Freckle faced girl

My end of March post was very Helena heavy, so I wanted to share the sweetest picture of Tempe today!

This picture just completely captures the 7-year-oldness of Tempe right now. Big girl front teeth with lots of gaps, hair in her favorite braids, proudly riding her two-wheeler, and of course, her very, very freckly face.
Tempe has a lot of freckles. I love them.

Also, I found this written in ballpoint pen on my sewing desk a few months ago and I've been meaning to take a picture of it. Dere Tempe, love you too, but please don't write on the furniture, XOXO Mom.

Christmas ornaments 2013

Jason's mom got him and all of his siblings an ornament every Christmas. Jason and I have continued the tradition in our own family and every year we have fun picking out an ornament that represents our kids' year. I decided to start taking a picture of each child with their ornament this year and here they are!

Tempe loves loves loves cats and she is so excited that we have one. Her ornament has a little cat and says "Home is where the cat is". That definitely sums up her year!

Helena is such a little diva and she wants to be a rock star. She even dressed up as a rock star for Halloween this year! Her ornament is a very glittery "Rock Star" ornament.

Juno loves tools and has fun "helping" fix things around the house. She even has her very own jigsaw just like Mom's! It's hard to get a picture of a three year old holding an ornament up so you can see it, but hers is a hammer and wrench.

Kindergartner+ First grader!

A little late, but here is my kindergartner....

And my first grader!!

They're cuties, huh?

small town

Tonight, I think we accidentally drove through a time warp and ended up in Stars Hollow.

Yes, Stars Hollow, the quaint little town fond of festivals and celebrations on Gilmore Girls.

We started out the evening by going to the local pioneer-house-turned-museum for the Spooky Storytelling, complete with hot cocoa, a firepit, costumes, lots of props, and sound effects. The girls loved cuddling on a bench out in the crisp fall air and listening to stories about giant grizzly bears and toe-nibbling scarecrows. 

After we listened to a few stories, we walked over to the nearby park, where the annual pumpkin walk was going on. We strolled along the tiki-torch lined sidewalk, admiring all that Jack-o-lanterns carved by local children, and then the girls played on the playground before we got our (free) doughnuts and headed home.

I almost expected the troubadour to wander through.

Sidenote: I love living in a small town. After five years of going to the library for storytime weekly, two years of teaching local kids cooking lessons, and now with two kids of my own in school, we know a lot of people. No less than 10 kids were excited to say hi to Tempe ("Tempe! There's Tempe! Hi, Tempe!!") and while she didn't totally recognize all of them, she was excited to see them, too :)

Seven years old!!

I've got a seven year old now!!
Tempe is so darling and sweet. She is loving first grade and can't get enough of reading. She got a new A to Z Mysteries book for her birthday and can't put it down because she just has to know what happens in the mystery! Her favorite parts of school are lunch and recess (three times a day!) She walks/rides her scooter to school with our cute little next door neighbor and then very sweetly watches over Helena on the way home in the afternoons. She's very independent at school and often prefers playing by herself on the playground, which makes this mommy worry sometimes--I just have to remind myself that if she is happy playing alone, I shouldn't worry. She does have several good friends and kids are always saying "Hi, Tempe!!!" as we walk to/from school, so I know she has people to play with if she wants to.
As you might be able to see from that picture, she is missing her top two teeth. They are growing in so fast that she won't have that sweet little girl smile for long! She is also soooooo tall. I know I'm super short, but she is nearly up to my shoulder and she's only seven!
She is such a dear and we sure love having her!

First grade + Kindergarten, here we come!

We may have 6 1/2 weeks of summer left, but we've already started thinking about going back to school at our house!

Our school posted the class lists on July 1st, so we walked over to the school with some friends--even though it was 100 degrees at just 10:30 am!! Yes, I could have just logged onto the website to check, but I like making a big deal out of anything school related to get my kids excited.

Tempe will be in first grade this year, so she'll be gone all day long. I don't know how I will handle it, but I'm sure she will do just fine. This kid was made for school! She learned so much in kindergarten and had a great year. She made tons of friends (I was always bombarded by playdate requests when I volunteered in her class) and picked up reading so fast. She's excited to go back and be able to eat lunch at school and she's especially excited to have her kindergarten teacher again! That's right, her teacher from kindergarten is moving up to first grade and Tempe is in her class. She was so happy to see her name on that list! I liked her teacher a lot, even though she was so disorganized and chaotic (she once took Tempe on a walking field trip that I had not received a permission form for--I didn't even know about it) because she loves the kids and makes school so much fun. The only bad thing is none of her good friends from last year are in her class. I know that this will be an opportunity for her to branch out and make even more friends, plus she'll see the kids she knew from kindergarten at recess and lunch, etc.

Helena is so excited to start school like her big sister! She has been ready all year to go to kindergarten. She learned so much in preschool and doing "homework" with Tempe every night--I think she's even more prepared for kindergarten than Tempe was! She's been practicing on her scooter so that she and Tempe can scooter home every day (Helena is in afternoon kindergarten) and I can't wait to see them round the corner together every day. The Primary chorister in our ward is a kindergarten teacher and Helena has been crossing her fingers that she would have her--and she got her wish! She's so excited to start school, but I am trying to hold on to summer because I love having all three kiddos home with me all day!

{happy summer}

Welcome to summer!!
School is officially out and I sure am glad. While it was nice having some alone time this year while the girls were at school, I sure love having them with me and I am looking forward to a fun summer spent all together.
Even though today was the last day, Tempe had her kindergarten graduation yesterday. They even marched in to Pomp and Circumstance. The look on Tempe's face was priceless. You could tell that she was so proud of herself! She was a little nervous to do her part of the program, but she did a great job.

Official kindergarten graduate!!

Tempe loved her kindergarten teacher. She's moving up to first grade, so who knows, maybe Tempe will have her two years in a row!

I saw this idea floating around the internet last year (on this Tip Junkie post--#15--and incidentally, #4 is from me and #13 is from a lady that lived in my mom's ward in TN about 10 years ago!) The banner said "happy summer" and was really cute, but you can't read it in this picture. I put it up while Tempe was at school for a surprise, but next year I think I'll put it up the night before the last day of school so they can see it all morning before school!

And here she is crashing through it to officially start her summer break!
I have a lot of ideas to make this the best summer ever. I mean, a lot, everything from fun outings to take every week, to how to manage our daily routine, to a brand new chore/allowance system I am going to break out this month. Lots of good intentions, we'll see how long it lasts!

Little dancers

Tempe and Helena had their dance recital last night!

It was darling. You could see how much life and joy they are filled with as they danced. They actually both got to do their dances twice (Tempe's first dance was a fiasco, so they let the girls try again, and Helena's group was missing several kids when they were ready to dance, so they did it a second time when they showed up.) The second time around definitely went more smoothly for both of them!

Helena and her best friend Sophie.

Group shot of the 4-5 year old class (the " A Tisket A Tasket" girls).

Group shot of the 5-7 year old class in their "Ever Ever After" costumes.

Tempe's the one with her back to us on the right. I didn't get a group picture of them in this costume, but it was a super cute folk dance to "Pretty Little Girl With a Blue Dress On". 

mean girls

How do you bully-proof your kids?

I know that no kid is truly bully-proof--everyone deals with teasing, gossip, and being picked on by peers--but how do you prepare your kid for it?

Today while I was doing laundry and tidying up upstairs, the girls were busy downstairs with their own project. They gathered all the big throw pillows and chair cushions from around the house and piled them in the corner, then brought armloads of books and plopped down to read.

I think... not know, but think... that you prepare them by making  your home a haven from all the hardness and bad feelings in the outside world. A place where they can always feel secure in their own divine nature and just flat-out awesome.

It was my idea to add a fort. 

We used the fort kit that my sister-in-law Erin gave Tempe for her birthday and added the tunnel that Juno got from Santa as the entrance. Inside, our globe light added the perfect ambiance for cuddling and reading.

I think you prepare them for it by helping them build enough self-confidence to feel good about themselves no matter what others are saying about them. Enough self-confidence to step in and stand up for someone else who is being picked on--and to stand up for themselves and only surround themselves with friends that are nice and treat them well.

Normally I make the girls clean up their fort after a few hours or after dinnertime at the latest. Today we needed more time. More time to read books, send secret messages with walkie-talkies, cuddle, and be together. More time that hopefully reinforces self-confidence and a sense of security.

And if all else fails, have a movie night and watch "Mean Girls". 
That's my plan at least... what's yours?

Herbivores vs Omnivores

It's finally happened.
Jason and I have seen it coming for several years.
I'm actually a bit surprised it took this long.
Tempe has made the connection that "chicken" on her plate at dinner is the same as "chicken" in our neighbor's backyard chicken coop, or at the farm up the street, or wandering around the zoo.
Tonight at dinner she weepingly asked Dad how he would feel if he died and someone peeled off his skin and ate him.
Then she took a bite of chicken and liked it so much that she ate her whole plate.
That's a moral dilemma right there.
So any tips on a omnivore raising a herbivore?

3 kids in a bike trailer

I've received lots of emails and comments about this post from people looking for a way to put all three of their kids in a bike trailer. I updated this post with more information about the sling I use.

So one of the things that I was most worried about when Juno first went into her Spica was the stroller situation. Luckily, the bike trailer that my wonderful in-laws gave me for my birthday 3 years ago has been a lifesaver! Helena was just a little baby when I got it, but I remembered seeing someone in Laramie with some kind of infant sling in their bike trailer at a park. So I logged onto the Laramie FreeCycle page and asked if anyone knew what they were called or where I could get one. Much to my surprise, I received one in the mail just a few weeks later--for free! Isn't that amazing that someone would send a total stranger something so expensive that they could have resold?

Anyway, it is perfect for Juno's cast. I originally had it in a side position, but her legs stuck out too wide and bumped into the side of the trailer, so I moved her to the middle. And even better, Tempe and Helena fit in the trailer with her! Going for walks hasn't been this pleasant in such a long time. I can actually walk at a normal pace instead of taking three steps and then turning around and saying "Come on! Keep walking!!" over and over.

Some more info on the bike trailer sling: My bike trailer is a Copilot (it has a picture of a kangaroo on it). The sling is made by Chariot and is designed for use in Chariot trailers. Here's one on Amazon. My bike trailer isn't compatible with the Chariot sling, but I just cut a slit in the fabric at the bottom for the sling straps to go through and wrap around the bottom bar. It was very easy to figure out how to get it to work in mine--I'm not familiar  with other brands of bike trailers, so I have no idea how easy it would be to use a Chariot sling in other trailers. 

Disclaimer: The Chariot infant sling is meant to be used in Chariot bike trailers that are being used as strollers; it is NOT meant to be used with an infant when the trailer is being towed by a bike. It is also NOT meant to be used three across in a trailer. My trailer only has two seatbelts, so my older girls were not strapped in when I had all three of them in the trailer. I DID NOT use it as a bike trailer in this function, only as a stroller. Use at your own risk!!

Tempe's dance showcase

Tempe loves dance.

She talks about how much she loves it all the time!

Her dance class is at the same time as one of my cooking classes, so I just drop her off and pick her up and never go in to watch. But since she loves it so much, I assumed that she must, you know, actually pay attention and DO THE DANCING PART.

So I was surprised when I went to her showcase and watched her twirling in the background, sitting on the floor, and giggling hysterically throughout most of the dances. 

You can't say she wasn't having fun, though...

learning to read

My darling Tempe Joann has been in kindergarten for two months now. She loves going to school. In fact, I don't think she's made a single negative comment about school yet!

She also actually loves doing her homework. I know, I know, it won't last so I'm enjoying it now. We try to make it fun by having "Homework Club" every night: one parent takes Juno upstairs to play and get ready for bed, and the other parent supervises Homework Club. The big girls do their homework (Helena colors or something) while listening to their favorite songs (Gangnum Style, anyone??) and eating snacks. It's fun.

Tempe is especially thrilled to be learning to read. Her teacher sends a beginning reader book home every day and Tempe is always so excited to sit down and read them!

I can't wait until she can really read on her own. Tempe is really going to love being able to flop down with a good book whenever she wants--just like her mom and dad do!

kindergartener

A few weeks ago was one of the most important days of the school year:

Picture day.

Tempe and I spent a little longer picking out her outfit that morning. It was down to the outfit she wore in our family picture (see above) and a more fall schoolchild outfit, which eventually won the debate.

We talked about smiling at the camera, not being silly, and listening to the photographer. Tempe sometimes has a hard time smiling naturally for the camera and then goofs off to compensate. We practiced what it would be like.

When she came home from school, I asked her how it went and she said "Great! I smiled really big and I got to take pictures wherever I wanted, so I chose the playground!" I thought that was kind of strange, but she often mixes up her imagination and reality when she's telling me about school.

Recently, I opened her backpack up after school and found a school pictures envelope. Which was strange, because I didn't actually order any pictures! I was excited and even more thrilled when I opened the envelope and found this:

It's great, isn't it? She nailed the natural smile! It sure looks like my little Tempe.

LOLcats

Tempe holding (or trying to hold) Smoky, Spook, Autumn, and Frankenstein.

Tempe and Spook, Juno with Autumn in her stroller, Sophie with Smoky, and Helena with Frankenstein.

Me and Smoky! He's probably my second favorite after Moose/ Pumpkin.

Figure One. "Hold up, I need a drink."

 Figure Two. "Hey where do you think you're going!"

Figure Three. "Get back in there."

Now if that wouldn't win Operation Kitten Calendar, I don't know what would.

heartbroken 6 year old

Tempe has been wanting a pet for a long time.

She has a butterfly cage filled with grasshoppers that she's caught in our yard. She's given them all names and she weeps every time one of them dies. 

One day she actually said to me, "Mom, I have so much love in my heart for a pet!"

So when we discovered a stray cat living in our backyard a few weeks ago, she was really excited. Jason is allergic (and opposed) to cats, but I figured it wouldn't hurt to put out some cat food every once in a while for her. We even coaxed her with a piece of lunch meat once and held her.

But then yesterday, Tempe followed her back to the shed and crouched down to look under it.

And she discovered four kittens!!

The kittens were much friendlier than mama and they willingly came out and let themselves be held, pet, and carried around.

Tempe was ecstatic.

There was one kitten in particular that was extra friendly and cuddly. We were pretty set on letting the babies stay with their mama for a few more weeks--and then we were going to keep the black and white one that liked to play with Tempe and take the rest to the shelter.

Tempe's dreams all came true.

But then this morning, when we took some more food out to the shed, they were gone.

We left the food there and it hasn't been touched, so I don't think they're just sleeping. I really think they're gone.

Tempe is heartbroken.

She's been crying all morning.

I'm hurting for my little girl :(

Silly Moose

It's no secret to most people who know Tempe that her favorite animal is moose.
She has a stuffed moose that her Grandpa Canyon gave her when she was a baby that she loves so much and her collection has grown to include quite a few stuffed moose and books about moose, too!
So when we started planning her sixth birthday party, she immediately said she wanted a moose party.
I admit, I tried to sway her because I had no idea what we would do at a moose party.
We were looking at party ideas online when we saw a "silly" party on Family Fun. Tempe loved that idea, too, so we decided to combine them and we came up with a Silly Moose party!

I asked all the kids to dress in silly costume, but provided a big basket full of silly props from our dress up collection for any kids that didn't wear their own. 

Party activities and games included a silly string fight, freeze tag, our bubble machine, and making silly putty/gak. I also brought out all of Tempe's moose books for kids to look at on our swing bench if they needed a break.

One of Tempe's many favorite stuffed moose wearing googly eyes.

We gave out mustache glasses and googly eyes as party favors. Tempe wrote the "Thanks" on our "Thanks for coming!" sign all by herself!

I know mustaches are all over the place, but I had to use my mustache mold to make blue mustaches for the kids to eat.

This was the best part of the party: the silly cupcakes! I made spaghetti and meatball, mashed potatoes with butter and gravy, peas and carrots, and corn on the cob (with butter!) cupcakes. I love how they turned out, especially the spaghetti and meatballs one! 

All the party guests with their blue mustaches. It was a great party and Tempe had so much fun!