August 27th is a busy day in our house!!

August 27th is a special day because it is Nathaniel's birthday - he turned 2 today!! It was also a special day today because Joshua started 1st grade...at a new school!!





So we started our morning with French Toast (Joshua's pick because it was the first day of school...Nathaniel had never had it before and well, he wasn't very thrilled with it. We'll have to make him waffles (one of his favorites) later!) and then Nathaniel got to open one birthday present. We're saving the rest for Sunday when he has his cake and ice cream and shares with Great-Grandma Darlene (who will be 81 on Tuesday). Daddy has a class tonight, so we couldn't do it tonight...and then he goes back down to Davis/Winters for the next three days to work, so we just decided to hang on and combine with Great Grandma this weekend. He's only 2, so he doesn't really care. He's had fun today with his present...a Little People's Noah's Ark. I wanted to get one for Joshua when he was little, but they just cost so much. And then Brian found this one on clearance at Walmart after the holidays for under $10!





After breakfast and package, it was time to take Joshua to his first day at Etna Elementary School. We took first day of school pictures on the front porch - Nathaniel had to not only have his picture taken too, but also wanted a back pack! So I found Joshua's little backpack that I'd made for him when he was 2 and Grandma Lorrayne put a couple of books in it and he was quite happy.





Joshua's in Mrs. Silva's class...her husband had been my 4th grade teacher (as well as the 4th grade teacher for his aunts, great-uncle and even a cousin for a short time). There's 4 2nd graders in with 16 1st graders. Joshua is at a table group of 5 boys and 1 girl...poor girl!





Nathaniel was very unhappy when we got home and he realized that Joshua wasn't with us. Luckily it was playgroup and storytime at the library, so around 10, he and I headed down town for that. He chilled out in the stroller and ate fruit snacks on our trek. We stopped by the store to visit with Grandma since we were early for the library. He had fun playing with some kids there and getting to listen to some stories...especially a favorite from Storytime in Winters - "No, David!"



Joshua had a great first day of school...it was a little different going all day instead of just in the afternoon - and having class in English instead of in Spanish, but he's already making friends and starting to hang on the bars (just like Mommy and aunts did).

**It's now the 29th and I've tried to update this a million times! I can't get photos to load with the dial-up, so I'm just going to post this without the pictures and hopefully be able to use Brian's internet thing when he gets back and use our computer and load some pictures.

We made it...

About 9 pm Sunday evening, we pulled into the driveway at Mom & Dad's...about 4 hours past when we'd planned. But we made it. The boys and I will head back down to Winters on Thursday with Brian when he goes back to work so that we can pack more stuff. So much fun.

We got Joshua registered for first grade at Etna Elementary School yesterday. Hopefully he'll be in the 1/2 combo class...there's no straight 1st grade class this year - a Kindergarten/1st combo and a 1st/2nd combo. After that Brian headed to Weed to buy his books, take care of financial aid and stuff like that. The boys and I went to the post office and filled out the stuff for our box. Thank goodness for small towns...I don't have anything with our physical address here...but they took my driver's license for ID and then took into account that we're living with my parents and they know them and they know me, so all worked out. Then we went to the library and got library cards. The librarian told me no problem to use it on-line...but it won't work with out a PIN so I need to go back today and set that up.

We had rain yesterday...about 10 minute of a downpour. The boys and I sat on the porch and watched :)

Today is more unpacking, going back to the library to get PIN numbers and for Nathaniel, more OUTSIDE time. He's just not quite big enough to turn lose, like Joshua is.

On Sunday, before we left Winters, Nathaniel surprised/impressed/frightened us all with his new "skill"...he climbed the ladder of the bunk bed in about 10 seconds, sat himself down on Joshua's bed and grinned down at us. So, Jungle Boy, now thinks he can climb anything. Yesterday, while Joshua was on his bed arranging his stuffed animals, Nathaniel quickly climbed up to join him. They were being cute, so I took a couple of pictures, and then took Nathaniel down and after Joshua finished up, put the ladder up on the bed. Jungle Boy has no fear at all, so I'm sure he'd think he could just jump down!

Later, after Brian was back from school and stuff, we moved some dressers around...Nathaniel had to "help" with that :)

We're Moving

Our house for a few more days...


Yeah, I guess I haven't blogged about that, but I think that everyone that reads this already knows. We came to the decision about 3 weeks ago (or maybe less) that we were going to move to Etna, live with my parents for awhile and Brian was going to go back to school at College of the Siskiyous to get all of his GEs out of the way so he can transfer to a 4 year school (UCDavis hopefully) in a few years. It was a plan we'd had, but then his being put in the bishopric in April made us rethink things, but then we had to rethink things again and take that big huge leap of faith. So Sunday (yes, just a few days from now) after we speak in Sacrament meeting & Brian gets released, we will load up the cars, get the kids and cat settled and head north. Brian will continue to work down here on Thursdays, Fridays and Saturdays, so we're not taking everything at once from our house...we've got a little over a month to get all that taken care of. He'll have classes 2 nights a week and also have 2 internet classes. Joshua will start 1st grade on the 27th - Nathaniel's 2nd birthday. School has already started here in Winters, so Joshua's getting a couple of extra weeks of vacation and thinks that is great!



I'm hating the packing. Who could believe that 4 people in 8 years could accumulate this much stuff! Sometimes, being a packrat is really not a good thing. Luckily, Joshua & Nathaniel have been able to go play with their friend Cole the past couple of days (thank you Kathie!!!) and tomorrow Aunt Carrie & Aunt Sarah are going to come out to help pack/play with their nephews. That will really help.



I for one am excited to go back to my hometown. I've done the "city" life (not that most would consider Winters a huge metropolis, but hey...it's got TWO stoplights now...that's progress from the 1 blinking light that was here when I moved here almost exactly 11 years ago) for quite some time. This will be a nice change for all of us...and the boys can experience instead of just visit the area where their mom, grandma, great-grandpa, great-great grandparents & yes, even some great-great-great grandparents grew up and lived. So, that's what we're doing. And of course, we'll continue to share our adventures with everyone via this blog.


The house I grew up in where we'll soon be...August 1992...different cars & a new paint job since then...

A more recent picture of the house...current paint scheme and yes, it does snow there in the Winter...that's what really cinched the deal for Joshua when we told him we were moving...wait until he gets to walk home from school in it, then he might change his mind!

Busy Weekend

We got absolutely nothing done Saturday in the way of packing for our move that was only a week away. Well, I did buy a plastic storage box to put all my paints & brushes and stuff in...and Brian did tape a bunch of boxes together while he was outside with the boys for a little while. But then it was party time. Brian's great-nephew, Zachary, turned 1. So we headed over to Woodland for the party at Brian's brother's. There was a bounce house - Joshua & Nathaniel were thrilled because they LOVE bounce houses. And of course, there was the pool. It didn't take Joshua long to go find the swimming suit Aunt Theresa keeps for him and get changed and jump in. We managed to keep Nathaniel entertained with the bounce house, so big beach balls and a little slide until after lunch before he got in the pool. Nathaniel having fun on Zachary's new slide

Joshua's swimming has gotten so much better this summer!

Joshua Diving

I tried to get a couple of videos, we'll see how they turned out...he's also gotten over a lot of his fear of the slide and the diving board. He's got a lot of fear and hesitation for things (like his mom) and Nathaniel had really no fear of anything...I wish they'd balance each other out a bit!

Nathaniel loves to jump off the diving board. He's tried to just jump in the pool several times without his water wings on...one time he was successful and sinking to the bottom step (there was someone right by him to pull him out) didn't phase him a single bit.

The Birthday Boy!!

After Zachary's party, we ran by Costco quickly to get some milk and then we hurried home and got all of us changed to church clothes (in a little less than 15 minutes...and Nathaniel was asleep, so that was fun) to go over to the church for Joshua's friend McKay's baptism. After that, we hurried back home and changed out of our church clothes and back into shorts and Tshirts, grabbed PJs and golf shoes and headed back over toward Woodland to Tim, Elisha & Zachary's new house. The golf shoes were for Brian because the new house is on a golf course and he & Tim were going to go do 9 holes after dinner. Joshua was thrilled because he got to ride along in the golf cart and be the caddy & take the flags out of the holes. Nathaniel & Zachary entertained themselves digging in the dirt in the backyard until Theresa and I decided to give them baths - which they both needed. Then, once in their PJs they played with Zachary's new toys. It's hard to believe that just a year ago, Nathaniel was Zach's age. I told Elisha to watch out because it zooms by! Nathaniel had a hard time at the party understanding that no, he couldn't open the presents, it wasn't his turn. Just a few more weeks, kiddo!

Joshua on the Slide


So this is all for right now. I need to go get in the shower since the washing machine quit. Then it will be time to go to our last Storytime at the library. It would've been Joshua last Storytime anyway, since school starts here tomorrow. Then when we come home we're going to pack a bunch of clothes in our fancy hi-tech luggage - big ol' black garbage bags :) That'll be something fun for the boys to help with for packing :)

Nathaniel Swimming

End of Swimming Lessons

Joshua has had swimming lessons for the past 4 weeks. We signed him up for two sessions and it has been wonderful for him (not so much for Nathaniel and I who have to sit in the hot sun and watch him) and he has improved so much in his swimming. He's finally figured out that if he puts his face & head in the water as he swims that he actually swims better!

I was a slacker this year and took no pictures of him during his lessons...too hot, didn't feel good, etc. So I made sure to get one picture of him today. I wanted to get him diving, but he dove as I got the stroller and Nathaniel positioned and then the next time the teacher just had them jump in and that was it - they were done. So I took a picture of him in front of the pool sign so we'd have that for posterity :) After the 1st two week session the kids, er...teachers...handed out Otter Pops with the certificates. This time they got Chips Ahoy cookies. That was fine with Joshua - I took them to the deli downtown for ice cream cones afterwards. Unfortunately, Joshua's got his mouth full of cookie when I took the pictures, but I was hot & Nathaniel was grouchy, so I really didn't care.

This last picture is how Nathaniel fell asleep yesterday afternoon about 3:30...well past when I'd like him to take a nap. Today, we just aren't letting him nap. Right now the boys are playing the piano...so I can go make dinner. I didn't leave Nathaniel here - I did move him to a blanket on the floor.