Not much going on

Last Sunday Amy and Candice flew back to utah, we played the Farming Game with them before they left.  They said it was fun, but too much math.  Thanks again for coming to visit. 

I only took 5 pictures this week, so I guess that just shows we are back in a normal routine of school and being at home.  Karate started again on Monday and Damon said he wanted to give it a try, so both Tyler and Damon went.  Damon said it was different that he expected (I think he wanted to be fighting already), but he liked it.

Tuesday Chris was spinning in the bouncy house and landed funny and really hurt his shoulder.  I thought it was his forearm originally because that is where he was pointing when he said it hurt.  I actually had a neighbor boy come over for a bit and I took Chris into the Dr.  We had it x-rayed - but it was probably uneccessary but we didn't learn that until later.  We figured out that it was more of a shoulder injury because Chris just didn't want to raise his arm at all.  We tried to trick him to have him point at some sharks or give high-fives, but he wouldn't do it.  It slowly got better each day, but for about 4-5 days he just kept it close to his body and wrote/ate/pointed/reached with his left hand.  I had to help him get dressed and get buckled up.  I felt so bad for him.  Anyway, finally today he says that he is feeling better and he showed me by raising his arm high.  This was a new type of injury for us and it is so hard when you can't do anything to help your child get better.

Damon had scouts as well on Tuesday.  He is doing well and enjoys it.  I need to go through his book and make some goals on what to work on next.

Wednesday Damon and Tyler had two of their good friends over to play.  The friends were grounded from video games and I was kind of glad.  They played so well with their Legos and built some really cool space ships.

Thursdays are a busy day for Damon he goes to choir early before school and then he and Tyler have piano lessons right after.  They had practiced througout the week and knew their songs well.  It is fun to hear them playing.

Friday was very cold and some forecasts had shown a possiblity of snow.  It didn't, but we could see our breath in the morning.  The boys' two friends came over again after school because they wanted to finish their space ships and have a big war.  They had a fun time.

The evening time is so busy sometimes and after dinner everyone seems so wound up.  I was glad Doug was home so I could walk around the block for some peace.

Saturday was busy.  I went to Super Saturday from 9-2:00 and ran over to a baby shower at 12:00 for a little bit.  There were a lot of choices of crafts and I wanted to do most of them.  But I was glad I only picked the few that I did.  I didn't want to bring home a large craft undone.  I have to finish a few of them, but I think I will get them done tonight.  We made a very fun patriotic wreath that was just my style of creativity. (clothes pins, foam stickers, and a bow)  I also made 2 felt Mr. Potato Head activities.  I finished them this morning so the girls could play with them at church.  They liked it ok, but Tyler and Damon had more fun with it :)  I didn't let Damon play much, but Tyler did.  The other craft I did was a nativity ornament.  I just need to finish glueing a few pieces and then I'll be done.

I was in charge of a canvas temple picture.  It ended up being more of a process than people expected.  We did a technique where you use a gel medium to transfer the picture from a color copy to the canvas.  So once the paper has dried on the canvas you wet it down and rub the paper off, revealing the transferred image underneath.  It's pretty cool, but it takes awhile.  I prepped most of the canvases, so I coated 35 frames (Wednesday and Friday) with the gel stuff and put the picture on so they could dry in time for the activity.

After Super Saturday I came home and got everyone ready for family pictures.  The girls were spectatular holding still so I could do their hair.  I think the Fruit Loops helped a lot.  We had an early dinner then went out to a field to take pictures.  A friend of mine took them and I'm excited to see them.  I hope she got some good shots.  The kids were acting pretty crazy from what I could see, but I can hope.

Since I did the girls' hair yesterday I didn't have to do it this morning so that was nice.  It was a little fuzzy but not too bad.  Church went well and I taught a lesson on honesty for my 8 year olds.  They are a pretty good class.  Our one boy who has Asperberger's was having a pretty crazy day, but he settled down towards the end.  He likes to run out of singing/sharing time and go into the boys' bathroom because he knows we can't go in there to get him.  We usually end up having to find some dad to go in and get him out.

I usually have the bread machine make us a loaf of bread to have ready when we come home.  It's such a nice smell to come home to.  Now all is quiet and it is nice to have a moment to write things down.

A few tid-bits.
Chris's conversation with his primary teacher:

Chris - "What happens when we die?"
teacher - "We go to Heaven."
Chris - "We don't become zombies?" (concerned questioning tone)
teacher ' "Nope, no zombies, We go to heaven to talk with Jesus about the choices we have made."
Chris - "So no zombies." (confiming that wouldn't happen)

I don't know where he was getting the zombie stuff from, we don't talk about them and the boys don't play games with them.  But he must have overheard it from somewhere.  Kind of funny though.

His teacher told me that last week a girl leaned over and kissed him.  His reply was "Don't do that!"

Chris really likes to be with Damon right now.  He wants to sit with him at breakfast and at church and play with him when he gets home from school.  Damon is pretty good to play with him, but occasionally he want to do something else.  For the most part the boys do get along most of the time.  It's usually best when there is just two of the them and the other is doing his own thing.  Three is just harder.

We have good kids.  The girls are fun and wanting to dress themselves.  Which is fun but frustrating too.  I just have to remember to let them have plenty of time to do it themselves.  They sit up at the bar a lot now, and only used their highchairs if we are eating something messy and at dinner time.  We just don't have a place for them to sit at the table yet, we need to find a bench.

Fall is coming, the leaves are turning.  It is a season of change.