Belen Starts 1st Grade!

Belen LOVES 1st grade! She loves the added responsibility and freedom that comes with being a little older.

She's a little frustrated that its taking time to remember her math so I'm feeling bad that we didn't do any math work over the summer. Luckily it's coming back quickly!

I'm loving her eagerness to learn and work. I'm also loving how the return to structure and schedule has improved our family dynamic. It certainly is a lot easier to keep up with household chores when there are only 2 kids at home during the day.

Belen is 6!

She's getting so big.

My oldest daughter.

 My baby girl is 6 years old today.

6 years ago I went into the hospital in the morning for a planned induction. My parents had time to drive to Idaho to be there in the delivery room as their first grand baby was born. At 3:15 pm, after 6 hours of labor I was bawling my eyes out and holding my firstborn in my arms for the first time.

Today, she always says what she's thinking, she's passionate and very artistic. I'm amazed by her drawing abilities and she often will happily sit for hours creating pictures for her friends and family.

Belen is very imaginative, playful and spunky. 

Belen is very social. She always has Been. She hates being alone and will tell her life's story to the checker at the grocery store oblivious to the waiting line of shoppers behind us. You wouldn't know it, but sometimes Belen can be shy. Despite that shyness she can quickly and easily make new friends on the playground at the park or the play area at the mall.

Belen gets to have her first big birthday party. 

This year she has chosen Chuck E Cheese for the venue. 

Mommy, Daddy, Camden and Baby Leah love you SO very much, Belen. Happy Birthday!

Belen gets Glasses!

Being a member of this family, it was inevitable. 

Belen got her first pair of glasses just after school started. 

She loves that they are pink. We think they are adorable.

Belen starts Kindergarden!

My baby is off to school.

I know she'll love it.

I'll miss her.

An afternoon at the Lake

We moved, earlier this year, to yet another place that has VERY hot summers.

Luckily this nice area also has several lakes nearby.

Since today was day number two of 100 degree weather we decided it was high time to check out one of the local swim areas we've heard so much about.

An invitation from a friend was all the encouragement we needed for a little family adventure.

Our morning was a bit of a bust.

Leaving later than we had planned I was fairly sure I'd remembered all the important stuff.

Lunch.

Water.

Towels.

Sunscreen.

Kids in car.

Camden insists on putting on his own seat belt.

He's pretty good at it.

But it still takes awhile.

And we were off!

Only a few wrong turns..

the kids fell asleep.

Quick stop at the Visitor's Center for a Park Pass.

We've got to be legal ya'll!

And we finally arrived.

Nice beach, fine rocky shoreline.

Mountains jutting upward all around us.

Trees shading lots of the beach.

Making the 100 degree weather not quite so bad.

Belen quickly made herself at home.

Challenging herself to keep up with her friends.

Swimming from the beach to a floating dock perhaps 50 yards offshore.

Yes, there are lifeguards!

She swam back and forth about four times during our visit.

Do you see Belen WAY out there on the dock? Sitting. Blue floatie.

Camden took awhile to 'warm up'.

Choosing instead to sit with me in the shade.

"Me no swim in lake."

Just for a bit.

Then he wanted more than anything to catch up to Belen,

on the floating dock.

I tried the water.

It was cold.

I don't do cold water.

I told Camden I wouldn't swim with him to the floating dock.

Perhaps next time we go we'll bring daddy to take him.

Girls Night

Earlier this month Zak had the opportunity to take Camden on his very first Father/Son Campout! 

Camden was very excited.

Belen was completely devastated to not have been included.

She HAD to stay at home with MOM!

She stomped her feet and pouted for a bit once the boys left.

A quick trip through the grocery store,

with the opportunity to pick out whatever almost whatever she wanted.

We made homemade pizza.

Crust (my specialty).

Toppings of our choice:

Mom had pineapple.

Belen had mini pepperoni.

S'MORES toasted in the oven for dessert.

Belen didn't like them, too messy.

Old Fashioned donuts for breakfast the next morning, my favorite.

(Hey, it WAS my birthday)

Loves Within; teaching

School-at-Home

School Daze

On the way home from school.

Belen has completed her first week of school.

Aside from being VERY tired, all seemed well.

She spoke excitedly each day about the things she is learning.

The fire truck came.

So did Sparky the fire dog.

"Mommy, we ate cheetos for snack today!"

Aye yie yie.

"Mommy, we had cheetos for snack AGAIN!"

Seriously?

Not being a "morning" family.

We've adjusted quickly.

By Thursday night the kids were in bed by 7

Belen asleep the moment her head hit her pillow.

She slept until I woke her up at 6:30 to get ready for school the next morning.

She was chipper and happy.

Ready to start the day.

Fast forward. It's 2 o'clock.

I'm picking Belen up from school.

Her teacher mentions to me several occasions where Belen had hit or kicked another student.

That's not like her. 

Not at all.

In the car I ask about her day.

"Mommy, the kids aren't nice to me."

"...they call me names"

"....they make me sad"

"Mommy, can we just do school at home, instead?"

"I will talk to your teacher" I tell her.

"Can we give it just one more week?"

I hate what I'm saying, but I want to see how her teacher will handle the information I provide her.

This morning, I relay Belen's experience to her teacher.

"Welcome to the real world" her teacher replies.

"Do you really believe a four-year-old should have to experience 'the real world'?" I ask.

"That's just the way it is" she says.

I don't like what I'm hearing.

I don't like this school.

I don't like Belen's teacher.

Why haven't I withdrawn Belen from this school?

I want to hear how Monday has been.

I still hope, perhaps in error, that today will be better.

Kindergarden Prep at Home

We've moved a lot. 

It's been necessary in today's economy, for us, to be willing to move to where the jobs are. 

We spent almost a year in the last city. 

Put Belen in preschool. 

She LOVED it. 

But, then we had to move. 

We now live in an area where preschool is included in the public school system. 

We also live in an area that isn't well known for it's academics. 

So, I guess it doesn't matter so much that the preschool program is full and I couldn't get Belen in anyway. 

I still tried. 

Because I know she'd love it.

So, until the next move, we've been doing our Kindergarden prep at home. Luckily there are many talented people who have shared their lesson plans for the un-talented ones (like me) to use.

It still takes me far too long to prepare a lesson for the next day.

I cross my fingers and hope she won't be bored.  

I hope she won't compare me to her old teachers.

I hope she won't miss her friends.

But she usually is, and does, and does again.

I still try.

Somehow she learned how to add.

As difficult as it is for me to be her teacher, I never would have known just how smart she is without this experience.

Congratulations!

Belen graduated from Preschool! She aspires to be a Princess when she grows up. The next step in her journey will include taking some time off to visit family before she continues her educational pursuits in Pre-K!

Snow Day!

Some late February snow was great fun for the kids!

Belen's 4th Birthday!

Happy 

Birthday

Belen!

So Fast...

How did this baby girl...

...become this big girl?

Belen's First Fishing Trip!

March 19th

Feeding Camden

Belen LOVES to help feed Camden. She's so sweet and fun, she does "airplane" with the spoon flying it all around Camden's head before finally coming in for a landing in his wide open, eager little mouth.

Belen's First Visit with the Dentist!

When Belen was about  a year old I had the foresight to ask my dentist at what age I should start taking her in to have her teeth cleaned and examined. They told me that 3 years old. So I waited until she turned 3 to take her in. Low and behold I had been misinformed...a pediatric dentist would have seen her much earlier and our insurance would have paid for her to see the dentist every 6 months as soon as she had 4 teeth...argh! Uh well...luckily Belen's teeth are healthy and she has no cavities! YAY! It was so good to get some advice from the pediatric dentist regarding some of the struggles we've had getting Belen's teeth brushed...let's just say it's not always her favorite thing in the world...

The dentist also recommended we give Belen some special zylitol gum to chew to help kill the bacteria that causes cavities and she also told us that we need to help Belen work on not sucking her thumb over this next year so there wont be any further misalignment of her teeth. She currently has a 90% overbite. Not good. Hopefully the process won't be too traumatic for her. I forgot my camera so I didn't get any pictures of Belen in the dentists office but I was able to get a nice shot of her super clean princess smile when we got home!

Happy Birthday, Belen!

Belen turned 3 on January 25th! We had a small party for her the following Saturday afternoon. She was able to invite 2 friends and their parents. Unfortunately one of her friends was sick and unable to make it and while she was missed, Belen and her other friend had a great time. They played Elefun, and with the balloons...and they also did what all little girls do when they get together...run screaming all around the room!

We ate some yummy tortilla soup that had been stewing in the crock-pot all day. We've made the same soup every year for Belen's birthday just because it's so YUM and perfect for warming you up on a late January afternoon.
I made cupcakes for Belen's birthday instead of a cake this year. It was perfect and I believe some variation of the traditional cupcake may make it's appearance for most of Belen's birthday's in the future because they are so much easier for kids to eat. Plus, these cupcakes are AMAZING! They are made from a cookbook called "Vegan Cupcakes Take Over the World" by Isa Chandra Moskowitz. They are much lighter and fluffier than 'normal' cupcakes and have a melt-in-your-mouth quality that is phenomenal.
This is the first year that Belen was able to blow out all of her candles all by herself! After her party, we had the opportunity to take Belen ice skating for the first time! Unfortunately I didn't grab the camera on the way out so we have no pictures. But, I will tell you that the first time around the rink was quite traumatic for her. She made if off the ice, came and sat down by mommy and Camden for all of 2 minutes, then went right back out on the ice and didn't come in until it was time to go home! She did a fantastic job with significant improvement in the few hours that we were there.

Happy Birthday, Belen!

Love,
Mommy, Daddy and Camden

Merry Christmas!

Camden Rhys was born in August. He was 5 lbs 10 oz, 18 inches long. Although he was born one month early, he has grown considerably and he has cute rolls in his legs now. He is a very happy and social baby. He loves to talk, kick, and play.

Belén Olivia turns three in January. She loves to sing and dance and is such a girl. She loves everything pink, eating chocolate, and dressing up pretty. She is very active and social and loves the nursery at church where she can play with her best friends. More recently she has learned to use the potty! Mommy loves that.

Allysia is an aspiring foodie and loves to try new recipes that use lots of fresh, locally grown produce. Allysia and Belén spent most of the summer preparing the new family home for Camden’s arrival. They both had a great time exploring their new town, getting everything ready for baby brother, and spending some special time together. Allysia loves being a mommy for Belén and new baby, Camden. She also loves living closer to her family and best friend who live in Washington.

Zak graduated with his Bachelor’s Degree in Accounting in the spring and started working on a Masters of Accountancy in the summer. He interned at the IRS in the summer also. He went hunting for the first time and harvested a 9-point whitetail buck. He accepted an offer to work for Moss Adams in Washington after he graduates (again) in May 2010

Amidst the Craziness

They are idols of hearts and of household!
They are angels of God in disguise;
The sunlight still sleeps in their tresses,
His glory still gleams in their eyes;
These truants from home and from Heaven,
They have made me more gentle and mild;
And I know now how Jesus could liken
The kingdom of God to a child.

-Charles M. Dickinson

From The Children, in Jack M. Lyon and others, editors, Best-Loved Poems of the LDS People (1996), 21.

Big Sister

Sometimes,
being a Big Sister is a
lonely job.