This Week's Activities

Well, I finally got around to setting up an annual check-up with my OB/GYN.  I haven't been for almost three years (since Jenna was born) and I figured I was overdue for a check up.  Boy, sitting in that office sure brought back a lot of pregnancy memories.  I didn't mind going to the doctor when I was pregnant.  Quite the opposite. I loved the anticipation of hearing my baby's heartbeat and measuring how much the baby had grown.  It wasn't very exciting going in today for just an "annual,"  however.  But at the same time I thought, "Boy, I am sure glad I am NOT pregnant!"  I am done having children now and focusing on raising them.  I left with some lab sheets ordering the regular screenings that doctors give to women who are my age.  Just thinking about these tests makes me feel old.   Oh and by the way -- I am sick.  While I was at the doctor's office they took my temperature and said, "Did you know you have a fever?"  Uh yeah, I knew that.  Ya know that darn cold that has been going around our family?  Well it has finally found me. Ugh.

After my appointment I tried to find something to feed the family with.  We just haven't had the time or energy to go grocery shopping and so our kids have been living off top ramen.  And me -- fruit shakes and gluten free oatmeal.  After we ate our make-shift meal (can't remember what it was) I went to Jaiden and Janelle's SEP's.  Janelle's teacher commented on how smart Janelle was.  They have a reading test which measures how fast the kids' read and their comprehension and Janelle's score was twice as high as the third grade benchmark.  Miss Paulson said that she noticed how Janelle always has her nose in a book as soon as her current school assignment is finished.  She said that she was the exact same way as a kid.  Janelle has just started reading the Harry Potter series and can't put it down.  She wanted to come to the SEP tonight but kept interrupting it (while reading Harry Potter) to say things like, "Oh, this is my favorite spell... " and "I love this part!"   I kept having to tell her to be quiet so we could finish our meeting.

Jaiden's scores were high too although I have a hard time getting her to sit still long enough to actually read a book.  But luckily Janelle reads to her out loud every night (way too long -- she always gets in trouble when I find out she is still up) until she falls asleep.  Today I felt lousy with the coming cold and so as soon as everyone was back home from their various activities I put myself to bed -- early!

Thursday I taught my class and then met some friends for a "Girl's Night Out."  It was fun to visit and get to know each other better.   Friday I cleaned and vacuumed the swimming pool.  Rick keeps threatening to drain the pool and take it down because we don't have much time to swim once school starts.  But I don't want to take the pool down when we are still dealing with triple digits outside!  Several days ago I was complaining about how unbearably hot it was and decided to check the temperature at that moment and it was 112!  I couldn't believe it.  It just seems that with August coming to an end it should be cooling down, but not so far!  So I cleaned the pool and then swam with Josh and Jenna.  I especially wanted to wait to take it down because Jaiden's fingers are finally healed enough that she can swim and I wanted her to have the opportunity.  Sure enough, she and her friends jumped in as soon as school was out.  Janika babysat while I went with Rick to visit some branch members and then we went out to dinner with another couple from our branch.

Saturday Janika and Jase ended up with a last minute invitation to go boating with some friends.  Rick and Jaiden went grocery shopping.  I went to our neighbor's baby shower. Jaiden and Janelle and their friends, Emily and Bradley, all went swimming. I then spent a good 1 1/2 hours mopping our kitchen floor.  I still have this cold and wish it would go away!

All of the kids are doing well in school and Josh seems to be enjoying kindergarten (and I am enjoying three hours a day without sibling arguments).  However, Josh has started the annoying habit of biting the front of his shirt.  I remember Jase doing the same thing when he was about his age.  I hate it -- he is always walking around with the front of his shirt all wet and ruining all of his shirts.  Why do kids do that?  Jenna has been a fun little companion to have at home.  Although she does shout out, "Mom!"  every single minute which drives me bonkers.  But I encourage her to help me with the chores and she likes that and beams when I tell her what a good helper she is.  She hands me the dishes to unload the dishwasher and when I do the dishes I set her up at the little sink on the island with a scrub brush and some dishes and she "washes the dishes."  She also helps sort the laundry and put the clothes in the washer and dryer.  She is getting so big!  I hesitate to say that she is completely potty trained yet because she still has an accident every once in awhile but she is SO close to being finished and goes completely on her own without me having to tell or remind her. Yeah!  (When she goes an entire week with NO accidents then I will call it official!)  She is at such a fun age (except for the constant messes of course).  I just keep reminding myself to enjoy having the kids around because they grow up all too fast!   
   

The Little Mermaid

Our whole family went with the Deaf and Hard of Hearing group to see "The Little Mermaid" at Tuacahn tonight.  Since I am usually one of the interpeters, our kids always get to listen to the music over and over before they go while I practice the songs -- much to the girls' delight and much to the boys' chagrin!   The show is absolutely delightful!   If you haven't gotten a chance to go see it yet then go!  All of the kids loved it and it was all they could talk about to their friends on the way to school this morning!   The girls got pictures with some of the characters afterward but they didn't get a picture with Ariel and Prince Eric because the line was too long.  It was Jenna's first show and she did great! 

 

 Jaiden and Janelle love to have their pictures taken with the characters...the boys on the other hand...DON'T!!

Musical Number

Janika and Jase sang the duet, "Come, Thou Fount of Every Blessing" (one of my favorite songs) in sacrament meeting for our Branch Conference while Maddie Pemberton signed it.  I was playing the piano so I wasn't able to watch (or listen) very well.  The three of them also performed it for the Youth Back to School Fireside tonight.  Janika was sick but I am sure she still sounded great.  They received lots of compliments.  I am grateful that they are willing to share their talents so that others can feel the spirit.

Cold Season is back

With the start of school came the start of colds.  No one was sick all summer and then within the first two weeks of school half the family is sick!  Jared was sick with a bad cough and then Rick got sick (which is why he missed Jared's Arrow of Light).  Rick ended up taking the day off Friday which was a good call since he was hacking away all day.  He slept two nights down in the studio so that he wouldn't keep me awake all night with his coughing.  Then Janika got it on Saturday.  She went to a swimming party both Friday night and Saturday was supposed to tend all day for us while we went to a workshop.  But she was feeling so lousy that she sent me a text in the afternoon saying that she sent all of the kids to friends' houses and gone to bed.  I called my friend to make sure that was okay that she suddenly had four extra kids at her house and told her she could send them home at any time.  But she was gracious and said that the kids were doing great and were welcome to stay awhile.

Janika still went to her Madrigal swim party that night.  It was going to be a "get-to-know" you party and she really wanted to go.  She did come home fairly early though and went to bed.  Sunday she had been assigned to sing in church and so she couldn't miss that but I did let her stay home for the first two hours and then came and picked her up for sacrament meeting (along with Jaiden who also had a bad cough by this time).  Janika also stayed home from school Monday.  Hopefully the rest of us can remain healthy!

Interpreter Workshop

Rick and I went to an interpreter workshop Friday night and all day Saturday called "Discovering the Power of Collective Advocacy."   The training was on moral and ethical interpreting in Domestic Violence and Sexual Assault settings. They taught us appropriate signs to use in suggestive situations, and establishment of boundaries and obligations for each advocacy role in rural areas.  It was very well done and extremely informative.  The subject matter was difficult -- sad and shocking to hear true stories from victims of domestic violence and sexual assault.  We really learned a lot though.  I hope I never have to interpret for situations like the ones we learned about, but as an interpreter you never know what kind of situations you will be called to help with.  At least I will be more prepared should that ever happen.  It was also great training for Rick in his position of Branch President.  Rick wasn't feeling well the whole time because of his lousy cold but we had already paid for the workshop and so he went anyway.  I think he was still able to learn a lot in spite of not feeling well.  We are lucky to have such wonderful workshops offered in our area where we can continue to develop our skills as interpreters. 

Arrow of Light

Jared received his "Arrow of Light" tonight.  He actually earned it around six months ago when he graduated from cub scouts to boy scouts, but his cub scout leader likes to have a big Arrow of Light ceremony with all of the boys together instead of lots of little smaller ones for individual kids and so he had to wait until now to receive it.  There were six kids who received their award tonight.  Jared came right home and hammered his flag to his wall.  Jase's Arrow of Light flag is also on the wall with all of his pins attached to it.  I wouldn't be surprised to find all of Jared's pins attached to his flag tomorrow.  Way to go, Jared!

Stitches Out!

Jaiden got her stitches out today -- yeah!  They are looking better and better!  They look a little wrinkly from being wrapped up all of the time (and from being soaked in the numbing gel before they removed the stitches).  Now she can just wear band-aids. Her nail will probably be falling off soon but another nail is already growing over the top of it.  After her appointment I went and bought her new jazz shoes since she has grown out of her old ones and then brought her back to school.