It has begun

Last night it was dark-ish by 9:00 and this morning at 9:00, it was barely light.  The darkness has begun and I am terrified.  We have a flower here called "fireweed."  It is said that when the first blooms appear, it is summer and when the last blooms fall, it is fall.  The cycle has come and gone and the fireweed leaves have now turned their deep shade of red meaning fall is in full un-bloom.  The leaves are changing and the air has that crisp fall feel.

At Brenden's school, they have what they call the Character Counts six pillars which are trustworthiness, respect, responsibility, fairness, caring, and citizenship.  They have been learning about them this week.  So yesterday when I picked Brenden up from the bus stop, he was telling me about them.  So then last night his prayer went like this:

Bren: Dear Heavenly Father, thank you for today.  Help me to make good choices tomorrow.  Help me to be trustworthy, caring, responsible and what's the other word?  It's a good one.  It is like being a good listener.

Me: I don't know, just keep praying.

Bren: But it is a good word.  You know it.  We talked about it today.

Me: Respect?

Bren: (back to his prayer)... respectful, and kind.  In the name of Jesus Christ, Amen.

It was just too cute not to share.  I love when big words come out of little kids' mouths.

Husband Tag

1.  What is his name? Douglas Grant Boehme
2. Who eats more? him
3. Who said, "I love you" first? me
4. Who is taller? him
5. Who is smarter? him, I don't even come in a close second
6. Who is more sensitive? Me
7. Who does the laundry? Me
8. Who sleeps on the right side of the bed? Doug - he sleeps on the side nearest the door (it used to be so he could protect me, now I use it so he has to get up with the kids)
9. Who pays the bills? Me
10. Who cooks more? Me
11. Who is more stubborn? Me
12. Who is the first to admit they are wrong? Me.  Doug has only been wrong once
13. Who has more siblings? Him (oldest of 6) Me (middle of 3)
14. Who wears the pants in the relationship? Doug - and I do everything I'm told...
15. What do you like to do together? Outdoorsy stuff, play with our kids
16. Who eats more sweets? Doug
17. Guilty Pleasures? spending money (I know, now you think I am talking about myself, but oh no, Doug spends WAY more money than I do)
18. How did you meet? At BYU - I was grilling and he thought it was pretty cool to see a girl grilling.
19. Who asked whom out first? Doug asked me.
20. Who kissed whom first? Doug kissed me.
21. Who proposed? Doug - after trying to convince me he was saving money for "shocks" for his car - I was SO mad.
22. His best features and qualities? He is patient, very handy, and the best dad ever.

I tag Mandi, Amy, Emily, Abby, Laurie, Chelan, and JoLynne

Apple Quesadillas

Nolan: I want some apple quesadilla.

Doug: Huh?

Nolan: I want some apple quesadilla.

Doug: Huh?

Erin: He wants some pineapple pizza.

Doug: Oh...

We don't eat pizza much, but we eat quesadillas quite a bit.  Can you tell?

Whew!

Well, after being so proud of myself yesterday for being on-time 2 days in a row, I woke up at 6:16 today.  Seminary starts at 6:30.  I threw on a jean skirt and a shirt and ran out the door.  I pulled into the parking lot at 6:29 by my clock, breaking every driving law along the way.  Luckily, my classroom clock said 6:26 still, so I was not late.  I have really pushed the kids to be on-time and make them sign in what time they arrived.  Today we made a deal though - for every day I am late, they get a free late day.  Hopefully tomorrow will be less hectic.

Ethan is sure growing up.  He has a new fake laugh with a little pout.  It is hilarious.  He also likes to pretend to blow his nose with baby wipes.  I told Doug we need to get a video to post - it is just too cute.

I guess Newman likes the family down the street better than ours now (the ones who take him home).  He slept outside their front door all night last night and didn't come home today until those boys were off to school.  I give up chasing him down.  He came home with his tail between his legs and refused to come in the house like he knew he was in trouble.

Monday was Brenden's first full day of school - last week was 1/2 days.  He decided he wanted to buy lunch, so I put $2.75 in a little sandwich bag in his backpack.  Last week sometime, I paid $60 for the year so he could eat whenever we didn't have time to make lunch or whatever, but I thought he would like to pay for his own lunch and it would make him feel so responsible.  So, then Monday evening he told me all about buying his lunch, but decided he wanted to take his lunch Tuesday.  Tuesday morning was hectic and I forgot to make him lunch.  Doug had to be to work early, so he dropped Bren off at the bus stop on his way.  I guess when Brenden got to school, he realized he had no money and no lunch and thought for sure he was going to starve.  He cried.  I felt terrible.  I am usually really good about letting him know exactly what his day will hold and I was in such a hurry to get Doug and Bren out the door that I totally forgot.

A little piece of good news

The "mean dog" was not so mean today.  When I picked up Brenden at the bus stop, we walked home and Molly (aka mean dog) was in our yard.  She immediately jumped on him and knocked off his implant (which I did not discover until later and we had a big hunt to  find it).  Today she did not bite!  After that, Cosmo and Newman put her in her place and she was very calm and actually played with Brenden.  Whew!  For a few days now he has refused to go outside incase she might wander into the yard.  When he has seen her, he has immediately run in the house screaming.

Right now Brenden is trying to get Nolan to venture out.  I might go supervise that...

So far so good, but it is only 9:30.

I HATE to get up early - and there are few things I can say I HATE.  I LOVE to stay up late, and do - very late.  Today was day 2 of 6:30 seminary and getting up at 5:15.  So far, so good.  I have been on-time and even took breakfast!  This is also day 2 of 5 hours of sleep, so that trend is going to have to change.  I have 9 kids in my class, most of them are sophomores.  I teach at the Nikiski High School in a classroom that belongs to one of our ward members.

On other news, I kept it quiet, but two weeks ago Ethan's hearing aid was lost.  I like to blame it on Ethan, but Doug likes to blame me.  I found it this morning!  Doug took Ethan's booster seat off the chair last night and when I put it back on this morning, the hearing aid was sitting under it.  I am so relieved!  Ethan likes to eat them and throw them, so he has to be watched very carefully.  Now if I could find half of the other things in my house...

Onions in our grass

Brenden: Mom, look, we have onions in our grass.  Grandpa had these, but he didn't take them in the house and cook them, he threw them in the trash.

Mom: Onions?

Brenden: Yeah, come look!

Mom: Do you mean mushrooms?

Brenden: Yeah, what did I say?

Mom: Onions.

Brenden: They aren't onions, they are mushrooms.  You thought they were onions?

Mom: No, you thought they were onions.

Brenden: Mom, they're not onions, they're mushrooms!  You're silly.