Our Denver Trip

The last week of September our family took a road trip to Denver. Michael needed to go for work. He is changing careers and teaching seminars instead of hiding in the basement on the computer. The kids and I played. We didn't see much of Michael except in the evenings, so most of our pictures are of what we did while he was busy all day.
One of the places we visited was the Children's Museum of Denver.  http://www.cmdenver.org  The kids had so much fun. The exhibits are best described as interactive playscapes. It was amazing to see each different area and the many adventures my kids could have as they played with everything.
At the Museum, Emily loved the Market area where she could push her own shopping cart around the room and fill it with a variety of plastic food. She also loved the Assembly Plant where she could use real tools to construct items out of recycled materials. The basketball court, and magnetic board with tons of letters, words, and picture magnets to line up also kept her attention. Miriam loved the Market and Assembly Plant too. While Emily was busy elsewhere, Miriam put on a smock and painted two huge pictures with acrylic paints. We had to wait for them to dry, but it felt like no time at all because there were plenty of things to see and do. Miriam also enjoyed climbing up on the real fire engine. Adam really loved the train room. There were hundreds of track pieces and train cars to assemble and rearrange.  Adam also liked the Market, and had fun pretending to be a veterinarian. It took a while, but we finally convinced Adam to climb up into the fire engine. Once there, we couldn't drag him out. Joshua loved doing what everyone else was doing. He pushed shopping carts, he lined up letters, he threw basketballs, and stole Adam's trains. He had a lot of fun and we wore him out. It was a really good thing Grandma Griffith went with us. In fact, she came with us on all of our adventures all week. I am so grateful for her help with my 5 small kids!

Another fun place we saw was the Littleton Historical Museum  

http://www.littletongov.org/museum/default.asp  At the Historical Museum, we toured an 1860's farm, and an 1890's farm.  The kids saw farm animals (horses, cow, pigs, sheep, chickens), houses of each time period, one-room school house, blacksmith's shop, and gardens.  They couldn't find bathrooms in the houses, and were shocked people used to use outhouses.  The kids didn't like the geese that roamed free, but loved the animals behind fences.  In fact, the kids loved it so much, we spent 2 mornings there.  They wanted to go back.

One afternoon, Irene (Grandma Griffith) and I took the kids to a park.  Next to the park is a small creek with lots and lots of sand brought in for a nice bank.  It reminded meof the day we roasted hotdogs in the mountains when my 4 oldest kids ran towards the water and started throwing handfulls of sand into the water.  I guess they couldn't find any large rocks.
Of course, the kids loved playing with their Griffith, Cook, and Farmer cousins.  We kept busy all week and it was a nice break from the normal routine.  



See more of our fun pictures on the slideshow:

Make an on-line slide show at www.OneTrueMedia.com

I shouldn't put this in, but mothers of little boys might get a big laugh.  The night before we were coming home, Michael and I were busy talking to Michael's parents.  The kids were all playing nicely - or so we thought.  Evidently, the last girl to have a bath didn't let all the water out of the tub.  My little boys climbed in the tub - clothes and all -  and took the toilet brush in with them.  The thought is still so discusting!  So we got them out of the tub, and out of their wet clothes (Joshua's diaper soaked up about 40 lb. of water), and Grandma cleaned the tub while I kept the boys from running away.  (she also got the picture)  When she was done cleaning, I bent down to rinse out the last of the bubbles, and start the real bath water.  While I wasn't looking - you guessed it! - Joshua peed on my socks!

Picnic in the Mountains

We thought it would be fun to take the kids up the canyon for a picnic in the mountains.  It is only our 2nd trip ever.  Last time we did it, Adam was the 4-month old baby.  So it's been 3 years.  Yes, that shows how often this Mom really thinks about driving up in the mountains and building a campfire (and trying to convince the kids to use the outhouse).  :)  Well, we did it.  We packed food for hotdogs, chips, and smores.  When the girls got out of school, we drove to a picnic area in the canyon next to the river, which was Michael's requirement, and unloaded our stuff.  First things first, Joshua had to roll in the dirt.  He wasn't used to non-flat terrain and couldn't stay on his feet.  He was adorable walking up the side of the mountain, and even funnier as he sat on his bum and scooted back down.  He couldn't quite figure out how to walk downhill.  While Joshua was treating the mountainside as a slide, the oldest three ran all over gathering sticks for the fire.  We brought logs, but needed smaller stuff to get the fire going.  Michael got the job of building the fire, and I found sticks to roast hot dogs and marshmallows.  

I had to take a picture of him covered in dirt, and Dorito cheese.  This was the beginning of our picnic, so he got a lot worse before we went home.  I think I washed his hands at least twice by the time this picture was taken.  It didn't help, they were constantly covered in dirt, food, charcoal, and sticks.  He loved it!  In fact, I found myself washing kids hands over and over the whole time.  

Three of my cute kids sit down for dinner of hotdogs and doritos.  A kid's dream- no veggies! (Although, at home they get to eat one bite of veggies for each year of their age.  It's a rule we started when Emily was about 2, and they all have accepted it.  They don't have to eat their vegetables, but if they don't, they can't have seconds on any other food so they usually end up eating them.)

After hotdogs, the kids explored the area near the river.  Yes, that's 4 active kids who run in separate directions at once.  Emily even brought her bug vacuum.  It's her second one.  Her birthday vacuum broke, so she bought another one with her birthday money.  I had to laugh when she declared, "there are no bugs in the mountains!"  She just didn't look hard enough.  Eventually, she found some and the show-and-tell began.

The kids finally discover the river.  They threw rocks in the water forever.  Even Joshua got down by the edge of the water to throw rocks.  In fact, we couldn't drag him away.  He wanted to stay.  After a really long time for the parents, we finally got the kids back to the fire to roast marshmallows.  Joshua wouldn't come.  He fought Michael, kicking and screaming, all 31 lbs. of himself, back to the picnic table because he wanted to be by the river.  He even tried to run back to the water when Michael put him down, but once he saw the marshmallows his whole attitude changed and he was all for dessert.  Chocolate, graham crackers, marshmallows, he had it all.

Michael was busy cooking lots of hotdogs, 1 or 2 at a time, for 4 hungry kids.  After the kids were full, Michael finally got to make his own hotdog.  

Olivia was all eyes in the mountains.  She soaked in all the new sights and loved sitting up to see even more.  She didn't like the campfire smoke that kept following her around.  

So it was a really fun time.  They kids were so excited to do something different.  I loved seeing them enjoy nature - and I do like nature too.  I love how peaceful it is away from everything.  I love the trees, the sound of the river, and the fresh mountain air.  But having said that, I don't think our family will be taking any overnight camping trips anytime soon.  Another picnic, absolutely.  Just as long as it is over and we are home in time for everyone to have a BATH before bedtime.  ;)  

A short note on Olivia:  At her doctor's appointment on Monday, she was barely 12 lbs., and almost 24" long (23.88" to be exact).  She is in the 12th percentile at 4 months old, and strong and healthy - just petite.

My Wonderful Miriam!

This post is all about Miriam!  The last few have highlighted her siblings so it's time to talk about all the wonderful things Miriam is doing.

Miriam is in 1st grade and loves it.  She has two teachers.  One teaches in the morning and the other teacher comes after lunch.  I like it.  Between the two of them, they should be able to come up with work to keep Miriam from getting bored.  So far, they are still "assessing the students" and Miriam thinks school is boring.  This is because she is an excellent reader and loves to read.  Her favorite books are Junie B. Jones and the Little House on the Prairie series.  I have started reading books by Judy Bloom to her and her sister and they love them too.  As for 1st grade math, "it's boring."  My smart girl has already mastered single number addition, but that's what they are working on right now.  I'm glad she loves doing her homework and gets it done fast when she comes home.  Sometimes I have to talk her into not doing the whole week's worth of math the teacher sends home on Mondays.  She wants to do it all at once instead of one page each night.  So school has it's ups and downs for Miriam.

My favorite time of day with Miriam is picking her up from school.  Ever since she started kindergarten last year, she has greeted me with a great big smile, and charged me to give a big hug.  I love it!  Now as a big 1st grader she still does it.  I just can't forget to brace for the impact.  Miriam can knock me over if I'm not ready for the hug.  :)  It's usually accompanied by multiple expressions of "I love you Mom" and "I missed you all day, Mom."

One of Miriam's favorite jobs at home is washing the pans while doing dishes.  It's fun to fill the sink with lots and lots of water and Tablespoons of dish soap to stir while the pan sits in the bottom.  Sometimes there is more water on the floor and counter than in the sink, but she is a great helper regardless.

Sometimes when the homework is done, dinner is over, and dishes are finished, Miriam likes to play outside in the backyard with her brothers and older sister.  Her favorite place is the dirt pile!  (imagine that!)  No dirt is as fun to look at, as it is to roll in.  Once one kid has found the dirt pile, it's bath night for them all.  Often it includes spraying the dirt out of their hair first before running the bath water.  So if I can keep Miss Miriam out of the dirt, the rest will usually stay away too.

Some other things Miriam is good at are: spelling, drawing, singing, arts and crafts, storytelling, and being a friend.  

She is a very nice and good girl.  (Miriam told me to write that sentence.)

I love my Miriam!

"and I love my Mom" - (Miriam told me to write this too)

Emily's Baptism

Emily got baptized on August 30th. Here she is two days before when she tried on her new dress. She loves her new dress and plans to wear it as long as she can on the day she is baptized. I told her she can wear it until it is time to eat, and then she needs to change. Jell-o is on the menu and it would be tragic to stain her new dress. (especially since I took time to make it myself.) She is is excited for her baptism, but she is nervous about all the people watching, and going under the water.



When we got to the church, Emily took a long time changing into her white clothes. She wasn't sure about the jumpsuit. We had to roll up the legs, and she thought the zipper was strange in the front. Finally, she was ready to leave the bathroom and greet her Dad in the hall. Emily doesn't like attention from lots of people at once, so it was nice we were alone for a while before going into the chapel. Emily felt a lot better about her jumpsuit when she saw her dad wearing one too. They look so happy! Here they are in front of the doors to the font.


Just Emily, Michael, and I walked together down the long hallway to the chapel. As we came to the end of the hall, Emily needed a moment to get ready to see everyone. She stopped in the hall until she made the decision to walk into the chapel.

I am so proud of Emily! All day, both her Dad and I just wanted to hug her and tell her how much we loved her. After she was confirmed, my Dad took pictures outside the church. The sun was bright, so her eyes were squinty.

Here we are with our wonderful Emily. She has grown up so fast! We are so proud of her for making the decision to get baptized.

Saturday night, after all the company left, and her siblings were in bed, we got to talk to her about her baptism. She said the best part was going under the water. She said she felt the Holy Ghost the whole time and she felt happy. This makes me excited because she han't been sure in the past how to recognize the Holy Ghost.

I need to send out a big thanks for all the wonderful family that came to support my Emily. She had both sets of her grandparents, both sets of my grandparents, plus many aunts, uncles, and cousins. I so appreciate everyone who helped with the rest of my kids so I could focus on Emily. Thanks again for being a part of Emily's special day. We love you!

where to buy bug vacuum

Wow!  I can't believe how many requests I have had to tell where to buy a bug vacuum.  Michael found it at Wal-mart for about $12.  

Here is a link to ToysRUs for the model we have:

http://www.toysrus.com/product/index.jsp?productId=2943523

You can also do a search on Amazon.com and find a whole bunch of different options.

Happy bug hunting!

Happy 8th Birthday to Emily!

It's Emily's Birthday and she is soooooo excited for gifts. It's late afternoon, after school, homework, and dinner is cooking. The presents are (finally) wrapped and it's time to open them.

Wow! Mom remembered I asked for a Hanna Montana doll! This one even sings - a whole song that lasts a long time - and it's really loud too. :)

Emily with her cake (and doll). Now before you look at the frosting and think "GROSS! look at all that sweet frosting stacked on that cake" I have to tell you how I make frosting now. No more powdered sugar frosting. No one likes it and everyone scrapes it off. No canned frosting either. Just mix one small box of instant pudding with 3/4 cups cold milk (yes, it's less than half the box calls for) and 1/4 cup powdered sugar. Fold in 8 oz. of Cool Whip and you have the yummiest frosting you ever had. I love it with white chocolate pudding. Emily's birthday cake was made with a double recipe of Chocolate Fudge pudding. The cake was made in a 10" springform pan, and then sliced horizontally into three layers to hold even more of the yummy pudding frosting. Don't forget you have to store it in the fridge. The chocolate curls were made with a vegetable peeler and a bar of Dove milk chocolate at room temperature.

Now before you are convinced that Emily's favorite birthday gift was her Hanna Montana doll, I must admit it is NOT! It isn't her new wallet, or journal. It isn't her new books, or video games that plug into the TV either. It is the bug vacuum. It actually sucks up live bugs and traps them in a clear tube for examination. (I mean torture)

Once all her presents were opened, she raced outside to try out the bug vacuum. She was out there until dinner, and went right back out afterwards. That was yesterday. Today, as soon as she got home from school and finished her homework, she raced outside with the bug vacuum to find more bugs. She loves it! Adam and Miriam love it too. They follow her around dying for a turn. All I have to do is look at each and every bug she catches in the tube and praise her skills at vacuuming them up. :) So far I have witnessed the flies, potato bugs, lady bugs, moths, grasshoppers big and small, spiders, and even bugs I don't recognize. As long as they are let loose OUTSIDE and not in my house it's fine.

Here is Emily with her favorite toy of all! Look closely and see the huge grasshopper she has captured inside!

Well, Emily... it's a good thing you have a Dad to pick out a bug vacuum for you. I would never have thought of it, or even considered it. He just has a sense of what kind of things you like. (I have a sense of Miriam kind of things instead)

Happy Birthday Emily! We love you!