PCE Club

1:30 in the afternoon Church has necessitated the invention of the Perfectly Clean Eaters Club. Doug is the President, and I'm not even a member.

You see, we are all dressed in our best (summertime often had us in white) with our hair done, scriptures packed and shoes on before we're allowed to eat our lunch, a lunch which consistantly consists of cheese, lunchmeat, ritz, wheat thins and a clean fruit, usually an apple, but sometimes grapes (NEVER cherries or watermelon!) The President is allowed, however to eat whatever leftover he can find, He alone is allowed to eat Spaghetti (a serious danger for the non-member) and last Sunday, a hot dog with katsup and mustard (I think he was just showing off).

Our children don't think it is fair that he is allowed to eat whatever he wants and would like to join. I don't think Dalton will ever make it, at 11 he still gets icecream all over his mouth and some on his nose every time. Sophia is like me a little too passionate about her food. Jennie could go either way too young to tell. I think that Joe is a real candidate though. You see, it's in him.

We've noticed for awhile now that Dalton and Sophia are more like their Nelson side. Joe and Jennie take after their Crawford side. It's not a 100% thing of course, but time and time again they can be separated by their skin pigment, sense of humor, lip shape and now their cleanliness in eating.

The Crawford side has the crazy cleanliness in it, NOT the Nelsons (my mom has scores of blouses with a stain directly below her chin). We've heard stories of Doug's grandpa having his wife step outside to brush her hair, and Doug has had a difficult time combining most foods since birth (picture: deconstructed hamburgers, sandwiches and even Thanksgiving dinner).

It's more like the Psychotically Clean Eaters club if you ask me, but since half of my children and the man I love are in it (or at least trying to be in it), I need to embrace the madness.

I'll eat my hot-dog after church.

Christmas

Most of the kids in Joe's class wanted i-toys, and some even wrote nasty letters telling the S man off. Joe makes me so proud.

Dear Santa,
I've been looking for things for Christmas. I love Christmas because I go to Arizona for Christmas, cause my outside family lives there. Joe

Yay for outside family! We'll see you in a few short days!

2010 Photo Shoot

A chess club was born

It's cold here in Idaho Falls. So cold in fact that these energetic children are driven indoors and with time limits to the Wii, are forced to play real games. I don't even know one of these boys, but they're showing up lately once or twice a week. I'm happy to provide the game, the space, free popcorn and if their cheeks show signs of cold, I'll even make some hot cocoa. They're making teams, building allies and capturing loads of pieces before checkmate is called, and they're teaching younger boys to play too! I love it all!

I Wonder...

How long will Dalton let Joe play with his big friends?
How long will he put up with Joe tipping over coffee tables in the middle of a losing game?
How long will he ask me to help him with homework?
How long will he be willing to babysit for $1 an hour?
How long will he be interested in helping me in the kitchen?

How long will Joseph hold my hand in public?
How long will he be willing to distract Jennie with "The Horsey Game" while I'm slipping out the door to Book Club?
How long will he help buckle the girls or give them pegs on his bike?
How long will he come to snuggle next to my bed when he's scared at night?
How long will he believe that he is the strongest 8 year old alive?

How long will Sophia and Jennie play kitten and puppy, carrying on for hours communicating exclusively in yelps and meows?
How long will Sophia beam while showing me her artwork?
How long will she build castles and play dress-up?
How long will she love pink?
How long will she snuggle with me, full bodied, when she hurts?

How long will Jennie look up to Sophia?
How long will she insist on sleeping with her silky blanky?
How long will she let me give her ringlets?
How long will she blame others for everything including who messed her bed/underwear/hair?
How long will she ache to kiss and hug her daddy before he leaves for work?
How long will she color outside the lines?

So Many Firsts!

First time making my sisters AWESOME home made play dough.
First day Sophia didn't wince while I styled her hair around her 3 staples.
First day of preschool for Jennie.
First day of Dance for Sophia, (well in Idaho anyway).
First time I've ever asked one of my children to call me "Miss Sherrie"
First time Sophia shares a seat belt with her friend on the way home from dance.
First day Joseph came home from 3rd grade in a good mood.
First day of PACE for Dalton, (Idaho's accelerated program).
First day of real piano lessons for Dalton.
First time I've been complimented on how advanced Dalton is in piano.
First day Joseph takes a shower on the first time he's asked... EVER.
First time Jennie steals a popsicle right out of the neighbors deep freeze.
First call to the home owners insurance.
First flavorful nectarine of the season.

The First Day of School 2010

Totally ready for 3rd/5th grade with loaded new backpacks, blessings from dad, and an egg burrito in their bellies.


New duds.


And they're off! "Have a good day at school, I love you, be nice, follow the rules" (I heard another mother 3 houses down shouting the same as her son ran to catch up with my boys).

Is Summer Over???

Spelunking through the lava tubes at Craters of the Moon.






Sometimes it's necessary to transport Dalton illegally, but only when we're picking up a new...


BBQ! Happy Fathers Day Doug!



Willis Water slide.




Idaho Falls Zoo with our friends the Bess girls.


Wild Huckleberry picking after the Ward campout.


A local told us that we weren't finished picking till our hands were stained.


Because Jennie doesn't nap anymore.





Blue Angles.






Swim lessons.





Sometimes the trips to the Zoo, Arizona, Lake Powell, Craters of the Moon, Reeds Dairy, and the Pool were just not enough.


I loved every bit of our summer and already miss my boys, but hey, now I have time to blog. Bring on the school year!

Seas The Day

Mama and Papa Nelson made this whole Lake Powell trip possible, I think they enjoyed themselves too.


Joseph enjoyed the sun a little too much resulting in sun poisoning. It didn't stop him for long though, not this kid.


The kiddos enjoyed cousins, boat rides and...


tubing.


The beach didn't disappoint either. Ice cream? Or bucket of sand?


Isn't my nephew so stinkin' cute!


The captain!


With 3 huge flat screen TV's, the B word (bored) was never spoken.


Cousins! Cousins! Cousins!


Inside was just as enjoyable as the outside, especially for the little ones.


Thank goodness for life jackets!


These girls love their daddy.


I may have married a pirate.


I skied, tubed, and enjoyed my whole family the whole time. Thank you Mama and Papa, and Thank you Brad and Lenora.

Joseph's Birthday/ Baptism

Joseph's birthday breakfast... Chocolate and Butterscotch chip waffles, he's been talking about them since that day at your house Elise. Yum!


Doughnuts in class! My papa started this tradition. Joe's favorite is the maple one and he talked it up to his classmates all day, so when I brought two assorted boxes in just before the bell rang, every kid wanted a maple. They were good and some of them split one. I hope I can channel Joseph's ability to persuade when he gets a little older and the stakes are a little higher than doughnuts.


Joseph was so excited for his baptism. I'll never forget his smile in the font, he was positively beaming!


He had a ton of support with Abuella and Grandpa, Lewis, Grandma and Grandpa "C", Mishawn, Micah, Brock, Tanner, McCall, Jaymie and us of course making it to his baptism. His friends Maren, Parker and Addison were able to come too.

Thanks for making the trip everyone. You really made the day just perfect. Abuella, he loves navigating his new scriptures, and Grandma "C", he loves his green afghan. Thank you so much!

Someday for Joseph's Birthday

I've been thinking a LOT about room design. I hate doing it, but with Doug's father coming and painting on Jennie's wall, I'm consumed. My friend Autumn led me to this site and I'm in love with the Napoleon wall... I don't think I'd do him exactly, we're clean Jack Black fans over here. I think Joe would love something like that when we finish the basement someday.

Happy Birthday Joe! Someday.

Charts

I picked Jennie up from Apple nursery today and noticed her pants were backwards, then noticed her obviously diaper-free bum and asked the ladies how that went. They knew nothing of the situation, and said that her pants were backwards the whole time. "Jennie, where is your diaper?" I asked and she confidently led me to the miniature toilet and there it was in the garbage can, a totally unfolded (an adult would never throw it away like that) diaper. Sure enough, she took off her diaper and stayed dry at least most of the 2 hours she was in there. I then went grocery shopping with her just in pants and she made it home and ran straight to the toilet. So today is the day. A clean stack of underwear is on top of our toilet and a chart is taped to the wall and she wants a puppy when she's done.

Stuffed of course.

Jennie's chart made everyone want a chart, so Dalton has a piano practice and scripture chart. Joe has a shower and homework chart. Sophia has a 1 outfit a day and bed-making chart.

My sticker pad is sacred right now.

Jennie just wet the bathroom rug. I hope this isn't another Sophia repeat... I can't handle this for another 3 years.

My Joe

I get to sub in Joseph's class on Sunday and I'm thrilled! The lesson is "I am a Child of God" which could be taught every single day of every child's life, but especially for my Joe, it's important.

He's making the transition okay, (it would be totally unrealistic for me to expect a flawless move.) All of our issues so far have been his for sure. I had a great meeting with his school teacher, principal, and elem psychologist, and they're super friendly, and have Joe and his issues on their radar.

We have made a shower chart, with his reward being a rip toy (you know the ones where you put the plastic zipper thing in, and pull it out as fast as you can and let the toy take off) after 15 showers. We've made a homework chart for him, with his reward being a trip to Reeds Dairy for ice cream cones for the whole family, (we're not doing ice cream in the freezer anymore) and I'm willing to sit with him and sharpen all the pencil leads he breaks over and over again till his homework is done. He's pretty excited about me stamping his chart, so I think it'll work.

Joe is the most compassionate of my children with genuine concern when anyone is sad or hurt, and real love and comfort for his sisters when they don't get to do big things like the boys do. He came home from the first day of school and I asked him if he made any new friends, and he confidently proclaimed, "Twenty-Four!", like duh mom! He is a joy to have in our home, and I ache when things are hard for him.

So, I am a Child of God, and as one I'm excited to teach this group of kids that they are too, especially my Joe.

Naughty, Nice, Questioning, too Old, and the Real Story