Starting Over

I am so far behind it is futile to attempt a "catch up" post. Therefore I will start from now.... almost. It is really late and I'm tired. But to get back in the swing of things here is a picture from our vacation last week with my family in California. There will definitely be more to follow. :)

The Tooth Necklace

Once upon a time there was a little girl named Rachel. In 1st grade she learned that if you lost your tooth at school you got to go to the nurse and get a tooth necklace. One day Rachel had a VERY loose tooth - at school! Although loose teeth were one of her least favorite things, she toughened up, went into the green tiled bathroom with florescent lights, looked in the mirror to pump herself up, and pulled out that tooth. She excitedly went to tell her teacher she had just lost a tooth and needed to go to the nurse.

"Ms Williams I..."

"Not right now."

"... But I just lost my tooth!"

"Go sit down and be quiet!!"

Dejectedly she went back to her seat. Little Rachel never got that tooth necklace.

The End.

Or is it?

A little while ago we received a book from my mom called "Fancy Nancy and the Too Loose Tooth." It was a similar story to the one above but with a nicer teacher and a happier ending. (We love Fancy Nancy books at our house.) In the book Nancy is determined to not loose her tooth at home because of her longing for a tooth necklace.

It was a fun comparison when Isis got a really loose tooth and wanted it to fall out at school and tried to be careful with it at home. So imagine our delight when 2 weeks ago it fell out just after she arrived at school. And joy of joys, she got to put it in a tooth necklace!!! Isis was quite proud to be wearing it all day long.

I may have been more excited about it than she was. (Ha! Take THAT Ms. Williams! If I can't have a tooth necklace, my daughter sure will!!) :)

(No childhood trauma there.....)

Lots more pictures

I DO NOT know how we have (had) this many shoes in our house. Sheer insanity. I was seriously going crazy since the cutie in this picture loves to wear a different pair of shoes every 10 minutes. I lined them up just to see what we had, pick the keepers, and give away the rest!

 Elise was simply amazed there was a little toilet at the store.

As a side note, as of late Elise somehow needs to use the bathroom in EVERY public place we go.

It makes for LONG errands.

 What is big sister eating?

 Cookie dough? Don't mind if I do.

 Big sister loves me.

 Now that Isis is gone all day at school, we do "Elise School" at home.

If I let her, Elise would make volcanoes every day.

 Interesting but bad tasting... :)

 Elise does a really good job writing her name and letters.

 These are traced but still shows good fine motor skills.

 Aubrey LOVES!!! the swings at the park! LOVES them.

 I was impressed with Isis' "signature."

 This is how Aubrey felt when she had an iTouch in each hand and I wouldn't let her have my phone too.

 This is what my girls were doing while I talked to someone at our local nursery.

They have a deer family, fairies and fairy lawn furniture. :)

 

 My helpers

 How baby looks after "helping" Mommy in the yard.

 On the same day. We didn't get any cleaner at dinner. :)

 A leisurely ride through the nursery.

 Cheering on Grandpa at the St. George Marathon.

 My dad finished his 2nd marathon 10 minutes faster than his 1st one at 5 hours 24 minutes! Go Daddy!

I have no desire to ever run a marathon, so I'm all the more impressed by those who do. :)

 We walked around the St. George Temple while Grandpa cooled down. :)

FIRST GRADE!

I do not know how this beautiful girl grew up so fast but here she is already in 1st grade.

She was super excited to start school.

 I love my girl!

The year has started off well. She likes her teacher Miss Peters and is doing well. I just can't believe she's this big!

Rain!!!

The day before school started we got a FANTASTIC rain storm. I know it may not be a big deal for a lot of people, but when you live in the desert this is HUGE. We live it up when it pours. And because it is such an uncommon thing you notice that water definitely has a smell. And it is WONDERFUL... one of my favorites. 

 Yep, that's our street.

 It even ended with a double rainbow. How perfect is that?

Picture Purge

Here I am again, dreadfully behind. SO... here's how our summer ended. :)

Our pantry seems to be a great hang out spot. Hang out locations tend to get messy...

 and require a baby sister to help "clean" up

 I can never get my pound cake to come out of the pan completely clean... but this one did! 

Which meant it had to be documented. :)

 I also had to have proof that at least once in the last 4 months my kitchen counter was completely clean!

 Lots of swimming. We probably could still be swimming but no pools are open.

Pity.

 The girls posted this sign on their door:

"No Grown Ups Only 3 Year Olds"

 We've had issues with someone cutting open the emergency fire gate by our house and I wanted to catch the culprits. So we set up "spy" cameras and some trusty spies.

 Isis viewing our surveillance video.

 Sisterly fun.

 I took the girls on a "camping trip."

We went fishing and cooked our catches over a fire.

 We "slept" in a tent and told ghost stories.

Elise's ghost story: "Once there was a princess named Sparkles. She walked in the woods. The a wicked witch and a ghost captured her in the wicked witch's house with chains and buckles. And the wicked witch killed her with blood."

Surprised, I asked, "A prince didn't come save her?"

She solemnly and sympathetically shook her head. "And the prince come and the ghost kill him with the prince's sword."

Where did this girl come from?? 

 S'more's of course.

 And we went on a bear hunt. Which apparently scared Elise; yes, the same Elise who told me the aforementioned gruesome story.

 My good friend Sean and his wife and kids stop by for a quick visit as they were driving through.

This is one of the big perks about living in Las Vegas.

(Isis took a pretty good picture, right?)

 Our neighbors, who we are getting to know better, brought us an ice cream basket to start off our school year. How cute and sweet is that?

 I found Isis asleep at the foot of our bed one night around 3:00am when I got up with Aubrey.

I have NO idea when she came in. :)