Conference Basket

I found this idea while searching for conference packets -- it's a conference basket. Every time one of our leaders speaks, then we we open the corresponding treat from our basket. I hope this will keep the excitement coming all throughout the 8 hours of "reverent" listening. (Each of us chose our favorite treat during FHE this last week; Nick and Maisie helped me choose which face for which treat.)

Fri/Sat

The weekend: Friday was the Hawk Walk at the kids' school, they had an hour to see how far they could go. Meg walked 6 miles, Andy walked 5, and Maisie walked 3.5. Austin and I ran almost the entire time with the kids. Nick and Maddie sat in the stroller for almost all of it.




Friday night we rode the zip-line in the canyon. Maddie kept telling me that she didn't want a turn.
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Saturday we went to the theater. What a show! We were all entertained to the max.

Saturday night concluded by watching the RS broadcast in Mom's basement, where I was able to make new goals and personally reflect on what to do better.

Book Time

Tonight I had it had it! The girls' room was covered in books. I gathered them in a laundry basket to bring them back down to the library. While re-shelving them, I realized that these were the books we had read together this past week. Everyday after lunch I announce "book time," and Maddie runs to the library pulls as many books as she can carry, and we head to her room to read and nap. A mess of books in her room means nothing more than lots of time spent reading together. And that's a good thing. (Of course Nick and Maisie attend "book time" but bolt afterward when I start singing Maddie her lullabies.)

A Unit of Measure

Band-aids. That's how I measure when it is time to go grocery shopping. A box of band-aids runs out before a case of apples, 10 pounds of potatoes and 5 pounds of onions. The funny thing is, I never find a child wearing a band-aid, I simply find the empty wrappers on my counter or in the drawers, and the used band-aids on the floor, in the car, by the pool, and in the garage. Today I had to raid the extra box in the glove compartment in the van. Tomorrow is shopping day.


P.S. Ah, a first in my mothering -- Maddie went potty on the bench in Sacrament meeting this morning. Of course she was wearing her "Sunday" panties which are nothing more than thin white nylon covered in ruffles and bows. This thin amount of material did nothing to stop the waterfall running down the bench and onto the floor. Oh, dear.

A Bit of Nonsense

Do you care what my fall decorations are? Probably not. Still, here are the changes I made to the entry shelf.


Don't really want fall to come -- I love summer -- but I have been enjoying the sun setting earlier resulting in my children setting earlier as well. Can't wait to make soup again. I think pumpkin cookies sound good, too. Who am I kidding? It is 85 degrees outside, and soup can not be on the menu tonight. Perhaps this weekend? For now I'll stick to fresh garden veggies, thanks Mom, and make taco salad.

The Help

Last weekend I read The Help. This weekend we celebrated Ashley's birthday by watching it -- cried through both the book and the movie.

Missionaries

This post is for all the Babcock girls -- I thought you might like to see your parents with their name tags on. Their mission to Africa seems real to me, now that they have their tags.

Maisie #6

Maisie is 6! We love Maisie because she is happy and kind. Our girl spends hours coloring and creating everyday. She also loves learning more songs on the piano. Every night she and Maddie giggle while I read, when they are supposed to be settling down, and I let them. Hooray for Maisie!

Morning presents.

Breakfast

Poster to be the VIP at school.

Nick and Maddie helped me make cupcakes.

Lunch with the cousins.

Candles at home.


Yesterday we celebrated with the entire group -- a pinata.