Claire's First Day of Kindergarten

I can hardly believe that Claire has started Kindergarten. She actually had two first day of school, which is why she had on different clothes in some of the pictures. Monday was orientation, and she was so mad that I wouldn't just let her go by herself. She actually picked up her backpack and told me she was leaving. We can see the school from our house, but there are 2 streets she would have to cross, so there is no way that is happening yet. She is also having a hard time understanding that you just can't go to school when you are dressed and ready to go. She is in afternoon Kindergarten, which works well with my schedule, but I think she would rather go earlier. Her real first day was yesterday, and it was a little hard to leave her out on the playground. She just stood there and watched us walk away. I couldn't get any pictures of her in her classroom, because they don't go in until the teacher is done with lunch. I guess I will be the crazy picture taking mom at school parties and back to school night. She had the cutest conversation with Owen before she left:
"Owen, I'm going to kindergarten - are you going to miss me?"
"Owen, will you miss me?"
Owen then says in his nonchalant way, "Yes." Which he really did - he could hardly wait for us to go and get her. This will be an adjustment for all of us. She had a great first day of school, and can't wait to go back tomorrow. Hopefully her enthusiasm will continue all year.

Is there a meaning behind this?

This is how I found my kids the other day:

I'm guessing there is going to be a flood soon, we need to be prepared. They were really zoned in on the T.V., and I thought it was so funny - Claire is ready for her first day of school, and Owen, well, I'm just not sure!

Camping 2009

This is the last and only family camping trip we took this summer. After Trek and Girls Camp, I have no desire to camp, and it isn't the easiest thing with a baby on a bottle, but we did have a lot of fun on this trip. We had hot dogs, and marshmallows, stayed up way to late (Owen slept in until I woke him up at 10:00), enjoyed time with our friends, and then got in a few 4 wheeler rides before heading home. It was a fun time, but we were so tired when we got home that everyone crashed - it was nice to have a nap on a Saturday afternoon.

11 Months Old

Grant is 11 months old, and has finally decided that it is time to move. He mastered the moving in a circle thing awhile ago, and then moved onto getting on his hands and knees, but then not knowing what to do once he was there. Finally he learned to do this funny crawl, where one leg pushes, while the other leg is tucked under. I've decided it is just so it is that much easier for him to get back in a sitting position - he is just preparing for the future - what a boy scout! He also loves to stand on anything, and is getting quite good at pulling himself up. He does not anyone but his mom, but will settle for dad if he has to. He loves dogs, and will laugh at them over anything else. He also loves Cheerios. So far the only thing I can actually get him to feed himself. He has 7 teeth, with more on the way. We are so grateful to have Grant in our family.

Bathroom Helpers

I have a confession, I hate cleaning bathrooms. We have 3 bathrooms in our house - so I really, really hate cleaning bathrooms. I decided a couple of weeks ago, that there was no reason that I had to clean all three bathrooms, the kids could pitch in and help out. They actually do a great job - I just stand by and supervise, and wring out cloths when necessary. Claire loves cleaning the sink, Owen loves cleaning the toilet, and they both share the bathtub. It is fun to watch them work and accomplish something. They insist on scrubbing the floor, so usually I have a huge puddle in there when they are done, but one swipe of the towel, and we have a wonderfully clean bathroom. Lets hope they stay excited for this job for a long time!

Bock Family Reunion

The main reason we went to California was to go to the Bock family reunion. I don't remember ever going to one of them, because apparently the last one was 30 years ago. I was so happy to see that the place they were having it at was like a park. The kids even found a lizard which Owen of course wanted to take home. There were swings, slides, and the greatest little lake. The kids could walk out very far, and it finally cured Owen of his fear of water. The kids were in the water for 5 hours straight, with a break for lunch. Once they hit the car, they were out, and didn't wake up until the next morning. Grant loved to swim too, and we all had a great time. I will have to get some more pictures from Heather because she has a lot of pictures of the people there. We had a great time on our trip to California, and can't wait to go back for Christmas.

Grant's First Haircut

While we were in California, my mom and Grandma talked me into letting them cut his hair. I love his hair!! It is so cute with all the little curls, so I was really nervous for them to do it, but it really did need a little bit cut off the top. Thankfully it is still curly and as cute as ever. He actually didn't mind the haircut thing because he got to eat a cracker and get lots of attention - two things that he loves!

Fun in San Francsico

After we left their Pier, the rest of our day was for sight seeing. We had other plans, but we got their to late to do any of them, so we went to a beautiful park and walked around, and let the kids get all their energy out. Then we took the kids to the Pacific Ocean, and ended our day in China Town for some dinner. The best part about dinner was when Owen told me he wanted to eat, and then go to bed. I told him that was fine. So, he ate his dinner, then laid down under his chair and went to sleep - the kid wasn't kidding. Claire on the other hand had a great time learning how to use chop sticks. I wish I would have taken my camera into the restaurant because that was a classic moment. Thanks for such a fun day Grandma and Grandpa!!

Pier 39

We took one day of our vacation and went to San Francisco with the kids. It was so much fun to take them there and for them to see everything that is so familiar to me. We started our day visiting our Aunt Gen who lives in an assisted living home in Fairfield. She is technically not even our Aunt, but she is related, so we have always called her that. We got to see my Aunt Alice and all of her kids. It was fun to see everyone. After that we headed to Scomas for a seafood lunch on the Wharf. The kids had to use their manners, and put their cloth napkins in their laps. Claire discovered that she loves, loves, loves sourdough bread - that's my girl! Owen decided that fancy pasta is not his favorite thing, but he ate it anyways, and I found out where the bathroom was in Scomas because I only visited it about 5 times between the two kids. After lunch we went to Pier 39 where the sea lions live. The kids had a great time watching them, and then they got to ride the carousel on the Pier. That was the highlight of their day. Grandpa bought them both cotton candy, and they had a great time. The best part was that they were so enthralled with everything that they kept running into people because they were so busy looking around. Hopefully we will get to visit there again soon.

Swimming

While we were visiting my Grandma, our Uncle Rod was kind enough to let us use his swimming pool. The kids were a little timid at first, but once they figured out they could walk along the whole side of the pool, the were ready to go. Owen even thought about jumping off the diving board, but had second thoughts. I didn't stay very long with Grant because there wasn't much shade, and I am so worried that he will burn to a crisp whenever we are outside, but he had fun watching everyone, and would have nothing to do with the cold water.

Fun in the California Sun

Once we got the Grandma and Grandpa GG's house, we had to keep the kids busy. We quickly found that there were no more slip and slides at the store, so we invented our own. The kids had so much fun, and were even more fun to watch. Grandma and I sat outside for 2 hours just watching them play. It was great fun for everyone. Grandpa Farmer went to the store and bought them bubbles and a big ball to play with. They were very spoiled kids, but they were very tired at the end of the day.

Claire, Owen, Amber and I got to sleep in GG's motor home. The kids thought it was pretty cool for a few nights, but after that they didn't want to sleep in the "bus" anymore. It was hard for me because I would have to try to get Grant to sleep inside, and then get them to sleep out there, which was no easy task because I couldn't just leave them out there by themselves. Needless to say it was kind of a relief when they decided to sleep inside. I still slept outside, so my poor mom would have to wake up and bring me Grant at 6:00 every morning, but it all worked out.

We Love Jackie!

We just spent a week at my Grandma's house in California. The kids fondly call her Grandma GG. The ride was long to get there, but luckily my mom and sister were kind enough to take me and the kids there so I didn't have to drive with 3 kids by myself. There is no way I could have done that!! We were so glad to make it there, and we had a lot of fun. We met Jackie on this trip. She is my Aunt and Uncles dog who lives with my grandparents. Jackie is a great dog, and if my boys could have taken her home, they would have. Owen kept telling me that she can't come, but he wanted to get a dog when he got home. Owen would put his blanket on Jackie and call her the "Ghost dog," and he would just love on her. Grant was enthralled by Jackie, and would watch her whenever she was around. I'm sure Jackie is glad that we are gone so that she can get some rest! I know the picture is a little blurry, but Grant wouldn't hold still when Jackie was around.

Not A Playroom?

This is what I found at our friends house after Owen went to the bathroom.

Yes, his pants are off!! Since he pulls them down so far when he goes to the bathroom, he always has to start over and put them on again. Apparently they had so many great toys, he just didn't have the time to put his pants back on.

Happy Anniversary

Isn't he the greatest!! This is what I found when we came home from our date night for our 7th Anniversary. I can hardly believe how quickly time has gone by - but we have 3 kids to prove it!! I have been thinking about things that I didn't know about Chad when we got married because I think it is so funny how much you learn after a couple of years of marriage, so here they are.

1. He loves NASCAR - therefor Owen loves the cars, and I know all the drivers names.
2. He doesn't like to pull weeds or garden much even though he was a farmer when we got married (go figure!).
3. He does however love to plant gardens.
4. He hates movies that I love, and the feeling is mutual.
5. He knows a lot about computers.
6. He hates cleaning bathrooms and mopping floors (I should have known that after seeing his apartment!)
7. He is a perfectionist on projects - sometimes it drives me crazy because I just want something done, but it is always done right!!
8. He does not like asparagus, or any kind of squash.
9. He doesn't like any boy name that I come up with - figuring out two boy names wasn't an easy task.
10. He is a great husband, and I'm so lucky to have him in my life!

Happy Anniversary Babe!!

Did Anyone Say Crowns?

In case you can't tell yet, Claire is my crafty child. She loves to create things, and will work on a project for hours. Today we came home from the movie, and she got out some paper, crayons, scissors and glue, and made her crown all by herself. Then Owen of course needed one, so she made him one too. They were so proud of themselves, and loved being the prince and princess for a few hours.

Elders Quorum Date Night

Our ward has been trying to have Elder Quorum date nights, and Chad has the wonderful chance to be in charge of them. This was our first one. We had a BBQ and then went miniature golfing. It was a lot of fun, with a few people, but we will take what we can get. The only problem with men planning parties, is well they don't know how to plan parties. I was gone the whole week before, so I didn't know what he was doing with the food. When I finally asked what everyone was bringing, he said "nothing." Seriously they were going to serve hamburgers and chips. So, I got a few people to bring desserts, I made some beans and a pasta salad, and it was a real BBQ. Hopefully the men learned something from this. But, it was still a lot of fun, and a much needed activity for me.

He's Thinking About It!

Sooo, I know that I have repeatedly said that Grant doesn't like to move, it is seriously true, but it is starting to be such a pain. I just want him to be able to follow the kids around, I think it would make him very happy. On the other hand, I always know where he is, and he hasn't gotten away from me at the park this summer (those are both very good thing!). However, I think he is going to start to try to move soon. He is starting to use his hands to scoot around in a circle, and he will reach really far, get on his hands and knees, and then just cry, but he does move backwards while cryings - hey it's a start! Here's hoping that he is mobile soon. It will make a very happy mommy!

A Typical Summer Thursday

We love Thursdays! I have tried really hard to keep the kids busy this summer, mostly so I can still be sane by the time school starts. Thursdays are my favorite day. We head to story time at the library, where kids go in a room, and moms sit outside and talk. Owen finally decided that he would go, since I have been pushing it since he turned three. Claire, absolutely loves it! Then we go to the park and have lunch with our friends. Finally, each day at a different park they do a nutrition based craft activity. Claire loves it!! The park we go to on Thursdays has it there, and she gets so excited. Sometimes Owen joins in on the fun, but you can count on Claire being there for at least a half an hour. Then we head home for nap/quiet time, and finally a movie before dinner. What a great day!
Claire and Owen waiting for story time to begin.
This is what Grant and I do during story time - actually I usually peruse the books for something new to read.

Fun at Grandma and Grandpa Farmer's

We had so much fun at Grandma and Grandpa Farmer's house. The kids always get so excited to go, even though that means a very long car ride. They do however love that they get to watch movie after movie in the car - so maybe they don't hate the ride too much. We made it to their house with no problems, and only about 5 stops along the way. The kids had so much time playing with their cousins, and I wouldn't see the much during the day. A couple of nights we put all the kids to bed so we could have adult dinners, which were so nice. All of my siblings were together (minus a few husbands), and we would just talk and have a great time. It was so nice not having to cut any meat, or tell someone to eat 5 more bites. We were able to have a great time, and as always eat some wonderful food - thanks mom for everything!

Target Practice

Last time we were at Grandma and Grandpa Farmer's house, Owen got to go clay pigeon shooting and shoot a gun for the first time. Apparently he did not forget this experience because he kept asking me if he could shoot guns again. My dad didn't get home from a business trip until Thursday, so he had a long time to wait. It was worth the wait. He was so excited to shoot guns. We just set up some cans and had a great time. My dad had is 22 rifle and 22 pistol. Owen could hardly wait to shoot the pistol, and kept asking if he could do the "little gun now." We finally gave him a chance, and he immediately asked to use the "big gun again. The pistol is a little loud. Claire wouldn't hold the gun, but she loved checking out the cans to see how many holes were in them. Thanks for taking us Grandpa!!

Surprise!!

The main reason that Heather and I plus kids traveled home was to throw a surprise baby shower for Cody - our wonderful sister-in-law. She is expecting baby number 6, and it is yet another boy - that makes 5 boys and 1 girl. We decided that it was high time she got some new things. We had so much fun getting ready. My main goal was to keep her away from mom's house while things were getting ready. She just got a beautiful new kitchen and with her round belly, and lots of contractions hasn't been able to put things away, so I spent a few afternoons at her house helping her with that, along with convincing her to take a nap, and going to the beach with her. The best part was that the night before the shower we were getting all ready - Heather was decorating the cute cookies below, and mom and I were making pinwheels, so I went out to the garden to get the lettuce, and here comes Roy, Cody and kids headed out to the chicken house. Cody tells me that they are coming over when they are done. I run back inside, and we just started shoving things in odd places. Most of the food ended up in mom's room, and the cookies were all over the place. We had to laugh about it later, but at the time it was CRAZY!

When Cody walked in on the shower, the kids were all in the kitchen eating, and Claire looks at her and says, "Happy Birthday!" So funny. It made me think of Cinderella and Gus. Anyways, she was truly surprised, and we had a lot of fun. We played a great game at the shower where every team was given an old t-shirt and they had to create a baby outfit and have it modeled by one team memeber. They were given odd things like markers, staplers, tape, rubber band and ribbon. It was so much fun to watch people create, and we had a great time!

Fun in the River

While we were at my parents, it was HOT!! So, we decided to cool off by heading down to the Salmon River (or the beach as my kids call it), and go swimming. Cody's friend Shandra has a private beach by her house, so we were all alone, and had so much fun. Claire is turning into a little water bug while Owen prefers to just dip in a toe or two. The kids had such a great time swimming with their cousins that we decided to go again later on in the week. This time we brought Grant, who preferred to watch, but still had a great time. The new sand toys were a great idea, and the kids played for hours digging and making sand castles.



This is how we all felt when we got home, but only Lilly and Orrin were able to sleep.

The Turgoose Pit Stop

On our way to my parents house, we stopped in Boise to see our good friends the Turgooses. The kids always need a break after being in the car for 3-4 hours, so we are so glad they are right on the way (literally - there is no detour whatsoever!). We had a yummy lunch, with great friends, and then we took the kids to a local park. It is a great place. It has a huge toy for the kids to play on, swings, a section of large instruments they can play, and a part where there is water shooting up from the ground. The kids loved it, and had a great time. It is always hard to leave Debra, Bryson, Carter and Abbie, but we loaded up in the car and headed to Grandma's. Thanks for the fun time!

Island Park 2009

For the Clayson Family Reunion, we always take a weekend trip to Chad's Grandparents cabin in Island Park. As always there is a ton of food - I mean a ton, lots of fun, and water skiing for everyone. It was so much fun this year because Claire got very brave, and got in the water quite a bit. Owen wanted to be brave, but just managed to get close to the water. He did let me take him on the tube, but we had to go very slow. Grant loves being outside, so he just sat in his chair and watched everyone play. We did have a little problem with bats flying over our head at night, but luckily most of us were asleep so we didn't know until the morning. We all went home tired, and ready for a good nights rest. Chad had a little accident with a water ski and well, the picture speaks for itself. We can't wait till next year!

Our Homemade Waterslide

One day Claire asked if she could go swimming, so as I went outside to set up the pool, she had a "great idea." That is seriously what she called it! She decided that we should lift up the bottom of the slide, and put the slide in the pool, that way they could have a water slide. I was so happy that I bought the pool I did at the time, because it actually worked. The kids had so much fun with their water slide, and the next day invited the neighbors over for a turn. It is now our favorite summer activity, and keeps the busy for hours.
Grant watching all the action, wondering how long it will be until he can have a turn.
Claire, the brains behind the operation, showing off her creation.
Owen going for the plunge - he usually doesn't like to get wet, but he loved going down the slide.