Every Letter has a sound

Landon didn't want to leave the school.  He wanted to be in there with his girls!

I told him that we would go home and mommy would have school with him.  And this is exactly how the theme for this impromptu school at home came about.  We were driving down our driveway and I saw a huge bug on the windshield, which I pointed to and said, "Landon, look at the bug!"  "Do you know what bug starts with?"  "B!"  "Say, BBBBBBBUG!"  And our lesson began.
Out on the deck we blew BBBBBubbles!  {I know, bad camera issues.  I must have that thing on a wrong setting.}

Then we played with playdough and cut out BBBBButterflies and BBBBBells.

Then we had lunch and blew BBBBubbles with our milk.  Seriously, I could gobble him up.

When Seth got home that afternoon, I said, "Landon tell your daddy what letter you learned today!"
Landon screamed, "C!"

Oh BBBBBoy!!!!!

Laurel {3} Savannah {1}

Laurel and Savannah's first day of school!  Wow, it was a beautiful morning.  It was early. We were not ready to give up our laid back, summer routine we had just mastered.

 

Surprise!  Guess who is going to school with us?  Our cousin Jeana.  They are staying with us until they can find a house here in Chelsea.  We are so excited!  It has been one big party with Savannah, Laurel, and Jeana since they got here. 

Landon, Sawyer and I walked them in the first day.  Landon had to have his backpack too.

Savannah with Mrs. Spellerberg, who was Miss Roy, when Laurel had her in first grade.  Crazy how Savannah got the same teacher.

Laurel with Mrs. Picklesimer!  As you can imagine, we had many laughs before school started listening to Laurel and Savannah learning how to pronounce their teacher's names.  Savannah kept calling her's Mrs. Smellerberg!

 

Dining on the front porch

One Saturday morning, I heard Laurel and Savannah going in and out of the house.  They would come in and get things as they were whispering to each other.  I said, "what are you two girls up to?"  They just giggled and said, "it's a surprise!  Now don't come out on the front porch until we tell you and daddy to." 

Later that afternoon, they brought us out to this.  They had set up a private dinner for us.  They even had their cd player plugged in with music going.  I love the centerpiece, plastic cup with pinecones and leaves.  I loved their combination of china and paper plates.

They came up with a menu for our dinner selection.

Then we placed our order and they served us.

Now, this is using your imagination!

This cute little guy joined us for dinner.
I was quite impressed.

They presented us with this artwork later that night.
We love these girls!

A small Coo-Coo moment

So I had a small breakdown this summer.  I would like to blame it on hormones after having baby number four.  Or, I could blame it on my dad.  Because you know, everything is still your mom or dad's fault, right?  In my head, I want my house to be perfect.  I want everything to be organized.  But, in reality this doesn't happen. 

For several weeks, I had been begging and begging for some help from my two sweet girls.  I would say, "please help me by picking up your toys.  All I ask is that you put all of your toys away for me.  They are great helpers with Landon and Sawyer but when I ask them to help with putting away their toys, they just get very overwhelmed and can't get it done. 
One Saturday morning, I had been out buying groceries.  I came home and asked Laurel and Savannah to go upstairs and clean the playroom.  Laurel said, "Daddy just made us clean out from under our bed, now you are asking us to clean the playroom.  Are we just going to clean all day!?

I snapped.  I grabbed an armful of black garbage bags and politely and calmly looked at my sweet Laurel and answered, "no, actually you won't be cleaning anything else today, or for awhile.  Put your feet up sweetheart.  Do you want a snack?  Turn on a movie.  Mommy will take care of the toys."
She followed me to her room.  Her eyes were big, big, BIG.  I started grabbing everything off the floor and putting it in the garbage bags.  She was saying, "my friends are going think you are the meanest mommy ever when they come over and we don't have any toys."  I calmly replied, "well, you will just have to tell them that you don't like to pick up your toys when you are finished playing so now you must use your imagination!"

There were moments when I questioned, "am I being too tough?"  Then a voice would answer, "absolutely not!"  "How many times have you warned them that this was going to happen one day?"   With every toy that hit the garbage bag, my stress level decreased tremendously.  So I just kept right on going, all the way to the playroom and continued to sweep the floor clean.  I bet there ended up being about 10 garbage bags taken to the basement.

Fast forward a few days later.  "Girls, do you miss your toys?"  As they look at one another, "not really."  "Girls, do you like a clean house?  Does it make you feel better when the house is clean?"  Laurel replies, "yes, but to be honest with you, I just don't like to clean!"  In my head I'm thinking, where did I go wrong and I reply, "well, at least you are honest!"  Savannah quietly says, "cleaning is kinda boring and it gets me hot and sweaty."  I promise FUTURE HUSBANDS, I will have these girls whipped into shape before they marry you, is the next thought that went through my head.

So this happened back in July and the toys are still in bags in the basement.  And what we have realized.  Toys are so overrated!
And I should have listened to my dad when he told me a few years ago during a visit.  "Lori, you have way too many toys up here in this playroom.  You need to pack up half of them and rotate them out."
And he was right.
And I couldn't help but get a little giggly as I was throwing the toys in the bags, thinking of how proud my dad would be of my small coo-coo moment!

Star struck

You know those little kids who get so excited when they see a famous singer, such as Justin Bieber and they start giggling and crying all at the same time?  Well, that is what happens to Sawyer when Seth walks in. 

He keeps giggling and wimpering....

Until Seth picks him up and swings him all around!

To this little guy, dad is his famous person.

Rolling with our friends

We picked up Krispy Kreme doughnuts and headed to the roller rink to meet our besties, Ava and Lily.

They are the happiest group of girls, which makes me and their mama very happy!

Highlights from the rink:

There were some ups and downs!

Laurel is such a happy girl!  She is always saying the funniest things that just make us laugh so hard.  She is such a sweet friend and is always looking out for those around her.

I love, love, love this girl!  I feel so lucky and blessed to be her mom.  She keeps me on my toes and keeps me straight. 
The other night, she did something and I called her into my room and closed the door and said,
" Laurel, what the heck are you thinking?" (don't ask me what made me say that word because it isn't a word I ever use.  It must have been a stressful day.)  And her eyes got so big and she said, "hmmm.. excuse me!  Do you really think a mommy should be saying that word!?"  I busted out laughing and told her I really didn't know where that word came from and no, it probably didn't sound very good.  Now, I didn't let her get away without talking to her about what she was brought into the room for, but this is such an example of her personality!  And goodness, I hope she stays this way!!!

Laurel turns 9

My sweet little Laurel Lou turned 9!  Laurel wanted us to have a family party for her and then she wanted to invite her best friends Ava and Lily to the roller skating rink.  I made her a special dinner and for the life of me I can't remember what it was!  It was special though :) 

I had taken Sawyer to his room to put him down for a nap.  I heard dishes clanking and was so hoping everything was under control.  When I came out, Savannah and Laurel had set the table for Laurel's birthday dinner.  I thought it was the cutest thing ever.

She picked out an oreo icecream cake and a musical candle.  I think Landon is actually the one who blew out the candle! 

I let her pick out her own gift and I was so surprised when she said she wanted this baby alive doll.  You see, this doll pees and poops!  You mix up this nasty mixture, which is probably pretty close to the nasty baby food I feed Sawyer, and the doll is suppose to poop.  I said, "Laurel, don't you think we have enough peeing and pooping going on in our house already!?"  She wanted it!

She really is such a mothering little girl.  She is such a good sister and helper with her brothers and sister.  She loves getting Sawyer out of his crib.  She will change his diaper, bring him to the kitchen, put him in the chair and open a jar of food and start feeding him.
We love her so much!