Yay DADDY!

Daddy received his MBA yesterday. Even though he still has 1 and a half class left until it's "official," we are finally starting to see the end coming near.
It's hard to imagine that school is really coming to an end. I thought we'd be in school forever, and that would just be life.



Of course, he's already talking about the Spanish class he wants to take at the local Jr College. Ugh. Can we just have ONE semester off? PLEASE!



Anyway, we are so proud of our Daddy and all the hard work he has put in to make it this far. He was definitely blessed from above as was the rest of our family.
As a bonus for the weekend, we got our Grandma and Papa to come to town! It's been one big sleepover of fun!



We love having them here for a couple days!

Kinder Assessment

Dillan had his Kindergarten assessment the other day. I was told it was just done so that the teachers would know where all the kids entering Kindergarten are at and what needs to be worked on. I wondered if there was a chance of failing, but didn't ask. Thankfully, I didn't have to worry about it.
Dillan was a little nervous. We got to see some of the school when we headed towards the Kindergarten area, and he seemed to like what he saw. Then we entered the classroom and he was blown away. Tiny desks with small chairs neatly tucked away. On top of the desks were colorful name tags, crayons in a jar and bright little trash cans. There were cubbies with bins full of buttons, strings, puzzles, marbles, anything. My kids couldn't keep their hands off anything. On the walls were art projects and samples of writings done by students, plus bright colorful ABCs and numbers. A huge table was covered with books, and there was even a tank with a lizard. Outside the door was a playground and on the blacktop, a painted path with words like STOP and SLOW DOWN for the tricycles. Dillan soaked it all up.
The teacher in the room let him explore a little before she called him over to her desk and had Leah and I wait outside. Leah made a beeline for the swings. She swung for a couple minutes until she saw the trikes. She climbed aboard and pedaled a few feet forwards and backwards. Then she ran back to the swings. After a minute or so the teacher called us back. Bad news for Leah. I dragged her back inside kicking and screaming.
The teacher said he did very well and she was so glad that he "was a good one." Apparently she had had a few not so good assessments that morning so was relieved with Dillan. She must have said it 3 or 4 times, plus as we were leaving she raised her arms triumphantly and said "Yea! A good one!"
While we were talking, she had asked him to draw a picture of himself. He actually did it! I could tell he was completely taken with the whole Kindergarten ambiance and the teacher. He drew her his latest drawing of himself, complete with food in his stomach!
She showed me the paper of everything he had to do.



The only thing we need to work on this summer is his name writing. I know at school his teachers told me that they have been working on the capital first letter followed by lowercase letters. Dillan insists upon using all capitals. I'm not sure why. I know he knows how to do it with lowercase, but he just doesn't. Oh, and apparently he doesn't make the letter E sound correctly. On the way home I talked to him about it and all he said was "I know Mom, I know!"

Really, I couldn't be prouder.

Ms Carol and Ms Melissa deserve most of the credit for him being where he's at. They have been wonderful teachers, so sweet and caring. They have helped mold him into the loving little boy he is. I am so grateful they have been a part of our family's lives.

007

We made it to the Seventh inning stretch!

I can't believe we have been married this long! It's like it was yesterday. We've had so many experiences, ups and downs, trials and triumphs, and it's all been one BIG fun adventure!

This year we celebrate 7. There are 7s everywhere. 7 days to create the earth, 7 wonders of the world, 7 days of the week, 7 habits of highly effective people, 7 brides for 7 brothers, yes everywhere! Must be a good year!

But I think that the 7 that most closely describes our relationship is
Snow White and the 7 dwarfs.

Doc: Well, we both think we're pretty smart. We sometimes try to outsmart one another when we're playing games. It's tough to decifer who is being smart and who is just being a smart-alec! But when we work together, we solve problems, we teach our children, and we get along perfectly!

Happy: Chris is one of the happiest people around. Even if he's having a tough time with school or with work, he is the eternal optimist. He knows he can get through anything with a little patience and he always has a good attitude. Me? I'm working on my happiness. I'm trying to savor the happy moments I have with my family and with everything else to keep me up during down times. Sometimes I just need my guy to bring me back to the world of being happy. And he usually does.

Bashful: I've always been reserved. But once I met Chris, who is very open and outgoing, I started to change. I became less shy and more open about my feelings. Especially when I am upset about something, I would always shut off and give "the silent treatment." Chris could not stand this. Poor guy had to confront my temper tantrum and firmly told me that there was no way that he would put up with that! I've gotten better at expressing my feelings instead of keeping them bottled up. Thanks to him. He knows how to turn my cheeks pink everyday!

Sleepy: I am a morning person. Chris is not. I fall asleep not long after 10 pm every night, regardless of where I am. Then I'm up at around 6 am, fully rested and revving to go. Chris can stay up late, but willingly goes to bed when I do. It's not fun going to bed by yourself. But in the morning, he'd stay in bed till 8 if the kids and I would let him! I understand his body needs more sleep than mine! He even likes to nap in the afternoon. I've never understood that, but I'm trying to allow him more rest! I know he works hard and needs it! Sorry honey!

Sneezy: The only thing I can think of is HE GIVES ME FEEEEEEVER! And I don't mean Hay Fever.

Dopey: I love that we can both be silly with each other. We both love to tease and torment. We laugh at the same shows and some of the same movies. We can be goofy and not take each other seriously when necessary. It's a beautiful thing to be at that same level of craziness and not take offense or not understand. I love my big stinky guy!

Grumpy: Yeah, well if Chris is Happy, then I'm the epitome of Grumpy. It doesn't take much. A long day with the kids, low blood sugar, a mess, a closing shift, a Thursday. Of course, Chris has to feel the wrath of my grumpy spells. He's put up with me so far, and I know he's willing to deal with it for an eternity. Just one more thing to work on.

7 seems to be a lucky number for a lot of people and we are hoping for some of that luck to rub off this year!

Love you Chris! I hope in a few years I will still be working on becoming the kind of wife I know you deserve!

5

He's 5. I can't believe it and yet it's real. Right in front of me.
I don't remember how we got from this:



to this:



But it is going way WAY too fast for me. Kindergarten starts in August!

The fun weekend began with dirt cups at school. The singing "monkey" sang Happy Birthday with the rest of the class singing along.
Saturday morning Dillan woke up to find balloons everywhere and our new Birthday Banner that Mommy finally finished. Don't ask when I started. Once I gave myself a deadline, it got done.
We had some gifts for him, even one Leah had picked out.

Then a soccer game. Dillan scored two goals.

Then we raced over to a different park for his birthday party.

I started planning this party over a month ago.

The invites:


The cake:


He had told me everyone he wanted to invite. We didn't want to leave anyone out! It was basically everyone from school, his class at church, the soccer team, plus a few cousins.
Total invites: 30.

We had a bunch of games planned, most of which Dillan had helped choose. We had water balloons and squirt guns, a snake hunt, picking up marbles in a small pool of water using only your toes, balloon popping, and a pinata.

When we got home we were all exhausted and spent the rest of the afternoon putting things away and playing with new toys.
Later was giving a recap of the day while we were playing the Wii.
At one point he said, "I know you guys love me so much because you gave me the best birthday party ever!"

I couldn't believe what I had heard. No prompting from anyone, that is what came out of his mouth straight from his precious heart. It made all the craziness from the past month all worth it.

Here are my 5 favorite things about Dillan:
1. His heart. He has always had a tender heart and it just keeps getting better as he gets older. He loves his family. He loves his little sister.
2. His smile. I melt every time he smiles at me, even when it's just to show me how well he brushed! He's also been notorious since birth with his faces. His expressions. He's one silly kid always trying to impress.
3. His mind. He always has new questions to ask. He wonders about everything. He is always thinking and always curious about everything. I love showing him new things and experiences and seeing his amazement and learning take place.
4. His spirit. He's super competitive. He's always trying to become stronger, faster and taller than those around him. He's learning lessons about losing, being fair, and sharing with others. He has always had charisma and loves being around friends and family with non-stop playing!
5. His toes and thumb. Physically, there's not a whole lot that resembles Daddy, most of that is on the inside and in his personality. But, he does have Daddy's toes. Seriously, the spitting image. Minus the drama with Chris' recent surgery, of course. And he's got Daddy's thumb. Hitchhiker's Thumb is one easy-to-find genetic trait. When our family does the "thumb's up" sign, I have a slight bend in my thumb, as does Leah. Chris' and Dillan's are straight up. Little things like this that remind me of our family's eternal nature and heritage, and the relationship between parents and children always make me smile.

Dillan,
Mommy and Daddy are so proud of the big boy you have become. Everyday you make us laugh and smile and make us so happy. We love how well you take care of your little sister and make sure her needs are met. You are so fun to play games with, and we love watching you play soccer and ride your bike. We love your enthusiasm when you swim and play your video games. We are so proud of how well you know your letters and numbers and how excited you are for Kindergarten. We love listening to you sing primary songs and talk about everything you learn at church. We love your prayers and your simple understanding of Heavenly Father and the Gospel. You are our special little Cub and we love you so so much!

We are Swimming!

Last summer I went crazy trying to find swim lessons for my kids. 3 different city programs. One was full. The other was too expensive and only 2 days a week. The final one had openings, but about 12 minutes into the 30 minute drive to get there, I turned around and knew I would not be going there every day. Of course, I could just teach them myself. But, as I've recently learned, they don't always like to listen to Mommy give instruction. Nope.
So back in February, I started my search. I knew the program I wanted, and I found the dates to register. I wrote it down on my calendar and was determined to be first in line.
Of course, since I didn't have "first priority" with when I could sign up, all the classes were full when I got online that morning. Arrrgghh! It's spring lessons, not summer, so there are fewer kids, fewer pools, and fewer options. Summer lessons just better watch out!
Then almost 2 weeks ago, the clouds parted and I was told that there was an opening for Dillan. JOY! I took it and immediately after signed up Leah for a class. Like she would sit calmly on the deck while big brother is in the pool? Not a chance.
Unfortunately, you have to be 3 to be in a class without a parent. So Mommy had to sign up too. She's the only kid over 2. The rest are babies. Babies! We sing fun little songs, and Leah's the only one singing along. I have to hold her. I have to raise her body out of the water while singing "The Wheels on the Bus." Yeah, nevermind the fact that she's as big as a 3-year-old!
She's still a big chicken in the water, though. I finally got her to float on her back in a relaxing position, but only for a second before she clings back onto my neck with arms and legs.
Peggy, we need you!
Dillan is the superstar in his class. Partly because he missed the age cut-off for the next level by a week! He was fortunate enough to get the only male teacher of the session. He couldn't be happier about it. I peek over every few minutes at his class to watch. Usually one of the kids is on the deck crying for her mother, and the other is latched onto the gutter not paying much attention. The teacher had them jumping off the side the other day, every time I looked Dillan was jumping in fearlessly. So proud. Hopefully in this class or the next he will be pushed a little more to swim on his own. Leah too, but it looks like the pushing will have to come from Mom.
Great.
I only hope there is another teacher like Peggy out there. In fact, 6 or so years ago when I had my refresher instructor course in Utah, there was a teacher like Peggy. She was a grandmother, and had taught her grandkids to swim at the age of 2. She was strict. Not that I'd move to Utah just for her to teach my kids. I don't think I would, anyway.

Mother's Day

It wasn't until I had my first child that I realized all that my Mother had ever done for me. All those years of small, medium, large, and extra large THINGS. Just things. They were things that were not rewarding. They were exhausting at times. They happen over and over and over and over again, and you can't control them. You just deal with them. Gracefully.
While doing these Mothering things, you are also trying to teach your children something, make sure they have food to survive, a home to live in, and develop a love of the Gospel of Jesus Christ.



And now I finally GET IT!

I have learned so much from my mom, and continue to learn everyday.
It's amazing how much smarter she seems to me now than I thought in high school!

She helps me be a better wife. No matter what complaint I tell her about Chris, she's either been there or advises me on what I should or shouldn't do about it. When I got married, her first piece of advice was "Don't go to bed angry." I wish I could say that it's never happened, but I can honestly say that those words go through my mind when I'm lying awake trying to sort out what I should or shouldn't do to resolve the issue.


She shows me how to be a better mom. When Dillan was first born, I didn't want to make any mistakes. I was worried about changing, bathing, dressing, feeding, everything. He just seemed so fragile and everything was so new. My mom stepped in like a pro and showed me how to do it. She made silly sounds and faces at him, not worrying about who was watching. She held him perfectly so that he slept on her chest for hours. She was never too overwhelmed or too busy to drop what she was doing to hold him.

This is how she took care of me. That's how I've learned how to take care of my family.
It's amazing to me.

Mom, thank you for everything you have ever done for me. Even those THINGS that weren't fun for you or made you worry for me. Those THINGS that were tedious and boring, yet necessary. Thank you for all the times you've prayed for me. Thank you for all the places you took me and all the things I begged you to buy for me even when you said no the first time. Thank you for all the words of wisdom you have shared with me, even when I told you I didn't want to hear them. Thank you for being my perfect example of love, charity, forgiveness, and motherhood. Thank you for being the best grandma and mother in the land.
I love you so much!

Happy Mother's Day!

And to my own children, who have made me into the person I am today and for being the reason to become the person I want to be, I am so proud to be your mom.
My favorite quote from President Gordon B. Hinckley:

"You have walked the sometimes painful, sometimes joyous path of parenthood. You have walked hand in hand with God in the great process of bringing children into the world that they might experience this estate along the road of immortality and eternal life. It has not been easy rearing a family. As I think of you and your circumstances, I think of the words of Anne Campbell, who wrote as she looked upon her children:

You are the trip I did not take;

You are the pearls I cannot buy;

You are my blue Italian lake;

You are my piece of foreign sky."

I love you!

Soccer Boy

It's been hard having Mom for a coach, but this boy has sprouted (blossomed just doesn't sound right for D) into a soccer star!
Every game and every practice he gets better. It's so fun to watch him be aggressive and run after the ball. He's not afraid to push his way to the goal and fight for the ball.
Seriously, could I be any prouder?


That's my boy. #7


Breakaway. He scored just seconds later.


Our whole team gets involved with goals.

The last 2 practices he's told me how much fun he had at practice. Tears.
I think Daddy and I both have our hearts set on watching him play football one day. But for now, we are loving watching him play and grow!

Tumbling Class

We found a new tumbling class!
The best parts: it's really really close to our house, it has the same amazing coaches, fewer kids, way more space, and Leah gets to do it on her own while Mommy observes from a lobby with a window!
She is doing so much better! I think having me right next to her, trying to encourage (sometimes pushing) her to do something was tough. Every class she ended up pouting on the floor hiding her face until Coach Christine could bring her back.



It's fun to watch her. She's always in such a hurry to get through the courses they have set up. She runs from one thing to the next, but amazingly she listens when the coaches ask her to freeze or come back to try again on a specific skill.
Every morning she asks the same question, "Does Leah go to Jumpy Jump class today?"
Hooray! She's into it!