So behind! Ugh!! How can it already be past the middle of July? They are just growing up and changing so fast it is hard for me to look back and chronicle last month because it feels like ages ago. But I will try.
Natalie:
Now that she has finished school and is "out for the summer" she gets to spend her learning time and energy on whatever she wants. Here is a little architecture project she did making a model of a Shinto temple in Japan called the White Swan. You know, because that is how every 7 year old girl spends her vacation. ;o]
Being "out of school" actually probably means MORE time reading in our family lol! Natalie couldn't love her library card any more even if it loved her back! (Our studying Jane O'Conner books actually was the beginnings of her current France obsession, but I'm getting ahead of myself since it is July now and so I know the future that I couldn't see coming then mwah-ha-ha!)
We had another awesome gospel discussion in preparation for Natalie's baptism in September. Such good times! I can tell she feels so special. =o]
She is loving our museum passes! I love watching her run from one exhibit to the next, reading the information plaques for her younger siblings and excitedly telling me what she has learned.
She wanted to buy this shark for shark week but when I said she would have to earn MacKay Bucks for it she asked to just take a picture with it instead. =o]
She also set up a little house on the side of her bed for her Samantha doll (I should have read this as a sign too lol!) and spent HOURS cutting out things from the American Girl catalogs. (Or wait was that in July??? Probably both!)
Probably the most anticipated event in June for Natalie was her Queen Day! From fb:
Today was our first Summer Royalty Day! I adapted the idea from a friend (what do you call it Emily Stone Barton? Yes day??) and today Natalie was the Queen. We discovered just how much of a homebody she is because the only place we went was to the park, and if we had grass we probably wouldn't have even gone there! It was a fun full day!!
As you can see there are several things not pictured. Also it is ALL about the food lol! She choose to watch The Incredibles, which surprised me because it totally came out of no where. And we ended the night with a pedicure. smile emoticon I can only imagine what is in store for Caleb and Jenna's days!!
Lehi Roller Mills Muffins of course!
Pretending Paddington was stealing the marmalade.
Pajama Party! We made tents and played games and danced around like there was no tomorrow!
This is Disney Scene It. Good times!
They had cinnamon rolls and hot chocolate but I had a banana and water because I was doing the 21 Day Fix with Carly.
We did an art project- thank you cards for our service project the next day. Even though it wasn't on her original schedule she was happy to add it in!
For the book party (which sadly I missed a picture of) they had a trail mix of fruity Cheerios and fruit snacks. Apparently a dream come true. We finished Pippi Longstocking and loved it!
Playing corn hole at the park! Oh and our neighbor friend came along.
Natalie actually ended up being really good at this game and I was so glad we got to reintroduce it to the family because it is super fun!
Caleb:
Caleb is loving getting to help with all the house projects. He is task oriented for sure!
He is eating like a horse.
If you haven't caught on by now, Caleb is a natural chef. Kent was gone on a business trip so Caleb and I had to make the pancakes one Saturday and he knows how to do it all! He told me "well I had to learn so I can do it for my kids some day!". Because obviously that is what every 5 year old boy thinks as he makes breakfast for his mom and siblings. ;o]
From fb:
Yesterday was Caleb's King Day! We were out and about all day and he felt so happy and loved!!
Caleb was all about writing out the schedule because that is what Natalie had insisted on.
For breakfast he wanted blueberry Costco muffins (aka cake!!) and a can of pears all to himself lol
He wanted to play Stone Age and he is actually pretty good at it!
The wonders of the world balloon exhibit at thanksgiving point!
The Museum of Ancient Life!
Making canyons in one of the interactive dinosaur exhibits! There was hardly anyone there!
Whenever we see this we have to take a picture because of Seussical's Elephant Bird!
Caleb especially loved the junior paleontology lab! (Natalie was way bothered by the sand lol!)
For lunch he wanted a picnic so we went to the gardens and it was incredible!! We could have spent hours more there!
You can see him and Jenna way out in front. At one point he took off running down this steep hill and I could tell he was going way too fast and going to eat it so I yelled to him and he jumped up, spun around in midair and kind-of bump somersaulted forwards uphill somehow and landed with a thumbs up kneeling on the grass. He ran back up to us and when I asked if he was okay he just looked at me all insulted and said, "Mom, I gave you the thumbs up!!" Noted. Thumbs up=okay.
Then while Seth was napping at home with Kent, we went swimming with some friends at Caleb's new favorite hangout- the Herriman Rec Center pool play place.
He and I actually got to spend some quality time together here while the girls played with our neighbor friends. He went across the obstacle course ropes over the water with me there to spot him- he is such a rock star!
Then we hurried home, ate a snack and for the the first time Kent got to come with us to the aquarium! It was so fun to show him all our favorite things!!
For Music Monday that week we had learned about Micheal Jackson and watched the music video from Free Willy. From now on that will be this whale's name!
Don't you just love the underside of Stingrays?
And then of course we had to go to chic-fil-a!
It was all for the play place people. When we got home I had to leave to go visiting teaching but apparently Caleb's final king day wish came true and he got to play chess with Kent after all the other kids were in bed. All in all his perfect day!!!
Jenna:
Her wound is healing well!
She looks like what my mom would call a "ragamuffin" everywhere we go because she won't let me do her hair so it is always in her eyes!
She and Seth had their first doctor appointments with Dr. Hornyik. They are both healthy and did well! She is so good with children, but I still miss Dr. Jabaji. =o/
She is strong and fearless!!
She wants to do EVERYTHING that anyone else is doing even if it is not physically possible for her (like eating an entire can of pears for example).
From fb:
Jenna's fateful spot. Seriously, look at that metal edging!!! What are they thinking?!? She has healed but they haven't changed it so I guess 5 staples in one head isn't the tipping point!
Seth:
He is such a happy kid! He makes us all laugh every day!! Seriously, how do people not have children? I don't know what I would do with my life if I didn't have these amazing little people to help learn and grow into adults!
Sometimes I wonder if Seth as the youngest is getting more out of life at an earlier age than my others have. I mean getting to see and do more sooner. Since we don't have a baby, ok so really since I'm not pregnant or nursing, we do SO MUCH MORE as a family than we used to. I think about this a lot actually. He is still at the bottom of the sibling pecking order (gets the color of popsicle no one else wants, has to get out of the pool and wrapped up first, etc) and I'm sure I still subconsciously baby him, but I expect a lot more of him too. I hope I'm not pushing him too hard. I hope he knows how blessed he is. I hope he feels loved!
The kid LOVES the slides!!!
His favorite trick is to run away and hide at the library because I can't just call and expect him to come, I have to go find him and he thinks it's hilarious!!
Another month in the books!
