I'm BAAACK!

Well now that school is back in I am a little more...or less focused and can blog about the funnier things in life. Summer is fun but it is busy and draining!

This funny is about Logan. We were talking and I was admiring his BYU hat. I asked what it was and he answered. Jeremy and I have decided to plant the seed early that all our kids WILL go to BYU (did you feel the Jedi Force behind that?). So I asked him if he was going to go to BYU his response was "I think I might run out of gas!" The way these kids' minds work is fascinating.

Miranda is so PROPER!

Miranda has survived her first week of 1st grade. Her teacher is a dream come true, she is a perfect mix of strict but fun. We are two for two as far as great teachers are concerned. Miranda has already had a memorable moment. At school for behavior they get cards. Everyone starts on green, if they get a warning it goes to yellow, blue they get a "time-out" or benched as she put it, then red which means they are getting a note home, I think there is another color...well Miranda came home on Monday very excited that "half the class got flipped to yellow" and she was still green. Then Wednesday rolled around. The schedule is a little different and I packed her a regular lunch. Turns out my slow eater ran out of time. She was not in line when lunch was over so her card got flipped to yellow. When she told me, she seemed OK with it, I was surprised. She later told me there is no crying when your card gets flipped, but she stopped it in her throat, all you girls know what that feels like. I asked what we could do about it, was she talking too much or is there a bell, etc. So Thursday was open house. The freakishly concerned parent with my serious "behavior" problem asked the teacher about the schedule difference to make sure it doesn't happen again. Miranda explained that she was still eating. So her kind (and I REALLY like her so I mean it) teacher said well you will have to shove your food in your mouth. Miranda responded dignified "I don't shove food in my mouth." So Ms. Teacher said well place it quickly in your mouth. When we asked her about it later that night she admitted how she responded. It was a fun moment. This is one of those times you are grateful to be a parent and have a great story to tell.

New Slogan?

I found this website through a blog of a blog of a blog...you get the picture, I'll do anything on the computer to avoid doing something like the dishes. This shirt was made with me in mind I think!

I had to make it small but it says "Procrastinators of the world unite" with a picture of the world and then below its says "...tomorrow." As always I am looking for recruits to make me feel better!

Parenting books

I am at the stage where I am willing to admit I don't know what I am doing and I am not feeling confident that winging it will produce, confident, independent children. When I went to education week last year I went to a class by Randall A. Wright. It was great. I didn't buy his book 25 Mistakes LDS Parents make and How to Avoid Them but J bought it for "us" for Christmas last year. I read it loved it...and HATED it. It brought me to the realization I will have to be a parent to a teenager with teenage problems. I am so not ready for Teenage hood. I highly recommend this book to anyone who is worried about these years and how to make it easier for them to stand up for what they have been taught that is right.

The second book J got for my was by a wonderful down to earth speaker Merrilee Boyack. She is fantastic. I actually listened to her talk about being a better wife. I know it sounds offensive but it was great, it definitely helped me to respect the differences between husbands and wives. Anyways The Parenting BreakThrough is a great book about raising independent hard working children. I am only on Chapter 3 but it is fantastic. It is like sitting down and talking with her. I would recommend to anyone if you get a chance to see her go for it. Just a plug if you are looking for a great date in the Sacramento, CA areaTOF Couples will be here and she is speaking. She has another book called Strangling Your Husband is Not An Option

So this is what I am reading and learning about. Parenting is lots of hard work but it is OK to make your children work and do chores. One thing I loved from this book is she points out it is not our job to make them happy, that is their choice. Our job as parents is to shape them into great adults who can function well in society!

Contra Loma

Here are the pictures from our day. We went with the Mildenstein Family, Doll Family, Cook Family (plus a Moore ;-)) Rossi Family, and Porter Family, plus us. It was alot of fun and safe and most importantly clean. All my kids had a blast and I think my nieces and nephew had a good time too.

To top off the day we watched High School Musical 2. It was great. One article it is labeled as the movie that rocked the nation.

Boys! Boys! Boys!

In our household it is not too often we get to see how boys behave. We went to Contra Loma to swim and have a fun day in the sun. I will post pictures of our day. This post is how Logan and his friends for at least an hour got out ran and jumped back in, I couldn't believe how long this kept them busy. Here are a couple of pictures of Logan and his chums! Please note: It looks as thought the boys are on a collision course. No children were harmed during this photograph.

Grandma Visits

Here is a picture of Grandma with 6 of her seven soon to be eight grandchildren. They had a great visit. It was fun to have a few relaxing days where we could wing it. This is the better picture of the two but one of my "sticky fingers" mucked up the lens. Although you can't see her too well Alani is the top left cutie. We are sad that she and Katie are now living in Ohio but it was meant to be. We wish them luck. Mom, it was a great visit, I am glad you came. Love you!

My little Baby Doll!

Lauren has survived her first three months in the Jacobs' Zoo, the place we call home. She loves to sit and watch the world move very quickly around her. I don't know how much I can brag about what a great baby she is. She has been such a wonderful addition to our family. She has the dark hair like me so people say she looks like me...finally one who looks like me from birth.(Miranda only looked like me after Logan looked so much like Jeremy.) Then I look at baby pictures and she looks like Logan but with lots of dark hair. She is super precious and I love her so much!

Daddy Daughter Date

Jeremy's work had some extra tickets to an A's game on Friday night so Jeremy took Miranda. It was an awesome game. They had a great time. Here are some photos.

Create a Free Slideshow

Western CUNA Management School honors new grads
RANCHO CUCAMONGA, Calif. (8/9/07)--Eight students graduated with high honors and were inducted into the Academic Hall of Fame, while an additional six students graduated with honors during the 46th session of the Western CUNA Management School (WCMS), held July 15-27 at Pomona College in Claremont, Calif.

John C. Dill, president/CEO of the Credit Union Associations of Colorado and Wyoming, delivered this year's Western CUNA Management School commencement address at Pomona College on July 26. (Photo provided by the California Credit Union League)
Out of the 411 students attending this year, 172 were first-year students, 142 were second-year students, and 97 were third-year students.

Over a three-year period, students have five opportunities to earn academic honors. Honors and high honors are awarded to the highest achievers on the examinations taken by all students at the end of the school year. Students also can earn honors and high honors for the analysis of each of their two projects. To be inducted into the Academic Hall of Fame, students must have received honors in all five opportunities.

Students earning high honors included:

• Jeremy Calva, Wescorp, San Dimas, Calif.;
  
• Jeremy Jacobs, CD FCU, Concord, Calif.;
  
• Shannon Jennings, Seattle Metropolitan CU;
  
• Lesley Makekau, Hawaiian Credit Union League;
  
• Charlotte McKernan, American First CU, La Habra, Calif.;
  
• Hemlata Patel, Pacific Service CU, Walnut Creek, Calif.;
  
• Sharon Lynne Phillips, San Diego County CU, San Diego; and
  
• Shonna Shearson, Kern Schools FCU, Bakersfield, Calif.
  

Students earning honors included:
Tricey Kruger, TwinStar CU, Olympia, Wash.;
Justin Martin, Verity CU, Seattle;
Helen Mickel, Tongass FCU, Ketchikan, Alaska;
James Newstrom, Seattle Metropolitan CU;
Alan Shank, Great American Community CU, Grand Junction, Colo.; and
Jacqueline So, Inland Empire CU, Pomona, Calif.
Edward Vollenweider from Greater New Orleans FCU in Metairie, La., received the Charles M.

Clark Memorial Award. Vollenweider was nominated based on high moral character, leadership, credit union dedication and academic achievement.

Ava Milosevich, former CEO of SELCO CU in Eugene, Ore., and a WCMS graduate, was named as the 17th recipient of the James D. Likens Alumni Recognition Award, founded by the Alumni Association of WCMS.

WCMS' curriculum includes classes on management, economics, legal and ethical standards, money and financial institutions, communications and leadership. Students take classes six hours a day, five days a week, with three two-week terms over consecutive summers. Students also have organized activities outside of the classroom.

If you are curious about CUNA school click here. I am still beaming because my hubby is the bomb!

Catching up!

It hasn't been that long but there has been a lot going on the biggest and best news is that Jeremy graduated CUNA school with HIGH HONORS!
We drove down to LA last Sunday (July 22nd) and stayed with Jeremy's sister, Jami. It was fabulous. I think I will call it Hotel Murphy! Taylor, my much too grown up niece, loved playing with the twins. I think Hannah found a new best friend. These kids are growing up too fast. We went to Disneyland on Tuesday with out Jeremy. We were a group of 11, of which 6 were 6 or under. It was wonderful, I am so proud of the kids, most people wouldn't venture to Disneyland being so outnumbered by kids but they did a great job and made it a wonderful time. Then Thursday we went to the mall next to her house, I would move there just for the mall! We got home and got ready for Jeremy's graduation. It was great to be there when he found out he graduated with high honors. For the entire program he had three tests and 2 projects which took about 8 months to complete. For each you get a grade of passing, honors, high honors or highest honors. He got honors on one test and one project and high honors on the other three. He worked very hard and I am still beaming with pride. So in honor of his great accomplishment we went to Disneyland again on Friday and Saturday. We got to ride the Nemo ride which is super cool. Jer's mom and sister waited in line while we went and took the rest of the kids, minus Miranda who wanted to wait in the 2 hour line, on a few rides. It was an all around great time. As always there were some funny stories.

Logan didn't want to go on Space Mountain, so with his fascination with money, I offered him a quarter. His response was a firm negative. Jeremy then upped it to a dollar, still NEGATIVE! Then I offered him THREE quarters, because three is more than one! Sure enough he smiled really big and said he would ride it for three quarters.

Logan got to ride Soaring over California for the first time. It was cool I tried to explain the ride and what would happen, I told him it was magic. So the ride starts and he really thinks we left Disneyland. We got off the ride and he said it was super cool. He agreed that it was magic. I wish I had a video of his response. It is what taking a child to Disneyland is all about.

They have this Jedi Training Academy. Miranda was chosen to participate along with about 20 other kids. She was trained by a Jedi and his three padiwans. Then Darth Vader, Darth Maul and two storm Troopers came and attacked. Miranda got in line to fight Darth Vader. As soon as she walked up to him are camera memory ran out, we missed the whole thing! We do have a few pictures though. She activated her light saber and threw it across the stage. The Jedi used the force and said "you did not just see that" as he waved his hand. So she fought him then the Storm Troopers. She used one hand at a time and pushed the troopers using the force than two at a time. After she was done, we think she was supposed to sit down, but she got in the other line to fight Darth Maul too. She was amazing to get up there at all much less fight Darth Maul he was very scary looking. She was the star of the show. Anyways the Jedi's in training scared The Darths and Troopers away. They all received a certificate of graduation. Afterwards she was training her siblings and cousins in the Jedi ways.

This is all I can think of at the moment. I will put together a slide show which I will call the summer of cousins. We got to see the Murphy family a ton and also our cousins who live in Arizona, Ethan and Caleb, who are returning home today.

TWINS FOR SALE!

Another episode of While Jeremy's Away!

People always talk about how their kids get into stuff, and I always think how lucky I am I haven't had these problems. I always say how Logan has so much energy and gives me a run for my money. He is now my favorite compared to Haylie and Hannah. So here is the add:

Adorable, sweet twins for sale, innovative, clever, mischievous, love to dance, will smile for food. They know how to dress themselves and open the refrigerator, they will get cereal on the table before you wake up. Earlier risers. Very fashionable. Willing to trade for housekeeping and cooking (except when I need to cook away my frustrations).

Here is the story that is prompting this add. Note it is my fault, well actually it is the fault of this dang computer, I wish I could just chuck it but alas it is my lifeline, and ultimately my fault. UGH! A few of my friends are in the process of moving and selling their homes. I am getting a little stir crazy so I was highly distracted looking at homes we could never afford in locations we could never live. I have this lovely baby monitor so I can hear what is going on in the back of the house. I hear the girls chatting and playing and think nothing of it, I am tired of fighting with them to take a nap. All of the sudden Miranda comes around the corner and says Haylie has black stuff on her face, but didn't get it from Miranda's room. I think great they got into my scrapbooking stuff again. I WISH! Here are pictures of Haylie and Hannah.

Of course Hannah is at fault when asking both of them but when you ask her alone "Haylie did it!" Miranda never got into my make-up, and Logan hasn't either. I guess the moral of this is that two minds are more mischievous than one. The twins are here to teach me I have been too hard on Logan, he is a saint!

Logan I am sorry for all the grief I have given you. Thank you for being a good kid and using quiet time wisely. You score BIG as my favorite child of the day!

I am a wimp.

Monday night I stayed up kind of late. It is usually not easy to go to sleep without your significant other close by. So I went to sleep around midnight. At about 1:30am I heard noise coming form Logan and the twin's room like someone playing with toys. I got up and turned on the bathroom light. and then heard little feet pattering. When I opened the door I saw Hannah climbing back into bed. I thought to myself "She is not feeling well, hopefully Lauren doesn't wake up, now I have to lay down with her for a while..." lots of thoughts for a quick period of time. So I lay down next to her and feel her for head, no fever. Then I ask her if she is feeling OK. No response. I took a good look and she was so OUT! I am not sure if she was sleep walking but it was a little disturbing. So I went back to bed and fell asleep. Then at 2:30am I woke up to another sound of metal being hit, kind of a tin-y sound. I got up again and everyone was sleeping peacefully, except Miranda who is falling into her Daddy's footprints and snores with the best of them! I got back into bed and and was really disturbed. Lauren started making noise so I though I would nurse her while I was awake. I heard another noise. I was starting to panic thinking about how was I going to get rid of whatever was making this noise. Then I saw the light...Logan has this metal tin on his bead filled with his prize possessions. He must have rolled over and hit it, making the tin-y sound. As you can tell I am a wimp and shouldn't be left home alone in charge of 5 little ones who have to protect me!

Toothless

Wouldn't you know crisis would ensue as soon as Jeremy left. Miranda has had 2 loose teeth for a while. The ones to the right and left of her bottom middle teeth, which have already fallen out and have grown back. Anyways we have discovered her top two middle teeth are loose too...back to my story. so Jeremy left on Sunday and I will we gone until tomorrow (I can't wait to see you honey!). On Monday Miranda came to me and showed me her tooth was supper loose, like hanging on by a thin root. She was able to bend it to a 90 degree angle and it was bleeding a little bit. For some reason I freak when my children are bleeding from something other than a skinned knee and fat lip. Jeremy has been the one to tie dental floss around the tooth and pull it out. So I told Miranda in a calm and rational voice "go work on it some more." Then I called Jeremy and left a panicked message he said it started something like this "Hi Jer we have a crisis..." I would like to think I didn't use the word crisis over something so lame, but I wasn't really in my right mind. He started to worry then heard it wasn't really a crisis. He told me I shouldn't use a word like that while he is not here to verify. So my calm cool collected Miranda comes back about 10 minutes later laughing with her bottom jaw poking forward trying to say "Mommy I lost my tooth." It was very cute. So I was saved again. The tooth fairy left her a whole dollar. She was thrilled and I had to let her know that the tooth fairy must think teeth are more valuable now then when I was a kid we only got quarters for our tooth.

She is TWO months!

Lauren was two months old on Tuesday. I took her for her check up and she is doing great. She got two shots and this oral vaccination for Roto Virus (I think that is what is was called). She didn't like the medicine and she really didn't like the shots. She did well and is growing wonderfully. She weighs 12 pounds 11.2 ounces, and is 24 1/4" long. So she gained 2lbs and 6.2 ounces from birth and has grown 2 1/2" in two months. I keep telling people she was supposed to be triplets with Haylie and Hannah but Heavenly Father knew that would do me in, so Lauren is just trying to catch up with them as quickly as possible. She is cute as pie "tootie pie" as Haylie always calls her. It isn't the best picture but the bed head cracks me up. Bed head or not she's a doll!

Barbershop

We played barbershop yesterday. Jeremy needed to get his haircut before his two week "business" trip. He is gone to CUNA school for the last summer, WA-HOO! Logan in the meantime needed a haircut really badly, we don't like long hair Logan, he is too adventurous for me. So we try to keep his hair short before his personality changes. Miranda has been begging to get her hair cut SHORT for some. We have finally relented. Here is a before and after shot of her. I tried to get her to not smile and be depressed for the before shot but this was the best she could do.

Snores

Last night we wnated to do a camp out and smores. I chickened out on the camp out but we decided to make s'mores. Logan was very excited and kept askeing when we were going to make "SNORES." Everytime Logan said it Jeremy would pretend to snore. Logan didn't get it at first then we explained it was S'mores not sNores. He laughed but continued to call it snores and Jeremy continued to snore on que. It was lots of fun. We also took the lazy way out and instead of a fire out side we used our gas sotve which is very simple. Thanks Jami for the idea! Here are a few pictures. Haylie and Hannah were already asleep plus it didn't seem like a good idea to let them put something in a flame!

I got some good pictures of Lauren so I had to add them. She is such a content little baby at only 8 weeks new.

Summer Fun!

It is hard to find things to do during the summer that don't break the bank. Last Thursday I decided to have the kids help me wash the car. They did an excellent job. Considering it had been close to a year since it's last bath I would say they did a perfect job. Here is a picture of us washing the car.

They did such a good it took a little elbow grease but they had the muscle to handle it.

The real reason I wanted to wash the car was to add another stick girl to our family. Our rear window is now complete with the seven Jacobs!

Finally Bragging Rights!

This is a post I am most proud to write! Jeremy is the king of spooking people and very hard to get back, ask his female co-workers. I finally got him. It was fabulous. Anyways Jeremy came home from lunch the windows were all opened and the fresh air blowing in but there was no car in the driveway. He called me on the cell phone which I answered happily. This is how the conversation went:
Jer: "Where are you?"
Me: "Home."
Jer: "Where's the car?"
Me: "Here."
Jer: "I am here, The car isn't here."
Me: "The car IS here."
Jer: "I am standing in the driveway there is no car."
He then comes barreling in the door ready to call the police for our stolen car. I start laughing. He continues to point at the driveway and says "the car is NOT here, April this isn't funny."

Insistently I say "Yes it IS, it is in the garage, come look."

He was so mad at me. It took him a good 15 minutes to calm down before he could eat lunch. I know it was cruel to carry on but He pretended to throw a spider on me and enjoys making me jump. His co-workers ask me if I know how to get him and unfortunately I have no idea. This seemed to work and it wasn't intentional.

So here is the back story: Before we had Lauren we decided we needed to clean out the garage so I could park in it. It was 95% cleaned up. A few weeks ago we finally got a new garage door opener. On Wednesday I had a bit of pent up emotions to deal with so I decided to do what was left in the garage, basically just push aside what was left in the middle. I put the car in the garage. It has thrown off a few people, but I am excited to be able to park in a contained area. Now I don't have to worry when I open the door if this is the one time one of the kids will run in the street.

Thank you Jeremy for cleaning the garage and taking care of one of my million demands. I love you.

My sweet Lauren

It is hard to come up with things to say about the kids to keep you interested or familiar with each of their personalities. Well Lauren's personality is the least influenced by me since she is still so new. 7 weeks and 5 days new to be exact. She is a sweet little girl. I was having an emotionally rough day (any cure for hormones?) I was having a hard time finding a reason to smile bless Jeremy's hear for trying. I looked down at Lauren and she gives me the biggest grin and starts cooing at me. She is the best example of unconditional love...or is it because I feed her...no it's definitely unconditional!Another thing is she sucks her thumb. I have never had a thumb sucker before. It makes me nervous. I enjoy the pacifier because I can throw it away, and I am not really in to child mutilation. So the pacifier is the better choice. Anyways it is so funny watching her move her hand across her face as she attempts to land her thumb in her mouth. Amazingly enough, when she wants to she succeeds. One praise to the thumb I can never forget to pack it. I can tell she is going to be a smart one. She will also always have a back up. I tell you I love this girl, and that is not because she looks just like me!