Sing in Messiah

We got to go to the NuSkin Messiah sing in again.  I LOVE it every year.  This year was little more difficult because all the kids wanted to participate, so I spent a lot more time finding places and giving tips.  Sam and Ada switched off sitting with me and Dad.  Evelyn switched off with Nellie, Seth and me.  Little Seth fell asleep on Jer, slept through it and woke up at the end claiming that he had been awake the whole time.  I was so glad that it was a time that worked for Janelle, Seth and my Mom's schedules.  It was fun to do together.

This girl found sticky notes....

This girl stole my phone, changed all the color setting and spent the last half taking pictures and recordings on my phone.

Last two weeks

My Mom's birthday was not long ago.  She invited us out to eat with her.  We sure love our Grandma/Mom.  Happy Birthday Momma!

This was the Chocolate party this year.  It was pretty low key.  We usually have a ton of people, but it was nice to be able to chat with people and not make Jim and Jer too dead on their feet.  It was still work, but it's fun and social work.  I definitely like the social part of that.

Choir practice is held in our kids' piano teacher's house.  I love her very much.  She's so patient and their home is always filled with the spirit.  Their 'bonus' room is not something that everyone sees, it's mostly for them, their 8 kids, 2 in-laws and 2 grandchildren.  I loved the reminder of the this.  A shepherds crook (being guided by Christ), a reminder to choose the Lord and a sword to fight for truth.  

Along the same lines as choir, I've been taking whichever kids want to go.  I take Sam with me regularly and both the girls will go sporadically.  Sam is spectacular.  He needs to learn the niceties of choir etiquette, but he reads the music well and blends well.  He also gets to sit by his friend, Sarah, so he loves it even more.  We sang at the Stake Christmas music night.  Everyone loved it except for Seth.  He was done sitting and being quiet for the day.

New schedule

6:15 am  Wake up, get dressed, breakfast
6:30 am 2 kids come
7:00 am wake up my 4 kids and have them get ready for school
8:00 am 3 kids go to school
8:45 am 1 kid goes to school
9:15-9:30 am 5 kids come
9:30 am snack for kids that have been there since 6:30 am/reading and play time
9:30 am feed baby
10:00 am put baby down for a nap
11:00 am homework and get 1 ready for Kindergarten
11:30 am lunch for 6 kids
12:00 pm 1 kid go to Kindergarten
12:00 pm 1 kid comes
12:30 pm feed baby
1:00 pm nap time for 5 kids / play with baby
3:00 pm kids wake up and play outside
3:30 pm 5 kids come after school (Homework, piano, dance, piano lessons)
3:30 pm 1 kid leaves
3:30 pm feed baby
5:20 pm Jer comes home
5:15-5:30 pm all kids go home
6:00 pm dinner
7:00 pm chores, scripture study, baths, take care of animals, etc...

So far it's working out.  I have one high functioning autistic kid that seems defiant but really just doesn't understand what's going on.  Nap time for him is tough.  I've tried quiet time with him instead of naps, but then he's just trying to wake everyone else up.... so we'll stick with him laying on his bed even if he isn't sleeping.  If he were mine and I didn't have so many sleeping, I would put a movie on for him while others slept but they say that he's supposed to be napping so here we are.  Funny thing with him though... he found some dry erase makers and signed our basketball.... then he asked if I would sign it too... he's really into sports so I think it's funny that he's focused so much energy on making sure that the basketball is signed.... (it's been a three day thing.)

My childcare license is for 16, my city license is for 12 and I'm on my own so I can legally have 8 non-biological children in care at a time. I don't want to do more than 8 anyways.  They're all under the age of 6 so I wouldn't want more.  2 babies, 3 aged 2, 2 aged 5.... so I have a spot for one more but I'm going to let my partner worry about spots.  It's not a ton of money, but it's something that I can do from home, be with my kids, have holidays off and have a partner if I get sick. (My partner's husband just had a stroke.  He's up and walking 4 days later, but honestly is recovering very quickly. One of my YW is my partner's daughter... she sure was a lot happier to see me this week after I'd had the day care kids for a week.)  I'm aiming for working between 1 year and 10 years.  I'm hoping that it will help us cover the $7,000 estimated for Sam's upcoming medical needs, insuring teen drivers, braces, missions, and weddings.  After all that maybe I'll switch to something in the art field.

soccer

On Thanksgiving Ada came to me and said, "Mom, can we call some people and play soccer at the church this weekend?"  And not long after that Uncle Jay called and said, "Want to play soccer tomorrow morning?"  It was perfect.  Jay and Emily are visiting during Thanksgiving so it was fun to say hi even briefly.  After they ran their guts out, Jer took a minute and played soccer with the younger two.  They loved it.  They giggled the whole time.  I can't play soccer.  Last time I filled in as a sub for Jer coaching Sam's team I tore my tendon yet again trying to kick the ball.  That was before my surgery, but I'm nervous about it now that I'm starting to heal.  Instead I shuttle people to where they need to be, cheer them on and sweep the gym when they're done.

Day after Thanksgiving

It's tradition to go down to pick out our Christmas tree the day after Thanksgiving.  Usually it's a little cold, but it was super cold and snowy.  It took an extra 20 minutes to drive down, but it was easier on the way home.  I gave each of the kids one of those little hand warmers.  They had been building snowmen all day and were wet, so most of their heavy winter gear was at home drying and they wore their lighter jackets.  Seth's jacket has a pouch in the front.  He stuck his dinosaur in it and his hand warmer.  He liked it because it kept his tummy warm and he kept sticking his hands in their too.  I gave mine to Evelyn because she seemed particularly cold.  We couldn't find Sam's winter coat.  It was a hand me down from a neighbor, so I don't feel horrible about losing it, but Sam was in need.  Jer went out the next day to do baptisms for the dead with Ada and go to Costco.  They found Sam a nice warm one.  He sure smiled big when Jer gave it to him.

On the way home from choosing a tree, we stopped to shovel Grandma and Grandpa's driveway.  I love when their lights are up.  So pretty and festive.  The kids worked hard and were pretty thorough.  

First day of Daycare.  Seth was all about the legos.

Kids and their snowmen.  I think they were doing a war or something because each of the kids took a corner of the front yard, walled it off and built a snowman in front of it.  Seth's snowman got tipped over by Evelyn so he didn't want me to take a picture of it, but it's the first one he's ever made on his own.  

Got this picture from my sister in law, Sophie.

Thanksgiving

This year we went to our Wilcox Grandparents for Thanksgiving Dinner.   My favorite is the pies.  Jer made the crusts and Sam made the apple pie filling, Evelyn and Ada made the pumpkin pie filling, and I made an eggnog pie.  Janelle made two pies and my mom made a couple.  We had all the different flavors you could ask for.

My sister-in-law, Margaret, came to help Judy a week or two ago and had made an apple pie while she was there. (Trying to use up the last of the apples from the fall).  She decorated the top with a heart and the word Mom.  Someone saw it and thought that the upside heart was a set of breasts and that it said Wow on it.  We couldn't resist, so we made our own boob pie and took it to Thanksgiving dinner.

My sister, Sharon, is really cute and thinks ahead about activities for the kids.  She let them make their own turkeys and played a dice game with m&m's and a paper turkey. 

These kids grow too fast!

Happy Thanksgiving Wilcox Family!

After Thanksgiving dinner was all cleaned up, we went to the new Frozen 2 movie together.  Evelyn and Seth kept saying they wanted to buy this one when it comes out.  They both came out singing and humming the songs.  I thought it was cute.  It wasn't absolutely amazing, but it was good.

Pre-Thanksgiving

The week of Thanksgiving, the kids were only in school for Monday and half of Tuesday.  Monday was a normal day and Tuesday was Evelyn's Thanksgiving play called "Turkeys on Strike".  She was the cutest squash ever.  She knew the songs and dances, smiled well and was just happy to be part of it.  Seth had a Thanksgiving feast with his Kindergarten class.  I came to help with that one.  I helped dish out food and chat with cute kids.  Seth is still really young for his class.  There's a huge difference between the almost 6 year old and the barely 5 year old.  I think he's catching on to some things though.  He doesn't stand on his chairs in class.  I know he does that at home often.  He's still working on letting others have personal space, but he has no problems being friends with everyone.  

My parents came to watch Evelyn too, unfortunately my picture of them is all fuzzy, but here's the rest of us.

piggy backed

I piggy backed on my Mom's photoshoot and just pulled out my camera to get a couple of my kids.  I haven't edited them, but they will be up on the wall soon.

Daycare

Today is the start of my new adventure.  I'm beginning my day care.   It's going well so far.  Everything has gone smoothly and I currently have 5 kids napping in my house.  My neighbor is in need of some extra money, so I'm going to pay her to carpool kids home for me on the every other week that I'm watching kids.  I'm also paying a different neighbor to take Seth to school.  An extra expense, but I'm kind of glad to help out both their families.  Hopefully I'll get into the swing of things easily and be able to track financial things for tax time well.


I just snagged a couple of Jer's pictures for my history here.  My kids are too cute.

Sam

Ada

Dad's milkshakes

Uncle Seth's D&D

Hiking to Delicate arch