The above picture is Miranda on the first day of school with her teacher, below is the last day. Time flies and she is growing up. Miranda has been very fortunate to have such excellent teachers. We are grateful for all that these ladies have done for our kids. Miranda still is a great reader, she loves it and is good at it. At the beginning of the year I worried about math, but she really stepped up and did excellent. She ended the year with all 4's which means she has mastered end of year standards.
Here is Logan getting ready for his very first day of school.
He had no problem waving good-bye as he entered the wonderful world of learning.
Below is Logan's first teacher, who also taught Miranda when she was in Kindergarten. So she falls under the category of excellent teachers as well. Logan also ended the year with all 4's just like Miranda. He is tying his own shoes and is reading pretty good. His strength is math which I think encouraged Miranda to do better, she was not going to be out done by him. Healthy competition. Logan's teacher got a pink slip at the end of this year. We were all hoping that a miracle would happen and she would get her job back as well as the other 5 teachers who will also be sadly leaving their school. It is such a bummer. I can't explain how sad it makes me. All the fifth grade teachers also got pink slips so that will make it interesting for those going into fifth grade. I hope to see these faces back here soon.
I am so proud of both my little smarty pants. I am also excited to have a busy summer of fun plans. Then for next year, only having to make two trips to the school, since Miranda and Logan will be on the same schedule!
Yesterday after lunch the kids got a chocolate covered ice cream bar. As I was cleaning up and realized that Hannah had spilled some of her chocolate on the chair, then it smeared. It was so exciting to be able to wipe it up! The dining room table needs to last about 2.5 more years. We figure at three the kids are no longer banging the prong end of the forks into the table while throwing a fit when we we insist they eat their veggies, or they didn't get the right spoon, or they wanted water instead of milk, well you get the idea. So way to go me, not only did I start a new project I completed it and even fixed a few lost screws!
Barely visible but still there. We are not exactly sure what happened. When it was discovered I called the girls in and asked what happened. Miranda's response was "Hannah punched Lauren in the face!" This was said with conviction. I decided I wanted more detail since it seemed odd, hair pulling, wrestling, biting are possibilities but I have never seen any hint of boxing amongst the kiddos. It turns out Hannah and Lauren were playing and the bonked heads. 
We were young, I was mean, but we maintained a friendship. He was extremely busy playing the field. ; ) When we both had lived a little and matured he called me out of the blue. At least it was for me, turns out he had been trying to call for two months. We started dating for real in December of 98. In April we took a fabulous trip to Disneyland (where else of course!) and to San Diego, and a short trip over the border. It was then that I knew it was not just a fling, and he was serious. It was the first time that we seriously talked marriage.
We have been blessed with lots of tired nights and extremely happy moments.
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She knows what she wants and I hope that never changes. Her confidence does not compare with her siblings. She loves to give kisses and will give hugs to say sorry. Those who know us really well appreciate her as well. By no means do I think we have perfect kids and I know no body would trade theirs for ours, but our kids behave well in public, then Lauren came. While she does behave pretty well she is by far louder than the other kids. She is at the point when shopping that she sees clothes racks and takes off giggling the whole way. She loves to get into no-no's and then have you chase her. This little twerp is fast. Who would have thought that would be the case for such a late walker?
Lauren was a pretty good eater but hasn't eaten vegetables in I don't know how long. She was too young to reason with so we just let her eat what she wanted. Now it is time for hard core training. We give her dinner and if she doesn't eat her vegetables she does not get dessert. We also are now cutting back on the milk. Yesterday after dinner I was of course at the computer, and the kids come and inform (not tattle that would be annoying) me that Lauren has a cookie. So I follow them to find her hiding by the end of the bed eating her cookie in a corner. From the door you can not see her but as I kept walking she was busted. Here's a little video.
Happy 2nd Birthday to our fifth child, the one who will not let us loose her in the mix and makes herself known and demands independence. Lauren, I love you!
The day I got to meet them was amazing. My cup runneth over. I felt amazingly blessed!
Believe it or not Lauren loves her little brother. She loves to give him kissies.
Then I decide to film a little interaction. I put the camera down and guess what? Jackson rolled from his tummy to his back and I missed it. So I tried again and this is what I got:
Then a couple of T-shirts, that I think are fabulous! Another surprise that I got was from Miranda. I went to pick her up from school on Thursday and she had a plant in her hand. Every year for mother's day they have a plant sale at her school to raise money for the special needs classroom. The plants are $1.00. So I was surprised that Jeremy had given her the money for a plant, she corrected me and said she used her own money. I was floored! It shouldn't surprise me but it did. It made the little plant all that much more special. She must have been pleased with my reaction because the next day she bought her grandma a plant as well. She also bought me a beaded lizard key chain. She even got an all purple one with pink highlights. My two favorite colors.
I was very surprised. Then Jeremy, pulled from the oven some store bought pre-made cinnamon rolls, he even let the oven beep like he actually made them! Following the sweet rolls, he made me an egg, fried potatoes and vienna sausages. It was perfect. When I got home from church, since he stayed home with the sickies, he had dinner almost completely cooked. I tend to do most of the cooking, but told him what I wanted and he made it!
In case you want recipes here they are 
