Our New Turtle, Parsley

We have a new pet. She is a gift from my Visiting Teachee Sister, and the girls love her. We've named her Parsley. Here she is in her new home (a plastic grocery cookies box with some rocks.) That is a clock hanging in her cage that Grace made.

Spouse Bragging Challenge

You know, you should never keep a blog for too long without lots of sinful boasting. That's a rule I live by. (Not really, it just happens naturally. Hey, when you've got a head as big as mine, you have to vent somewhere.)

Anyway, I think its time I did some honest-to-goodness bragging about my husband. I feel I have the best husband out of all the husbands I know.

He never (not once that I can remember) has complained about:

-The mess in my house. (I do NOT keep a very tidy house.)
-Dinner not being ready- all evening.
-Dinner not tasting good.
-The mess the kids are.
-The mess the kids left that I haven't gotten around to cleaning up.
-His things being misplaced.
-My hair, or my lack of makeup.
-Any other aspect of my personal hygiene
-my spending habits.

He calls almost every day to see if I need him to pick up anything on his way home.
He calls almost every day to let me know whether he will have to work late.
He picks up Grace from school on his way home almost every day.
He supports me in any goal I pursue.
He helps me with the chores.
He lets me know if he has to spend any of the family's money out of ordinary.
He says he loves my hair, even when it is frizzy.
He helps me clothes shop. (You know how hard that is for men to endure! But he does have better taste than I.)
He is so cheap that he shopped for "new" shoes at 4 thrift stores, rather than buy the expensive kind he needed new. (His decision, not mine. I wanted to fork out the $120 for new ones.)
He loves to make things himself rather than spend money.
He loves to give to people who need it.
He went to a job he hated for over 4 years just to fulfill his duty as provider.
He is always trying to improve the system at his job.
He has never complained about having to eat frozen pizza.
He never leaves the toilet seat up.
He never complains that I put the TP on backwards.

That's pretty good for now. Pretty much, I think he's awesome. Awesome Man. That's Royal.

SCHOOL IS OUT!

I have finally joined the large sector of society whose life schedule is ruled by the public school calendar. I could never understand why summer was such a big deal before. It used to be my least favorite part of the year actually, since it is the warmest.

But, I am very happy to report that Grace is home with me full time again! For about 2.5 months. We are studying oceans and all things appertaining to oceans this week, so call and ask Grace who Jaques Cousteau is, or how she decorated her seascape in a box that we made today. Or, tell her something interesting about Columbus. Or, email me a poem we can learn about the sea.

Next week will be butterflies. Our Zoo has an enclosed Butterfly House. Its really cool.

You might be a Library Buff...

If you know your library card number better than your Social security number.
If you have more than 15 requests on your account at any given time.
If you have trained your 3 year old how to return and check out books on her own.
If you meet at the library to be visit taught or for other social occasions.

And, finally,
If you have on your Christmas wish list: "library gift cards to pay overdue fees."

Grooving Santa Brother

Here's my(Royal) brother Jason being abso-stinkin' hilarious when he was 19 or so. Gotta love that square belly!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u7MyLkJh8jE

Meet President Uchtdorf

As we ate breakfast this morning, I thought it would be a good time to teach the girls the names of the First Presidency of the Church, since we have their picture taped onto the side of the fridge.

"Ladies, Do you know the names of our Prophet and the men who help him, called Counselors?"

"I only know the Prophet," said Grace, "That's President Monson."

"Well," said Mom, "The tall guy is called President Eyring. EYE-ring. The guy with the white hair is called President Uchtdorf. Can you say OOOOK-doorf?"

"Ooookdoorf," repeated Grace.

"Can you say 'Uchtdorf', Sienna?" asked Mom. She added, "Oooh-Kh-D-Oh-R-F."

Sienna hung her head low and said in a very quiet murmur, "Well, I can say President Monson."

Guess who's walking?

On Wednesday of this week, little Jim began walking! For real! It is SOOOOO adorable! He teeters and totters from side to side. Then, when he is ready to fall, he squats and carefully stands up again. So awesome!

The Landmark What?

There is a mysterious self-transformation seminar called The Landmark Forum. And its coming to St. Louis in June... We'll see if I go.

Anyway, I'm eager for Grace to be out of school! It ends soon, and I really want to plan fun adventures for the Summer. I think one way to make that happen is if we have a well-planned schedule. For Instance:

7-9 Get ready for day
9-11 Fun activity (Library, Zoo, Mall play place, Park, etc.)
11-12:30 Lunch, and cleanup
1-3 Nap time
3:30-4:30 Outside play time (without Mom)
5-6 Dinner and clean up
7 Night routine and bed!

I want to get Grace into a dance class, too. They are really cheap through the city. (Thank you, property taxes!)

Will get pics up as soon as possible.

An Interesting Threat

Royal doesn't usually threaten me. (I know you're all sighing in relief.)

So, it was with shock and concern that I received this one: "Elizabeth, I want you to go back to school so you can finish your degree. If you don't go back to school, I will."

The jury is still out. And a little angry. (Just a teeny, tiny, little bit.) I endured 6 years of Royal in school. I don't care if he goes to his grave with no more education than a Bachelor of Fine Arts from a prestigious Private school.

And, I would LOVE to finish my degree. Any degree, actually. It's the worldly accomplishment and the excitement of college that appeals to me. I love to learn.

But, I am not convinced this is the season of my life for me to go back to school, not even part time. The Jury is still out.

They are all dead.

My gorgeous tomatoes. My herbs, and almost every one of my flower seedlings.

Dead.

I have some pepper plants that lived.

I think I'm going to grow our garden in containers this year!

Sienna Paints her First Self Portrait

Here is one of Sienna's first recognizable art pieces. In fact, it is her very own self

Saturday Fun

Thienna'th Pronounthiathun Problemth

My darling Sienna talks like a prim and proper little adult. Grace has been coaching Sienna on correct pronounciation (every morning before I let them out of their room) for years. The last vestiges of her toddler talk is she says the sound 'th' with a 'f'. It doesn't make her words less clear in the least, and you would never even notice it in a normal conversation with her.

Well, Grace has been strongly encouraging Sienna to say she is "THree" instead of "free". So, to help her speak properly, I help Sienna while reading the scriptures to say the 'th' sound during her turn to read, whenever it comes at the beginning of a word. (She "reads" our scriptures by repeating after us for a verse or two.) She has become very adept at saying the following words: them, the, themselves, therefore, etc. She says them all correctly, and I realize that is very good progress.

So, today, I started emphasizing the 'th' at the end of the words, such as "saith", "desireth", and "faith". I think "faith" was the straw that broke the camel's back. She tried "faif." Then she tried "Thaith". And, then she gave up in a good humor and started reading like this:

"Therethore, they, thaving thothen thood, thand thexerthithing thextheedingly threat thaith, thare thalled thith tha tholy thalling." (See Alma 13:3)