Blue Bathroom Progress

At last post, we had constructed most of the cabinet but not installed it, and laid tile, but not grouted it.  We are finally getting around to working on that blue bath room.  It is the last big hurtle, then it will be lots of little projects until we are actually done.  And guess what?!?!  I am so ready to be done!!!!

 

So, here it is, post grout, but before de-hazing.  I kinda love the big Sasquatch foot prints :)

 In this bathroom, we are putting wainscoting on the walls.  Just to be, you know, different.  Also, notice the niche has been trimmed out and is ready for paint.

Here is the cabinet painted, but with some few additions.  The tracks for the drawers didn't mount the way we thought they did, so I have a few more small pieces to paint now.

This weekend, we hope to paint the white wainscoting and install the toilet, as well as make some significant headway with the linen closet and finish trimming out the counter top....  Man is it hard to stay motivated and keep working.  I feel like these projects have been hanging over our head FOREVER.....  Just keep swimming.  Just keep swimming.....

5 years old

Yes.  She turned 5 in July.  Yes, I got her pictures taken that same week. 

(This one, btw, was her favorite. We got it at her request)

But remember I said they no longer put them online, so I have to go pick them up.

Then my printer broke.  Well, not my printer so much (come to find out), as the scanner part.  

So I took pictures of the pictures.  Hence the reason for the not so fabulous quality.

(I allowed her to bring a prop this time.  She chose her purse, which happened to have the bracelet in it)

Kaitlyn's five year check up went peachy.  She weighed 37 lbs 3 oz (which puts her below 50%) and was 42 inches tall (also below 50%).  It was kind of nice to know that she actually IS petite, not just petite compared to her hulker of a brother.

She turned 5 in July, and started kindergarten in August.  She is reading now, and can count to 100.  :)  She is also my most active child I think.  She is constantly moving, clapping, singing, bouncing, talking, stomping, dancing, or (if you can get her to hold still) coloring.  She can't walk in a straight line (either because she isn't walking, or she is zig zagging).  And she can't whisper.  

But I sure do love her :)

Homeschool

Homeschooling has really taken off.  It seems like it is the "in" thing to do almost.  I can only be the cool mom if I home school my children.  Not really.  Just kidding.  Hope I didn't offend anybody. 

That being said, I live for that time when my children are at school.  I love having them home, but sometimes, it is easier to go to the store with only 2 children instead of 4.  Or to have some one on one time with the middle children, who didn't get that as much as the older one.  Plus, and this is a huge benefit for me, Kaitlyn and I just didn't get along.  We tried to do a few short "lessons" before she went to kindergarten, but we both just ended up red faced and frustrated.  Not.  Worthit.  I am pleased to report that she responds much better to her teacher.  Needless to say, I am so very much impressed with those women (wait, lets be PC here and say "people") who DO home school.  I am impressed with their motivation levels, their patience levels, their organization skills, their abilities.  I think, if it was a life or death situation, I could do it...  But, for me, right now, I think it works better for my kids to be out of the house for a while.  To learn with books and crayons and glue (that I am so much of a downer I won't let them use).  I am paying for these things with my taxes after all, why not take advantage of them?

But here's the thing.  I have a friend.  Her daughter was having troubles in school (girls were picking on her) so she pulled her daughter out.  She decided to home school her.  Great.  Wonderful.  Good for you!  This seems to be a common(ish) reason.  What I want to know is: why don't we fix the problem (obviously much muchy muchness easier said than done)?  As a society, I am not sure that home school is such a viable solution for that particular problem.  Does that make sense? 

Don't know how to fix it.  Don't know what to do about it.  It just makes me sad that the best way to solve the problem is to not solve the problem, just to remove ourselves from it....  How is that going to benefit us in the long run? 

Motorcycle Mommas

We occasionally take pictures of the kids on the motorcycle.  You can go back and see a few, but honestly I am too lazy to link them.  :)  This is Kelsey's first appearance though.  All four.  Man, oh man :)

The Great Bread Bowl Bake of 2012

So I work with some awesome ladies at church.  And we have some great ideas.  Problem is, these ideas generally turn into quite a bit of work for ourselves.  Enter The Great Bread Bowl Bake of 2012.  The primary was in charge of the trunk or treat this year, and we decided to have a pot luck of soups and chili's before heading out to gorge ourselves on chocolate.  We also decided that we couldn't have soup without providing the bread bowls to go with them.  When we called around, we found that working with our limited budget was not going to be particularly great.  We eventually found a way to use the Rhodes white bread loafs to make them by ourselves.

So myself and 2 other ladies took it upon ourselves to make approximately 40 bread bowls each.  It actually wasn't all that difficult, since the dough was already made.  We just staggered taking them out of the freezer, rolling them into bowls, and letting them rise by 30 minutes, so that we could get them all done in one day.  My only complaint is that I grossly underestimated the amount of horizontal counter space it was going to take to let them thaw and rise.

In the end, they turned out lovely!

And everyone at the activity said they looked professionally done.  

*Blows on knuckles, and polishes them on my shirt*  Yeah.  Sometimes, being this awesome, results in a lot of work....  :)

School Days

The girls had drug free week at school.  On day was "Red Rally" day, where they wore as much red as possible.  Kaitlyn's head band screams 80's aerobics instructor to me.  And her facial expression borders on scary.

This day was "Be tacky, not wacky."  It was the first day I didn't have to worry about what Kaitlyn wore to school!  Ironically, Kaitlyn's outfit didn't turn out all that bad.  Kari did a good job of it though.  Bun on top of her head and all.

One day I won't have to worry about Kaitlyn's outfits anymore because she will be some high fashion exec in NY.  Until then, we still distinguish between school clothes and home outfits.  Yay.

Forward

It isn't crawling exactly.  It is maybe part army crawl, part digging her little toes into the floor.  Difference is: Now she seems to be able to control the direction AND to be able to go forward.

Her siblings are only now starting to learn that having a baby sister who moves, may not be the most fun thing in the world :)  Can't say I didn't warn them!

Some of the time...

...They get along.  I suspect that will last precisely as long as he can take her toys without her screaming and as long as she cannot take his.

This day just made me giggle, with them sharing the boppy, and her legs straight up in the air.  Such an interesting view point.

I am easily amused.

Happy Baby Talking

Lets just round out the week, shall we?  Baby Kelsey, all the time!

Sleepy Baby

Hubby travels occasionally for his work, and this particular week it appeared to be a good thing.  I am not sure there would have been room in the bed for him.  With as many times as I was getting out of bed, it was just easier to bring her into it with me. 

 Kelsey had a cold, which means mommy was tired too.

 It had been so long since she feel asleep on me, I wanted to get some pictures.

 She is such a pretty little sleeper.

Sleeping babies are just so presh!
(Look at me, gettin' all trendy with my words!)

That time of Year

We have thankfully reached that point in the revolution of the earth where we can safely go outside and play without fear of being eaten by bugs or dying of heat stroke.

 I dare say some enjoy the time more than others.

 Um.  Don't know.

Such a sweet bald head enjoying the entertainment.

One day little one.  One day.

Playing on the Floor

When I take a series of pictures, such as these...

...I can never decide which ones to post, and which ones to hold back.

Because, sometimes, it is just easier to get the feel of the whole thing...

...if you can see how happy she is....

... or how involved she is...

... or how interactive she is becoming.

I kind of love it.

Ok.  I really love it.

Costumes

I am always jealous of the people who can get their whole family to dress up in theme.  I don't think that would work, since my children's opinions are so varied. And, since I am never anything but brutally honest on this blog, I am not that organized and much too cheap. This year, we had a few last minute changes.  Thankfully, nothing we couldn't handle.  This was also a fairly involved year as far as making Kari's costume.  Her new thing is Ninjago, and she wanted to be the green Ninja.  So, I ordered a karate uniform from Ebay ($1 + $7.50 shipping :p ).  Then, I used one of hubbies undershirts to make this head piece.  It was mainly a 6" strip and the outline of a salad plate.  Yeah.  I know.  I am pretty ingenious!

Then, I embarked on dyeing it green.  I have seen the bottles of dye at Walmart forever, and thought the directions looked fairly simple.  I was a bit apprehensive about doing it in my washing machine, but I wasn't interested in having to "agitate" it by hand for 60 minutes.  Plus, I hoped they wouldn't offer the washing machine method if it had ruined too many machines.  So I just kept setting my timer to remember to go downstairs and reset the washer, so it wouldn't drain the dye.  I cleaned it immediately afterwards, washing a full load with hot water and bleach, and have yet to notice any adverse affects.  I honestly wish the color had turned out a bit darker, but Kari seems happy with it, so, that is all that matters.

Kaitlyn was originally going to be the Pink Power Ranger, but when I got the go ahead from Thompson to wear her yellow ballerina costume, Kaitlyn immediately switched.  She was super excited to wear make up too. 

Check out those eyelashes!!!!

So, here is my ballerina (with shirt under because it was a bit chilly outside).

Trying her best Ballerina pose.  I guess if she is going to go up, I should have shown her first position or something....

Dylan also changed his mind.  He was going to be a cowboy again, considering that he wears his boots all.  the.  time.   But, on a trip to the dollar store, we found these Knight things.  Funny thing:  He calls this his ninja costume :)

Final product for Kari.  Unfortunately, the head piece and the uniform dyed a different color.  Again, she didn't seem to notice.

And the double sword holding thingy I designed from an old box, stapler, and some elastic was up to her standards also.

And then there was the fairy.  A friend in the ward gave this costume to me when she was born, and I have been so excited for her to wear it ever since :)  We put her in panty hose, which made her a little unsure on her feet.

Without the wings.

Happy Little girl!

Sad little girl.  Man I love that face!  Even when it is sad :)

The Green Fairy says:

Happy Halloween to all,

And may your cavities be light!

My Little Dude

And this little dude...

Well, he is all mine too...

How can that even be comfortable?!?!