Education Week Tip #1

Ok I admit it, I went to education week to learn how to be a good mom to teenagers! Their baby & childhood years were a piece of cake compared to these turbulant, moody creatures that have invaded Kaitlyn & Jonathan's bodies! I have felt a break down in communication (not terrible, but needing correction) with both of them over the summer & felt like a crash course in teen parenting might help. It did.

I went to an incredible class presented by Carrie M. Wrigley on communication. I went with the intention of learning ideas so I could teach "Kaitlyn" to be a better listener. One idea is to remember that in an effective conversation, there should be ONE sender (person talking) and ONE reciever (person listening). Often in an conversation, both people are being only senders, not listening to what the other person is saying.
So, in the presentation, Carrie had two volunteers come up. First she gave one a tennis ball & told her that while the ball was in her hand, she was the sender. Her job was to clearly communicate what she wanted the other person to know. The volunteer without the ball was to listen WITHOUT thinking of what her response was going to be. After the person with the ball was finished, she threw the ball to the other person & they switched roles.

I came home & explained the concept to Kaitlyn, using a ball. For the past week, we have used the ball when trying to communicate (usually, when I am trying to correct her). It has gone MUCH better. When she has the ball, I do nothing but listen. I didn't realize until doing this, that I don't listen as much as I should. Kind of a bite of humble pie. When I have the ball, she listens. It is a simple thing, but it has made talking with her so much more effective! If that would have been the only thing I learned, I would have gotten my money's worth. But it wasn't! I'll post more later.

Did you know?

It only takes.....
10 minutes to make FIVE beds
15 minutes to clean TWO bathrooms
30 minutes to clean the kitchrn
AND
25 minutes to bake cookies, make a pot of taco soup AND a pan of corn bread?


Yep, with kids in school all day, thats how long it took me to do those things! I am amazed! This is the life!

School is in!

Well, as you can see by change in the blog look, summer vacation is over & the 2008-09 school year has begun! We had an awesome summer, but we are excited to start the school year. For the first time in 13 years, I will be home alone all day! It is a bit of an adjustment, but one I have been looking forward to & I am really enjoying. I had Jonathan when I was 20, and I have put off things I've wanted to do until they all reached school age. I loved having little kids, it was a precious time & I think it refined me into who I am today. But I am looking to forward to the school age years with the same enthusiasm. And to be honest, now that I have two teens, a break during the day to mentally recharge makes me a better mother.
Today, I have taken it slow. After 3 weeks of on the go, I need a break. This last week at Education Week was really fun. I took some really good classes & spent time with great people! I'll be blogging more about the classes next week. I met Lisa Joy every morning for the first class. On Wednesday, Stephen & I went together all morning until mid afternoon when he had to go to work. I also attended classes with my friends Lisa K., Cindy, & Janae. It was a great week.
The kids started school on Wednesday & everyone is happy to be back. Jonathain is in 9th grade (a freshman!) & has started seminary this year. Kaitlyn is in 6th grade, in Mrs. Meads class, along with all the other girls & boys from our ward. She thinks it "rocks." Emily is in 4th grade, in Mrs. Hanson's class & is glad her best friend Katie is going to the same school this year. Hannah is in the other Mrs. Hanson's class & is getting use to going to school the entire day.
Stephen started school today. He is really excited to start the last year of the program. Yesterday, he was offered a nursing position on the Children's unit at the state hospital. So, his schedule has switched to day shift with weekends off. We are very happy about this! Life is great!

Under Construction

I am updating the look of the blog today, so if pictures are chopped off or it is hard to read, please excuse the mess. I am working on it in between housecleaning projects. I should have it completed by this afternoon.

Is it only me?

Last night before I went to bed, I had all of the laundry done. I just walked into the laundry room to grab some meat out of the freezer & there is a good size pile of laundry sitting there! I've heard that debt never sleeps. Apparently laundry doesn't either! Now, I grew up in a small family with just me & my sister. So all this laundry is new to me. I've been wondering for years, is it normal or excessive? What do you do to cut down on laundry?

Happy Surprise!

I have been running around all day trying to get all the laundry done & the house somewhat organized before going to education week. One of my other to do's today was water the garden. Now, I have to say, the garden has been more of a burden than a pleasure the past few weeks. Between having company, going school shopping, being sick with TWO different illnesses in one week, & getting ready for Education Week, who has time to garden? Besides, I have been somewhat dissappointed with the garden. We have tomatoes, but the are small. Not the big ones we were hoping for. The squash bug go our pumpkin & half our squash. So, it has been as I said, more of a burden than anything. But today, I found a big zuchinni, 7 bell peppers, 3 ripe tomatoes, & 1 ripe cherry tomatoes! I was so excited!

Last Day of Mike & Michelle's visit

Stephen had to return to work on the last day of their visit. The kids were all dead tired after a week of nonstop play, but wanted to go swimming one last time. So we packed a cooler & headed out. Unfortunately, Salem Pond was closed due to a triathalon, so we decided to go to the park instead. The kids were disappointed, & tired. But they did play a little bit.









We didn't stay too long so that Michelle could pack & Mike take a nap before the long drive back to Idaho. We loved having them here. It was defintely the highlight of our summer!

Kind of different, but interesting

While Mike & Michelle were here, we visited our neighbor's wallaby several times. The cousins thought it was really cool. The wallaby "Rupert" has been in our neighborhood for several years, so we don't think of him as being unusual anymore. All the kids enjoyed feeding Rupert bread & cheerios.



Another site that is uncommon, but which we really don't notice much is the Krishna's Lotus Temple in Salem. I've driven passed it hundreds of times, but never have thought to stop by. Michelle wanted to, so we did.





It was interesting, but to be honest, I didn't really enjoy touring their temple. The strong smell of incense burned my eyes & gave me a headache. The strong smell of Indian food made me slightly nauseous. But, I did like that they believe in peace & harmony. I thought it was amusing to see pictures of Joseph Smith, Brigham Young & Wilford Woodruff on the first floor of their temple. They said they have great respect for these men. The kids were fascinated by the bird that stood on one leg in an yoga position!

Summer is just about over!

It's hard to believe summer vacation will be over in 3 days! We had a great summer & it's hard to see it come to an end. I think my favorite memories are of camping, Yuba Lake, & the Daisson Get- together. I am already looking forward to next year when we will get see the Daisson's again in February for the twin's baptisms, again in May at Stephen's graduation, then in July at the Spencer reunion. I am also looking forward to going on vacation next summer with my sister & her family. Summertime is the best!
Here are the pictures from the day we spent at Salem Pond with Mike & Family.


Chloe & Uncle Stephen! She absolutely adored him. And even though we haven't had a baby in the house for several years, he hasn't lost his magic touch.


We love all the Daisson kids, but since Chloe is the last Daisson cousin, we all think she is pretty special. We love you Chloe!!!


Jonathan pushed Keaton off the dock & Keaton was quick to repay the favor.
\






Daisy went on this trip as well & loved it!


Hannah & Angelynn, inseperable as usual. All of the kids have a "twin" cousin. Jonathan was born 3 months after Lyndsey. Kaitlyn was born 6 weeks before Keaton. Emily was born 6 weeks before Naylor, and Hannah was born 4 months before Angelynn.

Lip Gloss?

Yesterday, I took the kids to get haircuts. Kaitlyn has been evolving into a young lady all summer. With her new haircut, she is drop dead gorgeous, no exaggeration, but perhaps just a teen weeny bit bias. This morning, she was in her room applying lip gloss. She wants to know if she can wear it to school. My first, gut reaction was to say NO WAY, you are too young. So I said the next thing, "let me thing on it & get back to you." Then my next thought was, "I should talk to Stephen & see what he thinks." But then I thought about the conversations we've had this summer on the subject of "his" little girl growing up & it has been a painful process for him. He keeps asking for guns, machedies (no idea how to spell that) etc so he can inflict bodily harm onto boys who treats his girls anything less than a princess. So, you can probably guess where his mindset is and to how he will react to Kaitlyn's lip gloss request. So, trying to look at this objectively, I know that most girls in the 6th grade DO wear lip gloss & some, even more make-up. I can see where Kaitlyn is coming from, she wants to look her best & feel confident with her peers. At this point, she wants the acceptance of other girls, she isn't out to impress boys (well, maybe just a little). If I look at it from her point of view, I want to say yes. But from my point of view, she is barely 12 & I want to hang onto her childhood for at least one more year. I know make-up is a must when she starts Jr. High next year. So, I am really torn. Anyone care to comment? Anyone have some ideas? I have until next tuesday to make this all important decision, lol.
On that note, I'm off to go shopping with Kaitlyn for school clothes.

This is too CUTE not to share

Hannah's day at the spa:









After I stopped laughing so hard off that my face hurt, I realized they brought MUD into the house. They offered to clean it up right away, but I said, "NO! Let me get my camera first!" After I snapped pictures (Chelle, I only took 10 instead of 40, are you shocked?), Kaitlyn & Emily began cleaning up & I asked why they chose to use pickles for her eyes. They said, "Because we couldn't find cucumbers."

Too funny!

Olympic Shopping

Well, going with the Olympic theme since the Olympics have been on at our house (TV & Internet) 24/7 since Friday, we went on a shopping trip that I think would qualify for a gold medal! A little background first: I spent the weekend really sick. I guess the go- go- go week we had last week with Mike & Chelle wore me out. I woke up Friday morning with a sore throat and headache, but wanting to be a good host on the last day of their visit, I ignored the cold & just kept going. When they left, I had the kids help me pick up the house a bit & we had dinner. Then I decided it was ok to be sick, so I grabbed my pillow & blanket, and laid on the couch until bedtime watching the Olympic Ceremony. On Saturday, I felt so awful that I was in bed pretty much all day. Kaitlyn was in charge of the kids until Stephen came home around 3pm. When Stephen came home, I told him how stressed out I was about being sick because of all the shopping I needed to get done during the next week to get the kids ready for school. Usually when I get that sick, it takes me a week or two to return back to full health & strength. The first thing he said was, "I can take them shopping for you." I thought this was funny & very considerate considering the fact that just a few days ago he told me how thankful he was that I did "the shopping thing" because he felt clueless on where to even begin. So we both knew it wasn't a real option. So I asked him for a blessing instead. From that point on, I rested really well, & I could feel my energy returning. It was amazing. On Sunday, I was able to sit up for more than ten minutes at a time. I just rested and took life slow all day long. I woke up yesterday feeling my best.
So, as soon as I got up, I went to work. I spent the morning going through all the kid's clothes, bagging up clothes we no longer need, throwing away all of their old hole ridden socks, & making a list of everything they had & what was needed. By 1pm, I was done. This amazed me because this process usually takes me a day or two. At 2pm, I left with Emily to do her shopping. By 5, we had all her school clothes purchased, plus I bought all of the kids socks, tank tops etc. I called home & told Hannah to get her shoes on & be waiting for me. I dropped Em off & took Hannah shopping. It took us two hours to find everything on her list & at 7, I dropped her off & picked Jonathan up. Now Jonathan & I had already purchased most of his shirts on Old Navy online, so he only needed jeans & a jacket. It took him 45 minutes to find what he needed! We then went & bought his school supplies. We were home by 8:30.
So, a saga that usually takes me a full week, was accomplished in one day! I am so amazed! I still need to take Kaitlyn shopping for pants, buy Jonathan a set of seminary scriptures, & take the kids to get haircuts, but we are much further along than I thought we would be!
Oh, & I have to say how thankful I am for Jonathan & Kaitlyn's willingness to babysit so I can take each kid one at a time. While I was getting the girl's tank tops at Downeast Outfitters, there was a mother there with her four children. The kids were tired & arguing. Their poor mom was trying to shop, intervene & make the kids behave & trying not to lose her cool all at once. I really felt for her & felt really blessed that my shopping experience was going so smoothly. It is the simple things that makes life great!
Sorry this is so long today.

Just Hanging Out

Fun Week!

We had so much fun while Mike & Michelle was here! It was really nice to spend an entire week with family. The kids totally enjoyed playing with their cousins from the time they woke up until the second they fell asleep. Here are the highlights from the week:
1. Going to the Santaquin parade to watch Hannah & Kaitlyn dance
2. Barbecuing & playing in the pool in the backyard after the parade.
3. Going to Church together on Sunday.
4. Going to Payson pool for FHE on Monday
5. Making Sconey tacos on Tuesday, a Daisson family tradition when we get together
6. Jonathan, Stephen, & Keaton going laser tagging with the Young Men
7. Mike, Quentin, Emily & I planting flowers in the front yard
8. Michelle & I went shopping for fun Wednesday morning.
9. We met Mike, Stephen & kids at the movies after shopping & saw Prince Caspian
10. Playing battle front, Shrek, & Eye-toy games on the playstation all week long
11. Playing games like Monopoly & El presidente several times
12. Good food to eat all week.
13. Going to Salem pond
14. Listening to Jonathan, Naylor, & Keaton giggle like girls at midnight
15. Watching movies together here at home
16. Watching the fire on P Mountain
17. Swimming & Canoeing at Salem Pond
18. The kids making videos of shows they made up & then cracking up while we watched them later.
19. Eating lunch at the park yesterday & the kids being so tired, no one complained when we packed up & went home early.

Between Michelle & I, we took over 400 pictures this week. I only edited the ones from the parade & pool so far. I am exhausted & a little sick, so I am going to rest this weekend. I HAVE to get better by Monday, because we have to get school shopping done next week. I can only lie around so long before I go nuts, so hopefully I'll get some more pictures edited & posted over the weekend.

Here are the picture from the pool:


Naylor, Emily & Kaitlyn swimming in the lazy river.


Hannah & Angelynn playing on the kiddie waterslides.


Quentin sliding down the red slide. I love this picture!!!


Keaton & Jonathan hung out in the lazy river, on the slides & in the lap pool


Chloe loved the wading pool & entertained herself by walking in & out of the water fountains,

1st Dance Performance

Kaitlyn & Hannah danced at the Orchard Days Parade in Santaquin. Here are some pictures.










Jonathan, Emily & Cousins watching the parade

Busy Month Coming

Starting tomorrow, the peaceful, slow paced summer we have enjoyed is coming to an end. Tomorrow, the girl's have registration at school. Then Mike & Michelle will be here for eight days. We are so excited to have them come visit us this time! It was so much fun when we went up for New Years to spend a week with them, and we have been counting the days until they come here since we got home! Kaitlyn & Hannah are very excited that their aunt, uncle & cousins will be here for their first dance performance on Saturday. Emily is thrilled that the cousins will be at her family birthday party on Monday. For her family party, we are going to the new city pool. Jonathan is estatic that their will be 4 boy cousins here, especially Keaton to hang out with!
As soon as they leave, we will have to seriously get ready for school. We have already planned our shopping trips, & Jonathan has many end of summer Young Men activities he is looking forward to. We are planning a trip back to the Grotto the Monday before school starts to take family pictures, hike, picnic & play one last time before facing the school routine.
On the 20th, the kids start school! Jonathan will be in 9th grade, Kaitlyn in 6th, Emily in 4th, & Hannah in 1st. It is going to be strange to have a empty house all day. But I won't have to adjust to that until the second week of school because I am going to be at BYU's Education Week with Lisa Joy while they are in school the first week. I am really excited about that!
Stephen finishes his Pathophysiology class on Friday. He is so ready to for a break off of school. He will have 18 days off before he has to go back for his last year of nursing school!
Stephen & I are HUGE Olympic fans, so every spare minute we get will be watching all the different Olympic events.
So, I doubt I will have time to blog again before August 25th. So, everyone have a great end of the summer!