Wards' Words: Emmy Turns Two, Boys Start School, and Coco is Cute

Dear Family,

Hello. I hope this letter finds you all happy and healthy. We've had a very busy last couple of weeks. We got the boys ready for the new school year and squished in as many last minute fun summer activities as possible, after the summer packets were done. As I get older, I really enjoy being at home though. I have all of the kids accouterments here and I find our home so peaceful and comfortable. I've tried to move as many of the kids' activities to our house as possible. Our piano teacher comes here now and the boys are taking a break from sports practices until basketball season, so that we have more unscheduled time together. I still think about home schooling sometimes and then I decide that it would probably be too much for me. I did miss the boys this first week of school, but the anguish was lessened on Wednesday, when I got to volunteer. I'll write more about this in a minute. Our charter school has been such a happy medium between public school (free), home school (h.s. curriculum, parents integrally involved & very individualized), and private school (uniforms, small class size, & character building).

Playing Together at Home

Thomas and Matthew started school on Monday. It was a rainy day, so we took this photo of them inside the school. I went to back to school night and I am always blown away by how much I love their school. I still get tears of joy when I think about it. I wouldn't change anything (except possibly adding a cafeteria). I signed up to volunteer every Wednesday to read aloud during lunchtime in Matthew's classroom and in Thomas's classroom and to take both classes out for their lunch recesses. I think that the teachers appreciate having the prep time and I love getting to be involved with Thomas, Matthew, and their classes. One thing that really impressed me was that a special math class was created for Matthew and three other third graders. They meet at a little table in the hallway and are going lightening fast through the Saxon 6/5 book. Thomas is also really enjoying his math class. He just started the second half of pre-algebra. Ron and I have ended up with some math-loving boys. That's for sure :)

Ready to Learn!

We had some fun just before school started (and after the summer packets were finished), by going out to practice our new golfing skills. The boys went with me last week and with Ron this week. I still think that their favorite thing about golfing is the golf cart. They also attended a couple of birthday parties and a going away party for some brothers from school (who are the same ages as our boys) who moved to Boston last week. They had a going away party with a few school friends at Incredible Pizza. Thomas and Matthew both love it there so much that they've both asked to have their birthday parties there in the future.

Matthew Screeches Around the Track for a Fast Finish

Thomas Bumps into Bumper Cars Carrying His School Buddies

Meanwhile, Emmy & Coco amazingly napped
the afternoon away in their stroller :)

Speaking of birthday parties, we celebrated Emmy's second birthday last Sunday. She's officially two years old! Thomas and Matthew made a trail of candy leading from Emmy's room to the table with Emmy's presents. We had our usual cinnamon roll birthday breakfast.

Emmy Follows the Trail of Jelly Bellies to
Her Family Birthday Party!

Emmy's Early Morning Birthday Pajama Breakfast

Two Candles and Two Wishes

We've had a couple of fun Family Home Evenings. Matthew taught us a couple of weeks ago about what it means to be obedient and then last week Ron taught a "good manners" lesson for FHE. It was good preparation for school because the kids are required to do many of the things we talked about during school lunch, such as put their napkin on their laps and wait until everyone has food before eating.

"Emmy, this is how we follow the rules ...

... and enjoy the blessings."

Cordelia has a bottle of milk for her FHE refreshment

Practicing Our Table Manners

Emmy and Coco are growing so quickly. Emmy is talking really well and loves to watch her "ABC Choo Choo Train movie," which has taught her many of her letters. She calls movies, "moomies." I've been working with her on learning her food groups. We have play food and sorting baskets that we use to talk about what food our bodies need. Ever since we toured the Sweets Candy Factory and sampled everything, Emmy had been asking for candy. The last week or so she's gone back to asking for real food :)

Thomas received his Arrow of Light in Scouts this past week. The scoutmaster came over a few weeks ago to ask about what Thomas's interests are to incorporate some of them into the ceremony. He learned that Thomas likes the Lightening Thief series of books, which weaves Greek mythology into a modern tale. Thomas's friend Bleddyn, who would also receive the Arrow of Light, also loves the Lightening Thief. So to incorporate the Lightening Thief into the ceremony, the scoutmaster got a buddy to help him appear as a centaur, i.e., a half man/half horse creature from Greek mythology. His buddy walked around behind him hunched over with a blanket over his back. The centaur asked Thomas's den leaders how well he had done to decide whether he should be awarded the Arrow of Light.

Thomas is guided by the Centaur along the path to the Arrow of Light

The wise centaur decides to grant Thomas his Arrow of Light

We bought a new couch at RC Willey this week and received a free popcorn popper. The boys had fun popping some popcorn and scooping it out of the machine into paper containers. Our home theater, "Megaplex One" just keeps getting better :)

Free large movie theater popcorn with your ticket to Megaplex One!

Ron and the boys went on the ward campout, which was conveniently about a 20 minute drive from home. The boys stayed up really late poking the fire and watching the flames lick up at their fingers. Fortunately, nobody got burned and I hope they got their fill of playing with fire until the next campout. The bishopric cooked breakfast and they brought home some leftover sausages dripping with grease (yum, yum).

Thomas uses his secret force field to carry a stick at
the Ward camp-out

While Ron and the boys were at the ward camp-out, Emmy, Coco, and I had a Girls' Night In. We played, read stories, and had Dino Nuggets and pink hot cocoa for dinner. We were happy to not be sleeping in a tent when the rain storm pounded down on our house.