Swensen Sentral

Kids first day of school.  They said it was awesome.  I've never been a worried parent, just not in my nature.  But for some reason this day was more nerve-racking for me than any other first day of school, even kindergarten!  I guess I just wanted them to have a great day so bad and meet some friends and feel welcomed.  Not easy being the new kid 3 different times in the last 3 years (well 2 in 2 years for Amelie).  But they navigated it like champs and came home with big smiles! Amelie said everyone wanted to sit by her and be her friend and her day was "perfect"! Chase said "it was good".  Typical boy. And look at this hillbilly mouth!  Did you ever see such a horrible thing?  Just lost his 6th tooth (bottom right in pic).  I don't know how he even eats his food!  And that big ol' one on the top is growing in mighty crooked.  He just might have to rely on that handsome face to carry him through fo...

Just up the hill from our house is an awesome playground! An old-fashioned merry-go-round a 3-story slide and the best swings! And it has a great monkey bar/climbing structure thing that I didn't take pics of.  The ironic thing is the kids seem to have more fun when we do FREE stuff than when we pay a bunch of money to do other things.  Playgrounds and McDonald's Playplace and Churck E Cheese are still the favorites!

Soleil is an excellent talker, but she's still two.  Here is some of her current vocabulary and I just love it. Gloves = glubs Swimsuit = swim soup and my personal favorite…Bellybutton = belly butt

Kids couldn't wait to get out in it. I  think all of St. Louis shut down for the snow. But not us! We came alive!   I ran to Dollar Tree tonight to get some stuff for Amelie's birthday. I was the only one in the parking lot. Couldn't see the road lines so just parked my best!  Then I found out why I was the only one in the parking lot.  Hmmm...so I went next door to the 24hr Walmart. After shopping for a while they announced over the loud speaker that they were closing due to the weather, and they proceeded to usher me out of the store (politely mind you, remember this is the friendly state of Missouri).  Funny that a city will just close up because of snow. I don't remember Boise or Privo doing that, but maybe my memory is failing me. The library closed on me today too. I took the kids to get some books to start our homeschooling and the librarian comes around and tells me that they are closing early. So we had to rush out. I guess I'm just use to continuing on...

Soleil is funny.  Somewhere deep inside her was planted that stereotypical gene that makes a girl obsessed with clothes and shoes and accessories.  She's only 2 1/2 but she is completely entertained with clothing and shoes and accessories and would probably prefer them to toys. When she gets bored she says, "Mom, can I go change my clothes?"  It's like the first thing that comes to her mind when she thinks of something fun to do.  When I walk past the shoe department or little girls clothing department at the store, I have to move quick because as soon as her eye catches it she's all questions, "Mom, can I get out! Mom can I try those on! Mom pleeeeeze!" And then she cries or throws a fit if I say no.   Yesterday at Target I stopped at the shoe section and let her try some on.  She was in heaven!     It was like Christmas morning, seriously.  She was so happy and giddy, she was dancing and twirling and singing down the aisle in her shoes, lik...