May Days

Pictures from my phone this month:

Laynie LOVES popcorn or as she likes to say, "ka-corn."  She'll point to it in the pantry then go and get a bowl for it.

Gavin and I are always right there to help her eat it!

 I took a 2 day, 1 credit course at the University of Utah on creating my own teacher website.  My kids stayed at Martha's house those days and in return, I watched her 2 boys for a couple of days.  They were diggin' Gavin's super hero costumes.

Matt tried to learn the violin, but ended up just "clowning around."  He's playing Brandenburg's Concerto No. 4 here (or maybe Twinkle Twinkle Little Star...).

 Mother's Day was May 8th.  Matt made me breakfast in bed - which Laynie started to wolf down until I got worried over her getting strawberries n cream on my bed covers.

So we moved her into the kitchen and all ate as a family.  The kids and Matt gave me a mother's necklace with the birthstones of my 2 kids in it and some flowers to plant around the house.

I had to go to the chiropractor yet again...  I was diagnosed with torticollis (kinked neck).  It looks like a neck brace, but it's a winter dicky that I was supposed to wear to keep my neck muscles warm.  I was in a lot of pain and couldn't even turn my head to check the blindspot while driving.

Gavin has been wanting to play pirates a lot lately.  I (Captain Pearl) am asked to play along each time.  Here, I convinced Gavin (Scardo) to come inside for an "under the sea, mermaid tea."  We ate fish crackers and drank lemonade with the beautiful Peg Leg Laynie..., and I got a break from being outside in the "pirate ship."

I took the kids down to Gunnison for May Day on May 20th (no pics).  It was fun to see all the dances and reminisce about past May Days of my own.

Also, yard sales have started up!!!!  Eek!  Be still my heart!  I love a good bargain! ;)

Sunday on Temple Square

End of Preschool Party!

To celebrate our final day of preschool, we had a water party:  sprinklers, parachute games, bubbles, otter pops, and hit the ball with a noodle game.  The kids had fun and I was a little sad it was over.  

My plans for Gavin this coming year is to have a 1 on 1 tutoring session with him each day.  I've signed him up for Headstart's Waterford reading program (a free computer program that the government offers that teaches your pre-k child to read and do math.)  EverythingI know about it is AWESOME, so I'm excited to incorporate that into his tutoring sessions.  

This may be a little selfish, but I don't want to send Gavin off to a preschool.  I want to have him with me.  He'll be grown up and out of the house before I know it, so why speed up the process, right?  Plus, I think I can get him ready for kindergarten just as well as a preschool teacher can.  I'll just need to factor in the social experience and provide some play dates with his neighborhood friends.  I'm excited to see all that he will learn in the next year.

Laynie loved the party!

Runnin' through the sprinkler!

Hit the ball with the noodle game.

Laynie n Gavs

Gavin n Brock - Best Buds

(Evan had already left.  Felt bad I didn't get a picture of all three of them.)

Swimmy

Gavin has been into "pets" these days.  There's no way we'll ever get a dog.  We (Matt and I) almost want a kitty, but we decided to start out small.  So after our 2 pet snails died, we brought home "Swimmy"- a baby boy betta.  After 2 days of swimming around, "Swimmy" got bored and tried to hide amongst the large rocks at the bottom of his bowl.  Only he got stuck.  Matt had to "fish" him out.  Gavin didn't take it that easy.  There were tears (sad and angry ones) and a toilet flushing ceremony to help the bereaved overcome his lose...  RIP Swimmy.