Lauren Starts Kindergarten

This Last week has been pretty busy....well not really but I tend to make things that way even if they aren't.  Alan was busy again all week trying to get things done, but did manage to squeeze in a little fun.  Last Monday after school (Jared still has early release) I took him to his SEP (student, educator, parent) conference.  He also had a reading assessment while we were there.  We played outside quite a bit.  Alan had to stay pretty late at work.

Tuesday Jared had another good day at school.  We always ask him how his day was when we pick him up and he always (so far) says good in a bright happy tone.  We walked down to pick him up this day.  We had been over on campus and then walked over to pick him up and home.  Jared had a soccer game in the evening and then we went over to the party at the stadium.  We got to see the new screens and ribbon light boards that they put in.  They were pretty cool.   They had athletes to meet under the south end bleachers and you could go sit in the seats in the south end zone.  Bradley didn't want to do anything except go sit in the seats.  It was a really pretty evening.  We tried out a couple of different places and when he had found a spot he liked he turned to me and said "when is the team coming out...when is it going to start"  He was pretty disappointed when I said there wasn't a game that night.  We also got to go in and see the locker room. I also went visiting teaching sometime in the afternoon.

Wednesday was Lauren's first day of Kindergarten.  Alan took her into her class and she just went right in.  She sounds like she is loving it.  The first day she got to do the ABC dance.  Just tonight she showed us all how it went and as Greg put it everything is better with jazz hands.  She tells us way more about what she did that day and who is in her class than Jared does.  It is fun to see her get so excited about it.  We walked down to pick Lauren up and then back home.  We had to go get Alan so he could renew his driver's licence.  He just had a small window when he was able to go (between people coming in to do his user study).  He still had the car when it was time to pick up Jared.  We walked down again..well Lauren rode her bike and I rolled Jared's bike down for him.  That way they could both ride home.  When we got back Alan was here, so we dropped him off on campus.  We came home and played for a bit.  When Alan got home we decided to go to seven peaks.  It was one of the last days that it was going to be open.  We saw several friends there and had a good time.

Thursday we walked to pick Lauren up from school and then over to campus.  They were having a hot dog barbecue and popsicles.  We saw Greg and took some food to Alan and had a good time.  Lauren was pretty tired and complained so much she got a shoulder ride home.  I had the carrier for Connor, but he was sleeping so well I didn't want to move him.  We got home just in time to pick Jared up.  Thursday night was the computer science opening social...all the pizza you can eat.  It started at 5 and Lauren had a soccer game at 5:30, so we dropped the boys off (I kept Connor) with Alan who met us there (Kiwanis Park) and I took Lauren to her soccer game.  It started to pour right when her game was supposed to start.  It took them a minute but they kept playing.  Connor and I got pretty wet.  Connor looked like he had just gotten out of the bath tub even through I tried to protect him.  We were pretty much dried off by the time the game was over....one of the good things about dry dry Utah.  We got back to the party just in time to pick up the other guys...they had saved some pizza for us.  Alan and I  watched the BYU game, but made the other guys go to bed part way through.

Friday was Alan's birthday.  Bradley, Connor and I made lemon bars to take to Alan and his lab for his birthday.  We picked up Lauren and then walked the lemon bars down to him.  Then over to pick up Jared.  Sometime in there we lost Connor's hat.  Jared has been wanting to walk around campus all week, so he was pretty excited at the chance to trace our steps back and see if we could find the hat.  All week there has been a little tent canopy thing set up outside the library with a game to play and if you win you get a Frisbee or water bottle.  Lauren is pretty much on a first name basis with the girl who runs it.  She collected water bottles all week.  (I think we have 4 total and 3 Frisbee)  Jared was glad to get a chance to do it too...and Friday was the only day that Bradley wanted to try it.  They have also opened the new ramp by the bell tower.  I used it every day this week (except wed since I didn't walk to campus that day)  It is really nice and I like it!!!  Another funny thing we saw were cookies that someone had tried to bake on top of some lights close to the new dorm buildings...so looked more done than others...and on some of the lights the cookies were gone.  We did find Connor's hat...in the bush next to our house.  It was a fun walk anyway...  Alan had decided that since he has been so busy he just wanted to have a big dinner and cake today.  We did have a few presents for him to open.  I think he had a pretty good day. 

Saturday Alan had to go into work again.  It was kind of a long day since we didn't have much going on.  We did make a trip to winco and we were able to get some apple boxes from Macey's.  Our neighbors were also getting rid of a huge lazyboy box.  It is now in our place...and they are having tons of fun  with it.  We watched Little Rascals last night too.

Today we played in boxes before church.  Church was good.  I just played piano and I think Alan's class went well.  After church Jeff, Elizabeth, and Greg came over and Alan made pizza.  We also had cake.  Alan just wanted pound cake with strawberries (I also pulled out some raspberries) and whipped cream, but we sang to him and made him blow out all 32 candles.  It was another great day!  I'm looking forward to a holiday tomorrow.  It would have been the perfect weekend to go somewhere and do something fun since it was his birthday and a long weekend, but Alan has to work...and I would rather be done.

I'm not sure if I wrote this or not yet.  When ever Bradley see a B he says "a B for Bradley"  I love it.  It is the only time that he will say his name and it comes out so cute...more like bwalley.  A few weeks ago at church while looking at the clock he said look a 2 for me and a B for Bradley....I think he must have been seeing the 8.  Well one day last week when we were walking to pick Lauren up, Brad said "look an A for Ashley...our Ashley...mom an A for our Ashley" in his cute little voice.  Have a wonderful orange-pineapple week!!!

Jared's First Day of School...and Cousins

Monday was Elizabeth's Birthday.  Alan went into work for a few hours but still wasn't feeling so great.  The rest of us went up to Temple square and went on the garden tour.  Then we went up in the church office building for the view and then on a quick tour of the conference center.  We watched the Joseph Smith movie.  None of us had seen it since they have redone it.  It was still good.  We walked through the visitor centers on the way to the car.  Jared, Lauren, and I had to hurry back for back to school night.  We picked up Alan and went to meet Mrs. Stewart (for Jared) and Mrs. Porter for Lauren.  They each had a paper to help them find things around their classrooms.  We came back and had a fun yummy dinner with everyone and delicious birthday cake.

Tuesday was Jared's first day of school.  Alan walked him into his classroom and he just went right in and didn't look back.  He said he had a great first day...but it was a little long. (He got to have early release for the first 2 weeks)  We'll have to see how he does with a full day.  Grandma and Grandpa didn't feel too well all day, but did manage to help Greg get a computer and a few other things that they needed to get done.  Jared had a soccer game in the evening.  He scored another goal.  Everyone was tired and it was a school night, so after dinner (bagel sandwiches)  we all just had to head to bed.


First Day of 1st grade!

Goalie

Faster Faster

Wednesday morning Grandma and Grandpa had to get up early and go.  (But Greg got to stay!!!!!)  We were all sad to see them go, but glad that they got to stay so long...and glad that they are coming back soon.  We dropped Jared off at school, then Alan off, then hurry back to the school for Lauren's kindergarten assessment with Mrs. Porter.  When she was done we went and got Connor his shots and bought gas.  After that we had a minute at home, but then had to head over to Lauren's doctor's appointment.  She had to get a wart on her finger rechecked...it was gone. Yea!  We had about an hour to eat lunch before we had to go get Jared.  We got Jared and then ran to winco.  We got back just in time to get a call from Scott saying they were about an hour away.  When Scott, Bethany, Lily, and Maggie got here we played a little outside and had dinner.  It was a busy day!!!!

Thursday after Jared was at school Lily and Maggie came over to play for a little bit.  We spent most of the day just playing inside and outside with our cousins.  We ate fast (soy sauce chicken and veggies) and hurried to Lauren's soccer game in the evening.  She did great.  I baked a birthday cake for Scott later that night.

Lauren's cute team (kind of...this is a funny story...there are 8 on her team, but one little girl isn't there and one of the boys who played on her team that day isn't really on her team....)

Friday was more cleaning up and playing.  Jeff came over around 4:30 and said there was a fire in rock canyon and he could see flames on the mountain.  We spent lots of time that afternoon and evening watching the fire move up the mountain and watching helicopters dump water on the fire too.  Jeff and Elizabeth both saw crop dusters drop something on the fire, but I never saw that...it would have been cool.  The fire was started by 2 boys playing with fireworks.  We had a barbecue that night and chocolate cake for Scott's birthday.

3 cute boys

Happy Birthday Scott!!!

Saturday Alan had to go into work.  He has a user study that he is trying to get done and included in a paper that is due September 10th.  Jared had another soccer game.  He loved having his cousins there watching him.  Lily played with us for a while on Saturday.  Greg came and played too.

Jared's team

Soccer Watchers

Playing and Dressing up while talking to Grandma and Grandpa on the phone

Greg working hard to earn favorite uncle points

Sunday morning I got a call saying the other singing time person was sick.  I decided that it was a perfect week to play the skittle game.  You feed 1 skittle to a child with their eyes closed.  If they can guess the color of the skittle right they get to pick the song.  If they get it wrong then I got to pick the song.  The game was a little hard for the junior primary that we have.  The only ones who guessed the right color for their skittle were the ones that were told it by the other kids.  It was still a fun game...and we got to do lots and lots of singing.  Alan had his first week teaching primary with a new person they called to be his partner.  I think it went well...and he will know who is going to be in there with him...and get some help with the lesson.  Scott, Bethany, Lily, and Maggie went to church with us.  Lily and Lauren got to be in the same primary class.  After church we made chimichanga's.  I had never made them before...mostly because I don't like to fry things....so I got Alan to do the frying :)  They turned out really well and I think everyone (who would try one) liked them.  We were sad to have to say bye to our cousins.  It was a fun week and a half...almost two with family visiting us.  And I got super spoiled since Jeff and Elizabeth fed us about half the time.  I guess I might have to really give in that Summer has come to an end.

Lego Time

Summer!!!!

The last few weeks of summer have gone too fast.  Monday was spent just enjoying the day. We played outside and tried to clean up a bit and just have fun.

Tuesday in the morning there was a Wymount Olympics activity. Then we tried to get Connor's shots, but they wouldn't give them to him because we were a couple of days early.  So we decided to go to walmart and get the school supplies that Jared and Lauren needed.   on the way home we were driving past the Central gardens of Utah and their sign board said free admission.  I had always thought you had to pay...so we turned around and went.  It is a conservation garden, so it uses fifty percent less water.  It was fun to stop and walk around.  There was a sprinkler display with buttons to turn different types of sprinklers on.  This was on of their favorite parts. They would take turns pushing the button while the others would run through it....ok it was mostly Jared and Lauren...Bradley didn't get too wet.  They also had some play houses that everyone loved playing in.  It was a good fun adventure.  I even learned the name of a flower that I have been trying to figure out for quite awhile....it's Lantana.  I was ready to go before everyone else...They had talked me into another adventure...and we were about to go and then I remembered Jared's soccer game.  His first one of the season.   We just had to hurry home and get ready to make it on time.  Jared scored a goal and had a great time.   That night I had a primary meeting...training with the stake.

Wednesday we went to ready to learn.  Then we went to the splash pads at the Riverwoods.  I have been wanting to go all summer.  It was a super hot day and everyone enjoyed cooling off a bit.

Thursday we did more cleaning up and getting ready for Grandma and Grandpa Schachterle and Greg. In the afternoon was the last Wymount water activity.  Grandma and Grandpa and Greg met us at Lauren 's soccer game.  She did great and scored a goal too.  After the game we came home and had dinner (white bean chicken chili ) and visited.

Friday we hiked Stewart falls.  Everyone walked the whole way there.  Lauren and Bradley got carried on the way back.  Jared was so fast that the rest of us had a hard time keeping up.  Alan had to go to work but Jeff and Elizabeth both took the day off and went too.  We had nachos when we got home.  Then hurried down to the Utah country fair.  It was the ranch rodeo night.  It was fun to watch part of that,  then walk around the fair.  Bradley threw up in the middle of the night.  I thought we had just worn him out hiking but something was going around.

Saturday we went to seven peaks for most of the day.  We had a yummy barbecue when we got home and grandma and Grandpa helped Greg check into his dorm.  Then in the evening we played some fun games with all of us together.  I don't know what it is really called, but the name game where everyone takes on a name and you have to figure out who is who.

Sunday was our last week of 8:30 church for a while.  We have had it at 8:30 for 2 years...and the year before that it was at 8. (We did do 4 months of 12 o'clock church when we first moved here)  It will be different going at 12:30....but at least we will still have Sacrament meeting first.  Grandma and Grandpa and Greg visited our ward and Jeff and Elizabeth's too.  Alan's class went well and singing time was good too.  We worked on learning the 2nd verse of Build An Ark.  I took a mirror since the verse is all about us.  Then we talked about what it means to build our own ark and being spiritually prepared.  We also put together a paper cake since it was going to be President Monson's 85th birthday.  We had sweet pork cafe rio salads for dinner.  Then we played more games.  The name game and one with 3 rounds...like catch phrase and charades all rolled into one.  We also went on a walk to the great valley.  Alan started not feeling so great in the evening too.

Time flies when you're having fun!!!

Last Monday everyone was still pretty tired.  Connor is 6 months old!!!! (but thinks he 2 years old and can keep up with Bradley and everyone else)  When did that happen...it has gone so fast.  Lauren and Connor both had well child checks at the doctor. They are both doing well. Lauren is just under the 25th percentile for height and just above it for weight.  Connors head circumference and length are both just under the 50th percentile and his weight is just above the 10th.  The doctor is a little worried about his weight because he is already dropping percentile curves and he is not crawling or walking yet.  I think he is just fine.  After all someone has to be on the low end of the chart....and have you seen his dad?  But really I think he is fine...and he already is quite mobile.  Connor can get wherever he wants to pretty much...he rolls scoots, twists, turns, and does push ups.  At one point today his hands were so close to his feet while doing an arch that it looked like he was going to stand up and start walking.   I'm really glad he's not to that point quite yet.

Tuesday morning Wymount had a water Olympics activity.  They had several games and relays and then just had a big water fight.   Everyone had fun.  In the afternoon we played in a neighbor’s pool.  Then when Alan got home we went to seven peaks.  We all had a really fun time.  It was a super hot day so everyone enjoyed being in water almost all day.

Wednesday was another hot day.  We just hung out around here.  We probably vacuumed...we did almost every day this week...Connor will eat anything.  It has been really nice to have a slower week and just be able to play.

Thursday afternoon Wymount had a water activity and brought out the slip n slide and turned on lots of sprinklers.  In the evening we went to the barbecue in our quad.  Then we went to Fiddler on the Roof at the Scera outdoor shell. We got our tickets from our pass of all passes.  We all enjoyed it but we decided to leave at intermission.  It was getting late (9:30) and everyone was tired.  Alan has been staying a little later at work all week and didn't want to be up too late so he could keep making good progress there.  Also Lauren has been having a hard time sleeping in her bed at night...tonight she is sleeping in Brad's with him.  She was up for a while in the night...and so was Connor..so we were all  tired.  I've never seen Fiddler on the Roof before...just parts...someday I'll see the whole thing.

We made octopus for lunch

Friday we did lots of cleaning up around here.   We also played outside a bit.  In the evening Jeff and Elizabeth babysat while Alan and I went to Seven Peaks.  We had a ton of fun.  Jared was pretty upset that we were going without him, but I told him it was so we could go on the big ones he isn't tall enough for....so I had to do a big scary one.  I did go down the yellow speed slide (3 smaller drops) and I'm still working up my courage for a straight down one.  They have mats that you can ride on now for them...maybe they had them last year too but I didn't slide any last year so they are new to me.  Anyway if you use a mat you go on your tummy head first...which I like a lot better.  Everyone had a great time while we were gone too...or just survived depending on who you ask. :)

Saturday morning Alan went to the Temple.  The rest of us went to a builder workshop we had signed up for at Lowes.  We just had to pick up the kits because Jared had his first soccer practice.  He loves soccer.  This season he is on a team with 1st and 2nd graders.  In the afternoon we did some shopping that needed to get done.  We also cleaned up a little more.  There has been a pile of shoes...In a broken box in my doorway for a long time...I have been tired of it for a while now, but we finally took care of it!!!  It is so much nicer now.  After our shopping we watched the last little bit of the Olympics.  We sure have had a fun time watching it.

How embarrassing... here are all 37 pairs of shoes (plus a few without matchers) that we either threw away, gave away or took to DI.

Today was just a good normal day.   We organized a little more and had a nice restful day.  We ate our stuffed peppers outside for dinner.  This Summer has gone far too fast!!!  We found out this last week that Lauren will be in Mrs. Porter's morning kindergarten class (we are really excited...Jared had Mrs. Porter too) and Jared will be in Mrs. Stewart's first grade class.  I asked that Lauren be placed in afternoon since afternoon kindergarten doesn't have school on Fridays, but she got placed in morning.  When I went to make the call just to see if she could be switched she said no mom I want to be in morning.  I asked why? and she said she just wanted to give it a try.  There are really good things about the morning too...so I guess we'll give it a try.  We will definitely enjoy our last week of Summer and are looking forward to our company that is coming this coming week...and the next.