Friday I went on a "FUN" walk at John's work. BYU has this whole program for employees and their spouses that's supposed to keep you healthy. Well, for part of it, every so often they have these fun walks around campus. I think they're something like a mile long. They start out down by the RB and go to upper campus and then come back down to where they started. This year, starting in September, you got something for each one you went to and the prizes get better for each consecutive one. Like I think for the first one we got some wristbands, then some hats, then some nice pedometers. This time we got some really nice water bottles.
Anyway we're really doing it because at the end you get like $30 in BYU foodservices gift certificates (each). We eat on campus a lot so why not? Plus it is relatively fun and the girls usually like it.
The last one was in the beginning of November when I was like 8 months pregnant. It was kind of hard because I was pushing Mary in the stroller. I remember being really sore.
This time though I was carrying Lily in a front baby carrier and pushing Mary in the stroller. It was tough. I'm not in very good shape but I thought if I did that every day I definitely would lose the weight and be buff. I was very sore after, in lots of weird places. But I made it and it was very nice outside (low 60's) and the girls really liked it. John carried Ruth on his back and pushed Emma in a stroller. I'm sure we were very funny looking but we had fun and it was a fun family (minus Kate who is in school--they have them at noonish) activity. Maybe next month I'll be in better shape.
Oh yeah. At the end they are supposed to have bananas and cookies and drinks but for the first couple of times we were too slow to get anything (they always run out). I'm proud to say that this time we at least made it for the cookies and we only barely missed the bananas. I think it was largely due to me no longer being pregnant. But maybe next time we'll make the bananas. There's always hope. Anyway it was lots of "FUN".
Sunday, March 25, 2007
Monday, February 26, 2007
How did I get this old?
Now I know, I'm not really that old. I'm only 30, but it seems like just yesterday that I was only 20. Seriously, sometimes I think back and it doesn't seem that long ago that I was living in Pinegar and going to BYU. And yet, I look around me and I have 5 daughters, one about ready to be baptized, and have been married to John for almost 9 years. That's a long time, almost 1/3 of my life but I just don't feel that old.
For instance, I see all these newly married couples in my ward and I feel like I'm not that much older than them, and then they tell me when they graduated from high school, and I realize that I had 3 kids by then. It's so weird. One time this lady who I considered quite a bit older than me included me in her age group, as in "All of us in our 30's have to stick together..." (I was 28 at the time) and I said, "I'm not in my 30's" and she said, "Oh, I just assumed you were with 3 kids and all." I remember thinking, "I can't believe I'm almost as old as her. When did I get so old?"
Anyway, I guess it is Ok. I do have a sister who is almost 40 and a youngest sister who has 2 kids but sometimes I just have these moments when it seems a little surreal.
For instance, I see all these newly married couples in my ward and I feel like I'm not that much older than them, and then they tell me when they graduated from high school, and I realize that I had 3 kids by then. It's so weird. One time this lady who I considered quite a bit older than me included me in her age group, as in "All of us in our 30's have to stick together..." (I was 28 at the time) and I said, "I'm not in my 30's" and she said, "Oh, I just assumed you were with 3 kids and all." I remember thinking, "I can't believe I'm almost as old as her. When did I get so old?"
Anyway, I guess it is Ok. I do have a sister who is almost 40 and a youngest sister who has 2 kids but sometimes I just have these moments when it seems a little surreal.
Sunday, February 18, 2007
Payne family circus
Today I had to speak in sacrament. Now I don't mind speaking, in fact I thought it was going to give me a chance to really enjoy sacrament and listen without the kids all around me. But the hard part for me is preparing a talk(done in between baths for the girls, getting breakfast, finding dresses, etc.), actually making it to church on time (I walked in right as the organ played the last few bars of prelude music), and having my kids behave while I'm sitting on the stand and John is lone wolf in the pew.
First of all I had to run into church by myself because the girls were being kind of slow getting out of the car, and I was carrying the bag with stuff for the girls because John had to carry the car seat with Lily, and keep track of the other 4 and carry his scriptures. And I didn't really know where they were going to sit so I had to take it with me onto the stand, which made it hard for John to have any of the stuff that usually keeps them all relatively quiet and well behaved. Anyway, half way through sacrament Ruth made a run for me that John didn't even catch until it was already too late (Emma thought it was hilarious!!). She came up and sat with me (minus her shoes already) for about 30 seconds then wanted to go back to John. I managed to convince her to stay through the sacrament and then let her go because it was my turn to speak. Then John wasn't feeling well and had to make a quick exit while he was feeding Lily her bottle so he gave her to Kate and ran out.
I gave my talk and everything went OK, although Kate, Mary, and Emma all got up to go to the bathroom (led by Kate of course). One of my neighbors was in the bathroom at the same time and she said it was really funny because you could hear me speaking over the loud speaker, and hear Kate marshalling the troops in the stall. She said Kate had it all under control. She said it reminded her of her older sister who was 12 when she was born and was always the 2nd mom. She said, "Now I know what my sister must have sounded like at 7."
Anyway, after my talk was over, Ruth decided that running between mom on the stand and dad in the pew was a pretty fun game. John was trying to hold Lily but eventually gave her to the lady behind him (Kate was still in the bathroom) and made a quick exit with Ruth screaming. Later when they came back in Ruth still came back up to me but she stayed and looked at some things from the bag. She needed a diaper change but we forgot the wipes so she just hung out with me until after sacrament when I was able to borrow some from a kind neighbor.
All during church, I kept getting comments like, "We loved your talk, and your girls are soo cute!"
Yea, cute. If that's what you want to call it, go right ahead.
First of all I had to run into church by myself because the girls were being kind of slow getting out of the car, and I was carrying the bag with stuff for the girls because John had to carry the car seat with Lily, and keep track of the other 4 and carry his scriptures. And I didn't really know where they were going to sit so I had to take it with me onto the stand, which made it hard for John to have any of the stuff that usually keeps them all relatively quiet and well behaved. Anyway, half way through sacrament Ruth made a run for me that John didn't even catch until it was already too late (Emma thought it was hilarious!!). She came up and sat with me (minus her shoes already) for about 30 seconds then wanted to go back to John. I managed to convince her to stay through the sacrament and then let her go because it was my turn to speak. Then John wasn't feeling well and had to make a quick exit while he was feeding Lily her bottle so he gave her to Kate and ran out.
I gave my talk and everything went OK, although Kate, Mary, and Emma all got up to go to the bathroom (led by Kate of course). One of my neighbors was in the bathroom at the same time and she said it was really funny because you could hear me speaking over the loud speaker, and hear Kate marshalling the troops in the stall. She said Kate had it all under control. She said it reminded her of her older sister who was 12 when she was born and was always the 2nd mom. She said, "Now I know what my sister must have sounded like at 7."
Anyway, after my talk was over, Ruth decided that running between mom on the stand and dad in the pew was a pretty fun game. John was trying to hold Lily but eventually gave her to the lady behind him (Kate was still in the bathroom) and made a quick exit with Ruth screaming. Later when they came back in Ruth still came back up to me but she stayed and looked at some things from the bag. She needed a diaper change but we forgot the wipes so she just hung out with me until after sacrament when I was able to borrow some from a kind neighbor.
All during church, I kept getting comments like, "We loved your talk, and your girls are soo cute!"
Yea, cute. If that's what you want to call it, go right ahead.
Tuesday, February 13, 2007
Memorizing
Last summer when I was in Buffalo, we as a family started memorizing the articles of faith. I think it came about because I read a story out of the Friend for a FHE lesson and it was about the articles of faith. I taught the girls the first one and they did pretty well. Then when we came home, Kate told me that the Primary was encouraging them to learn them as well and they got rewards if they passed them off to a member of the Primary presidency. So we kept going.
At first we would just repeat them line by line each night. Sometimes the girls would take turns leading out and I was amazed that even Emma did pretty well. She had those first couple down pat. We kept going and Kate kept doing really well, but Mary and Emma started to drop off a little. They had lost interest a little and the later AofF are kind of long with lots of big words. The primary told the kids that if they passed all of the AofF off by the end of the year they would get a bracelet. Kate was well on her way but the other girls wanted to do it too but they were further back. So in an attempt to help them, we learned the AofF songs from the children's song book. Mary and Emma loved(!!!!) that. We would sing the songs all together and then when I put them to bed we would practice again. They would sing the song by themselves as far as they could go and then I would help them finish. It was amazing!!! Mary and Emma both passed them all off and did most of them within two months.
Anyway, I'm not sure they'll remember all of them but it was a good start. It is just about the cutest thing ever to hear Emma sing in her high 3 year old voice her favorite: "We believe in the literal gathering of Israel, and in the restoration of the ten tribes..." I know she doesn't really know what they mean, but she likes them. She is also partial to "We believe men will be punished for their own sins and not for Adam's transgression." I think she has been punished for something her sisters did one too many times.
It is a testament to how smart kids really are. When I first started doing it, I just did it with Kate and Mary because I thought Emma was too little, but when Emma saw that they got stuff for memorizing them, she wouldn't let me leave her out. When we would go to pass them off, the primary lady would say, "Isn't she in nursery? Are you sure she wants to pass them off?" And Emma would say "Yea!!!" And she did.
When we finished, I would go to tuck Emma in and she would say, "Mom, you forgot to do our articles of faith." And I would say, "But we finished them remember?" She didn't care. She didn't realize there were only 13. So I decided to start the girls memorizing scripture mastery scriptures. I mean it can't hurt them. I made them some books with a big printout of the scripture and then I printed out the story that went with it from the illustrated scripture stories on LDS.org. and put them in the book too. And the girls are doing it but it is a little hard since there aren't really songs to go along (although I did find a website where a lady had put all the scripture mastery scriptures to music and it might be worth the money).
Anyway, so I went back to practicing with Emma before tucking her in at night, and pretty soon, since she and Ruth share a room, Ruth was yelling at me because I wasn't doing the same thing with her. So I tried it and wouldn't you know it, she can repeat too. She can't say it alone but she really likes to repeat and there's nothing sweeter than hearing scripture out of the mouth of a not quite 2 year old. It really is amazing.
At first we would just repeat them line by line each night. Sometimes the girls would take turns leading out and I was amazed that even Emma did pretty well. She had those first couple down pat. We kept going and Kate kept doing really well, but Mary and Emma started to drop off a little. They had lost interest a little and the later AofF are kind of long with lots of big words. The primary told the kids that if they passed all of the AofF off by the end of the year they would get a bracelet. Kate was well on her way but the other girls wanted to do it too but they were further back. So in an attempt to help them, we learned the AofF songs from the children's song book. Mary and Emma loved(!!!!) that. We would sing the songs all together and then when I put them to bed we would practice again. They would sing the song by themselves as far as they could go and then I would help them finish. It was amazing!!! Mary and Emma both passed them all off and did most of them within two months.
Anyway, I'm not sure they'll remember all of them but it was a good start. It is just about the cutest thing ever to hear Emma sing in her high 3 year old voice her favorite: "We believe in the literal gathering of Israel, and in the restoration of the ten tribes..." I know she doesn't really know what they mean, but she likes them. She is also partial to "We believe men will be punished for their own sins and not for Adam's transgression." I think she has been punished for something her sisters did one too many times.
It is a testament to how smart kids really are. When I first started doing it, I just did it with Kate and Mary because I thought Emma was too little, but when Emma saw that they got stuff for memorizing them, she wouldn't let me leave her out. When we would go to pass them off, the primary lady would say, "Isn't she in nursery? Are you sure she wants to pass them off?" And Emma would say "Yea!!!" And she did.
When we finished, I would go to tuck Emma in and she would say, "Mom, you forgot to do our articles of faith." And I would say, "But we finished them remember?" She didn't care. She didn't realize there were only 13. So I decided to start the girls memorizing scripture mastery scriptures. I mean it can't hurt them. I made them some books with a big printout of the scripture and then I printed out the story that went with it from the illustrated scripture stories on LDS.org. and put them in the book too. And the girls are doing it but it is a little hard since there aren't really songs to go along (although I did find a website where a lady had put all the scripture mastery scriptures to music and it might be worth the money).
Anyway, so I went back to practicing with Emma before tucking her in at night, and pretty soon, since she and Ruth share a room, Ruth was yelling at me because I wasn't doing the same thing with her. So I tried it and wouldn't you know it, she can repeat too. She can't say it alone but she really likes to repeat and there's nothing sweeter than hearing scripture out of the mouth of a not quite 2 year old. It really is amazing.
Sunday, February 11, 2007
Extraction
I haven't been getting much done as far as projects go lately. Lily is a good girl and she likes to sleep, but she likes to sleep best when I am holding her. She likes John too but apparantly John exceeds her heat threshold so when she wakes up from sleeping on his chest, she sometimes gets mad.
Anyway, I haven't been doing much but one of my New Year's goals was to do a little bit of name extraction every day. I've tried to do 15 minutes a day. Now for you who don't know what extraction is, it is when you take the names off records and record them for the church databases. I've been doing it off and on since Kate was a baby. When I first started it was all on the computer but you had to have someone in your ward come over and download the record onto the computer and then you would extract the names and give them a disk with what you had done, then take it back to your ward extractionist or trade with someone else to verify the other person's work, etc. It was kind of involved (though not as involved as working with microfiche machines or actually going to the places to find the records--I know I'm a technology age whiner). But now it is super easy and awesome because now it is all on the internet. Your stake extraction person sets you up with an account(or if you can't find one of those, you can just go to familysearchindexing.org) and you just log in whenever you want to and they download a record onto your computer and you're off to the races. Then when you're done, you just upload it and you're ready for the next one.
Anyway it is so fun. In fact it is so easy that it is kind of addicting. I sit down to just do a few names and end up doing a whole sheet (they are broken into groups of 50 names). I really have to force myself to stop.
Right now they are extracting the 1900 census. I've done names from New York, Pennsylvania, Alabama, and Illinois. I even did a sheet from John's hometown, Tonawanda NY.
In the past I've also done extraction from 1600 English parrish records and Ohio and Washington death certificates from the 1940's. They were all very interesting. One time I did a death certificate for someone who had been mauled to death by a bear and you wouldn't believe how many people die in house fires.
Anyway it is super fun and interesting. I've really come to appreciate people who write clearly, but I've also come to appreciate the Spirit that helps you read some of the names (because some are near impossible). It really makes me feel linked to the past.
Anyway if you're looking for a hobby, I would highly recommend it.
Anyway, I haven't been doing much but one of my New Year's goals was to do a little bit of name extraction every day. I've tried to do 15 minutes a day. Now for you who don't know what extraction is, it is when you take the names off records and record them for the church databases. I've been doing it off and on since Kate was a baby. When I first started it was all on the computer but you had to have someone in your ward come over and download the record onto the computer and then you would extract the names and give them a disk with what you had done, then take it back to your ward extractionist or trade with someone else to verify the other person's work, etc. It was kind of involved (though not as involved as working with microfiche machines or actually going to the places to find the records--I know I'm a technology age whiner). But now it is super easy and awesome because now it is all on the internet. Your stake extraction person sets you up with an account(or if you can't find one of those, you can just go to familysearchindexing.org) and you just log in whenever you want to and they download a record onto your computer and you're off to the races. Then when you're done, you just upload it and you're ready for the next one.
Anyway it is so fun. In fact it is so easy that it is kind of addicting. I sit down to just do a few names and end up doing a whole sheet (they are broken into groups of 50 names). I really have to force myself to stop.
Right now they are extracting the 1900 census. I've done names from New York, Pennsylvania, Alabama, and Illinois. I even did a sheet from John's hometown, Tonawanda NY.
In the past I've also done extraction from 1600 English parrish records and Ohio and Washington death certificates from the 1940's. They were all very interesting. One time I did a death certificate for someone who had been mauled to death by a bear and you wouldn't believe how many people die in house fires.
Anyway it is super fun and interesting. I've really come to appreciate people who write clearly, but I've also come to appreciate the Spirit that helps you read some of the names (because some are near impossible). It really makes me feel linked to the past.
Anyway if you're looking for a hobby, I would highly recommend it.
Wednesday, November 29, 2006
Finished quilts
These are 2 quilts that I have finished in the last couple of months. I also finished one more rag quilt for Mary's b-day that looks a lot like the top one for Kate. They don't really take that much time but at least it shows that I've been a little productive. I don't really feel like I get much accomplished sometimes but at least I finished these. It's mostly due to John, who browbeats me into doing things at night after the girls go to bed and I'm sitting around doing nothing (I think he wants a return on some of that hard-earned cash that I'm spending on material). Anyway, I really think that's a great quality of his.
The heart quilt I made for a friend that I knew in our single's ward who recently moved in with her sister for a few months to have her baby. (She and her husband live in Moscow which I guess doesn't have great health care). Anyway, I've never really done any applique but I really liked how this one turned out so I think I'll try some more.
Before I try anything else though I have to finish Ruth's matching I-spy quilt--she keeps stealing her sisters' and taking off with them. And I have to think of something for the baby. We'll see what happens. I found a super cute baby stitchery when I went on the quilt shop hop that I might have to go back and buy and work into a quilt. Anyway, I think quilting is the sane part of my life, I'll think of something to say about the rest of it later.
Sunday, October 08, 2006
Who's this storytime really for?
Thursday when I went to storytime at the library, I had kind of an odd experience. The theme for the day was the letter E and the word of the day was 'ears'. Storytime is done by this guy and this girl that are both college age. Anyway the whole time they kept talking to each other like they were in junior high saying things like, "I was at the dance Friday and I saw Mark and Janet dancing together. Do you think they're going out?" and then they would stop and go, "I think someone is listening." Then they would go find a hidden puppet, say a dog, and say, "Mr. Dog, were you listening to us?" And he would say "Yes, because Ears are Everywhere!" They did this a couple of times and it was kind of a weird mix between Afterschool special and Big Brother. So I was wondering if the target audience who are between 2 and 3 were getting any of this. Ruth definitely wasn't.
Anyway after a few Wheels on the Bus type standby songs and a very cute puppet show that was about a deaf Rapunzel who kept mistaking what her prince was saying and throwing down the wrong thing and hitting him in the head (incidentally, this was the only thing Ruth related to in the storytime. She thought the throwing things and hitting people in the head thing was great. She laughed and laughed), they were just about to end when the guy says, "I think we have one more 'E' thing. E is for 'emerald' box." And he pulls out this jewelry box and opens it. It has a ring in it and he says, "Miss ___, will you marry me?" She looks at him with this stunned look and nods her head and then he jumps up and kisses her rather awkwardly because they both have on headset microphones. All the kids are looking at their parents like "What are they doing?" Then the guy turns and says, "E is for engagement!!" I just laughed. I always think people are a little funny when they propose in public. I mean, what's the girl supposed to say, NO? Then she looks really bad. Anyway, I thought they really missed most of their audience, but the parents were highly amused in a surreal sort of way.
Anyway after a few Wheels on the Bus type standby songs and a very cute puppet show that was about a deaf Rapunzel who kept mistaking what her prince was saying and throwing down the wrong thing and hitting him in the head (incidentally, this was the only thing Ruth related to in the storytime. She thought the throwing things and hitting people in the head thing was great. She laughed and laughed), they were just about to end when the guy says, "I think we have one more 'E' thing. E is for 'emerald' box." And he pulls out this jewelry box and opens it. It has a ring in it and he says, "Miss ___, will you marry me?" She looks at him with this stunned look and nods her head and then he jumps up and kisses her rather awkwardly because they both have on headset microphones. All the kids are looking at their parents like "What are they doing?" Then the guy turns and says, "E is for engagement!!" I just laughed. I always think people are a little funny when they propose in public. I mean, what's the girl supposed to say, NO? Then she looks really bad. Anyway, I thought they really missed most of their audience, but the parents were highly amused in a surreal sort of way.
Flashback week
So I've kind of had a flashback week. I keep running into people I haven't seen in like 10 years.
Thursday I went to my doctor's appt. and was walking out the door when someone said, "Tara?" I looked down at the person and it took me like 30 seconds to remember who this person was. It was a girl that I grew up with my whole life in my home ward, Michelle Peterson. Now I have some odd other connections with her too. When we moved into our ward here, I eventually realized that one of the older ladies in my ward was her grandma (I think her mom came to something once). Anyway and then Michelle just happened to marry one of the few people John liked on his mission, Alan Templeman. We found that out when 'Templeman' sent us a wedding announcement and I looked at it and went, "Wait a minute, I know that girl." Anyway, so after going, "Michelle?" I sat down and talked to her for a few minutes. They're still living close by and she's having her third baby. Obviously she's going to the same doctor as me (because she also had the same doctor that I had before he stopped delivering babies). We talked about our families and she was flabbergasted that I was having my fifth. She kept telling me I must be crazy--that she was done with three. Anyway she wished me good luck. John says that maybe we'll invite them over for dinner sometime. He didn't know Templeman was still around.
Flashback experience #2: After the doctor's office, I went home and got my girls and took them to the library story time. While I was there I spotted one of my old roommates, Stacey Bayles, that I haven't talked to in about 5 years. I thought she was long gone back to CA, but come to find out she lives here because her husband is still going to UVSC. I knew her whole family because I dated her brother and lived with her and her sister so I got the scoop on everyone. Stacey has 2 little girls, Becky has 3 kids, and everyone in her family but her lives in CA. 3 of her brothers and sisters live in the same ward as her parents. Anyway, it was good to see her and I'll probably see her again at storytime sometime.
Flashback #3: We went to a girl in our ward's baptism and I looked over and saw another one of my good friends from the 73rd ward (my single's ward long ago) and she was just as pregnant as I was. It was Christine Brinton, now some other last name. Her older sister lives in our ward and her son was getting baptized so Christine had come. Like I said, Christine also was pregnant and I found out that she came to stay with her sister to have the baby here. She and her husband live in Moscow and she didn't want to have the baby there. So she's going to be coming to my ward until January. That's great. I always really liked Christine.
Anyway, so I guess it's a pretty small world.
Thursday I went to my doctor's appt. and was walking out the door when someone said, "Tara?" I looked down at the person and it took me like 30 seconds to remember who this person was. It was a girl that I grew up with my whole life in my home ward, Michelle Peterson. Now I have some odd other connections with her too. When we moved into our ward here, I eventually realized that one of the older ladies in my ward was her grandma (I think her mom came to something once). Anyway and then Michelle just happened to marry one of the few people John liked on his mission, Alan Templeman. We found that out when 'Templeman' sent us a wedding announcement and I looked at it and went, "Wait a minute, I know that girl." Anyway, so after going, "Michelle?" I sat down and talked to her for a few minutes. They're still living close by and she's having her third baby. Obviously she's going to the same doctor as me (because she also had the same doctor that I had before he stopped delivering babies). We talked about our families and she was flabbergasted that I was having my fifth. She kept telling me I must be crazy--that she was done with three. Anyway she wished me good luck. John says that maybe we'll invite them over for dinner sometime. He didn't know Templeman was still around.
Flashback experience #2: After the doctor's office, I went home and got my girls and took them to the library story time. While I was there I spotted one of my old roommates, Stacey Bayles, that I haven't talked to in about 5 years. I thought she was long gone back to CA, but come to find out she lives here because her husband is still going to UVSC. I knew her whole family because I dated her brother and lived with her and her sister so I got the scoop on everyone. Stacey has 2 little girls, Becky has 3 kids, and everyone in her family but her lives in CA. 3 of her brothers and sisters live in the same ward as her parents. Anyway, it was good to see her and I'll probably see her again at storytime sometime.
Flashback #3: We went to a girl in our ward's baptism and I looked over and saw another one of my good friends from the 73rd ward (my single's ward long ago) and she was just as pregnant as I was. It was Christine Brinton, now some other last name. Her older sister lives in our ward and her son was getting baptized so Christine had come. Like I said, Christine also was pregnant and I found out that she came to stay with her sister to have the baby here. She and her husband live in Moscow and she didn't want to have the baby there. So she's going to be coming to my ward until January. That's great. I always really liked Christine.
Anyway, so I guess it's a pretty small world.
Wednesday, September 13, 2006
Library days are here again
Today Emma and Ruth and I went to storytime at the Library. Now it has been a long time since I've been to storytime. I stopped going sometime when Emma was a tiny baby. I didn't stop going to the library, I just went when John was able to go with me or occasionally in the afternoon when it is not so busy. I stopped going because keeping track of 3 girls was too hard.
Our library has probably 50-60 people that come to each storytime. It is too many people to just let your kids run. They have a older 3-5 yr old storytime where the kids go in a separate room with the library people(kind of like a mini preschool) that's a 1/2 hour one and no parents. Mary was always a little scared and we were always a little late. If you don't get there early and pre-register, you lose. They lock the door as soon as the kids go in the room and if you miss it you miss it.
Then they have a second storytime that's on the outside, with parents, geared toward 2 yr olds. It has lots of music and puppets and one story thrown in. It is the alternative if you get locked out of the other one.
So today we dropped off Kate, Mary and John to school and work and went to the library. We were actually about an hour early (hey, you got to go when the kids are in the car). We read books and let the girls play around before all the people got there. Then Emma went to the big kids storytime and I sat with Ruth in the other one. When they were over it was time to pick up Mary from preschool. It worked out really well and I told Emma it was her little preschool.
So in case you're wondering, it is definitely easier handling two kids at the library than four. It really took me back. Oh well no going back now.
Our library has probably 50-60 people that come to each storytime. It is too many people to just let your kids run. They have a older 3-5 yr old storytime where the kids go in a separate room with the library people(kind of like a mini preschool) that's a 1/2 hour one and no parents. Mary was always a little scared and we were always a little late. If you don't get there early and pre-register, you lose. They lock the door as soon as the kids go in the room and if you miss it you miss it.
Then they have a second storytime that's on the outside, with parents, geared toward 2 yr olds. It has lots of music and puppets and one story thrown in. It is the alternative if you get locked out of the other one.
So today we dropped off Kate, Mary and John to school and work and went to the library. We were actually about an hour early (hey, you got to go when the kids are in the car). We read books and let the girls play around before all the people got there. Then Emma went to the big kids storytime and I sat with Ruth in the other one. When they were over it was time to pick up Mary from preschool. It worked out really well and I told Emma it was her little preschool.
So in case you're wondering, it is definitely easier handling two kids at the library than four. It really took me back. Oh well no going back now.
Monday, September 11, 2006
Too Quiet
Today was Mary's first day of preschool. She was very excited and loved everything about it. With her at school, that left me only Emma and Ruth at home. I put on a show, gave them their bottles and the house was very quiet for a long time. It was kind of nice but I almost didn't know what to do with myself. (I exercised, then got in a quick nap.) I guess I better appreciate it while I can and there's no crying baby in the background. I might actually be able to take the girls to story time at the library again. I think I can keep up with two.
But it is also nice when Mary and then Kate get home. I think they are appreciated more now. Emma and Ruth were both a little disconcerted at being left behind so they were glad to see Mary come back to play with them. Emma had a thousand questions for Mary about the elusive preschool and just exactly what they did there and Ruth just had a big hug and smile for her.
I guess it is nice both ways (with and without the older girls.)
But it is also nice when Mary and then Kate get home. I think they are appreciated more now. Emma and Ruth were both a little disconcerted at being left behind so they were glad to see Mary come back to play with them. Emma had a thousand questions for Mary about the elusive preschool and just exactly what they did there and Ruth just had a big hug and smile for her.
I guess it is nice both ways (with and without the older girls.)
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