Fun homemade flashards

Kids love the game memory. I came up with this easy twist for pre-schoolers by using capitol and lower case letters to match. It really helps them recognize the letters either way they are written. 

I used 3x5 index cards. Fold them in half and cut on the crease. Then wrote a capitol letter on one half and it's lower case on the other half. I used pencil so the kids can't see through the cards when they are laying face down. I also underlined the more confusing letters; W,P,Q,M, etc.
My pre-schooler/kindergartner loves this game and has done very well with her letters.

Teaching through living

Really like what this says. A daily reminder of how we treat out children and others. They are learning by watching and listening to us everyday.

Children Learn What They Live

If a child lives with criticism, he learns to condemn.
If a child lives with hostility, he learns to fight.
If a child lives with ridicule, he learns to be shy.
If a child lives with shame, he learns to feel guilty.
If a child lives with tolerance, he learns to be patient.
If a child lives with praise, he learns to appreciate.
If a child lives with fairness, he learns justice.
If a child lives with approval, he learns to like himself.
If a child lives with acceptance and friendship, he learns to find love in the world.

4thJuly camping (81 photos), by cara willett

We went camping with some friends from church for the 4th. A place called Dent Acres by the dworshack dam. Great lake, very private. Found little coves to park the boat and swim. They even had a few swim docks just randomly placed on the lake. Stopped at one of those for a swim. Great weekend!
http://www1.snapfish.com/fbshareredirect/p=96281247076819587/l=1407068002/g=12081759/redirectURL=share/otsi=SALBBL/AlbumID=878847002/a=12081759_12081759/usercomments=I_xqd%20like%20to%20share%20my%20Snapfish%20photos%20with%20you.%20Once%20you%20have%20checked%20out%20my%20photos%20you%20can%20order%20prints%20and%20upload%20your%20own%20photos%20to%20share./counttext=81%20photos/COBRAND_NAME=snapfish

hiawatha (14 photos), by cara willett

Scott and Michelle and the boys came for a visit. We always try to plan fun stuff to do with family in town. This year we did a 15 mile bike ride with all the kids (and Nana & Poppy) on the Route of the Hiawatha. An old railroad track that runs through lookout pass at the Idaho/Montana border. It was gorgeous!
Click on the link below for some pictures. Wish we would've taken more.
http://www1.snapfish.com/fbshareredirect/p=3481247076057021/l=1407067002/g=12081759/redirectURL=share/otsi=SALBBL/AlbumID=878845002/a=12081759_12081759/usercomments=I_xqd%20like%20to%20share%20my%20Snapfish%20photos%20with%20you.%20Once%20you%20have%20checked%20out%20my%20photos%20you%20can%20order%20prints%20and%20upload%20your%20own%20photos%20to%20share./counttext=14%20photos/COBRAND_NAME=snapfish

Hailee is a big girl now!!

Hailee has had a great start to the new year. As many of you moms can relate, time flies and our babies are not babies for long. Hang on to every moment. Hailee started the new year off going on the potty. Yeah you heard right, moms talk about this stuff and yes, it's very exciting. The last time she wore a diaper was January 2nd. She wears big girl panties and sleeps in pull ups. She has had dry nights (and naps) every night since, too. It's amazing, she just decided she was ready and that was it. She loves her Dora and Cinderella panties. She has literally had 3 accidents in over a week. She does get very upset though, as she doesn't want to ruin her pretty panties. She is hysterical. Ok , thanks for listening to the potty story, now on to more big girl accomplishments.

We took out her crib this weekend and got her a big girl bed. This was Mackenzie's big girl bed way back when...I'm tellin' ya, they grow too fast. She has been napping during the day in Mackenzie's bed and she loves it, so I told her she could have her own big girl bed if she wanted. She was all over that. So, now our "baby" is no longer a baby, no diapers, no crib, and lots of attitude. Sounds about right. Well on to the next one...

Here are some pictures...


Hailee in her new big girl bed.

Hailee sitting with daddy in her big girl panties. She thinks she is so cool.

On her big girl bed again. She got Disney Princess bedding for Christmas. It looks so pretty.

Christmas Day

Last Christmas post. After our lovely Christmas nap :) we headed over to my parents for dinner and presents. We had a great time. Bradley got Lego's and spent most of his time building. We watched Narnia. Mackenzie and Hailee built gingerbread houses. Uncle Jim was here from New Hampshire and Grammy broke out of the nursing home to spend the day with us too. We had a great day!
Mackenzie did a beautiful job on her house.

Hailee got a Cabbage Patch doll from Nana. She spent the whole day carrying this doll around.

We got tickets to the Gonzaga (Bradley's favorite) game against Memphis in February. Yeah!!

I think Hailee ate more candy than ended up on the house. Poor deprived child, mom never gives us candy!

Grammy and Hailee. We love our Grams!!

Christmas Morning

The kids are told to try and wait until 7am before coming to get us on Christmas morning. All three sleep in the same room, across the hall from me and Rick. Well, Hailee woke up at 5:15 fussing. Nightmare or something , I don't know. I went in, covered her back up, started her Mozart music and walked out, hoping she would go back to sleep and not wake the other kids. She has done that before and always goes back to sleep. Well, I think having big brother in the room was so exciting, that Rick and I could hear her calling Bradley's name, trying to wake him. After about 15 minutes, Bradley comes in our room and says, "I've tried to tell her to go back to sleep, I even sang the 'nite nite' song to her, nothings working". Bless his heart! So I told him, go ahead and get both girls and we will get up. That is the earliest we have ever been up for Christmas. So we all went downstairs to see what Santa brought. Opened other gifts, had our traditional cinnamon rolls, fruit, and O.J. Then by 9am we all went back to bed until about 11am. Great Christmas day nap! Then to my parents, but that is for another post.

They opened their Jammies on Christmas Eve, another tradition of ours. This year they all got slippers too.

Santa doesn't wrap gifts, so the kids see those first thing. Bradley got a telescope and his "dream" Lego set. Mackenzie got a cupcake maker and a pink DS. And Hailee got a Disney Princess kitchen and a Dyson Vacuum and a booster seat (no more highchair!) for the table. No jokes please, she loves the "homemaker" things.

Mackenzie played the DS non stop! She loves it!

Hailee and her Dyson vacuum. It looks just like ours and even sucks little things up. Now she has a Dyson just like mommy. Nana is jealous :) Sylar isn't sure he likes it.

Bradley loves his telescope, but it's been overcast so much, we haven't really got to use it. Plus, Rick thinks the city lights will be a problem. We will try to take it out to Grandma's or to the stables one night when Mackenzie is riding. There's no city lights up there.

What a fun morning.