Max goes to School

Monday morning Max woke up early. He dressed, got his hair combed and ate his breakfast. He brushed his teeth and headed for the car, just like his older brother Joe.
Today Max was going to school for the first time! Once at the school Mom came with Max into his teachers room. They unpacked his bag and hung it up. Max found his name before Mom could.
Max sat big and tall in his chair and was careful to always raise his hand and not shout out.
Max had a little trouble remembering to use the bathroom when he had time, but the teacher taught them the sign that meant- I need to go potty right now!
Max loved all the activities at school, including his favorite- the letter hunt. There were snacks that just appeared at the end of the letter hunt! How did they get there? Mom stayed with Max and helped out his teacher until he went for lunch.
After school Max met a person who shook his hands so they could become friends. This friend helped him get on the right bus to go home.
Max loved his first day of school. The question now is, will he love his second day of school!

Success!

Craft sticks are the way to go! It took me all of 20 minutes to do them this time where as last time it was closer to an hour and a half and so very messy! These were fabulously yummy, too!

Three down, One to go...

School started! This year we have 4 different schedule to keep. We did fine yesterday, because we only had to do 2 of the 4, but today with 3 of the 4, I got a little distracted and almost missed one of them. I had to send him out with an egg, cheese and sausage sandwich (homemade) to eat on the way to school. Which means he didn't brush his teeth! Super Yuck! I have to go to school to get Max tested for Kindergarten today, so maybe I will be nice to the teacher and bring Joseph in one of those disposable ones!
Because of our 4 different schedules we have instituted some new rules. We will pack everything in our lunch that we can the night before- not sandwiches, because then you get soggy bread and that's Super Yuck! Also each of the kids got a hanging basket (except Emma who got hangers that have cute duct tape wound around them to make them special) to put their clothes in for the week. On Sunday we go through and fill the baskets up for the next week. I haven't labeled them, because I will let them pick out whichever one they want to wear that day, but at least they have outfits and easy access. This helps with the- "I don't have anything to wear" or "I can't decide what to wear" morning slow down.
Yesterday, being the first day of school of a new month was Cookie Day! The bus goes wild on Cookie day!! This time we did chocolate covered Oreo pops. I learned after many disaster that you really need double stuff to make them work- the Popsicle sticks are just too big for the regular! Do you know how many disasters I had to eat before I learned this? Made me sick! You could also use a craft stick instead of a Popsicle stick and then you wouldn't have to use double stuff. They are real easy-as long as you are using the right stuff, otherwise there is a big chocolate mess over everything. You just put a little melted chocolate on the inside of half of an Oreo, put a stick in it and put the top back on. I learned to put them in the refrigerator after that to let them set faster. Then you dip them. I used Styrofoam balls to stick them in to after dipping to let them set. Later I decorated them with melted candy melts that I put in a baggy and snipped the end off of. Besides the chocolate mess and the thinner cookies still coming apart, it turned out really well. I didn't get a picture of the double stuff ones. Those ones were so much easier and prettier! Here's to another great year of learning!

Moving into all new territory

Today Emma went to freshman orientation at the High School.
We have officially begun our High school years! We will be in High school for the next 15 years- without breaks. Wow, I can not believe it. It makes me choke up to even think of the short 4 years I have left with my daughter and don't even get me started about the whole learning to drive thing- that sends horrible shivers down me! And dating- forget about it! Let's just focus on our huge step of entering High school. That's enough of a shock for any parent to handle.
Technically, Emma official started into High school when she made the High school Freshman soccer team! I was so nervous for her that I almost threw up as I sat in the car and waited to see her reaction. I almost cried with relief when she came back to the car and said she had made the team. I made her go with me to the door, so I could see it for myself! I know you think I am probably way too wrapped up in this and I probably am. I don't remember ever being that crazy about seeing my own name. The first time I tried out for cheerleading I didn't make the team, but I wasn't that upset and got over it in like 30 minutes! The thing is, though, I just tried out for cheerleading on a whim and Emma has been doing soccer since she was 6. That's a big difference. Also, it was a small school and I could just decide to do something else. I decided to run cross country, instead. There was only 2 days left until their first meet, but if I wanted to run cross country they were all up for it. Here, not so much. All the teams have been training since the spring. Cross country is so big that they have time trials to see who can go on the bus to the meets. Golf has already had a match. The tennis team cut people and made a big distinction from their Varsity and Junior varsity teams. Sports here are a big deal! All the soccer players have played select ball year round since they were like 6! There are 2 people that made the team that didn't play select- Both are LDS. Select (travel league) plays on Sundays, so both LDS girls played only recreation ball. The mother's still can't believe anyone could make the team that has only played rec ball. I get to hear about it from them all the time!! Gets a little annoying! I see it as a little blessing for their sacrifice for keeping the Sabbath day Holy! And I'll tell you something else, those two girls are about the only ones on the team without an injury!
Today, Sam went to Middle school orientation. Man, my kids are growing up fast.
He started football with a league here that will start you when you are in 3rd grade. It's crazy the amount of people that start their kids on something that physical, that young! This is the only year we decided to do it. Joseph wanted to do it also, but Rob said no. I think that was a good call. The first time I saw Sam flying through the air after a tackle, I was a little worried! Unfortunately, Rob has been drowning in a sea of homework and tests and has not had much to do with the football. This leaves Mom (who never had brothers that played football) to go and buy shoes with Sam and to help him decide what position to try out for. I have been learning a lot! I guess the shoes were Ok, but the positions were all wrong! I have gotten a crash course on football positions, plays and tactics these past few weeks! Sam is still our short, skinny guy with lots of heart and fairly good upper body strength for his stature. The kid actually has pecs and some little biceps popping up! But the majority of kids that are going out for the football team are huge fatties with a couple of big athletic kids thrown in. So the big fatties get the line, the bigger athletic kids get everything else and Sam gets ignored! He was finally given a back up corner back position (swapping with the safety every once in a while). I wish the coach would actually watch him. At practice he either sacks the quarterback, or is in on the main tackle every single time! He also caused a fumble and recovered the fumble one time. He is faster than almost everyone else on the team. But the coach is a big beefy ex-lineman who yells and chews tobacco. His son plays center. So Sam is only good for practicing his real athletes against! Hopefully, Sam will get some basic information about the game out of this and he can practice his receiving in the winter and spring with his Dad (because he really wanted to be a receiver) and then he will try out for the Middle school team next year. At least he seems to enjoy it when his coach lets him go out there!
Maxwell is starting Kindergarten this year. All my babies will be gone- at least part of the week. Max is on an every other day schedule (with an every other week Wednesday). Along with football and soccer practices and games, my work schedule and YM/YW and cub scouts and.... etc, etc, it's going to be really hard to keep up with it all and remember what day I'm on! There won't be much time to think about not having anyone at home with me!

BYU-I Education Week

I flew out last week to go with my mom to BYU-I education week. It was suppose to be a girls weekend, but no one else wanted to go. I definitely think they missed out! It was amazing (to use Emma's favorite word!) The first day we were in a dump of a hotel, but we were able to get a suite at a Marriott for the next 2 nights. It was the funkiest hotel- all in shades of aqua and orange with beads hanging down from the ceiling and lava lamp looking vases. I can't believe I didn't take pictures! The bed was super comfy!
We ate out, watch shows, talked, laughed, went to a farmer's market ate fudge and attended the conference. Our favorite was Victor Ludlow. Mom also loved Max Goldstein who is a Jewish gentleman that converted. There were classes from "don't stress out, no one's perfect" (which we avoided), to deep Hebrew interpretation of parts of the bible, to canning, to saving money shopping, to helping your child achieve scholastically. I've got pages of great notes! I seem to have forgotten to take any picture except for of the garden we kept passing through, though- so enjoy! It was beautiful! BYU-I has definitely changed from it's Rick's college days!
While I was still out in Utah, Cindy and Rick and their children came downBethany setting the table with cut flowers from Mom's backyard and Karl and Terrie and their family came up. We also celebrated Dad's birthday! It was a great mini-family reunion. I hope we can do it again! Nate helping Grandpa practice his piano.