Kindergarten!!!!

Oh boy, Kindergarten started today! Sylvia could barely contain herself, she was so excited. These are some shots of her just before we left for school this morning. When I picked her up, she told me all about her day-she read a book with her class, they had recess, colored a picture, and had cupcakes! What a day. Sylvia has homework-we get to read together every day, and work on writing letters on lined paper. I think someone is going to have a lot of fun this year!

Blah

I feel like this picture right now.

Have you ever been in a funk? I think that I am in a funk at this very moment. I want to be in school, and that won't work with our lives right now. The loss of my last church calling has made me feel lazy. I don't have a baby that NEEDS me. My kids are big, and they don't want to be held and rocked as much as they used to. They don't need their bottoms wiped anymore, you know? I need to figure out a way to pull myself out this valley, and get back on a peak. I know that I am not the first stay at home mom who's felt this way. I find so much joy in my children, but I'm hungy for more joy. Joy found in creating something beautiful, in making something delicious, in finding more spiritual moments in my life. I feel as though I've drifted aimlessly through the entire summer, and let my brain turn to mush. Time for some stimulation!

Dad Life

Awwww yeah....

This is HILARIOUS! You gotta watch this.

Sylvia is 5!

We started out with this...

And now we have this!

Um, we officially have a 5 year old daughter. I barely know how that even happened! Sylvia began life as a screaming drama queen (you don't have to believe me, but the nurses in the infant nursery at UVRMC will back me up on this.) To this day, well, not much has changed! Sylvia has always been so bright, from the moment she entered our lives to the time that we share with her right now. Her sheer energy keeps me on my toes. I've never known a child who is so interested in learning all there is to know. She craves structure and new experiences every day, and she amazes me with what she learns just from observation.

Sylvia will be beginning Kindergarten in a week, and I seriously do not know where the time has gone. I look through the pictures of her, and I am floored by all the amazing things she has accomplished. I know that all parents say that, but isn't that the most wonderful part of parenthood? Being proud and amazed at the sight of your child learning, growing and just being. Some days I tire of her endless questions, and at the end of those days I just have to remind myself that she wouldn't ask those questions if she weren't so bright, and didn't have a sincere desire to learn and to grow. I then rebuke myself for not understanding my child better.

This kid is amazing. And she is 5. Holy cow.

Birthday Girl

We started the morning with a birthday breakfast and opening presents.

Then, we went to see Nanny McPhee, and then...

Chuckee Cheese! How addicting is Skee-Ball?
Completely.

I guess Sylvia needed some help blowing out the candles!

Happy Birthday Sylvia Louise!

The County Fair

We celebrated Sylvia's last day as a 4 year old by heading to Spanish Fork to go to the Utah County Fair. It was another scorcher today, so we headed inside first to see the animals, which was fun. The kids especially liked the guinea pigs. (They were so cute, I almost decided to become a pet owner!) Then we went on some rides, the usual favorites like the Ferris wheel and the Carousel. Tomorrow is Sylvia's 5th birthday, so these are the very last pictures of her as a 4 year old, captured for posterity. Such a dolly! Despite the heat, we had a very fun time at the fair.

The Beatles, Lessified

I saw these images today on flikr, and instantly fell in love. So simple, yet a Beatles fan would be able to identify each of these covers instantly. This just made me so happy that I had to share it. Find the original image and flikr stream here.

Thanksgiving Point

Playing on a cool "water" sculpture that sprays you. Surprise!

The kidlets in the gardens.

Ben trying to be cool next to a little pony.

Ben & Sylvia enjoying a horse drawn wagon ride through Farm Country.

Sylvia taking her toes for a dip.

(It was 97 degrees outside!)

Yesterday we went to Thanksgiving Point to play with Carolyn and Jake, and Amy, and all of their kids. Sadly, through a series of stupid decisions on my part, we got separated, and only met up after we had all been there for about two hours. I hate it when I do stupid things, don't you? Anyway, I took the kids to Farm Country to see the animals, and take a wagon ride around the Thanksgiving Point Farm. Later, we met up with the gang at the Children's Garden, had lunch, and had a really fun time (mostly getting wet, as it was ridiculously hot). Yay for $2 Tuesdays at Thanksgiving Point!

Family Mission Statement

I recently read this article about creating a family mission statement, and it really got me thinking. Since Sylvia is starting kindergarten this year (and Nate starting a new job), we could probably use a unifying theme that helps us identify our priorities. As the article says, differentiating between the "important" and the "urgent." I'm still figuring out what would work with two preschoolers, but I think that creating a family mission statement would definitely help us figure out what things in our lives are most important. The next step? Collaborating with Nate to make sure our mission statement totally awesome. I'll let you know how it turns out.

Wonderful Quote

When I stand before God at the end of my life, I would hope that I would not have a single bit of talent left, and could say, "I used everything you gave me."

~Erma Bombeck