My Latest Project

I have been working on a scripture reading project for our kids. It has actually been in the works for a long time, but life has gotten in the way of me finishing it. I decided to bite the bullet and not let anything get in the way. If you want the whole file e-mail me and I will send it your way. I went through the scriptures and found various stories, summarized some or included the verses pertaining to the story. I then found matching clipart. The whole idea is for the kids to reach in the bag and pull out a clipart and then find the story it goes with. We then read it and then discuss what the scripture means. They each have their own scripture journals that they can draw (Anthony can write and draw) what they learned from that scripture. I am hoping this will help in our family scripture reading. When Anthony reads the scriptures it is over Madeline's head and she is bored and obviously getting nothing out of it, and when it is Madeline's turn they are the cartoon version and Anthony has those memorized. I am hoping this will meet the two kids in the middle and they will both get something out of family scripture study.

This is a pic of the bag I made for all the scripture stories, the little pouch holds the clipart. I laminated everything.

These are the scripture journals I made for the kids.

Here is an example of what they look like inside.

Madeline's Pedicure

A few days before Madeline's surgery I took her out for a treat. I thought I would let her be pampered and have a pedicure and a manicure. She was so excited and enjoyed sitting there having her nails painted. She loved picking out the colors and was excited when the lady painted butterflies on her toes. I think this will be a tradition for us. She loves things that are sparkly and in some way she likes things that are more girly than I like. However, she can be rough and tumble too. I just enjoy whatever she likes because to see the joy on her face is priceless. She can like pink even though her mother would prefer a different color, but she is not totally a princess because she prefers pants and t shirts to dresses.On a side note I thought I would include a video with Madeline and Daddy playing primary. Madeline loves to sing Called to Serve, her favorite part is the end. One Sunday she was not able to go to church because of her back so her and daddy played primary at home. She did the music and daddy was in charge of the lesson. This video is just the singing part.

I am Back!

Things have been crazy lately. Madeline had surgery on the 18th of August (her six month extension on her back). The night before surgery we had a bout with constipation that lasted until 3:00 in the morning. She never passed it, I think she just got so tired that she was able to relax and go to sleep. We got her up a few hours later to head to the hospital for her surgery. The morphene that they put her under didn't help with the constipation. Madeline was released the next day and we spent an extra night in the hotel so that Madeline could enjoy the hotel too. It was a long night, constipation still bothering her along with Spencer in retalitation that he was not in his bed and in his room in his house. We finally got Madeline the right amount of medicine to help with her problems. We thought we were home free, but we quickly learned that we weren't. It took a week in a half to get everything under control. Several calls to the doctor (don't ask why they didn't want to see us and instead just handle it over the phone..frustrating), two trips to the Urgent Care Center, and every over the counter drug that we could give her we finally got some peace in our house. It turned out that Madeline had stool stuck in her large intestines and to make matters worse gas was trapped in between all the stool and was not able to get out and to all this we add the pain that comes from having back surgery. She was a real trooper and you could see she was trying so hard to be brave. Spencer was feeding off of Madeline so every time she would cry in pain, Spencer would join in. It was crazy with having two kids crying all day and wanting and needing your attention, along with helping your son with school. It is a miracle that I am still alive. I had lots of plans, but as you can bet nothing got done. I just kept telling myself, this is just for a small moment, and it was. What was more frustrating than anything was not being able to do anything for Madeline and not getting the response from the doctors that I needed. Here I am her mother and I cannot take away the pain, all I could do was hold her as she screamed in pain. My girl is back and you can tell. I missed her spunk and the funny things that come out of her mouth, and I even missed her stuborness too. We got her on medicine for the time being, but I did inform the doctor that I much rather treat this with diet and get my daughter off from being dependant on a drug. I have to put enough medicine in her body to keep you a live I don't want to shove any more down here. However, until we can find a happy medium with her diet I have her on medication so hopefully she will never have to be in pain like that again.The kids have returned back to school. Madeline is in her same class with the same teachers, so no changes there. This year Madeline is finally able to communicate to me on what she did during school. Last year she would just keep telling me I don't know. When I pick her up she is so excited to tell me about her day. So all the way home from school she jibber jabbers in the car about all the fun things that she did during school. It is music to my ears and I absolutely enjoy hearing her talk. Anthony is in first grade this year in a gifted and talented class. He loves his teacher and is in with a few kids from his Kindergarten class too. He doesn't really tell me too much about his day, but I get a few pieces here and there. Anthony still enjoys piano and is having fun learning Star Wars music. I am amazed at how well he has grasped the piano and taken off with it. Spencer loves to jabber. He will come up to you and start jabbering as if he is having a real conversation with you. It is the funniest and cutest thing. He loves to jabber, I can only image what will happen when actual words come out. He had his 15 month check up and he weighs 27 pounds and is 33 inches tall.

I have been busy getting to know my sewing machine and in total love with it. My grandmother bought Madeline her first sewing machine, and Madeline loves it. Madeline pushes the pedal, I guide the fabric and tell her when to stop and the most important thing I do is watch out for my fingers. Madeline gets excited when it is time for her and I to sew, she loves making things. Though her attention spam fizzles out before the project is completed and I finish it myself. I took her to the fabric store and she picked out some material and fringe to make lots of pillows for her room. She thought that was the funnest thing to do and she was even more excited when we came home and made a pillow together.

After Madeline and I made a pillow together, I made a few more to cover her bench that I made her in her room. After that I attempted to make a fabric basket and after breaking two needles I decided that next time I will order the timetex on line. The basket turned out kind of funny looking, but it works to put things that we need to take care of when we leave the house (for example, bills, letter, packages, papers for school or doctor offices, etc.). I have a lot more projects, more projects then I have time for, but I am slowing chipping away at them. I am loving the fact that I can embroider things, it is like having a label maker for sewing. I love my label maker to label my totes around the house, and now I can label baskets, pillows, and bags that I make for the kids. It is fabulous.

Here are a few random pics of Anthony going to see the new star wars movie. He absolutely loved it, but Grant said it is not the same as seeing the original star wars movies. He said he wouldn't see it again.