Quick run down

Here are the quick run downs of our news.

Cassidy- can tie her shoe. I had the thought a few weeks ago to show her how to tie her shoe. We tried a few times with Joe's shoe because they are heaving and I thought it would be easier to try to show her if the shoe wasn't flopping around. We went over the procedure a few times that day and I think another day. Then I forgot about it all until a few days later and lo and behold, she tied her shoe all by herself, perfectly!! What a champ. It was the same with learning how to write her name. We had showed it to her and then on her own she did it. No pushing, no battles, just show and let be. We are moving along in her reading lessons and she's doing great and is starting to read real sentences, like today's "a man is near a sock. a cat is in that sock."

Molly- She gets lost in the mix a lot because she's just at that age where huge things aren't happening as often, I guess. But she is such a big helper when I get involved and ask for her help. I need to go with that more.

Julia- Hit the two year mark and is such a big talker. I was amazed, I don't know why though, that she came up with a gramatically correct two part sentence. "I wanna get down and wash my hands." She loves to hold Sean and is so cute when she says "look at me seany, look at me."

Sean- He's six months now. Crazy. He picked up a few percentiles in weight, from the 2nd, to 5-10th percent. That was good, but not good enough to be told to sleep all night and stop waking up. I was aiming for 15 pounds and he was only 14 lb 11 oz., darn. He looks like he's getting so much bigger but the scale never registers it. He LOVES food. We've been feeding him since 4 months and now he's up to two or three servings, big servings a day. He can eat a whole banana in a sitting. Some day he will eat us out of house and home along with his sisters. I shouldn't be too anxious for that day to arrive. He still stays where I put him for the most part. He'll turn in a circle on his back, but he's not big into rolling over or attempting to crawl. That's okay. He can take his time.

Joe- Having fun with his bass club fishing tournaments. He always catches fish but his partners aren't so he thinks he's jinxed this year. He has a couple new homes that he is selling which is a great addition for the year. He's working hard with the Elder's Quorum. Oh and he says "he loves his wife."

December- Plugging along with Joy School. Attempting to also do a few crafty projects like a pennant banner for easter that says "He is risen", it's mostly done and super cute. I really like that fabrics I choose. Futilely trying to keep the office straightened up between then nights of crafting.And getting to the temple almost every week. Oh let me tell you. I was going to go tonight but the grandparents showed up right after dinner and so we got the kids in bed a little late and so I didn't get Sean ready for bed till about 640. I nursed him and hoped he would be out quick so I could leave by 7:10. Well at 7:10 he was still wide awake but I but him in is crib and was going to leave anyway. He starting crying and then I felt bad because I never put him down that awake and I thought it would cruel to let him cry for so long. So I didn't leave. And guess what? He was asleep in less than 20 minutes. That faker!!!!! I wish I had known and then gone, but I would have worried the whole time that he would cry forever. Oh well. It's no good going when you are so worried or stressed about that. I will try again tomorrow.

Can I say how crazy the tax law is??? I am working on our taxes and helping my dad and I learned AGAIN how complicated the IRS has made it. Can't it just be simple like tithing? It can't but man, it is way too complicated. Get the figure from line w from 2011 return, then add x, is that greater to line y, then write z, is z less then a, then multiply by b. etc.... 19 lines of arithmetic just to calculate how much of the social security payments are taxable.  16 lines to find our how much of the state refund from last year is taxable. CRAZY!!! What a waste of time. 

Oh, and I just read two books that I'd so recommend. "The Great Prologue" by Mark E Peterson, it's about the great history and destiny of the US as the means of allowing the Gospel to be restored and taken to the nations of the world. Awesome book. Compares the prophecies in scripture, like Nephi's to the events in history. I hadn't made many of the comparisons before, it is amazing how detailed those prophecies are. And "Rudy" by Daniel "Rudy" Reuttiger, of the movie "Rudy" fame. It's his biography. I loved the movie and the book (well his actual story) is way more inspiring and awesome than the movie. Who knew he was the third child of 14?!?!?! If you have a friend/family member who likes the movie, tell them to read the book. He's amazing and credits so much to God in such a way that is inspiring and refreshing. It really shows that God does care about our dreams and can use our accomplishments to help inspire and uplift others. Awesome. I have always been a Notre Dame fan, and always will. But I am a huge Rudy fan too.