WEEKEND FUN!

This weekend was full of Family, Food, and Fun! We hosted a family breakfast Saturday morning - Belgian waffles with sour cream syrup, Sausage breakfast casserole, Green chili frittata, Bacon, Fresh fruit, Juices, Milk....YUM-O! Our home was FULL of family....20 adults and 19 kids!!! FULL HOUSE FOR SURE! This summer two of my cousins moved back to Arizona with their families and it's so great to see them at our family get-togethers. My Aunt, cousin and her son flew into town for the weekend to visit Mita. They even brought Mita out to the breakfast - having that many kids around was a little too crazy for Mita, but we're so glad she was there! Here's the man of the hour: GUNNAR!

Gunnar in the MAN CHAIR! He didn't want his shoes on this morning!

With General Conference this weekend, we'll be sure to see all the "local" family next Sunday. Today we had to say goodbye to Candice and Gunnar! We miss you already!!!

MY SON - THE LADIES MAN!

You may be wondering what this innocent looking piece of paper is. It came from my son's pocket. It has a number on it. A girl's number! She wrote it on this piece of paper and gave it to him. I know what you must be thinking...."Nicole, Colton IS a teenager. This was bound to happen sooner or later." I agree. I think I would have been happy for Colton. Except it wasn't Colton. On to Asher, now in today's world, getting a girl's phone number at age 10 (almost 11) isn't that big of a deal. To me, it is! Asher will be 11 in less than a month, but I don't like the thought of a girl already giving him her number. Don't worry - it wasn't him either! Yes, in case I haven't already talked to you or you haven't seen my facebook post, IT WAS KYLER!!!!!! He came home on Thursday and pulled this piece of paper from his pocket. He told me a girl gave him her phone number. I asked him why, his reply: "so I can call her". I asked if he was going to call her, his reply: "NO!!!!" What a relief I thought, until he said "Her mom might answer the phone!" REALLY!?! So let me get this straight, if this girl had her own phone line......KYLER WOULD SOOOOOOOO CALL HER! I guess we're safe until this girl gets her own cell phone.....by today's standards that will be next year! Heaven help me!

side note: Kyler even memorized the first three numbers...I'm in trouble!

IT'S A GIRL......thing

I have a new blog and

IT'S A GIRL

...............thing!

I started a new blog http://nicolecreates4fun.blogspot.com/ to post any projects I do.....scrapbooking, mini books, cards, even decorating the house for the holidays. It's just for fun and just for me. So, if you're interested.....just come on over and see what's coming out of my scrap room! I have two posts ready to go.

ASH & KY

These two brothers are loving being at the same school together! Kyler was so excited to start Kindergarten at Asher's school and I knew that Asher would be so happy to have his little brother around. This summer they would talk about Kindergarten Buddies - the 5th grade classes are assigned a Kindergarten class and they pair kids up to be buddies. Asher was really hoping that he would get Kyler's class. Wouldn't you know it?! He did! They weren't paired up together, but Kyler gets to see his big brother on buddy days. Oh.........and if you were wondering about Kyler and his sticks........he hasn't (I repeat....HAS NOT) lost a stick in two weeks!!!!! He was even given 5 Liberty Bucks last Friday for making good choices, not losing any sticks, and doing his personal best all week! He was even able to participate in Friday Fun for the first time! (sure, it was the THIRD Friday Fun for the class, but Kyler's first time!) He is really starting to like school, JUST NOT THE RULES! He hates, no....loathes the rules. He said, "If they didn't have any rules, then I wouldn't get in trouble!" Can you argue with that logic?!? Thankfully, it's Friday - no homework, a weekend with no driving to two schools, and some freedom. Especially for Ash & Ky!

HIS SIGNATURE STYLE!

If you've known Kyler over the last two years, you've seen at least one pair of these. And if you've seen these, you know he's not a fan of CLOTHES! The first thing to happen when he gets home is to take off his pants or shorts and run around in his underwear. Everytime I tell him to get some pants on he gets a different pair from his drawer. Then after a visit to the bathroom, there he is again with his cartooned bummy. He can go through 5 pairs of shorts in a day! (and you'll find every pair on the floor next to the toilet!) Lately we've noticed it's been a tight squeeze for our 55 lb, 3ft 11in "baby" to get in these undies. Underwear was put on the back to school list and off to Target we went. When I found the next size for him, we discovered that it pushed us out of "cartoon alley" and into the really big kids aisle. Well, as annoying as it's been to see these bouncing around my house all day - it's time to say goodbye to his signature style! He protested briefly (no pun intended), but saw it was no use. He selected some very nice looking camo boxer briefs and he was fine. I thought I was fine until I found myself photographing a pile of underwear - that before this moment I tried to avoid touching! (thankfully I only photographed the pile and didn't preserve any in his baby box) It makes me sad to think it's really the end of little, little children in our home. It was sad when we moved on from the bottles, the crib, diapers, and pacifiers.......................................ok, pity party's over! Now I'm off to go on a date with my husband. We don't have to pick up a babysitter, the boys are old enough now!

ME AND MS. JONES

This picture is Kyler with his Teacher, Ms. Jones. I took this photo the Thursday night before school started at Meet the Teacher Night. I was so confident that he would do well in Kindergarten. I just worried about the long days - would he be fine at school for so long? would he be too tired? I was very confident however, that I was sending a well-behaved kid to school. Well, here's our report of the first week of Kindergarten. Monday - 1 stick taken away - he lost a recess. Tuesday - 0 sticks taken away. Wednesday - 2 sticks taken away - he lost a recess and would sit out for his first "Free Friday". Thursday - 0 sticks taken away. Friday - 0 sticks taken away. We ended the week OK. I don't have the energy to write about the 2 sticks yet.....it will be written when I gain my confidence back!

KYLER'S FIRST DAY IN GRADE SCHOOL

I've been so excited to get Kyler in all-day school! Saturday I started to wonder how happy I was going to be. I didn't know if I wanted to let go of my baby yet. Surprisingly, I was fine Monday morning......do you think Tony was as fine! Not really.

Before the goodbye hug, Kyler was able to play at the main playground. (he calls the main playground the park and the Kindergarten playground the mini park) Here he is on the "cheese".
And here's the brave boy standing in his line. There were some kids crying, lots of parents crying, but not Kyler. He acted like he's done this everyday of his young life. I was concerned how this morning was going to go.....what had I worried about. As far as the classroom goes, I knew he would do well. He's spent two years in Mon.-Fri. preschool. Both of the teachers he's had have raved about how wonderful and smart he is. What a pleasure to have in class!

After picking up Kyler from school that first day, I was excited to hear all about it. He told me a little and then I went to the backpack. I love the information I find in these magical vessels. That's when I found it..........the purple slip of paper with three frowny faces at the top. WHAT!?! I've never, in nine years now of school with my kids, had a frowny face paper. Kyler had lost one stick for talking in class! He explained that he wasn't allowed to go to the mini park - but don't worry.....HE DOESN'T LIKE THE MINI PARK. So let me get this straight: First day of Kindergarten.....Kyler's in trouble.....HE DOESN'T CARE TO MISS RECESS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! What incentive do we have if he doesn't like recess! Can we say: WORRIED!!!!! I asked him what he liked about Kindergarten - the snack, lunch and seeing Andrew. I asked what don't you like - the mini park, THE RULES, they make you look at stuff and the mini park. WE GET IT.....YOU DON'T LIKE THE KINDERGARTEN PLAYGROUND THAT YOU CALL THE MINI PARK! I get why he doesn't like rules, but 'they make you look at stuff'! What is this? What was he forced to look at........THE TEACHER................THE BOARD.....................A BOOK!!!!!!! Everyday Kyler starts the day in Ms. Jones class with 3 sticks. If you don't follow the rules, then you will have a stick taken away - for this you miss recess. If two sticks are taken away, you will miss out on Friday Fun. You get to sit at your desk with a book. If you get three sticks taken away, you visit the PRINCIPAL and have DETENTION. (i made those words in all caps to emphasize the seriousness of this. kyler can't read and therefore doesn't get this!) I'm just going to say that we have not been to the principal's office...........yet. He has missed recess......and will be missing out on Friday Fun, before he's even participated in a Friday Fun. This is not how I thought his educational career at CTA Liberty was going to start! Now I'm off to hear Gloria Gaynor sing to me........I WILL SURVIVE!