Today was a great day

A friend watched my kids ALL day. I think that automatically makes us BFFs or blood sisters or something. Shannon, I OWE YOU.

I won't tell you how many miles I used on my day of freedom, but here is a list of some of my activities:

2-hour drive to BMH
Temple session
Benjamin Moore Paint Store
Sushi with friends (miss you gals!)
Nadau furniture (Amazing)
Pottery Barn and PBKids
Gap and Gapkids
Old Navy
Restoration Hardware (my favorite store. sooooooo out of my price range.)
Banana R. (a few hot new outfits, compliments of kyle)
Belk (Kate decided to war paint with my makeup. Needed a few refills)
Vicki's Secret (Biofit rules, ladies)
Janie and Jack
Pier 1
Bed Bath and Beyond (Sat in demo massage chair for awhile.)
Macaroni Grill to go (in celebration of old times with gina)
Pulled over by cop for tag question (let me go with a smile)
2-hour drive home

The best part is Kyle had the kids all tucked in when I came home. I don't think I need another day like this for awhile but needless to say i will fall asleep with a smile on my face tonight!!!

Lunch for daddy

Ella: "Mom, I need to make a list. Here is a pen and paper. Okay, now write. 1) Learn to work a gun. 2) Go on a date with daddy 3) I will tell you when I think of it."

"Mom, let's pretend that we are cooks in the army getting food ready for the soldiers."

Kate: Everything is disgusting. If we see a bug, "That is disgusting!" If she spills on her shirt, "Disgusting!" If I am changing a diaper, "Disgusting!"

Also, after we started cooking the girls ran up to the playroom to find some aprons. When they found them they yelled, "Yay for becky!" (She made the princess apron.)

Dash: Says "Dadda", "Momma," and is working on "Ball."

kids are funny. kate can't help but dance.

These quotes say it perfectly

How I love and miss President Hinckley!

"Be Grateful. How thankful we ought to be. How comfortably we live. How very easy is life compared to what it once was . . . We have the miracles of medicine, the miracles of science, the miracles of communication, transportation, education--what a wonderful time in which to live! . . .I hope you walk with gratitude in your hearts, really. Grateful people are respectful people. Grateful people are courteous people. Grateful people are kindly people. Be grateful."

"Gratitude is the very essence of worship--thanksgiving to the God in Heaven, who has given us all that we have that is good."

Keep your eye on the prize

So, lest my last post sounded a little too "my life is perfect," this one is dedicated to some things I've been thinking about this month. maybe you can relate.

-I love my kids. They bring me so much happiness. Each time there's a new addition to the G household, I am surprised at how much I completely love them and how perfectly, absolutely, they belong.

-With that said, it is a daily struggle to keep my house clean and in order. I can imagine that one awesome thing about daycare/school is that no one is home during the day to mess the house up. We are home all the time and no matter how much I pick up, there is a new mess waiting for me. It's hard to get motivated when everything is undone so quickly.

-Laundry is the mother of all swear words at my house. There is always a pile of laundry to be folded. And clean laundry is almost more daunting then dirty laundry! why can't it just make its way back to its home? ARE YOU TOO GOOD FOR YOUR HOME?

-Do people have dogs to eat all the food their kids throw off the table? seriously annoying. I swept at least three times today.

-Selling a house really suuuuckkkkkkks. Especially when you have mixed feelings on the matter and are going to lose big money. Alas, its just money, right?

-Why can't Alabama and Utah border each other? There are so many amazing, wonderful people in this little town in Alabama. But it's soooooo far away from family and my mom. Especially my mom.

-There are certain realities to having young kids. For example, there are times when my friends need help with something and I want to be there, but . . . I have 3 kids.

-Going along with that, church can be crazy. For example, now that Kyle doesn't sit with us the kids and I have been working on being more reverent in sacrament meeting. "It's how we support Daddy in his calling." Fine and dandy. Until i have to play the piano and farm my kids out to willing members of the congregation. And until they start MEOWING the hymn "there is sunshine in my soul" like loud, happy kitties! Trying to shut your kids up, while playing the piano, while maintaining the spirit of the meeting in such a small building is comedy at its best.

-When Kyle gets home my first instinct is to say "TAKE THEM." But he works hard too, so usually we have dinner, he gets an hour or so of bike or golf in, and THEN i say take them. But somedays that moment just doesn't come fast enough and I feel like if i don't get out of the house this second I am going to explode.

Anyway, these aren't real problems; people with cancer have real problems. So I am not sharing this to whine or whatever. I'm just saying that sometimes it's okay to be real about things and if you ever need to talk to someone who understands, I am your girl.

I am also recommitting to a better attitude. It seems like I routinely start the month with a good attitude and then all the little things hack at it until I have to shake off and start anew. Anyway, here's to keeping our eyes on the prize and all that. Cause even with all the craziness there are those moments of pure joy that make it all worth it.

Where every day is a five turtle day

Who knew? Homeschooling rules! Here’s a sample of our week.

Tuesdays: Group lesson
Thursdays: Library and/or playdate
Monthly: Fieldtrip

On a daily basis I teach to Ella’s level and Kate gets what she gets out of it. I only spend about an hour of dedicated time. The rest is more natural. We try to cover the basics every day--reading, sightwords, coloring/cutting, biking—and sometimes we get more creative.

Thursday’s Lesson Plan
• Scavenger hunt using hieroglyphics and sight words
• Early reader book about Native Americans
• YouTube clip from SLC Olympics, Native American opening
• Overview of symbols, using pictures and colors to communicate
• Practiced handwriting by writing “War Pony” 6 times
• Turned “my little pony” picture into Indian War Pony
• Learned Indian song while coloring
• Made Indian jewelry with pipe cleaners, beads and feathers.
• Started reward program: When you are honorable (help mom), you earn a feather

Continuation throughout the week. . .
• Make arrowheads with clay; bow and arrows
• Make teepees with dowels and brown paper bags
• Hopefully go squirrel hunting!  (No squirrels will actually be harmed)
• More vocab words and books

Field Trip: Moundville, AL, Native American Festival Oct. 7.

Don't worry about my kids being weird cause they're not in school.

Instead, you should worry about them being weird because their parents are weird. I'm just saying . . . that seems like a more accurate predictor.

L.E.T.S.G.O. Let's Go, Let's Go!

Kate's a little young for this QB but both my girls love him anyway!