Seeing Clearly....

Presley is sporting a new fashion statement.

Hopefully these babies will correct her far-sightedness. And that she'll keep them on longer without a battle ensuing.

She calls them her "sunglasses". Only she forgets how cute she is in them, rips them off, and says, "No glasses for me". I think this battle is going to take awhile.

Closet Extras.....

My husband. How he would love to live in a house that isn't really lived in. A showpiece for him alone. That isn't going to happen. Not in this lifetime. I would probably also love to have a place where everything is neatly tucked away and appears to be perfect. But. Our home is just that. Our home. A place where everything is used. A lot. Because I have 5 kids I need to stay on top of things like appointments. School meetings. Church activities. And all the other bajillion things I need to attend. When Shawn was a second year medical student he made this magnetic board to hang on his office wall. He lived by that thing. Then once he became a resident and our home became a place where he'd just drop in every once in awhile, I confiscated it and hung it in my kitchen. That magnet board served it's purpose and did it well. And he did a really good job making it actually look nice instead of tacky. Perfect. When we moved here into our rental, it went back on the kitchen wall. I depend on that thing. Without it I'm totally lost. Once we moved into our new house it got put in a back closet because I didn't have a place for it. A few weeks ago I found a wall that I perceived as being the perfect location. I even went to the paint store, bought black paint, and painted it as to match our decor. When Shawn came home and I asked him to help me hang it you'd have thought I asked him if I could paint the cupboards pink. He refused. I also wanted one coat hook per child lined up down the hallway leading to the garage. Nada. Nope. Not happening. "It's so messy looking. All those papers and calendars and junk". Hmmm. I reminded him of the 3 doctors appointments I'd missed in the last month because all that "junk" was stuffed on the catch-all counter and got lost in the shuffle. And showed him how in order to stay organized my kitchen counters were becoming a giant bulletin board. Ridiculous. So. He came up with a plan. I wasn't too thrilled at first. I admit it. Actually. I was irritated. Why can't I live in my house and use space that makes perfect sense to me? But. I relented and let him try this little experiment. To my surprise, it turned out pretty awesome. I love it. Well. I will love it once I get some magnets to use, and once the file shelving is actually purchased and hung.

This is Before:

Just your typical coat closet with the wooden rod to hang coats on. This type of closet never really gets used like it should in my house. So. This is what Shawn turned it into:

Each kid has their own hook with their name above said hook. And the hooks are child height. Then a small shelf above that for things like pencils, envelopes, or whatever the heck I feel like that will fit on a 3 inch shelf. The entire back wall is sheet metal. A new magnet board for me to clutter up. And then on each side will be a filing system for incoming/outgoing mail, bills, kids papers that I feel obligated to hold on to, and anything else that suits my fancy. I'm also willing to admit when Shawn turns genius and fixes our dilemma to where we're both happy. This time he was successful. Now. I just need to find a place to stash all the extra coats that were once living in this closet.........

Terrible Two's Aren't That Terrible.......Yet

My baby is officially two. Her birthday happened to fall on the same day the BYU Cougars opened their season. Meaning that the party was actually cupcakes at half-time. Didn't matter to her. She was handed a cupcake without being strapped down in a high chair and stripped to her nakeds. And she loved it.

Because Shawn video taped her blowing out her candles, that is the only still photo I have. Sadly it's not that great. So I'll continue this post. For the sake of Grandmas.

The thing that can't be conveyed via blog is this little chubs personality. She is full of it. If music starts to play, she wiggles to it. Always. Drops everything to dance. She reminds me of those Santas at Christmas where you push a button and they wiggle their hips side to side. Sometimes she shakes her bum and says "shake your booty". It just depends on the song. At church she leads the music instead of wiggling. Maybe she'll have some sort of musical career?

Here she is ready for church. She's mid-twist so it's kind of blurry.

She's still young enough to let me decide how her hair is done. I'm just waiting for the day she changes her mind. Hopefully later rather than sooner.

She's found a new love. The water/ice dispenser on our fridge. Thank goodness for child lock functions. If I catch her soon enough.

She was angry that I locked it before the ice shot out into her hand so she's telling me what she thinks of me. Lovely.

Presley is every one's favorite. How could she not be? Most of the time she is a very easy going girl. Of course, all the other kids always give in to her every whim. We'll see if that continues. I'm already seeing some wavering of stubbornness in this little person. Not too surprising. I am finding that when she gets upset and starts to throw a tantrum, or shows extreme stubbornness, that I just laugh. It's so funny to me to see personality coming through. It's probably the fact that she's my fifth. Or. The fact that usually when my baby is this age another baby is about to replace it. So. I just laugh. And enjoy all the funny things she does and says.

Her catch phrase this week is "check this out!" while she's doing some kind of trick, like holding her foot in the air, or sticking out her belly. Last night Shawn put her in bed. After he shut the door she started yelling, "Jayne? Where are you?". Hilarious. I could go on and on with the things she says. (I probably should so I don't forget). We love you little miss Presley. Oh. So. Much.

Back To School Shots....

Here are the obligatory back-to-school-in-front-of-the-front-door photos. Only. Poor Landon. I neglected to take a picture of him on his first day back to preschool. Next year when he starts same time as the others I'm sure he'll be photographed. If I remember to take pictures that is.

Jack. Ethan. Kennedy. Wow. They sure do look old. I remember when it was just Ethan getting on the bus solo. Now he has two siblings to join him.

Ethan is officially a 5th grader. (Didn't have time to take one with his eyes open, the bus was rounding the corner) I have to say I have not missed teaching all these years, until this one. When I entered his classroom on back to school night and saw the 5th grade textbooks, curriculum for the year, and even the novel sets to be read, I got a little..........sad? No. Nostalgic for teaching? Probably that is a better description for what I felt. I can't believe I have a child the age I taught so many moons ago. Next year we're on to middle school. Ugh. No nostalgia there.

Kennedy is a 4th grader and attends the same school as Ethan this year. She's so much a pre-teen already. In every aspect of the word. She's one of the absolute youngest in her grade due to where her birthday falls. But. I also think she's one of the smartest.

And Jack. He's a 1st grader this year. Even though he says school is boring and stupid. Probably because he's reading chapter books like Diary of a Wimpy Kid while his peers are sounding out Go Dog Go. Jack is also smart enough to realize that staying home with Mom when you are supposed to be at school is more boring and stupid. So. He decided he'll stick out the year. And the million others he's got ahead of him too.

I rejoiced as they got on the bus. Three hours later I realized I sent the wrong kids away. Landon is good at entertaining himself. But. Presley. Man. She suction cupped herself to my thigh. The. Entire. Day. Long. And has continued to do so every day since. My new little shadow. I'm trying to embrace it because I know that in three years she'll be climbing on the bus with the rest of them.