The Seven of Us

I stole this from a friend's blog. (These aren't copyrighted, right? :-) I couldn't have said these things any better. Lessons I'm not learning very well: (You'd think by my mid 30s I'd have some of this down.) Cake should not be eaten at breakfast. Of course I never do this in front of the kids. That would prove the double standard that I use in almost every situation. Nothing produces immediate results. Don't wear white after or before Labor Day. You have sticky fingered kids. Brown works okay. But, gaudy, multi-colored prints are the best. Just don't mop. There should be some natural law devoted to housework becoming undone within half an hour of completion. Let's call it Frustration's Law. They never teach that law in college when Newton's laws of Motion are getting all the attention. No matter what you do as a mother, you will often go to bed feeling guilty about something. Let go of the guilt. Enjoy the kids. I k...

Well, I miss my old template. Apparently I can't get it again?! And, kenna took great pictures of Jared (in last post) didn't she?

(Sorry, the pictures in this post are a little blurry.) Yep, Friday marks his 36th year on earth. No wonder he's so smart. And cool. And amazing. Do I sound awed? After fourteen years, I still am. (Most moments. ) :-) Jared celebrated by watching Taylor's last softball game. The kids gave him jeans (the standard birthday or Father's Day gift for many years now). I gave him a "remodeled" quilt--the one his grandma made for his high school graduation wore out, so I had the front re-done. It's one of the warmest blankets we own, and I'm anxious to use it this winter. (well, I sleep with Jared, so we'll share it. :-) ) We still haven't had cake; that will be after we eat tonight. (Today was Isaac's t-ball tournament, and cake at 8am just didn't seem right to most of us.)

Well....Corbin is a busy boy. He won't sit still for an entire board book, hasn't fallen asleep in a public place since three months of age, runs outside whenever he hears a door close, climbs all over the bleachers at games, and gets excited and dances whenever we sing his favorite songs. But hidden within his busy body is a very friendly little guy who absolutely loves other kids. He hasn't learned how to approach someone yet, so he assumes everyone likes a hug. (Or should I say, a squeeze? A very tight squeeze. ) No, this lucky little girl isn't an old friend. She was just in Corbin's path.

Well, Caleb is in his "June routine". During June he plays lots of baseball. He pitches, plays first base, and hits home runs for his team. He also helps with the t-ball and machine pitch games (someone has to feed to ball to the machine and be brave enough to stand next to a first-time t-ball player as they learn to swing the bat). When he's not at the ball field, Caleb can be found on the couch, reading Harry Potter books. He's a serious fan, having read most of the books more than once, and some (#1 & 7) more than four times!

McKenna really likes gymnastics. She is taking a class this month & she is learning a lot! Here she is, practicing a bridge. Kenna has also been doing a lot of swimming. She's pretty graceful, especially with the crawl stroke. She can also do the breaststroke. But the diving board is her favorite place to be!

Here's what Taylor has been doing lately: Pitching for the 9-12 year-old softball team Playing right field on the 13-15 year-old softball team Mowing (her job) Watering the garden (for a YW value project) Practicing for a swim test (So she can canoe at Young Women camp) Getting her hair cut (and promptly posting a new picture on facebook)

Some of you know that Isaac likes to be neat. And clean. I'm accustomed to finding clean baby wipes around the house because Isaac used them to clean his favorite toys (which are never dirty). Nevertheless, I was surprised by Isaac's latest cleaning tool: the vacuum. Before you wonder if I ever use mine, rest assured: I do, but not to vacuum lint from my favorite t-shirt! Wish I had a picture!

"Small boys become big men through the influence of big men who care about small boys." -Anonymous "By the time a man ralizes his father was right, he usually has a son who thinks he's wrong." -Charles Wadsworth