Ballet Lessons

The girls start ballet this month. My ex-husband is paying for them to take lessons now through June. Then we will see how they like it and are doing and go from there. I have known for like a month that he was going to and I had been so excited I wanted to cry. I have always wanted to take ballet, but when I was younger my parents couldn't afford it and then when they could I was to busy with band and flags and everything. So I totally admit I am living vicariously through them getting to do it. And I couldn't be more excited for them.
Hailey started Jan. 7. She loved it and is excited to return next week. I cracked up watching her because she is definitely not my most graceful child. I always joke that I should have named her Flaily instead. Hopefully ballet will go a long way to help her out with that. Because she's definitely not getting any shorter. I have to doubt that she will be as tall as me by 12.

Brooklyn starts ballet tomorrow. She is so excited she can barely contain herself. And honestly, so am I. It's just so cute.

Hailey ready for ballet.

Hailey and Brooklyn trying on their ballet stuff on Christmas.

Random Things From Today

Today I added 2 new kids to my daycare roll, for a total of 4. They are 2 year old boy/girl twins. Totally adorable and Amelia was excited to have them over today. They start coming on Tuesday. I currently do daycare M, T, Th for the 2 brothers I watch (2 yrs. and 4 mo.) so now on Tues. and Thurs. I will have an extra 2 toddlers, for a total of 4 (counting Amelia). That should be busy! I am glad to have the extra income though. I would like to enroll the boys in something. I had been thinking karate, but it is so expensive. About $75 a pop, which is a lot times 3 boys! Maybe I will do soccer or baseball in the spring. I also want to sign the older 3 up for piano lessons. One of the ladies in the ward is really good and has been teaching forever and said that she would do the 3 of them for $100 a month, which is a bargain if I ever heard one! I'm also saving most of the money I am earning for when I finish my song writing and am ready to record my demo. I have written one song with melody and lyrics, and have a couple others in the works. I think my birthday present to myself next month will be guitar lessons. I think it will make my song writing flow more easily and that way my guitar isn't just sitting in the closet gathering dust.
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I was finally able to make eye appts. for me and the 3 big kids. I have been wearing my glasses for a couple months now because I am down to one right eye contact - not too helpful. Tyler and Austin need glasses to replace the ones the broke and I haven't been able to replace until now (our insurance just added a vision plan). Hailey definitely needs glasses. She is squinting 24 hours a day. I got my first glasses when I was 9, so not too surprising.
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I am totally excited that tomorrow Trent (my neighbor) is coming over and he and John are going to finish my office and playroom. My office is almost done and I told John he needs to get the playroom finished because I am taking on 2 more kids (the twins I met with today) and seeing about a couple other kids (that I would have for only a couple hours on Wed. and Fri. which are currently my days off). We have lived here since June and still, most of the toys are in the garage all packed up. I can't wait to get the playroom finished and get all the toys unpacked and put away so the kids can play with them.
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Well I better go. I need to go figure out dinner and go check on children that are supposed to be doing their daily reading, but judging from the noise and playing, are totally not reading.

New Years Eve

Tonight hasn't been very exciting. We were going to rent a movie, but waited too long and all 3 of the Redbox machines by me were out of all the good movies. I guess that's what I get for being a procrastinator. We had pizza and 7 layer dip and summer sausage and watched the New Years Eve festivities. John and the kids were all aslseep by 10, and I am the only one who stayed up 'til midnight. I've been playing on myspace and facebook, while watching a Law and Order marathon. (Which is what I did last year - well the Law and Order part.) Now off to bed to crash.

Christmas with the Riets

This evening we had Dave and Sandy and the kids over for Christmas. It was nice to have everyone over Sandy brought over presents from them, and then we ate. I made a brown sugar ham (of course) along with squash and a bunch of other yummy things. Byt the time we got up to the table, Sandy, Jess and I could barely eat anything because we had picket at so much of the ham while we were fixing the kids' plates. The kids had a blast playing with Jess and Ad, and I had fun sitting around talking and visiting with everyone.

Adriaan, Dave, Sandy, and Jessica with all the kids.
Me with Jessica and Adriaan.

The kids opening presents from Sandy and Dave.

Christmas Morning

This morning went great. The kids each got 5 small things, so I didn't feel overwhelmed at the end of the day by all the stuff X 6 kids. 3 from us, 2 from "Santa", plus stockings (yay for Target and their dollar bins full of cute stuff). They had fun opening all their stuff, and then we just hung out around the house for the rest of the afternoon.

The kids waiting on the stairs to come down.

Checking out what's under the tree.

Opening presents.

Hailey and Brooklyn.

Amelia playing with her new castle.

Austin helping Camren out with his new train.

John opening the new back massager I got him.

Christmas Eve. Pt. 2

Every year I get the kids Christmas jammies that they get to open on Christmas Eve and then wear and look all cute for their Christmas morning photos. They looked so adorable, I had to be sure and post pics of them before I head to bed.

Christmas Eve Pt. 1

Today Jacob and Natalie came by to visit with us for a while. They are down to be with Natalies family for Christmas. I am glad that Natalie is from Utah, so that they come down here (from Idaho) more often than they would otherwise. We had fun hanging out and did exciting things like watch the kids sing silly songs they made up and watch Hannah Montana. It was nice to see them and spend time together, since the rest of my family is in California. For some reason I ended up with more pics of Jacob than Natalie. Probably because she was sitting on the couch with Hailey most of the time.

Me and Jacob.

Jacob and Natalie with all the kids.

Jacob with Brooklyn and Camren.

Jacob and Amelia.

Jacob and Hailey.