Primary Program

Dutch had his first primary program yesterday. I was so excited for it and he did awesome. Dutch use to be so shy and so timid that I was really nervous for him to have to get up and speak in front of everybody. But he has come so far in the last year, he has been having his own play date every Monday for the last 7 months or so and now he is in preschool, it has really helped him to over come his shyness and to be a lot more social, it's been so good for him. He really proved to me yesterday how far he has come since we've moved here. We had practiced his part for the last two weeks and he has had it all memorized. And yesterday the big day finally arrived. David and I sat in the third row on the very far right so we could watch him up close. Talli ended up being a little stinker and David had to stand in the very back with her. So just Maylee and I ended up sitting in the front and I quickly began to regret that decision a little bit. Maylee would not stop waving at Dutch, so Dutch kept waving back. I kept trying to get Maylee to sit down and be quite but she kept wanting to talk to Dutch. After the third song or so, as soon as it was over Maylee yelled (quite loudly) "Good Job Singing!" Everyone a few pews around us could hear her. Then about half way through the program Dutch really started getting into the singing but he didn't know all the words, just a few key words, normally the last one of each sentence. But he made sure to sing the words he knew as loudly as he could. David said he could hear just Dutch's voice at the very back of the chapel. I was trying so hard not to smile or laugh because I didn't want to encourage him but it was so hilarious and it made me blush because I felt like everyone was starring at me and him. It was so funny. Then when it was his turn to say his part he walked right up to the microphone and said it nice and clearly and perfectly word for word. His line was "Jesus brought the widows son back to life." He did so well. It was a very proud Mommas day for me.

Some pictures from the big day... (He always takes his back pack to church with the toys that he packs for sacrament meeting. Today in his bag was his Thomas Pajamas, random, I know. Lucky for us we were able to talk him into leaving it in the car.) Maylee wanted in on some photos.

David and I did some yard work yesterday. We are going to plant some more grass and try and fix up this back yard a little bit since we'll be here for the next three years, we feel it's worth it. Dutch and Maylee had a blast playing in the mud while we were working. Maylee was a bit more adventurous then Dutch was but they both got plenty dirty.

Tali's New Trick

Tali and I have been working on her sitting up skills. She is really getting good. Today she was able to sit up for a bit on her own without using her hands to support herself. She looks too cute sitting up. But she thinks she's pretty funny when she falls over. I'm not ready for her to be big, I need her to be my baby for a long time still, but I am very excited for her to accomplish sitting up, nothing more, just sitting up. She'll be so much more content on the floor playing once she masters this new skill. Although she already is a pretty content baby. There's not to much that makes her upset. My friends get so nervous when they watch Dutch and Maylee with her, I'm use to it, but they're not use to watching them be so rough with her. Maylee is always laying, standing or sitting on her, no matter how much I tell her not to, it just doesn't seem to stop her. And Tali hardly ever makes a fuss over it. She just takes it all, but she's probably already planning her pay backs for once she gets bigger. Maylee decided to come join in on the fun. As you can see, her idea of fun, was kicking Tali over. Crashing!After she crashed.

Some randomness from the last week. I'm trying really hard to start taking pictures again. I had gotten out of the habit for way too long.

The kids played in the rain the other day. I know this might sound sad but it was the first time they have ever played in the rain. And they loved it. And I loved watching them. Maylee found our bathroom mirror and thought for sure it was Belle's mirror from Beauty and The Beast and she loved playing with it all day. My girls and I...

Talli had rice cereal for the first time. Lets just say she wasn't a fan. She thought it tasted pretty gross, nothing like Mommy's yummy milk. I'm thinking we might have to skip the cereal phase and head right to veggies and fruit. Or who knows, go straight to Mac & Cheese like we did with Maylee because she really seems to like yogurt and ice cream, all the fun things that Daddy "sneaks" to her.

The joys of potty training Maylee. I just heard Maylee from the bathroom say, "Mommy look at me." When I walked into the bathroom to see what she was doing she was sitting in the toilet. Not on the toilet, IN the toilet. She had her feet down in the bowl and was hunched into the toilet.

Preschool

Dutch started Preschool this week. I was able to get in with a group of women in the surrounding wards who are doing a joy type preschool. There are six kids in the group, so I only have to teach once every six weeks. It's perfect. Dutch was very hesitate to go on Tuesday but I told him I would stay with him for the first little while. I sat in with him for the first half hour and then I left and when I left he was just fine. When I came to pick him up, he cried because he didn't want to leave. He loved school. I knew he would. And he asked about once every hour since Tuesday after class if he could go to his school. So he was excited when Thursday rolled around again to get off to school. I think having him in a preschool setting will be so good for him. I know he is getting bored of being at home with me and his sisters and he still has two years left before he starts kindergarten, so this is going to be a great activity for him to do. And I love it because I get two days a week, for two hours with only two kids at home. It's bliss.

Dutch all ready and excited to go to school... he was so excited I couldn't get him to hold still.

Talli has been sleeping in her car seat since she was four weeks old. It has been working out great. She starting sleeping eight to nine hour stretches at four weeks and until she got her four month shots she never woke up at night. After getting her four month shots, she got sick and started waking up in the middle of the night. She only wakes up once between 3 and 4 but it's driving me crazy. I don't feed her, she isn't hungry, she is just accustomed to waking up at that time. I have tried having her sleep in her crib to see if maybe she is wanting some more room to more around but she wakes up even more. So we've continued to stick to the car seat. But I am now thinking my time with the car seat is up. I put her down for a nap today and this is what we found... We have an escapee. She was discovered how to scoot out of her seat. She did it twice already today. So I'm thinking whether she's ready or not the time for the crib has come. So hopefully it won't be too many nights or weeks of adjustment. We shall see.