Anna's Preschool

I'm doing yet another cooperative preschool for Anna this year. She is with 5 other kids. We started at our house for the first 2 weeks so I don't have to do it again until the baby is a little older. Anna feels very grown up and was doing somersaults most of the time I was trying to teach 6 three year olds about the days of the week and the months of the year. I got a lot of blank stares. Anna is very much looking forward to when preschool is at another house so she can wear her Dora backpack.

Kindergarten

Elizabeth has started school! She was very excited to go to Kindergarten and didn't have any problems leaving me. By the end of the week she was done with school and terrified of the fire drill they were having on Friday. I couldn't convince her that there wouldn't actually be a fire.

She has 16 kids in her class--8 girls and 8 boys and she says she has made 2 friends. She feels grown up and it makes me a little sad to send her. Her favorite part of school is recess and snack time and I can't get her to tell me much more.

37 weeks pregnant

I'm not sure why I am posting this picture. I feel as yucky as I look, though it is hard to feel too ugly when you get to wear the pink bubble gum dress.

I'm pretty much willing to do whatever it takes to get it out. Luckily that feeling just happened today. When I lay (lie?) on my side and put my elbow right on my waist and put my arm at a 90 degree angle, my belly goes all the way out to my wrist. I'm not sure why I took that measurement.

We finished painting the nursery blue. Wishful thinking, maybe. I have out the car seat and some newborn clothes. And I bought diapers. Babies are easy, right? I can't remember. I'm just happy that I haven't gained any weight for 2 weeks. And it certainly hasn't been for a lack of trying. Pregnancy is all consuming.

Crazy

My life is crazy, which is entirely my fault. The baseboards probably don't need to be painted before the baby is born. And I probably don't need to use up all of the meat in the freezer either. But I kind of do. I feel the need to finally wash and iron my temple dress, which hasn't been washed in 8 years. And I lay in bed at night thinking about the bows I need to glue back onto their clips and the uniform skirt I need to hem and put darts in for skinny Elizabeth. Not to mention that I am homeschooling Andrew part time. How do I make a history and science curriculum? And math. I have been overwhelmed. The doctor said today he will take the baby a week early if I want, and both Jeff and I are nervous about having a baby so soon. I heard the vericose veins that are bothering me tell the doctor the sooner the better. The rest of me is wondering if I will still have time to clean the blinds, decorate the nursery, groom the dog and clean my closet. Not to mention all of the projects I have for Jeff to do. He is too busy to finish the fence. And we are both tired from seminary. I get to wake up to the pounding of shoes down the stairs and then hymns being sung. Early--before 6 am. And then I go to bed alone because Jeff has to ponder the beattitudes at night. And during the night I dream about wierd things like being at the US Embassy in Paris because Anna fell off a two story building and broke her legs.

I feel better. Next time I will write this in my private journal. Forgive the ramblings of a seriously pregnant woman.

My new website

When you get a chance check out my new website--www.springstaxaccounting.com! I would love your feedback.

Anna and her baby

Anna wanted a picture with her baby that Grandma Conley gave her for Christmas. She loves that it glows in the dark. Grandma Heath sent her the outfit she is wearing and she prances around the house in it. She was excited to get something new--not something that happens very often for her. We just finished painting her room pink parfait. Very cute. She loves it--hers was the last bedroom we painted. Now we are starting on the nursery, and when she realized that she said, "I don't have to be last anymore!" Now she can just get lost as a middle child. Anna is very much into her dolls, legos, and playing imagination games with Elizabeth. She gets to start preschool next week and is extremely excited. She still melts our hearts and both Jeff and I are nervous and sad to lose her as "the baby."

Andrew as Mr. GQ

Andrew was being silly when I was trying to get a good picture, but I did get this cute one.

I also got a really good one that shows his extremely expensive to fix cross bite. He is an orthodontist's dream.

I sure love this boy. He constantly challenges me. His questions range from, "Do you lay eggs, mom?" to "What can we do to save the rainforests?" He asks all of his questions with such an intensity and curiosity. I overheard him talking with his 10 year old friend from our neighborhood--the boy asked Andrew what was on his face. Andrew has warts everywhere. Andrew said, "It is just a microbe, which is really a virus, which really tries to destroy your cells, but this virus just grows warts. That's all." Cute. We are trying all sorts of homeopathic remedies to get rid of the warts with no success. I told Andrew when he turns 7 we have to go get them burned off for a second round.

Elizabeth and Katelyn

Wow. These girls are beautiful and they sure love each other. Elizabeth is very much looking forward to the week in February that Katelyn gets to live at our house. Elizabeth and Katelyn love to hold hands, make jokes, do gymnastics, play games, etc. They are so similar in personality. It is amazing. I am printing this picture and hanging it in Elizabeth's newly painted room.

Cute Kids

Andrew asked me today if the baby is going to come out naked. I asked him how my body could make the baby clothes, and he said he would just put a sewing machine in my blood.

Anna wants to name the baby Bella because it is a pretty name and sounds like your belly.

After asking Anna yesterday what she learned in nursery--"I learned a snack. We had raisins and water."

We somehow managed to get a hermit crab, which has been very exciting. I almost killed it yesterday because the kids left it on the ground and it crawled below the kitchen sink--a place I hang out often.

Jeff is employing our children for the large sum of 1 dollar a week. Their main task is shredding paper. Now we get to teach them about tithing and savings.

15 Event Competition

In the spirit of the Olympics Hans--my brother-in-law and I have begun a 15 event competition. The events are:

• Pushups in one minute
• Pullups - Hans is favored
• Situps in one minute
• Running Long Jump - Unknown favorite
• 5K run - Jeff is favored
• 40 yard dash - Unknown favorite
• Underwater swim - Hans is favored
• 5oo meter swim - Hans is favored
• Vertical jump - Unknown favorite
• Bike ride approx 15 miles - Jeff is favored
• Football Throw - Jeff is favored
• Leg wrestle
• Arm wrestle
• Free throw - best of 20 - Jeff is favored
• Incline Hike (hike here in Colorado Springs) - Hans is favored

Here are yesterday's results:

• Pushups: Hans - 40 and Jeff - 33
• Situps: Jeff - 35 and Hans - 29
• Arm wrestle - Hans won 2 out of three
• Leg wrestle - Jeff won 2 out of three

Next up: 15 Mile Bike ride!

Based on yesterday's results and who is favored in each event, it looks like Hans and I are evenly matched. It will come down to a tie breaker--who has the better looking wife! I have clearly won that contest.