October 28, 2013

 Our silly Pepper loves to lay in this ridiculous position and scope out the backyard.  She is absolutely adored at our house.   She and Landen have weekly deer hunting and chasing adventures on Sundays and always return with some sort of exciting story. 

 Rhyse and I have had fun creating fun learning "games" inspired by Getti and Kjirsti's Montessori push.  Rhyse is definitely entering that fun learning stage where she is ready to soak in everything.  We are working hard at more independence  and basic life skills.  Some of the most recent accomplishments have been a lot of microwaving, folding, and hair doos. 

 We had our fun ward Halloween carnival this week.  Here is Tali and a couple of buds posing with their play mustaches.  Talia was Despaureux.  Anyone who has followed Tali's string of costumes will recognize that she wore this same costume probably 4 years ago.  It fits much different and needed letting out and some repair, but she fit into the look of a tiny sickly looking mouse that Despaurauex presumably looked like!

Breck spent the entire evening painting faces during the carnival.  We bought some real face paint and checked out a book from the library.  She created some really awesome faces!  Breck has turned into quite the highschool social girl and has keep incredibly busy with her drama rehearsals, extra Saturday swim practices and breakfasts, working at the football game concession stands with the swim team, a Halloween swim party- all in one week!  She is doing so great being confident, friendly, and outgoing!  We just wish we could see her a little more. 

 I got to go on a field trip with Capriel's class this week to the "Pumpkin Walk."  Her partner was a cute boy names Tristan and they spend most of the time flirting, teasing, slapping, tickling, and otherwise goofing off together.  I hardly even got a chance to hold her hand she was so busy with this kid!  I have to say I was a tiny bit concerned:)

 Capriel and Rhyse with the Witch

 Cinderella-Rhyse

 THough she loves the Cinderella picture most, this one is probably the most accurate description of her this week.  Rhyse has continued to deal with her awful rash which has also brought with it more steroids, maliase, achiness, and extreme grumpiness and anger.  It has been pretty tough for everyone, and I have felt so bad for her.  She has been truly miserable. 

 We've had two gorgeous fall weeks.  We have all had a wonderful time outside playing, working, and soaking in the sun.  The deck is stained, the garden rototilled, many flowers cut back, lots of tree climbing, and even a little fairy house building-courtesy of Talia and Capriel. 

Landen's first Halloween costume in quite a while.  He is always the most current on pop current events and has adored the "what does the fox say" craze with apparently everyone else in the world!  I was pretty proud of myself in coming up with this costume and especially finding the t-shirt! Landen has been a scoring machine in his last couple of soccer games.  I think in the last three games he has scored 75% of all the goals scored.  He is definitely getting banged up as the boys are playing rougher.  Saturdays game even treated him to an elbow to the nose and a bloody nose.  He has a wonderful time hanging out with his team at the Corn Maze and Haunted Hallow.  He came home with raving reviews of their escapades shooting kernals at girls in the maze, blazing new paths, and other very 12-year old boys type behavior.  I'm surprised they didn't get kicked out.  It was probably good that we weren't there to moniter.  He is a good kid who is doing well at school, has tons of friends, and is now feverishly practicing his basketball!

Finally, I have to note that Rhyse and Capriel and Talia did a wonderful job on their Primary Program.  Talia sang in a small group number "Joseph's First Vision" and all the girls remembered and delivered their parts clearly and confidently.  We were literally holding our breath to see if Rhyse would make it through without yelling or making a scene.  I truly consider it a tender mercy that somehow she pulled herself together and went up and stayed the entire time.  She was happy, sang loud and clear, waved many times to us, and was pretty distracting in a happy sort of way with a little piece of paper that she'd brought up.  The past three weeks has been full of difficult situations where I was called to come and get her or she behaved in a completely unacceptable way to friends, family or teachers.  I couldn't have been happier to see her up there behaving like a happy and stable and normal 4 year old.  She is a great singer!   Also, I think she is finally on the mend.  Craig gave her a blessing and she today and yesterday she has only a small rash and is much more pleasant and rational.  I think I might need to celebrate!