Doing Schoolwork

Yes, I am doing schoolwork for Filippo and not by choice. At recess on Monday, he hurt his thumb pretty darn bad. It was all swollen and he couldn't bend it, so I took him in. He has a hairline fracture. The doctor isn't going to cast it, but he does have a splint on it.

FYI, he is right handed and if you have ever tried to write without your thumb you will know it is impossible. So, he dictates the answers to me and I am the scribe. Can I just say how much I hate printing in pencil? He is trying to write with his left hand, but it looks like a four year olds writing. Oh well :)

The one who moved away

I love living in Elk Grove. I love the life that my sweet hubby Dave and I have created. I love the schools, our neighborhood, friends, and our church.

But it does get lonely sometimes with no family around. Dave's parents and sister Suzanne, live two hours away. Diane, his other sister lives about four hours away. And all of my family lives six hours away. Frankly, it stinks sometimes. There - that is me complaining. I am doing what I tell my kids not to do :) I just hope that those of you who have family close by cherish it - do it for me anyway.

Since we are not surrounded by family, I admit that I have had to jump a few hurdles, whatever it may be, and just face the music.

Cooking would be the biggest one (I have wished so many times that we could just drive to Mom's house for dinner for a holiday, a birthday, or even once a month, then I wake up :).

Then it would be Sewing, and I am not a seamstress at all!

Gardening has become something I have loved (but being pregnant I have not liked it - weird).

And lastly, would be a Nurse....still not a fan of anything gross, but my hubby's knowledge sure comes in handy:)

It is funny, but I have been grateful for these hurdles. They have made me a better wife, mom and woman.

I think we all come into circumstances that make us stronger and wiser. Living away from family has made me who I am today. But I miss them, a lot. And I love them all dearly. My kids get so excited when we visit any family or when they visit us. I never got like that, but then again our family was all close by. Yes...I am crying right now. Shocker. Family...I love you and I hope you all love being so close to one another. Next time you eat at Mom's, think of me :)

Emotions...again!

I don't know why I always get choked up about weird things. Last week I went to the Welcome Back Rally at Elk Grove High School. Jenny is on the dance team and Bridgete and I went to watch her. I think both mine and Bridgete's hearing is permanently damamged. Oh well. We sat by the seniors....and I must say, they were the loudest. Anyway, when Jenny was dancing, I was totally crying.

Sorry this is a bad picture. Jenny is right in the middle, dressed up like a soccer player. It was a great dance.

Normal mom reaction, right? But then I got teary-eyed with the drill team and the cheerleaders, looking around their "old school" gym, and looking at the freshman. And then I lost it with the band. I always lose it when the band plays. Ask Dave....every year when we go to the varsity football games I cry at halftime...why?...the band. Anyone else like this?

Ok, back to the original topic. All the football players were dressed up in white shirts, khaki pants and matching ties. Totally made me cry. It also made me think of my brother Aaron who wants his players to dress up but the parents complained against it. Maybe if the parents saw how handsome and unified they looked, they would change there mind.

Evan looking handsome. He wasn't too thrilled to have his picture taken first thing in the morning.

SO I love when Evan has to dress up on game days. He has had two games so far. They are undefeated. Evan is 100% in his catching, but he hasn't made it to the endzone ...yet. It is fun to watch, but I can't believe how big everyone is.

A Tooth and a Snake

Last night Bridgete told me her tooth felt weird. So I told her to let me check it out...turns out she had a loose tooth.

I said, "Bridgey, your tooth is loose!" She starts crying hysterically. She gets freaked out by the weirdest things.

She eventually calmed down and got ready to say our nightly family prayer. Then, she started sreaming again and there is blood everywhere! She was biting on her blanket and pushing it against her tooth....enough to pop it out. I ran her to the kitchen and told Jenny to find the tooth that had fallen out somewhere on the carpet. Jenny found it....(good job Jen) and Bridgete's gum eventually stopped bleeding. The tooth was barely wiggly...I can't believe she pushed on it enough to lose it.

Every child in our family has lost their first tooth or teeth in some traumatic event. Bridgete's was the least painful...but that tooth wasn't ready to come out.

I then told Bridgete that now the tooth fairy can come get her tooth and leave her a special treat :) She started to cry again and said, "It's gonna fly in my room?" One thing about Bridgete...she loves worms, frogs, snakes, ladybugs, spiders....but not flies!

I think she just thought of this big fly buzzing by her pillow and it freaked her out. I quickly said that she tip toes, too. So she will probably just tip toe in very quietly.

Ok....this picture captures Bridgete's attitude toward the whole "loosing your first tooth and a flying fairy visitor". Classic!

This was Bridgete this morning after she found some gum, a note and a dollar bill under her pillow....notice any difference? Now, she loves that she lost a tooth. What a stinker.

This is the snake that Dave found in our driveway this morning. It is a baby Boa. He ran it over this morning...it still looks good. Sadly, Bridgete and Spencer think it is just resting because if it was dead, the eyes would be closed...oh well. Bridgete picked some leaves for him to eat and decorated with rocks. Lovely!

She was very proud of her decorations...and she is loving showing off her space in her mouth.

Our Crazy Lives

Ok, I am the first to admit it...I have not been into blogging lately. I am just so tired. Like....I have never been like this with any other pregnancies and it is pitiful. Ask Dave. I can barely make it through Wal-Mart without wanting to lay down in the aisle and sleep. Makes for a good mom and wife, huh?

School is in full swing. Here is the update:

Jenny has a friend living with her right now....don't ask. But she is a sweet girl named Kori. So that adds one more child to take care of. Anyway, Jenny has dance after school 3 days a week, soccer three days a week, not to mention seminary and homework and YW. Oh yeah, her friend plays soccer, too.

Evan is playing football right now. He is starting and playing Tight End. Talk about exciting and nerve-wracking! Football has been 5 days a week for three hours after school. The season starts next week and then he should be down to 4 practices a week...but who knows! He also is a freshman and going to seminary and trying to do scouts when he can. He has Geometry and says there is only two freshman in the class. But he is doing well.

Filippo is NOT swimming right now. (That took up 4-5 months with four practices a week). I am thankful he wanted to take a break, but he does miss it. So right now it is school and scouts once a week...led by Dave:) He is in GATE and obsessed with reading the novels by Paolini so that he is ready for his new book that comes out on the 20th. Huh? How many 11 year old boys are like that? He cracks me up.

Spencer is loving first grade! He obeys the rules like nobody's business. Too funny. He is realizing that some kids still do things even when they are told not to. That boggled his mind at first, but is learning that everyone makes their own choices. He is like that on his soccer team. He plays his position to a tee. He won't leave his boundaries and gets mad when others do. Yesterday in his scrimmage he was yelling, "We aren't supposed to be karate chopping!" (I guess one kid was throwing karate chops and Spencer called him on it:)

Bridgete has made so much progress in her pre K class. I am so thankful she is in it. She tells me how kids won't share but she won't tell them to share because she is so darn shy. Maybe one day she will actually speak her mind to someone other than her brothers :) She is starting a ballet/tap class on Monday so we'll see how that goes. She is getting good on her bike and hopefully Dave will be able to take her training wheels off sometime soon. We will see.

Dave is still working two full time jobs and I am holding down the fort. Most of my afternoons are spent in the car driving kids here and there for hours and thinking about what to make for dinner when everything sounds gross. I am hoping that will end soon. In a few more days I will be twelve weeks and am hoping I get my energy back. I had an ultrasound and I got to see my little peanut. So cute and so amazing. I love it.

Ummm, and here is a couple of picture so this post isn't too boring

Bridgete and her cake...love the eyes.

Tucker, our doggy. I can do a whole post on him....but I won't.

My Mother in law, Claudia, better known as Grandma, blowing out her candles on the delicious cake that Suzanne baked. She turned 75 on September 1st. She looks so good that no one would ever guess her actual age. Love you!

Yep...that is just like your Uncles!

This was to funny and too cute not to post...so here it is. Spencer came home from school today and said sometimes he has a problem.

He said, "Mom, sometimes when I get out of my seat, my underwear feels wet."

I said, "Well, do you use the restroom?"

He said, "No, it isn't in the front, it is in the back by my bottom, like in between."

The Bishop Boy Curse! I believe Adam calls it: sweaty butt crack. Nice. Dave said that was definitely not from his family. And he knows all about the cornstarch and powder my brothers and Dad use.

So, my motherly advice was: "Don't worry honey, summer is almost over and then you won't be so hot down there. And maybe don't run so much at recess :)"

Our Baby Girl is Five!

I seriously cannot believe that my Bridgete is five. She is still my baby girl. Lately, she has been informing me that she is a big sister now, not the baby. She is the light in our lives.

B- beautiful

R- rare

I- intelligent

D- Daddy's girl

G- girly

E- elegant

T- tough

E- excellent

Bridgete, we love you so much and are so thankful that you are a part of our family. We couldn't imagine life without you. You light up the room with just your presence.Happy Birthday Baby Girl.

(oh yeah, for those of you who don't know Shana...here she is. That is Bridgete's favorite baby doll ever. She is included in all family trips, car rides, after school pick-ups, etc.) Now, she can hardly wait for a real baby. We love you Bridgete.

One more side note....I am so excited that I finally have an excuse to buy a cake with buttercream frosting. This has been the one and only craving I have had. My mouth is watering just thinking about it! My Mom bought a cake when we were down there last month and I think I am due for another. Nutritious? Nope, but oh so good.