so that threw us back and we got to school just as the first bell was ringing!They made it to their classrooms and looked a little nervous and a little excited! I am so happy with all of the things that they are doing they are great kids and will have a great year! 

(I couldn't pick which pictures I liked best so you get to see a billion different shots of the same Pic!

They made it home!!!!

Charley says "I feel. . tired, just tired. School was very, Very, VERY long."

William says "I think this year is going to be awesome!"

I agree with both!

Stealin' Kisses

We just were getting ready for a new year of school. We had a great ward party at the park on Saturday and the kids had lots of fun playing with their good friends.

These two were busy little thiefs

We had some banana ice cream cones (so yummy!)

They went fishing in the smoke. William made his own fishing pole out of a stick and they caught LOTS, Emmerlyn threw her shoe in the water; Ben is still not sure why that happened.

Yay for finished projects! Thanks to Vanna/Emmerlyn for posing so we could see scale. Now I just need some baskets but it works SO well!

Ring pops before rest time equals looking like zombies when you wake up!

This little girl wanted to get all of her school supplies organized before school started so she could be all ready. She even has zip loc bags and Kleenexes to share with her class (but she won't let us use them at this point. . . )