Procrastination

I admit, I procrastinate. There are many reasons I do this. I may not feel like doing something. I may rather do something else. I might chicken out. Or I may think that I have time and "I'll do it tomorrow". This simply isn't true.

We found out tonight that a sister in our ward had passed away. She has been battling cancer for awhile now and I guess it was just her time in the end. She was David's sunbeam teacher. His was a challenging class, but she knew just how to reach them and make them love the gospel. She worked so well with them that she moved up with them and taught CTR 5 as well. She was also Carissa's CTR 5 teacher. She was so kind, loving, and thoughtful. She brought the kids some presents at Christmas time and came to see Joseph in the first weeks of his life. She loved the gospel. I know that we are not the only family to have been touched by her.

For several weeks I had been thinking I would send her a card telling her how much she has influenced our lives, but somehow I never got around to it. Now it is too late. I think that this dear sister had one more lesson to teach me...never hesitate to tell those who have touched you just how much they mean to you. No matter how small, tell them thank you. One day you may wish you had kept in better touch, rekindled a friendship, said a kind word. Don't procrastinate because today may be the last day you have to do and say the things that need done and said.

For Aaron

It's not every person who gets to celebrate two special days in one...but Aaron is one of those lucky few. Today is not only Father's Day, but his 28th birthday as well. So, to the #1 man in my life, happy birthday and happy father's day! We love you!!!!!

And to all of you fathers who are in our lives and have helped him become the man he is and who are there for my sons, a great big thank you and happy father's day to you too!

So mad, so sad...

Well, sometime after we got home from school on Friday, the kids decided to take David's scissors he'd brought home, and play barbershop. David had a chunk of hair missing from the front, Jacob had a chunk of hair missing from the front. And here is the worst of it...

I was sooo mad! Carissa never had any hair to speak of until she was over 2. I have only trimmed it since then. All of that waiting and patience gone in minutes! Grr....

At first we tried not doing anything and just combing it over so it covered up the shortest hairs, but it looked funny and thin and so I decided to go ahead and cut it...luckily, the place we went to cut it in such a way that it was salvageable and I didn't have to give her a boy's haircut. I think it looks kind of cute. She loves it, says it looks like mine now. I have to tell her that when I was a little girl I never cut my hair. (I didn't! I would even have hairdressers refuse/talk me out of cutting my hair because it was so long and thick.)

Oh well. Hopefully it will grow back soon and I can braid it once again.

Field Day and the Last Day of School

Last Thursday was Field Day at school. We were able to attend and watch everyone have fun.

This was the tennis ball toss. Isaiah and Jacob were eager to have a turn and glad when they got one.

The kids had to do a kind of relay race wearing shoeboxes on their feet.

Here the kids had to roll tires in a race.

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The kids at one end had water guns and they would squirt the water into the containers that another child was holding. Needless to say, not much water got in the containers and they loved getting wet! The station ended with a free-for-all water fight. The younger boys enjoyed this one too, especially when the PE teacher, who organized the event, gave them each a water gun to bring home.

I think that over-all the most enjoyable thing for the kids was this blow-up bouncy water slide. They loved it! All except Isaiah that is. He wouldn't go on it even when I got ready to take him up. Jacob would cover his eyes when he went under the shower of water at the top.

It was still a hot day when we got home so I let the kids loose in our little swimming pool. Joseph loved the slide and would always go head-first. Yes, it's muddy. The kids had thrown some rocks with dirt in earlier. But hey, it can't be any worse than the irrigation ditches I would play in as a kid, right?

Friday was the last day of school. Here are the kids with each of their wonderful teachers.

They had an awards assembly and Carissa won the "quietest student" award (they don't give out much in Kindergarten). David won an award for language art, A honor role (the lowest he ever had on a report card, I believe, was a 97 or 98), and an award for reading six hours outside of class assignments. That one was from Six Flags and he got a free ticket to go with it. He was the only one in his class to do that. I am proud of the kids and how they did in school.

A lot of people have wondered why I kept them in school after Christmas when I wanted to keep homeschooling them. My reasoning is that as long as I was going to be giving them the school experience, I was going to make sure they had the full experience. I also wanted to keep things somewhat stable so it didn't feel like they had gone from one thing to the other to the next.

I think this was a good experience. I really am not anti-school. In fact, we have decided that Carissa will attend school again next year, along with Isaiah who will be going mainly to get speech therapy and hopefully diagnose any other learning disability. We think it will be good for building her confidence.

David will be doing homeschool. He is excited even though he will miss being around other kids. He is looking forward to trying third grade work, skipping second grade. He even bragged about it to his friends before school let out. I talked to his teacher to make sure he would be able to and she said he should have no problem with the work.

So, until we begin homeschooling/summer work in July, it is officially summer!

Field Trip

David's class went on a field trip to a local grocery store to finish out their unit on nutrition. Afterwards they went to the park for lunch and to play the remainder of the day. I am glad that the teacher invited us to go along.

David with the stores mascot...the HEB Buddy

David on the swing. He loved to swing!

Jacob going down the slide

Jacob playing in the water from the water fountain...I don't know how many times I had to tell him and Isaiah to stay out of it.

Joseph climging the slide...what a big boy!

Good Behavior Party

The kids' school had a party for the kids who had especially good behavior all year long. Both David and Carissa earned this privilege and so got to go to this bounce house place. The younger kids and I were able to tag along. Here are some pictures:

Jacob playing air hockey

Joseph just chillin' in the swing

Isaiah and David playing fooseball. I think they spent more time on this than anything else.

Carissa having a turn at fooseball

David on the slide

Carissa on the slide

Jacob on the slide

Isaiah on the slide: He wouldn't go on it at first...too scared...But when I finally got him up there, he never wanted to stop.

Even Joseph had a turn on the slide. Here he is with Isaiah.