It is Thursday!! .... YEAH!!

Well, today has been busy & I can say Yeah... I am so glad it is Thursday!! (Especially since I found out everyone is gone tomorrow for trips except 2 of my little ones!! So a bit of a break!!)

I had a wonderful surprise today as Bill & Debbi, good friends of ours stopped in to visit!! They use to live here in GR, actually right next door to our new house that we live in now. Bill was a Dr. in the Radiology dept., I had the opportunity to work with during my college days & then when we moved to town he happened to be our Bishop & I got to serve as the Primary President under him at that time!! I love Debbi too, she has always been such a great example to me. I enjoy her upbeat personality & love for life - she always reminds me to smile!! It was so good to see them & catch up!! I am so glad you stopped by, please come by anytime you are passing through the area again! (THANKS for making my day!!)

As for today... I can say that my job is terribly tiring!! But it is very....(o.k. I am stretching that...) It is satisfying when the day is over!!

Today we focused on "The Zoo" w/animals, noises, motion, etc.... they all had so much fun!!

I can honestly say when nap time rolls around - that is the BEST part of my day & it is because I get to take a nap too... or at least a 20 min. power nap, if nothing else!! (It is nice!!) NO, I don't get a nap every single day (Dave) ... but I sometimes get 3 out of the 5 days in!! They are all turning into wonderful nappers & I am so glad.

So don't go .. calling me lazy now!!! My body is sore at the end of every day - I can't say I have experienced this kind of constant exhaustion for probably 10 years!!! So, when you start babysitting 5 kids, besides your own & one of those is a teething infant (who can sometimes scream for 4 hours at a time!) - you will understand how important a power nap can be!! It might be the only thing that will keep me sane some days!!

So anyway - chalk it up to the best day yet.... as little miss naughty didn't have to sit in time out once. The boys are having a blast together as they are on each others level & love playing together, the little ones love playing kitchen & cooking me all sorts of food!! The baby...... luckily she had 1/2 of a good day!! (Can't wait for the teething thing to be over!! I am just not a good baby person full-time... but I am trying to do my best!!!) Here are all my little darlings as they were eating lunch today!!
Here is my beautiful BLUE eyed (Teething) baby enjoying her peas...
Here is my adorable Brady as he is working the camera... yes, he does dress himself!!Here are my 4 other munchkins...As happy as can be... IT'S lunchtime & they love to eat!! Well as for the older boys... they are off & busy all the time - Still mowing lawns & keeping up with scouts. School seems to be going well for both of them - or at least they haven't complained yet!! Garrett had a football game today in RS & so I hope that goes well. Dave picked Ty up from school & ran over to it. I hope soon to be able to see a game & actually get a picture of him in his Uniform!!

As for Madi - she came home sick after school & has been in bed ever since!! So I hope the bug passes quickly!! Off to go lysol & clorox my house this evening!!

She was looking too cute today before school - so thought I would snap a picture!! I have been so impressed to see this instant maturity come over her since she has started school. It is so fun to watch her walk to the bus stop & come home... she loves to come in & sit me down & tell me about her day!! Which runs non-stop until she is done telling me everything!! (I think she plans her "Speech" out for me as she rides home on the bus!!) She loves recess with a passion & really enjoys gym & can even remember her gym teacher's name... she talks a lot about him. I asked her why she talks about him so much, the other day & she said, because he let's us play games!! (O.k... well that works!!)

She enjoys lunch time too!! Here is a conversation of ours the other night, she needed to inform me.... "Mom, we have choices for lunch"... "yes, Madison you do, is there a problem?" - "We have choices & can choose if we want hot lunch or cold lunch"... "o.k. well that is nice, but we choose cold lunch for many reasons & you have many choices you can take from home each day"... "Well I think, I choose Hot lunch, cause I can choose"... "Well that is a problem - you just can't have hot lunch if you want hot lunch, you have to pay for it." - " Yes, mom I know that & I can pay for my own!" ..... WHAT?? (Yes she has a small amount of money still burning a hole in her purse from this summer... but DON'T spend it on HOT lunch!!) Luckily the boys piped in with all the benefits they enjoy with taking cold lunch & she didn't say anything more about Hot lunch - yes we will have special Hot lunch days.... but for now, It is still cold lunch!!

O.k. for my own sense of lacking as a mom this summer - I decided to take 2 crafty moments... we decided to decorate her folders she needed for school (Crafty thing my wonderful friend Jodie hooked me on) So easy too! Then her chair bag!! Instead of making the plain ol' square bag... I decided to let her choose, & she picked Princesses of course. Then she let me embellish it to pieces!! I swore I would never use glitter paint to decorate things for my kids when I grew up... but I guess I never thought about having a little girl who loves princesses & sparkly things either! (I make these for families in our community & also for many teachers. I made a huge set of them for my mom in her classroom several years ago - just not out of princesses!!) So there is to my crafty moment as I am being a kindergarten mom again!! (I have offered to make book covers for the boys, but they are just not cool with that idea!! I have seen some really awesome ones - but I think they lack faith in my "Coolness" ability!!)

So off to dinner & cleaning ... Can't wait for the weekend!