Business as usual

Monday: We've had some sicknesses coming and going in our family, which is pretty typical of this time of year. But still never any fun. I was sick for a good 10 days, and being the kind wife that I am I shared my germs with Kenny and he was sick too. Nothing terrible, just an annoying cold and cough. That was all going on while Briggs was teething and I was night-training Kelsey so I think that's why it took me longer to recover. Just never enough sleep or rest. But I was finally feeling better this week. Madison got sick randomly and was throwing up during the night (last Sunday). It was a long night that led to a rough Monday. But we all survived. We got lots of new snow and it always takes at least one good snow day to remind everyone not to be a total idiot on the road. Unfortunately it took Kenny's bus about 4 hours to get into town on Mon. morning. And Tyler's piano teacher couldn't make it out here either because it was so bad. Only she forgot to call us so we showed up expecting her...and anyway. Long day but Kenny helped me put up our garland and pretty lights wrapped around the banisters so that made me happy. OH and got our Thankful tree up on Nov. 1st and that's always a fun tradition.

Can you spot Cato?

Tuesday we were in and out all day long and never rested. Tyler had Field School, straight to Bryn's violin lesson. Came home and did math and reading, then quickly ate lunch and went to the church for a presidency meeting. The kids always like playing in the gym while we talk. Left straight from there and drove to Palmer again to pick up Tyler. The only good thing about those long drives is I get to listen to more lectures for my online classes and help the time pass. I just love them and I'm so grateful to live in a time with incredible technology. We were home for one hour before we had to turn around and take Bryn to dance class. Waited there for her for an hour and picked up pizza on the way home. Scarfed it down quickly then got online for my book club chat about Laddie, the book we read this month. I really loved the book and always love the great discussions with those ladies. It's especially fun that my sister, Steph, is in there too. Kenny came home sometime during then and had the kids change their clothes. I got off and we left to go to tithing settlement at the church at 7:45. Came home and put the kids to bed a little late. Did the dishes and finished the night reading Little Women until I couldn't keep my eyes open.

Wednesday: Madison threw up again during the night (What?! Why?!) but it was a nice excuse to have her and Kelsey stay home from their dance class that morning. It was so nice to not have to go anywhere until Ty's cello lesson at 2:00. We baked muffins and read, the kids all did beautiful artwork and writing. It was just a good, slow, much-needed morning. I picked up my new glasses and some cookies for that night while Ty was at his lesson. That night we went to the church for cub scouts. They had a fun Lego derby where they all built their own cars out of legos, and then stuck them onto some wheels and raced them! They were all so proud of their cars. Towards the end somebody took off Tyler's front wheels (without asking) and borrowed them, so when he went to race his wheels were gone. He borrowed someone else's for the race, but they weren't on straight and his car was super slow and wobbly after that. He was pretty bummed about the whole thing and I don't blame him. It's too bad it happened but he wouldn't have won a prize or anything. Overall I think he still had a fun time.

Thursday: As usual we had CC from 9-1. Briggs napped a long time which was so good because I had so much to do. Ran to the grocery store (Ty stayed home while Briggs napped) to grab a few things. Then came home and didn't stop cooking and cleaning for the rest of the evening. I made a big pan of cookie bars and a triple batch of a pasta dish. We delivered dinner to 2 other families that night. One just had a baby, the other just lost her husband. I was able to be "in class" (listening in) while we ate and drove around delivering food. I'm taking an online class through Latter-Day Learning. It's called "Principles and Practices of Successful Homeschools" and I'm really loving it so far. I enjoy being able to glean a little bit of Diann Jeppson's wisdom (she's the teacher). Kenny came home, I changed into church clothes and went to the church for a stake auxiliary training at 7. It was a good evening and I love the women I work with in Primary. They're becoming good friends, and I'm learning.

Friday: We woke up to a 4.5 earthquake around 5:30 a.m. and couldn't go back to sleep after that. we've had a lot of earthquakes since living here and every time it happens, and then it's over without any real danger or damage. It always makes me first of all so grateful, and second I rack my brain with the "what if". What if it had been a big huge earthquake? How would I respond? What would we do, where would we go? How would I get all my children and keep us all safe? All those questions.
 I really love Fridays because we have absolutely nothing scheduled that day and it's really nice. We did normal school stuff and I decided to go ahead and schedule my  hair cut since it has been over a year since I've had anything done to my hair and I just couldn't take the split ends any longer. It was so unhealthy and gross. So we drove into Anchorage and picked up Kenny, grabbed some dinner and I dropped them off at Andy and Shalee's while I went and got my hair trimmed. They had a fun movie night together and we came right home.

Saturday: Pancake breakfast, Kenny and Ty left at 9 a.m. to go do service projects and were pretty much gone until 2 or 3. I stayed home and cleaned the whole house with the girls. I bribed them with donuts if they did a good job helping me, and they did. We got all the bedrooms and bathrooms done, swept and mopped the whole downstairs and had it looking good. I really love our house, but it sure is a lot of square footage to keep clean! That night we had the missionaries over for dinner and they brought a 17 year old kid with them who just moved here from Mississippi. After they left we put the kids to bed and I went to the church and put names on all the seats for the primary program today.

Sunday: We finally had the primary program we've all been working on for so many weeks. It went well and they all did great. Madison was making me have to hide my face because I was giggling at her and her enthusiastic (LOUD) singing! She was giving every song all the gusto she had and it was so funny. Sometimes she can be very shy, but she was definitely not shy today. Glad to have that done. It's been a nice, relaxing Sunday evening. We did a google hangout (chat) with some of my family. Then we had a family time drawing/reading. I read aloud to them while everyone else drew a picture of a farm scene. We read, Homesick by Jean Fritz, and actually finished it up tonight! We had started it a while back, then stopped to read The Wind in the Willows because it was a library book and had to be returned sooner. Once we had finished that we picked Homesick back up. Both good reads.

My mom would always pull the chairs out and make a "train" when she mopped the floor and we loved to play on the chairs. Now I do it for my own kids and it's always fun to hear their little imaginations on the bus, or airplane, or train, or whatever the chairs happen to be.

 This was one day we were having reading time and everyone was reading so nicely and quietly (even though the house was a mess, don't mind that but know that it usually looks that way during the school day). About 2 minutes after I took this picture I realized that neither Briggs nor Cato was in the room anymore. I walked around the corner to figure out what they were up to. Cato had pooped in the hallway and Briggs was over there flipping it around all over the place, and had poop on his pants and hands! It was disgusting. So much fun having a puppy and a toddler at the same time, right? (I hope you picked up on my intense sarcasm.) Good moments end so soon. haha.

This was from a couple weeks ago but I just think it's so cute how I often find them all 3 together.