Monday, March 28, 2011

18 months


Levi is 18 months old this week and has started going to nursery! Yay! They let me send him a couple weeks early because I taught sharing time this month. He's a bit sad when I drop him off, and then he clings to the nursery leaders; but he always cheers up during snack time. I love to peek at him in there, looking like such a big boy.

He is still such an awesome sleeper. In fact he sleeps in later than any of my other kids ever have, like 10:00 or so. The latest was 10:45. And when he finally wakes up, he's starving. He's been known to eat 5 packets of oatmeal. Or 10 bowls of cereal. Seriously, he spends over an hour eating breakfast, screaming for more after each bowl.


He is a climber - he especially likes getting up onto the dining room table and the swing set. In fact I had to photoshop out the huge bruise on his forehead in all these pictures. He has learned to move the step stool anywhere he wants to go. He's particularly drawn to the knives on the counter.



He has discovered the great outdoors. It's his favorite place to be. He screams to go outside whenever his brothers are out there.



Levi is a screamer! He screams when he's happy, screams when he's sad, screams when his brothers get too close to him while he's eating, screams when Brennan takes a toy away from him, screams when I change his diaper (he doesn't like to hold still). I'm getting a headache just thinking about it. I guess as the 5th kid he has to make sure he's heard. He also talks constantly, and he acts like we should be understanding what he's saying.


From the time he wakes up to the time he goes to bed, he is busy - running back and fourth and moving things from place to place. He'll have some kind of container (bucket, bin, bowl, etc.) and fill it with a bunch of little things, like blocks, one at a time. Then he'll take the container to another part of the house and empty it, one block at a time. Then he'll fill it again and go somewhere else to do it all over again. Funny kid. He also likes to sword fight his brothers, collect sticks and pencils, get thrown into the air by his dad, run away laughing when I tell him to come here, and cheer when his dad or brothers come home.


He is a sweetheart. He was never a real snuggly baby. In fact the more tired or sad he was, the more he'd push me away and just want to go to bed. But now, every once in a while, he'll hug me with his head resting on my shoulder. Then he'll pat my back and say "aahhh," and I just want to freeze time and savor it.

Friday, March 25, 2011

Pinewood Derby

Last week was the Pinewood Derby, and we had 2 boys racing this year. These things stress me out! But everyone was happy by the end of the night, so I consider it a successful year.
Tyler was so excited to make his first car. He came up with the design and colors all by himself and had a lot of fun making it.


Getting ready for the first race of the night.


Spencer beat everyone except his cousin Jacob, so he came in 2nd place overall. He also got the award for most creative car. He drew the design and cut it out himself. He's bummed this is his last year to make a car.

Tyler's car didn't do as well as he'd hoped. He lost against 2 very fast cars, including his brother's, but he won a later race by quite a bit and was happy about that.


The younger boys had fun running around, playing with cousins and eating popcorn and cake.

Monday, March 21, 2011

J K L M N O P Q R S

We had a review week in preschool a couple weeks ago. We played games, read little words, added numbers, and made letter-shaped pretzels.
Kimber had lots of fun playing with the pretzel dough. She was the last one to decide on a letter.

After they came out of the oven we brushed on melted butter and sprinkled cinnamon sugar on top. They were so easy and yummy. I should make them more often.
Brennen W. was the birthday boy. He was so excited about his upcoming super hero party, it was all he talked about the whole week. And it was an awesome party. They were all in the backyard when his dad showed up on top of his roof, dressed as Batman. He jumped off the roof onto a trampoline to save someone. I wasn't there, but Brennan told me all about it on the way home.

K is for Kejia.


Then they took turns popping balloons. Inside each one was the name of an animal that began with one of our review letters.


The girls didn't like the loud pop.

Then they acted out the animals. Here they are being penguins.

Friday, March 11, 2011

Bath Pics

Levi loves baths, and I love bath pictures. I had a fun little photo shoot with him this week.


Often when I try converting pictures to black and white they look muddy and grainy. But this one was so clear, and his skin looks so smooth and soft.
Playing peek-a-boo.


His favorite song is The Itsy Bitsy Spider. Here's "out comes the sun."


He looked so cute in Dallin's monster towel. I love the bright blue color. But I had to take the picture quick because he didn't stay in it for long.

When I first got my camera out he would not smile. So I put a little rubber ducky on my head, and that got his attention. When it fell off, he laughed hysterically. That's how I got all the smiling pictures. After he got out, he put the rubber ducky on his head and let it fall off.


They always like to play on my bed after their bath.


Thursday, March 10, 2011

Space Exhibit

We recently went down to the children's museum in SLO to check out their new space exhibit. Apparently it's a traveling exhibit and will only be there for a few months. They had dress-ups, a space shuttle and mission control. My boys spent a long time playing there before moving on to the rest of the museum.
Spencer is growing out of the imaginative play stage, but my middle 3 are really, really into it. They make up scenarios that goes on for days, with lots of dress-ups and props involved. I love it. But Spencer used to rain on their parade by telling them why things are not realistic or could never happen. He doesn't do it as much anymore, probably because I made a big stink about it. In fact he's really getting too big for children's museums, since they're all about imaginative play. He was trying to talk everyone into leaving and walking over to the San Luis Mission. They wouldn't go for it.

It took all of my attention to know where Levi was the whole time. He was on the go, getting into everything and running to get there. It's a good thing the other boys can handle themselves, because this kid kept me busy.

Pretty cool dress-ups.

As you can see, they're floating in space.

I managed to get this picture of Spencer before a grumpy worker came over and told us to stop climbing.

Sunday, March 6, 2011

Random updates

Tyler loves to whistle. Recently he said, "Whenever I whistle I am a Child of God I feel happier. Like when I fail a math test." But last week he got a 100% on his 6X test with loads of time to spare. Go Tyler!
Brennan (as I was putting his shoes on): "Mom, this is my right foot. And this is my right hand. And this is my left foot. And this is my left hand."

Me: "Good job, Brennan! Where did you learn that?"

Brennan: "From playing Twister, 'member?"

Me: "Wow, Brennan. Some grown-ups don't even know that."

Brennan: "What, they don't have Twister?"


A few days ago I got a call from a grumpy lady at the police department telling me someone at my residence had been calling 9-1-1. I apologized profusely and told them I'd take the phone away from my baby. Oops! I guess I can't give Levi the phone to play with while I change his diaper anymore.

Thursday, March 3, 2011

Primary Activity

Last Saturday was our primary activity that I was kind of in charge of, and I'm happy with how it all went. We had a great turnout (30 kids) and the theme was a scripture adventure. My group started and ended in a big tent.

I was in charge of the scripture treasure hunt. There were 9 clues hidden throughout the church, and on the back of each clue was a scripture leading them to the next one. For example, one clue was when Captain Moroni made the Title of Liberty and fastened it to a pole, so they had to go to the flag pole. They ended up in the libraray, where they found a treasure chest full of chocolate coins and treasures. I had to keep reminding them not to run in the church, but they all really had fun with it. I put the complete list at the end of this post.

Everyone got a chance to read the clues, and the older ones helped the younger ones.



In Kaitlin's room they wrote letters to the missionaries using hieroglyphics.


When they were done writing their letters they played a game of going on safari. They each listed something they'd pack, and they had to remember them all in order.


Isn't Kaitlin cute?! I don't think I've ever seen her not smiling.
Sara's room had various jungle-themed games and relays.


Amy made a fleece scripture snake for everyone, and they were a huge hit. Does she look great or what?
The kids added 30 gumballs (one each day for a month) and hot glued a cute face onto them.




My boys played with their snakes for about 2 days straight. And they're so excited to read their scriptures every night so they can have a gumball. The idea is that they read until the flavor is gone.



Afterwards we had animal cracker cupcakes and jungle juice (lime sherbet and soda).


The primary presidency - me, Sara and Amy.
.....................................................................
Scripture Treasure Hunt Clues:
Mosiah 18:16 - baptismal font
Exodus 2:7 - mother's lounge
Alma 46:12 - flag pole
2 Nephi 15:10 - bathroom
Psalm 21:9 - oven
D&C 119:4 - tithing envelopes
Moroni 9:11 - water fountain
1 Timothy 3:1 - bishop's office
Helaman 3:15 - library