Cute Lizzy

Lizzy learned this cute song in music.

Start of School

 

Everything all laid out for the first day of school!   They were so excited!

 

 

 

 

The first day of school picture!

 

 

Sammi’s new glasses – isn’t she cute??  :)

 

 

Sammi during chapel – she was so nervous.  I stayed the whole day to make sure all the wrinkles were ironed out.  I won’t be able to stay all day in the future, so I wanted to make sure that everything was good.  Her headmaster and the assistant headmaster know our family situation, so they are going to keep an eye on our girl.

I’ll get a new picture of her next week.  She looks so cute! 

So, how did it go?  Well…OK.  I was good.  I went with a smile on my face.  I dropped off my kids and reassured them that everything was going to be great!  It wasn’t until I left them that I felt like someone had punched me in the stomach.  OH, what am I doing?  But how did they do?  Lizzy had a good day, but came out crying.  She was anxious about the dismissal process and finding Jessi.  She’s going to be alright.  I can feel it.  Jessi had high hopes for public school.  She is my most solid, doesn’t get rocked easily kid.  During all of this with Bell, she has been a rock.  So it worries me a little to hear, I cried today during recess.  I miss your kisses Mommy.   And clingy – wow!  She is very aware of any teacher yelling – and she is bored!  She also doesn’t like being away from family for 7 hours.  I told her to give it some time.  I suggested a month, she wants no more than one week.  I’m sure she’ll be fine, but she remains on my radar.

Sammi did well.  She was so nervous in chapel, but as time went on, she got better.  She is still a little unsure, but like Jessi, I’m sure that in one month, the new routines will be in place and everything will be fine.

Becca, on the other hand, did great.  This is all old hat to her.  I dropped her off (sporting her nice retro outfit and super straight hair) and she never looked back.  :)  She seems very pleased with her classes and teachers.  8th Grade – I’m thinking it’s going to be a good year for her!

Another Crazy Week

Busy week – Bella decided to take a slight detour to Texas Children’s for double pneumonia (she had aspirated again).  Once again we were grateful for Kris to hold the fort down while Mama was away day and night.  Bella and I got home in time to run around like crazy getting ready for school that starts tomorrow – ugh!  I hope we are ready.  Tonight we will all get our Back to School blessings….and then tomorrow morning at too early o’clock we will start our new routine.

Our good friend Linda flew in on Thursday and flew out on Sunday.  A quick visit, but we love seeing her!  Our good byes at 6AM:

What’s happening?

 

Our Six Girls!!

 

 

 

 

 

Becca’s school called this week with a scheduling conflict.  She had planned on taking both band and orchestra – unfortunately, they are during the same school period – she had to choose one!  Drama and tears!  She decided upon the Viola and Orchestra.  So we begin a new chapter in Becca’s musical career.

Everyone is excited for school to start!  Mama, how many days until school starts?  I hear this a million times a day!  :)  Everyone is sad that Kris is leaving, though.  I have no idea how we are going to survive without her!

I went to a conference for Sammi’s school on Saturday and we go again on Monday (please be healthy Bella!) (and thank you Kris or I couldn’t go!).  I am so excited about Sammi’s school.  People have asked me about it, so here goes.  It is like a cross between a private school and a home school.  On Tuesdays they go to school.  They wear uniforms.  They bring their work for the week and it is graded there.  They have chapel and then classes.  It follows a classical education model so there is a heavy emphasis on Western Civilization thinking, logic, Latin (next year maybe), and the written word.  The head master is the pastor of Grace Community Church.  At the conference I heard three different pastors speak – it is a Christian school, but not affiliated with any one denomination.  I am excited that Sammi will get this opportunity.  At this season in my life, it seems to be the best of both worlds.

Scripture Mastery

I love having the girls memorize scriptures – once they are in your head, they are yours!  As we try to find our new normal, I want to re-incorporate scripture memorization into our lives again.  I found this today from a great scripture learning source we have enjoyed using in the past.

http://www.bookofmormondiscovery.com/pdf/21DayBibleMemoryVerseChallenge.pdf

Maybe you can join us for the next 21 days!  :)

Another Saturday, Another Post

The week in review.  Busy Bella week – two trips down town and that’s with 2 appointments cancelled.  Joy had therapy.  Everyone is registered for school.  The girls have new school clothes, back packs, and shoes.  They are ready - nervous, but excited!  Becca spent the week in Iowa being pampered by her adoring Grandparents.  She got home this morning, just in time to start Band practice on Monday.  Sammi had a writing class for her school.  She says she learned a lot, but had fun.  Everyone has now had their annual physicals – well, the kids anyway.  And Kris and I may have figured out a helper for me when I have to take Bella to the hospital periodically.  Productive week!

Joy loves Kris – but when she has ice cream…..she adores Kris!

Back from Iowa!  Yeah!  Seriously, though, she’s growing up way too fast!  Welcome home Bec!

 

Clothes from Grandma and Becca

 

Holding Bella

The Deed is Done

Today Jessi and Lizzy were registered at Theiss Elementary.  I felt like I was going to vomit the whole time I was there.  Then I asked to speak to the Vice-Principal to let her know about our current family situation and to beg for kind, nurturing teachers for my babies.  You know that voice that people use when they are trying so hard not to bawl their eyes out and still talk at the same time.  Well, that was me.  The VP was very kind and sympathetic.  She reassured me that they will take care of them.  I’m sure they will be fine.  I’m sure their teachers will be good, kind women.  Yet I cried all the way home.

This evening I went for a run.  I have started to run since coming home a month ago (with a week and a half break while I was too sick to breathe).  I need the exercise to fight all this stress.  After six months of sitting in a chair, my training is slow coming, but I’m sticking with it!  I need it.  While running, I thought  about how I like the feeling when I get in the rhythm and my feet seem to spring up as they hit the road.  Then I thought, I should be able to do this because my Dad was a runner and my brother was a runner.  I’m my Father’s daughter, I can do this.  Then I thought about my girls and signing them up for Theiss.  So much of my self-image is wrapped up in being their home schooling mom – and now that is gone.  Everything seems to be falling away.  Another huge chunk of my self-image was working with the youth, and I lost that at the beginning of the year.   Who am I?  What do I do anymore?   Then I thought that I am my Father in Heaven’s daughter and I have worth.  Based on my Parentage alone, I have worth.  I thought of Bella and how even if she never does anything more than just lay in that bed the rest of her life, she has worth.  I love that girl!  She is priceless.  So then I thought, I am my Father’s daughter and even if I’m not the “home schooling mom of the year” or Mother of the Year to any of my 6 babies, I have worth.  I am my Father’s daughter.  I am a child of God.  I don’t know what I’m going to learn this year, but I’m my Father’s daughter, I can do this.

Spotty

Today my Beta Fish, Spotty, died. He is buried under a plant. The evil cat killed it. I feel sad.

-Jessi

Recent Turpin Fun

One of my biggest objectives is to keep life as normal as possible for the other five little girls that live in this house.   Here are some of the fun things they have been up to.

Becca is in Iowa visiting Grandma and Grandpa Turpin.  She flew up there stand-by, which was quite an adventure, but the price was right!  :)  We hope she has a ton of fun!

Sammi, Jessi, and Lizzy went to Ana and Angelica’s 8th birthday party.  They had a wonderful tea party!

 

They keep busying playing with friends and swimming – a lot.