Baseball and Boy Scouts

Now that he is 8 and baptized Jacob is in the Scouting program at our church. We have anticipated this for a long time and so far he loves it. We are just getting our feet wet with one pack meeting and a couple of den meetings under our belt, but we look ahead to many camping trips and outdoor adventures. We made the trek down to the Boy Scouts store in Sacramento the other day where we got to pick out all the items for his uniform and badges (which I have yet to sew on.)
And baseball season is well underway. With the games being player-pitched this year it is much easier for the kids to strike out, but Jacob has done a good job keeping his spirits up and is taking the game seriously. He plays outfielder a lot of the time and stays ready for those grounders. I love baseball season!

Children's Museum and Other Fun Stuff

Last week we had the opportunity of visiting the Children's Museum in Stockton. It was a bit of a drive, but so much fun!

They had several simulations of real-life professions. Here are the girls at the "sandwich shop."
Kaitlyn really liked ringing the bell on this diagram of a cow. I learned that on a farm, they feed baby cows small magnets to keep any scrap metal that is accidentally ingested from entering their intestines.
Kaitlyn loading her basket up with produce- guess she's learned a thing or two from all those trips with me down to the farmer's market!
...and shopping for dry goods...
Here's Ashlee checking her out. The kids really liked the grocery scanner.
Rachel's turn to make a sandwich!
This was the front half of a real helicopter, complete with lights and sounds.
Jacob said he "may" be a police officer when he grows up =)
The free face-painting station was a hit.
I had put a butterfly on Kaitlyn's cheek, but she wiped it off in favor of one of Katie's full-face creations.

It turned out nice, don't you think?
Jacob was in heaven when he discovered this Lego table.
It had better be the only time I see this girl in the back of a police car!!
After a couple hours of playing we discovered this nice outdoor play yard where we could eat our lunch. The sun was shining and it was a beautiful day. The kids had fun playing on the playground and meeting other kids. Here are the girls being "butterflies and angels" on their way back into the museum.
After lunch we ventured into the art room, where they had tons of art supplies and craft tables for the kids. This was our last activity as we were winding down. This was a great homeschool field trip!
This week Anthony discovered finger puffs... and loves them! Would we expect anything less?
Some of them kind of dribble down his chin, but he still gets the flavor.
I am absolutely loving this time with two babies. I think Rachel is discovering that Anthony is blossoming into a fun playmate!
We were given one of these fun Flinstones cars the other day, and my kids have been having a blast with it.
Rachel pretty much claimed it as hers from the get-go. She was hilarious and would scream when anyone tried to touch it or come near it on the first day.
The kids have been spending LOTS of time up in the field (a.k.a. mud) collecting things and making a mess. The other day they came in the house with 2 snakes, a frog, and a lizard. I thought it was cute that they each had their own "pet."
Yes, they are definitely enjoying spring. Sometimes my inner voice wants to shout, "Get out of the mud!" But, I'd much rather have them playing in mud than inside playing video games. Dirt is healthy for kids.
Ashlee's obsession this past week has been The Hunger Games. I took her to see it on Friday night, and here she is with her Katniss braid. She also made herself a tee-shirt with the Mockingjay logo on it.
Mmmmm... a pear and goat cheese pizza I made the other night... one for me and one for a friend!
Kaitlyn being a sweet girl with the marble run. She thought I was taking a video so she kept doing these silly faces.

New Curriculum!

Our new curriculum arrived on Friday, and as always, I'm tickled!! I had heard about a new place called Lakeshore Learning from a couple of friends who recommended it for their "hands-on" items. One of the things we ordered was this ladybug house; our live ladybug larvae are on their way! I am really looking forward to doing this one with the kids.
I also had the brilliant idea to order book bins for the many wonderful books that, until now, have been hiding on our shelf unread. I find this is a much more functional way of displaying the books and getting use out of them. It has the feel of a personal homeschool library right in our dining room!
For geography, we ordered this United States floor puzzle. Jacob and I had fun putting it together, and it reminded me of the old days (when I had fewer kids) and we used to sit down and do his rainforest floor puzzle all the time. I had fun quizzing him afterwards.
And, thanks to Naomi's suggestion, to go along with math we now have a play cash register! We spent a good couple of hours playing store, buying "merchandise" from around the house, and making change. I can honestly say this was the most enjoyable school day we've had in a long time.
These guys are happy to have some new toys too. =)

Happiness

The freedom of homeschooling, new sod in the backyard, and sunny 70 degree weather equals a recipe for happiness. That is what I saw in my kids today. On days like this I can't even bring myself to pull them in for school work... so we consider it P.E.

Nevermind the mattress perched on the picnic table; adventures in night time potty training (did you know sunshine is the best antibacterial?) And as you can see by the blue streak on Rachel's nose, they've been enjoying some face paint. Shall we call it art?

PSP Time

Looks like someone is sharing his love of video games with his brother a little early. Once upon a time I swore I'd never let video games into my house no matter how many boys I had; then they turned 6 and 8.
Not yet Jacob, not yet.

Jacob's Baptism

Last night was a special night for our family: Jacob was baptized. Let me precursor this by saying that the week of, we had the stomach flu going around in our family and only a few of us had gotten it, so we were going on a hope and a prayer that we might be afforded a 24 hour window where everyone was stable. Well, that which doesn't kill you makes you stronger, right?

This baptism was extra special in that Jacob was baptized with his best friend, Luke, and that he was able to be baptized by Forrest. This has been a long time awaiting in our family and words cannot begin to describe the deep gratitude and admiration I have towards Forrest for preparing himself for this opportunity. I am so proud of my boys.
Outside the room where they were to be baptized:
Jacob and Uncle Chad:
First shot with Dad:
Best friends:
A family shot:
I am so proud of these boys:
The mommies:
The boys in their whites, waiting to be baptized:
Let me tell you, there is no better sight:
The proud dads:

Okay, so about 10 minutes before the baptism Jacob started throwing up. Nevertheless it was a beautiful baptism. It nary put a damper on our night. Ashlee played the opening song "I Feel my Savior's Love" on the piano and Aunt Vera gave a beautiful talk. Ashlee bore her sweet testimony that brought tears to both our eyes. All the kids were able to gather in front of the glass at the font, and with the first dunk cousin Bradley belted out with an "Uh-oh!" that had us all smiling inside. Words cannot express how proud I am of my boys, and as we drove home and I looked over all my kids in the car I realized how blessed I am to get to do this again 4 times over, with Ashlee and Jacob leading the way. The gospel truly is amazing and life changing. It has changed my life.

Jacob, we are so proud of you for taking this big and first step in your life. May Heavenly Father bless you with all He has in store.