A letter makes all the difference

As I said before we were practicing for school. One of the things we did was practice spelling words when we would drive around town. Today Josh decided to do some by himself. I asked him what he was spelling he said, "S-E-X! That's how you spell six." I quickly and calmly explained it was not an "E" but an "I". A letter makes all the difference!

A Zooful of pictures

We Went to the Zoo with our friends Zoe and Elizabeth. We had a GREAT time! They have two great play areas.

Josh looking through the "Tel-a-slope". Josh's own words.

Play area number one.

Play area number two.

UGHHHH!!!

Okay, so today after we picked up Josh from school I tried to put Holly down for a nap. She was not a happy camper. She wanted Josh to be in there for the nap. I decided that once he started school no more naps during the week. Well, I left her to cry for a bit and filmed Josh talking about his first day at school. I started to show him the recording and decided to let him finish it while I calmed Holly down. 12 minutes later I came out. In that time Josh recorded several nothing videos, changed the setting to Chinese and DELETED ALL MY PHOTOS. Now who's fault is this. I blame the mother 99 percent. She should not have left the camera. But now all of Christmas gone! Trip to Texas, gone! Fourth of July, gone! Swimming, gone! First day of school, gone! Pictures from preschool, gone! And who knows what else. Why had I not download sooner!!! I. AM. DISTRAUGHT!

The recap

Here is the recap of Josh's kinda first day of school. The kids are going in small groups this week and only one day. This is the second take the first one was deleted.

First Day of School-No Kisses, Just tears!

Notice No picture-reason in a few blogs.
Today was Josh's kinda first day of school. There were only five kids in his class. On Monday it will be the real deal. Josh was so excited. I took a picture outside of his classroom and we went on in. He just went on in the assistant teacher showed him where to put his backpack and lunchbox and sign in while Mrs. T talked to me. I was kinda sad to see him go. I called bye Josh love you. He just waved. I teared up, I didn't ball but there were a tear or two. The teacher gave me a tissue. As we (Holly and I) were walking down the hall, to go to our car, she kept rubbing her eyes. I asked her if she was alright and she turned to cling to my leg and cried "Joshie!". It was such a sweet moment.

Shake it!

Usually when there is music on Holly loves to sway with the music. Her favorite move is shaking her booty. Of course once the camera was on she was shy, but her brother was not!

Proud of myself

I know it isn't really good to brag about being cheap, but I am! Sometimes I just get excited about these things.


When going to baby showers I always want to get something cute and fun, but my budget doesn't tend to allow that. I thought I would have to get my friend Crystal diapers (there is nothing wrong with that) because it would be the thing I could afford. I went to Wal Mart and saw these cute little dresses for $3 dollars each, except the pink on was a buck. I thought it would be so cute if I made little bows for her baby girl to go with the dresses. I went over to the fabric area in Wal Mart and got some ribbon you can buy off the spool so each cost me like 30 cents. I added pink and white pok-a-dot ribbon to the pink dress where it and its ruffle meet and added a little bow on the chest area. (Hard to see here wish I took a closer picture). So while I watched a movie last night I made and tacked bows then stapled them to an index card and hung it on the hanger. $12 dollars and a little time and I was pretty proud of my gift. Not only that for the most part they are not all pink. Yeah!

The strange young attachments

On the way to Josh's school this week, Josh asked me if Jessica (his babysitter) would be there. I told him no that he is five and she is fifteen, so she goes to a different school. A few minutes later he told me "Mom, when I am done being five I want to be sixteen." I asked him why. He said," So I can go to school with Jessica, I love her." I tried not to laugh. When I told Don this story at the dinner table, Don looked over to Josh and said,"Give it up Josh, she is way out of your league." Jess, if you ever read this, you're breaking more hearts than you know.

Not only is Josh in love, but Holly has a great deal of love for her brother. As we left Josh with his teacher at the school and walked to our car, Holly looks at me and says, "Mom, you left Joshie!". I tried to explain to her on the way back to the car that it was time for him to start going to school. That in two more years when she turns five she could go to school too. I got her strapped in the car seat and started the car. She was thinking about something, she finally informed me that this birthday she wasn't going to be three she was going to be five so she could go to school with Joshie. To top it off. About 25 mins before it was time to pick Josh up, I told Holly to clean up, it was almost time to get Josh. I have never seen that girl clean so fast. I was on the phone with my mom and Holly told me,"Mom, come with me, get off the phone, let's go!". I don't think she missed her brother at all. Soon she will be the only child, what a change.

Practicing Writing

School is coming. All the other grades have started. Josh went in this week with all the other kindergartners to get tested, so the teachers could see how they would break up the students in classes. Then next week the teachers are breaking their classes up into groups of five and having a different group come in each day to acclimate the kids. Josh gets to go on Wednesday. The following Monday he will start for good. Poor kid will get about a month or a little more at W.H. and then go to P.R. Hopefully it won't be that detrimental to him.

Here we are practicing writing with a pencil and some other school stuff we are doing at home to get him in the mode to go back to school. Holly had a little lime light as well.

Another side note: I am so nervous for Josh to go to school. There are so many what if's in my mind. Most of them don't matter like: What if other kids don't befriend him? or worse make fun of him. What if older kids pick on him? What if the teacher doesn't understand him? What if he doesn't pay enough attention? What if he doesn't improve? What if he doesn't behave? I know that it will all be fine, I hope that I will only feel this way with the first child starting in the school system. I can't believe my baby is this old.

House Update

So, the other offer fell through and we had a chance to put our offer in. We offered they countered, they offered and we countered, they accepted. (little yeah). Nothing is a done deal until the appraisal and home inspection. We were suppose to have the home inspection this morning, but they never signed the accepted offer, only a verbal. We were not going to pay for the inspection until that was signed. She finally signed, but she tacked on another $900 in the price. We needed the paper work changed and written and signed again. Their agent couldn't get a meeting with the daughter. Finally, the agent got ahold of the parents ( who supposedly hold the deed) and they signed it with the correct price, since no one could get a hold of their daughter who is selling it. How that all works I have no idea. Then when we got that they put on the wrong date for the inspection to be done by. Any ways as you can see this is never a sure process for us. Our agent assures us buying a house is usually not this bad. As of now we should close between September 15th and 28th. WE SHALL SEE.

A total 180

So, last night I ranted and raved about that house. Well, there deal fell through and we put our offer in today. They have until 5pm tomorrow to answer. Tick-tock, tick-tock. Please let them like our offer (or at least not want much more, man if I only had $3000.00 laying around).

How fast.

It is amazing how fast you can go from excited/nervous for putting in an offer to crushed. We looked at three more houses to day. One was in the ward boundaries, too bad a huge pool took up the backyard and it was another fore closer. We looked another beautifully updated crummy neighborhood one. Then there was the one in the neighborhood I wanted to live in over 1600 square feet, formal dining room. There was a WALK IN CLOSET in the master (you don't find that in our price range) a walk in closet, people. The kitchen was a little old, but fixable. There was a HUGE, FENCED in backyard, and I am not talking chain link but a wooden fence. It was in our price range. We drove home with our realtor to sign paper work, did I mention not a fore closer and as she was getting the fax number found out that (now hold on to your hats her comes a long sentence) this morning a man came and paid full price CASH to buy it for his daughter who is going to college. Now, what college kid needs a 3 bedroom/ 2 1/2 bath, Living room, Family room, formal dining room, huge yard, office/playroom, garage with workshop area in a family neighborhood that will have cute little trick or treaters. Couldn't daddy bought her a condo, I mean COME ON! okay I feel a little better. UGHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!

So, the house hunting is still going, and I am feeling more disappointed. We've only been looking for 3 months. Oh Holly is doing really well in potty training one accident in 9 days Yeah!

Torn Decisions

Today we went to the library. Josh, Holly and I were in the children's section. Looking for books and playing. I had my back turned looking at beginning books for new readers, when I looked up and couldn't see Holly. Okay, I thought she is probably with Josh on the other isle (I could see his head over the 1/2 isle) looking at books. I go and check, NO! So I looking frantically. A lady points out another little girl, I'm said oh, that's not her. I start speed walking pass the young adults, SHE'S NOT THERE!! I am now facing the main part of the library (It's not that big of a library). So here's the torn decision. Do I run outside to see who is trying to stuff her in a car or do I lap the library? I think calm down, Stacey she's in here, but if I don't go outside I could loose time. I ended up lapping the library. As I get to the second set of shelves she is still not there. Do I shout out her name in the library or do I keep silent? I saw a little prayer. Last section not there, I start thinking my daughter is KIDNAPPED! Do I yell HELP MY LITTLE GIRL IS MISSING!!! I was about to do this when I came back into the children's section when the original woman had Holly and pointed me out to her. I was sooo relieved. I still don't know where she went, but she is now sleeping in her bed and that's all that matters to me.

Animals vs Holly

So, I have decided that the animal, bird, bug, and probably fish species are against Holly. In the last year she has been bitten by two dogs and snapped at by countless others, (No she is not a animal cruel kid) in fact the most recent she was in my arms and the dog jumped up and attached to her pants. She has also been stung by two bees in the last two months. Each time she did not instigated it. She is cursed!

School at home

I try to do school at home with the kids, I will be the first to admit I go in spurts of doing it, but since schools is getting ready to start we are doing school at home again. (wow can you say run on sentence). Today's letter of the day was the letter "L". I went to an enrichment class that shared ways to help your children learn according to the style of learning they have. IE body, sight, sound etc. So today with our lesson, before we practised writing our letters we made the letter with our body. Here the kids are being the letter "L". We also stood up and put one arm straight up vertically and the other straight out horizontally. The kids thought this was fun.

Holly was all dressed up. She had stayed home from church with a slight fever ( how come sick kids don't act like sick adults?). Later when I was cooking dinner she was dancing to the church music, it is just instrumental and she liked the rhythm. Of course Josh wanted in the shot as well.

Mini Shoppers

They just looked so cute, I had to take a picture! Food City has all sorts of shopping carts.

Holly's Cha-Cha Shoes

Believe it or not these are Holly's shoes. They were hammy downs, and she loves them! She will wear them with everyday clothes, princess dress and even snowsuits with an accent of St.Patrick's Day green crazy headbands. (Check out the heel)

Are they really paying attention?

(no pictures, it's amazing!) Today as I was driving to the library I was listening to the kids talk to each other. Holly was trying to say (I think it was) jet or something with a t at the end. She kept leaving the t sound off. Joshua kept correcting her, saying,"JE-T, T do you hear the Tah?" She tried again. He repeated himself. After the next time he said, "Look at my mouth, JE-tah." Holly finally got sick of him and said,"I'm talking to mommy." So he is listening to us while we're trying to improve his speech. Poor Holly is going to get three teachers instead of two.

Potty training.. A family affair!

I was down to one diaper left yesterday, so I decided we are going forward full speed with this potty training thing! I know you need to wait to the child is ready, but I am being stubborn. She is actually doing pretty good. One of her treats is getting M&M's and the other is being able to call anyone she wants. So far we have called; Aunt Arwen, Cousin Eden, Cousin Marion, Oma, Opa, Grandma T and Grandpa T. Some of these have been multiple times. You could be next!

Caught...pinked lipped!

Okay, so this morning I was finishing getting ready for church, when Josh yells, "Mom, Holly is getting your lipstick!" I went out and found her hiding in the recliner head buried. There were signs of proof:
1. Guilty child (see exhibit A)
2. Lipstick slightly open and tossed back on moms church bag
3. Lipstick on lips and slightly on cheek (she actually did a pretty good job of applying).
EXHIBIT A

When I called her she looked like she was going to deny, but the evidence was pretty strong against her. Sentence: No lipstick until she is fourteen! Case closed. (Just look at the shine on those lips. I know the lighting is terrible)
EXHIBIT B