SYTYCD?

If you have no idea what this title means, then you won't really care that I went to the So You Think You Can Dance Tour:)  We only took two pictures since pictures of the stage doesn't really work out well.  Mostly, it was just fun because we went with our two couple friends.  Dinner and the car ride there is always just as much if not more fun than watching the dances.

 Tana, Jen and Me.  Lincoln would be complete if they would just move here!

Me and B, cute as ever

Updates on the big-uns...

I always have so much about the twins and Nathan on here since they are with me most of the day.  So it is time for some Bailey and Emma info!

Who is this giant child?!  This would be my first born "baby."  

His hair: He does it himself and is VERY specific about how it is done.  He likes to feel it touch his eyebrows when he wiggles them (real quote!)  Lately, Bailey has been "training."  This is what he calls running, and he actually has something to train for.  This Thursday he will be running in The Race to Feed the Hungry.  He has recently finished the entire Fablehaven series and will start Harry Potter next (oops, forgot to ask Uncle Curtis for those books...better do that).  He is a really good student and his teachers adore him, as they do every year.  

I think I have a new appreciation for this little one.  Yes, she's crazy and emotional, etc... But she is a ball of fun.  She has this favorite song that when it comes on the radio, insists we crank it up and dance and sing.  I don't know the title, but it says "I throw my hands up in the air (don't know the words) signing ay-oh, gotta let go.  I got to celebrate and live my life..." and it goes on, but she sings it at the top of her lungs and it is so funny.  Notice the mismatched socks?  It's her thing.  She is a trendsetter for sure at school and loves to be social.  She's getting pretty good at reading, but her favorite thing to do is make pictures for me.  She drew me a coupon today!  Guess my obsession is apparent to my children.  

We have this week off from school and are already enjoying it.  We have lots of fun things coming up, so I will be taking lots of pictures which always means blog posts.

Caught with her hand in the Cookie...Bag!

Loading time can be stressful around here sometimes.  Even when I just have to load the little three, it can get chaotic.  Nathan was strapped in, Addison was strapped, in and I look around and no Kate?!  Well, she has done this many times before so this time I was not panicking when I couldn't find her.  (A few weeks ago after a ten minute search, I found her in our closet with the door closed behind Ben's shirts!)  I looked in the usual places, calling her name.  She must have heard me...  Well, she didn't want to be found because this is what I saw a few minutes later

As soon as I turned the corner, she started SCREAMING when she saw me because she knew I would take her down.  She cried long enough I got two good shots of this.

Now, this little girl is smart enough (and strong enough!) to push a tub of food storage flour from under the kitchen island over to this corner.  She must have seen the bag of goldfish and it sparked her interest.  To her surprise, there was a bag of cookies right behind the goldfish.  She was in heaven.

Mean mommy took her down and put her in the car, screaming the entire way.  I was actually pretty impressed with her problem solving skills!

My Little Man

He did a great job mowing our back lawn!  That's what you have kids for, to work them right?! :)

Fall is here

 And so are the leaves in our front yard...

 We made two piles. One for the three little ones...

 And one for the bigger kids.  This is our next door neighbor and Emma's new little friend, Amanda.  She also has an older sister named Taylor who likes to play with the twins as well.

 Making leaf angels

 Cute little girls!  They happen to be in our ward as well, which is even better.

 They got leaves EVERYWHERE.  But that is what our leaf blower is for.

 Addison's idea of jumping into the pile

 Kate usually just went for it.

 Bailey came back from his walk to the park (he walks there to read, how cute, right?)

I'm glad we still have some nice days and afternoons for playing outside!

Too Old

It's been coming. He doesn't like me to kiss him goodnight, even when no one else is there to see. Hugs are stiff (well, they have been for a while since that is just his way). When I used to volunteer in his class, he would be excited to see me and let me talk to him.  Well, no more! I was in his class as the art docent yesterday and he wouldn't even acknowledge I was there.  I got a few sly glances.  I tried to mess around with him and tap him on the shoulder a bit. No response, just kept working.  Not even a stop, Mom...just ignoring:)  He got hurt the other day and didn't even want to be comforted, he just said "I'm OK" through teary eyes and a red face and walked away.  Funny thing is, I'm not the slightest bit offended or hurt.  He's 9 and likes to be "cool."  It's sort of amusing to me.  I will probably bug him at home for hugs and kisses, but I am smart enough to leave him alone in public, especially in his class.  And I even controlled myself when explaining what a Boogie Woogie was to his class.  I don't think anyone wants their mom dancing at school:)

Ode to those left behind

While the big two are at school.  Today in the rush to get to school on time, I forgot the twins shoes.  We were going to head to the gym, but going home to get shoes, and THEN back to the gym...sigh.... So we walked/ran to Foskett Park by our house.  Pushing 50 pounds worth of twins and a giant stroller while "chasing" a three year old on a power wheel really works up a sweat.  By the time we go there, all they wanted to do was fight for my lap and eat goldfish.  So Nathan played and then we came home:)

 The other day they were hugging and laughing, so I tried to grab the camera and take a picture.  By the time I got to them, Addison had hugged too hard and they fell over, still laughing!

 After our walk today. Kate asked to watch Do-Wa (Dora).

 As you can see, Addy was not happy about the situation.

 Kate, playing the guitar while watching Dora.

 Addison was even more mad when I tried to take her picture

 Miwk, in a sippy cuuuppp, pwease!

 Addison finally perked up when she found my "birthday" hat from Chevy's.  I celebrated (yes my birthday was a month and a half ago!) with Tanalee and Jen last night.  It was busy around my birthday, so we had to make up for it.  I was sang to and got free dessert, haha!

 Trying to be happy.  It didn't last long as Nathan decided he wanted to wear the hat shortly after this.

 Nathan, oh Nathan

On the way to the park and back, whenever he went downhill, he pedaled faster. No coasting for him, it is all about the speed.  When he took a corner wrong and bailed, he got up and laughed, " I love falling!!!!!"

 His most recent carry around items.  A green, white and an orange skeleton. 

 Um, don't know why she did this, but she thought it was funny.

Appropriate head attire for watching Dora, right?