Pictures from Prague

Josh made it home safely on Friday night (not Friday day, like I orginally thought). We made it home and everyone went to sleep (well, the 5-and-under-crowd never woke up), so that was good.
 Josh is home today, to recover from his jet lag. He had been waking up, hungry and energetic, at 3 a.m.
The caseworker came today for her monthly visit and I got to vent to her for a while, so that was very nice. She understands the whole situation, so that is good too.
I really wanted to go to the General Relief Society Meeting on Saturday, but everyone was cranky and needed to go to sleep and Josh was still travel-fatigued. Tomorrow I will try to watch it on the internet.
I know I promised Prague pictures, but that would involve me finding the pictures and finding some. Which I am likely to be able to do tomorrow.
Heather wrote me a totally nice tribute on her blog, which is much appreciated. Yesterday I broke out into tears three times at church (mainly because of R and the constant reminding and disciplining - it was just like all weekend the whole time it was ' stop that', 'don't touch her/that.' ' be quiet' ALL WEEEKEND). My dear friend gave me a hug and later brought me a card. And my seester wrote nice things about me.
So Josh just let me lay in bed for 2.5 hours and I do feel better. This is a much calmer week - yah!

Josh's trip

Here are some pictures of the corner right outside the hotel, what the front of his hotel looks like and Josh's colleague and wife. Josh went sightseeing today, so there will be more pictures later. He gets on the plane tomorrow morning and will be home Friday morning!

Pictures from Prague

Josh got there safely and Skyped us this morning. He said next time I get to go! Here is a picture from his hotel room. We love you honey!

General update

So last week - with everyone on the school schedule - was CRAZY!!

Ryder had two visitations and a meeting and therapy. INSANE. (But good, things are going good).

 The school thing (girls gone mornings, Ryder gone afternoons) is REALLY working out nicely for everyone to have a little 'alone time.'

Also Ryder goes for respite (like a foster-babysitter) on Wednesday mornings. She takes him to school and we pick him up after. It is a nice little break for everyone and their family has boy toys!

The driving somewhere different every 47 minutes is a little crazy. But I wouldn't want to get bored or anything, huh?

Josh (when here and awake) volunteers at Ashley's school on Friday mornings (computer time - we set up the computers), and I go alternating Monday mornings for an hour (as a subtitute for Bugs) to help with centers.

Ellie's school gets Friday mornings ('cause Josh and Ryder are generally helping at Ashley's school) for a bit, and every other Wednesday (when she had long days) to help with lunch and carpooling pick-up. (Then we bring all the neighborhood kids home).

Ryder's Head Start gets more money for parent volunteers so I will go Monday afternoons to help out.

As you can figure this, plus getting everyone to the right school at the right time and them picking them up again, is crazy! It will be fine.

Ryder got to go play with his grandparents Saturday. So the girls and I had a slumber party. We planted all the flower bulbs, they had a huge bubble bath with goggles to swim with and ice cream sundaes and stories. We are just hanging out this morning before church. Happy week!

How do you survive as single mom to three 4-year-olds for week......

You buy yourself a lot of chocolate!
Josh left Saturday morning for almost a week in Prague, Czech Republic. He is giving a presentation (a big deal) at an international conference on military/defense stuff. Yah! He will be home Friday morning, and yes, we are all getting out of school early to go get him. Josh is such a good provider for us and works so hard. We appreciate you honey! Just bring me some more DARK chocolate please!
I had more pictures of our week, but Josh took the camera, so you will have to wait. Have a nice week!

Moral dilemma

OK, so several (think like 6) months ago I checked a book like this out of the SLC library to read. It was on my 'list of real books to read' and it was a paperback! Abet at 1,000+ pages (with little print as I am learning):

Anyway, I had to re-check it out several times in my pursuit of books-to-think-about-reading. Then I found out my also-book-devouring-friend Kellie was reading it also! Someone to discuss with! Also, there was a book about "John Galt" in the modern world at the library I checked out, for modern day follow up, so we are both going to read that one too.
One day, the power went out. The sprinklers reset. My book, waiting for me patiently outside in my comfy outside-reading-chair-under-the-tree got sprinkled. Now it looks like this:

I went and confessed my crime at the front desk of the library. I offered to keep the book and pay the $9.99 it cost. The library man checked on the computer and said it might be cheaper if I bought an exact copy online (because I could get it cheaper than $10) and then I would just have to pay the $3 re-stocking fee (or whatever). So I said, 'Sounds cheaper!'
However, this book online costs about $7, PLUS shipping. So I just decided to pay the $13 and be done with it.
BUT when I went, with my check in hand, to pay for it....the book was not even checked out to me. The library lady couldn't even find the record of it on my card.
SO, technically I can't pay for it, because I don't have it checked out.
What do I do? Just 'give' the library $13?
Ignore it?
Consider it a sign to not read huge, serious books anymore?
Beg them to take my $13 randomly?
Just buy a copy and donate it?
Ideas?
(Thank you to Kellie for loaning me a not-water-soaked-copy of the book to finish the last 250 pages).

Paid/slave labor

So our neighbors are doing their backyard and last week Papa Herring decided to save himself like 500 man-hours and offered to pay all the neighborhood children a PENNY a rock, for rocks removed from the yard.
Needless to say, we (meaning those under 6) were all THRILLED to be given this money making opportunity.
So we went over at the appointed time and children moved rocks (and dirt, and dirt, and a few more rocks). It was VERY obvious that age made all the difference. I think the oldest rock-collector/slave got like 300+ rocks! (they just started estimating at one point in the afternoon).
Ellie made $1.70, Ashley made 90 cents and Ryder made 70 cents. A good time was had by all. (In case you don't know, at my very first job out of college, one of my jobs was typing in the homemaking club notes from the local ladies' meetings. It was ESSENTIAL that every set of minutes include the note: "A good time was had by all." I must have typed this phrase 1,000 times. So now Heather and I joke about it all the time...oh, those Tipton days!)
So here are some pics, post-rock collecting, when the popsicles were handed out.

Resolved..

I, Ann Herron, will take a nap every day possible between now and the end of the year, and not feel the least bit guilty about doing so.


I am SOSOS excited about this!!!

First day of Head Start!

Here goes the cutie Ryder off on his first day of Head Start.

 Also here is my finished project of the day. I moved the food storage around and made it easier to get to all our yummy foods. And I dusted everything.

As I become a professional taxi driver

Wow, sorry it has been a whole week. Things just get crazy.
So here is the news: We got a new dishwasher! Here is my sweetie installing it (and this saving is $120!):

And here I am loading it up:

And here is some art the kiddos made with the box!

We enjoyed a nice Labor Day together. There was the Head Start orientation and a canceled (due to screaming fit) organ lesson (times and seasons I tell myself). I helped at kindergarden Wednesday for their long day/lunch at school day. It is fun, and all the kiddos come and give me a hug when I get there. I read stories and everyone was enthralled. Then there was the ward camp out!

We went and spent the night, ate yummy food. At like 3 a.m. I hear a little voice from the kid-tent "mommy I have to pee" so I get out, get them out, and we pee beside the tent (the bathroom was far away and it was dark). Everyone is getting settled. Then like 45 minutes later, same little voice "Momma, I have to poo, really bad." So I get out of tent, get kid out of tent, haul them on back to bathroom far far away, explain what a urinal is and finally get back in tent. By now, all kids in kiddo tent are awake and happy to be camping! Bless Josh for getting up to make breakfast and letting me sleep for a bit more!! 
Josh started working nights, for this week. And Saturday is off to Prague, in the Czech Republic. He gets home next Friday and then had night testing/trip to Florida for the next three weeks. I love you  honey!
So here is my schedule for the school-daze:
7:43 a.m. - walk Ellie to the Herrings to catch a ride to school
8:40 a.m. - take Ashley (and Caleb) to preschool
11 a.m .- pick up Ashley
11:30 a.m. - pick up Ellie at charter school
12:30 p.m. - take Ryder to school (have to walk him in and sign in)
4 p.m. - pick up Ryder (must sign out)
Happy driving and walking to me!

A whole week

We have been busy and pretty happy this week, just not blogging. So here is a WHOLE week of pictures!
Sunday was Josh's birthday. He wanted chocolate cake and here it is!

Ryder LOVES playing the pouring game.

Here is the vegetable that Josh said,"Guess we missed this one."

Here are the kiddos playing 'kitty' in their laundry baskets.

And our favorite babysitter, Caroline, taking the giant zucchini home to her mom. We tried to go on a spiritual date on Friday afternoon, only to discover we were expired. Ugh. So we went to dinner at Olive Garden!

I was super productive on our 'day off' Wednesday when no one had school. I don't even think we left the house. We made rules like: stay in jammies all day, watch lots of TV, eat good snacks and stuff. It was very fun. Kiddos played and I.... re-stocked the pantry from downstairs and sorted the food downstairs..

Cleaned out our closed AND the linen closet...

Here is how big our sunflower is now... crazy! Anyone like sunflower seeds?

And here is a cute pic of Ryder, in his new Sunday clothes. "So I look like Josh,' he said.

Those are all the pictures. We have been working on the yard, mainly the flower beds. But there is still some stuff to finish up on Monday, so expect pictures later. Last night we went to the drive-in triple movie! We made it through two and headed home. Ellie and Ash were still awake! (guess who actually took naps?)
We get to go meet Ryder's teacher/school on Tuesday and he is WAY excited to finally get to go to school like the girls. Ash LOVED preschool (but has been a bit tired this week). Ellie loves kindergarden and Josh and I both got to go and spent a day in her classroom this week so we see how things go. Have a great week!