Happy Birthday to Liz in Las Vegas....

Today is my youngest sisters 26th birthday! A few months ago she invited whoever wanted to join her in celebration at the Mandalay Bay Hotel in Vegas. Specifically floating around in the lazy river with a Pina Colada in hand. I thought it sounded fun, but new I would be "doing time" in Spokane. Then I thought about it again and booked a flight! Benny was able to get some time off to remember once again what it is I do with MY life everyday. He is always grateful and sympathetic for what I do after he gets a taste of it!
So, all in all we had a great time Saturday though Monday night just me, my mom, and Liz and her hubby Mark. Here are some highlights and the photos will come later....
~ Pushing each other through the waterfall with the gals (esp. trying to get me moms extensions to fall out..."Yuck, whats that big clump of hair floating around for?!")
~ The 3+ hours of walking my mom and I did through all the hotels & casinos (were we really just lost?)
~ Cirque's "KA" (watching my mom fall asleep too)
~ Watching Mark eat a lot o' Meat at the RUM JUNGLE rodizo style! (can you sneak me some of that bacon meat under the table??)
~ Shopping.
~Sleeping in (wait, that was only the morning that my mom the night before took a sleeping pill!)
~ reading lots of magazines and watching tons of CNN (hey, I am now UP on my current events... does knowing Clay Akin is Gay count as well?!)
~ Not having to be responsible for anyone other than me....and sometimes my mom!!
Hallelujah for Mommy breaks!!
It's back to work for me!!
H

Saturday Projects & Dress-ups....

I am always amazed at what Atticus can do for his age! (It may be because I'm his mom!) Saturday I got some toy organizers for the kids closets and after 5 minutes of me struggling to figure out how to do it, Atticus decided he'd help. He actually did most of the work! I guess it is a few steps up from the Rokenbok toy structures he puts together. He total got the step-by-step pictures and what hardware to use and such...that can be so foreign to me. Along with Atticus doing that, Dad being at the hospital, and me trying to get organized, Cozy was entertaining herself as usual by trying hard to dress like a bag lady (the gizmo in her hand is a remote control for a car, but she uses it to vacuum or mow the lawn)! So cute!

"How to lose a school in 10 days!"

As of tomorrow Atticus will be bused along with 7 other 1st graders to another school. I got a call wednesday morning from the principal(never a good call)telling me that the 1st grade classes were too packed and we were on the list to go to Jefferson elementary (10 minutes from his original school). Just a little back ground....When we first came here we thought he was going to Adams elem. which is almost across the street. Before going to Utah I was told he really went to Hamblen. I didn't register him until we got back from Utah. That was 4 days before school started!
So, that afternoon when Atticus came home from school I told him what was happening and he was MAD! He wanted me to go plead his case to the principal, so I did, and unfortunately....we are still on that list.
So, How to lose a school in 10 days?
(catchy line that Benny came up with..love that movie too!)
#1) register as close to the first day as possible (I guess we aren't in the country anymore)
#2) curse the heavens for such strict rules with a kid with peanut allergies!
(I did that for a week until I got tired of myself!)
Anyhow,I decided to go with plan B when helping Atticus with this new situation. This kid as I have known for a long while is very good with change, so I didn't think I needed to convince him too much that this would be alright. This is what I said..."Atticus, you have been selected along with 7 other 1st graders to go on your very own bus ride and go to a really SUPER school!" It seemed to be sinking in because he started to get that little twinkle in his eyes, the twinkle that kids get when you tell them your planning a trip to Disneyworld!
We went over to the new school friday after picking up all the meds and paper work from the school nurse and it already felt more like home. I later found out that this is a Montessori program which I am still learning about, very chill and a teacher that is young and spunky. We will see how this all goes.
I am looking at this more as a blessing which we may see why later than a curse!!
What a sport Atticus has been in moving away from what he knows and then transferring 2 weeks into school to yet another school!!!
More to come......

Password

This friday I will be blocking my Blog by protecting it with a password. If you are interested in continuing on with the "4lakedames" and our adventures please let me know and I will hook you up! Thanks to all our followers!
Hazel

First grade,milk bubbles & sleepy Dad.....

Atticus Doesn't like me to take photos of him too much! In front of his new school on his first day!

We all enjoy making milk bubbles! Check out how high Atticus got his!


Dad watches the kids.....asleep (now that's talent!)

About Atticus' School experience.....
Atticus finished his first week at Hamblen Elementary school this past week. The school is a little less than a mile away and so we walk to and from with Cozy in the jogger! I love this because I can drop Atticus off and get in some running or walking first thing in the morning! That is one plus!
We have learned quickly that this will be a completely different school experience than what we are use to. First of all, we had to meet with the nurse to "make a plan" with Atticus and his peanut allergy. What plan?? You don't give him peanuts and if he does come in contact with them you give him the meds. Oh no...much more than that! So glad Dad is a doc. and could sign all of those crazy papers! We are now grateful for how "chill" Manson Elem. is with this and many other things. From Manson being a "peanut free" school to all of this herang (is that real word?), it has been one thing after another. I guess we will just go along with a lot of the rules and regulations that come with this "city" school, but on the bad side it has made Atticus feel left out and different(they had a death at the school 7 yrs. ago involving a peanut allergy and got sued, so you think they would have gone "peanut free", but they didn't...just extreme in rules). Other than that he is in a class of 30 kids and has a nice teacher!(in kinder. he had 15 & that was considered BIG!) I am hoping to get in there and help out once my 6 page credentials goes through. So, all in all we are learning the different ropes of a new school and at the same time being grateful for where we live and the great laid back school Atticus has to go back to!
More to come....

I love Nunu's!

Cozy's attempt to give her pacifiers or "nu-nu's" to the babies in the hospital. One last suck!!

Daddy and Cozy look through the window at the newborns who will soon get the wonderful "comfort & joy"!

side note: after three days of not napping and long crying nights Mom broke down and walked over to Rite Aide to buy 2! They are now for only nap and bed time and are different "nu-nu's" than before. I figure with all the sleep deprivation going on in our house...it may not be the time!!
Good try...A?