This Week at Our House # 20

1. John is plugging along and about to get to the part where his job is really hard. His final deadline is at the end of this month and he still has a lot to do. He was originally hired to write a prototype that accurately measures things from photos taken from airplanes and satellites. He finished that, and then they asked him to stay on and get the prototype up and working on the internet with thousands of photos. He said yes, but he has never done front end web development before now. He's learning as he goes. 
2. I had a busy, tiring week. I am definitely counting down to summer vacation. Two and a half more weeks to go.
3. Ruth had pms. Every month for a week she thinks everything in her life is horrible and that she is a miserable failure, everyone hates her, and that she is fat, ugly, and stupid. I am always relieved when that week is over.
4. Kate and Ruth read what I write on my blog every week. Kate said it was not fair that I said all of these wonderful things about Ruth,but just said, she is smart. So Kate's turn. Kate is a hard worker. She had a hard time learning to read and as a result, she learned that she can work hard and still do really well. Kate is oh, so, so good. She knows the scriptures very well.  In Kate's seminary class, each student has to take a turn standing in front of the class, and the kids that want to can raise their hands and say something nice about that classmate. When it was Kate's turn to stand in front of the class, instead of saying how she makes the class better like he has for every other student. He simply said, "It is obvious that you read your scriptures everyday." Well, that may not have made Kate feel all flowery good and loved, but it did make her parents proud. Kate knows that scriptures. I think of this quote from the Ezra Taft Benson manual that says, "The honest seeker after truth can gain the testimony that Jesus is the Christ as he prayerfully ponders the inspired words of the Book of Mormon." And that is Kate. She is an honest seeker of truth, and she has a very firm testimony. Additionally Kate is good. In her seminary class, she raises her hand to say something nice about all of the quiet kids in her class when everyone else doesn't. Oh and Kate and Ruth are on the same pms schedule. For Kate her whole life isn't awful, but people definitely irritate her.
5. Johnny's such a good boy. I ask him to do a lot and he just does it without complaint.
6. Adam had his end of the year art and music program. John and I snuck into his class when he did not know and we saw him flirting terribly with a girl. Whenever the teacher was not looking, he would tell her to punch him in the stomach. She would and Adam would proudly act as if it did not hurt him. That was awesome to see. (Spying on your kids can be fun.)
7. Rachel is just fun to watch on stage, She dances and sings with vigor.
8. Anya told me that she is trying to make friends by playing with the other kids. She is just very shy. I am glad that she trying to get out of that so that she can have the friends she desires.
9. Joseph was funny to watch on stage because he was just so much himself. Between songs and when he just had to stand still, he did not. He wiggled and fidgeted and touched the kid beside him. But when the music was playing and he was supposed to be singing and dancing, he did just that. He sang and danced with all his might.
10. Josh loves and needs lots and lots of physical affection. That little boy just loves to hug and kiss and cuddle a ton.
11. I potty trained Arwen this week. I think that in another week she will have it down perfectly. She tells me when she has to go already. She pooped on the floor Monday morning, but told me when she had to go every other day. She wet her pants a few times on Monday, but only once the other days. She stayed dry during church and even told me when she had to go. This is such a relief after potty training Josh who still pees his pants on a regular basis.
12. Suzy likes to sneak off by herself and play in quiet places. I think that must have something to do with being baby # 10.

This Week's Pictures