Within the Norm

Monday, October 3, 2011

The Pencil Man!!

Last spring, our kindergartner, aka #4, brought home a really cool pencil with a gold shiny top around it. You know, where the eraser is... he likes the ones that are colored, not just plain silver. He showed me his new pencil and told me the 'Pencil Man' gave it to him. I thought nothing of it and moved on to something else. A few days later, he brought home a different COOL pencil, with a blue top around the eraser. This one was also sparkly and shiny. I again asked him where he got it, to which he replied, the 'Pencil Man'! This time I asked him more about this Pencil Man. I asked him, 'Does the Pencil Man come everyday?' He said, 'No- just sometimes.' 'Does everyone get a pencil when he comes?' 'Only if they want one,' he said. "So, he just gives anyone who wants one- a new pencil for free?" 'Yep," he said- Also, the pencils were not brand new- they were clearly used-- but pretty cool pencils! HMMMM... I was beginning to think this Pencil Man was quite a mystery. Another pencil came home, and I questioned his story... I said, "Are you sure there is a Pencil MAN?" "Are you stealing these pencils from other kids?" He adamantly denied any such thing and convinced me there was a real "Pencil Man". After that, I don't recall any more pencils coming home..... The whole situation was forgotten and I had moved on.
THEN--- the other day, I was looking for a missing CD with his sister, aka #3, who he also shares a room with. We were looking in his drawers and found about 7 COOL pencils that were not purchased by me. She then confessed that her little brother told her last spring that there really was no such thing as the Pencil Man!! HOLY COW!! That little POOP!!! She promised him she wouldn't tell me so he wouldn't get in trouble!!!! I WAS RIGHT!!! There really was NO PENCIL MAN!!! --- he really was stealing these pencils!!!! When he got home later, I told him of his sister's confession.... and gave him a real talking to! He then confessed that he took the pencils from the teacher's aids pencil cup on her desk. The next day I called the school and spoke to her about it. I told her who I was and who my son was... her first response was, "Oh, I LOVE ________" To which I thought, 'Well you won't anymore after I tell you what he did.' She then told me that she told the kids they could have a pencil if their lead broke or they needed one. But, what she meant was that they could BORROW one!! She was sticking up for him saying.... I could see where maybe he forgot to give them back and took them home......!! Whatever--- The fact that he made up this crazy story and lied to me tells me that he knew he shouldn't have taken the pencils. So, the next day... he wrote her an apology letter and we went to the school three different times trying to catch her so he could return the pencils. We kept missing her! Finally, a few days later- we caught her and he gave her the pencils. He was really embarrassed and didn't want to face her... but he did with his head hung down... tell her he was sorry that he took her pencils and give her his note! After 4 days of being grounded from everything and getting lectures on honesty and stealing and talking about it over and over... he kept saying, "Could we just stop talking about this?" I hope he learned his lesson!!! STINKER!!!! His sister got quite that talking to too about keeping secrets!

Monday, August 29, 2011

First Day of School 2011

The kids all started another school year at three different schools.... they also go at THREE different times!! #1 leaves the house at 5:45am in the DARK to head off to seminary and then high school! I can't believe we are old enough to have a high schooler! I remember my first day of high school! We have early morning seminary here so the kids get to wake up at the crack of dawn! #1 is so good about waking up-- he just sets his cell phone alarm and gets up on his own! What a great kid we have in him. He is also playing football for he high school team and doesn't get home until 4:30-5:00 each day. His day is just about the same length as Shane's! Crazy! He is loving high school and has such a great attitude. He is also loving football even though it has still been 100 degrees outside! YUCK!! Their team has won all three of their games that they have played too- that is always fun!

Next to leave is #3 & #4- they leave at 7:45 in the morning for 8:00am school! #3 started fifth grade this year! She is excited as always to go to school-- she loves school and misses it in the summer! She is enjoying being the big kid at school and has helped her little first grade brother a ton!! She is contining playing her violin and is in my oldest group of Dance-Sing Girls! #4 is now a big first grader! He was so excited to eat lunch at school and to finally get to have a lunch box. His teacher has already noticed his love for being chatty and social! He just loves to talk and loves to be with friends- His teacher, in talking with one of Payson's shy friends said, "There is a boy in our class who knows everyone and likes to talk to everyone... Do you know who that is,?" She quickly said....... #4!! (she actually said his name though!) He is learning how to be quiet and stop talking.... slowly but surely! He really likes school also-- although he needs a bit of prodding to do homework- especially writing.....!!

Next is #2- he leaves at 8:45 for 9:00 school--- YUCK!!! They changed the start time this year- it stinks!!! So now he leaves last and gets home last everyday! Of all of my kids-- he does the best getting up and going early. His friends come over everyday about 8:20 to ride bikes with him to school! They hang out while he lolly gags to get ready to go! It is great that he has them to ride with- They are a good group of kids! He has an engineering class this year that he LOVES!! It is right up his alley- he gets to build things and learn about how things are built. Other than that- he could do without the rest of his classes- but he continues to try hard and be a responsible student! He too is awfully social and likes to talk! He got a cell phone this year and has sent more text messages in the first month than #1 has sent over the past 3 years!!! It is pretty crazy!!

Last, but not least is #5- I am doing a co-op preschool this year and she is SOOOOOOO.... excited!! She goes on Tuesday's and Thursdays for 2.5 hours! She has been ready for school for year at least! She is loving it! She loves to make things and be with friends- It has been great to have 5 hours of ALONE time/week... of course that will only last until December when #6 comes bounding into the world! But hey- beggars can't be choosers, right? We now have a high-schooler, middle-schooler, two elementary schoolers, a preschooler and soon to have a newborn!!! What fun!! Anyway-- That is our crazy schedule for the year! It looks like it is going to be great!!

FUN, CRAZY LIFE!!

Thursday, August 25, 2011

BEACH WEEK!!!

I am so excited to post about this!! Finally! We had so much fun going to the beach this summer! We were there for 5 days and CAMPED!!! We didn't even lose our tent or have any injuries! Camping and I haven't gotten along the past few years... so to have a successful and incident free camping trip gives me great hope!! With our car packed to the hilt and five excited children... we were all smiles the whole time! We took one day and visited the USS Midway, which was the highlight of Shane's trip. It was neat to tour a real aircraft carrier. I can't believe how small all of the little passageways are and how claustrophobic living on one would be. (plus the dingy smell was super fun for a pregnant lady--ugh! barf!) BUT-- it was really cool! We also stopped at the San Diego Temple! It is such a beautiful temple and was fun to see it up close! But most of all the kids LOVED playing on the beach! They spent so much time in the water on the boogie boards! This ended up in drinking lots of yummy salt water and some serious chaffing! Who knew the sand and salt water could be so brutal!! No wonder all of the SERIOUS SURFERS wear wet suits! Shane and I also had a great time trying to catch the waves on the boogie boards. It was great to just sit and chill under the umbrella and watch the kids playing the water and build sand castles. We camped on a bluff that is right above the ocean! We could hear the waves crashing all night long- (it was so loud- I had to get some ear plugs to sleep-- I am definitely not a white noise sleeper-I could still hear it with my earplugs- it was just muted!) We would wake up with the dispersing morning fog and go to bed after the beautiful sunsets! Cooking outdoors in such a beautiful place was great too! We even saw some dolphins swimming along the shore one night. It was fun to just walk and walk and walk in the sand and water! As you can see...we took lots of pictures.... and we had a great time!