Preschool Registration

It’s 7:20 a.m. in the morning and I have been at the preschool I want Kade to attend next school year for an hour.  Guess I could have gotten more sleep. . .I’m still the only one here.  I’ve heard from a couple people that sometimes there can be a line early so I just thought I’d beat them all. There are only 5 Pre-K spots left in the class and I have no desire to be put on a waiting list and not know what’s going to happen in the fall for sure.  Now I know!  Kade will be five in June, but I have felt strongly for a couple years now that I would keep him home until he was six and that decision has been backed by many people who have kept their summer birthday boys home one more year – besides the fact I feel really good about it.  It’s now 7:25 and my first competition is outside.  Yes, outside.  I got here at 6:20, but I have been inside the church since around 6:30 when the janitor felt bad that I was sitting in the car in the dark and let me in.  We’ve had all kinds of discussions - . . . . oh, now I just got moved to a really pretty little room with a beautiful stained glass window because the people arriving outside are getting quite upset that I’m already in here (it is colder in here than it was out in the foyer).  I would be upset if I were them, too, but the janitor doesn’t want the all those people to come in before the preschool people are here at 8:00 a.m.  He told me to make sure I was back out in the main room before 8:00 to assure my place in line, though he already let me sign the sign-in sheet so they will call my name first anyway.  I must be living right for today!

Kade is now registered for preschool for next year!  Yeah!  I like knowing what our plans for next year are going to be.

Kade Solo Ski with Dad 2011

After a poor decision to take both Kirra and Kade skiing last year (see Snowy Red River blog post about Kade being carried down the hill), I decided this year to instead focus on getting Kirra to ski on her own.  I told Kade that he couldn’t go skiing with me until she was able to “ski on her own”.  Kirra and I have been several times together (starting in Utah and going twice in New Mexico).  She is now able to ski blue runs on her own without fear of falling.  Although this was great for her, it meant that the mental goal I had set for her was now complete … time for Kade.

Actually, I was excited about the chance to spend some time alone with Kade and teach him skiing.  He was motivated by the fact that Kirra got to go by herself and watch movies in the car during the drive to Santa Fe.  We packed up the car and headed up to the Santa Fe Ski Area.

Upon arrival, we got his ski boots, clothes, and helmet on and headed for the slopes.  A great move for us this year was the purchasing of used ski equipment from the ski swap.  This saves hours of time in the rental lines!  Another pleasant surprise was the fact that a ski pass for Kade was free since he is still a “little one”. 

After securing our passes to our coats, we walked with our equipment (me carrying all of it) over to the “magic carpet” (a rubber-like flat escalator).  Kade was really excited to try it!  We eased ourselves onto the “lift” and rode our 100 feet up the light slope.  At the top, I put Kade between my legs and we skied together to the bottom and climbed on again.  About halfway up, he said, “I’m bored of the magic carpet.”  I made him try it several more times, each time helping him to do more and more of the skiing.  At this point, it was time for lunch (we started late in the day). 

 We took a break to sit, relax, and eat our lunch.  I showed Kade the beginner ski lift and explained to him how we would be able to get on and then get off.  He was excited to ‘graduate’ from the magic carpet even though he hadn’t really done anything on his own yet.  However, my goal was to make sure that he liked skiing enough to want to come back and try it again.  After lunch, we headed up to the beginner lift and climbed on.  He loved the fact that the chairs are numbered and we were always one number higher than the chair in front of us (somehow that makes us “win”). 

I spent the rest of the afternoon helping him to gain confidence and improve his skiing ability.  I probably went down the hill backwards half of the time (with him holding my poles for stability).  We made quite a sight, especially since he may have been one of the smallest people on the beginner hill.  The rest of the runs I mixed it up by putting him between my legs, or holding on to one of my poles on the side.  He did great!  (recall my experience last year where I literally carried him down the runs every time [why did I rent him skis?])

 At the end of the day, I asked him what his favorite part was and he said, “When you bought me skittles!”  At least he still wants to go back and try it again.

Valentine's Day 2011

It's Feburary 15th and I'm just loving the fact my front door has been open letting wonderful fresh air in for a few hours now.  The weather is BEAUTIFUL!

Now onto our Valentine's Day!  I'm sure I used to get totally excited for Valentine's Day, but my kids were over the top.  Kade busted out of bed yesterday morning yelling, "Its Valentine's Day!"  The torture for him was that he goes to school in the afternoon so it was a long wait until after lunch before he could go.  He was so excited to give his classmates and teachers their cards.  He made special Valentine's for his five teachers - I forgot to take a picture.  Kirra made a special Valentine for her teacher and I'm not sure if she was so glad it was Valentine's Day or just the fact she was going back to school for the first time in two weeks (snow week + sick week).

These are gorgeous flowers Scott and Kirra picked out for me last Saturday - 

I have really been enjoying them.

 For those who know me well. . . holidays and parties are my thing!  Love them!  I helped in Kirra's classroom for committees Monday morning (Scott was home sick - sorry he didn't feel well but having someone at home while I run errands is bliss) and then I came home and helped get Kade ready for school and out the door.  Then off to do more errands for me.  I was racing so I could be home before Kade and get the kitchen decorated with Dollar Tree balloons, some streamers, and fun table settings.  When Kade got home he immediately showed us all his Valentine's and then when he walked into the kitchen he gasped and kind of yelled. I loved it!  He was so impressed.  Kirra on the other hand maybe has started to expect stuff like this so when she walked in and Kade was waiting for her reaction it wasn't that great.  He was disappointed and I was too - just a little.

 For dinner we had crab legs, artichokes and rice.  Why we made the rice I will never know.  Nobody wanted to eat it - they only wanted the good stuff.  Eating crab and artichokes is so much more enjoyable when you are feeding yourself, but when you have three ravenous kids who have been trained to like this stuff the adults don't get much to eat for awhile.  Keian is really sad in this picture because he's been sick and he was in a really bad mood.  Once he finally tasted the crab and artichokes he was on board and kept asking for more.  I'm glad Kirra and Kade can eat artichokes on their own now because I was busy enough getting more melted butter, getting artichoke for Keain and then maybe getting a bite of crab.

 Bubs enjoying dinner.

 Kade is NOT the best eater in our family, but last night he went to town on dinner.  

Guess he just has expensive taste buds!

 Keian is holding up TWO fingers because that's how many chocolate covered strawberries he ate.  I have never made chocolate covered strawberries before, but I will be doing it more often now!  They were delicious!  I used milk chcoolate chips melted with a bit of shortening and they were yummy!  I didn't put them in the fridge so they didn't get really hardened and since I don't like cold fruit there were about the best thing I have ever eaten.  Kirra and I ate and ate and ate! 

  We didn't take a picture, but the kids did get little surprises and Daddy got guitar lessons!  He'll be taking every other week for awhile - he got a guitar for Christmas and wants to learn and without me finding a teacher and giving him the money he probably would have never done it.

I love excuses to do something out of the ordinary!

Happy Valentine's Day!

Nothing Like a Popsicle

 To make you feel better!

 This mustache really won't wash off - 

he still looks like he's got stuff on his upper lip and its hours later.

Poor Keian!  He feels so rotten today that he is kind of loopy and he keeps telling me he wants Nana to come pick him up so he can go to her house and play in the secret hideout.  He even keeps looking out the front window because he thinks she'll be here in a second to get him.  "But I need her!"  I agree Keian, Nana can always make you feel better.

I Left the House Today!

And it was glorious!  Thank you Scott for coming home at lunch time so I could go out with some wonderful women celebrating Kristin being in town! It's been quite interesting at my house the last week and a half and today was a mental health recuperation day.  Even if I was only gone two hours it still felt good to shower, get dressed, put on make-up, do my hair and leave the house. Simple things in life are sometimes the sweetest. 

So Sunday, January 30th I woke up with a tickle cough in my throat and as the day progressed so did my cold.  After the From Cumorah's Hill practice I came home and went straight to a hot tub because I couldn't get warm and I ached everywhere.  I took some NyQuil and went to bed and woke up the next morning thinking I might die.  I was way sick to my stomach and so light headed I couldn't even put jam on the toast Scott made for me.  Thank goodness Scott didn't have meetings until 9:00 a.m. that morning so he helped get the kids breakfast and Kirra off to the bus.  Julie picked up Kade for school that day and when she dropped him back off she left me a frozen lasagna, ice cream and NesQuik (she must know that's my fav) and told me it was comfort food.  What an incredible blessing and one of the nicest things anyone has ever done for me!  Then I was lucky enough to have Patti drop off some french bread and eggs (just in case we were in for the long haul) so we were set for dinner.  Scott spent Monday through late Wednesday in Florida so he wasn't around to help with dinners. 

Tuesday I woke up feeling pretty good and was surprised.  I think part of my horrible feelings on Monday were due to the NyQuil I took because I had a similar reaction not too long ago.  It was a 'snow' day here in Albuquerque so I took all three kids to the Hansen's and drove - not kidding - 5 mph on Paseo to the Interstate.  Crazy!  I went to my follow-up Lasik appointment and the great news of the day is that my vision is now 20/15 - yeah!  The kids and I did go to the Dollar Store and Smith's later in the day, but it had gotten so cold outside it was quite miserable.  The kids were crying by the time we walked from Smith's back to our car after we got our groceries!  We are NOT used to the cold!

Wednesday we had planned a play/craft day for Kirra and some of her friends.  Wednesdays are short days at school, but it turned out school was canceled because of freezing temperatures and ice.  So the girls came at 10:00 and stayed until 4:00.  They had a blast together.  I was still feeling OK, but as the day went on I got feeling worse and worse.  Then it seems the days became endless!  I was sick Thursday again and Kade started to feel yucky.  We had another day off of school because  it was so cold the buses wouldn't start.  Then Friday we were off school again because our state was in a natural gas crisis and they didn't want to heat the schools.  For the same reason Scott didn't have work so he and Kirra headed up to Sandia Peak for some skiing taking the Tram up and down.  They had a great day!  Saturday Kirra had a basketball game that Scott took her to and then he went a played outdoor soccer with some guys from our ward.  Sunday was Stake Conference that we missed because Kade just got worse each day and Kirra finally came down with it on Saturday night.  Keian had a runny nose for days, but was just miffed that all of us were so useless. 

We were saved Monday morning (after Daddy left for Washington DC) by Castle coming to pick Keian up for a few hours.  He was almost jumping out of his skin he was so excited to go with her.  She knocked on the door and he said, "It's my Castle!" and then as soon as I opened the door he tried to run outside.  He was ready to go!  When Castle dropped Keian off for his nap I pleaded with her to stay just for a few minutes so I could drive down to the library and pick up a book I had on hold.  So that was 11 minutes of wonderfulness leaving the house!  Castle even brought us dinner Monday night - yummy chicken noodle soup to go with the homemade rolls she dropped off the night before.

Tuesday brought still sick Kirra, even sicker Keian and Kade who just wants to get out of the house.  Tuesday night we piled in the car and went through the Chick-fil-a drive-thru just to say we'd been out of the house and so I didn't have to cook.  Biggest bummer of the whole situation is that we have three tickets to go see Wicked this weekend and I'm pretty sure we'll have to be finding someone who wants them.  Scott is starting to feel a little yucky, if Kirra coughs as long as Kade and I have then she will be disrupting everyone around us.  Kirra is crushed and I am way sad - Scott probably is secretly smiling inside.

But today. . . .oh, beautiful today!  It's cold out, but I have such a better outlook on life.  I got to have lunch about a dozen women from my ward and a friend I haven't seen in five years.  And - there's a relief society meeting tonight and I can go because my husband is home.  Yes! 

S.T.A.R.S

So I am one of the luckiest people on earth and get to be an adviser to the 12-13 year old girls at church.  We call them Beehives and they are some of the most amazing girls I have ever known.  For our YW New Beginnings we had the theme "To Be a S.T.A.R." - Standing for Truth And Righteous.  The Laurels (16-17 year old girls) did the make-up and hair of our Beehives and the girls got to wear prom dresses in the value colors.  The MiaMaids and Laurels then presented stories, scriptures and quotes about the values.  It was a fun night!

 Now this was our 15 minute transformation!  Cute Lydia was late to the dressing since she had a basketball game so they put her together as fast as they could!

 Miss Faith

 

Miss Divine Nature - quite the transformation!

 

Miss Individual Worth

  Miss Knowledge

 Miss Choice & Accountability

Miss Good Works

 Miss Integrity

 Miss Virtue

 Miss Personal Progress

Last Day Together

It’s hard to say good-bye to someone you have known your whole life and have them move to another state.  Someone who you can totally be yourself with and someone who has this amazing sense of style!  Oh, Miss Eliza how we miss having you in our home.  Kade can’t wait until we can come see you guys and have you visit us.  Hurry, Spring Break, Hurry!

 I don't know if there are preschoolers anywhere that play together as well as these two!  Never a fight, never a problem, and almost always dressing up! :)  Found a video the other day of when they were two - both dressed up in princess dresses and crowns.  Oh, its hard to tell friends good-bye!

1-13-11

Whoa!

I just found the paper with Keian's stats from his 2 year well visit - here's how it compares with Kade & Kirra

                 Height:           Weight:                 Head:
Keian:        37.75"            28 lbs. 14 oz.        50.7 cm
Kade:         33.5"              23 lbs. 7 oz.         48 cm
Kirra:         34.25"            22 lbs. 4 oz.          48 cm

Whoa!  Bubs is a BIG boy!

Reflections

This year for the PTSA Reflections program the theme was "Together We Can".  Kirra decided to take some pictures on our hike to the petroglyphs and titled her work, "Together We Can Save Things From the Past".  She arranged them all on the poster and taped them on - it was really hard for her to choose which pictures to use since they wouldn't all fit.  

She got 2nd Place in the K-2 category!  

My good friend, Sharee, was in charge of the Reflections program this year so it was fun for Kirra to get her award from someone she knows well.  Each winner got a chance to tell a little about their entry.

Kirra & Daphne with their entries.  What cute girls!

 

I love that Kirra is interested in participating in things like this and I hope she continues to enjoy creating things.

11-30-10