Melt a Mothers Heart

As you all know we have been working really hard to teach Miss E to read, well She isn't reading here, BUT i don't care.  It melted my heart.

I walked downstairs to this view.... 

can you see them? OOHHH SO DARLING!

I snuck closer.... 

(I was afraid of breaking the magic)

Then Miss E and Miss H saw me ...

but Miss E was so excited that I had my camera and wanted me to film them.  So I did.

SUMMER ... = ... FUN

I had these photos of our summer all organized, sort of, but at least in some semblance of order and when I imported (all 50!) they became a huge jumbled mess and I am sad to say I do not know how to change the order once they are here, on this page.  so enjoy our random summer videos and photos 

The day before school starts we go on a treasure hunt for fun school accessories.  Such as coloring books for the bus, hair stuff and such... its our fun tradition

swimming time

Miss H riding her bike for the first time!

Miss E and Miss H and I made a list of fun things we wanted to do this summer, so that way it wouldn't get complacent and repetitive.  I love feeling like life is an adventure but usually to make it like that you gotta plan your adventures... so here is what we did....

the girls played dress up and danced on the furniture

they relaxed on the couch

we got really messy eating yummy stuff

We went to lake powell and enjoyed LOTS of family time

Miss E tubed (so did Miss H)

Im not sure what Miss E is doing here, but I loved the picture

This is the girls when we finally saw lake powell

Flying kites behind the houseboat

We swam Nearly every day this summer and Miss H fell asleep on the way home Nearly every day.

Miss E at the sight of the Kites almost colliding

We enjoyed the Lake

We went to the Zoo inSalt Lake and here is all of the cousins on my side of the family

Miss H Checking out some animal, I think there was a Jaguar in there

Miss H checking out the elephants

We saw a peacock

We ate treats

We went school shopping and then did a fashion show with the cousins... (or "the guys" as Miss H calls her cousins)

We celebrated Miss H's birthday (so hot the cake melted)

We went on a hike to this waterfall, but the river was flooding so we couldn't go any further!

All the kids got in a huge mud party in the flooded run off and then we hosed them off and they got in the hot tube!  (later we had to empty the tub cause it  was dirte'

I had to get something when we went school shopping and aren't they cute!~

Not as cute as that face though

We celebrated Miss E's birthday! (6 now!)

We climbed trees

The girls rode a horse!

The girls rode a horse!

And the girls got a playhouse for their birthdays!!!

Hours of good fun!

We went to caves!!!! and then locked the keys in the car and the dads had to come rescue us with spare keys, it was fun!

But tiring, Miss E fell asleep on the way home!

We played at the local water park, Miss H was thirsty :)

Miss E caught lots of frogs, a fish, many grasshoppers, a praying mantis, a bird, and 2 flys. WHOA.

More swimming at the lake

The fish she caught

We surfed behind the boat

We hiked to some natural hot springs and there were the most beautiful sunflowers

the hot springs are something I want to repeat every summer! _well maybe in the spring cause it was hot!

We swam some more. 

(and more and more and more and more and more and more and more)

after the treasure hunt, this is Miss E's excited face

and this is Miss H's I'm happy but there is sun in my eyes and I don't know what to do about that face

I wish it could be summer all year long (I seriously would be happy with 92 degree weather every dang day) and we could have swimming, catching wildlife, boating, hiking, kite flying, hot springing, caving, dirty, fun, and delicious adventures all year long.

Homework Continued...

so ... homework has gone better, each day a tiny bit better.  Then yesterday - A HUGE SUCCESS!-
 I am SO GRATEFUL!

First day of School Photo

what made yesterday SO GOOD!.......

1. Repetition - she knew it was coming, dang consistency :)
2. Snacks- she ate the whole time
3.Timer, seriously has been an idea sent from Heaven.  She has to do her homework in 30 min. if she doesn't finish she doesn't get, a star or a fun activity homework.
4. Little Sister Occupied. (Need I say more?)
5.  Fun Activity Afterward- yesterday she chose to play outside with friends, the day before painting.


So yesterday in one hour we accomplished...
Homework, snack time, her chore (to vacuum) and her reading practice.  It was truly amazing.  She really is motivated by that fun thing afterward. the other fabulous thing about yesterday is that we had nothing else planned after school.  so then she had all evening to play and unwind.

The rest of the week was something everyday that added stress to both of us. And NO time for the good stuff of relaxing and getting all the wiggles out.  Yesterday on the grass across the street Miss E ran and ran and ran some more.  She was literally doing circles around her friends.  She has SO MUCH ENERGY TO BURN!

First grader, is such a big adjustment, they are still so little, gone from home from 8:30-4:30 and then expected to do more work.  yucky.  thats why I hate saturday chores, so I decided (yesterday) we would do friday chore.  She has to help out everyday with mealtimes, so for now at least, one chore on friday is sufficent.

Obviously I am grateful for yesterdays success.  So thrilled, So grateful.  I  just loved how fun & smooth it went yesterday.  Her and I were laughing and just enjoying, that is how it needs to be.  I was having these dreadful thoughts of the next 12 years of her school life where her and I fought everyday.  NOT GOOD!
I am sure that there will be good & bad days, but yesterday just gave me 10,000,000,000 lbs of hope :)

I am so proud of my little growing up Miss E.