Wednesday Excitement

The kids get out of school at noon on Wednesday.  This is some of what we did this afternoon:

Kate pulled out her other top tooth.  That means the Tooth Fairy gets to make her 2nd visit to our house tonight.

 I made this STAR WARS shirt for Jack.  (love his face)

 And, Ty was sweet as always, even with his eyes half open.

The most exciting part of the afternoon was when I yelled at the Qwest guy (on the phone).  I totally freaked out at him and might have cried a little and yelled a little and made some sexist comments.  But it worked.  The nice repairman is coming tomorrow.

This is the summary of our Qwest problem that I just posted on facebook.
The really nice Qwest repairman came last week to fix our slow internet and gave us his phone number so we could call him if we had any problems. It's still been slow (4 mgbs instead of 7), so I called him this afternoon. He said Centurylink started a new test program in New Mexico so it figures out what speed works best on your line without any errors and then it won't go past it. So, ours has stuck at 4 instead of 7. The repair guy said he just has to take us off the program and it should work, but he needed a repair ticket first. That's why I had to call Qwest. They were really annoying and not listening so I kind of freaked out at them (okay REALLY freaked out at the poor 
guy) and told them to send a repair person NOW! It worked.




Happy Wednesday everyone!

Bear Visitors

This is what our driveway looks like where we keep the garbage cans...

This is what a momma black bear and her cub look like...

(not my picture)

Imagine these bears on our driveway right where Jack is standing in the above picture. 

Have I ever told you how scared I am of bears?  I'd never seen one (until tonight) except at the zoo.  When I was 13 or 14 at girl's camp, I had a traumatizing experience involving some leaders from another ward making a bear sound with a coffee can and a rope.  There are a lot of bears in New Mexico and are around Los Alamos this time of year.  I've seen their poop and heard bear stories, but hadn't seen one yet.  Our new house is on a perimeter lot with open space in our backyard, so I figured that sooner or later I'd meet my fear, the bear.

Here's my bear story.

Dave took the boys to Lowes tonight and they got home at 8:20ish.  I bathed them while Dave unloaded stuff from the van.  Dave had been in the sideyard (on the side of the garage) putting a pipe or something on the rain gutter.  He came inside and went into the boys room.  

Right after he came inside, I was brushing Jack's teeth and I heard a thump outside.  I didn't think anything about it.  And I went with Jack into his room to get him in bed.  I looked out the window and noticed that the garbage can was knocked over so there was trash on the driveway.  

Muddy paw prints on the can lid.

Then a bear cub came running out of the garage.  The garage door was open because Dave had been out there.  The back of the van was open too.  

I told Dave that there was a bear, so we went in Kate's room and looked out her window.  The momma bear was out there now too.  They were sorting through the garbage.

They grabbed some garbage and took it through the side yard into the backyard.  Then they came back and got some more.  

While I was looking out the window I saw the bears go back into the backyard again and then I saw Ty OUTSIDE!  The front door was open, but the screen was shut and he just opened the door and walked outside oblivious.

I ran as fast as I could down the hall, dropped the phone that I was holding, through the front door, screaming "Ty".  By the time I got outside he was in the garage.  I grabbed him with one arm, slammed the van door shut, and shut the garage door in record time.  Luckily, we beat the bears.  They came back a minute later.  I have a nice bump on my arm from something, maybe the wall that I ran into as I slid down the hall going outside.

I scared Ty pretty good.  I was pretty scared myself.  It's been my worst fear to be somewhere outside with the kids and run into a bear and not be able to get away.  

We locked the doors so the boys couldn't go outside.  Not that they would have wanted to, Ty held onto me really tight and Jack was scared sitting in his bed.  Dave held Jack up so he could see out the window, but he didn't want to look for very long.

I called the police department, since I couldn't find the wild animal control phone number.  They said they'd send someone out.  The bears weren't scared at all.  Just leisurely going through the garbage.  Grabbing a bag and taking it into the backyard.  Then going back for more.  They didn't care that we were making noise out the window.  

The momma bear was tagged, so I guess she'd been caught before.  The bear cub was pretty good size too, not little like you see in pictures.  I tried to take a picture through the window, but the camera wouldn't focus through the screen in the dark.  

Anyway...we finally scared the bears away, but now we're wishing we wouldn't have so the "bear police" could come take them away.  We will now be keeping our garbage cans in the garage.  

The end.  (hopefully)

Just Ty and Me

Since Jack and Kate are now in school all day, Ty and I get to spend a lot of quality time together.  I'm enjoying being with this sweet little boy!  He's such a happy guy and really fun to be with.

Today was the big kids first full day of school, so Ty and I took our own "bus ride" this morning.  We rode the bus to the library and went to the music and movement class at the library, fed the ducks at the pond, shopped at the farmers market and played at the playground for a little bit, then rode the bus home.  

Then we had a nice lunch together and then Ty took a nap.  It was a really quiet day.  Ty talks a lot, but not as much as all three kids did during the summer.

Kinder & 2nd

The first day of school came fast this summer (on my birthday!).  In my 30 years, school has never started on my birthday or even very close to my birthday.

The kids were super excited to start school.  I got home from working out at 6:40 and the kids were already up and dressed and Dave was making french toast.  It was a long wait until 8:00 when we finally left for school.

Kindergartener!

2nd grader!

 Dave and I (and Ty) took the kids to school and dropped them off at their classes.  Kate was a bit nervous since it was a new school (since we bought our house she had to switch schools).  Jack was super excited!

Jack's teacher told them to wave goodbye!

I didn't get a picture of Kate going to class since I was waiting with Jack, so I snapped a cell phone picture of her coming out of her building after school.

Tuesday, the kids wanted to ride the bus, so I walked them to the bus stop, then drove to the school to make sure that they got to their classrooms okay.

Wednesday, we decided to try the other bus stop that's close to our house.  There is another second grade girl that gets on there and another kindergarten boy.  I waited at the bus stop after school for the kids.  Kate got off the bus, but Jack didn't.  He ended up getting off on the first stop (the bus stop they'd gotten on/off the day before) and went home.  Kate didn't notice that he'd gotten off, since they weren't sitting together.  I'm thankful for really nice neighbors who watched Kate and Ty while I ran around the loop to find Jack and for Jack's teacher that called to make sure that we found him and for the transportation and bus drivers that care about the kids.  The kids learned from their experience and sat together on the bus today.

It's been fun to see how quickly Kate has been making friends and is enjoying school more now.  She already knew two girls in her class, but had a hard time feeling like a part of the class the first two days.

It's funny to hear Jack talk about school.  It's hard to tell what they actually did.  He doesn't tell me much -- boys and girls are so different!

I'm glad that they both like school.  Today was their first full day of school.  Kate was making both of their lunches at 7:00 this morning.  And Jack was ready to get on the bus at 7:30 (the bus comes at 8:05).

As for my birthday (now I'm officially 30), it was a good day.  After the kids went to school I went over to my friend, Juli's house for breakfast.  She and Gina and Megan (we are the primary presidency) surprised me and had a babysitter there to watch our kids and they took me out to breakfast.  I had my first breakfast burrito (I make them all the time, but I'd never had an official NM breakfast burrito before).  After school the kids made brownies (with a little direction from me).  Dave grilled steaks for dinner.  Then the kids went to bed at a normal time (I love the earlier bedtime during the school year) and Dave and I watched a movie.  Good times!

Backyard Visitor

The other evening this buck was in our backyard.

 He made himself at home underneath the swing set.

 He didn't even mind that Dave and Ty were working on the sprinkler system.

 And, look at how sweet Ty is...And look at all the pipe that is coming out from underneath the deck (nine pipes all bundled up on top of each other).  Dave ripped out the old sprinkler system and designed and installed a simpler, more effective sprinkler system.

Goodbye Sprinklers!

A few weeks ago (July 26th) we (meaning mostly Dave) spent a few days working a lot on the backyard.

We ripped out the sprinkler system

Built a little wall 

 And raked until it was smooth.

Then it rained while we were in Utah and Dave got to smooth it all out again.  Now we're putting in the new sprinkler system.

Country Fair Parade

The kids love a good parade.  Especially one where there is candy...

 Sitting in our usual spot with our friends, the Nye's.

Riding the Bus

I promised the kids that we would ride the bus downtown sometime this summer.  With only a few days of summer vacation left, we hopped on a bus and went to the library.

The kids LOVE riding the bus.  It's free and fun and ends up being the outing for the day.

The Rest of our Utah Trip

After our stay at the cabin, we headed to Salt Lake and spent a few nights with Norm & Melinda.  

One afternoon we went downtown SLC so Dave could go to the outdoor expo  with Norm.  While he was inside the kids played around outside.  (There is no way to get five boys to turn around for a picture when there is a fountain wall to climb.)

 I wonder what Ty just did to Ben right before I took the picture...

 Then the kids played in the Gateway fountain.

 Ty wouldn't get in the water.  He was mad because he wanted to wear a swim diaper (which I didn't have).

 Anders -- holding still for a picture.

 We went to Mike and Maggie's house for the 2nd Annual Judi Family Reunion.  We got there in the afternoon on Friday and there wasn't much going on.  The kids were playing and the guys were watching the kids, so I went to the outlets in Park City by myself for three hours.  It was great.  I enjoyed every minute of the kid-free quiet.

We set up our tent in Mike's yard and slept there.  Ty didn't wake up until 9:00 the next morning.  He hardly ever sleeps past 7:00.  I think it was all the heavy blankets weighing him down that kept him asleep.

 Jack taking Haley on a ride.

 Ty on the plasma car.  The little kids rode around on bikes for hours.

 Jack and Jace being policemen.

 Ty helped me hide the dimes for the treasure hunt.

Grandma Judi planned a fun treasure hunt for the kids.  Jack and Quinton were a team.

 Katelyn and Kate were a team.

 And, Jack and Emma made up their own treasure hunt.  They were showing Grandma their rocks.

 Finding more treasures.

 Ethan reading the "list".

 Jack and Quinton won the treasure hunt.

 Ty wishing he could drive the Hummer.

 Jack with his loot from Grandma.

 Three of the five two year olds (Ty, Emma, Ben)

 Ty getting his special prize from Grandma.  He won the "biggest eye" award.

 Jack won the "best basketball player" award and Kate got the "best dressed award".

And this is where my camera battery died.  Next trip, I'll have to remember to bring the charger or at least charge the battery before we leave.

The kids played on slip and slides and had a water fight against the uncles.  They also all whacked at the pinata that Maggie made.

It was great seeing all the Judi's and chatting with my sis-in-laws and letting the kids play with all their cousins that they don't see very often.

Stay at the Cabin

We headed to Utah on July 31st.  We spent that night in Fairview at my parents' house.  Then we headed up to the Cox Family cabin in Flat Canyon (20 minutes away from Fairview) for two nights.

Dave and I went on a hike to the top of the mountain behind the cabin.  It was really wet from rain and dew and the vegetation was really lush and wet and high.  We climbed straight up to the top and slipped and slide on our way back down.

Almost to the top looking towards the cabin.

Snow!

The other side of the mountain.

Jack and the cabin

My dad had to go to work during the day, but he brought his horses and four-wheeler up to the cabin for us to use the whole time we were there.

The second day we were at the cabin, Geoff & Annelisa and kids and Vaughn & Marianne came up for a few hours to ride horses with us.  Dave was leading the Jack and Callie around on a horse and they went across a stream.  Previously, the horse had been walking across the stream, but this time it decided to jump, so both Jack and Callie flew off the horse.  Luckily, they both landed really well in the soft vegetation, so they weren't hurt.  Jack started crying because he was mad that he fell off.  He got right back on with Dave.  Now he's a "real" cowboy!

My 11 year old cousin, Sydney, was spending the week with my parents and Emmalee, so she got to come to the cabin too.

It was nice to be away from electricity, phones, internet, etc. for a few days.  The highlight of our evenings was making a fire and smores.

One morning, Dave took the boys over to Electric Lake.  

We went on LOTS of four-wheeler rides up and down the cabin road.

There were lots of flies and mosquitos, so Kate, Emmy and Sydney decided to take some fly-swatters outside to protect themselves.

My kids loved the cabin toys.  A lot of them have been there since I was little or were at my Grandma Cox's house when I was growing up.  

The kids had fun sliding down the stairs in their sleeping bags.