Chronicles of a Hiding Spot

My Joy School Run

As I mentioned in an earlier post,

this was the first year that we've participated in

Joy School (think, pre-school) Co-op.

Owen was our guinea pig,

and after some initial trepidation he took

to it easily.

However Owen wasn't the only one being

thrown into the deep end of the pool,

I was too!

The Co-op portion meant that I would be responsible

for teaching approximately 6-7 classes,

organizing a class field trip and class party, and

assisting for an additional 6-7 classes for another teacher.

And all with Gabriel underfoot!

Whew!

I'm tired already!

Looking back though,

the experience was really great.

The time really did fly by,

and it was fun having this barage of little ones

invade the house each week.

I read, or heard in a movie,

children referred to as,

"Ankle-biters".

I really liked the term,

and that's exactly how I'd describe these little guys!

But in a cute and endearing way,

of course!

Meet the gang!

{note}

Owen was camera shy at the moment.

My lesson theme focused on

"Bugs & Crawly Things".

It was a perfect subject for little ones,

and luckily the weather cooperated

for plenty of outdoor exploring.

It still amazes me how often we hit the jackpot

in finding all kinds of bugs in the backyard.

We lucked out by finding a huge grasshopper, praying mantis,

and fuzzy caterpillar.

Granted,

I did help some things along,

like when I thought of the brilliant idea of purchasing live

ladybugs from Green Acres Nursery.

All was well

 while the little guys were contained and snoozing

in a deep sleep in the fridge,

but of course I just had to cut open their packaging

to move them to a netted bug container.

How was I supposed to know ladybugs can easily

squeeze through tiny netted holes?

And that the moment they're removed from the fridge,

they wake up and start moving around like crazy?

Long story short,

I had another brilliant idea

and just shoved the whole mess back into the fridge

hoping everyone would settle down again.

They did,

but for weeks we found ladybugs

in odd places all over the place

(the vegetable drawer, the ceiling, etc.-)!

{note}

Did I mention each package of ladybugs contains

1,800 of the little buggers?

Busy bees!

For our class field trip we visited

Bishop's Pumpkin Farm!

We were a little stretched on time,

but if you're looking for a fall experience,

you can't beat everything this place has to offer.

You can't go wrong with any holiday party,

but come on,

Halloween is right up every kids alley!

P A R T Y  I T I N E R A R Y

D E C O R A T E  S U G A R  C O O K I E S

G A M E S

P U M P K I N  G U T S  1 0 1

M U D  &  W O R M S  P U D D I N G  C U P S

M O V I E : 

T H E  G R E A T  P U M P K I N , C H A R L I E  B R O W N

Later,

as an assistant,

we visited the Utility Exploration Center

and the Universal Playground!

All in all,

it's a relief to be done!

And though I do miss my ankle-biters,

now I get to drop off Owen and know he's having

loads of fun and learning so much too...

at someone elses house!

{smile} 

Owen: Chronicles of the First Day of School

The day dawned bright...

Owen look snappy in the clothes he picked out for himself...

and yet...

...no smile?

You'll notice the backpack came OFF

at this point.

I was informed:

"I'm not going."

Into the car we go then!

And that's when it hit Gabriel like a ton of bricks!

{It's a brother thing...}

Two hours later,
it was all over.

Owen had a great time
(as evidenced by his HUGE smile)
and loved showing off his class work!

Gabriel and I survived a morning by ourselves

(turns out moms aren't so bad to hang out with afterall!-),

and all was right with the world now that we were

all back together again!

Well,
at least until the next time
Owen has to go to school...

{smile}



Owen's Joyschool Kick-Off Party

This is the first year ANY of our children have

participated in a pre-school.

I'm not against them,

I just enjoy having my children at home!

But when some girls in our ward and neighborhood

asked who was interested in getting a small co-op together,

Samuel and I gave some serious thought to it.

We went back and forth,

but in the end,

thought that Owen would not only benefit

from regular interaction with other kids his age,

but that he'd just have fun!

I was able to help coordinate the

Kick-off Party,

which meant the planning of fun activities...

...and a tasty

-and very kid-friendly-

brunch!

Gabriel loved the menu!

Owen,

giving the evil eye!

And we haven't even officially started school yet!

Owen was a bit of a mess this whole day.

He knew something was up,

and was pretty sure he didn't want any part of it!

...

Don't worry, Owen.

With anything,

there's bound to be a few bumps

along the way!

Keep pushing on, son.

You won't be disappointed!

I love you!

Love,

Mom



The Stuff Dreams Are Made Of...

Owen Joseph

My sweet, sweet boy.

You're growing so fast,

and becoming such a little person.

When you're not
frantically-telling-me-what-needs-to-be-told-right-now,

you're running and jumping
all over the place!

And yet,

there are moments like this,

when you steal away into your

own

little

world.

And it's delightful to watch you.

I love you so much.

Keep building,

creating,

and

just

being

you!

Love, love, love...

Your Momma





A Day of Many Firsts!

The first day of school is ALWAYS a big deal,

but this year was a little different.

Why?

1) Iris! 

She's a kindergardener now! 

Crazy!  I know!

 2) Isabella

 She's a big bad 4th grader now!  

Two more years and then she's off to middle school! 

Aughh!

3) Mornings at home will be officially girl-free!

Luckily I've got two great boys to keep me company!  

4) Owen

In a few days he'll be starting Joy School two days a week. 

I'll post more on that later,

but really,

what will Gabriel and I do all by ourselves?!?

It's alright!

Change is good.

It's normal.

Natural, even.

And I can do this.

{Sigh}

I miss them already!

I like to say I only cried with Isabella.

Her leaving for school for the very first time

really, really threw me.

I thought I had it together after that,

and then I saw this.

Three girls on bikes.

Not just any girls though-my girls!

Iris Luciana

Looking absolutely beautiful and so grown up!

The line!

 She was still smiles,

but definitely starting to get more and more nervous!

In class,

she finally shared that she changed her mind

and didn't want to go to school afterall!

Lucky for us,

she has the smartest teacher in the whole wide world

who captured the kids attention
and pulled them into an activity right away.

Parents took the hint and made a quick getaway!

Ava Grace

We're so fortunate that Ava has the same teacher she had last year.

This woman is amazing,

and exudes so much love, warmth, and patience.

Ava thrives with her and we're looking forward

to another great year!



Isabella Rose

Studious as ever and completely organized!

She lives for the first day of school and loves hitting the books!

Honey,

everyday you make us so proud!

Meet the crew!

We'll be at home every morning
(except when Owen's in school!),

trying to figure out why it's so quiet at home!

Here they come!

It's a bit of a trick wrapping your mind around a

schedule after the leisure days of summer!

We're easing back into it with an afternoon snack

of homemade chocolate chip cookie
& ice cream sandwiches!

Enjoy!

And then get started on your homework!

{Smile}

What Motivates You?

For potty training with Owen,

you can plainly see what works best for us!

To Owen:

Great job, my boy!

Remember...

Shoot down!!!

Owen & Lennon

Lennon is the oldest child of Samuel's elder (that sounds so old!) 

sister, Rachel.

Owen adores him,

and it's really sweet to see Lennon

take the time to talk and play with him.

Owen,

being blessed with three beautiful, bossy, mother-hen-like big sisters,

surely appreciates the brotherhood.

And though he tries his hardest to keep up with the "big boy's",

he's still my little guy.

Loves, Owen!

Lot's of loves!



Tart!

Thanks to the Culp family,

we had bowls and bowls of fresh-picked blackberries!

Owen's a fan.

Or is he?

Thanks again!



Let the Bounty Begin!

Our first squash of the season!

Yay!



Owen: The Big Three!


Owen, it wasn't that long ago...

...that we were very, very close!

 

You were unhappy at first to be so rudely extracted...

...but with a bath, warm jammies, & a blanket,
you settled down quickly.

Little did you know that you didn't have just one momma,

but four!

You were a blessing to your family...

...especially to Great-grandpa Lopez.

Ava soon learned that life is different with a boy around...

...and Isabella thought is was a good idea to give you a name tag.

You looked just like your dad, son...

...but I loved you just the same!

You got busy growing...

...became a Dodger fan...

 

...and developed a profound hatred for snow!

You figured out you looked darn cute in a tutu...

...and found solace in the absence of your sisters
while they were away at school!

This year you started pre-school...



...and immediately got right to work!

You experienced heartaches...

...and don't forget: 

Joy!

And above all else,

you found an incredible...

...lifelong...

...friend!

Happy 3rd Birthday, son!

Of course,
there will still be owies...

But with awesome Spiderman jammies...

...M&M's...

...and faith...



You're life will continue to unfold in a beautiful, beautiful way!

All my love, sweetheart!

Love,

Mom