Back to school!

Well the kids are back to school. I think our summer was just long enough to start craving a schedule again. Here's the kids before they left out the door... Not the best picture but the only one I had with all three of them together.
Ashley started 1st grade and loved her teacher. She said that her teacher said "fabulous" all day and she told me that by the end of the day she thought to herself "O.K...that's enough fabulous for one day!" She also told me about the boy that asked her 5 times if she was in 1st grade or preschool. She assured him he was in 1st grade and another boy confirmed it saying that "she was just little, but at least she's bigger than your baby sister." They all agreed and everyone was happy and they moved on...

Jacob came home from 5th grade estatic about his teacher and the fun they were going to have in his class this year. He immediately informed me that I had papers to sign and supplies to buy and PTA to pay for (because they get a party if they sign up 100%of the class). I was reminded of these things repeatedly for the rest of the day.

Taylor is our first to leave elementary school and was off to 7th grade without a look back. He even walked home while talking to me on his cell phone (so he wouldn't get lost) and told me all about it. He loves having different classes and teachers. He told me "If you don't like a subject or you don't like a teacher you only have to put up with it for one hour and then your done!" Clearly a plus in his book. He spent his first lunch sitting next to a kid with a giant Mohawk. He's taking advanced band this year (playing the clarinet), he's in the laptop program and was placed into Algebra instead of the normal pre-algebra that most of his classmates are in. Way to go Taylor. He also loved the fact that he's actually aloud to talk to people in a normal tone of voice during passing period and lunch, what a concept.

Well before we transition completely to Serious Studies I think it's time to look back at some Summer silliness...

Building a town at the San Bernardino museum. Our last summer outing.

During our 1st 3 hour Relief Society presidency meeting the kids were scared of the dog so they caged themselves instead.



Jacob at the Raingutter Regatta. He won the "best design" award. Way to go Jacob!



The true Jeff that the rest of the world doesn't see.

Taylor's inherited a bit of it too.




I'm not going to fall Mom. Really, trust me.

I've been tagged

Thanks a lot Sharla:) Really I don't mind too much...

How to play this game of tag.
Post these rules on your blog:List 3 joys, 3 fears, 3 goals, 3 current obsessions/collections, 3 random surprising facts about yourself. Tag 5 people at the end of your post by leaving their names. Let them know they have been tagged by leaving a comment on their blog.

3 Joys:
- family time when everyone is getting along and happy to be around each other
- watching my children progress and succeed especially when they are doing something that is hard for them
- the blessings of the gospel in my life and my families life

3 Fears:
- I won't be around to raise my children
- That I'll take on too much and the things that are important will start falling through the cracks
- that I'll yet again hit something with the car (and this time it will be bad)


3 Goals:
- Eventually to continue school and get a master's degree (though I'm postponing it for now)
- Substitute teach for my children's classes (Ashley's already had a sub more days than she's had her real teacher)
- Finally get caught up with scrapbooking

3 Current Obsessions/Collections:
- blogging
- scrapbooking again, now that I got a weekend away at a scrap and stay (thanks again to Sharla)
- relief society

3 Random surprising Facts about me:
- I'm gaining quite a collection of dents on my car. Most recently I had a run-in with a large, stationary rock that left it's mark down the bottom side of my car. Jeff swears he'll never get me a new car again and I don't blame him (the first new car I've ever had and I've banged it up more than any of the other ones we've had).
- I just ran out of gas for the first time in my life thinking I could make it to the gas station while driving there up hill. Luckily Jeff came to my rescue
- I eat way too much sugar!

I tag... Janell, Jenny Krepps, Shawna B., Ann Marie L., and Taylor B.

Cat Walk?

Ashley was outside playing with the cat when she came running in the house exclaiming "Look Mom I taught the cat to walk!!!". I came out to inspect her training techniques and this is what I saw. The cat looks thrilled!
(Notice Ashley's ultra-pink lipstick)