My dad came and took some family pictures of us last Sunday. I hated myself in all of them but in a true act of fearlessness, I am going to allow them to be set down in the records of history anyway. One must have family pictures sometime...and frankly...these took some real sacrifice on the kids part. I thought they were going to die before the hour was over. The last pictures...not posted here...showed true strain on the beautiful faces of my children as they tried to smile one more time. I really can't justify torturing them again anytime soon just because of my vanity.
As I am putting something down to be remembered historically, I thought that I would mention a couple things about my kiddos. Emily started kindergarten this year. She truly loves it. Probably more than most kids as she knows that being at home just means putting up with mom's work schedule. She did not enjoy missing school over the fall break. Emily received high marks from her kindergarten teacher when I went to visit for parent teacher conference. 6 year old's have it pretty easy when it comes to school. She knows all the kindergarten curriculum already. She has started learning to read. I know...I could have taught her sooner...but I always feel like there isn't really a point in pushing them there...I believe in childhood. Anyway, that's off the topic. Emily is a lot of fun. Spunky and funny. Really, I will miss her next year. She is a good companion to Sarah everyday while I work in the morning. Emily has so much patience for Sarah. She plays with her and watches Dora with her. I really don't know what I will do without her next year.
Rachel is doing so well. She is a perfectionist when it comes to things and people outside her own family. has an impeccable reputation with her teacher at school. She is an obedient little girl. For Rachel's birthday she got to bring home a book full of pictures of herself drawn by her classmates and their little comments about her and what makes her special. Over and over again it was said "she is nice to everyone" and "she is really good in class". We went to get her scriptures yesterday...the present that Nate and I give our kids for their baptism. She told me that she has been reading her Book of Mormon sometimes, just on her own. She also thinks about and remembers to pray because she wants to do it. She is easily touched by the spirit. Just so no one gets the wrong impression...she has her faults too. :) She is, by far, the grouchiest person in our family in the morning. I've learned to walk in her room, rouse her just enough to know she is awake, and leave. She comes up on her own and then I just have to try to get through the first 30 minutes of her morning. :)
Benjamin...what can one say. He is 10. He is really a bright kid. He loves to read and Nate and I try to feed that passion as much as possible. He finished the last Harry Potter book last week. He spent all summer reading those. We just bought him the second book of "the Janitors". A new series that he really likes. He also just finished the second book of "Micheal Vey". What always stands out to me about Ben though, is his ability to have a close relationship with his sisters. He is a one man show when it comes to them. It leaves him out of a lot of there play at this point. He is reaching the stage of being too old to play pet shop and stuffed animals with them yet he still finds ways to maintain his bonds with them. They laugh and talk. They have a great time every Friday enjoying "Friday Night Movie Night". An activity that mom and dad are not invited too. The kids all get to sleep in the family room together and watch a show. Ben and I butt heads more than we used too. I hear "that's not fair" more than I want to. But, we make it through. I hope he knows how much I love him. He's the oldest. It really isn't fair that he has to go through the experimental parenting issues. Anwyway, I am getting emotional. Let's move on....
Sarah. We call her the "cutest little menace". Oh my, it is so true. The girl gets into trouble everywhere. She can open the refrigerator. Once day I found her covered in white sticky stuff. She found a open container of frosting in the fridge and proceeded to dip her whole hand in and partake of the deliciousness. She poured a bottle of lemon juice on the carpet in the family room. I only found out about that yesterday when I asked Emily why the floor was wet. Apparently it happened a couple of days ago. She pulled a cup of apple juice off the edge of the counter this week. She was showered in it and wasn't very fond of the experience so I am hopeful she will avoid that trap in the future. She climbs on the kitchen table constantly....especially at dinner time. At least it forces me to clear the dinner dishes. She is an incredible menace...but she is so precious. She loves blankies and stuffed animals. It doesn't matter which ones. She loves them all. Everyday when I go to retrieve her from her bed she insists on bringing all things that were in the bed with her. Sometimes I have to bring what she sees on the floor as well. She loves books and will sit with a little pile of books on the chair in her bedroom and just look at them. She loves to be funny. Sometimes I catch her laughing at herself and I am not even sure what she has done that was funny...but she knows and I can see it on her face. I mean, really, look at her. That picture is worth a thousand words. She is really, really wonderfully entertaining and cute. We can't get enough of her.
And...let's wrap things up with my husband. What a man. I am going to admit it here...I am kind of demanding sometimes. I expect a lot from Nate and he delivers. He helps out around the house a ton. He recently told me he was sick of doing three days of laundry every week. I thought he was going to tell me it was my turn to take over. Instead, he said that we needed to get a new washer and dryer. :) He just wants it done faster. He doesn't want to make me do it. And, even though I know he is so sick of being in charge of the bathrooms every week...he keeps doing that. He helps get the kitchen cleaned up frequently...not everyday...but truthfully...I don't get it cleaned up everyday. Really, if he is home and I am cleaning...he is usually cleaning as well. I woke him up at 5am the other day because I was sick. He drove to Walmart at 5am to get me what I needed so I could feel better. He didn't complain once. I really don't know how I would ever live without him.
My life...my family. Our history in the making everyday. It goes so fast. Next year, everything will be different. I want to remember today. So, I will let these family pictures stay.
1 comment:
You have a cute family. Thanks for sharing.
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