School picture day was about a week ago. This is the first year Sarah actually cared about what she wore. I never buy school pictures so I still don't care. But this year, for some reason, she got all stressed about it and carefully picked out an outfit.
I was nice and took her picture at home so it would be worth her while. (I didn't take a picture of Henry that day because he did NOT care.)
Here's my sweet Erica. She's sweet in this picture anyway. To be honest, I cannot figure her out. She is such a monster and totally full of it and way too smart and talks constantly. Last Thursday she would not settle down and take a nap. She whined and cried in her crib for 2 hours about various things. I went in like every 20 minutes and it was something else like her hair elastic or her arm hurt or teddy was too far away. (each trip required me to climb our stairs and I only have about 10 trips a day in me so this was killing me) Finally I got her out. She was lying on the couch watching Daniel Tiger when Justin came home early from work and he asks "Why aren't you taking a nap?" Want to know what she said totally straight-faced? "Mom wouldn't let me take a nap." The nerve!
Sarah and Henry finished up their 100 sticker job charts a few weeks ago and after their Kong Kone reward, I finally got around to printing new sticker charts for them. They colored them for almost an hour after school one day.
Here are the finished products.
There is a road that starts in Hobble Creek Canyon and ends up in Provo Canyon. It's a road not too many people know about and fewer actually drive. It has some amazing views.
Spanish Fork and Mapleton and probably some Springville too. It was pretty hazy that day from the fires up Diamond Fork so my pictures didn't turn out great but you get the idea.
Oh Maple in all your autumn glory.
We got out to eat dinner and Sarah and Erica went looking for leaves.
It was pretty windy but not too cold.
The kids ended up eating in the back of the car which is really their favorite place to hang out anyway.
Erica is eating the M&Ms out of the trail mix. I grabbed a handful after they were all done and I got all raisins and a cashew.
Here's the Erica I know and love.
And hey, there's the Justin I know and love too. Scope, sandwich, mountains. We only stayed for 30 minutes but pretty sure he'd be content until dark just like this.
This is was our view of Provo from where we ate.
Then we drove 2 more hours on the roughest, bounciest road in the world. I've been on this road twice before (most recently on our first date 11 years ago). It became evident immediately I was not pregnant the last time I traveled this road. I don't have strong core muscles to hold me steady. I had to get out and walk during a particularly long and bouncy part because I started to have contractions that wouldn't quite. If I go overdue, I know where to go.
After two more hours of back and forth, and up and down, slow-going bouncing, we got nearer to Rock Canyon Campground and things smoothed out quite a bit and we saw stuff like this:
(This was the relatively smooth road) Even the kids got tired of being bounced around. It's too bad that the road is so terrible as the foliage and views are perfect the entire way. I'll never take pavement for granted again in my life.
Some things that are going on in our lives:
Erica: Is a champ at using the toilet and wearing underwear. I finally had to give in and potty train her because she was going to do it with our without my help. The first day she went to the toilet like 30 times but only peed twice. I think she was trying to figure out what "needing to go" felt like and erred on the side of caution. The next day only 10 false alarms but I think we're to the point now where she's got it. We started in earnest almost two weeks ago and she has only had 2 accidents. She'll wear a diaper for her nap and at night for the foreseeable future though. When Henry and Sarah are home, I don't have to help her at all; they love to help her.
Henry: Has a love/hate relationship with school. Actually he loves school, he just hates getting ready for it. He resists doing his homework (I'd support him in a boycott if it didn't take 30 seconds to do) and changing into school clothes. He likes to wear ratty old knit shorts and too small stained t-shirts but I draw the line. His clothes don't have to match but they do have to be clean and out of his school clothes pile. He likes learning to read too. Everything is a gun. Every toy car has to crash loudly. Every surface is to be jumped on or from. Potty words are hilarious.
Sarah: Loves school and homework and reading Harry Potter. She just started taking piano lessons from a lady in our ward and it's only been 3 days since her first lesson but she is still pretty stoked about practicing every day ;) I'm a little sad that she's starting to have drama with friends in the neighborhood and at school. I don't want her to be old enough for friend drama. I don't think she's the petty one or the instigator but she sure comes home all upset about stuff.
Me: I finally got released from my calling so I kind of feel like there's a vacuum in my brain and in my schedule where all that stuff used to be. I'm filling it with naps.
This pregnancy is in it's final 7 weeks and according to the 19-year-old male medical assistant at my last doctor's appointment, "It will go by fast."
Oh tell me more about how my fourth pregnancy is going, young man whom I've just met! And even though I'm in a lot of pain by the afternoon and I feel like my pelvis is going to break apart, I am healthy and the baby is healthy. I just need to manage my strength and energy throughout the next 49 days.
Justin: Hunting, scouting for deer and elk, hunting, camo, buying/selling/trading hunting gear, car shopping, BYU football, practicing elk calls in the car, studying google earth maps, hunting, hunting, hunting. It's a good thing he's handsome. And that November will come.
And here is October's pie of the months. Sugar cream pie. I don't think it will get made again. The cinnamon top was too strong and the bottom crust didn't get cooked well enough.
