Halloween

This year we didn't really do any thinking or planning for halloween costumes until a couple days before our ward trunk-or-treat. Tess knew she wanted to be a dog and Clara wanted to be a "doggie owner".  Abby originally wanted to be a cowgirl but then thought it would be funny to be a hot dog using our neighbors costume. As I was talking to a friend about our costumes she suggested sticking with a dog theme for the family. So, Jake was a hot dog vendor and Aubree was a cute little cat, since I had already bought her costume. I am not very creative and stress over these kinds of things. I'd much rather just buy the costume...which we partly did. I found the dog hat for Tess after a failed attempt at making ears. I couldn't find a tail for her so she had to do with our home made tail out of my pantyhose and cotton balls. The kids dressed up for school. Jake went as a nerd and Tess with her dog costume, unfortunately kids made fun of her tail. Next year I"ll be more on top of it and just buy!

At the last minute Clara decided to be Merida from Brave for school. We went trick-or-treating in the Windsor Knolls neighborhood with cousins and friends. This year Aubree loved it! It got dark and cold fast so Aubree spent most of the night in the stroller. Jake stayed with the "older" kids and the rest of us were with Bonnie and cousins. We had a really fun night. My stomach was fine and Aubree was a trooper. We have a ton of candy!

Clara's first school parade and party!








Ward Halloween Party. Clara was the "doggie owner".

Baby Barnhurst

This baby has got us all wrapped around her little pinky. She is full of so much personality and demands our attention. She is learning so quickly. She is picking up new words and tricks every day. She can now climb ladders, sofas, and chairs. Her knees are always bruised, red and often bleeding from falling outside. She has a special talent for finding pens, pencils, scissors or safety pins...how I just don't know! She has learned to open drawers which means messes appear everywhere. She understands the "no, no" with the finger waving very well and mimics me all the time.  Abby named her pumpkin Bob and now Aubree has us all grinning when she says "Bob!" She surprised me when she did the sounds of the animals in Brown Bear as I read to her before her nap. She loves going up the elevator every week at our allergist appointment because Jake holds her hands and helps her jump up and down.



Jake was home from school with me one day and just played and played with Aubree. Melt my heart!

She is getting so big. It hurts my heart to think that the baby stages she is in are the last we'll experience in our family. She's keeping us all "young" and tired.

All About Clara

I wanted to make sure I documented how the first couple weeks of Kindergarten are going for Clara. She loves the bus. She loves her teacher. Overall it's been good but it's still a big transition. 

The second full week of school I woke Clara who immediately started to complain about not wanting to go to school. Surprised I asked why? She explained that at first she thought school was where she could "play and had happiness and joy. But now you do hard work and you don't get your life or the joy!" And to top it all off she explained that they only get ONE square! "My knees are touching theirs...they don't give me my SPACE!"  Yes, it's all true. 

On the way home from driving the middle schoolers to school one morning I was telling the girls what all they needed to do to be ready for the bus in 20 minutes. I had already packed their lunches so they just needed to get dressed and eat breakfast. Clara demanded to know what all I had put in her lunch. When I listed off her menu she sternly told me "But Mom, I have to be a star eater!" She then explained that if they eat all their food they get smelly stamps on their hand. A star was yesterdays stamp which she missed out on because she didn't eat everything. She wanted only one item! So as as soon as we got home we negotiated through her lunch box and taking out a few things so she could get her stamp. Sure enough, first thing off the bus she showed me the rainbow stamp on her hand. It's funny what seems to be so important to a kindergartener!

Really the only hard part of this whole school transition for Clara has been learning how to interact and socialize with new kids. It's just been the two of us with no preschool so this social setting has made her feel uncomfortable. One day she came off the bus looking so sad. She told me that she asked a new friend to play at recess but as they were playing another little girl came up and took that friend to go play something else leaving Clara all by herself. When she asked Kate, our neighbor, to play she was rejected as well. As we talked about how that made her feel she said "sad" tears started to run down her cute chubby cheeks.  It hurt my heart. I have encouraged her to play with a bunch of girls and boys in groups or one-on-one. We talked about how she could go about joining in a group playing. She said she would try but it makes her feel "uncomfortable". Yep, that's the way it goes!  I wish I could make it easier for all my kids to make wonderful friends. 

Recent Funny Moments with Clara: 

Dan: "I almost three up today on the way to work." 
Me: I wonder why?
Dan: I know why...
Clara interjected. "Because you missed me!"

Dan and I get a kick out of how her mind works!

I had a yellow stain on my shirt. Clara asked what that yellow was to which I told her I thought it was mustard. She quickly interjected, "Or it's a bite of a fish with yellow tooths!" And then asked if I'd gone fishing that day!

Aubree's 15 months

Aubree had her 15 month check up today and was given a clean bill of health. She is in the 90th percentile for her weight and height with her head circumference hitting off the charts! As our pediatrician asked me all the questions I felt so grateful to say that Aubree is doing all that she should be doing at this point! We are so blessed to have this cutie pie!

Sleeping: She still needs two naps but isn't getting enough rest during the day due to kids schedules. She goes to bed by 730 when she's napped well and 6-630 when she hasn't. She's up between 530 and 630a.m. Blugh!
Words: Mom! Ma-Ma. Da Da. Da-key (Jakey), Hi. More. Down. Ya!
Movement: On the GO! She toddles so fast these days. She has started to climb ladders and chairs. She has started dancing and spins round and round. She claps on demand.

Interests: Aubree is our "puppy". Let me explain what I mean by that-- A good friend of ours told me that one of the biggest benefits for having a dog is that when your kids have a bad day (especially as they hit teen years) that dog is always there to love them unconditionally. She told me of a time that her daughter scooped their dog up and snuggled with her in her room after having a tough day. Well, that's Aubree for us. Just since school has started I've noticed just how much the kids adore her and the feeling is mutual. When I pick up Jake and Tess from Middle School Aubree is so excited to see them and says their names "hi Jake-ee" or "hi Dee". One day Tess got in the car and turned towards the window immediately trying to hide the tears streaming down her face. As soon as we got home I got Aubree out of her seat as Tess was headed to the back of the car to get her things out of the trunk. Instead Aubree excitedly said Tess's name as she reached for her. Tess's face brightened and she held her adoring baby sister taking her inside while I gathered Tess's school  things.  I also noticed last week that Jake had taken Aubree back to his room, with the door closed, and was just playing with her (playing with his train together, pictured below).  So, Aubree is our puppy! (Which has soften my guilt over giving away their dog, twice!)

Aubree LOVES to be outside. She cries for it constantly, unless we are downstairs. She loves her freedom outside and just wants to walk around. She has opened the wound on her skinned up knee three times this past week from falling on the pavement. I have now resolved to making some knee pads for her out of old socks.

Aubree LOVES dogs. She says "woo-woo" whenever she hears them. She loves our neighbors dog Sid. Last Sunday she was so exhausted and completely inconsolable. Dan sat with her showing her videos of puppy's on youtube and it did the trick! Funny girl.

Aubree LOVES shoes, and socks. She will bring us any shoe or sock she finds and will say "down" as she sits for us to put them on her.

Aubree LOVES to eat. That's how I keep her happy.

Aubree LOVES being in the basement, especially roaming into all the areas she isn't allowed to go. Right now we are in the middle of a very messy and loud renovation down there. I think it's funny that any time Aubree hears a loud mechanical noise (lawn mower or workers downstairs) she says "Da-Da!". She hates being stuck upstairs with me. She wants to be outside or in the basement roaming. She doesn't really sit and play with toys. Unless that toy is a marker, or nerf gun bullet, or remote that she runs around with trying to play keep away from me.

She strongly dislikes the car... which is an improvement over HATE since we turned her chair around. I never get to watch her sleep since she's in our closet so I had to take a picture on our recent trip. Angel Baby Sleeping.

She was so amazed at Jake's train it was hillarious!

She adores her siblings who love to play with her.Tess is her little mamma.

Still so demanding. I've resorted to this in order to take care of the needs of the other kids. 

Cutie Twinsies on the first day of school.

She loves OUTSIDE. Notice the bloody knee, same spot second time. 

First Day of School 2017

It's a big year for us with Clara starting Kindergarten and Tess starting Middle School.

Jake starting 7th Grade.

I think it has really helped Tess to have an older brother whose been there done that! She has been nervous about all the normal stuff; finding all her classes, using her locker, changing for gym class ect. Dan gave her a beautiful blessing on Monday night that calmed her nerves and so this morning she was ready to go. Dan drove them this morning. This afternoon I'm going to meet them and help Tess with her locker. The plan is that they'll take the bus in the morning (7:25a.m.) and I'll pick them up after school (3p.m.).

Tess starting 6th Grade 

I took a quick picture before Dan gave Clara her first school blessing. She was all smiles and sat perfectly still. After she came to sit next to me and asked "Can I go again?" 

 Clara starting Kindergarten

Clara has been ready and waiting for this day for a long time! No nerves all excitement! She has Ms. Vosburg and our neighbor Kate in her class (of 22). After the open house, where she got her "sorting hat", we had Kate come over and the two of them decorated their hats. All kindergarteners will be wearing their hats the first couple weeks of school as they come and go so they are easier to spot and help. After getting the girls on the bus Dan, Aubree and I raced over to the school and got there just in time to watch Clara walk off the bus. She was the first one off and waved at all the adults waiting to greet her who she's known for years now.  She owned the place! She walked into the school and didn't look back once. 

Abby starting 3rd Grade

 Abby has been so excited to be the "big sister" for Clara. I loved that they held hands at the bus stop. Abby wants to sit with her on the bus and walk her to school. Unfortunately once we saw Clara get off the bus Abby came off the bus in tears and walked over to us upset she didn't get to sit with Clara or walk her to her class. Luckily a sweet teachers assistant went with Abby to see Clara get settled in and then walked her to her class. She has Mrs. Biggs this year. She is nervous about not having any of her friends in her class but I think she'll make friends quickly...she's such a fun and happy little girl who wouldn't want to be!

 It took awhile for the bus to finally come...

 Clara getting off the bus at Kemptown waving hello to Laura Jones the counselor.

And just like that it's back to scheduled life. Aubree and I will need some time to adjust to each other again! I always feel nervous for the kids, knowing all too well how hard change can be, but am excited to see what this school year brings.

Abby's Birthday Party

This is a birthday party year for us so Abby invited 9 friends (most from church). She enjoyed helping me plan games and crafts. We played the M&M game, went on a treasure hunt, painted canvases, decorated hats, played some win it in a minute games, and had Costco cake and ice cream. I have really appreciated having Jake and Tess old enough to help...I couldn't pull it off so smoothly without them.  Abby had a fun party and felt special, mission accomplished.