Sunbeams, here we come!

For anyone wondering what to do for the nursery kids as they approach the age of three and prepare to join the older kids as sunbeams in the primary, it is not waiting until two weeks before the end of the year to talk to them about it! It is probably much better to talk to them about it in October, and then have them join just for the singing part, and then come for the entire time.

There are two weeks until our kids join the big kids in real classes at church. Their class will be called "Sunbeams" I have heard the nursery leaders mention before that the kids in there just have a really short attention span and the lessons need to be kept short. I have seen several children that fit that description, but I believe we should be teaching them what will be expected of them, not catering to their current level. By this, I mean trying to get them to sit in the chair a little longer each week instead of saying, "Oh, they can only handle it for about 5 minutes so if we have a lesson that is four minutes long it will be good enough." I am not saying this is what the teachers in their nursery class have been doing, I really do not know. I am also guilty of not teaching them better at home myself. This is a mistake!

They were introduced to primary today. I have been asking for a month or two now when this will occur. I learned it was today when I heard Evan's screaming protest from the other side of the building. He did NOT want to be there! The other kids were okay for a few minutes, but it was a very few. When I heard Evan, I went in to help and sit with him. Didn't help much. Steve came too. I left to teach the R.S. class. I heard Evan more. I eventually left and brought him to class with me. I have not had a kid in class with me since they were about 19 months old! My friend eventually took him out and stayed in the hallway with him until it was time to go home. Someone in the primary asked what was wrong with my kids. They were all a bit rowdy today.

Earlier in sacrament meeting, I leaned over to Steve and said, "I think we have a few ADD kids today." As they were all climbing over each other and bouncing off the chairs (Lily and Marek), singing ABC's repeatedly (Dallas), blowing raspberries in the air (Brenden and Lily), trying to escape and run out of the chapel (Evan and Marek)... The good part here is that we have learned not to take anything hard that could hurt a neighbor when thrown. Steve said to me, "Ya think?!?!" Evan did manage to escape, made a new friend who flagged him down. I ended up taking Dallas out, with Lily. This does not happen often since it causes more work than it is usually worth.

While we were out having our "time out", Dallas managed to trip me. I twisted my ankle, landed on his head, which pushed him into the wall. And since I was holding Lily, I banged her head against mine. Dallas laughed of course. We were really on one today! Maybe it was all the parties over the weekend full of sugar. Maybe it was lack of sleep. Maybe it was the stress of their mother rubbing off on them. (Finals this week!) Maybe it was just our turn to be crazy. All I can say is I hope those teachers are ready for the new sunbeams class!!!

After church, we went to choir practice. While we were there, the kids gave Grandma a run for her money! They have new toys from Santa that cause many problems, more on that another day. They got paint out and painted a few things, washable, some bubbles took over the kitchen thanks to Stephen. Marek broke a baby Jesus Dallas was painting. Stephen decided to disassemble my bulletin board and make one of his own…. Luckily, the exploding diaper happened when I was home this morning!

And Sunday is supposed to be the day of rest. We had a great choir practice followed by a sing a long. I thought this was just when everyone went and sang along, but it is when each ward choir in the stake performs a piece and the rest of the people there sing a verse in between while the choirs trade places. It was nice – we were the best, in my opinion. Other people had their kids there. I was glad ours were not today! A boy in Stephen's class gave us some chocolate fudge as a gift. His mom said he was excited about it. It was nice. Thanks for tending for us Grandma! Now that I have that out of my system, I will attempt to study for a final or two.

Where is everyone?

Hi again. Here we are watching the snow falling, possibly turning into a nice "blizzard". It was difficult to get everyone back in the house today after taking the older boys to school. The snow is too much fun!!! Even though yesterday we stayed home from church with illness,we are rearing to go today! My neighbor drove by this morning while we were out and asked if we were okay. She looked in the nursery yesterday and asked the nursery leaders, "Where is everybody?" It seemed kind of empty there. The Taggart's were missing. Yup, we fill a room.

Here is a funny for the day: Friday we went to the Festival of Trees, fund raiser for the children's hospital. We stopped by the little office where they can tell you how much the tree you built sold for. (We were pleased with ours. There were still quite a few that hadn't sold yet and they were not selling for as much as they have in the past because of the economy.) And the lady there said, "Five boys and one girl? Did I count that right? Five boys and one girl?" I said yes. Then she asked, "So how long did it take you to get your girl?" I thought this was pretty funny. I thought it looked a little obvious. I said, "she's third, but there was only three pregnancies." She looked for a second then said,"oh, did you have two sets of twins or something?" When we explained they were quads the shock factor set in. It was so funny! I haven't had that question before. There's a first time for everything!

Sweet memories

I have been reminded of something I wanted to post when it happened but I didn't get around to it yet.

A while ago when we were all sick we lined the kids up around the tub instead of the toilet to aim their vomit. I know it sounds gross, but it was so much easier and now it's sort of funny. Then a few weeks ago Marek said he didn't feel well. I said, "Oh, okay." Steve asked him if he felt like he was going to barf. Marek gave no response so I thought nothing of it. Some minutes pass and I don't see him anymore, so I start looking for him. I find him up in the bathroom just standing there. I wonder, is he trying to go potty without me? Is he trying to take a bath? What's he doing? I get there and ask him, "Marek, what are you doing?" He leans closer to the tub then looks up at me with these terribly sad puppy eyes, like he has a huge concern. He pouts his lower lip out and says with a little whimper, "My barf's broken."

Apparently Lily didn't remember that you are supposed to go to the tub for those kinds of things, or that I have finals soon. She emerges from her room tonight saying, "Oh no! A mess! A mess!" and she is covered from head to toe in her "dinner". We have gone through all her clean jammies. She chose to wear her Sunday tights with flowers on them and a t- shirt, but now we are moving into regular day clothes. I am grateful that we have a brand new 4 pound box of baking soda that "eliminates odors on contact" and I am very glad we had rice for dinner instead of the spaghetti I was considering! I to wonder though, why didn't I get that plastic cover for her mattress yet, and why did it take me three times to decide that she was sick enough to have her hair up in a pony tail for bed time???

happy everything

Well, Thanksgiving came and went and Christmas is on the way!!! Happy everything to everyone! We had Thanksgiving dinner here at our house. The boys were excited that grandparents were coming. When I told them MY grandparents would be coming Stephen gave a delighted squeal. Dallas was concerned. He was worried because they are old. He said, "but Grandma Bell can't leave her house! She's too old. We're supposed to visit her! How will she get here? She can't drive!" Funny, cute. When my mom was telling me they were coming there was a similar conversation between Grandma Bell and my mom. "How will we get there?" "I guess you could walk." "Oh, we're pretty slow." "well, you better get started now!" My mom went and got them and drove them here.

The next couple weeks will be spent trying to prepare for my finals! Therefore, I may or may not get a chance to update for a while. Here is some good new though: My sister Lacey passed her state licensing exam for massage therapy! HOORAY!!!

More later, make it a great day!

what do you get?

What do you get when you take one husband out of town on business, one curious 3 year old girl, five young boys with need of haircuts and a small budget? *insert picture here, but we have to pretend because I didn't actually get a picture. But it was great! The house is total disaster. Lily found the other scissors while I was trimming the boys hair. Luckily she missed her own hair - a miracle. But she got her shirt. She was quite proud of herself! There was a nice pattern. You'd think I would notice since she was standing right next to me, and the scissors never actually left "my sight" but it didn't register to my brain that she was decorating her shirt. ha ha ha!!! How many holes in the shirt? about ten. No skin, no hair, just the shirt. What a sight! Wish I got a pic!!!

What a man/pure hearts of children

We are almost late to church today. We set the timer and actually started to leave soon after it went off. Steve opens the door and the kids start running. I am still getting my shoes on and we have one straggler that is still trying to nibble a lunch. I convince him to go out the door but then he realized he forgot his tithing! (the bible says 10% for tithes) I am impressed that he wants to pay so we go back but the door is locked, so we open the garage. He then announces he doesn't remember where he left it. Meanwhile, the rest of the crew is rounding the corner at the end of the street. Good thing we don't live far from the building!

I found some change in the truck and we are off on our way. As we near the church, I can see over a fence. What I see is one cute five year old and four absolutely darling three year olds in matching striped sweaters with a handsome, brave man opening the church door for them. What a turn on! I am the luckiest person on this planet to have such a man! We were on time too!

Sacrament meeting was great. The speakers talked about not having excessive holidays and living within our means/budgets. Something we all need to remember this year! They also spoke about having faith that the Lord will take care of our needs when we are choosing the right. I actually kind of got to listen this time. No kids being crazy, even Dallas was good!

Dallas paid his one penny to tithing and Stephen ended up with 13 cents. He owed 7 for tithing but had a hard time deciding what to do with the rest. The result: 7 cents to tithing one to a fast offering, one for building temples, one for the perpetual education fund (a load type set up for third world countries to pay back after they go to school. They get a loan. We give the $. They pay back the fund, not us.) one penny went to missionaries, and one towards …. I don't remember all of them but you get the idea. He was so sweet and cute. I am sure the bishop will get a good chuckle out of our kids pure hearts. 

Have a wonderful day!

What did I wish???

Did I really need another lesson in "Be careful what you ask for?"

Here is the quick run down: Dallas sick on Thursday. No one else seemed effected. Dallas fine by Thursday night. Must have been something he ate... Friday trick or treating - yay! Oops. A sick one - Brenden, home with Grandma and vomiting. Okay. Take us home, but Sister - wonderful sister Shelly says, "don't punish the other kids because he's sick. I've already been barfed on. It's ok." So we stay, and he empties his contents a few more times. He is recovered by Saturday afternoon. Stephen gets ill Saturday night. I get it Sunday morning. By this time, I start to wonder and ask OUT LOUD, why can't we just all get sick and get it over with? Duh! Don't ask for that until I am not sick anymore - note to self.

Within hours everyone else is sick. We get about 3 hours of interrupted sleep. Steve misses work Monday, yadda yadda yadda. hits us hard, quickly, but also leaves quickly. What did we learn? don't ask for things!!! Plastic bed covers are a good thing - get more bed sheets - more baking soda.

Blessings of note - glad we have a shop vac! Best husband there could ever be is mine - yup- sorry he's taken - mine! And I have a great family that let's us be sick. Shelly also got it. Thanks! Now we are trying to figure out how to catch up on laundry/housework and the week is almost gone!

Oh, we went to Kiddie Kandids Tuesday for the free picture they get for their birthday. Great to do if you don't know about it yet. Anyone/everyone, not just us cause of our quads, gets a free 8x10 for their birthday. My mom helped with it on Tuesday. They are so cute! I wish I new how do post pics quickly. Sorry. Maybe over the holiday weekend I will have time to...

Um, yes. I am planning that far in advance for this event. Have a great day!!! Happy November!