still alive

Since the 4th of July vacation it seems like we have just been recovering. Nothing real exciting is going on plus I haven't found time to post. Daren has now officially been through or is just finishing "busy time" at work. It is very manageable. He has worked the last 2 Saturdays and worked longer hours but nothing compared to Deloitte. Maybe it helps to know it isn't going to last 3 1/2 months too. But because of the working we haven't really been doing much. So for this blog I thought I would add some pictures of what we have been doing to "take care of ourselves". I started doing this 3 years ago after my sister in law gave me the idea and we have had fun with it. We take care of our bodies, space, minds, and spirit. So for bodies we have been doing ballet class (at home taught by me:) Max seems to be partial to tap. If he sees these shoes lying around and there is no ball around to distract him he wants them on. We have been making obstacle courses in the back yard, kick ball, tennis (again very informal taught by me on the patio) to name a few. Next taking care of our space is when we do our chores for the day. Spirit: We sing a song and have family prayer. Then we have been working on the articles of faith for the summer. Meg has the first 2 down, Lizza is working on #4, and Abby #6. To do that we sing the song that goes with each one and repeat the words a few times. I am trying to memorize the proclamation on the family. My hope is that by hearing me repeat it to them a couple of times each morning they will remember parts too. Mind: For this we are focusing on Geography, math, reading, science. For geography we are trying to learn the song fifty nifty United states http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ivpUBvOeD1s we have worked on north/south/east/west, where the equator is and drew maps to "treasures". We have been picking random countries to study about which everyone has liked. We first did China and they were fascinated with it all until we watched a clip from National Geographic about using bee stingers to help cure certain things and make them look younger. ( I didn't click on it Abby did) Now none of them want to visit. For math we have done simple equations with different objects, problem solves(puzzlers paradise.com) thanks Nicole, we read a book about fractions and used a Hershey candy bar to make the fractions, things like that. For reading it's individualized to each child and I do one on one time with each. For science we have been talking about Weather lately. We learned about rain, how clouds are formed, the different kinds of clouds, how lightening is created, and thunder. Then about Hurricanes and tornado's. Our different kinds of clouds. Before Weather we talked about the solar system. We learned about the order of the planets (my very excellent mother just served up noodles)(mars, Venus, Earth, Mars, Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus, Neptune.) Then they picked planets and made reports on them. After we did a couple of reports we made the solar system out of Styrofoam balls. It was fun and they still won't let me throw it away so it just sits on my dresser in our room. Meg is trying to show that she painted the sun. It has really been fun and keeps us busy so I don't have to hear or deal with I'm board very much. Other than that Max has picked up a new favorite past time besides the outside. He says basketball, which almost sounds like Grandpa but you can hear the b sound mixed in there and you know he means ball. But he likes to play basketball with a football. If you will appease him you with have to throw him the ball, he'll pass is back to you, then you pass it back he runs away then makes a basketball. I downloaded my latest pictures and I have 16 pictures of him playing this. So obviously it is all he does these days. The good thing is it keeps him occupied I guess. This past Sunday Daren was released as the Elders Quorum president after 3 years and I was released from primary after almost 6 years. Daren was called in the young men's as the priest advisor and me as the enrichment leader. I am terrified. I have loved primary and am very comfortable there. The leader before me is incredible! She does everything so nicely and just really adds the finishing touches on everything to make is nice. I on the other hand don't even think about the finishing touches, usually I forget to put on a clean shirt let alone flowers for the tables! So I am a little freaked out. This is out of my area. Daren on the other hand is ecstatic! I think he has wanted to be in young men's for a long time and now he will probably be there a long time too. Totally random but I think these post are more for me than anyone else so I am just purging all the info I have been storing in my brain until I could record it somewhere. Megan told me about a week ago she is going to be a doctor. I asked her what kind and she said a surgeon. I said oh you have to have a steady hand to do that I could never be a surgeon. She asked what that meant and since I explained it she holds out her hands every once in a while and says "look mom I'm steady still so I can cut people open." She also has been making me come in and dry her hands after she washes them (no hepatitis thank goodness). she holds them up so the water drips down her arm and off her elbows to the floor. She informs me doctors don't dry their own hands and I have to pretend to put gloves on her when I'm done! My life has come to this, I am Megs "pretend assistant" and I love it. She cracks me up.