Time to journal again, before I forget all we have done.
We have been busy running around and enjoying nicer weather. I have been feeding my new hiking kick, somewhat begrudgingly to the others in the family. I'll add another post later with all the pics from that. We have played outside a lot lately plus enjoyed the gardens.
The boys only have 1 week left of school! I can hardly believe it. I have lots of classes/playdates/lessons scheduled for summer, right now I only have 11 days left with nothing scheduled until school starts again. We'll fill them up. They'll be doing art classes, swim lessons, sports camp, day camp, reading class, library class, cooking classes, and a bunch of playdates with the twin moms. We have our 7 peaks passes to keep us busy and will probably get a pass to the Classic fun center waterslides again (if they earn it). I have reading books and workbooks and writing practice books they'll be doing.
Oh and Claire has a library class just for her, otherwise she'll be napping or playing with mom during most of the other stuff. I have been planning her fall schedule though, thinking of a home play day, cleaning day, Thanksgiving Point day, library day, and a field trip (zoo, Classic, aquarium, etc) day each week. It will be so weird having the boys gone all day, I don't like it. We'll see if I survive without my buddies, I am already being phased out by them for friends anyway. But we still snuggle and have a good time sometimes, when I put my foot down! I guess it is good I'll have 4 more years of Claire to myself.
So, more as a reassurance to myself--we should have a good summer! Looking forward to more hiking and "camping" too--not real camping as it won't be overnight (Claire does not do well) but hanging out in the canyon with family and having fires, etc. I'd like to go rafting again, maybe camp in the backyard, and hopefully make some small trips--we already did one to Moab and may have some others coming up.
Anyway, here's some pictures of things we did in April:
Building structures out of toothpicks and marshmallows
We had one really hot day and I pulled out Claire's little wading pool. She just loved all the rings that came with it and her brothers decided they needed to be in there too! They had fun.
We attended the Tulip Festival at the gardens with my family and Oma. Oma taught me how to make her amazing beef noodle soup afterward (Lowell was very grateful).
My dad and Claire with the same expression
The boys with Oma (Claire would not be wrangled)
Cyn and Carter
My parents and all the grandkids (One more on the way in June)
Cam and Claire
My 5 siblings
And 3 sisters (love)
We went to the Red Butte Gardens for what turned out to be Arbor Day. I did not know or that it was a free day loaded with people and school buses. Would not have come if I knew--it was nuts and Claire was not happy at all. All she wanted to do was sit on this fish.
But the boys got a free tree, so that was cool.
Here's a shot from an afternoon hike we took up American Fork Canyon. Most of our hikes before this had been West due to snow so I was thrilled to again be in the pines. Even if it turned out not to be the trail I thought it was so we hiked to nowhere, it was still lovely. And look how long Claire's hair is!
The boys' school classes took a field trip to Farm Country at Thanksgiving Point. The classes went on different days so I was able to attend with both. Big thanks to grandma P who kept the other boy and Claire while I went.
Smelling fresh wool (ick)
These little boys have grown up so much over the course of the school year. It really has changed them. I think before that their main peer has always been their brother, so as long as brother was doing what they were doing, it was okay. Being in a class full of different peers has helped them behave socially a lot. And they are probably just growing up too. I was very concerned going into K but not too concerned about 1st grade now. Well, still worried as always over my boys, but now worried about them being there all day. In preschool they used to fight me on going each day, we had a lot of struggles. I was so worried about how they would handle going to school almost every day for K. They hardly ever had an issue, mostly because of the social beings that they are, they have lots of school friends now and wanted to spend time with them. They have grown academically too both reading markedly better than before this year. Carter is still a little ahead of Davis but they are both at grade level or above (I think anyway, haven't seen all the scores yet). They are still stinkers plenty of the time and we are dealing with new stresses of having friends over or playing independently with friends on our street but this year really has been easier than previous years. I sure love those boys to pieces!
And a quick Claire update since she is changing so fast. That little girl is just growing like crazy. She is still getting taller and her hair grows and grows. It is more of a challenge to style it now than it has been in the past but I know I should be grateful she has hair as we have options. She is talking so much, she adds new words each week. Some new ones: look, apple, cheese, doggy, cookie, play, candy (sign), yes (yesssh), happy, all done, eat--the words now after the signs, and more. She is saying more short sentences too, like she dropped an apple award that Lowell has and said, Oh No, where go apple? She is full of spunk, I really struggled with early terrible 2 tantrums for a couple weeks and then she cheered up. Maybe something was bugging her. Now she is not getting the best sleep--she stays up after bedtime and plays in her crib and I think she is a little off her game from being tired. We're trying some blackout curtains hoping it will help. She can throw a mean fit but maybe I am better at it this time around, I just put her somewhere safe and walk away. Getting good at ignoring. I just hate when she cracks her little head on something in her fit throwing attempts. She has become a snuggler lately, I was afraid I would lose that after stopping nursing but now she has her morning bottle and we snuggle and watch a show. She loves Winnie the Pooh (it's a pooh) and Bubble Guppies (Buppies!). She also likes Sesame Street and books--she has a lot and we read a stack of them each day before nap time. She loves her brothers and Daddy and me and we all love her and each other--I guess that makes us a happy family! We really are though, I am so lucky to have all of my beautiful children and my amazing husband. We have a great life and I am so so thankful to my Heavenly Father for that. Loves to all-Heidi
