favorites from the fair

We hit the Utah State Fair with the Allreds and Roylances this year and it was a blast!  We enjoyed a picnic dinner, a high dive show, the lemurs, the smelly animals, the kid farm, a bit of the rodeo, fried green jello and of course the big yellow slide.  In fact, looking at the pictures of us at the bottom of the big yellow slide makes me smile because of the huge smiles on all our faces.  It was a great year at the fair and we're glad to be back to enjoy one of our Utah favorites!

my preschooler

This four year old started preschool!

She is super excited to be going to school.

Miss Melva is her teacher.

She wasn't afraid to go at all- just pure excited.

Making friends already, although she can't remember any of their names.

So excited for this girl- I think it's going to be a great year for her!

thoughts on a sunday

• Brian's parents are building a cabin at Thunder Mountain (aka: the land) and my boys have been up there helping for the last several Saturdays.  We all went up yesterday and it was amazing to see the progress they've made.  Last time I was up there it was a big hole in the ground, now it's like a real cabin.  It's exciting.  I am happy that Brian and McKay (and even us girls too) have the opportunity to help.  I want them to be a part of it because I know it is and will be very meaningful to them.  Brian was saying at dinner how McKay will be able to tell his kids that he helped build the cabin when he was seven years old.  I think that's pretty cool.  

• Ellery, McKay, Sharp and Silas spent most of yesterday playing outside.  They have a pretty awesome fort, and are always collecting weapons to carry around and really do nothing with.  But they keep collecting them!  Ellery and Silas were so cute- burying treasures they found, playing house (Layla got to be the clubhouse baby) and Ellery had about three secret hideouts, which just happened to be in plain sight.  It was fun watching them play and just have so much room to imagine.  

the mini cabin the kids and I built

• It was really muddy up there- we all had about an inch or two of mud on our shoes most of the the day.  We huddled in the cabin during an afternoon thunderstorm (there WAS lightening in the meadow) and the kids kept busy by organizing all the construction stuff on the top floor.  Layla napped in scamp, which she calls the little house.  I was happy for her nap because the whole first part of the day she literally could not be close enough to me.  She was like climbing up my body, maybe wanting to sit on my head?  I don't know.  The nap was nice.

• On the way home dropped Sharp and Silas off and we got to stop and see sweet little Afton.  Even though we were so dirty, Jenn let all of us hold her.  I really loved snuggling that little one. She's really cute.  

• We have another cute baby in the family this week.  Missy and Ken had Iris on Thursday.  I don't know when we'll get to meet her, but the pictures I've seen so far are adorable.  (move back!)

• Okay, I got sidetracked by cute babies.  So when the kids and I finally got home there was a major hail storm.  It was so noisy and even though I wanted to give the kids a quick bath and put them to bed, I decided that since a hail storm is somewhat unique, we'd explore a little bit.  McKay, Elle and I dared each other to stand out in the extreme hail and the kids had fun collecting it to show Brian later.  We were shocked to see marble-sized hail!  I have never seen it that big before.  One of my primary girls said that the windshield in their car got cracked from it.  Crazy!

• Ellery has had a bit of a rough week in terms of being a good big sister.  TThis week there were a lot of moments where Layla was screaming because Ellery was trying to manipulate it in some weird way, or hitting her or stepping on her.  She is usually pretty sweet to her baby sis, but she is going through something right now.  

• Ellery is funny when she gets in trouble.  Today she was in a time out (for not doing her part of cleaning up the toys) and she yelled through the door, "Dad!  You should open this door because I'm going to punch you in the face when you do!"  It's horrible. . .but still funny.  Elle's got a definite weakness when it comes to cleaning.  Threats are a strong point.  

• The girls got a haircut this week from Rylee.  Hard to believe we took almost four inches off of Elle's hair (I believe there is such a thing as too long- we could have cut even more) and Layla got another cute a-line.  Brian, of course is not happy that I cut it short again, but we didn't let that sway us.  I know it's cute.

• McKay had another good week at school.  I went to his back-to-school night and met with his teacher.  She seems really great and was glad to get to know her better and get a clear picture of her teaching style and what the year will be like for McKay.  She told me he is completely happy at his table of girls and hasn't said a word about it.  

• I have some mixed feelings about him in school, I've said that before.  This first grade year just seems like such a big deal.  A big change.  I drop my boy off at school and he just walks away and is gone for six hours.  What is he doing all that time?  What conversations is he having?  Are people being nice?  Is he being nice?  Is he making friends?  Is he even eating anything for lunch?  I don't really know the answers to any of these questions and that is hard.  It's hard to go from being involved in practically everything that happens to him, to practically nothing.  It's hard to turn your first baby over to school.  

• I don't think Ellery is a big fan of her brother being gone all day at school.  She has been in a bit of a depression the last couple weeks, in that she kind of just follows me around and doesn't really know what to do with herself.  I hope we can change that.  She starts preschool this week, as well as a little neighborhood dance class, so I hope those things will help.  I know they will be good for her.

• Layla went to nursery today.  Brian joined her for the first hour, and he snuck out for the second. I heard her multiple times down the hall, but by the time I picked her up they were blowing bubbles and she did not want to leave.  She cried and screamed about leaving, go figure.  Her nursery teachers were confused.  

• Brian said he overheard them commenting on the volume of her voice- her happy voice, not screaming voice.  She can be quite loud when she is absentmindedly talking or singing to herself.  Pretty much every day she stands on the little step by the family room and sings at the top of her lungs like no one else is watching.  

• Another cute thing she's been doing is playing girls with Ellery.  Today Sleeping Beauty was flying around the room yelling, "I can fly!  I can fly!"  I also love how Layla's girls will say, "Hello.  How are you today?  Bye bye."  Those few sentences are about all Sleeping Beauty said today.

• Jana and I went to Swiss Days on Friday.  It was really fun to be out with just her all day.  My mom and dad were sweet to watch all four of our kids.  My girls were happy with that because they've been asking when they can go to Grammy's house.  Jana and I didn't buy much (I got a couple bows and arrows for the kids for Christmas, Jana a reusable swim diaper) but we still had fun.  Definitely never going to Swiss Days with children in tow.  Never. 

Walking to church.  I kind of like all of them, a lot.

Happy Sunday!

from the cleaning lady

One of the biggest struggles I've had since moving into our new house has been keeping it clean.  Our toilets are often growing things, and most days I am disgusted by the amount that I sweep off our kitchen floor. . .that is, the days that I sweep it.

You see, this house is close to three times bigger than our last house.  It's not a huge house, we just came from a small one.  So now instead of two and a half baths to clean, I have four.  And now I have a two car garage floor to keep clear of our shoe explosion and piles of "stuff" that accumulates.  And instead of a six by ten space of tile floor to clean, I have a sprawling, shiny, show-every-speck wood floor that covers over half of the main floor.

Wait.  Before you start thinking I'm complaining about such a horrible problem as a bigger house, let me tell you why I've been struggling with it.  But first, let me just get it out in the open that I love my house.  I am so grateful for all this space.  I have dreamt of this house for many years and I am very happy to be here.  The reason why it's been so hard for me is because I feel like I have been swallowed up in keeping a house clean.  Sometimes I feel like my job- what I do for a living- is cleaning a house.

I know that isn't my job.  I know I have a far more important job to do every second of every day.  But that is not as tangible as house cleaning.  I have just felt lost in my responsibilities of making a home. . .you know, being a homemaker.  I have been struggling with this pretty much all summer.  I feel like I'm never on top of it.  No matter how hard or fast or good I clean something, it will just have to be done again.  Over and over again.  I have never been one to hate cleaning.  If I have the time for it, I enjoy it.  There is nothing I like better than living in a clean house.  But the mundane, tired, repetitious tasks that I have as the mother of this home have been bringing me down.

As I'm writing this I am feeling a little embarrassed that keeping up with housework has become such a big deal to me.  Like, I'm writing a whole post on my blog about it. . . I also realize that this whole cleaning thing could just be something to signify how I'm feeling in general.  I can't imagine I'm the only woman in the world who feels like scrubbing a bathtub, wiping a bum, and making peanut butter and jelly are not tasks that make me feel fulfilled all the time.

Anyway, I've talked with Brian about my woes.  I've prayed about them.  I've thought a lot about what is wrong with me.  And I've come to a conclusion.  It's my attitude.

It's been a long time since I've written something that's not about what we did or thoughts on my kids.  Writing feels so good to me and I haven't had much inspiration lately.  For a long time really.  But maybe that needs to change.  If it's something that gives me a voice all by myself- not as mom, or wife or cleaning lady- but as Sarah, then maybe I should be doing it more.  And maybe if I do, the inspiration will start flowing again.

Here's to hoping I can change my attitude about cleaning, and start writing- really writing- more.

seven

Started this birthday off with Poptarts and chocolate milk, a traditional Fuehrer birthday breakfast.  It was not the best morning.  Elle was whiney, Mack was bratty and I was grumpy.  We all calmed down after he left for school though.  Our crazy morning didn't ruin our day!

He got to wear a crown and a birthday sticker at school, be the lunch line leader, and bring treats to his classmates.  He brought ice cream in those little cups with the wooden spoons.  

We decided to stay for lunch- chicken balls and string cheese!  He was so excited to show us how to get lunch and where to go.  It was kind of squishy on the table with his whole class, but it was really fun to get to have lunch with him, so we didn't mind.

After lunch he wanted us to spend recess with him, but there were cupcakes to frost, so we could only stay for a few minutes.  He showed the girls how to ask the recess ladies for a spray of water in the face.  They all got one.  

Sadly, McKay already had a pretty strong suspicion that he was getting a bike. . .this bike.  Brian accidentally opened his trunk, where we were hiding it, right in front of Mack.  Oops!  He was still excited to come home from school and see that it was actually a bike for him.  It has a hand break and a kickstand.  This is a big deal.

He also got the Ice Age movies, a light saber, some books, a Star Wars shirt from Elle, a BYU hat from Grandma and Grandad, and the Muppet Movie, his latest obsession, from Grammy and Poppy.

Then it was time for an Angry Bird party!  

We played pop the pigs.  Eto was the big winner.

And those naughty pigs had hidden golden eggs all over our backyard.  They found them all, and got to enjoy a birds favorite treat- gummy worms!- inside.

This little bird found an egg that had melted worms inside.  It kept her busy for half an hour, but after she was done, she looked homeless.

This was my favorite game.  Those mean old pigs took these poor little baby white birds and plucked all their feathers out and scattered them all over our basement.

My favorite game 

It was up to these kids to help these babies get their feathers back.  And they did!  And it was so funny. Running downstairs and back up- and they could only get one feather at a time.  There were lots of sweaty faces by the end, and Ellery even had me feel her armpit when it was all said and done.  

Presents.  He got lots of fun things, including some cash that he counted right away.

Then it was time for cake and ice cream and other angry bird snacks. 

I did not anticipate them to decorate their cupcakes with runts, but that's exactly what happened.  I guess when you have a bowl of runts at your fingertips, that's just what you do!

Our last game was playing the real thing.  They had fun launching the "birds" but it was harder than we expected.  I think they all still liked it, and most of them hit at least some of the boxes.  

I sure love this boy of mine.  He is so happy, excited about life and everything it has to offer.  He is growing up!  Sometimes I think back to when he was my cute little toddler, like this:

And I can't believe how fast the time has gone.  Ah, look at how precious he is!  

Brian and I both feel like he has such a good heart and a sweet sensitivity.  He's also really funny and loves making people laugh, maybe a little too much.  

I'm sure glad he's mine.  

there's a first grader around here

This boy started first grade last week.  He was pretty excited.  He was also pretty nervous.  As we were walking to school, he kept saying his tummy didn't feel good.  At one point, he asked if he could get in the stroller.  I looked at him and said, "You really want me to push you in a stroller to first grade?"  He decided maybe not and kept walking.  

He is in Mrs. McKell's class, who we've heard great things about, and so far she seems great.  When we went to meet her before school started he was pleased to see that she is a Star Wars fan.  It's the theme of their classroom, so he was pumped about that.  He also got a school shirt which he wore for about three days straight (I pick my battles).  He is so excited to be a grizzly!

  A few noteworthy things about his first week in school:

After his first day when we asked how his teacher was, his response:  "She's heaven."

When we went in for his assessment his teacher allowed him to pick a desk.  He is super excited to be at a real desk, rather than a table like in Kindergarten, so this was quite serious stuff, picking a desk.  I could tell the wheels were turning as he studied the desk placement all around the room.  His teacher then started reading off a few names of desks that had already been chosen.  She read four girls on one grouping of desks, which had one open spot left, as well as some others.  Guess what he chose?  Yep, I'm pretty sure he was concentrating so hard on which desk was the best that he didn't even think about his neighbors.  He hasn't complained about being the only boy in the purple group though.  Maybe it was intentional after all???

He is way into school lunch.  He doesn't like to know what it is ahead of time- he wants it to be a surprise each day.  When he gets home his lunch recap is one of only a few details I hear about.  He ate fish sticks one day!  That's a first.

Sometimes I think of what a big deal it is to be a first child.  You have to do everything first.  First things can be really scary.  As the youngest, I never had to be first.  I am amazed at all you firsts out there, along with my boy, because it's not easy to go first.  I'm proud of him!

this little miss turned two

Woke up early (we hit the yard sales!) to birthday decorations.

Opened one present because it was hard to wait until four when dad and McKay got home.

Her very own chapstick, and plenty of it.  She loved it.  She often asks people if they have chapstick and she loves mine, so I knew it would be the perfect gift.  

Happy girl.  Yeah, I feel a little bit weird that I got my baby chapstick, knowing that she would eat all of it.  Anything for this birthday girl!

Donuts from Daylight here in PG.  So yum!  And chocolate milk, of course.  Another one of her favorite things.  

Her siblings were really helpful with opening presents.  Baby "rella" and this "punzel" barbie were a big deal for this girl.

Then. . .off to Chuck E. Cheese!  It's hard to have Layla and McKay two days apart, but one nice thing about it is that on the years that one of them has a friend party, or "theme birthday" as McKay calls them, the other doesn't and so we get to do something fun as a family.  And all you parents know that nothing is more fun or exciting or special for kids as Chuck. E. Cheese.  Plus, it's easy, so I'm a fan.

Riding the rides.  She's a little young for the games. . .okay, a lot young actually.  

But she still liked the little rides, and especially liked driving in the race car game.  She kept wanting to play that one.  

Luckily no one was scared of the characters this year.  Layla kept wanting to see Chuck E. again after he came out once.  She's way braver than Elle was at her age.  

Really great prizes, especially love those braids.

Time for cake.

Brian has been giving me a hard time because I wanted to make Layla a chocolate zucchini cake.  (Jenn, mine didn't taste anywhere near as good as yours.  Sad.)  I stand by my decision.  She loved it.

I can't really express how much happiness this little one brings to our family.  She is definitely a little light around here.  I love how independent she is.  I love how well she understands and expresses herself.  I love how much she loves her older brother and sister.  I love that she can play by herself and how much she loves books.  I love how she thinks the kitchen floor is a stage and sings at the top of her lungs at least once a day.  I love how she is still my baby, at least for a little bit longer.  I just love her.

Happy Birthday, baby girl!  

thoughts on a sunday

jam session

• Heard outside while doing yard work from Elle:  "Um, Layla is sticking her hand in a spider's web and eating it."

• Does my girl have pica???  What with licking the sidewalk, gnawing on rocks, and devouring chapstick at every opportunity I am beginning to wonder.

• McKay's new phrase of choice, "That's so epic."  There is a ton of stuff that happens around here that's epic.  Who knew.  I think someone's been hanging out with the Allred boys :)

• We had quite a scary event occur on Saturday.  We were all outside and Brian was cleaning the guinea pig cage.  Smokey and Sparkles were out on the grass in a little dip where the irrigation box sits in the lawn.  Elle was doting on Sparkles and Smokey was left alone in the hole.  A few seconds passed and we looked in the hole and Smokey was gone!  No one saw where he went so McKay began crying, Elle was running around panicking and Brian and I began to search the wild outdoors for a black and white guniea pig.  McKay was getting pretty upset and had the idea to say a prayer.  He knelt down and said it and we kept looking.  I said my own prayer, not that we would find him, but more that McKay's prayer would be answered.  It was!  I was searching through thick ground cover under a bush and saw sneaky little Smokey hiding.  It was pretty eventful, and I'm glad McKay was able to learn a few lessons from the experience.

• Brian and I got new callings.  I teach the 11 year old girls in primary- which I think is going to be really fun.  So far it's been great.  It's fun to just have it be girls and get them ready for young women's.  

• Brian's calling is a little more prestigious than mine.  Yep, I never thought I'd be the wife of the second counselor in the sunday school presidency!  When he was asked we were both a little surprised because honestly, we have no idea what the sunday school presidency does. . .as a whole!. . .let alone the second counselors responsibilities.  No one can really tell us what he'll do either.   He's hoping he'll get to ring the bell.  He'll be such an awesome bell ringer!  

• Brian thinks he hit the jackpot, calling wise.  At leaset he'll still probably be able to escort Layla to nursery.  Hehe.

• Layla's been sick this week.  High fever, goopy eye, fussy-pants.  There were a couple days when I felt like I had a colicky newborn on my hands.  It was no fun.  She seems to be on the mend, I hope.  I'm kind of tired of getting up at two a.m. although it is nice to snuggle and rock my baby alone. . . just not in the middle of the night.

• Elle is getting more comfortable playing with friends.  It's kind of funny, but whenever the  neighbor girls come over we pretty much let them do whatever they want because I want it to be a good experience so Elle will like it and keep wanting to play.  

• She may be taking her time with the girls, but she has already found a best friend in Ben from down the street.  They play really well together and hug each other when they leave.  It's cute.  

• This week I refinished the mirror in our entry way.  I haven't done a project like that in a long time and it made me remember how much I like to refinish things.

• McKay registered for first grade this week and met his teacher.  He was so nervous about it, but it went well and she seems nice and she loves Star Wars- it's actually the theme of their room- so of course that helped him feel comfortable.  

• I cannot believe I have an almost-seven-year-old first grader!  I am dying a little bit.

• I can't lie though.  I am quite excited for the structure and routine that comes with school.  And six hours a day without my boy?!!  I am crying and laughing at the thought simultaneously.  

• In an effort to do something fun the last week of summer, we had the Allred cousins (youngest three) over for a late night.  We had nachos for dinner, and they played outside and made birds nests out of grass.  Then we watched the new Muppet movie and had treats and popcorn.  It was a fun night and I'm glad we did it before summer ended because I'd been meaning to all summer.

• McKay is now completely head over heels in love with the Muppet movie.  We watched it three days in a row until I finally insisted we take it back.  They both thought it was the best movie ever and we've all been singing the songs all week.

• Brian got good news this week from work.  He is now in the call schedule!  This means his hours will increase, and he will take call which means he will be working some nights, weekends and his share of holidays.  He is not thrilled at this, but I am thrilled because we thought he might be bumped down to part time in September, so this is a welcome surprise.  A blessing, for sure.  

• Poor Brian has not had much time to run, due to his super early mornings at work.  He's actually gone at night a couple times, but he hates that.  

• He was able to run the Hobblecreek half this weekend with his dad.  We went down to see them finish, but missed them by like ten minutes.  They must have been super fast!

• Layla has quite an advanced vocabulary for her age.  Sometimes it's surprising, even to us.  Like tonight at dinner when she looked over at Brian and said, "Chill out daddy."  We don't ever say chill out.  Where did she get that?

• We are huge fans of Baby Signing Time, thanks to Jana who gave us the music.  The girls especially love listening to it and Layla asks for it all the time in the car.  She calls it Baby Baby.  Anyway, there is a song about washing your hands that says, "I wash my hands, everyday."  Layla now thinks that washing your hands is called wash your hands everyday.  

• Speaking of music, I havent' mentioned in awhile how obsessed Ellery is with Taylor Swift. . .still.  She knows that Taylor lives in Tennessee (actually, I don't know if she does, that's just what I told her).  The other day she said to me, "Mom, I want to go on my mission to Tennessee."  I can only guess why.

• Lisa and I went garage sale-ing last Saturday.  I know a lot of people are not into garage sales.  I know people think it's weird (like husbands especially) but I really love it.  We found so many treasures- a dehydrator for $2, seven pairs of like-new Gap shoes for Layla, a set of early reader books for our library!  It is so satisfying and fun.  

• While washing my new dehydrator in the tub with bleach, I put the jets on and we went downstairs to make lunch.  Ellery went up to see if I was upstairs and came running down with a frantic look on her face.  I guess I shouldn't have left the jets going for so long.  It was exciting and it was all I could do to keep Layla out of the tub.  She was dying to play in those bubbles.

• Layla went poop in the potty right during the bubble explosion.  It was a random act, really.  She happened to be naked, like she often is, and I could tell it was coming.  I plopped her on and she tired and said she was done.  She was disappointed that nothing was there as she peered inside the toilet.  She tried again, this time with some pushing demonstrations by me, and she produced!  She was so excited and so were Elle and I.  We danced and cheered.  I know Brian will die that I put this on here, but  I had to.  Look at her and how proud she is!  Sorry.

• Another thing I'm totally loving right now is Olioboard.  Anyone doing this too?  It's a website where you can design a room and/or make inspiration boards.  I love it.

• I am busy planning an Angry Birds birthday party.  Layla turns two on Saturday and McKay the next Monday.  Oh last two weeks of August, what did I do to deserve you?  Busy, busy around here!

Happy Sunday!