Collages

I've been messing around with Picasa lately and made a few collages. It was a pain and I don't really like the way it works, but I think the collages turned out cute.

Tyson's collage: I LOVE how blue his eyes are and how long his eyelashes are. I think his eyes will be one of his best features. Those and his adorable smile! which I did not happen to include in this partcular collage :(

Morgan's Collage: I was just messing around one day while laying on the floor with the kids and taking pictures and I actually caught some of Morgan's genuine smiles. That center-left one: THAT is her real smile, which I don't think has ever been caught on camera before. She is so often so somber (like the two corner pictures) but when she really smiles it lights up her face LOVE IT!

Cerise's collage: I know you've already seen these pictures, but she was just SO cute on her first day of school, I needed one place where I could see all her cuteness at one time. I love her enthusiasm!

Family collage: This is agollage made of some of the pics we had taken a couple months ago. It was a really good photo session, considering it was only a 10 minute session at JC Penney.

Watch What You Say in the Presence of Children!

Sunday was Stake Conference (well a regional broadcast one from SLC). One of the speakers told a story about when he was a kid and he chased a 2 foot gila monster (a big poisonous lizard) into an old mine shaft, and later was able to follow the metal tracks and get out.


Fast forward to 6:00 Monday morning, when Cerise climbs into my bed shaking and almost crying. I ask what is wrong and she says she had a really really bad dream. I asked about what? and she says "about a heelo monster. It was 20 feet long." When I reassured her that it was not a real monster, but just a lizard, she asked, "Why would a big lizard make silver tracks?"

I almost laughed out loud. At least I know she was listening to his talk!

We Survived!

Cerise had her first week of Kindergarten this week. Our school district does it really weird. On Tuesday (the first day for all the other grades) she had to go to school for an assessment. Then on Wednesday night we went to the school and finally found out who her teacher would be, and she had her first real day on Thursday. She is in Mrs. Lipp's class, and although she was slightly disappointed at first (she thought Mrs. Fox's classroom looked more fun), she now really likes Mrs. Lipp. We both survived the first day and there were no tears from either end (although one almost slipped out when I dropped her off at the bus). She wanted to ride the bus so badly, so I let her, and then I drove to the school to meet her and make sure she made to the right classroom. I had worried needlessly, as they have people out there meeting the bus and walking the kinders to their class every day.

These pictures are all out of order, and I am too lazy to rearrange them, so if you want the story in order, scroll down to the bottom and work your way up!

The reunion (Morgan missed her sister SOOOOO much!):


Getting off the bus:

The "cones" which have since turned into hats, ball catchers and pretend ice cream cones:

I found on someone else's blog the idea to make these German cone thingies (I don't remember what their actually called, sorry). Apparently in Germany there is a tradition that kids get a cone thingy filled with school supplies and fun treats on the first day of school,kind of like a back to school stocking, so I decided we should make some. Morgan and Tyson helped:

Waiting for class to start:

In line waiting to enter the classroom:

Unloading the bus at the school:

Getting on the bus (with a little assistance from her friend Victoria):

Waiting for the bus:

Walking to the bus stop:

The "sort of first day" (aka assessment day):

I never thought I'd hear...

any two year old say: "I want salad for dessert!"

Yesterday in the mail we received the girls' Friend magazine. We sat down to read it and I realized that this month's issue focused on back to school things. It had an article about cheating, and several articles about bullying. I started to kind of freak out. I am going to have to THINK about those things now.

Cerise starts kindergarten on September 1st (sort of. that is the day she has assessment, then on the 2nd she finds out who her teacher is and on the 3RD, she finally has her 1st real day. What a crazy way to start the year, but whatever!). I am beginning to freak out!

Have I prepared her well enough? I know she'll be fine academically, but have I taught her to be nice and to not join in when other people aren't nice? Have I taught her to be polite? Have I taught her to stick up for herself so other kids won't bully her? Have I taught her to not be annoying, so she won't get picked on? Have I taught her not to be bossy or rude to people? Have I taught her to respect adults enough? Will she know how to maneuver riding the bus? Will she get lost in that big school? Will she make friends? Will she do well in school? Will she like it? Will she be bored? Will she like her teacher? etc, etc, etc, etc, etc.

AHHHHHH!!!!!!!!!!!! I know things will be fine. I know she'll be fine, but still, I worry. This is MY LITTLE GIRL going out into the big scary world, where I'll no longer have a say in who she plays with (at least while she's at school), or the words she'll hear on the playground, or the things she'll be learning. I am a control freak (there, I admitted it) and I LIKE having total say in how my kids are being raised and what they are exposed to (though not enough to home school).

I know I just need to take a deep breath, and relax and let her grow up and enjoy it, but, man, am I nervous!!!

Random Pics from our Trip

Happy Tyson: I love his little Yoda ears (although I'm sure someday he'll hate them!)

Enjoying the car ride:

Fun at the park:

Tyson's Blessing

We went to Idaho to visit family this past week, and while we were there we blessed Tyson in Scott's parents' ward. Scott did a great job and it was nice having all of his family and almost all of mine there.

Tyson in his blessing outfit (which he BARELY squeezed into!):

What a handsome little man:

The family:

My whole family minus Uncle David and Uncle Howie (we missed you guys!)

Scott's whole family (minus our nephew Louis, whose feet you can vaguely see at the bottom)

It was a great trip and we had so much fun visiting with everyone. More pics to follow.