Update On Joe!

Thanks for everyone's concern! Joseph's doing great. He has a second-degree burn which is supposed to be healed in about 2 weeks. I'm keeping my fingers crossed! He's been a pain-in-the-butt to keep down! He's been on the neighbors trampoline, riding his bike, running around, and eating everything in sight! He did have a spill at Grammie's house yesterday. He was running in the yard and tripped, and instead of catching himself with his hands he tucked his shoulder and rolled.

I have to soak and change his bandages every day, and it looks better each time. Hopefully we can keep it from getting infected! The burn covers his whole palm and also a spot on the side of his wrist. I think he was a little bit loopy from the Tylenol with codeine when I took this picture.

Accidents Happen

We spent Tuesday morning in the emergency room with The Pre-School Graduate. He burned his hand on the lawn mower. This is him after the Tylenol with codeine kicked in. Before that he screamed for an hour. His palm is a huge blister, and he also had one on his arm. The last 24 hours has been much better, but I haven't gotten up the courage to change the bandage yet. Wish me luck.

Guest Blogger...

Hi everyone, this is Natalia. I'm looking forward to summer break this year. Our last day of school was last Friday. We had our fourth quarter awards assembly where the teachers give awards. I got awards for being on the honor roll all year, perfect attendance for the quarter, reading, music, and P.E., and then 2nd place award for the Smokey Bear fire prevention poster contest.

I am on a travelling softball team which Dad is coaching. I play catcher and left field or third base. Summer school starts in a week. I'm in Mrs. Harrison's class.

This year I was in the mixed age class with 3rd, 4th and 5th graders. My day at school went like this: We get to school and eat breakfast, then we sit in the gym in line and wait for one of our teachers to pick us up to take us to our room. [Our teachers are Mrs. Harrison and Mrs. Billings.] Then we put our backpacks up and unload. We then put our name in the "IN" spot so our teacher knows that we're here. We go to our seat and our teacher handles the morning business. Then we do Centers.

Monday, Wednesday and Friday we meet for reading, English and spelling. On Tuesdays and Thursdays we do squiggle, spelling and reading background. After that we usually do math, and sometimes science then math and finish science. Then we go to lunch, Social studies, and our extra classes. Art and P.E. on Monday, Music on Tuesdays and Thursdays and every other Friday, and P.E. Wednesday and every other Friday.

On Monday after P.E., we go back into the room and work on things we need to get done for about an hour. Then at 2:00, we have counciling, and then go to recess. [We have recess every day at 2:35.] After we come in from recess, we pack-up and sit in our seats and wait for one of our teachers to tell the bus riders to line-up. When one of our teachers takes the bus riders out to the buses,the kids that don't ride the bus stay in the classroom with the other teacher. Then our teacher takes us outside to our parent's.

On Tuesday after lunch, Social Studies,and Music, instead of having counciling, we work on classroom work that we need to get done until recess. Wednesdays after lunch, Social Studies, and P.E. we go to the computer lab. On Thursday after lunch, Social Studies, and Music, instead of counciling or computers, we have library. Then on Friday, we take our spelling test.

Mrs. Billing's four year old daughter, Olivia, is getting a heart transplant! Mrs. Billings had to miss the last week and a half of school. Have a good summer!!!!!

Someone is graduating tonight. Guess Who?

Have you ever seen such a round face surrounded by a sea of blue? Kindergarten here we come!

Life Lessons

#4 Sis is graduating from High School tonight. Man, I feel old! We had a little grad party last night and spent some time looking at old pictures and talking about old times. I was 13 when Monie was born, so I spent a lot of time taking care of her in my teen years.

While at my parents, my brother Ben started up a little bonfire. Apparently some small debris was blowing out of it, and Joseph picked up a little stick. He now has pretty little blisters on each finger of one hand. He was hating life last night. He didn't want to keep ahold of his bag of ice, but couldn't NOT hold onto it! This morning all is well, he said it only hurts when he has to pull up his pants. Guess I'm on call for potty time!

Yesterday was the last day of school! Now onto summer vacation, but not for too long. Summer school starts on the 29th and all three are going this year! {I'm doing my happy dance!} 2 weeks of just Monkey and Me! Hopefully he won't get too bored. We're putting in some tomato plants and peppers, and hopefully a zucchini or two and a couple of cukes. We'll need to keep up on the weeds!

Happy Early Mother's Day!!!

"This ability and willingness properly to rear children, the gift to love, and eagerness, yes, longing to express it in soul development, make motherhood the noblest office or calling in the world.

She who can paint a masterpiece or write a book that will influence millions deserves the admiration and the plaudits of mankind; but she who rears successfully a family of healthy, beautiful sons and daughters, whose influence will be felt through generations to come, whose immortal souls will exert an influence throughout the ages long after paintings shall have faded, and books and statues shall have decayed or shall have been destroyed, deserves the highest honor that man can give, and the choicest blessings of God. In her high duty and service to humanity, endowing with immortality eternal spirits, she is co-partner with the Creator himself." (David O. McKay)

Here's a picture of Mama's Little Helpers. I can hardly do anything in the kitchen without them pulling up a chair or a stool and wanting to help. I guess I should enjoy it, they'll grow out of it soon enough!

We're way busy this weekend! What are your plans? I'd love to hear them! Natalia's 2nd grade teacher from last year is moving to Ohio after school is out. She is my niece Jerica's Pre-school teacher this year. We're throwing her a BonVoyage party tonight. Natalia has Softball practice, and then tomorrow a Mother/Daughter Tea for Activity Days, and then on to a friend's house for some project-doing for teachers. Sunday is Mother's Day, but I think every day should be mother's day. We're having brunch after church. Yum! Another weekend full of eating.

Recovering...

...from our busy weekend. Friday night Natalia and I went scrapbooking till midnight - after her softball practice. We had a lot of fun, and Natalia loves going with me. She gets to hang out with her friend Libby, then help clean up afterward. She also got a couple of scrapbooking pages done. Then early to rise on Saturday for Brian's band contest performance on Saturday, which I missed to go to the Stake Relief Society Enrichment Meeting in Warrensburg, which is 30 minutes away. I was asked to sing a song, "His Hands" to go along with a class titled "Hand Prints Bring to Pass Miracles". I didn't realize I was going to sing twice since she was doing the class two different times! The Relief Society is the women's group at church, and it is actually the oldest and largest women's organization in the world.

Sunday brought on church, then a meeting after church, and then over to my mom and dad's house for dinner. Monday night was Brian and Natalia's Spring concert and Fine Arts show. The kids were great! The 5th and 6th grade bands are so good this year! At the contest on Saturday they were given a "1" for their score, which is the highest they can get. Natalia's class sang a couple of songs, and danced along to them. So cute!

Today I went along with Joseph's pre-school class on a walking field trip to the post office, bank, Casey's convenience store to order pizza, then to the park to play and eat pizza. Three hours round trip, walking the whole time - Mario is still napping!

Hope you all had a great weekend. Off to eat dinner, go to ball practice again, then maybe to the Jr. High/High School concert to see Sierra.

Scrapbooking!!!

I'm going to a crop tonight, but I thought I'd share a couple of layouts from the last one. Mario's page has a mini book detailing some of his exploits. If you click on a picture it will enlarge it.

Far West

Tuesday I went to work with Andy. I think there are easier ways to go on a date. It's hard to do anything when you have four kids. Emily watched the boys, Brian and Natalia rode the bus to Grammy's, then Tara gathered them all back at our house later. Always the hard way!

Our first stop was to fill up the gas tank in the truck and for the mowers. That costs way too much money. Depressing to think about. Then on to the mower store (I really don't know what to call it!) for a part for the mower. Then up Hwy 13 thru Lexington and on to the Richmond Pioneer Cemetery. It rained on and off all morning, but we mowed through it. Let me tell you, my kids drive the mowers with the skill of Mario Andretti, but I had a heck of a time! Andy made me get on there and do it, and didn't even cringe (very much). We had to stop for a little while for a missionary couple and two sister missionaries. A little bit hard to talk and look around while two mowers are going.

Our next stop was Far West. Nothing is there anymore. I shouldn't say that, because it is very well landscaped, like a nice park, with picnic tables, trees, mulch, shrubs, etc. The bathrooms are exceptional. Especially since they are out in the middle of nowhere! There is one building across the road, which is a Community of Christ church. Up the road a piece (Missouri speak for 1/2 a mile) is a new store: http://www.farwesthistorical.org.

In it's infancy 170 years ago, the city of Far West was populated by several thousand Mormons and included a large schoolhouse, a couple hundred houses, 1/2 a dozen stores, etc. There is absolutely no trace of the town. Far West is very peaceful, even with the sound of the mower, blower, or trimmer. The sky was dark for most of the day, but it didn't rain, just a little sprinkle. 7 or 8 cars full of people stopped throughout the afternoon to look at the temple site, but you can count the number of cars going by on your fingers. The land consists of just short of 600 acres, the visitor's area is maybe 6 or 7 acres.





I had to take a picture of my feet, because when I am there, I always think: This is where the prophets of our Lord stood. Joseph Smith and Brigham Young. Amazing. Very spiritual.