Official move

The last month Faith has been sleeping on Champ's floor on a mattress. They both enjoy having each other in the room together. Champ is often found sleeping in her bed in the middle of the  night or early morning. However, her loft bed continued to sit in her room. I spent $200 for that bed and it isn't being used. I'm so mad. So I decided that maybe if we moved it into Champ's room than she would feel like she had her own space but still had someone to sleep with. For several years she has talked about wanting to have bunk beds with Champ and share a room with him. Yesterday the move became official as the loft bed moved into Champ's room and all the stuffed animals returned to their rightful home, her bed. Champ's toddler bed fit right under her bed and now he has his own space too.. We call the bed a "bunk bed" now although it is not actually one. It sure sounds cool though to both of them and they are excited to be moved in together. Her bedroom will be changed into a kid space. Pa Pa is building a set of bars for them to hang and swing on for Christmas. The extra twin mattress is now acting as a trampoline and a slide will be placed in the middle of the room. I am excited for this space which will be decorated with a nature theme; cool grey blue top half and blended into warm tan for the bottom half along with silloettes of trees on the walls courtesy of Pa Pa's art skills. I have one week to get it done and I am hoping to get it knocked out so for Christmas vacation they will have their new space to be in to play. Some kids like toys, other kids like mine like to flip and jump. Gymnastics is my kids' toys.

Lamby returns

Well after only a week of being gone Lamby has made a return to Faith's bed. I thought that we would try the thumb guard without Lamby but she struggled to go to sleep. It would take her 45 minutes or more so the thumb guard was fixed to cover her thumb completely and Lamby was allowed back into bed. Lamby and the thumb go together so it is hard to tell if her habit will be broken. She woke up one morning and she had taken her thumb guard off and was most likely sucking it. When the thumb was covered all the way I caught her sucking and as of tonight I think that she chews on the fabric to fall asleep. Champ does the same thing. I can't stand the thought of taking her favorite toy away from her but I hope that she can take that big step to keep her thumb out of her mouth. Faith was so excited to have Lamby back in bed. She gives her this mouth nuzzle that only she can do. If Lamby were to talk, she would tell Faith that she loves her.

Parent teacher conference

Well, conferences have past and Faith sure is doing well; as expected. She is reading at a level 20 which is typical for the beginning of second grade. Although this represents her reading level is does not represent her reading ability. Faith often reads from a higher level due to wanting to be challenged on reading but struggles to understand some of the words used. Her favorite stories are about puppies, fairies, or weird topics like Vampires don't need a computer or Werewolves don't go to school. She doesn't really like the endings to these types of stories. They leave her hanging and don't answer the question at hand....is the character a vampire or not. She likes it cut and dry with a set ending. Faith will read in her bed for 45 minutes or more each night until she is forced to go to sleep. She loves her books. Her teacher says that if they were to come to class and be told that they were going to sit and read all day, Faith would be so happy to spend her day that way. Her teacher told us that she has a great ability to understand math and explain her thought process on finding the answers to problems. She got all of her questions right on her evaluation test which tested her on place value, adding, subtracting, writing digits from the written number, writing new numbers from three numbers (ex. 5,7,1= 571, 157, 715). She has mastered 66 out of 100 addition problems on her five minute timed test. This was several weeks ago and as of last week she said she got through 80 or more problems. She moves on to subtraction next. Over Christmas break we are going to start working on times tables again so she is ahead of that when they are introduced in the spring. Faith continues to struggle in writing. She just doesn't like it or get excited about it. She is working on brainstorming characters, plots, and settings currently and will move forward as she works towards writing a story. Her current story is based on a place called Cupcake land. I can only guess what this story is going to bring about. Her spelling is good. She flip flops between regular spelling lists and challenge list each week. This last week she had the words spaghetti, confetti, exceed, freedom, brief, and other words that have a e sound in them. She got them all right. Faith really makes Bud and I proud. She is really going to grow up to do something special.

Thumb guard

It is time for Faith to move on from sucking her thumb. What was cute when she was a baby and even a toddler, is now an addiction that she can't overcome on her own. She has an attachment to her Lamby and unfortunately her thumb is attached to her Lamby. The two go hand in hand with each other. For six and a half years the only way she has been able to go to sleep is with her thumb in her mouth. Although some nights are better than others, she has to have help in order to overcome this habit. Her permanent teeth are now coming in on the bottom and her top teeth are getting ready to come out here in a few weeks. This step is crucial for her. After pricing thumb guards and then passing out over the price, I examined my favorite one and decided to make a pattern for it and sew it myself. With a little help from Pa Pa and three tries later, I was able to replicate the HandAid thumb guard. The first night it went well however it fell in the toilet that morning as she took it off to go potty. That was exciting because she brought it to me and gave it too me while I was still in bed. "Mommy, here is my thumb guard. It fell in the toilet." Little did I know that it fell in the dirty toilet water. Night two was a little more difficult. She couldn't go to sleep. It took her over an hour to fall asleep and that was only after she removed it and sucked her thumb. Night three, Lamby came back to bed with her but also did the threat of yucky talcom powder on her thumb. I told her that if she was not willing to work with me and stop the thumb sucking for a month than she would get some yucky stuff on her thumb in the middle of the night. So night three went well. The thumb stayed out of her mouth all night and Lamby was glad that she was back in bed with her best friend.

Tuesday night gym class

Tonight on the bars Faith was told by her coach that she and her friend would be the only ones competing on the bars at the meet this Saturday because they were tight on the bars and the routines looked pretty. Although this made her really excited to know, it was a tactic used by coaches to get the others to improve. I told her last night as she was telling me the story that whenever a coach tells you this she is only trying to get you to improve. She is using fear to get you to improve. I let her in on the secret that if she is signed up to go to a meet than it doesn't matter how bad she is performing because she will compete on every event. Only in the Olympics or college meets can a coach not allow you to compete. Personally if I would have been one of the other girls I would have felt terrible if my coach had told me this. So, I am  not excited about this technique used to make the girls feel like a loser. This coach in particular has a hard time with these level 4 girls and needs to coach another level permanently.

First meet of the season

Our home gym had a fun meet this last weekend. I had a feeling that Faith would not be ready for the travel meet due to the fact that she is really young and not ready to compete yet so instead we boosted her confidence with a fun meet. This meet was great for her. She has learned to point her toes and straighten her legs on floor, complete her Level 4 dismount without any help on balance beam, keep her hands turned backwards on her mill circle on bars, and squeeze her butt to avoid piking on the vault. She was rewarded for her hard work with three blue ribbons and a red ribbon (on balance beam due to being shakey and scared). She will get better but she is scared of not winning anything at a meet. Last year it was all about learning the routines and doing all the skills. This year it is all about learning to straighten the legs, point the toes, cheer on teammates, and improve on the amount of deductions each time. She doesn't understand how routines are scored or that they even are scored, she just knows she needs to be better than the other girls in order to earn a ribbon, whatever the place. I hope this year will bring out a competitor in her and she learns about the sport. After this meet Andma Pat took us out to dinner at Big Boys, a favorite of hers. Pa Pa and her played the box in the bus game while the food was being prepared. She ordered a grilled cheese and fresh fruit. I was so proud of her; she passed on the french fries. Faith wore her team warmup in along with having it unzipped to show her leotard. She wore her medal around her neck and was just so proud of herself. I hope she has this feeling after every meet. It is sad to hear that she is scared to compete out of fear of failure. Failure is necessary in order to succeed.

Special visitors

Andma Pat and her friend Terry visited this last weekend. They do not stay very long, usually only one and one night. Andma Pat works two jobs and so she is incredibly busy. Faith loved playing the card game 500 with her. Bud taught her 500 and Yukor several months ago. She continues to practice and is getting better. I love seeing her win on her own without any help. Faith is really good at math and numbers. Her teacher told us that on her math test which evaluated her skills she has learned from the beginning of year, she got all of them right. Andma Pat also visited in order to see Faith at her first gymnastics meet of the year. Visting only one day makes it difficult to do anything together or fun but we are always happy that she comes to see us. She brought her Christmas presents also so our tree is looking happier.

Visit with Santa

Faith and Champ visited Santa last weekend but Faith wasn't too keen on the idea once we were there. I'd like to hope that she is excited about Santa bringing gifts here in about two weeks. I think that she was shy when sitting on his lap and Champ was right there with him. She refused to tell him anything knowing very well that he should already know because she wrote him a letter. He hadn't received it yet though when we visited him. Speaking of letter, Santa wrote her back. She doesn't know that it arrived yet but she will find out tonight when she tucks herself into bed. We included an envelope for him to mail a letter back. Santa must have the best job in the world making all the kids in the world so happy. This year Faith has asked for a stuffed cocker spaniel puppy just like the one she read about in her Puppy Place books, a high bar, and something else. I wasn't allowed to read the letter so I'm not quite sure everything else she wanted. I know she has wanted a high bar for two years so this doesn't surprise me. This year Pa Pa is going to build a bar for her room. Her room is getting renovated and turned into a play space. I hope it gets done in the next to two weeks but it will be a challenge. I am hoping for paint this weekend followed by the painting of the trees next weekend.

A time to give thanks...Thanksgiving

I am thankful to have had both my mom and dad here this year to celebrate Thanksgiving with our family. I am thankful to have them living nearby and seeing them almost daily. My life really is blessed by having them here. I hope that life has become a little happier for them since moving here although unexpected challenes have arose. I am thankful to have been able to try to stick my hand in the wrong hole of the turkey this year looking for the gizzards along with making grandma's homemade stuffing. I am thankful Faith like pumpkin pie this year although she needed alot of whipped topping to go with it. I am thankful that Bud was home and the kids were well behaved. I am thankful that Tucker helped with the cleaning up of the food on the floor so I didn't need to vacuum as much. I am thankful for each Sunday that my parents come over to eat family dinner together. It will be a tradition here as long as possible and I hope that Faith and Champ will grow up remembering all of the Sunday dinners with grandparents. I love this time of year but most of all I love being with my family.

Following Thanksgiving we moved right into Christmas mode as we set up the tree and played Christmas music. This time of year is by far my favorite as all the houses are lit up and everyone is so happy and willing to give. I am really beginning to enjoy seeing each of my kids take an understanding of holidays. Although this year the tree is set up in our cold sun room due to the puppy destroying everything he finds, we are sure to warm it up with some cheer. Faith decided that she should put on her ninja turtle outfit to decorate this year. Champ was a lion. I'm not sure whose idea this was but it was cute to see them both dressed up. Andma and Pa Pa donated their big tree to us since they no longer have room in their little apartment for it. It looks wonderful in the sun room with the tall ceilings and all. Faith's favorite part of decorating the tree was hanging the tinsel. She loved the sparkle that the tinsel gave.

Puppy love

Tucker waits for Faith every day after school. He sits and looks out the front window for her to come home. When she comes in the door he stands on his back legs and smothers her in kisses. I've never seen a dog love his owners as much as Tucker loves each of us. He runs to the van each morning and circles around as only a happy puppy can in hopes of being invited to drop off Faith at school. He whines and cries when she leaves. He really loves her. Every morning he wakes her up by running into her room and jumping on her. He quickly takes her stuffed toys and tries to escape the room without being caught. He knows he is going to get in trouble but that is half the fun. I have to admit, he is quite the little stinker. He will purposely bring me her Lamby and look at me saying, "Look what I have." Tucker eats breakfast with Faith, but not his food. He patiently waits for her to drop crumbs and quickly gobbles it up. I know she feeds him despite being told not to. Oh well. As expensive as he is to care for, I wouldn't have chose another dog to be in our family. He really is the best.

Bracelets for friends

Ever since the pajama party Faith has been hard at work making friendship bracelets. She loves choosing the colors out and different amounts to make a different looking bracelet. All the girls at school like them and ask her for them. She feels good to know that she has something they all like. Each day she comes home and tells me that another girl wants a bracelet and she likes these colors. So, she sits at the table and gets to work. I taught her how to make knot bracelets which are more complicated and then how to make V bracelets which are even more complicated. I remember making them when I was little too. It was always fun to share them with other girls.

Brownie pajama party

Faith's brownie troop went to a pajama party hosted by a girl scout troop earning their bronze award. Everyone had so much fun. I think what Faith enjoyed most was the cupcake. I wasn't there to see it but was told that she scarfed it down pretty quick. The girls made catnip mice for a local organization, made friendship bracelets, donated new pajamas to young children and teens, played bean bag toss and turned the lights off for a disco light dance party. I arrived just in time for this. Faith and I tore up the dance floor. Maybe me more than her. I can't say but I love dancing so that was my forte and better than a date night. Brownies is so much fun this year. Of course, I am co leader with Kaitlyn's mom, Cary, being leader. We have come together pretty good and are enjoying being with the girls. In two weeks the girls will finish up their first journey which results in four badges being earned and a community service activity being implemented. Faith is the only one from her school to be in this troop. The other girls all go to school together but I feel that Faith is included in the group. She just couldn't make it to Brownies here on the island with her gymnastics schedule. I can't wait for the next few months. We have so many fun activities and badge earning opportunities coming up. Also, cookie sales start in three weeks.

A day at the mall

I look back upon the month of November and realize that I didn't have one post. I suppose it due to busy schedules however it is no excuse. I sat over and looked at Faith tonight as she read blog book part 1 tonight in bed. She will finish by the end of the week if she decides she likes it. I had better get caught up on this part. November brought many family activities. We started off with a  fun trip to Auburn Hills where we went to Bass Pro Shop, the carosuel, tot playland, and the Disney store. I love this mall. It is so open and big that Bud and I can usually wear out both kids in just a few hours. Faith really enjoys the monstrous fish tank at the Pro Shop. There is even a concave window in which she can sit in and feel like she is in the fish tank. There are taxidermy animals everywhere. The big black bear was a favorite this time around as he really looked real. Faith was amazed at how big in size he was. After walking the mall for an hour or more we made our way back for lunch in the courtyard. Today's choice was pizza. It amazes me at the serving sizes for people nowadays. A serving of pizza is three slices. Lunch was good but what Faith looked forward to most was the play area. This area is a germ infested area just waiting for some more sickness to come in. In case you can't tell, I hate these types of play areas. However Faith had a good time climbing over the rubber climbing areas and crawling through the tunnels. There was a giant hotdog and bun to climb on, ladybugs, and cupcakes. We finished off the morning with a  ride on the carosuel. Faith was excited knowing that she could ride by herself. Today she chose not to ride on a typical horse, she rode on a spinning teacup. By the time that ride was over I'm not sure how she could still manage to walk. I was dizzy just looking at her. The mall is definitely a cheap outting for the kids.

Happy Halloween

Faith chose to be a winter snow fairy today for Halloween. She and her classmated paraded around the walking path at school. For being a winter fairy, she sure was cold. I would have thought that winter fairies were used to the cold but evidently she wasn't. Her party at school consisted of treats and GHOST (BINGO). Her teacher was a banana which she just found hilarious. Another boy in her class was a big green booger and her two friends were a princess and another fairy. Tonight we visited our neighbors Pat and Perry. Pat and Perry have no children or grandchildren so they enjoy getting to experience our two on special holidays. They always bring them over something special. Faith and Champ also visited Andma and Pa Pa where she received a bag of fruit snacks, fruit rollups and some other goodies that will just get thrown away....if I can ever stop eating them. I have a love hate relationship with sweets. I love them but I hate that I love them because I know that I shouldn't because they are not good for me. Faith was a dinosaur for the trunk or treat party at church this last Friday. That was a fun outfit also because her face was painted green and striped with black to look like a neck. Halloween is so much fun.

Great Lakes minature train rides

My family has been waiting all summer for the minature train rides to come to a nearby park. They only come one weekend a month through the summer and lucky for us we had it this month for their Halloween ride. This little trains are simple. We swung our leg over the bench and sat down. Then we choo chooed our way through the park on the railroad tracks. I loved this ride. The leaves were all on the ground and the trees were stilled filled with color. The train chugging through the leaves was just amazing. I love the outdoors and so do both Champ and Faith. What made this ride even better was that it was free. Yes, free. They kindly take donations to keep the trains running and tracks cared for but it was a great afternoon. Even Pa Pa came despite being tired. I can't wait for the Christmas one. Faith doesn't know about this one yet but it chugs through the park and stops at Santa for a sit on his lap and a candy cane. This one is going to be a surprise.

Fun in the leaves

Ever have one those Sundays where you just want to hang out with your family and not worry about anything else. Well, that is what I try to do every Sunday. I try to give all of my attention to my children and just hang out with them. This might mean chasing them around the house while trying to cut off their dragon and lion tails or it might mean dancing in our pajamas, playing boardgames or playing in the leaves like on this particular Sunday. Since we have no leaves in our yard we ventured over to our back neighbor Dorothy for some leaf fun. We raked up big piles of leaves and the next thing I knew, I was being attacked from both sides having leaves thrown on my head. I wanted to fight back but how could I take pictures of my troublesome kids enjoying themselves if I put down my camera. So I decided to snap a few of them throwing leaves on each other and then headed off to war. It was war!! I knew that I could outrun them and I knew that my arms were bigger and could carry more leaves than both of them combined. I thought I had a chance until I got tackled and taken down by both Champ and Faith. I love to play with them. They make me so happy. I wish I could just give them all the attention that they deserve all the time but I suppose than they wouldn't learn how to entertain themselves. We had fun on that Sunday. The crunch of the leaves and coolness of the air is a welcome note from nature to come enjoy.

Family day at the temple

It was this time last year that the kids and I were all set to go to the Detroit temple and participate in a special primary activity. However at the last minute something came up. I wasn't prepared to enter into the temple last year. It was a really rough time in our family's lives but I have worked over the course of this last year to be worthy and prepared enough to enter. Two weeks ago I was given permission from the bishop to enter into the LDS Detroit temple. Faith, Champ and I all attended but the children did a special learning activity on the temple and remained at the stake center. I love to see the temple. I'm going there someday. To feel the holy spirit to listen and to pray. That is what the children learn in the children's primary songbook. I wish I would have learned this as a child and maybe I would be in a different spot today. Faith was able to get her picture taken in front of the temple with a wedding veil on her head. This symbolized the fact that she should strive to get married in the temple. I was able to do baptisms for the dead. I felt a breath of fresh air and joy over come me as I entered up from the water after each of the twenty names were read that I stood in proxy for. I imagined them hearing their names being called loud and clear from Earth and them saying, "Thank you. I've been waiting for so long." I want to go to the temple more often. It is such a place of peace and beauty. The quietness is what I long await for as my days here are filled with loud voices and bickering. There is nothing to worry about when I'm in the Lord's house. I have nothing but time to reflect and ponder on what he has in store for me. Faith, I know you will read this one day and my advice is, "Follow the prophet. Grow up and be worthy so you can enter into that temple also. You will be blessed. I love you."

Fire safety month

October is National Fire Safety month and our fire department had an open house earlier this month in which the kids were invited to come look around and learn more about fire safety. Faith found this opportunity extremely exciting as she was able to eat a hotdog and potato chips. We never have potato chips in the house so it is indeed a treat for her. This little robotic fire dog talked to the children from his handy dandy fire truck. A man up in a high ceiling room spoke through an intercom to the kids making them think it was the dog talking. Robot dog liked to spray his water hose at the kids and make them squeal. Last, Faith enjoyed spraying the water hose at a pretend house on fire. She was able to pull back the lever on her own and spray it on the wooden flames. She was a professional. Sometimes I think that a fireman can be a little intimidating but it is times like this that the little kids learn there is nothing to fear. They are our friends and there to help. As part of Faith's homework this month, she had to come up with a map laying out all the exits she can escape out of in case of a fire. We have lots of windows and doors so when we made an emergency exit plan there were lots of ways to get out. We even tested out our smoke alarms at home so she knew what they sounded like. This makes her nervous. She doesn't like candles burning in the house nor does she like aim a flames or space heaters. Fire safety month was a great month for learning here in our home.

Erie apple orchards

Enjoying her new penguin. She bought it with money from the tooth fairy for her second tooth she lost

Hay bale jumping

Luna Pier

It has been a while since I've wrote on this blog but I promise it is not because I don't care anymore. I have gone back to school full time along with becoming co-leader for Brownies and secretary for Relief Society at church. I feel awful busy but I am not giving up on this blog yet. Let's start back at the beginning of October. Our family went to the apple orchard. Although we did not make it into the apple orchard we did have fun listening to music, eating donuts, watching fresh apple cider being made, playing in the straw and finding our way through the corn maze (daddy's activity). I love Fall. I can not say it enough. The colors and briskness in the air makes me just want to be outside. Faith loves the Fall too but only because that means winter and snow are arrivings shortly there after. I can wait for that weather. My toes freeze for three months even in my BOGS winter boots. Pa Pa came along with us and this is the main reason we did not make it into the orchard. Pa Pa is allergic to bee stings. By the time we have seen all there was to see at the Fall festival Champ was getting cranky so we decided that the apples were just not worth the fuss with him. So we headed home. The ride home was alot quicker than the ride there. No one told us that 75S was going to have 3 miles of interstate pushed to one lane on a Saturday morning. We stopped and went at a snail's pace for one hour. As time ticked away I realized that the cranky side of Champ was coming closer and the much anticipated trip was indeed going to be cut short.

The tickle tooth

For the past week Faith has been scared to pull out her tooth. I was sure that she would lose it in her sleep and swallow it or in her food. Two nights ago she cried for 45 minutes because she was scared to pull it out. Despite my best effort to comfort her and pull it out she fought and fought me. I guess she was going to have it her way. This morning while eating her English muffin she said she felt something hard in her mouth. It had fallen out in her mouth. I'm hoping that since it just fell out so easily that she won't be so scared next time. Her front top teeth are loose now and will be next. On the way to school she said that she was sad that her tickle tooth was out. Whenever lip itched she could push her front tooth out and itch the place on her lip. Too funny!

The new Apple I pad

Yep, I got an Ipad for my birthday. I love it for my scriptures and manuals at church. I can flip to whatever I want in just a matter of a few seconds. Faith loves it too. She gets to use an Ipad at school every so often for word work but she likes to use mine for other stuff like multiplication, fairy costume wear, and telling time. She will often take random pictures with or make a random movie with funny faces. It is cute to look back in the photos and see what she has been up. On Saturday she took pictures from the backseat of the van as we drove to IKEA. She captured the road, a semi and me sitting in the front seat with my feet on the console. We like to take pictures of ourselves together because we can flip the camera function to view us from the screen. We take funny shots with the photo shop where our faces are scrunched, squeezed and smooshed. Even when we take a video of us we can capture a picture and keep it in our photos. I love the Ipad and look forward to getting all my books onto it for school. I started back to school full time today. It's been 8 years but I feel that there is more to do with my life and I look forward to learning more and becoming an example to my children about the process of lifelong learning.

Bummer!

Faith's friend from 1st grade, Ellysa, has moved to a new house in a nearby town. What that means is that she has chosen to attend another school; one in which she can ride the bus to with her brother. Faith was pretty bummed but after talking to her mother we realized that they should keep in contact. Bethany, her mom, had called me early last week to arrange a play date. Ellysa would first have to go to her soccer pictures followed by a soccer game. Little did we realize that Ellysa would play soccer in the rain and begin to feel a little under the weather. The news arrived about 30 minutes before she was set to leave and Faith was devistated. Not only would she not get to visit Ellysa's new house she would have to wait a few more weeks to see her. Ellysa is a great girl and I hope that they grow up to be good friends.

Spirit week

The homecoming game was last Friday which meant that Spirit week was the word of the week at school. Faith enjoyed every day last week with fun ways to dress. Monday was Red, White and Blue day, Tuesday was pajama day which by the way she got very hot in gym class, Wed. was mismatch day, Thurs was sports team day, and Friday was school spirit day. Faith wasn't quite sure how to mismatch. She started off with a pair of blue jeans and a purple t-shirt, mismatched socks and mismatched shoes. I explained to her that no one could see her socks and she may want to change it up a little. We talked about patterns on clothes so we chose the polka dot skirt, zebra leggins, pumpkin sock, Silvermist fairy sock, tennis shoe and recycled shoe along with a butterfly striped shirt. She was so excited to see her ensemble. I guess she just can't mismatch yet. I know, it does take a certain about of talent to be able to do that. I do it often just because it doesn't matter to me as to whether my clothes are of the same color. I've been known to wear a purple t-shirt and green skirt with tennis shoes. It is fun to make a statement in our wardrobe.

Gator times

Faith is getting enjoyment out of Champ's new gator from Pa Pa. Today Champ picked her up in the driveway from the bus stop. He drove her around the house all the way back to me at the tree. She was excited. After trying to get Tucker onto the bed of the gator I gave Faith the leash, told her to hold onto him, and then told Champ to go. Tucker jumped out of the front of the gator and onto the grass with Faith tumbling off backwards with him. She laughed and carried on for a few minutes while she was licked on the face by the dog. She loves it when he gives her kisses. I do too because I know how much she loves him. I love this picture of Faith and Champ. She has her hands choking around the neck all the while giving him a kiss on the cheek. He is not into kisses these days so it was great to capture the moment.

Listening to that small voice

I don't blog about many occurences in my life unless they relate to my children as each of these blogs that I do are about their lives. However today's blog I have to write about listening to the holy spirit. I feel that this is a very important gift that we are given by Heavenly Father and if we consistently listen and follow the promptings of it, we are sure to be blessed. My morning started off typical. I took Faith to school followed by a visit to the dog park with Champ and Tucker. I came back home and decided to have Andma watch Champ as I had several things to get at Petsmart and didn't want the extra help. For some reason, I shopped alot while at Petsmart. I set out to just get some shampoo for the cats and dog along with flea medicine, but something made me shop longer and buy more than I had intended. Little did I know that another senior citizen man would be put in my path on the way back home. I was almost to my turn when I noticed a elderly man up ahead of me walking with five bags of groceries. No one was stopping to offer any help to him. It was as I approached him that a voice said, "Stop, pick him up. Stop, pick him up." I know what Bud would say, "Are you insane? You don't pick up strangers." But he was elderly. Maybe he only had a short walk, maybe he had a long walk. However if no one would stop and ask him how would anyone know to help him. I listened to the voice and turned around. Pa Pa once told me a story of how he drove by a man one night and picked him up. He later realized that he was an angel. As I approached the man I asked for God to keep my safe. I asked him if he needed a ride. I told him that it looked like he was carrying a lot of food to be walking. He said he was going another mile or two ahead. I couldn't let him carry all this all that way so I told him to get in and I would give him a ride. He said, "God Bless you." Was I the angel that Heavenly Father placed in his path that day like Pa Pa had in his path that night? Turns out that his car was in the shop and they wouldn't give him a ride back home. He had already walked atleast a mile and a half when I picked him up. I know that I was blessed by following the promptings of the holy spirit. We are called to serve one another and help each other out. This life is so tough sometimes and if we all just showed a little more compassion and understanding for our fellow brothers and sisters the world would be a nicer place to live. Let us look at the world around us each day and look for ways to serve. Let us be like the good samaritan who stopped to help the man in the road as all the others walked past him. Blessings poured out over my soul as I pulled away from that man's house. Tears filled my eyes knowing that I helped someone and listened to that small voice that calls out my name. That voice protects me and guides me each day and I'm thankful for all the love that Heavenly Father has for me and my family.

First day of second grade

With much apprehension building within Faith as school draws near, today it came to a peak as she officially entered into second grade. Faith only knew her teacher's name as she walked through her classroom door today. She was greeted with a handshake, a smile and a young friendly teacher. It turns out that Faith thought that this teacher she had been given was known as the meanest teacher in the school but she quickly realized that it couldn't be her teacher because she was too nice. Faith has several friends in her class from last year's first grade however non of which were her friends last year. We are all hoping that she will find that special friend however I have a feeling that she will look for her old friend Ellysa when outside playing on the playground. Faith couldn't forget to hug her first grade teacher as she walked by her room today. She says she can't wait to hug her tomorrow. Faith really grows to love her teachers each year and by the end of the year she is like their little daughter. Faith was excited she was chosen to be the teacher's helper today. It makes her day much more pleasant. She loves to help at school. Why oh why is she not that way at home? Her teacher's name is hard to pronounce as she is called Mrs. Nordquist. Maybe Faith could just call her Mrs. like Junie B. Jones calls her teacher because her teacher's last name is too complicated. She had a super long day as she also had her first day of gymnastics team practice from 4-7pm. She literally got off the bus, changed into her leotards, ate a quick snack and was picked up by Andma. It was a fun day but long. I look forward to tomorrow night when we can hang out around the house and celebrate my birthday.

Sleeping Bear Dunes National Park

Our family spent last weekend in Traverse City, MI enjoying some much needed time away from the hustle and bustle of what we call life. With school just days away from starting, Andma took Tucker for the weekend and we headed north. Northern Michigan is such a beautiful area. I would love to visit this area when the leaves have changed and the weather has cooled. We spent two nights on our mini vacation in the cold Lake Michigan, building sand holes on the beach, climbing sand dunes 400+ feet above Lake Michigan, swimming at the hotel and just enjoying some peaceful time. We definitely had a great time and were able to get close again. Bud is often traveling which leaves the kids and I behind to duke it out with each other. Prior to our mini vacation the kids and I had been together for two straight weeks. Yes, this time away was needed by all.

 

Big kid smile

Faith has a big kid smile today. She lost her first tooth, that being her bottom front. Three years ago Faith fell flat on her face and hit her mouth pretty bad. I was sure that she would be the only four year old with a missing front tooth and it would stay missing for two years however it has only remained loose without any further adue. Today that front bottom tooth was loose enough to come out so I offered my services just like father did when I was little. "Hey Faith," I said. "Let me get some string and we'll just pull it out. Then you can eat your apple slices without it hurting." I was not expecting the reply I got when she quickly said, "Really? Will it hurt?" It won't hurt if it is ready. We'll try one time and if it comes out it comes out and if it doesn't we'll wait a few more days. I crossed my finger for an easy removal. I remember some of those tries from my father when I was little. Some of them just weren't ready. I think he might have wanted to do it to torture me. It was lots of fun pulling her tooth out. Faith wasn't scared one bit. She was excited and on the count of three I gave one quick pull and out it came. I don't know who was more excited, her, I or the dog. The dog ran circles around us jumping and barking until I could stand it no more and caged him where he continued to jump and bark for another 20 minutes. My little girl is just growing up so fast and I love seeing it. It is little things like this that make me love being a mom. The fun thing is is that it will happen all over again with Champ in a few years. I love my kids. With Bud traveling this week and not expected to get home until late tonight she has decided that she will place it under her pillow tomorrow night in order for him to see it. It is her first tooth and all. It would make me sad knowing that I missed my daughter's first tooth coming out. I love being a stay at home mom. The blessings that the Lord bestows upon my family are just endless and I love him for everything he does.

Ellysa

Faith has a wonderful friend named Ellysa. Ellysa is a sweet little girl. She visited us at the beginning of summer and then the girls have not played together since then. However, upon getting back together today, they were back up to their old selves. What I enjoy most about Ellysa is that she includes Champ. Ellysa willing volunteered to unbuckle Champ from his carseat and buckle him in. She willingly played store with him and capture the lion. Faith finds Champ annoying however Ellysa will find Champ fun. In turn, Faith realizes that her brother can be fun if she plays what he wants to play. Today when Ellysa came over we took a nature walk and discovered "treasure." Although it was actually bee bees from a BB gun they were fun to collect. We spent two hours in the woods and everyone was quiet and enjoying themselves. I think that days when we have friends over are the best days we have. The children don't fight and it gives me a break. Ellysa is welcomed here anytime. She is so kind and polite and just makes for a good example to follow for both of the children.

Puppy love

I wonder how it feels to be a little girl who is in love with her puppy. She has this love/hate relationship with him. She loves it when he lays on her back while she relaxes on the couch but hates it when he bites her from rough play. Although he doesn't mean to hurt her Faith whacks her puppy Tucker on the head. One would think that would work however he continues to think that she is playing and ultimately ends up in his cage. So sad. Faith can't go to sleep without kissing him goodnight and giving him a hug. He waits for her to drop her breakfast each morning and is ecstatic when he gets to gobble up a piece of cereal. If she doesn't watch it though he eats the whole lot of her food. He lets her know he is there waiting by gently giving her a puppy pat with his paw. They really will become best friends.

Visit with Grace

Last weekend Grace visited from Texas with Uncle Carl and Aunt Forte. It was a great weekend filled with lots of room time. First Grace showed Faith how to sculpt with modeling clay. Grace's favorite thing to sculpt is a face so we were taught how to mix up the clay to make the color of a face, pinch out the nose, poke holes for the eyes and mouth and curl clay for hair. It was so cool. I must continue to practice this art form as it is really relaxing and rewarding. Grace sculpts back home and I guess she is quite good at. She is self taught and pretty good at it. Faith and Grace enjoyed an afternoon at Imagination Station in Toledo, OH. It was here that they rode a race car simulator, played an imaginary guitar, examined an inclined room, built with blocks, discovered what liquid nitrogen can do to a trash can of plastic balls, and stepped into hurricane force winds of 95 mph. This museum is so much fun. Faith really loved building with the blocks. She made circle houses and a rectangle house. I made a huge tower which turned into a wishing well. With the museum closing at 5pm, we stayed until the very last minute and then headed off the dinner. What better place than Cracker Barrell. Faith loves their biscuits and who could blame her. They are wonderful. Even I can order only biscuits with gravy and get filled up. Who could forget the ever famous Andes mint for dessert. We have been having these mints for five years. Bud was awesome, he purchased four extra just for me. I love him. After dinner we decided to go to the beach for a little bit. What was originally planned as a shore excursion, quickly turned out to be swimming and splashing. A little voice inside my head told me this was going to happen so when it did I wasn't surprised. However I was a little upset with Faith for leading her brother too far out and causing him to not touch. Had Grace not been right there with him he could have went under. I was scared. I screamed for her to grab him. Faith has been taught this lesson before that her brother does everything that she does and that she should be cautious. Despite the wetness and disobedience, we had fun. I wish Aunt Forte had left some pictures for us because I have none. Uncle Carl made a good pirate while he was here. We all dressed up as pirates and used our swords for fighting. Faith played sorta rough and ended up getting into trouble but it was fun. She loves Grace. Grace is such a great cousin. She is so polite, caring and overall a good cousin.

Summer 2012

          How can I find the time to blog each day when each day is filled with so many things to do. Summer has found me quite busy and unable to blog. We go so many places and see so many things plus just the opportunity to have both of my children home is unbelievable. This summer seems like it has come and gone. I didn't realize that I last blogged the end of June. That was only the first day of summer. With my camera having bit the dust I am left with only my bad memory. However I'll do my best to capture the summer of 2012.
           Faith has actively been pursuing gymnastics this summer by attending twice a week for a total of 8 hours. She would like to be a level come Fall competition season however she still has lots of work to do. With a little under a month to go before her hours get dropped back down to 6 or so she still needs to work on her cartwheel on beam, round off backhandspring on floor and front hip circle on bars. All of these she can do however they definitely need some fine tuning on form. She has learned the lesson on what a hard conditioning class can do for your body. Each day 30 minutes is devoted to strengthening the body. Friday's class, which was supposed to be Fun Friday conditioning, turned out to be one of the toughest ones she's encountered. With a stop watch in the coach's hand the gymnasts were instructed to do whatever the coach called out for one minute. Anyone who stopped would cause the group to start over again. She cried during this conditioning. Did she make it through? She did and she didn't stop once. She is a tough little one and we've had lots of discussions about the importance of being strong in this sport. I could sit and watch her every day do this sport. It is after this summer that I have realized that I need to pursue my dream of opening up my own gymnastics center. I am off to school again this Fall to major in Business Management and Enteurpenurship.
       With a strong encouragement from Faith's first grade teacher Mrs. Davis to continue summer learning Faith and I agreed that each day M-F we would devote 5-10 minutes a day to keeping up with our math skills. She has a 2nd grade workbook that we have worked through and now she has discovered a math web site that allows her to do 3rd and higher math. This week she has found that she enjoys identifying the worth of an underlined place value. Hey, I don't mind that computer time. She would like to have Bud purchase the program so she can have unlimited access. Right now she gets 20 problems a day. Her reading is strong. She enjoyed some Junie B Jones books this summer along with She earned her yard sign to place in our yard saying that a wonderful summer reader lives here and also she earned her t-shirt. She has discovered the joy of reading this year. Although she has enjoyed reading fiction another love has emerged. I am excited to see her digging into non fiction books. She has picked up books about Mars, Pluto, black holes, snakes, nature, gardening, and more. She can tell you just about anything you want to know about snakes. I think that she enjoys these creatures because her daddy and Andma dislike them. Non fiction books are a wonder. I never realized that they were organized so nicely in the library.  
       This fourth of July we visited our friend Melody and enjoyed some time with friends. Faith experienced her first time with being up close and personal with fireworks. They are all legal where we live. I don't think that even I have experienced it. It was indeed sort of scarey. At one point in time a firey ash fell from the sky and landed about a foot away from us. One sister brought chocolate chip cookies the size of two of my hands. Can you guess who ate that? Yep, Faith devoured the entire thing.  Most of our friends from church do not have girls Faith's age so she either plays with the boys or is left on her own. I feel sad for her however I remember playing with my brother when I was little along with his friends. I had a happy childhood. Faith will discover boys are much more fun than girls and have less drama and crying. After seeing our friends we wrapped everything up and headed over to the river to watch them from a nearby town. After waiting nearly an hour we decided to head home. It was getting late and the kids needed to get to bed. It was not till after we came inside and kissed Pa Pa that we realized we could see them from our front yard. Faith was in awe at their beauty. They were so big that they lit up the night sky. The kids and I layed in the front yard and enjoyed the show. After that it was straight to bed. My kids have a way of getting up at the same time despite what time they go to bed.
     Andma and Pa Pa visited for the fourth. It is always nice to have them here. They are set to leave IL and move up here in a few days. I know it has to be hard. I'm so thankful to have them here though. The thought of them being able to see their grandkids each day is gratifying. Two weeks after they visited here the kids and I took a trip down there to see them. We stayed at our family friend's house. Her name is Norma. We took over her basement for 10 days. It was a treat. Illinois was in full drought this year and extremely hot. It made it hard to do anything fun with the kids. We couldn't go outside on a bike ride or go to the park because it was just too hot. Faith spent a lot of time reading and playing with her Lalapoloopsy dolls and accessories. Faith and I learned how use vinyl cement to make a leaf print. After we spread the vinyl cement over the back of the leaf, we let them dry and then peeled the leaf off. We used acrylic paint to paint them. Faith chose a purple for hers and I chose to make mine fall colors. They are in our flower garden now. I could make lots more. It is so relaxing to do art and create.
    The highlight of this summer was mother daughter summer camp at Camp Nawakwa in Poland, Indiana. I remember this camp from when I was a girl. It was great being with Faith all weekend by ourselves. I have to say that the camping part was a little difficult and we only stayed overnight one night. We arrived Friday night and checked in. We enjoyed a nice dinner and then went on a nature hike. What was nice about this weekend was the fact that we could do what we wanted. There were activities offered but if we wanted to do something else we could. The first night we enjoyed some time at the theatre. We listened to the counselors put on skits and sing songs. We did alot of repeat after me songs. Faith's favorite one was about a hippo. It took her awhile to get accustomed to the fact that everyone was just there to have fun. Nobody cared that they looked silly or that they couldn't sing. We were all there to enjoy time together. After theatre we took an evening hike through the different camping units. We went with our new friend Kira and her mom Angie. Kira was going into second grade like Faith. After we returned it was quite late, 1030pm and we needed to get ready for bed. Faith fell right to sleep. I, on the other hand, tossed and turned all night long and waited until the sun came up. I think that I slept maybe an hour. It was pretty bad. I discovered that I enjoy my fan too much and it's ability to block out noise. I hate those noises that the bugs make. Croak, crick, chirp, woof, woof, owwww, ALL NIGHT LONG! Next time I will need to pack some earplugs along with a heavy blanket, air mattress and fan. Saturday was filled with activities. No wonder Faith crashed as soon as we left that evening at 10pm. We started the day with a hike at 630am followed by flag ceremony (which we always missed), singing logs (which we always missed too) and then breakfast. After breakfast we headed to art to make wax candles and dream catchers made from two sticks and yarn. After that we went to spa where I painted Faith's nails sparkle blue. Despite my best efforts to get her to try the oatmeal/yogurt facial I could not succeed. I think that I damaged her mentally when I did a banana honey milk one a week prior to that. If was then that we were off to canoeing where Faith made best effort to row the boat but ended up being rowed around the lake. Her expectations were high and unfortunately canoeing was just too slow of an activity. She became hot and tired and just didn't enjoy it. Our nature hike was last on the agenda for the morning. After our hike Faith made an egg carton caterpillar out of tacky glue, felt and pipe cleaners. We spent the entire afternoon at the swimming pool. Faith took off on her own swimming as she paddled four or five stroke before becoming tired. It was a huge milestone for her. Faith jumped off the diving board and had fun all afternoon. I loved being able to give her all the attention for two days. So often she is forced to share attention with Champ and it is difficult. We did everything that she wanted to do; even if it was swimming at 900pm. We left Saturday night instead of Sunday morning so we could both just get a good nights rest. A bribe of Dairy Queen ice cream is sure to get a parent whatever they want.  She slept till 9am the next morning when I had to finally wake her in order to go get Champ from Aunt Kim's house. We will go back every summer for this special mother daughter time and I will also send her to camp at this camp every summer. There are so many choices for themes and activities that she will sure to have many memories of her summers in Illinois as she grows bigger. Until then, this will always be the first summer that Faith and I spent together at girl scout camp.
       Great grandpa was sick this time around so we did not get to play our famous Wednesday Bingo game with him. It was sad but we were glad to have seen him. He was in the hospital when we arrived not sure that he was going to make it many more days. They sent him back to the nursing home and were going to set him up with hospice when he made a complete turn around and began to communicate is needs, feed himself and smile. It was a miracle. God wasn't ready for him yet. Too many nurses to harrass still I suppose. I was glad that Faith was able to see him again and I was even happier that he knew who I was.
      Faith and I traveled to Lincoln to visit Uncle Josh. We had not seen him in over a year. Faith is quite the Uno card shark making sure that she took most of the hands that were played. That girl is good at cards. I suppose she gets that from her Andma Pat and daddy. They both love cards. Faith even beat Andma at Go Fish and Crazy Eights. It is those times that she will remember. I remember just like yesterday with my grandpa and grandma. It was a event that I always looked forward to; Bugs Bunny crazy eights, Checkers and Chinese Checkers.
          Back we go to Michigan to finish off the summer. Uncle Carl, Aunt Forte, and cousin Grace are visiting from TX. We are having so much fun. Bud is traveling left and right for work so he is often gone for a week at a time. Andma and Pa Pa move up here in a few days to their new senior apartment. I don't know who is going to love it more, me or them. School starts in four weeks and Faith is excited for her class.

Vacation Bible School

What would summer be without vacation bible school? It would be just a summer vacation and not a magnificent summer vacation. Faith spent Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday at a near by church learning about God's love for his children. She spent each day in different centers. Some of the centers were music class where they played handbells and sang songs, Bible story class where they learned a lesson based off of a story in the Bible, recess, water play, art time where she made a tie-dyed towel, CD picture frame and yarn octopus. After the first day Faith told me that she wished she could go to VBS all day everyday. It was at that point I realized how much she enjoys this activity each summer.

Magnets with Dorothy

Dorothy is our neighbor who lives behind us. She is Andma's age and loves kids. Faith visits Dorothy once or twice a week. Today she built with magnets. Magnets are so cool. The possibilities are endless as far as what one can build. She made a pyramid, cube, and an octagon. It is nice to Faith sit down and do activities because so often when she is at home she just wants to flip around the house.  Dorothy has two dogs, Abby and Marley, both of which are good tempered dogs who love children. Faith thought it was funny when Marley ate Bob's peanuts from the table. I don't know of many dogs who eat peanuts but those two loved them. They are both poodles and are brother and sister. Sure is nice to have Bob and Dorothy as neighbors. They are such nice people. We look forward to many years living here as neighbors with them.

Pay day

Friday was payday for Faith. She earned five dollars this week as she washed the sunroom screens with a scrub brush and soap. It was a job that I did not want to do so the five dollars was well worth it. She continues to help around the house with clearing her place at the table, putting away laundry, making her bed and her brother's bed, walking the dog and caring for him, and being a good listener. The last few weeks have been hard for her until Bud and I sat down and talked with her about the fact that there will always be someone telling her what to do for the rest of her life. It is up to her to take that direction and not complain but just do as she was asked. It is an important lesson to learn and at the age of 6 she needs not question so many requests and just do as she is told. She was happy to go shopping at Five Below where her five dollars would buy her anything one thing in the store. After she had picked out yet another stuffed animal, which would give her a grand total of 40, she discovered Bella Sara. What I like about Bella Sara horse cards are that she can take the codes, plug them into her account on the computer and earn horseshoes so she can go shopping more in order to decorate her online cottage. She really enjoys caring for her online horses. Five dollars bought Faith four packages of horse cards and 400 horseshoes.

The puppy tooth fairy

Faith has put Tucker's tooth under her pillow tonight in the hopes that she will trick the tooth fairy into thinking it is hers. I couldn't believe it when I seen it in her room. We found his tooth on the floor this afternoon after playing tug of war with him and seeing some blood on his stuffed dog. She included a little note to read, "Dear Tooth fairy, this is my tooth. Love, Faith." She so wants a visit from the tooth fairy. Poor thing. Her front tooth has been loose for over a year now. It just doesn't want to fall out. She is super excited about it getting looser over the past few weeks. Faith came home a few weeks ago and told me that she hopes that she gets the same tooth fairy as her friend because she got $20. She said was she was not sure what her friend's address was or whether it was close to her house. I guess their are several million tooth fairies each with their designated areas to patrol. Tonight though, it is the puppy tooth fairy making a stop here to deliver a milk bone dog biscuit. I can't wait for her response when she wakes up.

End of the year banquet

Faith and her "big sister" Lyndsey

Faith and friend Jackie

Faith gets her trophy



All the pre team girls and coaches

The gymnastics competition season has drawn to an end and Faith celebrated on Monday with an awards banquet. She was so excited to dress up pretty and see her friends. She was congratulated and awarded a rainbow colored trophy with her name on it. She says she is going to compete again next season and looks forward to this summer when she can work on her tricks and get strong.