Book of Morton Stories, July 2012:
So, yesterday my "big" kids started school, and it has been very quiet around here, and I'm already missing them. At the same time, I'm ready to make the most of my long days, especially during naps! So, I figured I'd do a post. This time, I will not make big promises about starting to post all the time again, but I will do what I can. I thought I'd turn my monthly family newsletter entry into a post since I've got a heap of pictures to share! (I also thought I'd post the last several newsletter emails I've sent for my family, which are at the bottom if you want to totally catch up...)
Back to July: Well, we had a fun Independence Day and braved the heat for a parade. Well, the bravest of us braved it--the big kids and I! :) (Jared happily stayed home with Michael to stay out of the heat and humidity.) We met our friends Tonya and Jaidyn, who were so nice to stake out a great spot on the parade route! That night we were invited to a friend's for dinner, and we enjoyed that a lot, too. Then we went to the fireworks, and Michael was totally captivated and loved it!
Most of the rest of our days were spent doing little outings around town around piano lessons and naps. Lots of pools, splashy type places, friends coming and going, Lego playing, and library trips, etc.
We sadly decided we didn't have enough time to make a big trip out to Utah and the cabin, but we still wanted to do a vacation. We headed "up north," which is what it seems like everyone around here does, and it was beautiful. Enjoy the pix!
Check out this owie! Glad it didn't split open!
This boat was heading out into Lake Superior, and was making the turn too fast. It ended up throwing out an anchor to keep from crashing into the pier! I was glad we had crossed over the bridge to the other side, although it didn't end up hitting!
This ship is now just available for tours, and that was very interesting, too! It was only about 600 ft. and we saw some that were over 1,000!
Oops! I put some pix in here out of order! These are some of the Lego creations from this summer. This first scene is what John entered in the Lego Lord of the Rings Competition--it's Balrog's Defeat. If you can, go to the link below and give John's entry a "LIKE". You'll have to register I think, but it would make John's day!
And now, back to the vacation: This is Gooseberry Falls. Beautiful!
Book of Morton Stories January 2012:
Well, it seems like January has just been one, long runny nose, with a generous side of cough. The kids were on break for the first half, so we had a lot of fun playing and letting Christmas linger, although John coughed and coughed and coughed. Then as they headed back to school, Jared caught on to the coughing train and still hasn't got off! Sara missed 3 days of school last week and John 1, and now the baby and I are coughing and stuffed up, too. I shouldn't complain, because none of us has had anything too serious, but it has been kind of an exhausting and stressful month. I have been trying to Lysol every surface every five minutes and switch out bedding and towels, but we still have seemed to share. We're nice like that I guess.
Maybe I'll think of something a little happier to share...Michael is almost crawling the "real" way, and has continued to make us laugh all the time. He seems to be kind of a ham, and is often called a flirt. He'll go to anyone, which is cute, so he is very crowd pleasing! :)
One other random thing to share-we just Netflixed the movie "Popeye" with Robin Williams, and although it was quite bizarre, we have had all the catchy music stuck in our heads for a week, including "I'm mean, I'm mean, I'm mean, you know what I mean" and many others. Has anyone else seen this? If not, rent it, make sure and put the subtitles on, and let me know what you think.
Love to all!
K2
Book of Morton Stories February 2012:
Well, last month I bemoaned the sick bug going through all of us, and we're luckily mostly over the crud. However, we did get a nice batch of pink eye that went through the baby, Jared and me, and I got it twice. That was great.
Well, what else? The kids just had a field trip to see Peter and the Wolf, so they thought that was great. We had conferences for them at school, and they are both doing very well. John's teacher says she would love a whole class of students like him! Sara's teacher says her work is so neat it looks like it was done by a computer! The only thing Sara doesn't like about school is outside recess, which I remember thinking, too. She prefers the cool inside games that her teacher has in the classroom. We have also been working harder with piano, and I'm finally going to put them in a recital at the end of March, so we're excited about that.
At the beginning of Feb, we had a Young Women activity that ended up being the thing that has started a family coming back to church, so that has been very exciting to see. I think it was the chocolate fountain...
I had four students perform in what is strangely just called "Festival." They play for a judge and are scored on a 5 point scale, and 2 got 5s, and 2 got 4s. I was proud of their hard work, but I'm glad it's over--I get very nervous for them! Like I already mentioned, there is another recital soon, so it just keeps going!
Michael is almost 9 months, and he is still just a doll. He is now crawling like mad and even cruising the furniture, and yes, Mom, we did get the gate up now. :) He tips his head to the side and smiles all the time, which always gets a reaction from all his adoring fans! I take him in for a check up next week, so I'll see if he's still off the charts big, but I do know that the sisters who held him last week in church were all fussing about how heavy he is. He is a solid, solid little guy. I probably have the biggest biceps I've ever had!
And Jared's big news--he is now a Primary teacher along with being Executive Secretary. [Insert wild laughter here] I never thought I'd see the day where Jared and Mom were Primary teachers, but miracles do happen! There was a problem kid, and everyone was refusing to teach the 4 yr old class and Jared offered to sub a few times, and did too good of a job I guess! He is very fun with the kids, and they love him, and he loves to watch them pick their noses all through sharing time. Good times.
Well, I should run. Love to you all!
Book of Morton Stories March 2012:
March has seemed busy, but has been a lot of fun, too. The kids had fun at their piano recital, and I've attached the videos. Check them out! They're awesome! They have also had fun finishing their 3rd quarter in school and then having Spring Break. Sara's class almost caught Larry the Leprechaun, so that was very exciting for St. Patrick's Day. Larry also turned our milk green, so that was crazy! ;)
Jared's expertise was called upon to help our Primary implement some reverence rules, so we'll see if that can stick. He also gave a fantastic talk about self-worth that everyone loved. He had a birthday, too, so he is feeling wiser I'm sure. His work has been complicated lately, but he is such an efficient worker that he continually impresses his boss and has updated many things to make them more user-friendly. We are always proud of his hard work, and love to hear his stories!
We've all enjoyed a very warm Spring, and cannot believe we have been able to be outside so much! Awesome!
I put 11 students in the recital that John and Sara did, and I helped host it, so that was a lot of fun. It was a joint effort of many teachers, 86 students, and four different recitals, so it was fun. Several of the other teachers complimented me on being very well-spoken in front of the crowd, which was nice. It seemed funny to me that they said they didn't like public speaking, and yet they are, or were at some point, performers!
I also made some freezer jam, which is not a huge deal I realize, but I had fun! I'd share if anyone lived closer...
And, of course, Michael is a total JOY! He is now only the 78th percentile for weight, but the continual aches in my wrists don't care! 22.5 pounds is a workout! He is getting busier by the minute and enjoying cruising the furniture. We just laugh and laugh all the time with him. Yesterday Sara came to me and said, "You know how you love all your kids and stuff? Well, I just love Michael so much! Almost like he's my own son." She is such a sweetie, and so much help with him. John totally loves him, too, and they are loving his babbling. He is definitely starting to try to mimic sounds, so it's cute!
Okay, I've got to run! Much love to you all, and check out the "Frozen Planet" show on Sunday nights if you want to watch something interesting. We like it!
Book of Morton Stories, April 2012 edition:
The Morton's big news is that Michael has perfected the wave, and it is adorable! A typical milestone, I know, but it still has been fun the last few days, constantly trying to get him to wave. He is still so friendly and smiley, and we have so much fun with him!!!
Easter was fun for the kids, and that silly bunny hid the baskets carefully hanging in the laundry room, disguised in the shirts awaiting ironing. It took the kids quite a while to find, and they were excited by the hunt! Unfortunately, Michael came down with something later that day after church, and just cried and cried until I almost took him to the hospital. Finally, some ibuprofen seemed to help take the edge off whatever was bothering him and he fell asleep. Anyway, that is always a scare when a child is inconsolable!
The kids were excited to start their 4th quarter, and I was pretty excited myself! :) John had to make an hourglass for a project, and after a few prototypes (no joke), Jared and John completed a perfect "Half-minute" glass, and it was pretty slick! Now both John and Sara are working on projects for a "light bulb fair." Sara wanted to do something with planets, so we're going to try a scale model, and John wants to do something with sea creatures, so that's fun! I'm enjoying having bigger kids--they're so fun! I also like their help with dishes and other chores--and Michael! They also had a sleepover in April with 3 extra friends, which was fun, too. Kind of crazy, but they had a ball!
We successfully helped put on our ward YW fundraiser, and I am not shy to say I'm glad it's over. We did a pancake breakfast, and a silent auction, and it was pretty fun, but did I mention I'm glad it's over? :) I don't get to go to camp again this summer, and that's sad for me, but kind of a relief at the same time. The girls will be going to a university campus up north for a week of classes and activities more like an all girl EFY, not much like camp. Should be fun!
Work has been a little nuts for Jared, because they are down 2 workers now, so the remaining stalwarts are having to pick up their work. They are having a hard time finding replacements with just the right skill set and training, but it is work, so we won't complain. The company is going to take them to a Twins game soon, so that should be fun!
Oh, and we've been host to a mother duck, who has laid her eggs in our garden! It has been cool to see her sitting there, caring for the eggs, and we hope we can see some chicks soon. Cute!
Well, I've got to run! Much love to you all!
Book of Morton Stories--May 2012:
I can't believe May is over already! I often wish I could put everything on hold for a day--or a week, so I could catch up a little! Oh, well, I'm loving being busy, busy and May has been good to us. One big thing that we've been working on a lot is cutting down a big birch tree from our front yard. What a lot of work! Jared always amazes me how hard he can work, and John, Sara, and I struggled to even be helpful, and not just in his way. He was excited to get a chainsaw out of the project, and had fun cutting and cutting...and cutting. As a side note, he was quite safety conscious and even bought a hard hat--shocking, I know!
John and Sara are still finishing off their school year, and are kind of sad to have a break from school because they LOVE it. That makes me feel happy that they like it! They are doing so well in school, although Sara still doesn't like gym or recess, and John says he doesn't like Spanish--sorry Mom and Dad! :)
As I write this, Michael is a week shy of being one year old!! I totally can't believe that, but somehow that doesn't change anything. He is starting to do a little bit of standing and has taken a few tiny steps in between things, so I think he'll soon be walking like a madman.
A few weeks ago was the Father/Son Campout, so the boys minus Michael had a good time. I couldn't get Jared to take the baby this year, but he says next year! Sara and I rented a movie and painted nails, so that was fun, too!
Jared's work took them to a Minnesota Twins game on their fancy "roof deck," and he was even able to take the kids, so that was fun, too. It was a school night, and the game wasn't going too well, so they left at the seventh inning stretch, and didn't catch a ball or a t-shirt or anything, but maybe next time!
We had a good Memorial Day and on Sunday after church we visited a military cemetary in the city, which helped us feel like we could say thank you in a small way to the many who have sacrificed so much for our country. We saw a man in an Army t-shirt with 2 purple hearts pinned to his shirt who was near a small Vietnam memorial. Jared asked if he could shake his hand, and I think he appreciated it. We noticed he stayed put for at least a half hour while we were looking at the other memorials and headstones, and I could help but try to imagine what and who he must have been remembering. Sobering.
We also went to the obligatory ward picnic, then went to a lake for a quick swim before finishing off more work on the tree. We hadn't been to this lake before, and were unaware it had a huge leech problem, so that was kind of disgusting, but memorable! Also kind of cute to try to keep Michael from eating the sand--or leeches!
Book of Morton Stories June 2012:
Hello, family! June was pretty busy around here. Let me try to give a quick re-cap! I had my studio recital the first Saturday, and I was very pleased with the performances of all the students. John and Sara did a great job!! I was busy doing duets and what-not and Jared was too busy wrangling Mr. Crazy to get a video of the kids' performances. Bummer! I'll have to try to get an after the fact video.
John and Sara had a "light bulb" fair on Michael's birthday, so we post-poned most festivities for the baby. John's project was about bizarre sea creatures, so we did some research and he drew them with perfect accuracy (of course) and decided what their most interesting features were. Sara wanted to do something with the planets, so Jared helped her create a scale model of the planets across a big U.S. map. It was actually very interesting how most of the planets were (relatively) very close to the sun. It was a lot of work for all involved, and we should have started the projects much earlier, but we survived! The kids got medals and ribbons, so they were very excited to start planning for next year's fair. I, on the other hand, am not so sure...
So, Michael turned 1 and is still a very charming, sociable little guy--though he is not off the charts big anymore--thank goodness! At the beginning of June he was taking a few steps, and now (July 6) he is practically running everywhere. He is by far our hardest to keep contained, entertained, and quiet in church, so we always leave quite tuckered out, and we're counting down to nursery already. It is especially hard every other week when we all have to be at church at 7:30 for ward council. That comes early! Even though this happened in July and not June, I have to tell how he reacted to the fireworks on the Fourth. Of course it was late, and it was hot, and it was very loud (we always get as close as we can), so I was a little nervous that he would be terrified--like the others always were. Not Michael!! He sat perfectly still, totally enraptured! Then Jared laid him on his tummy and he just watched the whole show, happy as can be! He even waved at it several times. It was really adorable, and I'll be curious to see what other things can hold his attention so well!
We had school till the 13th, so there were several fun things as it wound down--John had a field trip to see the play Pippi Longstocking, Sara's grade went to the Mall of America's Sea Life Adventure. John's class had a board game party, so I went in for that and he defeated me handily in several games. Sara's grade had a water games field day, which Michael and I both helped with, and that was fun.
It has been fun to have a more "relaxed" schedule for summer, although it still seems like the days fly by! I've moved most piano lessons to the morning, so we have a lot of free afternoons and they've had a lot of fun with friends. We did fit in a week of swimming lessons, which was fun for the kids and for me to watch them (while wrestling the baby)! They went from spending most of their energy trying to not even get splashed, much less go under, to being quite little fishes! John really did well, and I was very proud of how hard they tried! I hope to get them in a lot of pools the whole summer, but I don't know about the high dive like Maggie!! :)
Oh, the day before Father's Day Jared wanted to go canoeing, by which I assumed he meant he'd take the big kids in the canoe for an hour while Michael and I watched. I should have known better. He came out of the place with Michael in a life jacket and was ready for all of us to pile in! Can you put 5 people in a canoe? Well, we did, and it was quite a sight I'm sure! Add in the fact that it had been very stormy that day off and on, and I didn't have a lot of hope for our mission. However, it was a ton of fun, and everyone loved it. At first Michael wouldn't let me peel him off of me at all, but he warmed up to it all, and liked standing in the canoe (I held on, don't worry) and putting his hand in the water. We did have to remind the kids a million times that everyone couldn't lean the same way to watch Michael, but we never tipped--Jared's got skills! Jared threw the big kids in to swim a few times, and they loved this, too!
So, that was pretty much June. Maybe I'll write up July's en espanol for you, Mom and Dad!! I'm very proud of how hard you are working! Love to you all!
K2
