Solace of....well, gosh, I don't know...

OK, so it occurred to me as I titled this post that Wes and I need to name our home (Like Green Gables). Sadly, I cannot think of anything-I'll ask Wes when he gets home. Anyway...On to the point of this.

For book club this month, we are reading Anne of Green Gable (You are all still welcome and invited to join). I love that book and decided to read it aloud to Solace. So, we have been reading it aloud, but as it turned out, I have been reading it to the whole family. Wes and the boys have been listening too. And, as it turns out, the boys love it as much as Solace. The most surprising thing has been how much Armour loves it-LOVES it-he asks me to "yead mor Anne-What will happen to her now?" We are already more than halfway through.

So, Monday, I was sick. Sick enough that Wes took a day off to take care of me and the kids. That morning as Solace was getting ready for school, she wanted me to fix her hair. So , she got the rest of the way ready, then came into my room quietly. She snuck over to the bed and put her little hand on my forehead. Then she started to sneak out. I said, "Solace, do you need something?"

She quickly said something along these lines: "Oh mother! I am so glad you can talk! I wanted my hair fixed and I was hoping you would put it in 2 very beautiful braids down the sides, but dad said you were sick and I came into your room and felt your head, and it was so hot that I thought I might just burn my hand from touching you like Armour burned his hand. I was ever so worried that it would be a lifelong sorrow, and I really did not want to be in the depths of despair, so I am so very happy to know you can talk to me and that you are not too sick, oh mother! I love you! Could you fix my hair now before I miss the bus and have another sorrow of missing a very important day of school?"

Oh yeah-it's that obvious what we have been reading!

Halloween

The night before Halloween we carved our pumpkins. On Halloween we were busy bees! We went to Sol's party, then when she came home we had to get ready right away to Trick or Treat in our neighborhood. Then we had to go to the Trunk or Treat at our ward, followed by a stop at a friend's house (someone Wes works with). It was packed and fun, and I of course only took a few pictures.

A little something about the pumpkins. Armour had 2 very small pumpkins (one was really Kindles, but whatever). Solace and Ender each had a pumpkin of their own which they drew up designs for then had Wes carve out what they drew. Armour just gave Wes directions-he wanted one mad one and one happy one.

So, in this picture, Kindle and I are holding Army's happy pumpkin on the left and the mean (or evil) Pumpkin on the right! Vampire Ender with his pumpkin

3 kids with their jack-o-lanterns on Halloween night!

Wes in his costume...

School Party

I am the "Room mom" for Solace's class. They split the class a couple weeks into the school year, so we combined the party with the other class. We wrapped the teachers as mummies (with TP), made a bat craft (super easy), and played a spider ring toss game. All of this was after the school wide parade, and before we ate a ton of treats! The 2 boys went over to a friends house while Kindle and I went over to run the party. Here are a few pictures:

Kindle the monkey Cowgirl Solace
Another monkey shot

Making her bat

Solace (and a little Snow White) wrapping up their teacher (The 2 teachers dressed up as Thing 1 and Thing 2)

Solace's class with their wrapped up teacher.

Dance Halloween party

Solace's dance class had a Halloween party. She couldn't dance well in the cowgirl outfit, so she wore her Jasmine costume pants. Here she is dancing at the party:

A lesson on respect and rights...go vote!

I hate politics. Mainly because I have strong opinions that you will not change, and I do not believe I will change yours, and I HATE to argue, or even have heated discussions. That said, I wanted to post this experience today before I go vote, and before we have a new President picked.

I am a McCain/Palin supporter. I believe that Obama will win, but wish it wasn't so. I am so grateful for my chance to go vote today and put in my vote whether I win or lose. This week our neighborhood has been heavily canvased by the 2 main parties. I am a registered Republican. Wes is unaffiliated. So, the Republicans come talk to me and make sure I am going out to vote. Both parties are calling and stopping by to try to persuade Wes to go vote (for their candidate obviously). I am always polite, but as I said, I hate political discussion.

Yesterday, a man showed up at my door representing the Obama camp. He nervously told me he was there for the democratic party and to remind me to go out and vote for Obama. I assured him that we would be out to vote, though not for who he wanted us to. I could tell at that point that he was particularly nervous as sweat beads started to roll on his forehead. He was obviously someone like me that is not one that likes to have political discussions and conflict, but he was still out going door to door for someone he believes in. He said to me, "Well, I am glad to know you are going to vote anyway! Can I help you look up your polling place?"

I assured him that I knew where to go and he left. I totally disagreed with him and with who he was supporting, but I could not help but be impressed with the fact that though he was nervous, he stood up for his own beliefs. I respect him for doing so and I respect his right to do so.

I also have the right to stand up for what I believe in and I am exercising that right today as I vote! I hope you will all go vote as well, no matter who you are voting for, you should go exercise your right to vote! Go! Do it!

Ah...Autumn!

I love fall!!! LOVE IT!! The leaves are beautiful, the weather is nice, and there are plenty of photo ops! The other day I raked up the leaves in our front yard and took some pictures of our kids. They were cute pictures, but I will never do that again with an infant! She grabbed a leaf, which went right in her mouth, and she choked on it. It was massively scary and I was freaking out, so consider this a warning to you parents out there-be VERY careful when you are taking leaf pictures! (She is fine, it was just a scare for me!)

That aside, I wanted to share just a few of the yard/leaf pictures. I will warn you-they are beautiful!

Ender in the front yard before the raking began. Throwing the leaves

The big pile!

All 4 cuties in the pile

Girls (Ok-and Armour on the right side)

Boys

Playing in the pile

Beckee the gardener...

There was a hideous green bush like thing growing in our front yard (on the bottom tier of the first picture). I forgot to take a before picture of it, so you have to trust me-it was yuck. Wes bought tulips to go there instead that needed to be planted, well, now. They sat in our house for a couple weeks, and the other day I decided to do something about it. I ripped out the yucky thing and worked the soil and planted the flowers. It looks to much nicer without the bush... Here lies the remains of the bush (and some lovely leaves from our tree) in our trash...

Friends

Many of you are probably not aware that in Spokane, there was a huge group of kids Armour's age in our ward and in our playgroup. It was tough to leave his friends as he had so many right at his age and level. He is starting to make friends here. Here he (and Ender) are playing with one of their new friends.

Music Class Party

Music class had a party too...look for the vampire, my dad, and a little monkey...

Playgroup party

Halloween was a many part series this year. These pictures are from the first party-the resident playgroup party at daddy's work. We went all out for this one for Ender especially-makeup, black hairspray, fake teeth and all. Sadly, the teeth were too big and set off his gag reflex and he threw up in the parking lot of the hospital right as we got there. I had to clean him up, change him and try to clean the car up in the parking lot-it was awesome (read sarcasm). Nonetheless, it worked out and we made it to the party. Here are a few pictures:

At home with the dreadful teeth.
FYI-Armour dressed as his Papou (my dad). So he is wearing a red (in honor of the Utes) polo and dockers. We grew his hair out, parted it on the side, sprayed it gray, borrowed an old pair of my dad's glasses and voila! Instant Papou...(Isn't my dad adorable? I should note that Armour made me call him dad every time he was in costume last week...)

Enjoying some popcorn.

Watch out little pumpkin-that vampire might get ya!

Daddy stopped by for a few minutes!!!!!!! We love that guy!!!!!!!!!!

3

Burn

Armour loves to "help" me cook. I give him little safe jobs and keep him away from hot things and knives-or at least I try. About a week before Halloween, I was cooking some pasta for dinner. I was alone in the kitchen. I took the pasta pot off the burner and over to the sink to dump said pasta into strainer, and in that 20 seconds, Armour came in behind me and grabbed the burner. It was really sad. His hand is burned in a ring pattern. The pictures do not do it justice. It is healing, and he is doing well. Here are the pics:

The burn shortly after it happened.

"Mommy it huts!"

Pain! (Note the cute baby girl in the background too!)

After it was cooled down, looked at, wrapped and ready to go-he crashed on the new futon-cute little sweetie-poor guy!!
The next day he wanted to take the bandage off all day so I finally let him wear daddy's long sleeved shirt and tied his wrapped hand into it...At first he thought it was funny and interesting:
Then it made him mad...

Watch Out!

I am now going to catch up-watch out. There will be many posts and many pictures a comin'!