hot, hot, hot

Malachi loves Watermelon

So does Austin

I found Betsy and Joseph playing chess one evening after they had finished there dishes.  I love it when they get along

Caleb making a silly face at the park

Joseph being a good big brother, helping Malachi up a slide

Daddy and Malachi, they love being outside

The kids on our bike ride, (Malachi is asleep)

It has been so hot this last week or so.  We have no A/C, and it has been the afternoons pretty unbearable, we try to get some excersice and work done in the morning, and some fun, and then either go to the pool, or lay around in the afternoon, because it is just too hot.  We finally gave in and decided to get A/C, this house is sure draining our savings.  We've also been working on insurance stuff for the basement, and installing some laminate flooring in the kitchen area of the basement.  I signed up Austin for online school (K-12).  She has been wanting to try it for a long time, and this year seems like a good year to try it.  She is really excited, so we'll see how it goes.  We've gone three times to Denver with Travis, while he has done his funeral detail duty, and played at a park near by while he is busy.  This last time, we were able to stay in Denver, and take turns going to the temple afterwards.  I love the peaceful feeling in the temple.  I took the kids to the park, but right after we got there, it started pouring down rain, and we ended up going back to the temple to the visitors center to wait for Travis.  About two weeks ago, I took the kids to the library, except Joseph and Samuel because they hadn't finished there chores.  When we got back from the library, our neighbour came up to me, and told me that Joseph and Samuel had been climbing on the roof, and said he had a picture of it.  He also told me that state law was that a child had to be 14 before being left home alone, and 15 before they could watch siblings.  I told him I would check into that.  I had checked the law when we were living on fort carson, and it was 8 when they could be left home alone, and 12 when they could watch siblings, so I went inside and got on the internet and found that colorado state law has no legal age for leaving kids home alone or watching siblings, but recommends age 12, since that is when they are allowed to babysit.  Anyway, good to know I wasn't breaking any laws, but Joseph and Samuel were both grounded for a week, and I told Joseph, I wasn't going to trust him to babysit for a while.  Joseph was at scout camp this past week, and it was a little quieter around our house, he had a good time, but was sure tired when he got back.  We went to trampoline world one day, and had a lot of fun jumping around, now Caleb keeps talking about how we need to go there again, and when I tell him it's too expensive, he just says he will use his magic wand, to make us a coupon.  They kids have been practicing a veggie tales song for the ward talent show, called "we are the pirates who don't do anything", they are getting pretty good at it.  We were going to be doing it yesterday, but there was some structural damage to a ward building, so they postponed the talent show, and cancelled church.  Travis wanted to attend a church on post, for his chaplain duties, so we went.  The kids loved that they provided donuts, and liked that they got to go to kid's classes during the sermon, and church was only 1 hour.  We told the kids we were still going to attend a sacrament meeting at the stake center, and Betsy said "weren't the donuts taking the sacrament ?"  I couldn't believe it, we sat right down, and had a nice long lesson on the sacrament, at least the other kids new all the right answers about the sacrament, then we went had partook of the sacrament at the stake center.  We also spent part of the day yesterday moving and cleaning out the old hot tub that came with the house,(to get ready for the A/C unit that is going to go where it is) we are going to turn the shell into a fish pond in the backyard, the kids got it all clean and shiny, and want to use it for a swimming pool, until we're ready to use it as a fish pond.  Also the past two weeks on thursday nights they have had a dinner and movie event on post that we have gone to.  The first week was "frozen" the line was huge, right after us, they started sending people home, so we must have been the last of the 500 people allowed.  The kids were pretty good in the line, because some friends of ours were in the line just behind us, unfortunately they were sent home, but we got to play with them for a little while.  Travis had to leave to go to a meeting, so I took the kids to the movie by myself, it was going fine, except Samuel would not stay still, he kept getting out of his seat, and going to get popcorn, drinks, or going to the bathroom, we finally just left, because Samuel was being disruptive.  The next week we got there early, and were at the front of the line (the movie was "brave") this time I had to leave to go to a officer's spouses meeting (called a coffee), so I left Travis with all the kids and went to my meeting.  I had a good evening without any kids, it was so weird not having even Malachi with me, I didn't quite know what to do with my hands, since I'm so used to taking care of little ones no matter where I go.  Malachi has started taking some steps by himself, and is getting really close to walking.  He is a funny baby, and so happy, he loves smiling at everyone.    I got the kids all some new water bottle from costco, that have straws in them, and Malachi absolutely loves him, he was sit and chew on the mouthpiece and suck water up through the straw for a long time, he loves it.  Poor Caleb has a little trouble figuring out how to get the water out through the straw, but little Malachi figured it out right away.  I decided that our kids need to serve others more, so today we had an hour when they had to be doing something nice for someone else.  They all did pretty good.  I gave Travis a nice long massage, Joseph and Samuel played a game together, Austin played with Caleb, and Betsy played with Malachi.  It was a nice hour, filled with happy playing, and no fighting!