Life According to the iPhone

There is so much I'm missing out on by not blogging on a regular basis.

One thing I swore I wouldn't do once I got an iPhone was take a million pictures on that and not pull out my big camera.  Well, guess what I've been doing?  Taking a million pictures on my iPhone. I guess I'm going to do a quick rundown on each of the four big kids since Miss Hayden gets her own monthly update.

Brooklyn.  This girl is growing up right before my eyes.  She's got tons of sass that we're constantly trying to keep in check.  She's starting to do her own hair on occasion and I'm trying my best to step back and let her do it.  I've actually been surprised that she doesn't do too bad of job!  She loves to accessorize and it's fun to see her sense of fashion developing.

*Before school started, we had "the talk" (Matt did with Blake) and every time we've discussed these types of things, I'm surprised how well they've gone over.  She had lots of questions and I reminded her she can always come to me with any more questions she has.  I know "things" will come up at school and I wanted her to get it straight from momma.

*A teen girl in our ward did a week-long summer pom & cheer camp that we sent Brooklyn to.  Even though we pulled Brooklyn out of her jazz class at the studio, Matt and I decided to go ahead and let her continue with this pom & cheer class in addition to ballet.  The nice thing is that this girl teaches out of her home and it's literally down the street.  Brooklyn rides her bike down and back, which makes it doable for us.

 *She is losing teeth left and right!  BIG ones!!!  And she pulls them out herself!!!!  In one week, she lost three teeth; two in one day, right before church! 

Blake.  Crazy kid is STILL crazy about reading!!!  He is barreling through the Harry Potter series and nothing can slow him down.  Matt told him that after he finishes each book, he can watch the movie so they have been enjoying that.  Still unsure if we're ready to let him watch the last movies, even if he finishes the book.  He just started the 7th one today and he only started the series in July!!!

Finished 7/27

Finished 7/30

Finished 8/2

Finished 8/11

Finished 8/30

Finished 9/7

Gavin.  First grade is going awesome for Gavin.  Like I anticipated, he hasn't had any trouble eating all his lunch at school!  And a couple weeks ago, just three weeks after school started, Gavin got in the car after school and informed me that he's found the girl he's going to marry and her name is Charleigh.  I just about DIED of cuteness because he was SO SERIOUS!!!  A week later, he said, "Charleigh wants to marry me too!  And when we turn 16, we are gonna kiss!"  Oh Gavin!

*Looks like we may have another avid reader on our hands!  Gavin has started reading the Magic Treehouse series (small chapter books) and is flying through them.

*Last month, at 6.5 years old, Gavin ditched the 5-point harness and upgraded to a belt-positioning booster!  Even though I kept Brooklyn and Blake in a little longer, Gav was starting to get uncomfortable and I was ok with him switching.

*Gavin's top two teeth have been loose for awhile.  Back in July, one of them was just dangling and finally came out.  Last week, the other one was loose enough that Matt pulled it right out.  Gavin is such a cute toothless boy!  I love the spray of freckles across his nose and cheeks!

*This past Monday was Labor Day so the kids were home from school and Matt had the day off work.  Our yards were in desperate need of mowing, so Matt called Gavin out and taught him how to mow the lawn.  I loved the smiles and look of determination he had on his  face!! 

*Yesterday, Gavin started karate again after a 3 year hiatus.  It seems so weird to think that last time he did karate, he was Preston's age!!  And I can't imagine putting Preston in karate right now.  We'll see how it goes this time around, but he couldn't wait to get started.

Preston.  We're in a seemingly never ending bad cycle with Preston's sleep.  He's up at the crack of dawn, but if we are in the car in the late afternoon (ie. picking the kids up from school EVERY DAY, going to karate or dance), he falls asleep.  Then of course when it's time for bed, he's not tired and stays up until 9:30pm or later.  Then he's up early again the next morning.... vicious cycle and I don't know how to break it.  It seems like he needs a nap but he won't lay down for one or he'll sneak off after I fall asleep laying down with him, haha!  He has also been slithering his way into our bed at night, sometimes Matt takes him back, other times he just stays.  I've always been adamant that kids do not sleep in the bed with us, but Matt admitted that he LIKES when Preston snuggles up with him??!!!  As long as he stays on THAT side of the bed, whatever!!

*Since the kids are gone at school and Hayden does spend several hours of the day napping, that leaves Preston and I a lot of buddy time.  Our favorite thing is to bake together and he LOVES adding ingredients and helping mix the dough/batter.  I've also been doing little learning projects with him and of course he's spending lots of time dressing up!  We run errands and get treats and he brags to his big sibs as soon as they get in the car!  I can't wait until it's a little cooler and we can do more fun things outside.

*Sugar rush at 8:30am, anyone?

*Preston finally had his first official tooth cleaning a couple days ago.  He jumped right up in the chair and let the hygienist do her job!  His teeth look great!

I think that about wraps it up!!