Whoa! Slow down!

We're only three weeks into summer and I feel like a chicken with my head cut off! I mean, summer has completely knocked me off my feet. I am really trying to contain the anxiety and panic attacks, but I have at least one a day. All my schedules and routines are completely messed up! The girls stay up until at least 9 and sometimes 10 at night. So this means they don't get up until 9 am. That's not completely a bad thing- it means I get to sleep in too or get up early and get some things accomplished before they wake up. But by the time they get up most of their friends are already awake and coming by to play. Most days they don't get their hair done. There's not really much point in doing it anyway since they end up in the pool or sprinklers once a day anyway. We do manage to at least get teeth brushed. I try to get them to do their summer worksheets while they are eating breakfast so they don't get forgotten. Then Sekoya has to practice piano- with lessons on Wednesdays. Sekoya had softball Tuesday and Thursday nights until just last week. I have softball on Tuesday nights. Gymnastics is on Friday. We opted out of cheer this year. Sekoya wasn't really excited about it and I couldn't get myself geared up for all the time and energy it requires either. We decided to take this year off and think about it next year. Besides, I really don't want to groom her to become a cheerleader. Now, when do I fit any exercise in here? Or how do I do it without anybody to watch my kiddos? I just don't know how to live this crazy, busy life! I took a few ideas from blogs and a magazine article and made a Welcome to Summer poster. We jotted down all the things we want to do before the summer is over and stapled them around the poster. Some are things we have to do when Jason is home-have a block party, play night games, host a neighborhood car wash, etc. Others he would rather not do and we can have just as much fun without him- make sea shell critters, make popsicles, have a treasure hunt, etc. So far we have done the treasure hunt and made cupcakes. Hopefully I can get into some sort of 'summer schedule' and we won't forget to have fun!

Softball 2010

Sekoya played softball again this year. I was a little irritated with the city because they combined coach pitch (Sekoya's league) with t-ball. So you have girls who have played a couple years and now ready to really learn the fundamentals of the game with first time players who run to the ball wherever it is hit. Oh well, what can ya do? She even had the same coach as last year. Sekoya did well and had fun. She hit the ball a lot better this year. She still fiddle farts around when she is in the field. She asked to play catcher a lot of the time. Not sure why. Maybe because she got to touch the ball every time.

Sun, Sand, and Theater

For Sekoya's birthday we got tickets to see Tarzan at Tuachan theater in St. George. It was actually right on her birthday- the 7th. We ended up making a whole mini-vacation out of it. The first day we were there we took the girls to the splash park on main street. This place is great when you don't want to get in the pool with the kids. They ran from one end of the river to the other and back and forth from the big fountains and had a blast. The next day we swam for a little while at Coral Hills. Sekoya figured out how to do a backflip out of Jason's hands. Katera took a swim without her floaties. She just jumped in the deep pool and forgot that she didn't have them on. She was doggy paddling and not sinking. She did great. She didn't get upset about it or choke on any water. After swimming we rested at Grandma Carol's for a while. The girls really enjoy staying at Grandma's house. They like to hunt for "treasures" in her yard, comb her hair, build with the blocks, and play with her porcelain doll. I think she enjoys having us stay too even if she doesn't quite understand the fighting, not eating their meals, and kids in general. It has been a little while since she has had little ones! Then we went to Pirate Pizza with my family for dinner. This was a new place for us. Katera was completely in awe with the real-looking pirate decor. She even sang, "yo,ho, yo, ho a pirates life for me." The kids had so much fun sitting at the end of the table and being silly. They also had fun in the arcade playing games and redeeming their tickets. Then it was off to Tuachan. The girls insisted on getting a picture in the Tarzan cut-out board. They absolutely loved the play. Apes soared above the audience, Tarzan jumped from trees, and there was a flood right on stage! At intermission Katera looked at Jason with wide eyes and said-" That. Was. Awe-some!" I didn't know if they would be able to stay awake to the end, but it was entertaining enough that they both made it. I am so glad we are able to take the girls to things like that. I just wished we still lived there and could go more often. The next day Jason had to leave us and go to work. We spent most of the day in the pool at Heather's hotel. We started swimming at 10:30 am, took a short break for lunch, and went back out until 3:30 pm! I got the girls settled in bed early that night so we could get up and get out to Sand Hollow in the morning. We spent half a day there then changed into clothes and drove home. All the kids had so much fun together. Katera really loved the water and Sekoya loved the sand. She kept covering herself in sand and declaring herself a Sand Monster. I hope we get to play in the water many more times this summer!!

After her swim without floaties. "Dad, I forgot I needed floaties!"

Sekoya turns 7

Sekoya's birthday party was thrown together last minute. Grandma Carol was in town the week before her birthday and Maridon was having a pizza party so she could see all the grandkids at one time. I chose to throw Sekoya's party into the mix while everyone was together. It seems like it is hard to find a good time when all the family can get together with all our crazy, busy lives. In fact, it was so last minute that Jason and I didn't even have time to go get her our gift before the party. She got rollerblades from Grandma Sindy and Grandpa Mike and Twinkletoes from Grandma Maridon and Grandpa Kirk. The next day we got her a basketball hoop. These were all things she had asked for. Jason didn't believe me when I told her she wanted a basketball hoop. How can he question the Mom? Mom's know all!! Her cake didn't turn out as I had hoped. You would think I would learn my lesson with these complicated cakes. Her cake wasn't really all that complicated, I just couldn't find the right ingredients. I needed silver dragees to make the microphones, but couldn't find any in the whole state of Utah! Well, I lied .... I found some, but it would cost me $25 for a 4 oz bottle. No thanks! So I made do. It was supposed to be a tiered cake with cupcakes all around with little microphones on the cupcakes. Oh well, she's only seven. She didn't really notice. She just loved the picture of the Jonas Brothers! Happy Birthday Sekoya!!

First Cavity!

Sekoya had her dentist check up and had a "little cavity". That's what they said! When we went in to get it filled they ended up doing a pulpotomy- which is a partial root canal on a child. Oh.My.Gosh!! How did I let this cavity get so bad? When they showed it to me in her tooth it was a big, gaping hole! I asked her if her teeth had been hurting and she said yes. I told her from now on if her teeth hurt she needs to tell me so we can fix it before it gets too big. I watched as they drilled her tooth and it bled like crazy. My teeth hurt just watching it! She was so brave the entire time. I kept trying to hold her hand and she would shrug me away. She did NOT like how her mouth felt afterward and wouldn't smile for a picture to show me her lopsided face. Katera went to the dentist that week too. It was her first cleaning and she was so excited. When I told her it was her turn to go she jumped up and down and squealed. You would have thought I told her it was Christmas or something. She was also a very good girl and did not have any cavities.

Memorial Weekend

We didn't make any plans for Memorial Day weekend because it is always so cold. We just decided to play it by ear and do whatever the weather would allow. Heather called and said they were coming to town- AGAIN. Yay! We love when the cousins come to visit. Last minute we decided we should go up to Fishlake. This was the first weekend the cabin was going to get used and I got the OK from Kirk and Maridon to bring my whole family up. We took our trailer and that is where Heather, Bob, Mom, and Mike slept. Cortney and their whole clan- including Whitney, Spencer, and kids came up for the day on Saturday. We cooked a big dutch oven dinner and roasted marshmellows. The kids had fun playing in the dirt and at the tree fort. Grandma Carol and Aunt Beverly came up Sunday morning to see the finished cabin. The kids cornered Beverly the minute she walked in the door and she had the spellbound with her stories. She is amazing! Fun, fun weekend. Lots more to come!

Last day of school

This kid has gone from 6 to 16 in one year! I can't believe the attitude and sass! But I love her more and more every day. She is getting to be more of my friend than just a daughter. She really enjoyed her year in 1st grade. We (well, I mostly) was a little nervous about her teacher.. Mrs. Kathryn Robinson. I had heard rumors that she was really strict and mean. With Sekoya's spunkiness I was worried that they were going to butt heads all year long. I didn't let Sekoya in on this little detail because I didn't want to influence her negatively. At the first of the year Sekoya did get in trouble a few times and had to stand by the wall at recess. I think she quickly learned that Mrs. Robinson wasn't going to let her get away with much. I volunteered in her class every Thursday morning and was able to watch how Mrs. Robinson handled the kids. I was very pleased!! In fact I thought she did a great job! Sekoya did great in her class and she recognized how far ahead Sekoya was in her academics. Sekoya was always way above the other students in their testing they did every few months. I am so proud of her. Mrs. Robinson said she is reading on a 2nd to 3rd grade level. The night before they announced their teachers for the next year Sekoya said she wanted to have Mrs. Bergin. I told her she couldn't have her because she (Sekoya) would eat her for lunch. Well, she got her wish. Mrs. Bergin is her 2nd grade teacher. I will keep and open mind and maybe we will be pleasantly surprised this year too.