Like Sands Through the Hourglass....

I realized it has been almost two months since I have updated! Today, Nathan is home from Church with a stomach bug so I might as well take the opportunity to catch up:) (ummm..this never got finished and it is now December 31 and I am bound and determined to actually finish and update the blog!) Update again, it's January 2nd! But I am bound and determined to finish this today.

Our yard is slowly coming along, with the new grass put in quite a few months ago. Just having this to look out at instead of all dirt is so much better. We are still working on what is going to happen in the backyard.

I got to go see Maroon Five and Kelly Clarkson in concert with these two lovely ladies. I hadn't been to a concert in a very long time, and probably won't go again for a very long time :) We sat on the grass area at the amphitheater in Wheatland. I always love people watching and this concert provided a few laughs (although that probably wasn't what those particular people thought they were providing).

Since all the kids have been at school, I able to go to the temple once a week with Melanie. We've had to find just the right time to go when it isn't super busy (who knew?!) She hates this picture, but it's the only documentation I have right now so many apologies! I love being able to go to the temple so often and it is even nicer to have someone to go with, especially those days you'd rather not make the effort.

This is killing me. Seriously when did he get this old looking. The other day I caught a girl checking him out when I picked him up from school. Not cool, Missy! (although I think it's kind of cute:) )

Josh and Kelly came from Arizona and stopped our way on their visit to CA. We had a mini Oram family get together with some of the cousins. I don't think all of them would fit in a picture! Of course we ended up at Round Table with the clan and they all had a great time.

Kate and Addison had a Jog-a-Thon at school and had the greatest time. Here is their class all ready to go. Seriously, I cannot say enough about their TK teacher. She is amazing! The girls adore her and have learned a lot already.

Emma loves when I drive on field trips. We went to Empire Mine in Grass Valley. Although the field trip was not the most exciting (I didn't even like these kind when I was her age), I am always glad when I can be there. We found out after this picture we shouldn't have been in this area...oops.

So is this the third picture of me and Melanie? It is, but we spend a lot of time together:) We went to Time Out for Women in Reno. When I say we went to TOFW, I mean we went the first night and then skipped the next day and went to the movies. Hopefully I don't offend any of the Time Out lovers, but man this one was too much like a book tour. We did have wonderful discussions on the drive all around about the Gospel, so our own two person version was much more uplifting!

 Some highlights from our family excursion to watch Bailey in a cross country meet.

 I let the kids take pictures of everything.

 Twirling twins

 She loves to pose

Me, not so much, but have to show I was there.

Bailey had a great season. He won the award for Most Improved, shaving almost two minutes off his average pace.

In other achievement news, Bailey is advancing in Scouts very quickly. He earned the rank of Tenderfoot and after Church today has another Board of Review to advance again. 

At MMCA, the students have to dress in a costume that goes along with Cultural Day. First graders are American Icons, and 4th graders have to be a person from California history (and who they do a report on). Nathan was adamant that he was going to be the "Grand 'ol Flag" (his exact words). Emma chose Nancy Reagan. Luckily she had the hair for it and we found a cute business suit at EcoThrift.

 Nathan in his Halloween night costume.

 Princess Kate. I'm wondering how many more years she will be dressing as a princess because I think this is year three.

 Bailey as one of the Dr.s from Dr. Who. Don't ask me anything about it because I don't know or understand, but he loves this show.

 The little ballerina

 My dad did Emma's makeup this year (for the reason see the next post!) It turned out awesome and she got so many compliments.

 She was super scary.

Ready to go trick or treating!

They came back with a ton of candy. I convinced them to sell it to an orthodontist who pays $1/pound. They saved a small bag each and then got $14! 

Bailey used his portion of the money to buy a machete. I guess I thought this was a good idea? I was the one shopping with him. Ben was a little shocked I let Bailey buy it, but so far so good.

Nathan has come so far in school and is really improving. He is also quite the ladies man. I help in his class every Monday and was informed by one of the girls in his class that two girls have crushes on him. He eats this stuff up and isn't shy about it. I guess who can resist that dimple. 

Last week, the twins got their report cards for the first part of the year. Krispy Kreme gives out one doughnut for every A or equivalent so we headed there with the Cadle twins.

These four love to play (thanks to the forced friendship Melanie and I made for them!). Nothing is funnier than to listen to two sets of twins talk and interact. I don't think it is the same as just four five year olds. 

This last Saturday, we participated in our Stake's Turkey Trot. There was a 2 mile, 5K and 10K option. The twins, Nathan and I did 2 miles. Nathan finished way ahead of us, taking off in the beginning at top speed. He is having trouble walking today since he has never run that long at a time before. I am super proud of all our kids who have decided that they like to run.

My friend took this picture of Addison and I crossing the finish line.

Emma did the 5K option but I don't have a picture. Bailey was going to do the 10K but had a Scout service project that morning he decided to do instead.

And now, since this post is super long, I will end it and move on to catching up with the rest of the pictures!

Life with School

I live in the car.

Now, some will say "No complaining! You did this to yourself!!" Well, of course I am not complaining so much as stating a fact. I.Live.In.The.Car.

Five kids, three schools. Where else would I be?!

I also have a problem with raising my hand and saying pick me! I'll do it! Which means I also am at these three school helping a lot. Although I think that is part of my job. But I did sit on my hand pretty well this last week when some things came up I technically did have time to do but I had other things screaming my name at home.

Bailey has been having meets on most Saturdays. He now loves practice and they run them 4-5 miles a day, 5 days a week. You can imagine I am also living at the grocery store to keep up with his food intake:)

He has brought his times mile down from 9 minutes to 7:45 and is super excited to get it down further. 

Emma is my musician, learning piano and ukelele.  She is a natural at piano and I am excited to have someone musical in the house. 

 I come in to Nathan's class once a week to do handwriting with the 1st graders. I also went on Nathan's first field trip with him. He loves when I am field trips so he can hold my hand and sit in my lap. At almost 7 that's pretty good and I'll take it while I can.

 At the Rocklin Police station

 The whole class in jail

Hopefully not future inmates

 Kate and Addison also had their first field trip to the Loomis Flower Farm.

 They got to do something so other Oram child has-Ride the Bus

 You would have thought they were going to Disneyland or something the way they talked about this bus ride for weeks. The other kids were jealous that the twins were able to ride a bus when they never have.

 Part of the field trip was harvesting the carrots on the farm

 The guide was Farmer John. He is now a celebrity in our house

 She wasn't too excited to pick the carrots.

Until they picked a large batch of them and then it was somehow fun.

 Looking at the baby chicks

 She found this orange on the ground that wasn't quite ripe.

 The TK class posing on the lawn

Playing tag while waiting for the bus to take them back to school. Half the kids were on meltdown status before the bus even came back to get them. It's hard being a TKer!!

 Happy to have Mom on the trip

It wouldn't be complete without a picture all together with Lauren and Maddie

Flashback a few weeks to our temple trip with the youth. Bailey got to go in for the first time. It was a great experience to share with him.

 The entire group

 Smart thought of the day: Buy $6 in Walmart costume supplies to get 4 dozen doughnuts on Pirate Day from Krispy Kreme

Dumb result: They wouldn't give them out per kid, but per family (even though it advertised per kid!)

Oh well...

Yes, we see them a lot:)

Emma was upset on day trying to write her talk for primary. Big brother Bailey to the rescue. It was too cute.

We have to put Alyssa on the blog! Their favorite babysitter (who isn't a grandparent:) )

And now I am finally caught up!

Tooth Fairy 3

This tooth held on for a LONG time. I tried the daddy washcloth trick and it didn't go as planned. Usually, Ben will tell them he is going to "wash" the loose tooth. When he puts the wet rag on the tooth it very easily falls out with a small tug. I thought how simple that must be, right? WRONG.

Instead, I got greedy and tried to pull both bottom teeth out since they were equally loose (or so I thought). There was a yank, a loud popping noise and lots of blood. No tooth was out. Nathan was crying, I was apologizing....and one of the teeth was just hanging. I don't know why he let me do it again to clean up the blood but I got one of the teeth out. He was so excited he forgave me for almost killing him previously.

Phase 2

I am not sure how many phases on child rearing there are. But I have most definitely moved into a new one. All of my children are in school. Not even half days, but full day, minimum 9-2 I have no little ones to chase after. Still not sure how I feel about this. It's been a whirlwind for sure. It is probably obvious that I am blogging about the first day of school weeks after it actually happened.

 These two were the first to go, a full week before the others. They have been waiting for this day all summer and we were very fortunate that they got in. 

Maddie, Addison, Lauren, Kate

 

Since birth, Melanie and I have been "forcing" these girls to all be friends. What's cuter than two sets of twins only 2 months apart being friends?

Pictured here is their very first photo op and their photo together on the first day of school. 

The girls LOVE school and are doing really well. It will make Kindergarten next year so much easier for them, because they can call this Transitional Kinder all they want but it's Kindergarten:)

This guy was next.  A new school, yikes! Bailey started at Western Sierra Collegiate Academy for 7th grade. This means changing classes, lockers, and all that good stuff. The first week was tough for him. I don't even think I can really write how I was feeling that week. It's so hard when you can't do anything to help them adjust and figure things out. Tears were shed (although maybe more from me at night while trying to sleep). But he is working through it and has really progressed so much faster than he ever used to. He joined cross country and is excited for the season. 

First and Fourth Grade

This was the easiest send off! Nathan has the same teachers and Emma has Bailey's previous ones. Nathan still loves going to school and hates weekends when he can't be there. Emma is social as ever and is really doing well with the new pile of work that comes with 4th grade.

This was taken the day everyone was all in school for the first time. Now, it was sort of a teaser as Emma and Nathan had half days all week. It took a few weeks to really have everything start to be normal. We have a nice little routine every day. I am getting better about packing lunches the night before. Getting all of them ready to walk out the door in the morning is quite interesting sometimes. Especially since I have to look normal too. Kate and Addison's school isn't a drop off, but a walk up to the class room. I can't be in my pjs for that...although some days I might be close. 

People keep asking me how it is with everyone in school, but I don't know if I can answer that yet. My head is still reeling from trying to get every calendar item programmed in my phone!