I registered Leo for Kindergarten yesterday at her new school, Nuckols Farm Elementary!  This day has been on my calendar for months now.  As Leo and I were walking up to her school (it’s pretty much right behind our house) I thought to myself, “Maybe I should have worn some Molly-mormon dress, grown bangs, and put in a headband so I’ll look like the perfect candidate for PTA President!”  I don’t want to be president of anything but the PTA.  

While I was filling out the paperwork and talking w/the volunteers, Leo sat perfectly still and had great manners.  They commented on how great she was. I said, “I know, I totally have bragging rights.”  Afterwards we walked down the school’s hallways and looked inside the library, art room, cafeteria, and different classrooms trying to guess which one would be Leo’s.  I still remember when I was in Kindergarten at Marcus Whitman Elementary in Richland, WA.  I was NOT shy and was really bossy – I remember this one girl didn’t wear shorts under her dress and I told her she needed to so she could be modest.  Some things never change!   

I’ve been really nervous about putting Leo in Kindergarten, especially since it’s full-day.  I just felt like I was throwing her out to the dogs, letting her out into this world at age 5!!!   I was (am) nervous about what kinds of things she’ll be learning at school.  But my mom sent me a great quote this morning regarding the most important thing I can do as a parent to prepare her for “real life”:

Children are open to gospel truths more than at any other time, and protected childhood is literally a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to teach and strengthen children to choose the right.  It’s easy to know what to teach. The scriptures and our prophets are clear about what to teach our children. Nephi summarizes it in this verse, ‘And we talk of Christ, we rejoice in Christ, we preach of Christ, we prophesy of Christ . . . that our children may know to what source they may look for a remission of their sins’ (2 Nephi 25:26). (Margaret S. Lifferth, “Behold Your Little Ones,” Ensign, Nov. 2006, 74-75 )   

After spending time w/Leo at the school, I think she’s going to do wonderfully.  I’m excited for her to learn new things, find out what she has a passion for and meet new friends.  I’m looking forward to being involved in her school (her teachers are either gonna love or hate me) and for watching Leo enjoy Kindergarten.  I just might have to OD on the Diet Coke the first couple days of school.  

I wish I had taken a picture of it, but yesterday I came home after a long day of meetings at church about a half an hour before my parents and sister and family were coming over for dinner to what looked like a crime scene.  Two diaper bags were completely dumped out right in front of the door, all of the cushions were thrown off the couches, and toys were everywhere.  Marissa’s car was gone, so at first I thought she’d just decided to take the kids to the park or something to get out of the house real quick.  But when I tried to call her cell phone, I realized that it was on the floor by the front door with everything else dumped out of her bags. 

That’s when I started to get worried.  You wouldn’t believe the scenarios I was coming up with in my mind – armed robbery, rush to the emergency room, etc.  So I called my mom to see if she had talked to Marissa; she hadn’t, but she called about every other person from our church to try to find out anything.  No luck.  I was about to have her start calling hospitals when Marissa pulled up.  Turns out she couldn’t find any of Rocky’s pacifiers and everyone was crying, so she took a “quick” trip to get one. 

So, I suppose I overreacted, but you can’t blame me.  I’m glad that everyone’s alive and that there were no guns or injuries involved.  I’m sure Marissa’s embarrassed that I’m posting this, but it’s too good a story (in retrospect) not to.  And like I told her, at least I was worried!

Now, you should know I’m not the hugest BYU fan (well excuuuuuuuse me!), but I am glad Denton and I both went there, great education at a great price. 

My cousin Travis Hansen played basketball for BYU a few years back, and is currently playing in Russia for Moscow’s Dynamo, one of the top teams in the European League.  This is great article about what Travis and his family are doing over in Russia to help the people and be an example of what good Americans are all about.  And while it’s nice to read about his “rock-star” status playing for Dynamo, it’s more interesting to read about how their family has offered assistance to a growing number of Russian orphans.

And just FYI – I would be ok w/it if Fischer ended up playing ball for BYU, I guess.  

Leo had her first soccer game yesterday.  After some initial confusion about the direction of the goal for her team, she did awesome.  They don’t keep score, but she had at least three goals.  We had the whole fam plus grandma and her friend beth there cheering her on (and Marissa on the sidelines trash-talking the other team).  Check out the pictures below (Leo’s #8) – I was there with both of my cameras (one video) looking like every over-wraught parent – all so you could see her in action. 

Leo’s team is the Leopards — they’re fast and fierce. Leo even caused one injury (accidently–I think).

Rocky took his first steps today!!!  It was totally out of the blue:  he was sitting on the bottom stair with his feet hanging over, and he stood up and walked over to me – didn’t even see it coming!!  And it was even more ironic because he had his 1-year check-up this morning and when the doctor asked me if he was walking, I said, “No, and he’s totally not even interested in it.”  What do I know????

Fischer wanted me to add that he’s a big boy now cuz he can get himself dressed in his PJ’s all by himself!  At our last FHE, we taught the kids about the preexistence and how they can become Kings and Queens… so the other morning I was listening to Leo and Fischer’s conversation during breakfast, and they were fighting over who got to be a King or Queen first!!!  At least they listened.   P.S.  Thank you to Gran and Grandma for the great presents for Rocky’s birthday – he loves them! 

For Rocky’s second party, we went to the Great Wolf Lodge in Williamsburg, VA for a night.  It was SO much fun and so nice to get away with just our little family.  The water park is right inside the hotel, along with tons of other stuff to do.  Our room had a little “Kids Kamp” area w/bunk beds for Fischer and Leo to sleep in.  We brought a chocolate cake with us and had another party in our hotel room.  It was a great way to celebrate our little Rocky.

Here are my thoughts about Rocky’s first year of life…   Back in August 2006, Denton and I had gone to the temple to decide whether or not we should move to New Zealand with his employer at that time, PWC.  I came out of the temple thinking, “NO, but something was going to change.”  And Denton came out of the temple thinking, “NO, but we’re gonna have a baby!”  When he told me I said, well yeah we’re gonna have a baby, in a YEAR!  Denton had been interviewing at companies through out the east and a week later accepted a job at Circuit City HQ in Richmond.  Then a week after that, I took a pregnancy test and it was POSITIVE!!!  I was floored and told Denton, “Well congratu-freaking-lations!”  Needless to say, I was shocked. Rocky was born in Richmond, VA on Wednesday, April 11, 2007 at 3:30 pm.  Denton was able to deliver him, front and center.  While I’ve never regretted having Rocky, for a long time I wondered, “WHY?”  Why did Heavenly Father have him come at such a “bad” time, according to MY plans?  When Rocky was born, we were not living in our own place, we had just moved and I left my best friends, my father had recently and unexpectedly passed away, and I was geographically as far away from my family as possible.  Because we were not living in our own home, I didn’t have my mom come out when Rocky was born.  It was hard enough adjusting to a third child while my other two were under four years old, much less with all the other hard things going on.  So you can see that I didn’t understand why things happened the way they did.  And that’s me… I always have to understand WHY!!!It’s been a year now… I think Heavenly Father sent Rocky to me when he did to help me forget about all the negative things that were going on in my life at the time, and focus on the positive.

Rocky has brought so much love into our home.  Leo is like his second mother, and Fischer loves to “baby wrestle” him and play cars and trains with Rocky.  He is such a happy baby and is always waving and smiling and “talking.”  I have learned so many things since having Rocky here – I have a MUCH greater appreciation for my mother and for my husband, for all they do/have done for me and my children.  There are so many other things I have learned, but I’ll save that for another post.  But mostly, I’m thankful that Heavenly Father had a plan for my family and that he sent us Rocky when he did.

Rocky turned ONE on April 11!!!  We had a couple parties for him (we’re all about multiple parties) and this one was complete w/grandparents and Uncle “Tio” who brought eight of his friends.  Denton made a FAT dinner with a chocolate-ricotta cake that Rocky chowed down on.  

I know all parents think this about their own kids, and I’m not even supposed to say this, but aren’t our kids the cutest?

Normally I have to threaten them to smile and look at the camera OR ELSE . . . , but this time was a piece of cake, and Rocky just smiled automatically every time he saw the red light on the camera.

While I’m already bragging, I might as well mention that last night as I was tucking Leo in to bed, she asked how much three plus four was.  So we practiced some addition – all the way up to sums of 20 – and even some subtraction.  She used her fingers on a few of them, but most she did without – I think she’s going to be a math girl.

Ok, so I’m 31 and have 3 (thousand) kids, so I figured it’s ’bout time I get down to bid-ness on the whole “Food Storage” thing… that and learn to bake my own bread!!!  Yep, never thought I’d see the day, I might as well put on my bonnet and bloomers.  BUT – I have started baking my own wheat bread and I love it!!  I got this recipe from my “mother-of-the-year” friend Laurene “Lips” Ross – she was also a Loreal-counter girl for like 20 years so you know this recipe isn’t TOO Molly Mormon.

Ingredients:2 packages fast rising yeast (5 tsp)1/2 cup warm water1 tsp sugar2 cups warm water1 Tbl salt (salt salt salt, ha ha!)1/3 cup oil or applesauce (or 1 cup flax meal)1/3 cup honey or sugar4-5 cups flour (red wheat, white wheat, white, etc.)Mix yeast, 1/2 cup warm water, and 1 tsp sugar in mixing bowl, let rise.  Add wet ingredients, mix.  Add dry ingredients one cup at a time.  Knead 5-10 minutes in mixer until elastic.  Put dough into two greased pans and let rise until doubled.  Bake @ 350 for 30 minutes.Variations:Oil:  I always use olive oil, the applesauce is not my favorite.  BUT, what I do to cut back on the oil is use half the amount of oil (1/6 cup) and half the amount of flax meal (Trader Joe’s baby!)  Flax meal has a 3 to 1 cooking ratio, so instead of using 1/6 cup flax, you put in 1/2 cup of flax meal.  Make sense? (1/6 x 3 = 3/6 = 1/2)Honey:  I always use honey, never sugar at this point.  I do use sugar in the beginning w/the yeast.Flour:  I’ve tried all different types of flour.  My favorite is just using white wheat flour.  It tastes the best and has the same nutrition as the red wheat.  I never use regular white flour. The kids actually like the bread and eat it for sandwiches, french toast, just w/butter or peanut butter on top, etc. I freeze one loaf and chow down on the other – even my “Gourmet-all-the-way” husband likes it! Now where did I put my Dutch Oven? :)

Bow wow wow yippee yo yippee yay,
Snoop Dogg is in the mother lovin’…. church.

“Rapper Snoop Dogg Converts to Mormonism” 

Read the comments at the end. I knew he’d come around.