Are You Ready For School?

People keep asking me this and I have asked a few people but I am not sure how to answer that. I have absolutely enjoyed having no set schedule and we have gone and done a lot of fun things. DH is going back to school for his Administrative License so that he can be a Principal someday and make tons of money. Hee hee. I don't know if it will be a ton but it will help considering we'll have a teenager in only 3 years and the others will soon follow. Bigger kids appear to cost more money. I seem to have avoided many expenses by not putting my kids in any organized sports. I have left that up to DH and he doesn't think they need to worry about that stuff yet. Mya has piano lessons and Cor really wants to do something.

Cor turns 8 in September and that means he will be baptized. We are all really excited about it. Although he has chosen the last few days of sevenhood to act like a toddler. We have discussed the ways in which he can remember to use his words and calm himself down instead of going into a raging fit every time he doesn't get his way. I suppose controlling his temper will be a life long process. As it is for most everyone. Cor is turning 8 years old and still wets the bed almost every night. The weird thing is when we were on vacation and he went to bed much later than usual he didn't wet the bed very often. He wears Overnight pullups so that we don't have a mess to clean up. But it still leaks a little sometimes and his room always smells. It's frustrating for him because he hates wearing the pullups.

I think Em and Ballerina will enjoy having the house to themselves. They play "very very very very" nicely together when they are left alone. The "very very..." thing is Ballerina's new saying. And I know I have to start potty training Ballerina once school starts again. I had to give it up this summer because it was getting to be a fight every day. Woo Hoo! Potty training.

I get used to having my DH around during the summer and I am already depressed he is going back to work. The old DH used to get really stressed out and grumpy at me during the months of September and October. But since he has realized he is doing it he has gotten much better. He has been very nice to me since he started working the last two weeks even though things are already stressful. This Saturday he is going to take the kids out all day so I can have the day to myself. And Saturday night some girlfriends are having a get together and I am excited to have a little break. He'll be gone every Monday night for his class and he'll have homework to do every night. So I will have to be an organized and thoughtful wife. Not too good at either of those but I plan to make an extra effort. I started yesterday by cleaning up my room. It took all morning.

I guess the answer is NO I am not ready for school to start but I am as ready as I ever will be and we made the most of the summer so I don't have any regrets.

Here are some of the fun things we did this summer.

• Swim lessons the whole month of July for Em, Cor, and Mya.
• Library almost once a week.
• Free movies at the theatre.
• A couple trips to the cabin.
  
• Big two week trip to Idaho and Utah to visit family.
• Great Wolf Lodge.
  
• Silver Creek Falls.
• Blueberry picking.
• Walks at the park down to the river.
• Playing with friends and family.
• Jumping on the trampoline.
• DH and I saw Phantom of the Opera at the Keller in Portland.
• Grandma S took Mya and Cor each out to buy clothes for school and went to lunch.
• Watching the Olympics in Beijing on TV.
  
• New Hair Cut for me and Mya.
• A little inheritance from DH's Grandma.
• Nice Weather for all of July and some of August.

Mya on the Piano

I love listening to Mya play and I really enjoy listening to all the students at the recitals. Ballerina and Em are pretty well behaved for having to sit for more than an hour because the music is either soothing or entertaining. DH couldn't go with us last night because he had a mandatory meeting for one of his classes. Mya sounds wonderful and she is making excellent progress. She also wrote a song for her recital called Smooth and Easy. I really appreciate that she works so hard. Grandma and Grandpa L and Great Grandma L also came. That is her piano teacher sitting next to her and we LOVE her. She is a lot of fun.

Brittany's bridal gown

Here is the picture of my youngest Brother Kirk's wedding to his wife in the white dress SIL Brittany. The wedding was in May but I am including it today because I thought I should keep a post of what sewing projects I am working on. Mostly so I can feel good that I am accomplishing something tangible. (Oh ya that guy on the right is my younger Brother Calvin who is married to Brenda.

Today my SIL Brenda called and she was at the bridal shop that Brittany picked the style from, helping her friend with her wedding dress and she said she saw the dress that I copied and she was so amazed at how well it turned out. She always makes me feel so good about myself. I love her.

I know this is not a good picture of the dress and I will try to get a better one from Brittany. This was one of the only projects I did in 2007. It was difficult. I only had pictures to go by and there were some design details that I just made up as I went along. The dress was probably a little tight but that's a mistake I couldn't foresee. The original dress was sleeveless and strapless. She needed something that would be modest for the temple. She had tried this dress on and asked if I could copy it. I told her I would try and that I would make no promises but I would get it as close as possible. She said she would be happy with whatever I could do. And she meant it. She was very easy to work with.

The only problem I had was with bustling the train. I hadn't really done that too many times before. I followed the instructions in my handy sewing guide but the loops kept breaking. Tomorrow Brenda is bringing over her friend's dress and we are going to bustle it. I will see what I can figure out.

My current project is alterating my Grandma's temple dress. It's nearly done but I fitted her one more time today before I completely finish and it looks great. I am glad. It's always stressful when I start cutting things up and hope I get them put back together correctly and cut correctly. I just have to trust my judgement. I have made mistakes but luckily not any huge ones.