Grandma's Visit

http://www.flickr.com/photos/23659001@N05/sets/72157603885438966/

My mom came to visit in Jan. We took her to Prescott to the snow, used her as a babysitter and just hung out. Her goal was to spend some special time with each of the kids. She watched Launa for me while I cooked lunch at the kids' school. I brought Sam home early that day to spend time with her. They played in the game room and then discovered the Dairy Queen next door. Later that night Grandma thought she should spend some time with Drue and Lukas. Guess where they went.....Dairy Queen. The kids though that was so funny, that Grandma went to DQ twice in one day. I won't give away her secrets, but she may have eaten both times too! All the kids truly enjoyed their special time with Grandma.
One night they brought out the Wiggles Game and played. Drue had to walk like a camel, that is what she is doing on the floor. The kids had such a fun time. They love playing games and it is even more fun with Grandma.
And Launa even pooped on the potty for Grandma. Something she stopped doing for us a few months ago. And she has been going back on the potty since then. Not really what I thought she would get out of her time with Gma, but glad she did.
The younger two are ready for me to go back to the airport and get Grandma again. Sometimes they think she just hangs out there waiting for us to pick her up!!!

The ducks

http://www.flickr.com/photos/23659001@N05/sets/72157603888878361/

We took the kids to the park to play and release some energy. We went to see the ducks and watched someone feed them. These are just a few pictures of us watching the ducks. On Friday, Sam, Launa and I read some books about ducks and then they and Daddy went to the park before picking up the other kids and fed the ducks. I have yet to get a report on how that went, but I am sure they had fun.
Next time we go, I will take some pics.

Sledding in Prescott

http://www.flickr.com/photos/23659001@N05/sets/72157603885339644/

Click this link and you can see the pictures from our trip. If you click "view as slideshow" you can see them better.

Grandma came to visit in January and we took a trip to Prescott to see the snow. I have too many pictures to post here so I am trying this Flickr thing. I just set it up tonight and need more practice. Hopefully, this works well enough.

First Day of "Real" School

This is how they laid out their clothes each night, until I stepped on them in the middle of the night and now they have to fold them in piles.
First day of school. It's not that we leave that early in the morning. I think it was a rainy day and that is why it is still dark. Doesn't Sam look so happy to be going to school. Launa was going to the gym with me. Walking to the car. Lance is going to the gym too, I guess. He doesn't normally dress like that. I am not in the pictures due to puffy eyes. Yes, I cried like a baby. But the night before so that the kids would not have to witness that. I held it together while dropping them off at school as not to embarrass them. I was just glad I was able to take Launa home with me.

The older two are loving it. Lukas was put in first grade because of his age even though he was in second grade while homeschooling. I am hoping that his teacher will begin to bump him up as she sees that he is capable. His class is a combined first through third. Drue is in fifth grade in a combined fourth through sixth grade class. She has already been on one field trip and has two more scheduled this month. I go with her, without her permission and against her will, to keep track of her friends and classmates. She doesn't appreciate it now, but one day she will. She doesn't believe me when I tell her that. Oh well, she's only ten and I am still going on every field trip that they allow me to go on. It is my duty as a mother. I tell her that too!

Update

WOW!!! It has been a while. Let me give you the short version update and then get to some blogs with some photos of those kids.

Nov. 2007--we decide we are moving to California to attend FTTA. We sell everything in our house and prepare to move into an apartment in CA. Put our house up for rent because the housing market is so bad we cannot sell it.
Dec. 2007--2 weeks before moving to CA. After further consideration with the leading ones at FTTA we agree that it would be best for us to wait until the kids are a little older to attend. They have had mothers with young ones try to attend and it did not work.
Dec. 2007--end of the month. We move into an apartment in Peoria (about 20 min. from where we were living) as someone is already planning on moving into our house and we wanted to move closer into town anyway.
Jan. 2008--the kids start real school. They were excited about attending school in CA and really bummed that they would not be able to since we weren't moving. We found a Montessori school very close by and enrolled the older three. (pictures to follow)
Feb. 2008--our first drop-out. Samuel has had enough school. Since he is still young (and the school costs money) we allow him to drop out and start teaching him at home. He is a lot happier, meaning we all are alot happier.
Now, here we are. In a two bedroom apartment (2nd floor) in Peoria and readjusting to a new life.
In a nut shell....now on to some more interesting blogs with pics.