This old log cabin sits in a field not far from my childhood home. As a child, I used to imagine who lived in this little home. Over the years we have learned a little about the family who lived there with their seven children.
Can you imagine? NINE people in a tiny, one room cabin.
Sounds crazy to me!
::KidsKorner::
::Photo Scavenger Hunt::
Over Spring Break we went on a couple of photo scavenger hunts. The kids each took a turn choosing a color or word to look for throughout the day. T chose red and J chose the word ‘the’. As we found the selected color or word around our community the kids took turns taking pictures of the objects. You could also “hunt” for shapes, letters, numbers or words. The kids loved it.
On the bookshelf:
Excerpt from The Big Tidy Up
JENNIFER KNEW, AS well as you
That everything has its place,
But she just didn’t care
a whit,
a bit,
So her room was a real disgrace!
As a child I remember asking my Mom to read this book to me over and over. On a visit home, several years ago, I stumbled across the treasured book and happily read it to my children. Imagine my surprise when I decided to buy it online one day and found it selling for anywhere from $300-800! I told my Mom she should frame the thing! :)
Overview
A story every Mom is bound to encounter at some point in their child’s life is turned into an amusing tale in The Big Tidy Up by Norah Smaridge (I love to say that last name, it just rolls around in my mouth). One day Jennifer’s mother refuses to touch Jennifer’s messy room from now until Christmas Day and posts a “Keep Out” sign. Jennifer has a lovely time for a couple of days but then finds even she can’t live in her own mess and embarks on the big tidy-up. The book is very large and the illustrations were wonderful. My favorite being the cherry pie under her pillow and Jennifer’s bristly, black hair that stands on end. The book has a happy ending for everyone but the spider who scurries off to some other room in a cluttered state.
and I had my own happy ending. The book was reprinted in 2008, and although I have yet to order my own copy I am now pleased to see that I can buy it for under $10.
My kids love performing and are always making up their own songs and then we have the "privilege" of watching their performances. I stumbled on this fun ukulele kit. I can only imagine the shows we would get after we put this kit together!
“Mawage. Mawage is wot bwings us togeder tooday. Mawage, that bwessed awangment, that dweam wifin a dweam...”
-Impressive Clergyman (from Princess Bride)
above Photos by Natalie Montez
My brother got married a couple of weeks ago!
It was a beautiful wedding. Black and white and teal + peacock feathers. Congrats Paul and Andrea! Love you!
T was in HEAVEN! She loves brides. She got a whole new wardrobe for it which she insists on wearing whenever she gets the chance. She loves her peacock headpiece + Andrea gave her one of the bridesmaids’ bouquets after the reception which she has drying upside down on her bedroom door.
J was hilarious, he danced the night away at the reception…I’m not really sure where he got his moves, but WHOA, he has a whole repertoire of them….funny kid!
The night before was the rehearsal dinner and it was fantastic to get to know Andrea and her family a little better.
They have fun tradition of each sibling in each family toasting (with a funny story or habit) of their brother or sister who is getting married. It was HILARIOUS!
My sister Kat made her fabulous oreo truffles…they were gone in no time flat…I didn’t even get one.
All in all a fun, beautiful and surprisingly exhausting weekend, (not sure why on that last bit I didn't even do anything, LOL)!
These are stories about me and my past, some define me and some are just … well….random.
1. I once broke my teacher’s leg.*
I, of course, can explain. We had a pet bird in our first grade class. It was a great honor to be chosen as the bird’s caretaker for the day. I’m not sure what the criteria was for that very special, oh so sought after job, but apparently I didn’t have the qualifications. Perhaps you had to able to spell neighbor….my friend Allen could spell neighbor and he had been chosen 4 times.
As the bird’s helper, you had three jobs:
1. Feed the bird
2. Sit by the bird during reading time (you know to keep it company so you didn’t, I mean IT, didn’t get bored)
3. In case of a fire alarm, it was your job to take the bird outside with you. Consequently this meant you had to be last in line so that you could pick up the cage, bring it outside, all the while staying out of everyone else’s way. Fire drills were rare, and so far that year no one had gotten to take the class bird outside.
Imagine my excitement to learn that I had been chosen. Visions of my astounding bird keeping work swirled in my head. I would be the very best bird whisperer Mrs.Teacher had ever seen. I would feed the bird at exactly 10:00, I would keep it very quiet during reading time……
and then……
you guessed it….
we had a fire alarm.
Everyone RAN in an orderly fashion to the door to line up. All the while, Mrs. Teacher gave commands. “Everyone line up”…………..”Leave your work”…………..”Leave your backpacks”……………”No it doesn’t matter if they burn, your Mother can buy new ones, but she can’t buy a new YOU”……..Hands to yourself…….Annaka you are in charge of the bird, you know what to do…….
and I did. I knew that I was to remain behind. The last to leave. I would save the class bird, or go down trying.
However, it was a very long time to wait. I put my elbows on the desk behind me and my feet up on the bird case, just until the line started moving. Yet the only thing moving was Mrs. Teacher. She continued shouting commands as she walked backward….right over my very comfortably draped legs.
I’m not really sure what happened next, but when I got home, my Mom told me the Mrs. Teacher had broken her femur. Yes, I, a 6 year old, had broken the largest bone in a person’s body. I called and apologized to my teacher that night. She didn’t take it well and abruptly got off the phone.
Walking down the hall later that week I became aware that two teachers walked behind me. I could hear them whispering that I was the ONE who BROKE Mrs. Teacher’s leg. Gossip spreads quickly in the Teacher Workroom.
I learned to spell neighbor that year, but I was never again the Class Bird Helper.
*some names and faces have been changed to protect the innocent:)
Yesterday, T had a field trip to the pumpkin patch where we
Picked radishes, cucumbers and zucchini
Walked through a corn maze
Picked out their own pumpkins
And played with her best friend
Played on the playground
Rode the train
And topped it off with an ice cream sandwich…freezing but apparently delicious!
My brothers got drawn for archery elk.
Not only that, but they were drawn in one of the best spots in Arizona. This led to lots of practice and fun times outdoors!
They were pretty excited and even more excited that Dan the Man got his Elk!!
And archery no less. WhooHoo!
Since I didn’t make it home over Labor Day (and I was the only one of the five of us kids who didn’t :( I might add)
I was so excited that my sister took these AWESOME pics to document the weekend. Thanks Kat!!!
Looks like we will have lots of elk meat this year, shhh don’t tell the kids, if they don't know what it is they can't taste the difference:).
Can you feel it?
For the past two weeks I have felt the fall air creeping around the edges of our lives (too bad it hasn’t cooled down much except at night). The air has been heavy with the tangy smell of fall; a change is on its way.
Today, on the first day of fall, we woke up to a blustery day bringing the sound of scraping leaves as they danced and swirled.
I love it when the air is cool…love the change and colors of clothing…I can’t wait to make pumpkin bread or baked potato soup. Mmmmm….I love to light the scented candles and watch as their flames cast fall shadows of pumpkins, gourds and leaves.
The kids have been talking about Halloween costumes (T says she will be a kitty and J says he will make his costume…a robot….out of paper….we’ll have to work on that oneJ). For our family fall means carving pumpkins, apple tarts, new sweaters (if we can ever wear them here) and hot chocolate with a cinnamon stick….what does fall mean for you??
[AugustinReview]
We loved this month, it was such a blast!
At the beginning of the month we took a road trip to visit my in-laws who are currently living in Utah. So fun. We visited with family (the pics I have of all of the family are gone...deleted, mixed up somewhere, I don't know, but I can't find them:(,
The kids ate Nana’s homemade bread and cookies EVERYDAY (can you say spoiled?),
ate raspberries straight from the vine,
enjoyed the amazing weather (goodbye 110*),
and the views,
the indoor ball pit,
with Tug, such a CUTE dog,
the backyard playground,
goofing around,
and lots of swimming
Papa brought a Mormon Cricket home from work one day, those things are GIANT!
enjoyed some storms
and thoroughly loved being spoiled at Nana and Papa’s!
JJ started school. We love his teacher and can’t believe how much he has already learned!
Tayz started another year of preschool and once again has a love/hate relationship with it. She loves going and seeing her friends and teachers, playing and learning….BUT…she hates being away from home and Mom.
So…now back to real life, with lunches to make, early bedtimes and house cleaning….aww gotta love lifeJ
[JulyinReview]
July was a busy month with lots of traveling and celebrating!
We celebrated the 4th up at my parents where we:
participated in the annual Family Reunion. The kids got their fill of catching crawdads, floating down Silvercreek, fishing for prizes, and of course lots of yummy food. It was wonderful catching up with everyone.
I went to girls camp while the kids stayed with my parents for a week. They “helped” Grandma get her classroom ready for next year’s Kindergarteners.
Explored the great outdoors. Visited the neighbors and try their hands at roping calves. J was even able to rope one! And of course, their favorite pastime….fishing with Grandpa.
We celebrated Mr. Charming’s birthday with a weekend away…just the two of us (thanks again Mom and Dad!). It even included Sprinkles cupcakes. Then back home again for a family party.
Then the whole family headed back up North for a week of rain showers, quad rides,
campfire dinners, and s’mores.
There was also the occasional toad hunt.
Then we headed back down home (to 115 degree heat, by the wayJ) just in time to finish up school shopping before school started. The kids: with their pockets full of rocks and pottery... and their hearts full of love. It was a great summer.
