Last Day of Fall Break

 The last day of Fall Break was wonderful.  We cleaned up in the morning with only a few tears (why can't children understand that they need to be responsible to clean up their own messes?!)  As a reward we went out to lunch and had a picnic in our backyard.  Then the friends started trickling in.  The rest of the day was a blur.  I got lots of things done around the house and yard since everyone was occupied.  At one point when we were all outside I laid down on a blanket to read and fell asleep.  What a wonderful fall day!  For dinner Nathan and the girls helped me make some braids.  I have been trying to have Nathan help more and the girls wanted a turn as well.  They always devour the braids, I need to make them more often.

Some of the clean-up tears came from my Annabelle.  When cleaning their rooms I always ask the kids to clean off their dressers.  I like my dresser clean, it makes me feel better to have things organized.  I have assumed that my children would feel the same way.  A month ago I was proved wrong.  I asked Ryan to clean off his dresser and he got very upset about how it was his dresser and I didn't have control over everything.  He loves seeing his special stuff the way he sets it up.  I backed off.  I realized that I needed to let him have his own space.  Nathan keeps his relatively cleaned off so luckily we don't butt heads on this.  On Monday when I asked Annie to clean off her dresser she got heated up and used the same arguments Ryan had a month earlier.  I felt awful.  I have been pushing my organized mind on to them more than they can handle.  I told all the kids that from now on their dresser was theirs to do whatever they want with.  Once in a while I told them they would have to go through it all and make sure they still liked everything they put on it, but I would leave them alone about it.  Last night Greg and I went to a movie and this morning when Annabelle woke up she came and asked if I had seen her dresser yet.  She said she had organized it all so nice and she couldn't wait to show it to me.  In my mind it was going to be all cleaned off with only trinkets along the back wall.  That wasn't what I found but I did find her beautifully decorated dresser with all her favorite things.  I will have to remind her that she and Callie share the dresser and they have to "decorate" it together but I was able to enjoy her form of organization.  Letting go.  That is what parenting is all about sometimes.
My dresser:

 Nathan:

Annabelle & Callie

 Ryan (we got him the long dresser for the tortoise cage that we no longer have, wish we hadn't)

The Sabbath Day

 I love Sunday!  I get to rest and spend time reading scriptures and other church publications.  I get to watch my kids relax and play with each other and write in their journals.  It is a slower paced day and we all need it.  I also love when we have family dinners.  Check out the younger half of all these cousins.  They get along so well and it has been so fun watching them grow up together.

Music and the Spoken Word

 All last week the National Girl Scouts of America help their National Convention in Salt Lake City.  I probably should have gone.  When will it ever be back in Salt Lake? Never probably.  Oh well.  We did go up Sunday morning because the Tabernacle Choir was honoring the Girl Scouts at their weekly Music and the Spoken Word.  It was a fun opportunity, something I have never done but is always open to the public.  A couple of my brownies were also there.  Annabelle was so excited to get a swap and see the beautiful temple grounds.  We did meet a few Girl Scouts from other states and they encouraged Annabelle to stay with Girl Scouts like I did.

 It was a little sunny!

Fall Break Day #2

 Today was a little bit busier.  Daddy took the day off of work and took us all to the zoo.  We met Aunt Amy and her kids there and had a lot of fun in the beautiful fall weather.  The animals were out having fun in the cooler temperatures as well.  Nathan was a great sport and carried Callie and Clara (at different times) on his back or shoulders. 

 The new Savannah are was really nice, especially when we rode the train and got a closer look.

 Ryan and Annabelle got a couple dollars off if they wore their scout uniforms.  Annabelle got a few questions from all her awards but she was a bit shy answering them.  I loved maps when I was a kid and I love watching my kids pore over them when we go places.

 The whole gang:)

 I love when I see arms around each other.

 Ryan's favorite part of the zoo.  There were 3 big ones, all different sizes and all very active.

 Since we were close we stopped at Aunt Katie's house so the kids could see baby Emmaline.  I was surprised Nathan wanted to hold her again and sad that Annabelle didn't want to hold her.  I guess I didn't much either when I was young.

On the way home we decided we weren't ready to go home yet.  We grabbed some treats and went to see Alexander and the Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very bad day.  I loved it.  It was a about a family of 6 and it was just very real.  I loved how the family was a bit crazy and busy but they still showed them having family meals.  They showed how they cared about each other when it really mattered.  When we got home we made a quick dinner of stroganoff and then went on a little bike ride, hung out and then both Greg and I were in bed by 10pm!  It was a fun and exhausting day.

Fall Break Day #1

We started our Fall break at the dentist office.  Annie was getting 2 cavities filled and Nathan had his check-up.  Last time Annie got cavities filled I had to go back with her and she was upset with me back there with her.  This time she went all on her own and did great!  I was so proud and relieved.  Not happy about the cavities, but they happen.  I know we try really hard in the brushing/flossing area.  

When I got home we made pancakes and the headed outside for some yard work.  We got all the plants out of the garden finally.  Nathan even picked the purple potatoes he had planted at the beginning of the season.  They were dark purple fresh and the looked a little blue after boiling them.  They were a pretty lavender when Nathan mashed them for our dinner.  He got to pick what to do with them and he is a fan of mashed potatoes.  He had probably 3 times the amount of mashed potatoes as I did pictured.

We rented some movies for the kids, played outside with friends and relaxed.  It was a nice kind of day.  I got things done around the house and even went to the grocery store while the girls played at a friends and the boys watched their movie.  It was a nice kick-back kind of day.

Preschool Field Trip or Not

 Callie had been looking forward to her first field trip with Miss Janell for a long time.  I was the first one at the pumpkin patch and no one was there.  I was a little worried and it turned out I was right, the place wasn't even open.  Callie's teacher felt REALLY bad.  We took some pictures and then she invited the kids to come back for preschool.  We decided to pass and went to the Museum of Curiosity Museum instead.  Jane and Aftyn also came with us.   The girls had a lot of fun together and now I have 2 tickets to Cornbelly's I will need to use at another time.  The big kids were VERY excited about that.