Back to School!!

Erika started first grade on Aug 31st. It was such an exciting day for her, but I'll admit it was a little bit sad for me, and for Kyle. I think we all adjusted to the initial change a lot better than I had anticipated. I had been preparing myself for this for weeks before the big day came. I was starting to feel a little sad that I'd be losing my little buddy ALL DAY LONG!! Having kindergarten last year was a good preparation time for me to get used to the idea. I cried when I dropped her off last year. And, Kyle was even worse than me. He cried and didn't want to leave her classroom. I pretty-much had to pry him off of her and take him out. He was very distraught about losing his playmate. I'm just glad that kindergarten wasn't a whole day thing. The half day helped both of us adjust to the change a little easier, so this year wasn't quite as hard.

The night before school, I told Kyle about Erika going to school all day and he got really sad. But he's done okay. I actually put Kyle in preschool two days a week because I knew it would be lonely for him to have Erika gone all day long and it will give him some time to get out. He will have two years of preschool but I think he can use it. We have been trying to work with him at home on "school" but I know I could've done way better this summer.

It has actually been really nice to just be home with Kyle and Heidi now. Kyle has become my new "little buddy" and helper. He has "blossomed" now that he is the big brother and I have noticed that he talks a lot more with me now, one on one (since Heidi doesn't talk yet.) I look forward to spending more time with him and strengthening our relationship. I also think Kyle will enjoy preschool and I'm excited for him to learn and to gain some confidence in his abilities.

I really do miss my little girl, though. Now that we are into the swing of things, it is starting to hit me that this is forever--- and it scares me a little. She will no longer be home with me all day, except for during the summer- for the next 12 years! Aaah! I am a little nervous about the increasing influence others will have on her (teachers, friends, etc) versus the influence she has had at home. It makes me feel a little helpless in a way. It also makes me want to be so much better during the times she is home- to be a positive influence and to teach her more intently. As my time with her diminishes, the quality of that time will need to increase. This is one reason I would actually consider home-school, simply because it can be so much more customized to my child and I can teach her what I think she needs. But, I will readily admit my limitations and I don't think I can give her what they can at school, either. And, she LOVES school, too. It is what she wants. And eventually, like it or not, I will have to let go and let her fly. All I can do is teach her and then she will be left on her own. (I can't even imagine how it will feel someday when she leaves home for good. I don't think I can even comprehend it yet.)

It haven't been able to be too sad about the big day simply because Erika was sooo excited!!! Every day for 2 weeks she was counting down the days. She drew pictures and wrote letters to her new teacher. She couldn't wait!! So, I was excited for her. She loves school and learning, socializing. And, I'm sure her new teacher will LOVE having Erika in her class. She tries so hard to be good and excels in whatever is put before her. I am so proud of my little girl. I hope this is a good experience for her!

Camping at Oneida Narrows

August 17-19th we went camping up in the Oneida narrows, about 15 min North of Preston, ID. It was such a beautiful camping spot, right next to the river!! There was a spot kind of off the river that was almost like a small wading pool where we swam with the kids and floated around. Oma and Opa came up for the first night and stayed with us. The second night was just our family and we left late in the afternoon on the third day. We made several trips down the river on our float tubes and that was a blast!! First, Aaron and I went with Erika and Kyle while Oma and Opa stayed back at camp with Heidi. Then, my parents went down with Erika and Kyle. The third day we decided to go down again with our whole family but there was no one else there to drop us off at the top so what we did was drive our truck up to the top and float down and then I rode my bike up to get the truck after we finished our run. The river is perfect for floating- pretty slow and smooth with a few little "rapids." We jumped in and swam in a few spots. I thought we were being pretty brave to take our whole family down on Aaron's little pontoon boat, but it turned out great and Heidi enjoyed sitting on my lap and splashing her feet in the water. I love camping! We had a great time playing games, roasting marshmallows, going for bike rides, and just hanging out. One funny thing is that a skunk came into our camp both nights and my dad almost shot him the first night but he got away while he was trying to load his gun. The skunk sprayed twice and we could smell it faintly in the morning. The second night, Aaron and I were just sitting by the fire and the skunk wandered over as close as 6 feet to us! He started digging through our garbage. We snuck around the camp to our tent trailer and didn't come out until morning. I was so worried about our s'more stuff which was still out on the table and was tempted to go out and save it! Fortunately, I learned that skunks can't climb up on tables or he would have gorged himself on marshmallows and chocolate! It was a great time. I know the kids had a blast.

Summer Fun

I have really enjoyed this summer with the kids. In June we signed up with the "Up to 3" Program. This is a child development program sponsored by the state to help children who are behind developmentally. I was getting concerned about Heidi. They came and evaluated her in many developmental areas to see where she would qualify for services. As a result of this, she qualifies for a speech therapist once a month and some classes every week for speech. These are all paid for by the state which is so amazing!! She didn't start walking until 25 months old- a few days before the Physical Therapist came to evaluate her. Fortunately she has taken off after that and is now walking proficiently. She isn't running or jumping yet as would be expected, but has made a lot of progress toward her age limits. I also take her to a gymnastics class once a week. The speech delay was more of a concern for her. She wasn't even making any sounds, even babbling. She stopped doing that at about 18 mo. We have been really working on teaching her signs to communicate so she doesn't whine all day. Now she can say 2 things: Uh-oh and Woof-woof. Anyway, with the Up to 3 program, they had some fun activities this summer and I took the kids to the fire station to get a tour and see how the fire engines work. They all really liked that. The kids have also had a blast this summer swimming out in the back yard in a little pool. We had a little water party with a bunch of neighborhood kids a few weeks ago and they had such a fun time! We are fortunate to have a lot of kids in the neighborhood to play with! I love my mom for getting out there with her swimsuit and goggles and swimming with them!! We had a great time when Aaron's parents came from Boise to spend the weekend of "Wheat and beet days" with us. I posted a picture of Aaron's mom lying on the grass with the kids before the fireworks. We love our family! They are the best!

Michel Reunion 2009

We had a great time at the Michel reunion this year. We brought our tent trailer and stayed outside the cabin because there were so many people there. The kids had a blast going for motorcycle rides, boat rides, and even being pulled behind the boat on a tube (this was their first time ever and they loved it! We went really slow.) They also went fishing with Opa and we swam in the lake. (There is about a 2 week window when the water there is warm enough to swim!) Erika had fun playing with my youngest cousin on that side- Gentry. It was a great time! We are so grateful to my dad (Opa) for all the work he put into the cabin over the last few years. We have already had so much fun up there. It is an amazing place with so many fun things to do! Thanks Opa.

Erika's birthday!

We celebrated Erika's 6th birthday on July 24th. I can't believe how big she is getting! She will be going to First grade this year. The morning of her birthday we had her favorite breakfast-crepes and then opened presents. Then, we finished packing and headed to my parents' cabin up at Strawberry Reservoir for the Michel family reunion with all my dad's side of the family. There were a lot of people there and it was so much fun!!

Young Women's Camp

I had the chance to go to Young Women's camp in July. It was my first time since I was actually a young woman over 12 years ago. Young Women's camp was one of the best experiences for me as a youth. I am the personal progress coordinator in my ward so I was in charge of getting some personal progress done with the girls. I interview them to keep track of their progress and have a monthly activity to help them pass it off. We had camp at Cinnamon Creek over by Paradise, UT near Logan. It was so much fun!! Being a YW leader has been really fulfilling for me. It is fun to share my testimony with them and to go and just have FUN! I made a "Return to Virtue" flag which they all signed. We carried it up on our hike and posted it at the top of the mountain. We hiked to "Rosy's Mine" and walked through it, which was a cool experience. There was a shortage of flashlights and so we had to help eachother see. It made me think about the gospel and how we are there to help eachother through the dark times. I put together a really fun treasure hunt about virtue and I felt like this really sunk in with the girls. They were so hot and at the end they got a cold treat :) I celebrated my birthday the last morning of camp (I hit the big 30 and was feeling kind-of OLD). When I came home from camp, in a way I also felt kind-of young again. I was not afraid to laugh and have fun with the girls and that's what made it so fun.

Puppy love

lucky





Here are a few more photos of us having fun with the puppy. They liked to push him around in the stroller when he was brand new and he would just sit in there. He is VERY patient with them! Erika decorated him with some pretty flowers. Kyle wrapped him up in his very most favorite blankie and had him on the trampoline. I even caught Aaron taking a nap with him at the cabin!!