Our Songbird

One of the best parts of being a mother is seeing my kids develop their passions.  In the last year or so Morgan has discovered a love of music and drama.  I have to admit that it is fun seeing her love some of the same things I love.  Not to mention, she is really talented!

She was so excited to get to take choir one of the quarters at school.  She really liked her teacher and had a lot of fun.  It was great going to her concert!  She even surprised us by auditioning for and getting a small ensemble part.  I am very proud of her!

Pride Award

During Peyton's birthday week, we got a call from her teacher, Mrs. Zamudio, and she told us that Peyton was receiving an award at school.  Each trimester the school has a Pride Assembly where each teacher selects a student that had shown extraordinary work and behavior throughout that trimester.  Mrs. Zamudio was awarding Peyton (it was a surprise to her) with that honor.

Ken and I attended the assembly and were so proud of all the kids that received awards, but most of all for Peyton and all her hard work.  (It was "pajama day" at school so it was a little funny seeing all the kids getting awards while in their pajamas.)  She has had a wonderful experience in first grade and I am so grateful that our kids get the opportunity of going to a great school!

Congratulations Peyton! 

Spunky!

To me this is the perfect word to describe my Peyton.  She is spunky, full of life, passionate, and can be a bit of a sassy pants.  She can talk to anyone and often is the first to make a new friend when we go somewhere.  She is smart and picks up on things so quickly.  I am so very glad she is in our family!  It is so worth the drama that sometimes swirls around her.

In the beginning of March, Peyton turned 7 years old!  On her actual birthday Ken was able to go to school with her to "watchdog" and deliver birthday treats.  She loved that Ken was able to help in her classroom, play with her and her friends at recess, and eat lunch together in the cafeteria.

The day after her birthday she had her birthday party with her friends.  She opted to have a "rock star" party where they could work on their rock star skills.  We made puffy paint purses and sang and danced like crazy.  The girls had a great time playing the guitars, drums, and singing into the microphones.  I loved watching them busting a move.  We had some great dancers there!  I hope all of Peyton's friends had a fun time.  I know we did!

Happy birthday Miss P!

Our new addition

Ken and the kids have wanted a dog for years!  Last fall just before church we received an email from a woman in our ward explaining that she has recently gotten a new puppy and his care was proving too much for her and she was wondering if anyone would like him.  Without even talking to Ken, I responded that we would be interested.  I wasn't sure if I was ready for a dog, after all, there are days I feel I can barely take care of my kids, but if we were ever going to get a dog again, it would be a smaller dog that didn't shed.  I didn't mention it to the kids, luckily, because it turned out we were the second family to respond and so the puppy was given to them.  Actually, I was relieved.

Fast forward about six months.

One Monday evening after the kids were in bed, we received a call from our friends, the Adams.  They were the family that had gotten the puppy.  Ryan explained that despite trying for months, that the puppy was not a good fit for their family and wondered if we would be interested in taking him.  Ken asked if we could come and meet Potter, the puppy.  We headed over a few minutes later.

I'm not sure our first meeting went all that well.  Potter was a little standoffish, especially with Ken.  Ryan told us a little more about Potter's background.  He is a yorkiepoo (what a funny name!) and would not get too big, about 10 pounds.  They named him Potter because they are Harry Potter fans.  That practically seemed like a sign! :)  He was about 80% potty trained and loved to play.  Ken and I went home to discuss.

Ken basically left the decision up to me, considering I would be his primary caregiver.  Over the next 36 hours I kept going back and forth.  A dog is a lot to take on and I wasn't sure I wanted to add to the chaos in our home.  I finally decided that the opportunity to get a dog that met all my criteria for FREE wouldn't likely happen again.  I called Channel, told her we would take Potter, and made arrangements to pick him up the next day while the kids were at school.

When the kids got home, we showed them a picture of Potter.  They ooh-ed and ahh-ed about how cute the puppy was and then completely freaked out when I told them that this was going to be our dog.  That evening we made a trip to PetSmart to choose a kennel, food, and toys for Potter.  The kids were over the moon and so very excited!  The next morning, I went over to pick Potter up.  I felt so bad when I saw the tears in Channel's eyes, but she was happy he was going to a good home.

Overall, I have to say that I think Potter transitioned very well.  He had a couple of accidents the first couple of days and some whimpering when we would put in in the kennel, but he has fit in with our family amazingly well.  I especially love to watch Potter and Cooper playing.  They play tag and fetch and roll around the floor wrestling.  Potter has a sweet personality and loves to follow me around the house and curls up to nap near my feet when I sit down.  After a few weeks in the kennel, we now trust him enough to sleep with one of the kids (with their door closed so he can't wander during the night).  There are still a few training issues that we are working on, but we couldn't be more pleased with the new addition to our family.  We love him!