4th of July

The 4th of July weekend was a nice, long one. Since the 4th was on a Sunday, Utah began celebrating on the 2nd and 3rd. We kicked off our celebration on Friday at the Centerville Children's Bike Parade. The girls decorated their bikes with flags and crepe paper and joined the hundreds of kids in the 5-block "parade." It didn't last long, but everyone got popsicles at the end!

On Saturday, we went to Corbin and Nikki's for a BBQ before heading to Eaglewood Golf Course in North Salt Lake to watch fireworks. It's a fun tradition that we do every year - and this year we found an even better spot! We enjoyed a few hours of playing games and chatting while the kids played in the sand pits. Then it was the fireworks show - it never disappoints!

Sunday, the 4th, began with church. Though it was fast and testimony meeting, we sang patriotic songs - during the last song the congregation stood and joined with the organ and 2 people playing the piano. It brought tears to my eyes! We had Mom and Grandma over for a BBQ after church, then we all watched "Night Crossing," which drove home the idea that we are so blessed to live in a free country.

Quentin had Monday off, so after the girls' swimming lessons, we looked at puppies at Pet Village, then spent a couple of hours at Kangaroo Zoo. We all played Blacklight Golf, then let the girls bounce around on the inflatables. Too bad we didn't have our camera - the golf was cool! Then we spent a few hours at Mom's (Quentin helped her fix her broken sprinkler pipe), then we came home and watched Planet 51. Whew - what a weekend!

Mr. Weatherman

We've been enjoying some of the county library's free summer events this year. Last week we went to see Kevin Eubank, a local weatherman. His presentation was so interesting - I wish he could have talked for 2 more hours! Anyway, the girls were so excited to be able to get their picture taken with someone "famous." Too bad their hair wasn't looking better!

A New House

The girls got a "House" Lego kit for Christmas and we all had fun putting it together last winter. The cute little house has been collecting dust and we've been in the mood for a good puzzle of some sort - so we demolished the little house and built a different version (the kit has instructions for 3 different houses). Nearly 3 hours of construction, and ta-da! Isn't it cute?




The girls have been playing with it most of the day. They dug out some of our "people" Legos and have played House. I just love Legos!

Penny Walks

I'm not sure if I've done a post on this before or not, but I just love this idea and thought I'd pass it on. I read it once in a magazine, and our family loves doing our "Penny Walks." When we're in the mood to go for a walk but don't have a specific destination in mind, we pull out a penny. We stand in our driveway and flip the coin. Heads means right; tales means left. Anytime we come to an intersection, we flip the coin. If there's a 3-way intersection, we flip it twice. Two heads means right; two tales means left; and one of each means straight. It's a fun way to mix it up a little, have fun, and walk somewhere we might not normally walk!

'Tis the Season . . .

. . . For a lemonade stand! The girls have been wanting to do a "real" lemonade stand (as opposed to the warm water they sold last year) for a couple of months. Seeing a few in the neighborhood lately has only increased their excitement. When they played with some friends yesterday I guess the idea came up and the 5 girls started "planning." Thankfully, they checked in with their moms, who gave the go-ahead, and the lemonade stand was set up late this morning. Almost a couple of hours later and about $14 richer, they decided they had put in a full day's work. They quickly cleaned up, divided the money, and played inside the nice, cool house.

Secret Shadows

I know I've posted a picture like this before, but I just can't get enough of it - it's so pretty! Every once in awhile when the sun is reflected off a car window in my neighbor's yard, the sun shines through our trees on the west side and makes shadows on our walls. We can get a similar effect when the sun begins to set on the west side, but for some reason when it is reflected off a car window it is intensified and looks crisper and more detailed. Anyway, I just think it's pretty.

Pick A Park

The girls and I have decided that when we're in the mood to go to a park, we'll get out our little Davis County map (that has the little park icons), close our eyes and point - and that's where we'll go. Yesterday we ended up really close to our house at one of our favorite parks - Freedom Hills Park. It was so hot we only stayed less than an hour, but it was nice to get out and go somewhere different!

New Sign

Did I mention that someone stole the cute little preschool sign we had printed and had on my front lawn? Yep, our $60 sign lasted about 4 months. Not bad, but we had justified the 60 bucks by thinking our sign would last a few years. Erg. I'm still upset about it. But I've also noticed a few other neighborhood preschool signs have disappeared lately as well. Erg again.

Anyway, with just over 2 months until preschool starts and only a couple of openings left, we decided to do a last-ditch effort and make another sign (this one was handmade and only cost $15 and a couple of hours to make). I'll be sure to pull this one in every night! If I can fill my last 2 openings and my partner can fill her last opening, we'll be set. If not, we're still thrilled with the response we've gotten and are looking forward to our first year of preschool!

Ta-Da!

We have an announcement to make...

The theater/preschool room...is...finally...FINISHED! Officially! Yipee! SO much hard work and time was put into the room by Quentin. Every spare moment for 15 weeks was spent in "the cave." He's amazing - he knew how to do basically every part of the room (electrical, framing, etc.) and what he wasn't sure about, he learned how to do it. It has been a very rewarding project for him, and I'm so proud of him and the awesome job he did!

So... I must say that when we first started this project, the goal was to have four walls, a ceiling and some carpet so that it could function as my preschool in the Fall. We thought in the future it would be a great theater room, so Quentin decided to run all the speaker wires, etc. for...the...future. Then he got too excited and used our tax refund (which we normally save/invest) to purchase the equipment for the (future) theater room. I admit I (and a lot of our family and friends!) was a little surprised at the splurge. Quentin (Mr. Finance) and I are cheap. I mean frugal. We're very careful with our money. And to use basically all of our refund all at once was overwhelming (for me anyway). But we always save. And we saved so much money by doing this project ourselves. We figured we deserve a little splurge that could be something our whole family can enjoy.

I wasn't too excited about the theater aspect of the room until we visited a home theater store in Draper. Then I kept thinking, "Oh man. I want this!" I could envision our family hanging out, watching a movie on a Friday night, or having friends and family over for pizza and a movie. I could see into the not-so-distant future when our girls are teenagers - and hopefully our house will be a cool house to hang out in. We'll know where our girls are, who they're with, and what they're doing. How great is that?! We don't really watch a whole lot of movies, but when we do, it will be so much fun in the theater room.

Since the room has been completed, we've had a few "movie parties." It's fun! It feels like our own little theater - the picture and sound quality are amazing! During the first movie we saw, I got chills and felt giddy! We've decided to leave the room set up like a theater for the summer. Then my preschool partner and I will work in August to make it look a little like a preschool as well. Of course the couches won't stay (they actually go in our family room), but the speakers and screen will stay put. Other than that, I'll have my 4 walls, ceiling and carpet to do preschool! This is my new favorite room!

And now - I know you've been holding your breath - a little recap of how the ugly little room has been transformed....

FIRST, IT WAS A DARK, DIRTY STORAGE/WORKSHOP ROOM...


WE CLEANED IT OUT AND GOT RID OF A LOT OF JUNK...


FRAMING...




WIRING...


INSULATION AND SHEETROCK...


MUDDING AND TAPING...


PRIMING...


AND FINALLY...




ARE YOU READY FOR THIS?




OH, IT'S SO FUN!




HERE IT IS DURING THE DAY...






AND HERE IT IS AT NIGHT, OR WITH OUR BLACKOUT SHADE...




(QUENTIN WANTED THIS PICTURE ON THE BLOG, 'CAUSE IT'S COOL)...

Soccer

Kiera has been really interested in soccer for nearly a year, since her friend Ashley plays on a team. So when Centerville City offered a soccer class in their summer recreation program, she got really excited. She and Makenna were both stoked to be able to play together. They started last week and go for an hour 3 times a week, for 3 weeks. It has been so fun for them, and for Kasidee and me to watch (we even had Granny join us to watch)! I'm amazed how much they are liking it, and how good they are. Makenna especially loves being Goalie and she does a low grunt-laugh every time she blocks a goal. It is so cute. And when she is on the field, her little legs are just pumping, and she is not afraid to get right in between even the big boys. Kiera is so good at kicking the ball far and loves to count how many goals she makes. It has been a fun experience - so nice to walk to the park, sit in the shade and enjoy the game! The teenage coaches are so good to the kids and have taught them lots of soccer skills - including "heading" the ball!

Kids Say the Darndest....

Just a few things my kids have said lately that have given me a chuckle....

Kiera and Makenna each got a little brownie at Primary last week. Since Kasidee is in nursery, she didn't get one. She kept saying, “Where’s MY Charlie Brown?”

Kasidee will point to something and say, “What is this is?”

One day Kasidee was counting (I’m amazed that she can count to about 25 almost perfectly) and she said, “Twenty eleventeen.”)

If Kasidee does or doesn't want to do something, she says she's tired - if she wants me to carry her, she says her knees are tired. If she wants to lay down, she says her neck is tired. And if she doesn't want to eat, she says her tummy is tired.

Kiera was playing with her Webkinz Whale when she told me that her whale was not feeling good. I asked her what was wrong and she quietly said, “She’s seasick.”

One day when Makenna was complaining that a friend wasn’t being very nice to her, Kiera said, “You know, I think when someone hasn't been baptized yet, they sometimes just need one last long bad attitude.”

One evening when Kasidee was whining for a drink of water and I told her to wait just a minute because I was in the middle of doing something, Makenna piped up: “Kasidee, sometimes you have to be patient for things and wait and get them at the right time. Like a dog. We’re waiting for the right dog and the right time……. Which means never.”

Today Makenna went up to Quentin and said, "Daddy, has anyone ever called you the F-word?" Quentin and I looked at each other, mortified. Quentin carefully said, "Well, no. That is a horrible thing to say. We never say that word." Makenna said, "Well, I thought maybe someone would have called you the F-word when you were little." Not knowing quite what to say, we let her continue. She said, "You know, FOUR-EYES. The F-word. Since you have glasses, I thought people would have called you the F-word."

Week In Review

First week of summer - I've loved having my girls home!! We've had a productive and fun and relaxing week! A few pics and things I want to remember....

COUSINS HAVING FUN AT THE PARK....

VISITING QUENTIN'S DESK DURING HIS WORK PARTY....


MAKING "FLOWER FAIRIES"


We also...
Went to one of the library summer events - Mad Scientists with Water Fun
Played with cousins and friends
Kiera used some gift certificates she got for her birthday and baptism
Took Kiera and Makenna to "The Sound of Music" play
Finished the theater / preschool space - finally!! (More to come)
Had a couple of "parties" to test out the new theater room

Chore Charts

(Sorry the pictures look so yellow-ish. I couldn't get very good lighting with the flash off!)

When the countdown to summer was approaching, I started getting a little nervous. I love, love, love having my girls home with me. But I also like the structure that a daily schedule gives our day, and I worried that no school could possibly equal nothing getting done. (Yes, I realize that is part of the appeal of summer, but we can't lay around like sloths ALL day long!)

Over the years, I have tried various "chore charts" and other methods of motivation and have been disappointed. Then I had an idea that I thought would be fun, simple, and (most importantly) work for our family. The girls each picked out an image online of a house or village that they liked. The key was that it had to have quite a few windows and/or doors or other items. I printed out the pictures, mounted them on foam board, then cut out as many windows or doors as I needed. Then I put clear contact paper on top to protect it and glued on little bead "knobs." Each window or door is numbered, and behind each is a "chore."

Each morning all of the doors and windows are opened. As they complete each chore, the door can be closed. Now, I realize that getting ready for the day maybe isn't normally included on a chore chart, but it is something that needs to be done before playing with friends or doing other activities. In fact, the girls have to complete the first 3 doors in the morning. Doors 4-7 can be completed at any time during the day, door 8 is done at dinnertime, and door 9 at bedtime. Voila!

At the end of each day, I will make a note of how many doors were closed (meaning how many chores were completed) and that will correspond to how much allowance will be given at the end of the week. If at least 7 of the 9 doors are completed each day, a small bonus amount will be added. (Allowance is another thing we've struggled with - it's been hit and miss in our household. We've hesitated to pay the girls for things they should be doing anyway to help out the family, but this way a small amount can be earned for completing various tasks - and we're anxious to be more consistent in teaching them about tithing, saving, and even how money can grow. And maybe this way they'll be more "choosy" about what they beg for in the store because it will come from their own money!)

Each girl - even Kasidee - has their own chart. I'm hoping this system will finally work. It includes things that need to be done every day, goals that we are encouraging, and extra items to help out around the house. Tomorrow will be the first day we'll try our new charts - we'll see how it goes!

We're Rollin'!

Today was the day we've been waiting for for a looooonnnng time! After 14 weeks of watching our little, dark, messy and dirty "extra storage room" begin to slowly take shape into a bright, "real" room, we finally got to paint!! It has been so fun watching this little room take shape and see each stage of the process. And painting was just so fun - it made the room feel like a real room!

Priming took us 5 hours (!), but the second coat of primer only took 2 hours. We were able to get a coat of real paint on in a little over 2 hours, but then the day was pretty much done. (We ran to Home Depot a couple of times, we paused a bit for Quentin to do some work with his calling, etc.) We'll get to the second coat of paint, the ceiling paint and all the little touchups on Monday. Oh, and all the extra little finishing touches. Carpet will be laid on Friday. Yay!

After priming and the room was all white, I was tempted to leave it white - it was so bright and clean-looking. But Quentin and I are both very happy with the paint color we chose. I wanted something sort of light for the preschool and Quentin wanted something sort of dark for the theater. After viewing and debating hundreds of shades, we found a compromise - something in between what each of us preferred - and it's just perfect. I'm posting a couple of pictures of the priming phase - we're going to make you wait till next weekend for the "After" pictures of the room!

Last Day!

I don't know why the last day of school is sometimes just as emotional as the first day of school. Maybe it's because it signals the end of a stage of life. Mabye it's because when we know something is coming to an end, it's hard to say goodbye to the good times and the fun memories. Kiera and Makenna have both shed a few tears because they will miss their teachers so much. They've said this year has been the best ever! I'm a little sad too, because I want to keep my kids little forever!

But summertime is such a fun time. I usually panic a little a couple of weeks before the end of school - I worry that my kids will be bored or that they'll get tired of being around each other so much or that I'll be constantly running around the house, tired of the messes and the noise....

And then I have them home and remember just how much I LOVE having them home with me. There's nothing more peaceful than a "Mother Hen" having her "Chicks" all around her.

We celebrated the end of the year by hanging out with some neighbor friends, buying cotton candy from a neighbor on our walk home from school, going through papers and handmade books, and watching DVDs full of friends and memories....

Makenna's Kindergarten Graduation

Congrats to our sweet Makenna, who graduated from kindergarten today! They had a little program with songs they've learned throughout the year and each kindergartener had a part to say. So cute! I can't believe Makenna is done with kindergarten and is on her way to first grade. Kasidee and I sure will miss looking forward to her coming home before lunchtime. Makenna has learned and grown so much this year. She is the youngest in her class - 11 months younger than a couple of her friends - but she has learned to love reading and has kept up (or suprassed!) everyone in her class in her reading level. We're so proud of her and glad she loves school!





MAKENNA AND MRS. NEWLAND

MAKENNA AND HER CARPOOL BUDDIES, ELLA AND LAUREN

Ready to Roll!

Yippee!! The taping and mudding is finally done! Our awesome neighbor spent about 12 hours over the last 3 weeks, teaching Quentin how to do it and making it look right! We feel blessed to have had his help - he knows what he's doing (he's been doing it for 30 years!) and yet Quentin was thrilled to be able to help where he could and learn a lot. And now...it's done! We're just waiting for the texture on the ceiling to dry and then we'll be ready to begin painting this weekend! Our carpet is scheduled to be installed a week from Friday and we'll be ready to Par-tay!

Park

We met the Johnson families at Castle Park yesterday. It was perfect weather, we had yummy food (everyone brought their own), the kids had fun playing on the playground, and the grown-ups had fun visiting. Ahhh, simple summertime pleasures!