Swiss Days

The girls are with Brad, so I went up with my parents to Swiss Days, which I've never been to.  It was really fun, and I'm glad I didn't have to chase the kids around!  I didn't take any pictures all day until we had left and gotten Aggie ice cream at the milk and cheese barn in Heber.  Goodness.  It was a fun day, and we found many treasures.  I got a giant iron spider, and an old window pane for my kitchen wall.  And the scones!

Fixer Upper

I figured a week was enough time for Mimi's hair to look so scraggly.  So today I took her in to have it fixed...as best as it could be, anyway!  The lady who fixed it was the same who cut Mac's just last week.  She was very nice, did her best, and then didn't make us pay for it!

It now just looks like a modified do with bangs.  Lots of bangs.  It's just going to have to grow out.  That's all there is to it.   

Work Day

So, the garage is a disaster.  Well, it WAS a disaster...boxes everywhere.  There was a great satisfaction pitching boxes into the garage from the house door when they were empty.  But that meant a huge pile of boxes.  So today I set to it. 

I broke them down and organized them by size.  I am not getting rid of them--only the ones that are falling apart.  You never know when you may need them.

I didn't entirely finish, which means the car won't fit in the garage at this point, but progress has been made! 

I am so out of the loop when it comes to football, but I learned late today that I should be openly rooting already!  I must get me some U of U clothing.  For now, we'll settle for a U of U cup.  Go Utes!

Mac came home today, proudly wearing this crown.  She told me that there are people in her class that don't listen.  Uh-oh.  As long as she's not one of them! 

Mimi starts school next week!  Today was the parent teacher meet up, where I got this!  She is so excited to be going to school, soon.  All spring and summer she would ask when it was fall so she could go to school.  We're almost there, Meems!

Mac loved her first day of Kindergarten...and now we're back for Day 2!

Mimi was in the bath this evening, and I came in to see this.  She had organized all the bath toys by color and lined them up on the side of the bathtub.  What a smart girl.  Her little brain always seems to be going. 

Ugh.  This guy was in some laundry I took down to the washer.  I dumped the pile in, and reached in to distribute it appropriately, when I felt something moving on my hand.  Of course I snatched my hand back as quick as I could, and then I could see something moving on the clothes.  Clothes are the worst things ever to get bugs lost on...there are so many places for them to go!  I finally got him down to the bottom of the washer and smashed him--at least enough to get him to stop running around.  As you can see, he's huge.  Knowing there are poisonous spiders around here in Utah, I did some research on the internet and found that he is a Hobo spider, indeed poisonous, although the necrotic qualities of their venom are debated.  Um, hello, huge and poisonous.  I laid him out on a piece of paper and used a pin to straighten out his legs that had curled up when he died.  So gross. 

First Day of Kindergarten!

And we're off!  We will be walking Mac to school each day, and she will be walking home with Leiden.  There are only a couple other Kindergarten kids in the neighborhood, and their moms all walk them, too.  Maybe later in the year I would be comfortable having her walk by herself, but not right now.  She headed out the door with purpose!

I have to say...I love this little phase she's in, where she likes her socks tall.  It cracks me up every time. 

When we got to the school, the children were directed to stand against the wall and all the parents stood around waiting for the big moment. 

Mac's First Day of Kindergarten! 

After her teacher had the kids blow a kiss to their parents, they headed in and we wandered home without Mac!

We headed to the store, and I found these...they were a total impulse buy, and while they are good, I like homemade treats better. 

We met Grandmere at JoAnn's, where Mimi found herself a beautiful headdress for Halloween.  Or not. 

We won't normally do this, but we wandered back over to the school to get Mac and Leiden.  They were both happy, and Mac was thrilled with her day.  She had all kinds of details to share, and I think this makes her feel very grown up.  Well done, Mac!

1 Day Before Kindergarten

This actually was supposed to happen yesterday, but the girls were with Brad...because Mac has afternoon kindergarten, we were able to do our last Before Kindergarten activity before we walked her there this afternoon!

We made delicious chocolate cupcakes that have chocolate goo in the center.  Grandmere and Bapa are coming over for celebratory dinner tonight, so this will be dessert!

2 Days Before Kindergarten

One of my favorite days before school!

It's haircut time!  Both Mac and Mimi got to participate, today.  Leiden doesn't want her hair cut so she can grow it out LONG.  We shall see.  Here is Mac's before:

And a cute little side view of after...love the a-line bob.   Looking at it now, I should have had her stack it up even a little more in the back...but that's the beauty of hair!  It grows and then you can cut it again!

She refused to give me a normal cute smile, so this was the best we could get.

Mimi has got some hair these days.  It's long and everywhere, and her before shows that!

She was VERY good at sitting still and letting the hair lady do her thing.

Similar to Mac's profile, but again, I wish it were more stacked in the back.

She looks super cute!

We went to the girls' favorite restaurant for lunch with Grandmere and Bapa.

Bapa loves to act like one of the kids.

Mac wanted to see herself and we took the opportunity to take a silly picture.

Then the unthinkable happened...Mimi was in the bathroom putting on her makeup, one of her loved activities.  It was quiet, but I expected that...then all of a sudden she walked in to the kitchen, and half her hair was gone!  I think she knew she shouldn't have done it, but I did a remarkable job at keeping my cool.  I just didn't say anything for a minute, then asked her to come closer so I could see her hair...she immediately started crying...I held her while trying to assess the damage.  She must have grabbed a big chunk of hair in the front and just snipped away.  Can you see the chunk in front of her ear?  That's the LONGEST it is now.  The front is bang length, but it's pretty extensive.  Oh, dear.  I'm so sad.  She must have seen the lady cutting her hair and thought it was a good idea for her to try herself.  They were leaving with Brad in just a short while, so there was no fixing it today.

There was a sudden downpour right before Brad was coming, and they all went out to play in it.  In their coats and jackets.  So weird.  

3 Days Before Kindergarten

We are getting so close!  Today Mac did a very nice job coming up with the things she would need to do each day to be ready to go to school.  Her picture included a girl with a backpack, a girl with shoes, a girl brushing teeth, etc.  She will be ready! 

Tonight Leiden and I had some fun with braids.  I think she wants me to keep them in for as long as possible. 

4 Days Before Kindergarten

Mac went in for her Kindergarten assessment today...she's not compared to any other children, but this gives her teacher a benchmark to mark progress with.  Mac was super excited to get a placemat with all kinds of educational tidbits on it.  And we can't forget the pad of paper and pencil! 

We had friends over to play this afternoon.  I found Mimi out in the sandbox with the little boy...the only one in the bunch of 7 kids I had here.  Poor Coleman... 

Leiden should have been able to change her earrings a long time ago, but every time we've tried they don't look so good, usually just one ear or the other, and it switches.  Today we took the studs out and everything looked good.  She was thrilled to put in new beautiful earrings!  And she's already asking when she can wear big earrings and hoops.  Slow your roll, little one!

5 Days Before Kindergarten

Mac is really enjoying our countdown to Kindergarten.  She comes into my room each morning asking me if I remember the 'card thing'.  She's sweet. 

And anything to do with purple paint is a good thing!