The price of a few minutes alone is having your four youngest children use a bottle of conditioner to turn the bathroom into a skating rink. 

Peter: It's mine.

Mom: You keep using that word. I do not think it means what you think it does.

Peter kept hitting me on the head with a bopper sword. After a few times I noticed before he did that he'd sing, "la,la,la,la,la,la,la,la..." and after he hit me he'd sink down. No more Awkward Avaidance Viking for that kid.

Nate and I were able to go out for the first time in a long time. It was wonderful.  While Nate was looking through the Olive Garden menu he observed, "this isn't really Italian food. It's American food and they've italicsized it."

"Mom, you have crossed the Rubicon. I just hope you haven't opened Pandora's box." Eliza loves doing history for home school. She begs for more everyday and gets sad when she finishes a unit, puts a sticker on her chart and realizes it will one day end.

Norah loves history too and runs over to listen when we start a lesson. She can answer the questions and last night, when we were at the Living Nativity, she got excited when she recognized the name Agustus Ceasar. 

Peter

Peter loves to play in the bathroom sink or use the toilet bowl cleaner or plunger on the toilet. We have to remember to close the bathroom doors so he doesn't make a mess. 

He also likes to brush his teeth and when he does he makes a buzzing sound to mimic our electric toothbrushes.

He likes to do preschool with Norah and can even recognize some letters and knows their sounds!

He's a fun guy and would love it if he could spend all day outside. 

He loves to talk. 

When he's tired he's not opposed to going to sleep, but is preferred method is still to nurse to sleep. He comes to me, tries to position himself and says, "milk, milk, nap." If I don't let him, he'll start lifting up my shirt and say, "off, off!" If I still don't let him, he'll bite me - which is one of the reasons why he's nursed so much longer than the rest of my kids. That and because he's my baby and my last. 

Saturday he will be two. I've been thinking about how he and I were buddies a year ago, living at the hospital, taking walks in the rain through the University District, visiting the fish tanks on the differently floors of the hospital,  playing on our mat floor, taking showers in the family bathroom.....what a time we had together!

This year Megan and Michael are going to Hanford High. So far, it has been a great experience. They have both been asked out on dates, Megan finally has a best friend, Michael has a group of friends, the atmosphere and learning standards are so much better, and they both were cast for parts in plays. Megan also auditioned and made it into choir.

Because the schools and general mentality of Richland are more in line with our family's standards, we had been looking at buying a house there or building one. It's been a lot of back and forth, but we have decided to stay here and make it work. We will have our kids go to Hanford and will likely home school for the earlier grades.

Emma and Merian are enjoying McLoughlin. Merian has every one of her classes with her friend Cannon and both girls auditioned and made it into jazz band.

Derek and Eliza are attending the brand new Rosilin Franklin STEM school. It's a little like science Disneyland and they are enjoying it, but I think the excitement is beginning to wear off.

I've been having preschool at home with Norah and Peter. Peter is beginning to recognize this letters and sounds. It's nice to have some time at home to do the mom things I'm supposed to. I love home school and I miss the kids, but life is much less stressful right now.