Make it Monday

today for make it monday we sewed Gwenevere's halloween costume.  

It was a combined effort since we made up the pattern as we went.  (meaning I had to do more of the steps to think it through)  but Gwenevere stayed right by my side the whole time, threading the needle, cutting threads and sewing mini bean bags while I took out seam after seam of mistakes.  

Tomorrow we'll start Grace's dress.  I think her's will be a two day project.  But i'm excited for the challenge.

After taking these pictures we decided the dress needed a black boa around the bottom and sleeve edges so we went to Jo-Ann fabrics and finished the project around 10pm.  

I'll take more pictures tomorrow and update the blog.  

October 8th-15th painting with Pam, diet, school stuff and parties

On Saturday the relief society provided a fun paint class.  

the beauty was painted by me and now hangs in my bathroom.

If only I got remember in the daylight to take decent picture. 

Okay I give up.  

James and I are working on changing our diet to better fit our health needs.  following the guidelines for the ketogenic diet has been good.   

Zucchini and sausage  

 We got to babysit my friend's baby the other day so I pulled out our old high chair.  The kids got all excited and reminisced about feeding Everett when he was a baby.   they all wanted to eat dinner around the high chair.  hehehhe silly kids. 

Wednesday we went costume fabric shopping.  Gwenevere picked out some orange fabric.  She wants to be an orange witch for halloween.  Grace picked out her fabric for her Heidi costume and Everett wants to be a Red T-rex or a green flying dinosaur.  We're still trying to decide how we want to execute his costume dreams.  later we invited friends over to play math games.  Alex brought over his math lab game and Everett and Gwenevere LOVED it.  Grace isn't really a board game kinda girl so she did one round and was back to playing.  it's going to be fun to see how different it will be teaching Grace vs Gwenevere.  I already see so many difference.  

I won a year supply of leggings from LuLaRoe.  and my first pair came this week.  

For activity days, we made christmas ornaments for the stake nativity program.   The girls worked with their moms and we made 72 ornaments. 

Gwenevere assembling the star of bethlehem for the ornaments 

Thursday, Grace and Everett went to Candy's preschool.  they both really liked it and Candy said Grace was a great helper.  While the littles where at preschool, Gwenevere and I went to institute.  We talked about the restoration of the priesthood.  I wasn't looking forward to this lesson but it was amazing like always.  I love my institute class.  

in the afternoon we hosted our USA map challenge group.  We did things a little different this time around.  I shared some facts about the state of Washington and then we played a few rounds and then I read a book about the states.  It was a good to break up the mini games with some down time.  I noticed some of the boys would get burnt out after just a few rounds and the break helped.  

Friday James went camping with the scouts while we went to see My Little Pony the Movie in Theater.  We went with our friends the Leavitts.  It was fun to take 5 little girls and Everett to the theater all by myself.  They where troopers and the experience went smoothly. 

After dinner with the Box family we dressed up and headed out to our neighborhood Norpoint Harvest Festival.  Since we didn't have our costumes ready we improvised.  Gwenevere went as a gray kitty.   

Grace went as a white unicorn

And Everett went as a sleeping dinosaur; minus the costume.  

Reagan and Elisabeth spent the night and the kids stayed up till midnight.  Gwenevere and Reagan lasted until 3 in the morning.  Despite their sleep deprivation they all seemed happy the next day. 

On Saturday the girls when to our dear friend Adelaide's birthday party.

She had a pony party and the girls got to ride a pony.

Gwenevere riding twinkle toes

Grace riding twinkle toes

They got to bike to the park where the ponies met them there.   

James arrived home from camping at the ape caves exhausted.  

We all where exhausted so we attempted an early bedtime.  It didn't go as planned and we still didn't get to bed until the usual 11pm night time.  But we tried.

Today, Grandma Sharolee met us at church.  She and Grandpa Don where in Tacoma at a continual education training so we got to get spoiled with grandparent time.

After church, James made homemade pizza,  We played and visited and ate pumpkin cookies before Grandma and Grandpa Cox headed home.

Then we watched Casper the friendly ghost as a family and started our bedtime routine.

It's been another great week in our home.

Make it Monday

I've decided that monday's homeschooling will include making something.

Today Grace made a spice cake and drizzle frosting for our friends Canadian thanksgiving.

Cake minus the frosting.  we added that right before eating

Gwenevere made two pumpkin pies.  She forgot to add eggs in one of the recipes so only one pie turned out.  But we made the pie from scratch using our cinderella pumpkins from our garden. 

I didn't get a picture with Gwenevere and her pie but it turned out lovely. 

sercerts

Everett found his whisper voice.  Now he likes to whisper in my ear secrets.  I love being tickled by wispy airy words from my 4 year old. 

October 1st-8th and a little bit before

While I was out running around doing co-op homeschooling with the kids James finished painting the house.  When I got back I was so surprised he was able to do it so fast.  We still have details we need to touch up but for the most part we have a green house.  

James had to work Saturday but the kids and I manage to watch both session of conference. we played clue, and colored while watching so it wasn't too reverent but I did have a chance to take notes. 

Saturday morning

Grandpa Cox sent Grace a playmobil set in the mail

It was nice to have James home for Sunday's sessions.  Grace and I made cookies in between sessions and we had a quite tea party with cookies for the afternoon session 

Sunday afternoon

James pulled out his wood working tools and Gwenevere made a wallet while James worked on a new color for Hank. 

Grace, Everett and I did 7 puzzles

After Sunday's conference session Everett was playing outside while the girls and I where putting up halloween decorations.  He dropped the hammer on his toe and got a really bad cut. 

Everett's toe

 When the tears calmed down James decided his toe was fine and no need to make a trip to urgent care.  So we got out our festive fall hats and took some fun family pictures. 

While James put the kids to bed I finished straining the honey and put them into sterilized jars.

Monday morning a package of LuLaRoe came in the mail.  Grandma Sharolee gave me a gift card for my birthday and I found a cute white skirt I wanted.  Then I had a little extra so I got Grace a new shirt and leggings. 

After doing our morning school work we took Hank on a walk to the Library.  Its been nice soaking in the last warm days of fall. 

Photo credit: Grace 

Monday night for family home evening we went bowling with the Day family.  Using up our bowling tickets we got from the library summer reading program.  It's a favorite for the kids. 

Wednesday we invited the neighborhood gang to come play.  Gwenevere quickly organized bike races and kept everyone entertained in the championship races. 

Thursday Everett started his first day of Preschool with my friend's mom, Candy.  Candy is a retired special ed teacher and has been babysitting her grandkids the last two school years.  This year Candy decided to host preschool at her house.  Since Everett has been fantastic at gymnastics we thought we'd give it a try.  Everett didn't want me to take his 1st day of preschool pictures so I didn't.  but I was so proud of him.  He walked right into preschool said goodbye and went to Candy for instructions.    When I asked him about preschool he said "books and circle time where boring but I liked the rest of it".

from Candy's preschool facebook page.  The kids singing the ABCs

While Everett was at preschool.  The girls and I went to my institute class.  

Then we raced home, picked up Everett from preschool, ate lunch and headed out for writing club.  

This month we wrote recipes for cryptids.  

Gwenevere even shared her recipe with the class

Gwenevere and Riley.  talking about drittens (half dragon/ half kitten) from the book upside down magic

 Thursday night (our friday)  James went to workout and then we took a family walk to see the full moon.  I left my nice camera at home but the view was pretty.  We went to our city lookout and watched the big boats load and unload with city lights aglow and James and I talked about the future.  I love late night family walks. 

James was super Dad this weekend.  I don't know how I got so lucky but he did 90% of the parenting this weekend. 

Friday I took the younger kids to my workout while James and Gwenevere ran errands to get the truck DEQed and drop off some paperwork at his work. 

Then we took the kids to Angela's house from school.  They talked about archaeologists and then got to dig in her yard looking for clues to discover a story. 

Can you guess Grace and Ava's story?  (Tangled)

Gwenevere and Everett uncovered clues to Peter pan, (an alligator, marbles, pirate patch and fair dust)

 While the kids where at Angie's house,  James and I went on a date.  We ate at Jimmy john's for the first time and took Hank to the dog park.  It was so fun to spend uninterrupted time together. 

We picked up the kids from school and then took Hank on a walk to the library.  James and Gwenevere picked out a movie and we came home and had a fun family movie night. 

Library park fun

Saturday morning I went to Yoga, then to my Relief Society paint with Pam activity.  James got the kids ready for the day and took them to home depot.  then they went to the dog park again.  He fixed light fixtures and cleaned house when they got back home. 

Everett eating breakfast. LOL

Home Depot with Papa

 When I got back home.  I wasn't feeling well.  In Fact I felt like i'd been fighting an ear infection all week.   James rubbed my head and brushed my hair till I feel asleep.  He then feed the kids dinner, put them to bed and went grocery shopping.   He got home and fixed our freezer.  It's been having issues all week.  We thought we might need to go buy a new fridge but didn't have extra money to get something new so we where both relieved he was able to fix it again and help it last a little longer. 

Sunday was a beautiful day.  We made it to church.  The kids all went to primary with no issues.  Second week in a row for Everett.  I feel like he's really doing so well.  They practiced their primary program and I went to Relief Society.  What?! 

After Church James made us lunch.  and then we went on a walk around Dash point State park and enjoyed our first geocaching experience.   

geocaching treasures 

 It's been a good week.  And i'm extra pumped to have it on the blog.  Now I hear kids calling my name as they are ready to get out of the bathtub.  Time to put some kids to bed and cuddle with my husband.