Three free BYU football t-shirts? Yes, please.

Three free BYU football t-shirts? Yes, please.

You can enter to win these.

We of course love the Mad Max one.

The Moment

I love this photo.  I don't really know the other little girl, she's a sister of soccer player.  But there was something good going on here.  Most likely some pretending.  But it catches this age perfectly.  At least what most of this age is about.  The other part would be a picture with some tears or arms flailing.

September Recapped

The Kite Festival, deserving of a post of its own.

First dance class for Hadley

Lots of this.A new hair cut.

Another tooth loss.

A Cotton Candy Machine...Dreamt up by Reed and his Mom.

Family Olympics.  Staggered racing around the house, gymnastics routines on the trampoline.  Several Countries represented.

Reed made some Knedliky (strawberry dumplings).  YUMMY!

The Garden is full productions.  Lots of BIG pumpkins (post on that later).  Strawberries galore delicious for picking and eating right away.  ZUCCHINI! I only had one plant last year and it wasn't enough.  Two this year.  I would rather throw some away then wish I had more.  We did do a Zucchini porch drop this year.  That was fun.  Cucumbers a plenty.  Tomatoes. Watermelons and Cantaloupe didn't make it due to the fierce pumpkin plant (post on that later.) And peppers galore.  Good for eating right off the vine.  Just ask my cute little neighbors who came to my front door with sad faces and half eaten peppers, apologizing for picking my peppers.  I wanted to tell them "you pick all you want" but went with the more traditional "if you come and ask you can have all you want."Lots of kisses on nice mushy baby cheeks. IRRESISTIBLE.

Lots of tired kids.

She shoulda won the gold

We watched a lot of Olympics.

Swimming, Volleyball, Gymnastics, Diving, Track and Field.

And when they were over there was more.

Artistic Gymnastics.

I watched.

Is that really a sport?

But my little 6 year old was fascinated.

She watched a lot of it.

And then she put on her own Olympics.

She competed in the Artistic Gymnastics.

She was amazing.

We talked about it after (while she was still in character.)

Me: You were amazing.  You should have gotten the gold.

Emily: Yah.  I know.  It's too bad the other girls mom was one of the judges.  She wasn't even good at all but when your mom's the judge you always win.

Me:  Yah that's too bad. (Quickly exit room so I can let out my laugh in private.)

I was never very good at being in character...I'm working on it.

Mush Brain

So I don't know about you...but I have mush brain.

A self diagnoses that basically means that anything that requires decision making or remembering is extremely strenuous. 

I usually get it when pregnant and it continues through nursing.

While in the past I have been able to persevere and somehow get my way through it...this last year has required some coping skills.

One of them is the weekly calendar on the wall.  It is simply a chalkboard and it has everyone's schedules on it.  I do it in hopes of someone else noticing what they have going on and reminding me in case I forget, and so that if I see it enough I won't forget.

The other big one has been meal planning.

Only I have mush brain to the extent of having to strain big time to do this.

Reed came home recently and told me about a site that he had heard about on a financial talk show he listens to on occasion.

It's a site that tells you what's for dinner and how to make it and also gives you the shopping list.

You have to sign up for a 3 month minimum and they charge $5 a month...so I figured for $15 it was worth a try.

It's called emealz.

You can choose one of several different plans including ones from different grocery stores, vegetarian, and the points system.

I chose one of the basics from a local grocery store (the choice required some thinking and so was a little hard.)

We have been doing it for a month now.

I love it.

My goal: to write up my own 3 months of meals and instructions and grocery lists.

Some of the meals have been real winners and put on the "keeper" list.

Others...well we tried them.

We haven't had more then 1 meal a week that we didn't like.

It runs just less then $80 for a weeks worth of dinners for 6.

I decided to do something similar for Breakfasts and Lunches.

That way I can wake up and not have to think.  I drowsily walk into the kitchen look at my list and make breakfast and lunch.  I have a master list for what I need to make the breakfasts and lunches and add it onto whatever is on the dinner list.

So mush brain isn't causing too many problems.  Just don't ask me to make any decisions..."go ask your dad."

Playing Church....again

They are doing it....right this minute.

Hadley and Emily are playing church.

It must be fast and testimony meeting because they are both crying.

Hadley in her crying voice "I was in the shower and a police man came and locked up my house.  In the name of Jesus Christ. Amen."

Should I interfere?

I can't stop laughing.

A trip back in time

We had a ward Hoe Down recently.

Jadey did a dance with the activity day girls.

She stood a head taller then most of them.

The dance started out in the shade of the evening.

The music instrumental.

The girls started dancing and I was taken back in time...

She started dancing at the age of 3 with BYU creative dance.

This dance was so similar to what she had done then.

Tears filled my eyes.

So silly.

But the ambiance, the music and my little girl...

It was a trip back in time.

It was truly joy in the moment.

Captured.

Little girlhood.

She quit dancing 2 years ago when soccer took precedence.

But she still had the grace.

And the moment was perfect for this mom.

Looking back to check on baby boy I noticed the tears in my moms eyes too.

It was her last official little girl performance.

Next month she turns 12.