Too Cool for School

Okay, so I know that Erin looks really tall in this picture and she probably is, but I think I'm in denial. It's hard to believe that I have a 6th grader. Next year, junior high. This year however, was the year I dreamed about when I was pregnant with Jack.... all of them in school, if not all full-time.

We had such a fun summer that I wasn't quite ready for school to start. But things have a way of working themselves out. Mid-August I wasn't ready, and a week later, I so was! The girls have started to bicker about everything and it's enough to drive me to drink. Taking each others clothes and passing off responsibility... it's killing me.

Before we get to the actual day, a couple of pre-school events. First the MAC Barbecue.

Last year, Erin started in a program called MAC at her school. MAC stands for Multi-Age Classroom. Basically, there is a 1,2,3 grade split (the Mini-MAC) and a 4,5,6 grade split (the Big MAC.) This program has been a godsend for Erin and we have loved being involved with it. Well, they like to have a back-to-school barbecue for students, their families and the teachers and their families. We eat, we play, we get to know each other. Since I'm a big proponent of the program and friends with the teachers thanks to my stint as PTA President, I find myself in charge of this. Park reserved, food assignments made and beef brisket for 150 people. It was a lot of fun to have this party and to watch Erin with her friends. Being the oldest in the school this year, it's amazing to watch the leader she has become. She always goes out of her way to include others and is so fun to be around (if you're not her mother!)

The next before school event is Allie's Spectrum Orientation. We go, meet her teacher for the year... get the teacher's disclosure (sounds a lot like college, huh?), volunteer for classroom assignments and see friends. Allie is a hugger and watching her see all her school friends is like watching some cheesy 80's high school movie; they run together, they hug and they squeal. She is so different from me, but so alike it's strange sometimes. Her teacher this year, Mrs. Braegger, is a real go-getter. She has those kids going, but Allie loves everything.

Now to the first day of school.... One of the things I LOVE about my neighborhood is the fun little events we have throughout the year. One of my very favorites is Back-to-School morning. We all get together at one house for breakfast and then walk to school together. This year was my turn to host and it was so much fun. I made German Pancakes (thanks Heather) and scrambled eggs (what else?) Everyone else brings something to share. We take pictures and chat and then we're off. Here are the awesome pictures...

We had so much fun. Then we were off to school. Matt took Allie to her first day at Centerville Elementary, and Will and I walked Erin AND Jack to their first days of school at JA Taylor Elementary. It is so fun to watch the kids on their first day of school. They are so excited.

Without further ado, here are the individual stories. First, my big boy Jack. So excited for his first day of "Big Kid School" at Erin's school. He is in Mrs. Oborn's class with his friends Nate, Landon, Clare and Arden. They will have a great year.

Jack and his best buddy Nate about to embark on the adventure of a lifetime.

The first day of kindergarten.

Waiting for the principal to welcome everyone to school. Notice that my little guy still likes to suck his thumb when he's nervous. Maybe I'm a bad mom, but I still think it's so cute.

They're singing the school song. Jack's looking at Nate, like he knows the words. They got every third or fourth word a couple of beats late, but it was priceless.

Looking at this picture, do you think Jack is used to having adults undivided attention?

Here he's explaining something to his teacher and his entire class on the rug.

Jack is having to remember all the stuff he learned in preschool, like how to form his letters and write his name the "school way."

Jack and Clare eating their treat inspired by Chicka-Chica-Boom-Boom. A note about these two.... because their mothers have both been heavily involved in the PTA,

these kids think that there's nothing off-limits to them at the school.

Time will tell how they do with boundaries and they're established.

The day after the first day of school, we went for Jack's kindergarten evaluation. Mrs. Oborn asks him about letters, numbers, shapes and colors and some basic math. When he gets to the math portion, the teacher reads him a problem that goes something like this;

"Mary had three apples and then found two more, how many apples does Mary have?" Jack answers five and then the teacher goes onto the next problem. As she starts to read her "story," Jack raises his hand and says "I'm good, I don't need any more of your stories." Ughhh. This little bugger has no confidence issues. Fortunately for Jack, Mrs. Oborn has taught kindergarten for 30 years and has just about seen it all.

Jack has been riding his bike to school and is doing really well. He wears his helmet and walks it across the crosswalk just like he's supposed to. I really am so proud of him.

Next, my Allie-Bear. She's a big time 4th Grader. She is loving school. Mrs. Braegger is something of a task-master in the work department, but these kids love her. Allie has been having a ton of fun working on her ABC Geography and reading. We've only had a couple of math assignments since school started. I am so glad that she is enjoying herself so far this year. Happy students make a happy mommy and a happy home.

Oh my goodness, I think I may cry. It's so hard to believe that she's almost done with elementary school. She is the BMOC (Big Man on Campus). She is relishing being in-the-know about everything at school. She has some really good friends and is enjoying walking to school with them every day (honestly a first for us.) I have noticed that she's been really moody since school starts, almost in a worrisome way. I'm hoping that it's just a period of adjustment and that it will dissipate as the year continues. I'm not ready to face the fact that it might be hormones. She came home so excited on the first day to tell me that she's applying for the student council. She has to give a presentation and had to have someone write a letter of recommendation for her. Because I thought the letter was so sweet, and so true, I am including it here, if you'll pardon me.

To Whom It May Concern,

I am writing this letter in regards to Erin Pierce, who is running for student council at Taylor Elementary. I am so honored to write this recommendation.

I met Erin three years ago, when I moved into the area with my family. I have been impressed with how responsible, fun and enthusiastic she is about life. Just recently, I have had the opportunity to have Erin babysit our three children for an extended period of time. Here are just a few of the qualities I observed from Erin:

• Ready on time: I picked her up and she greeted me with a great big smile!
• Prepared: babysitting bag in hand, with several activities ready to go for each of my children.
• Friendly and Energetic: Erin walked into my house and immediately began talking to each of the children and asking about their interests and getting to know them. She also had them engaged in several activities and games while I was gone.
• Responsibility and Clean up: I was extremely impressed when I returned home and Erin had immediately started to put away all toys and items brought out during babysitting time. She even had my kids cleaning up with her!
• Considerate and Respectful: She demonstrated respect with my children by following their interests as well as with me as an adult, thanking me for the opportunity to help out!

Erin is an amazing person who, in my opinion, would accept this leadership position with ambition and with the interest of students and peers in mind. She is genuinely kind and friendly with and has an ability to stand up and take action. I look forward to seeing her as a role model for my two children who currently attend Taylor Elementary!

Good Luck Erin and Taylor!

Sincerely,

Alison Adams (mom of 3 and preschool teacher)

How proud am I? Erin is a wonderful girl who is full of spunk and is committed to making the world a better place; even if she doesn't clean her room :)

Here's hoping for a happy, healthy and productive school year.

"I'm Sorry, Do I Know You?"

It has been FOREVER since I last posted. Life has been a little nuts, and consequently, so have I. We have gone back to school (separate post to follow) and we are back into schedules and all the crazy running around that they entail. For posterity's sake, here is the run-down of the last month.

So... Grandma died. As Jack said to my girlfriend while I was gone, "that's too bad for her." All kidding aside, it has been a great opportunity to reflect on my Grandma Jones' life and her legacy. She was a wonderful woman who knew how to do all kinds of things. It's funny... growing up I spent a lot of time with my dad's mom and who I am today reflects those experiences. What's crazy is that as I have grown older and more experienced (like that?) I find myself trying to gain the kind of knowledge and wisdom I would have gained from my Grandma Jones if I had been able to spend more time with her in my formative years. Two weeks ago, for Sunday dinner, Allie and I made fried chicken and mashed potatoes, with what my Grandma would have called "milk gravy." Fried chicken was my Grandma's go-to meal, and one that we would always request when we would visit. Boy the taste of that gravy took me back. One thing we discovered while on our vacation was the uncanny resemblance between my Grandma and Erin at roughly the same point in their lives. I'll have to post the picture another time, as it's in my van which is in the shop..... wait for it later.

One of the best things about the time we spent dealing with Grandma's sickness and death was the time we were able to spend together as a family. For whatever reasons, neither of my sister-in-laws came with their husbands to Washington for the weekend, and Matt stayed home with my brood, so it was just my parents, my brothers and me. It was awesome! I have intended to blog about this experience separately, but obviously, it hasn't happened.

Aren't those handsome folks? As I spent the weekend with these people that I love, I was reminded of all the fun times we have shared. Over breakfast one morning, we figured it has been nearly 20 years since it has just been the five of us and although getting married and having children has definitely changed us, we are still the same goofy people we were before. On a couple of occasions, we all crammed into one car and drove to our various destinations. Ben and Greg, winning the "tall contest" found themselves in the front controlling our destination and the tunes we listened to, and I found myself squished in the back with my parents. It has been a long time since we all have laughed that hard. I'm talking tears and side aches people. It was so nice. We did all the things that it's a pain in the butt to take kids to do... which translates to eating where we want, when we want. If you missed it in my earlier posts, we like to eat, which honestly speaks volumes, but that may be for another time. Anyway, one day, we had breakfast at the Cheesecake Factory, lunch at the Hard Rock Cafe and dinner at the Rainforest Cafe. Ugghhhh. We were stuffed, but it was so much fun. We went to Pike's Market and walked around... we went to the mall and bought matching Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles hats.....

We went and saw a memorial for Jimi Hendrix....

And screamed for the chocolate volcano at the Rainforest Cafe......

We sat in the gorilla section, by the way. Sorry the pictures suck... the light was bad and all I had was my cell phone.

Anyway, we didn't have to stop anywhere unexpected for a potty break the entire time. We stopped at McDonald's on the way to a wedding because we weren't sure whether they were going to have food at the wedding. Greg ordered a Happy Meal and we got Farmer Smurf! We relived the days of classic wrestling; mourned Macho Man Randy Savage, Andre the Giant and sang the Hulk Hogan theme song and tried to decide what the right event would be for the Undertaker's anthem. Everybody laughed at me when I turned retarded and dropped my $7 Cold Stone ice cream for no apparent reason and we had fun at the Seahawks and Mariners team stores.

It was so much fun and it was just what I needed.

On to the next event..... my new nephew! Dave and Holli (sibs on Matt's side) had their first little guy a couple of weeks early on August 15th. Grayson Paul Pierce was 7 pounds 4 ounces and 20 1/2 long. What a cutie!

That means that the Pierce family has had three little ones added this year and they will all be the same year in school.

Aspen Joy Pierce

January 9, 2011

William Homer Pierce

January 16, 2011

Grayson Paul Pierce

August 15, 2011

We are so blessed!

This is good; to be counting my blessings. Things have been a little tense at our house lately. We have been working hard on our back yard, trying to get things in order. We built a little stone patio for our fire pit and are working on having a deck built. Matt has been drawing plans and looking at materials, and the crabgrass is FREAKING out of control! I hope to have pictures of the progress to post in a couple of weeks. On the plus side, we finally got our gopher. We hired a "wildlife specialist" (read, varmint hunter) to come and kill the thing and her trap worked. Matt wanted to put his head on a pike in the garden, but the smell was too strong. Hopefully my flowering pear will come back and we can finally grow beans in our garden unmolested.

Will has started to crawl, finally. I say finally, because Aspen is a wonder baby and has been crawling for a couple of months now. It's not the prettiest crawl I have seen, but it gets him where he wants to go and nothing is off limits anymore. We have had to lower his crib mattress because he has figured out how to pull himself up and I was worried he was going to take a nose dive. He is still such a happy baby and although he has no teeth, as of yet, he is eating food and loving it. We are so happy that he is part of our family, although I think he really misses the big kids while they are at school.

We got a new couch. Now we can all sit in the basement and watch a movie together. Which is awesome! We've had so much fun hanging out, eating Daddy Popcorn and watching shows since the couch was delivered that it might just be worth the money we spent!

The van, the mother ship, the home base and my everything.... she is broken. She needs a new transmission, to the tune of $3800. I think this repair about wipes out her residual value, but we are not resigning her to the scrap heap just yet. She is being fixed, which is good, because we can no longer fit our whole family in Matt's car, putting a damper on our Labor Day options.

I think that about covers it. I'm sure there is stuff I missed, but hopefully it's mostly back to school stuff, which will be covered in my next post. Here's to a great September!

What You Do When "SHE" is a "HE"

I have never claimed to be an expert in much of anything. Granted, I know a lot, about a lot of different stuff, but that mostly results in me spewing out odd facts and having people look at me like I'm overmedicated.

Now back to what I don't know. I don't know how to sex a chicken. Apparently, neither do the farmers that provide the baby chicks to IFA, because we recently discovered that my lovely Speckled Sussex hen, Eliza was actually a loud, ornery rooster; Ebeneezer.

When we put our two newest hens into the mix in early June, there were a few hiccups, but we have done it before and there is always a struggle to re-establish the pecking order. None of the other hens seemed to like Eliza; except for the other newbie, Rosie, who will heretofore be known as the "chicken-bitch." We thought she was looking for protection because she is a smaller breed. Turns out, big bad Eliza owned her! Anyway, our hens started making fewer noises, some of the established ones started losing their tail feathers, there was one morning the feeder was covered in blood and our feisty leader, Leslie, with her lieutenants Maud and Alice started to become very broody; having to be removed from the nesting boxes to collect eggs.

Fast forward to the last weekend in July when we brought "Eliza" out for show-and-tell while we had some neighbors over for a barbecue. Wow, look at her feet; they're huge. Her feathers are beautiful. My chicken dream come true. And then.... Monday morning, really early, I heard an unfamiliar noise coming from my hen house.

Let me tell you, to begin with, that hens like to make a lot of noise after they lay eggs; kind of like a daily birth announcement. But I had never heard this noise before. Well, it kind of went on all day, and I'm thinking, "that's weird, maybe one of the girls has something stuck in their tailpipe."

Next day, same story; only louder and more frequent. Matt does a little research, and low and behold, Eliza is Ebeneezer. Matt comes upstairs and says, "it's not so much that I'm sure we have a rooster, but I'm sure we don't have a hen." Oh, and he throws out, "I'm going to slaughter it."

Okay, if any of you have cars that don't run, bring them to my front yard and I'll have the blocks to put them up on. My boys will be in their wife-beaters and the girls will be wearing their Daisy Dukes! We are WHITE TRASH! Do you think I'm kidding? Nope, he killed the thing.

Word spread throughout the neighborhood and we acquired an audience. I can't tell you how many phone calls I made saying "I need your explicit permission for your child to watch my husband kill a chicken so that we can't be sued to cover the cost of therapy."

Now a few words of advice, in case you ever find yourself needing to kill a rooster. It doesn't matter that your husband thinks your kitchen knives are sharp enough to cut their neck arteries; they aren't, unless your husband is Bill the Butcher. I've since heard the best way to kill a chicken is to grab it by legs and step on it's head, so I'm filing that away for next time.

Ugghhhhhhh...... we named it! It was a pet!

Anyway, plucking a chicken and culling the guts is disgusting. Dachshunds evidently like chicken spinal cords and it WILL give them the runs.

Because the knives weren't sharp enough, Ebeneezer actually had his brains scrambled... THREE TIMES. It's true, they keep twitching after they're dead, hence the multiple scrambling.

Because of this trauma, his little muscles seized and the meat was pretty tough (I'm told, because I didn't eat him.... WE NAMED HIM!)

Well, I will say that I am impressed by the resourcefulness of my sweet husband, but there's a reason I buy my chicken on a styrofoam plate at the grocery store. I have always said that I would have been one of the pioneers who begged to be left on the side of the trail to make my peace with death, and this chicken experience confirms it. I was born to be pampered!

Needless to say, through all of this, order has been restored in our hen house and things are going well for all the girls. All of them, except "chicken-bitch." She's still owned!

Wild About the Water

I don't have a ton of pictures for this post, but we have done quite a bit of swimming this summer. We swam on our vacation, and we love swimming at Grandma's pool. The girls have gone to Cherry Hill and we've even played in the creek at the park and the lake at the ward campout. The best fun this year has been our passes to Seven Peaks Salt Lake. We bought the Pass of All Passes on Groupon and have been two or three times; okay, not a ton, but you try taking four little people to a water park. Matt and the big kids love the slides and the wave pool and Will and I love chilling in the shade and getting our toes wet in the lazy river.

Once Jack saw Will's rash guard for his swimsuit, he wanted one, so he found Erin's old one. Didn't seem to bother him that it was girly!

Will always seems to be amazed by his cousin Aspen. Like he can't believe that there is another little person who crawls around on the ground.

I wish I could say that I had more photos of my family having fun in the water, but they don't stop swimming long enough for me to get them!

Remembering Grandma Jones

Joyce Evelyn Porter Jones

1928-2011

Joyce Evelyn Porter Jones passed away on August 5, 2011 surrounded by her loved ones. Joyce was born in Lamesa, Texas on April 9, 1928 to Ray and Iva Porter. She was the third daughter and middle child. She spoke of her growing-up years as happy ones despite the Great Depression and Dust Bowl that gripped the country.

When Joyce was 14, her family moved to Odell, Oregon where she attended high school and met her future husband, Wayne Jones. After graduating from high school, she moved to Seattle with her sisters Veda and Donnie and went to school to be a Beauty Technician; achieving one of her dreams.

She married Wayne on April 4, 1949 in San Diego and became a Navy bride. Their little family soon grew to include daughter Brenda, sons Gary and Ron, and daughter Margo.

Joyce loved to spend time with her friends and family and spent her lifetime nurturing relationships with all those she came in contact with. As we have spent time with her over the last couple of years, we have heard many stories and seen many pictures of the people whose lives she has touched.

In 1971, Wayne and Joyce moved to Washington where they built a business (S&W Construction) and made many friends. Over the last decade they have spent their time together at home.

Joyce loved poetry and had several of her poems published. She was a lefty and could write in mirror image, a trick that greatly amused her grandchildren. She loved to work in her garden and had beautiful flowers. She loved the color lavender, fishing for salmon and gospel music. She was also known to tap her toe anytime she felt the beat of a good country-western song. She loved her family. She hated her freckles; she remembered praying as a child that God would take her freckles away. She loved to sew and embroider, before her eyesight kept her from it. Joyce was a wonderful grandmother, who always took the time to be with her grandchildren. She loved to help them with craft projects. No trip to Grandma’s was complete without a treasure sent home. Joyce was a treasure to all of her grandchildren.

Joyce is survived by her loving husband Wayne. They were married for 62 years and he has lovingly and carefully cared for her during these last hard years. She is also survived by her children: Brenda (Tim) Homer of Salt Lake City, Gary (Betty) Jones of Tacoma, Ron (Michelle) Jones of Yelm and Margo (Ed) Kittle of Packwood. Grandma will also live on in the hearts of her eight grandchildren, their spouses and her 15 great-grandchildren. She is also survived by numerous nieces and nephews who were like extra children to her.

Joyce was preceded in death by her parents, sisters Veda White, Donnie Tieman, Nita Miles and by her brother Olen Porter.

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For posterity's sake, Joyce will be buried on Monday, August 15th at the Tahoma National Cemetery, 18600 SE 240th Street, Kent, Washington.

Her grandchildren are:

Tammy (Neal) Sartain, University Place, Washington

Ali (Jeff) Hymer, University Place, Washington

Rebekah (Matt) Pierce, Centerville, Utah

Maurice (Deanna) Ball, Olympia, Washington

Jeffery Kittle, Washington

Benjamin (Shanna) Homer, West Jordan, Utah

Tawnya (Dave) Dopita, Park City, Utah

Gregory (Sarah) Homer, Columbus, Ohio

Great-Grandchildren Include:

Jade Hymer

Marisa Ball

Aidan Sartain

Erin Pierce

Solana Sartain

Allison Pierce

Morrison Ball

Mason Ball

Leah Homer

Jack Pierce

Elizabeth Homer

Andrew Homer

Lily Dopita

Abigail Homer

William Pierce

Six Months.... Where Does The Time Go?

I can hardly believe this guy has been around for over half the year. Technically, he's closer to 7 months that 6, but because we just had the doctor appointment yesterday, the blog update is today.

Will tipped the scales at 18 pounds even. I thought he was closer to 20, but evidently my mom's scale may be off a bit. That puts Will at exactly the 50th percentile.

Will measured 27.5 " long. That puts him in the 76th percentile and keeps our hoop dreams alive.

The biggest part of Will, like all of our kids, is his head. He is in the 90th percentile for his head size.

Going by these measurements, Will be tall, slim and brilliant... not a bad combo if you ask me.

At six months, Will has long ago rolled over and has learned that by doing so repetitively, he can get just about anywhere he wants to go. He hasn't exactly learned to crawl yet, but he tries really hard. On Sunday, he made it up on all fours for the first time.

Will loves his Mom, which can I just say, is awesome? He actually cries when I leave. I know this isn't supposed to be encouraged, but it's a first for me, so I'm indulging a bit. He has adorable dimples and loves to play with his brothers and sisters. He is the most content baby. The only times he really cries are when he needs to be changed or when he's hungry. Once those basic needs are met, he is back to Mr. Happy Baby.

We like to call him Mr. Will, the Will-boy or Monkey and his dark eyes with their long lashes light up every time you talk to him.

We are still working to get him over the cough that has plagued him since he was born. The doc gave us a scrip for an inhaler, so hopefully that helps.

He is babbling a lot (much different than Jack) and I swear, has said Mama. His napping still comes in fits and starts, and is often only when he's being held, but I don't mind indulging him a bit.

He may cut teeth someday, but until then, we'll just keep changing his shirt multiple times a day.

William is a delight. He has been the perfect addition to our family and makes us all happy. I'm looking forward to having him all to myself once the big kids start school; we will be buddies and have the best time.

A Very Merry Unbirthday!

I wasn't blogging much when we celebrated Jack's 5th birthday this year, so a half-birthday is just as good, right? Well, no, but it's going to have to do this year.

Where to start about my little Jack-man? He has changed my life! When this little man came into our home, it was clear within a week or two that everything we thought we knew about being parents had changed. That hasn't changed. He is busy; he likes to climb and he is into everything! That being said, he is wicked-smart, sweet as can be and loves everyone.

Some of my favorite things about Jack:

• He loves to snuggle with his mom. When my girls were little, they weren't really into being held and loved all that much. Jack has always been a cuddly boy and he still loves to climb into bed with me and snuggle.
• He is uber-coordinated. This boy learned to ride a two-wheeler at 3 and has no fear. In fact, the only time I worry about him is when someone tries to "help" him. That throws off his groove. Amazingly for a 5-year-old, he knows his own limits.
• He loves his dad. He is a great helper.... and not just in the ceremonial sense. Jack earnestly looks for and fills needs. He is always wanting to dress like his dad and do the things his dad does. I hope that this always stays the same.
• He is a social butterfly. He is just so sure that everyone loves him, and most everyone does. It never fails that someone has a "Jack story" for me. He is truly a ray of sunshine.
• I find even the naughtiest of things he does, adorable. Below are a few pictures of some of Jack's exploits.

Simply said, I adore this boy. He is the bright spot in my day and he never fails to make me happy that I'm his mother. I guess in some ways, I was always a little bit envious of the relationship my mom had with my brothers (I'm not anymore). However, after having Jack, and now Will, I think the mother-son relationship is so special and I am so grateful that I have these little guys in my life.