Week ending 8-11-19

We had an awesome first week of school. Everyone was happy and it was a very calm, cooperative week.

Last Sunday: Playing games together.  

Monday: This is the most I've ever got paid to do laundry!! $178.02. Plus a stick, Popsicle wrapper and a tiny rubber horse. I found all this in the washing machine. Later I found another $50 bill when I was folding the clothes. All but the three ones were Spencer's--what he earned doing yard work for "the rich guy" as he calls him. :) Glad we recovered it all! 

First day of school picture of Kaitlyn. She always wants everyone to have a good first day of school photo but we tend not to do hair on Mondays since we spent so long on it on Sunday, haha. So nobody else wanted their picture taken. 

Someone's yummy dinner of chicken and rice with fruit and zucchini. I think they were taking a picture of their bread with 3 kinds of homemade jam on it kinda like the Italian flag. :) 

When Kylie and Madalyn go to college I'm so going to miss all 10 children happily eating at the table food we all worked to prepare. 

Tuesday I took the younger 7 kids to "nature school" in the mountains while Kylie and Madalyn stayed home and organized all their mementos and old homeschooling stuff. 

For several days I loved hearing them say things like, "Madalyn, remember this! Remember how we...?" I absolutely loved hearing them talk about their childhood, look at silly drawings and games they made, read notes they had written to each other at ages 7 and 8 and share special memories. They've always been best friends and they make me cry just thinking of what wonderful daughters they've been. I couldn't have asked for any better. I'm going to miss them so much. 

Meanwhile we had a wonderful day at our nature school. 

We took pictures of plants to learn the names of later, sketched our surroundings, journaled the days activities and weather, and made fun memories. 

As soon as we sat down to lunch these little Unita ground squirrels surrounded us and begged for some food. At one time we counted 9 all around and under our table. The kids loved it! 

I know I'm going to love our weekly nature school with this class!

 We also fed the little birds. 

Samuel was the first one brave enough to let the squirrel eat out of his hands. 

Taking pictures to put by their desks as the "first day of school pictures." 

Beauty all around us! 

We loved the many shades of green on the hillside. 

I know you can't see the kids but I still loved the whole backdrop. 

Alexis offered to take a picture of me since I wasn't in any pictures that day so I grabbed Tilly. 

Wednesday: Kylie got her wisdom teeth out. Her buddy Kaitlyn came along. 

Samuel took this picture of Emmie who hung out at our house all afternoon, playing board games and jumping on the tramp with all the kids. She was in Spencer's choir class and track team last year and is super sweet. She's an only child so she comes over when she's bored. :) 

Kaitlyn and Makenna slept in their forts on the couches. 

Makenna's fort. 

Thursday: Ready to go into the tangle of a garden searching for ripe veggies to pick! 

(At Brother Tarbet's, while he is visiting NC.)

While I was playing the piano I looked over and saw that Tilly had brought a stool over and had a pile of church magazines on her lap and was reading the BYU magazine. 

When she takes long naps she's the last little kid up. 

I try to get in some piano practicing each night and enjoy her keeping me company. 

Friday: Quintuplet party with ricotta cheese pancakes.  

Saturday: Thomas's birthday party. He had 2 friends over, Luke and Adam, to play board games, eat pizza and go bowling. 

Opening a 3D pen we gave him. I was going to get it with school funds if we did this Internet school but when we decided not to Thomas was disappointed we couldn't get all the fun things I said we would so I was excited to still get him a 3D pen. 

He also got a backpack to haul his books to nature school and take on campouts. This year he is going to the middle school for orchestra and musical theater, which he's really excited about. 

He never asked for a cake but we planned to have s'mores. Then we all decided it was too hot for a campfire so I quickly put together a s'mores "cake" and threw it in the oven. 

Talea cutting leaves with the hair cutting scissors after I got finished cutting the little boys' hair. Madalyn said they did that at niece's week, haha. 

Tom took these pictures to show my mom his gifts. 

The filaments you put into the pen. 

He made a 2D tree and a 3D tree before going to bed. 

I'm sure there will be many more pictures next week!

This morning: Eating a nice Sunday breakfast on the porch with my girls.

The little boys playing missionaries.