Bump, Set, Spike

Emily gave Volleyball a whirl this fall.  

In Fifth Grade Volleyball you watch an awful lot of girls just standing around as girl after girl steps up to the line but can't get the serve over.  

Not with Emily..... wow can this girl serve.  Over the net almost every time. 

She also got pretty good and bumping it back when it did come over. 

DIY projects

Emily's school class was given a challenge to go a full week unplugged.    A few days into it she said at school a group was talking and a lot of them said "I tried but I just can't do it.  It's way too hard"    Emily said "It's weird I don't think it's been that bad".  That was music to a mom's ears.

My ears heard music but my house was a sight for sore eyes.  Talk about messy messy  as Emily went from project to project throughout the week keeping herself busy.    I took a deep breath and remembered my mom's sage advice "Just remember you can always clean up a mess later but you can't develop their minds later."

I say that to myself often when the craft closet doors open wide and the glitter, glue, fabric, thread, clay, paper and paint emerge.   Here's a few of the projects Emily's completed these past few months.

Last summer I "encouraged" Emily that if she read something other than Diary of a Wimpy kid I would buy her a bookshelf for her room.  Soon after Emily finished whatever the book was we found the perfect bookshelf for her room.  Raquel  got involved and inspired her to redecorate her room.  Emily wanted to paint her bookshelf and nightstand a fun new mint color.

Emily also started watching youtube diy videos.  She convinced me to buy some moldable clay you bake in the oven so she could enter the PTA reflections contest.

Here was her 3D art submission.  We both just love how the Harry Potter book charm came out.

Since then she's been a molding fool.  Jane and Emily are constantly playing with their calico critters.  They set up houses and villages and she soon discovered clay is the perfect product for making toy food, small doll houses and other things for their calico critters.

She also made a lovely mess one day making her very own Lip Gloss.

How about a homemade Teddy Bear for her Dolls

She also stitched this CTR and made it into a pillow in activity days.     

And some other creations she felt were picture worthy

 Heaven help this house and my sanity as this creative child of mine continues to develop.  In fact today she told me she's thinking that she doesn't need any toys for Christmas.  Maybe just lots of crafting stuff.


Oh well what can I expect she genetically predisposed to make things coming from many lines of very creative and productive women.

Teammates

Jane's soccer team switched up a bit this season.  She's had this fabulous coach that took in a foster baby and started back to school so decided to not coach for fall.  One of her daughter's is on Jane's team and we decided to play them up a year to give them a bit more challenge

They were put on a team with a very nice coach who put so much effort into the team.   Let's just say that with Jane and her friends who played up that team would have been in a world of hurt.  Jane kept a great attitude though and scored a few goals but I think the greatest thing she came out with this season is some great friendships.  These  four girls Jane, Ella, Peyton, and Valentina formed a tight bond.

It's one of the beautiful things about being on a team.  I'm sure there will be many more years of friendships from team mates ahead of this girl.

Here's some pictures of Jane is action.

Halloween 2016

Emily the Mime

Emily starts thinking about what she wants to be for Halloween like the day after Halloween the previous year.  She toyed with being a jailbird, some Zombie thing, and other floating things but landed on a mime and never diverted.  She's proud that she is the winner for 2 years straight of the ward's best costume.  Keep up the creative work Emily.  

Jane the Belly Dancer

Unlike Emily Jane has a very hard time finalizing what she wants to be.  She frets a great deal about it and never wants to wear Emily's old costumes.  We spent way to much time browsing the internet for costumes but when she saw this belly dancer git up she knew it had to be hers.  The problem was it would be shipped from China.  Last summer Jane ordered a rug and some wall decals using her hard earned money and neither arrived.  We waited and waited for a few months but they never came.  She was so disheartened but I said lets risk it one more time. I'm not sure but I think she may have even said a little prayer.  We were both overcome with joy when it arrived 4 days later.  Nothing ever arrives from China in 4 days. Someone must be watching out for  her!!

Darth Vader

No surprise here right.  It took us about thirty seconds on Amazon for Aaron to decide, 2 days for it to arrive and a very long 6 weeks in the top shelf of my closet before the glorious day that Aaron became Darth Vader with the glowing red light saber

Master Yoda 

For a while I spent a lot of time googling birthday party ideas and catching pieces of stars wars while Aaron religiously watched it daily.   Every time I saw  glimpses of Yoda I'd look at Spencer and see a strong resemblance.  So although we've got a few hand me downs in the costume box, I couldn't resist calling the ever talented and helpful Mary who made it happen knitting this hat.  Aaron may have been even more excited for Yoda than his costume.  He informed my sister Sarah that Spencer was going to be the cutest Yoda for Halloween.  We all agreed.

I have a wall of special pictures at my house.  Don't you think this deserves to be on it?

The Light and the Dark Side

Emily really wanted to maximize her treat stash and asked arranged to go with her friend Sunny in their neighborhood and then to go with her in ours.  

How blessed I feel to have so many great kids close by for my kids to hang with.  I was really touched when a few days before Halloween Jane being very concerned for her friend who is Allergic to most everything started collecting a bowl full of toys they'd received from school and other parties so Amira could come to our house to trick or treat. 

The girls went one way and these crazy boys went the other while their dad's tried to keep up.  

Meanwhile Spencer just really wanted a nap but I sent him off with Bart and the husbands in hope if would keep him awake until bedtime.  Nope this little Yoda missed out on the tricks and the treats but isn't he still so cute!!

Whew......so glad to have Halloween and this blog post finished.   insert yawn here

Sated Aristocrat

Emily and I started reading "Call of the Wild" together.  Nothing like increasing your vocabulary than reading a classic.   We came to a sentence describing Jack the dog as being a "sated aristocrat" in his household.  I asked Emily what that meant and she shrugged so we looked it up on my phone.  Here's the definitions that fit:

Sated:  satisfy to the full

Aristocrat:  one believed to be superior of its kind

 We talked about the meaning and how the dog Jack was satisfied feeling like he was the most important being in the household.

Emily then said "Yeah kind of like Spencer in our household."

Yup that's pretty much how we all feel about cutie boy as Aaron usually calls him.

So here is what our  6 month old Sated Aristocrat looks like in our house.

He's usually looking for someone to give him their full attention.  He'll smile, laugh and act like whoever is talking is only talking to him.  I find it difficult to carry on a conversation at church.  He usually distracts the other person by flashing them a big grin and they are lost in his world and the conversation dies. I get stopped by so many people after sacrament meeting telling me how he was flirting with them over my shoulder all through the meeting.  Even today at Joann's it was a struggle to get the helpful associate to tell me where the pillow batting was because she kept talking to Spencer.

This sated Aristocrat continues to love his Big Brother's attention.  His big brother the entertainer happens to really enjoy giving it to him!!

He's becoming a better eater and often after lunch will chill with a few toys while I try to clean up the kitchen.  His favorite toys in his high chair right now are a bottle opener and this medicine dispenser.

Each afternoon he sits on my lap as we listen to both Emily and Jane practice their piano and then Emily practice her viola.  He is so content or "sated" listening to the music just like I imagine an aristocrat would be having their own private concert each day.

Speaking of concerts he's pretty happy in the jumperoo as long as he has a show close by.

He loves to be carted around by anyone.  Especially one of the girls or their friends.  He hates missing out on the action.

When he's not being carted around he loves to cuddle with his daddy.    They both cannot be trusted to be left alone in the evening.  Spencer will sneak a quick nap on his dad who is more than happy to oblige while de stressing from the day.  I'm then left staying up way past my bedtime because Spencer isn't tired for his.

kisses for daddy

kisses from daddy

cuddles with the boys

I love our family's pediatrician.  I think he's incredibly competent and kind to the kids but not overly expressive.  I'm sure most physicians would get that way after seeing so many kids day in and day out.  So when he walked in and Spencer gave him his "I want your attention grin" even he was captivated and laughed at Spencer the entire exam.  At the end of it it said "Spencer you sure do like attention."    Yes our sated aristocrat does!!!