Monday, November 5, 2012

Silver Creek Falls

We decided to take a weekend off from unpacking and went hiking instead.  Our friends, the Bay family, took us to the waterfalls near Silverton.  The weather and the view were equally gorgeous!

the Jensens with the Bay kids, just starting the hike
L2 enjoyed hiking too!
Going through the forest (I never get to be in the picture with R!)
A1 and A2 got to climb through a couple of small caves.
At the base of some small falls

And just so you can be jealous of our new home state, this is what is within a 20-minute drive of our house:
Aren't we so blessed?  You should move here too!

Sunday, November 4, 2012

A1 Picture Day

Picture Day happened about a month ago.  A1 was so excited to get to wear her new clothes and her new necklace to school.  I think she looks gorgeous!

Saturday, November 3, 2012

Our BIG Accomplishments

L2 had his six month well-child check, and he is doing magnificently.  He remains in the 75th percentile in height and weight and is off the charts in head circumference (we have yet another lollipop baby!).  By this time, A1 and A2 had both receded to below the 5th percentile, so it looks like we are going to have a big person in this family after all!
Isn't he the most adorable thing you have ever seen?!

In other news, we have recently discovered Lowe's Build and Grow Clinics.  Each month Lowe's offers some kind of project to do with your kids.  If you sign up on the website, they provide the materials and tools for free.  We have had a blast building a Shrek onion cart and a firetruck.
Putting the wheels on our onion carts

I highly recommend looking into your local Lowe's to see if they offer this fun activity.  Our kids were so proud of themselves that they were able to build their own toys and that they got to use actual tools (a small hammer) to do so.  Let your kids be proud too!

Friday, November 2, 2012

A2's Thoughts on School

A2 prefers to learn with others, but by the time we moved here in the summer all the preschools were full, so we are working on learning here at home.  His favorite thing to do is trace letters.  At first we were going through multiple papers each time he wanted to write.  But then I discovered page protectors; they are my new best friends.  He can now trace the letters, erase it, and do it again and again and again without my having to print out the page every few minutes.  And look at that face!  That face deserves trace letters to his heart's content.
As the unpacking progresses, I continue to find random things that I don't know what to do with.  Exhibit A: my graduation cap from high school.
When A2 saw it, he immediately put it on and said, "Look, Mom, I'm a pirate!"  I laughed so hard that I let him play as a pirate for a few days before explaining what it was really for.  Now he tells me that he is going to get one when he graduates from college.

You certainly are, kid.  It warms your mother's heart to hear that there is no question in your mind that you will go to and graduate from college!

Thursday, November 1, 2012

This Year's Firsts

In September, A1 started first grade.  Here's the first day of school.  She is in a first-second split class, and she is absolutely thriving!  She loves her teacher and gets to sit next to her best friend.
Yes, she does have a black eye in this picture.  About a week before school started, A1 and A2 were playing on the swing set.  They decided they wanted to play catch down the slide (something I have done quite often with them using bouncy balls, stuffed animals, etc.), but they didn't have a ball outside.  Rather than go into the house to find something, they decided to use our recycling box because it was already outside.  A2 threw the box down the slide and A1 caught it - with her eye!  She's okay, but it made for one impressive bruise.  I wish that I had thought to get a picture when it first happened (does that make me a bad mother?).  Needless to say, that was the first and LAST time they will be playing catch with the recycling box.

I also started home preschool with A2 in September.  I do my best to keep him entertained, but he wants to go to school too.  Everyday he asks if he can go to class with A1.  Maybe we'll have to start him into some kind of preschool in January.

L2 is now old enough to start eating solid foods.  We started, as always, with rice cereal.  His reaction:
We'll keep working on it.  Heehee!