October update

October is clipping by at an amazing rate.  The kids seem to be happy and that is good.  David and I recently went to the Oso creek clean up project for cubscouts.  It's crazy to think of how much junk, left unnoticed, will find it's way to the ocean.  This is David with his friend, Ethan.  Ethan is very athletic and a jokester... quite opposite from David... yet, they are good friends.  

Jame is at that heavenly kindergarten age.  He is just so adorable and very happy.  He's been on an Emmy kick.  He piles his laundry basket with blankets and takes Emmy all around the house.  She sure loves him for it.

Ruth remains our "sweet little mudda" (a pet name for people that she loves).  Ruth has a talent for falling asleep wherever and whenever.  All the general conference goodies induced this nap on daddy.  Fortunately, she woke up much more cooperative and happy.

Emmy is going on 15 months.  She is crawling and cruising around, but still not confident about walking.  She is obsessed with babies and frequently repeats our words.  She has also developed a cute belly laugh...mostly in reaction to Ruth's antics.

I am afraid that I've overscheduled myself this fall... or perhaps I'm just wimpy.  Sometimes (usually Mondays)  I cry over the silliest things and then remember that it is probably due to fatigue. Joseph has also been busy with his calling as ward executive secretary.  We don't see him at all on Sundays  The bonus is that he's gone from knowing nothing to knowing everything and everyone.  He recently reminded me of the birthday of a gal that I visit teach!  

Emmy

In the midst of our busy school schedule, Emmy seems to be growing up.  She is now 14 months old.  She cruises around the furniture, drinks from a sippy cup, and is a nonstop motor mouth!  Her favorite words are baby (she LOVES baby dolls) and doggy, but she can also say lots of other things like neenee (blankey), nana (banana), shoe, eye, door, car, hot, daddy, etc.  The other day, she was quiet for a long period of time, so I finally went to check on her.  What a surprise when I found that she had climbed up onto this chair, and was relishing in her success.  

Since we are limited in bedroom space, Emmy is sharing the boys room.  So far, it has worked out quite well.  But for some reason, this past week she has been taking terribly short naps and waking up at night.... so, she is back to sleeping in the portable crib in the family room at night.

The nice thing about being the second girl is that you have access to oodles of girlish delights!  Ruth is so sweet to share all her loot with Emmy, and Emmy loves the girl time!  When the girls get dressed up, we love to dance to the Frozen soundtrack.  Emmy always bobs her head and then dramatically sweeps her arms behind her back.  Such a girl!

School Days

The kids are well into school.  I have to admit that the structure is refreshing after summertime.  The kids also seem to enjoy each other more at the end of the school day.  Fortunately, morning dropoff has been pretty smooth this year.  No more hiking in with 6 kids at my heels (carpool). I drop off all four boys at the curb and David walks James to his kindergarten classroom.  This is a picture of the school.  I was trying to describe the layout to my sisters.  Where we live, the classrooms are in about 8 small buildings which all exit to the outdoors where there are small courtyards with grass and trees.  It's nice that the kids can see so much sunlight during the day, but does seem like a security nightmare!

Happy kindergartener... Mrs. Ingraham is a second generation Kindergarten teacher.  She is tall with blond hair and always dresses in bright colors with modest cuts.  So far, I really like her.  

David's 3rd grade teacher, Mrs. Castiglia, is a bit more unknown to me.  David seems to like her, especially when she shoots wads of paper from across the room into the trash can.  He is in a mixed 3rd and 4th grade class, which should be interesting.  I was also in a mixed grade class in elementary, and I don't remember caring one way or the other.

Now we come to Ruth, who had been waiting for weeks while the boys went to school for preschool to begin. It is finally her turn and she is HAPPY!  I am happy too.  Ruth is the third child to enroll in this preschool.  It is run from the home of a woman in our stake who just does the most amazing job.   The other bonus is that we have a carpool!  Yeah!!!  Ruth is also taking dance lessons again.  I wasn't planning on it, but we just happened to find a class during the boys' piano lessons... and they are only a few minutes away from each other.  Seems like more than a coincidence to me.

Ruth with Mrs. Sims

James begins piano lessons!

James had been dreading this day for months, but we decided to go ahead and start.  I was glad to see this scene at pickup: a happy, interested boy.  (both James and David get to play on a Steinway every week...when can I sign up?)

Louisville Kentucky Temple

Shaker Village, Placerville, KY

With Joseph in town, we took a road trip with grandpa to Shaker Village.  The drive was absolutely gorgeous.  The village is at the top of a hill with these views of stone fences and green pastures for miles around.  On our tour, we became experts in shaker life, including carpentry, shoe making, broom making, and ox training.  It was a horrifically hot and humid day, but we managed to enjoy ourselves.  The highlight was probably the drive home through country roads in complete downpour.  Scary but exhilarating!

More Kentucky

Grandma is good at taking care of those toenails

Out to dinner with cute parents.

Emmy found a new friend... cousin Faye.  Only four months apart... already enjoying each other!

James dances in the rain.  You can't see the rain in the picture, but it was pouring and he was so thrilled to be soaked.

Daddy comes to visit!  Yeah!!!   We have three days together before we all board on a plane to come back home to California