It is her first real haircut

She's had her hair trimmed before but never really had a full blown haircut. Seriously, it makes me so sad, but it needed to be done. Roy's been trying to get me to cut it for a while now. He makes several good points. Including the fact that you have to watch out or it could get in the toilet while she's using it. But still. She had great hair. She still does but gone is the baby hair.

I took off about 6 inches of pure, sweet, innocent baby hair. Her hair will grow out, but she will never have the soft, fly-away baby hair again.

On a different note, it was a bigger job than I expected. I honestly underestimated the thickness of her hair. Oh, and I used the bad hair cutting scissors without realizing those were the ones we don't like. Still, I think it turned out okay. Even if it is shorter than I meant it to be. It's not like 3 year olds hold still or anything.

Why do I blog?

You may have noticed that I keep falling behind on my blog. Then all of a sudden, 2 or 3 posts will magically appear from weeks ago. Why do I bother to inform you of things that have already passed?
Because it isn't for you. I started this blog as a way to connect with friends I was leaving behind when we moved from Spokane. Then my family started reading it. So I started adding more family stuff. Sometime in the evolution of this blog, the purpose moved from connecting with and entertaining friends to recording the events of my family.
Lately, I feel like (cliche warning!)they are growing up so fast. I want to remember the funny things. I want to remember the silly things. I want to remember the life events. And this has become my way to do that for now.
Perhaps as some point, this blog will transmorph into something else. But for now, it is morphing into a bit of a family journal. And I've always had a hard time keeping up with my journal.

Last Day of Jump Start

The kids were going to put on a little show for their parents at the end of their last day of Jump Start. I was late. When I walked in the kids were already singing. D was okay up there for the first minute or two but he gradually melted down for all to see. To his credit, he stayed up by his class until they were done singing. Then his teacher motioned for him to come down to me. He ran to me and clung to my side. You can't imagine my pangs of guilt when he asked me why I was late!
The kids all had to return to their classrooms with their teachers. D didn't want to go but he did. He is getting so much better and doing what needs to be done, even if he doesn't want to. The girls and I went out to the playground to wait for the kids to come out. They came out and got a special treat (popsicles) before being excused.
D was still sad and upset. He was worried because I didn't get to see his classroom. We asked his teacher if we could go in and of course she said yes. We went in and saw his room.
D hugged his teacher probably 15 times before we finally left. As we were walking back to the van, he started losing it again. He told me he was sad to leave his teacher. He wishes jump start could last for all of kindergarten. He is sad that he will never see Mrs. Y again. (She doesn't actually teach at his school. She works for the district in the early intervention preschool.)
I tried to pep talk him out of it. We talked about how great Mrs. Y was and I know he will miss her. It is hard to leave people you love. Now we get to know a new teacher and she will be great too. You know, the pep talk.
I love D and I'm so proud of him going to school. I am also so glad that he is quick to love and quick to forgive. I hope he is always able to love people.

Newest Pyatt

In an effort to keep the mice out of our garage, may I introduce Zibby!

We adopted her from the local animal shelter. The kids have taken an instant liking to her. Well, everyone but A. She isn't too sure about cats. At the shelter, we were playing with this sweet little kitten named Roy -- no, really. A was crawling around the little room we were in and the kitten just wanted to play with her. It would crawl under A and trying to wrap around her legs. I think the kitten just liked playing with something more its size. A, however, wanted nothing to do with the kitten. She kept pushing the kitten away and trying to escape. It was really very sweet and funny.

Alright, back from the tangent. We let Zibby stay in the downstairs bathroom for tonight. She was spayed earlier today and the shelter people asked us to keep her in. Roy and I were sitting out front watching the kids play. K went in. After a few minutes we decided to check on her and see what was going on. As soon as we opened the door, I could hear K sobbing. She was coming up the stairs saying something about the kitty. From the sound of her crying I was afraid the cat had attacked her or something. One look revealed that to not be the case. We scooped K up and tried to figure out what she was saying. She was saying, "My kitty fall down!" I went down to find the cat behind my washing machine. Turns out she had jumped on top of the washer and either fallen or jumped down behind. K was seriously traumatized. She just knew this was the end of her precious kitty. It really wasn't. I moved the ironing board and Zibby walked out of her own accord.
It was so sweet seeing the love that K has for this cat. I have never seen such concern or hysteria for another living creature from her. She's only three. Usually hysteria is saved for not getting her way!

K: sobbing, "My kitty fall down!"

Jump Start to School

The school district here offers a great program for incoming Kindergartners called 'Jump Start'. It is 10 days, 2 hours a day of centers, singing, recess, snack.... basically school. We signed D up. He was so excited. He's been ready to go to school for at least 2 years. It's finally time!

Morning started at 6 a.m. with him coming to my bedside to ask if it was time to get up yet. I sent him back to bed. About 6:30 he came in and climbed over me to snuggle -- but not sleep -- in the middle of my bed. 6:45 I kicked him out for sleep disturbing infractions. Finally at 7:30 I sent him in to get dressed while I made some breakfast.

Roy took the morning off so he could go with us to drop D off and pick him up when it was done. We had a neighbor come stay with the girls so we could devote our attention to D at the drop off. We got there early and played on the playground while waiting for the teachers to come out and get us. D was still excited but was getting more and more anxious as the time for us to leave got nearer and nearer.

Finally it was time to go in. All the kids sat on a rug and started singing. Now was the time for parents to say good-bye and leave. D was not happy to see us go, but he didn't cry. He stayed in his seat. Thank goodness!

At 11 it was time to go pick him up. This time we took the girls. We waited on the playground (video camera in hand) for D's class to come out. It was so fun watching him march out in a line with his class. He is such a good kid. After his teacher had a visual on us, he could leave. We chatted D up trying to get the full report. Basically, he loved it and the anxiety was over.

As we were leaving, I asked D if he was hungry. He said, "Not really." Teasing him a little, I said it was too bad because we thought we'd go to Burgerville but if he wasn't hungry then we didn't need to. "Well, I guess I could eat." So we went to BV for a fun lunch. I am so proud of him. I seriously go between excitement and happiness to tears. It is such a crazy thing seeing my little boy, my first baby going off to school by himself. *sigh*

Day at the Beach

Driving to the beach today we realized something. EVERYONE ELSE IN THE GREATER PORTLAND AREA WAS ALSO GOING TO THE BEACH. It took us 3 hours. It should not take 3 hours. It should not take 2 hours. On the way home we decided to go home along a different route. We took the long way but we got to drive across this:It is a 4.1 mile bridge across the mouth of the Columbia River. Needless to say, Roy was pretty stoked.
However, before we drove home a different way, we did a lot of this:

Friday!

I didn't realize it was Friday the 13th until the day was nearly over. Boo-hoo. I love Friday the 13th. It is a lucky day for me. I would have planned something fun with Roy had I known. That is the peril of not keeping track of the date. Well, one of the perils.

So today, we relaxed a bit after having such a busy day yesterday. Before our friends came, I asked D if he could show them one thing while they were here what would it be? He said, "The firetruck park!" That's what we did this morning. We played at the park for an hour and a half or so before coming back home for lunch.

After lunch, we put on our swim gear and headed out to the pond for some swimming and sand. (This weekend is turning into the weekend of sand. Yesterday they played in sand at the zoo, sand today, we plan to go to the beach tomorrow plus the sandbox in our backyard which is a constant draw!)

As you can see, the kids had another great day! To finish the day out, we pitched the tent in the backyard for the boys to sleep in. Val's daughter wanted to sleep out with them. She was pretty disappointed but recovered when we let her sleep in D's BIG BOY BED.

Funny story about the boys sleeping out. About 9:30 they came trooping in saying they wanted to sleep inside instead. Val and I took them back out and tucked them in. We were trying to talk it up, you know, "This is fun!" "You love this. It is fun!" They were telling us, "No, it isn't fun we want to go inside." It got to where we told them (basically), "This is fun. Now you will go to sleep and enjoy this because you are NOT coming inside." Funny thing, but they went to sleep after that.

After getting everyone to bed, Val and I ran to Target to get a new swimsuit for me. True story, I picked out my new swimsuit -- including trying it on -- in 5 minutes! We walked in the store at 9:55 p.m. I was in the dressing room re-dressing when they announced that Target was closed and we needed to check out. Not bad. And we only got reprimanded once for running through the store.

Going to the Zoo with Friends

Val and her kids came for vacation this week. They got here Wednesday night. The kids hit it off great. Last time we saw Val's kids, K was a baby. D didn't remember them. We really didn't hang out much when we lived in the same ward. Now, we make trips to see each other and hang out. Backward, I know.

Anyway, today was zoo day! The kids all got along. And somehow, despite the fact we were outnumbered two to one, no one got lost ALL DAY! A-mazing.

D was seriously unhappy about me making him pose with the dino. He was moderately afraid of it.

K weasled her way right in to this photo Val was trying to take of her kids.

She is looking pretty cute and innocent though.

We rode the train. Saw the animals. Even went through the dinosaur display. I'm really glad we went!

Going to the FAIR!

In years past, the big draw has been animals. I remember when we went to the fair in Spokane. D loved the "Ker-splash Dogs" (DockDogs). We always go through all the animal barns. Two years ago, D got to race a live duck. This year the big draw?

The Carnival Rides. Wish we'd known that. We could have gotten wrist bands for unlimited rides at a discount before the fair started. Oh well.

The kids had fun. D was great! He rode the Wacky Worm rollercoaster twice, the ferris wheel, a train, and some fast cars that made me dizzy just watching them. K rode the Wacky Worm and the train. She wanted to do more but she was too little. It is unlikely she'll be big enough next year either unless she hits a killer growth spurt!

We did make it to see the animals, including the Dock Dogs.

I could have been cleaning my kitchen....

.....but instead I decided to stay outside and enjoy this:

And afterwards, I even took a little (like 5 mintues) nap in the sunshine!

Girls Camp Finale

I know I said I would blog about the flood, but I just got too tired.
For a week.
So here is the condensed version of the remainder of girls camp.
Tuesday: girl sick, spends day in tent, everything else good, set up camp, la de dah
Wednesday: started sunny enough but by afternoon it was raining with thunder and lightning. Spent the afternoon/evening in the lodge. Girls sang, devotionals were shared, leaders served food stewardess-style. Meanwhile, outside, rivers were forming under tents, lodge was being trenched around, smallish lakes were forming midts campsites. Half our ward spent night in lodge with hodge-podge of other wards with stuff too wet for sleeping in. I master a tent of 7 12-13 year old girls with Goodnight Moon and other classics.
Thursday: hung my jeans out to dry along with many sleeping bags and such. Life is good. Girl goes home. Leaders sad.
Friday: Girl sick all night, sleeps in nurse's cabin all day. Sewer line starts bubbling in adjoining campsite -- PU!! Bishop comes- we all go canoeing. Much water is thrown. After dinner, the entire ward (sans a few leaders....not me...) jumps in the lake. Water is MUCH COLDER than I recall from canoeing. Dry off, devotional, testimony meeting, thunder and lightning threatens but doesn't pass directly over us.
Saturday: pack and go home!



There were some seriously amazing spiritual experiences mixed in there. I know the Lord was mindful of our camp. But that was HONESTLY the HARDEST girls camp I have EVER gone through. I love it and will be there next year (I hope). I just hope we can forgo the fire and flood.
some of our girls celebrating a leader's bday at camp

The Girls Camp U-Haul

Here's how our girls camp started on Monday:

Our stake goes to a camp about 3 hours north of us. They use school buses to transport the girls and Uhaul to transport the gear.

Monday morning, the YCL's (youth camp leaders) and 4th years go up. The YCL's set up camp and the 4th years participate in an overnight hike. So their stuff, along with all the food for 250 people for a week was in there. Luckily no one was hurt! The driver did his best to safely get the truck out of the road before he had to jump out onto the middle of the freeway.

The buses were turned around and girls dropped off at the church. Anything not burned or melted was loaded into another Uhaul and sent to the church to be sorted into the possibly salvageable and the not salvageable. (Everything in the truck had been sprayed/soaked with cancer causing fire retardant. All food and toiletries were an immediate loss. Other items were dependent upon the severity of soaking.) We had 5 leaders going to camp from our ward. Four of them were already on the mountain and were told to stay there. I was planning on going up Tuesday and there was another leader here who wasn't able to go to camp. We met at the church to help with the work.

I spent five hours going through bags with girls and sorting out what would be sent to a professional cleaning/restoration company and what would go into the big trailer of trash. The other leader spent that time meeting the girls from our ward and their parents, trying to answer questions and make sure everyone had sleeping bags, blankets, clothes etc. ready to go tomorrow. It was an unbelievable day. Some of the girls were understandably upset but most of what I saw was resilience and optimism.

Unfortunately, our ward supplies were on the truck and very little of it was saved. The leaders on the mountain went into a nearby town for supplies. I borrowed and bought everything else before leaving Tuesday morning. Let's just say that I was completely fried by the time I got to camp Tuesday afternoon.

All the girls from our ward made it to camp. All the girls I went through bags with made it to camp. The stake spent all night and the next morning putting camp back together (including re-purchasing something like $4,500 worth of food). It was truly amazing.

Tomorrow night: The Girls Camp Flood