Our Backyard

N has been working really hard this summer and fall to make our yard less of a desert and more of a place where the kids can go play. He fixed the sprinkler system and installed a timer. He seeded a summer and winter lawn and has been mowing (thanks to Heidi and Rob) pretty much weekly ever since there was anything to mow. I think the lawn has turned out great and the kids love it.

Halloween (finally)

Here are my little trick-or-treaters:

H as Eloise (as in the 6 year old girl who lives at The Plaza Hotel). It is one of her favorite books.

K as Luigi (as in from Mario Kart). He loved playing Mario Kart when we borrowed his aunt's wii.

M as Mario (as in from Mario Kart). Since K was Luigi we thought M should be Mario.

R as a mushroom (as in from Mario Kart). It just seemed to fit with the boys.

We couldn't convince H to be Princess Peach. She was dead set on Eloise.

I Made it with Gorilla Glue--Candlesticks

I decided to join the Gorilla Glue Party at Shanty 2 Chic (great blog, if you've never checked it out). Unfortunately, I decided after I made these candlesticks, and therefore, do not have any before or process pictures. This was my first time ever using Gorilla Glue, but definitely not my last.


Here's the basic process. I got 2 end table legs from my sister. I cut the part off that would normally attach to the table top (I only did that because it had a flat side and holes for attaching). Then, I Gorilla-glued the leg to an upside down terra cotta saucer. I used a different shape saucer for the top and Gorilla-glued that on. Finally, I spray painted the whole thing with Krylon Brushed Metallic Satin spray paint in Oil Rubbed Bronze.

I probably should have done some sanding or priming or both, but I was too anxious to get these done. I am working on a third to add some visual interest (rule of threes, you know). I am pretty excited about how I can change the decorations out for the different holidays...Christmas balls, Easter eggs, some kind of heart for Valentine's Day, apples for back to school...the possibilities are endless. I suppose I could even top them with candles if I wanted.

K

Yesterday I was in the kitchen waiting for some water to boil. I was leaning against the counter and K came over and leaned into me, his back to my front. After about a minute he turned around and said, "Your tummy is almost big enough to have a baby!" I said, "Thanks." He started nodding and said, "It is."

Guess I need to get more serious on my morning walks.

New Jessica Sprague Class

Truthfully, I'm not sure what all this class will entail, but it should be good and it's FREE! Click on the picture to go to her site and register for it.

H's Prayer This Morning

It was H's turn to say the prayer this morning before school. We've been working with the kids on thinking about things we are grateful for and things we need help with. H has been asking for a while now that K and M's owies get better. This morning she added one more person's owies to the list...MINE!

After her prayer she explained that it was the owies on my face (the one on my forehead in particular) that prompted her prayer.

New Stuff Around the House

Our new ceiling fan:


New candlesticks that I made from a couple of table legs and the bottoms of some terra cotta pots (Yes, I know the pumpkins are a little small. They are place holders until I can get to the store to get bigger ones. Also, I'm going to make a third one that is a little smaller.):


And, while the boy in the picture is not new, the thing he is doing is:

Reading Under the Stars

This picture cracks me up. When I took it, it was pitch black so I wasn't really sure what I was going to get. Their faces are so funny to me.

I'm not sure why H is so sad.

Last night H's school held Literacy Night. It was called Reading Under the Stars. We got dressed in our pj's; packed up our pillows, blankets, snacks and books; and headed to the school to get a spot to have a little reading session. When we got to the school H asked me where the flashlight was. Yep, I forgot it. Luckily, a family from our ward was there and they had one we could borrow.

We didn't get much reading done, but it did get me and the kids out of the house for an hour. Thankfully, the weather was nice.

Now That's Love

Tonight I made K some toast for dinner. He doesn't like his toast cut at all. I guess I wasn't paying too close attention because I cut his toast into squares. He asked me where his was and I told him I was sorry and that I had cut his toast. He looked at it, paused for a second or two and said, "Just the way I wanted it! Thanks, Mom."

H's First Grade Pictures

A marked improvement, don't you think? (see HERE if you aren't sure what I'm talking about)

It's funny, I didn't remember how...interesting (?) her kinder pics were until just now. I love in this picture how you can see the freckles on her nose and only one side of her face.