The Inceredible Spider Dash!

Liam thinks that when he wears super hero pajamas he is that super hero. For example, he has these really cute transformer Jammie's, and when he wears them he tells everyone he is "Optimus Prime". Well, the other day Liam decided to pick his own super hero Jammie's, and came out with these. When I asked him why they didn't match he told me that he wanted two super powers today. Apparently, web slinging and super speed is the perfect combination!

Pillow Heads and Boo-Boos

Bill and I had a bunch of errands to run yesterday, and we took the boys with us. Ezra fell asleep first, then Mo-Mo, and then Liam. The boys and I were sitting at the Car Insurance place while Bill ran in to pay the bill (tee-hee...Bill/bill) and Ezra was SNORING, louder than I've ever heard a kid snore, and it was really cute, but then it started to sound like he was going to die, so a lightly shook him until he stopped snoring. I then leaned back my chair and shut my eyes and then "ZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZ" he was snoring again. I decided to ignore it, but then I heard this huge gasping intake of air and Ezra sat straight up (I know, I know, he was already sitting straight up, but work with me here), smacked his lips twice, and said "I'm not sleepy Mommy." Ooooooookay....

Today Vanessa brought her gorgeous friend Natalie over to visit and she told me she thought I was beautiful! As you can see, she is the beautiful one, and she is so much more magnificent in person!

Today I was working on some mailers in the office When Mo-Mo came in with my cell phone, chucked on the floor and started screaming at me to pick him up (he doesn't talk yet, so really he was just crying). I sighed, upset to leave my work, but picked Mo up (he immediately stopped his crying) and walked into the living room just in time to see Ezra carrying the blade to my paper cutter, I screamed at him that it was dangerous, grabbed it and put it back in the "baby/child proof" protective case. I put Mo in his chair and started to prepare dinner, then I turned and looked at Mo and there was blood all over his highchair!!! I screamed and picked him up and tried to clean him up enough to see where the blood could possibly be coming from, then it hit me, the paper cutter blade! I cleaned off his fingers, and sure enough on his thumb and pointer finger he had cuts. I wondered why it just started bleeding then, until I looked at my sweater (of course it's the only one I have that's non-washable) and the right sleeve and the hood were covered in blood! My cell phone also was a little redder then normal. I couldn't tell how bad his fingers were because there was too much blood. I started to freak, and then I said out loud "Liam, I need help" Liam ran up to me and said "What can I do Mommy?" I thought for half a second and said "We need to pray!" Liam immediately dropped to his knees with his arms folded and his head bowed (what a cute and good boy!)and I quickly said a prayer that basically said "Help me be calm, help me to know what to do." Meanwhile, Mo doesn't even care, he just thinks the colorful stuff all over the place is pretty. I set him on the counter beside the kitchen knives (don't worry, nothing happened... but slightly ironic) and just applied pressure while I thought of what I could do. Then we went and found some bandaids and covered up his thumb, which was the worst of the two cuts, and then his other finger. The first thumb bandaid soaked through, so thinking back to my "Junior Forest Warden" days in Hinton, AB I just covered it with another bandaid (you're not supposed to remove the first cover when you're trying to stop bleeding), and then when that soaked through I put another bandaid on. It stopped bleeding, and it's not bad, mostly like a deep paper cut, but not deep enough to need stitches. I guess Mo just wanted to be like Liam and Ezra for a minute! He's now sleeping soundly, phewph! I hate it when my kids get hurt!

After Mo went to bed Liam and Ezra were running around like crazy, and Ezra thought it would be funny if pillows could be hats, so he decided to demonstrate his point. I think he was right!

My husband has always been slightly envious of his good friend Kevin's amazing web designing skills, so he decided to take an online course on website skills. One of his first homework assignments was to make this. It obviously needs to be spruced up a bit, but this was only is first assignment. His homework over the next few weeks will be to fix it up and make it beautiful.

I also started two new blogs, one for Liam's home schooling, and one for Ezra's. I'm super excited about them, because they will help us to stay on schedule, have fun, and take pictures!

Ezra's Valentine Party

Today we went to the LDSPHS (home school) Valentines Day Party, and Presidents Day Lesson at Veronica's house. It was so much fun and we had yummy pizza and cupcakes. This is our stash! (minus some of the candy which Mommy hid....)

Liam's Valentine Party

Today was the LDSPHS (home school) Presidents Day lesson and Valentine party. We almost didn't make it this week, but we're glad we did. The boys got sooooo many Valentines, and soooooo much candy! Veronica also made delicious cupcakes and ordered Domino's pizza! The lesson was on George Washington and Abraham Lincoln (because that's who's birthdays Presidents Day originally celebrated.)

After Liam's nap (he got up before his brothers) we learned about community workers on the internet, and then Liam played learning games on this site.

Pre-K State Standards: Ezra

Updated February 19, 2009.
How weird is it that I updated the boys standards posts exactly a year apart?
It looks like Ezra has passed all his standards, now we just need to work on refining everything!

Today we are going to post about the Nevada State Standards. Every state has it's own "standards" that your kids should have down before they reach kindergarden level. I read another womans blog where she posted the standards, and she made all the ones her kids could do black, and all the ones they were working on red, so I'm going to do the same thing, except I'm going to instead leave the ones we don't know the normal text color, and do the ones we do know green.

Pre-K Standards

Language and Early Literacy

Reading
Recognize some environmental print and symbols.
Identify some letters in own name.
Identify the initial sound of own name.
Demonstrate an awareness that print carries a message.
Use pictures to aid comprehension.
Ask questions or make comments pertinent to the story being read.
Identify the front of the book and know how to turn the pages when reading.
Retell a story with the aid of pictures, props, or a book.Predict what will happen next in a story and respond.
Listen and respond to stories from different cultures and eras.
Listen and respond to rhythm or rhyme.
Listen and respond to age-appropriate material for a variety of purposes.
Listen and respond to poetry and prose.
Demonstrate an understanding that printed material provides information.
Recall information from an event, text, or picture.
Respond to or ask a question about an event, text, or picture. Follow, with teacher assistance, a simple pictorial direction.

Writing
Experiment with writing tools and materials in response to information.
Experiment with writing tools and materials to communicate.
Experiment with writing tools and materials in response to a familiar experience.
Experiment with writing tools and materials in response to literature.
Share ideas for class writing.
Organize ideas, through group discussion, with teacher assistance.
Dictate words, phrases, or sentences to an adult recording on paper.
Share drawings with others.
Attempt, with a model, to write the first letter of first name.
Attempt to spell own first name.
Use letter-like approximation to write name and/or other words or ideas.
Demonstrate beginning techniques for using various writing materials.
Trace and progress to copying basic shapes (e.g. horizontal line, vertical line, X, plus sign, circle, etc.).

Listening and Speaking
Listen for a variety of purposes.
Listen and respond appropriately to stories and group discussions.
Listen to and follow a two-step oral direction.
Listen with increasing attention span.
Use and expand vocabulary.
Speak with increasing clarity, ease, and accuracy.
Initiate conversation and respond to others.
Use language to repeat simple stories, songs or rhymes, or to relate experiences.
Give a clear direction.
Speak in complete sentences, using at least three words.
Engage in conversation and sometimes follow conversational rules.
Ask and answer simple questions.
Share ideas and information from personal and shared-group experiences.
Engage in dramatic play to convey experiences, feelings, ideas, or stories.

Research
Identify and explore an area of interest.
Use, with teacher assistance, a variety of sources to obtain information.

Math

Numbers, Number Sense, and Computation
Use concrete objects to combine and separate groups up to 5.
Count to 10.
Recognize and read numerals 0-5.
Estimate the number of objects in a set to 5 and verify by counting.
Match the number of objects to the correct numeral 0-5.

Patterns, Functions, and Algebra
Sort objects by similar attributes (e.g., size, shape, and color).
Recognize and replicate simple patterns (e.g. ABAB).
Compare sets of objects.
Determine which set has more or less.

Measurement
Compare objects by size to determine smaller and larger.
Sort pennies and nickels.
Identify day and night.

Spatial Relationships and Geometry
Identify circles, triangles, and squares.
Identify positions (e.g., in front, behind, next to, up, down, inside, outside, on top).

Data Analysis
Identify and sort data (e.g., interpret quantity in pictures)

Social Studies

Social-Emotional Development
Make independent choices from diverse interest centers or activities.
Select materials to use in order to express individuality.
Express ideas for activities, initiate and participate in discussions with teachers or peers.
Acknowledge actions and accomplishments verbally and nonverbally.
Re-engage in a task or activity after experiencing disappointment, frustration, or failure.
Separate easily from parent(s)/ caregiver(s)/ significant adult(s).
Move through routines and activities with minimal adult/ teacher direction.
Demonstrate self-help skills (e.g., put blocks away, pour juice, use soap when washing hands).
Use toys and materials with care.
Clean up or put away toys and materials when finished.
Identify a range of feelings (e.g. sadness, anger, fear, and happiness).
Express feelings, needs, or wants in appropriate ways.
Demonstrate awareness of feelings of others (e.g., gets blanket for friend and comforts him/her when he/she feels sad).
Demonstrate appropriate affection for teachers and friends.
Express common courtesy to others (e.g. saying “thank you,” “please,” and “excuse me,” or passing a plate of cookies).
Respect rights and belongings of others (e.g. “It is my turn to use the bike but you can have the bike when I am finished.”)
Demonstrate problem-solving skills (e.g. ask for help from an adult, talk about problems, talk about feelings relating to problems, and negotiate solutions).
Be able to say and respond to first and last name.
Be able to say parent or caregiver’s name.
Play independently.
Play in pairs and small groups.
Engage in dramatic play.
Initiate play, or enter into play with a group of children already playing.
Participate in cooperative groups to complete a task.
Take turns with teacher support.
Share some of the time.
Attend to a task for at least 10 minutes.
Move on to next activity without exhibiting signs of stress.
Use verbal and non-verbal conversation skills (e.g., listening, letting a person finish speaking before taking a turn, staying with one topic, maintaining eye contact, etc.).
Demonstrate ability to delay gratification to complete a larger task.

Civics
Follow classroom rules.
Participate in group decision making.

Economics
Decide between two choices.
Demonstrate understanding that money is exchanged for goods and/or services.
Demonstrate the role of consumers through dramatic play.

Geography
Share information about their family practices, customs and culture.
Be exposed to diverse family practices, customs and culture.
Identify familiar weather conditions (e.g., rain, sunshine, snow, fog).
Identify direction and location (e.g., up/down; above/below).

Science

Physical Science
Explore and demonstrate how objects move.
Investigate how objects react when placed in water.
Sort objects according to observable properties (e.g. by shape and color).
Identify hot and cold.

Life Science
Identify humans, animals, and plants.
Use the five senses to explore and investigate the natural world.
Identify the basic need for air, water and food.
Investigate animals and their offspring.
Explore and identify a variety of animals and plants.

Earth and Space Sciences
Observe and identify weather from day to day.

Environmental Sciences
Identify animals and their homes.

Scientific Inquiry: Processes and Skills
Observe their world.
Ask questions about their world.
Share ideas with others.

Creative Arts

Creative Thinking
Use a variety of approaches to solving problems in math, science and other cognitive areas.
Use a variety of approaches to solving interpersonal problems in the classroom.
Adapt environment or abilities to reach a motor challenge such as climbing or reaching an object.
Select progressively more challenging tasks.
Demonstrate ability to delay gratification to complete a larger task.
Express satisfaction when accomplishing a task and achieving a goal.
Demonstrate persistence by trying again when faced with challenges.
Combine objects in a variety of ways.
Categorize experiences, people and ideas in a variety of ways.
Create stories and scenarios by combining experiences and ideas.

Music and Movement
Make a variety of sounds with their voices.
Create and sing chants.
Approximate pitch and increase singing range.
Recognize and select a variety of simple songs, finger plays, musical games, and musical activities alone and with others.
Select and recognize a variety of songs from diverse cultures.
Play and identify a variety of musical instruments.
Participate in a rhythm instrument band.
Accompany simple music with rhythm instruments or clapping.
Improvise simple songs and rhythmic patterns using voice, body or instrument.
Take familiar songs and change words, feelings, voice or dynamics.
Identify simple elements of music such as loud/soft and fast/slow.
Demonstrate a preference in music.
Demonstrate math and language skills while participating in music.
Move in a variety of ways to music.
Move with and without music using a variety of props such as scarves, balloons, hoops, etc.
Respond to changes in tempo.

Dramatic Play
Act out a role observed in his/her life experiences, for instance, mother, baby, doctor.
Make up new roles, for instance, from experience and familiar stories.
Direct peers and/or follow directions from peers in creating dramatic play schemes.
Act out roles that involve another child(ren) in a related role, for instance, mother and baby, grocer and shopper.
Use available materials as either realistic or symbolic props as part of dramatic play.
Use dress-up clothes or costumes and other props in dramatic play.
Discriminate among persons, animals, and objects by identifying characteristics (e.g., the sounds animals make).
Imitate roles observed in child’s life experiences.
Assume the role of a familiar person or thing and talk in the language/tone appropriate for that person or thing.
Differentiate between pretend and real.
Use music, movement, and visual arts in dramatic play.
Use language arts, math, science, and other disciplines in dramatic play (e.g., finger plays, counting, grocery store, life cycles).

Visual Arts
Use a variety of media, techniques, and processes in art activities that are of the child’s creation without a model.
Identify color, shape, and texture through art experiences.
Recognize various art forms (e.g., photographs, statues, paintings, and drawings).
Create works that express or represent experiences, ideas, feelings, and fantasy using various media.
Create a work of art that expands on an experience, such as after a field trip, or as part of a cultural event.
Recognize their own and others’ art work.
Demonstrate respect for the art work of others.
Describe or respond to their own creative work or the creative work of others.
Use visual arts as a means to express their feelings, thoughts, knowledge and skills in content areas such as language arts, science, and math.
Use visual arts in dramatic play, music, and movement activities.

Physical Development
Identify the basic vocabulary of simple movement patterns (e.g., walk, run, jump, hop, climb, etc.).
Demonstrate a basic form in walking, running, climbing, jumping, hopping and walking up and down stairs.
Perform a variety of large motor skills (e.g., throw a ball in purposeful direction, attempt to catch a large ball).
Balance on one foot for at least 5 seconds.
Demonstrate locomotor movements such as up, down, forward, and backward.
Demonstrate the ability to follow basic movements (e.g., over, under, in, out, in between).
Engage in daily moderate to vigorous physical activity.
Participate appropriately during physical activities.
Demonstrate turn taking and cooperation during physical activities.
Interact positively with others regardless of personal differences (e.g., skill level, gender, race, and disability).
Participate in multi-cultural activities that enhance physical development (e.g. dance, games, and activities).
Demonstrate skills in eye-hand coordination. (i.e. stacking, lacing, stringing beads, reproducing basic patterns, complete 6 piece puzzle, Legos, peg-boards)
Demonstrate the muscle strength, dexterity, and control needed to manipulate items (e.g. scissors, writing utensils, paint brushes, play dough, buttons/snaps, etc.).
Use fingered or tripod grasp with drawing, painting or writing instruments.

Health

Demonstrate personal hygiene skills (e.g., hand washing, independent toileting, etc.).
Identify basic anatomy (e.g., eyes, nose, arms, legs etc.).
Identify healthy foods.
Identify some safety rules (e.g., fire safety, traffic/pedestrian safety, dangerous objects/substances/activities, etc.).
Demonstrate basic disease prevention skills (e.g., cover mouth/nose when sneezing/coughing, hand washing, etc.).
Recognize community health and safety helpers (e.g. police, firefighters, doctors).
Identify the basic need for air, water, and food.
Identify and express basic feelings (e.g., happy, sad, angry, frightened, etc.).
Identify potential hazards at home, school, and community.
Seek adult assistance when injured and/or ill.

Pre-K State Standards: Liam

Updated February 19, 2009. Liam has passed all the standards off now and is working on kindergarten skills.

Today we are going to post about the Nevada State Standards. Every state has it's own "standards" that your kids should have down before they reach kindergarten level. I read another woman's blog where she posted the standards, and she made all the ones her kids could do black, and all the ones they were working on red, so I'm going to do the same thing, except I'm going to instead leave the ones we don't know the normal text color, and do the ones we do know purple.

Pre-K Standards

Language and Early Literacy

Reading
Recognize some environmental print and symbols.
Identify some letters in own name.
Identify the initial sound of own name.
Demonstrate an awareness that print carries a message.
Use pictures to aid comprehension.
Ask questions or make comments pertinent to the story being read.
Identify the front of the book and know how to turn the pages when reading.
Retell a story with the aid of pictures, props, or a book.
Predict what will happen next in a story and respond.
Listen and respond to stories from different cultures and eras.
Listen and respond to rhythm or rhyme.
Listen and respond to age-appropriate material for a variety of purposes.
Listen and respond to poetry and prose.
Demonstrate an understanding that printed material provides information.
Recall information from an event, text, or picture.
Respond to or ask a question about an event, text, or picture.
Follow, with teacher assistance, a simple pictorial direction.

Writing

Experiment with writing tools and materials in response to information.
Experiment with writing tools and materials to communicate.
Experiment with writing tools and materials in response to a familiar experience.
Experiment with writing tools and materials in response to literature.
Share ideas for class writing.
Organize ideas, through group discussion, with teacher assistance.
Dictate words, phrases, or sentences to an adult recording on paper.
Share drawings with others.
Attempt, with a model, to write the first letter of first name.
Attempt to spell own first name.
Use letter-like approximation to write name and/or other words or ideas.
Demonstrate beginning techniques for using various writing materials.
Trace and progress to copying basic shapes (e.g. horizontal line, vertical line, X, plus sign, circle, etc.).

Listening and Speaking

Listen for a variety of purposes.
Listen and respond appropriately to stories and group discussions.
Listen to and follow a two-step oral direction.
Listen with increasing attention span.

Use and expand vocabulary.
Speak with increasing clarity, ease, and accuracy.
Initiate conversation and respond to others.
Use language to repeat simple stories, songs or rhymes, or to relate experiences.
Give a clear direction.
Speak in complete sentences, using at least three words.
Engage in conversation and sometimes follow conversational rules.
Ask and answer simple questions.
Share ideas and information from personal and shared-group experiences.
Engage in dramatic play to convey experiences, feelings, ideas, or stories.

Research
Identify and explore an area of interest.
Use, with teacher assistance, a variety of sources to obtain information.

Math

Numbers, Number Sense, and Computation
Use concrete objects to combine and separate groups up to 5.
Count to 10.
Recognize and read numerals 0-5.
Estimate the number of objects in a set to 5 and verify by counting.
Match the number of objects to the correct numeral 0-5.

Patterns, Functions, and Algebra
Sort objects by similar attributes (e.g., size, shape, and color).
Recognize and replicate simple patterns (e.g. ABAB).
Compare sets of objects. Determine which set has more or less.

Measurement
Compare objects by size to determine smaller and larger.
Sort pennies and nickels.
Identify day and night.

Spatial Relationships and Geometry
Identify circles, triangles, and squares.
Identify positions (e.g., in front, behind, next to, up, down, inside, outside, on top).

Data Analysis
Identify and sort data (e.g., interpret quantity in pictures)

Social Studies

Social-Emotional Development
Make independent choices from diverse interest centers or activities.
Select materials to use in order to express individuality.
Express ideas for activities, initiate and participate in discussions with teachers or peers.
Acknowledge actions and accomplishments verbally and non verbally.
Re-engage in a task or activity after experiencing disappointment, frustration, or failure.
Separate easily from parent(s)/ caregiver(s)/ significant adult(s).
Move through routines and activities with minimal adult/ teacher direction.
Demonstrate self-help skills (e.g., put blocks away, pour juice, use soap when washing hands).
Use toys and materials with care.
Clean up or put away toys and materials when finished.

Identify a range of feelings (e.g. sadness, anger, fear, and happiness).
Express feelings, needs, or wants in appropriate ways.
Demonstrate awareness of feelings of others (e.g., gets blanket for friend and comforts him/her when he/she feels sad).
Demonstrate appropriate affection for teachers and friends.
Express common courtesy to others (e.g. saying “thank you,” “please,” and “excuse me,” or passing a plate of cookies).
Respect rights and belongings of others (e.g. “It is my turn to use the bike but you can have the bike when I am finished.”)
Demonstrate problem-solving skills (e.g. ask for help from an adult, talk about problems, talk about feelings relating to problems, and negotiate solutions).
Be able to say and respond to first and last name.
Be able to say parent or caregiver’s name.
Play independently.
Play in pairs and small groups.
Engage in dramatic play.
Initiate play, or enter into play with a group of children already playing.
Participate in cooperative groups to complete a task.
Take turns with teacher support.
Share some of the time.
Attend to a task for at least 10 minutes.
Move on to next activity without exhibiting signs of stress.
Use verbal and non-verbal conversation skills (e.g., listening, letting a person finish speaking before taking a turn, staying with one topic, maintaining eye contact, etc.).
Demonstrate ability to delay gratification to complete a larger task.

Civics
Follow classroom rules.
Participate in group decision making.

Economics
Decide between two choices.

Demonstrate understanding that money is exchanged for goods and/or services.

Demonstrate the role of consumers through dramatic play.

Geography
Share information about their family practices, customs and culture.
Be exposed to diverse family practices, customs and culture.

Identify familiar weather conditions (e.g., rain, sunshine, snow, fog).

Identify direction and location (e.g., up/down; above/below).

Science

Physical Science
Explore and demonstrate how objects move.
Investigate how objects react when placed in water.
Sort objects according to observable properties (e.g. by shape and color).
Identify hot and cold.

Life Science
Identify humans, animals, and plants.
Use the five senses to explore and investigate the natural world.
Identify the basic need for air, water and food.
Investigate animals and their offspring.
Explore and identify a variety of animals and plants.

Earth and Space Sciences
Observe and identify weather from day to day.

Environmental Sciences
Identify animals and their homes.

Scientific Inquiry: Processes and Skills
Observe their world.
Ask questions about their world.
Share ideas with others.

Creative Arts

Creative Thinking
Use a variety of approaches to solving problems in math, science and other cognitive areas.
Use a variety of approaches to solving interpersonal problems in the classroom
Adapt environment or abilities to reach a motor challenge such as climbing or reaching an object.
Select progressively more challenging tasks.
Demonstrate ability to delay gratification to complete a larger task.
Express satisfaction when accomplishing a task and achieving a goal.
Demonstrate persistence by trying again when faced with challenges.
Combine objects in a variety of ways.
Categorize experiences, people and ideas in a variety of ways.
Create stories and scenarios by combining experiences and ideas.

Music and Movement
Make a variety of sounds with their voices.
Create and sing chants.
Approximate pitch and increase singing range.
Recognize and select a variety of simple songs, finger plays, musical games, and musical activities alone and with others.
Select and recognize a variety of songs from diverse cultures.
Play and identify a variety of musical instruments.
Participate in a rhythm instrument band.
Accompany simple music with rhythm instruments or clapping.
Improvise simple songs and rhythmic patterns using voice, body or instrument.
Take familiar songs and change words, feelings, voice or dynamics.
Identify simple elements of music such as loud/soft and fast/slow.
Demonstrate a preference in music.
Demonstrate math and language skills while participating in music.
Move in a variety of ways to music.
Move with and without music using a variety of props such as scarves, balloons, hoops, etc.
Respond to changes in tempo.

Dramatic Play
Act out a role observed in his/her life experiences, for instance, mother, baby, doctor.
Make up new roles, for instance, from experience and familiar stories.
Direct peers and/or follow directions from peers in creating dramatic play schemes.
Act out roles that involve another child(ren) in a related role, for instance, mother and baby, grocer and shopper.
Use available materials as either realistic or symbolic props as part of dramatic play.
Use dress-up clothes or costumes and other props in dramatic play.
Discriminate among persons, animals, and objects by identifying characteristics (e.g., the sounds animals make).
Imitate roles observed in child’s life experiences.
Assume the role of a familiar person or thing and talk in the language/tone appropriate for that person or thing.
Differentiate between pretend and real.
Use music, movement, and visual arts in dramatic play.
Use language arts, math, science, and other disciplines in dramatic play (e.g., finger plays, counting, grocery store, life cycles).

Visual Arts
Use a variety of media, techniques, and processes in art activities that are of the child’s creation without a model.
Identify color, shape, and texture through art experiences.
Recognize various art forms (e.g., photographs, statues, paintings, and drawings).
Create works that express or represent experiences, ideas, feelings, and fantasy using various media.
Create a work of art that expands on an experience, such as after a field trip, or as part of a cultural event.
Recognize their own and others’ art work.
Demonstrate respect for the art work of others.
Describe or respond to their own creative work or the creative work of others.
Use visual arts as a means to express their feelings, thoughts, knowledge and skills in content areas such as language arts, science, and math.
Use visual arts in dramatic play, music, and movement activities.

Physical Development

Identify the basic vocabulary of simple movement patterns (e.g., walk, run, jump, hop, climb, etc.).
Demonstrate a basic form in walking, running, climbing, jumping, hopping and walking up and down stairs.
Perform a variety of large motor skills (e.g., throw a ball in purposeful direction, attempt to catch a large ball).
Balance on one foot for at least 5 seconds.
Demonstrate locomotive movements such as up, down, forward, and backward.
Demonstrate the ability to follow basic movements (e.g., over, under, in, out, in between).
Engage in daily moderate to vigorous physical activity.
Participate appropriately during physical activities.
Demonstrate turn taking and cooperation during physical activities.
Interact positively with others regardless of personal differences (e.g., skill level, gender, race, and disability).
Participate in multi-cultural activities that enhance physical development (e.g. dance, games, and activities).
Demonstrate skills in eye-hand coordination. (i.e. stacking, lacing, stringing beads, reproducing basic patterns, complete 6 piece puzzle, Legos, peg-boards)
Demonstrate the muscle strength, dexterity, and control needed to manipulate items (e.g. scissors, writing utensils, paint brushes, play dough, buttons/snaps, etc.).
Use fingered or tripod grasp with drawing, painting or writing instruments.

Health

Demonstrate personal hygiene skills (e.g., hand washing, independent toileting, etc.).
Identify basic anatomy (e.g., eyes, nose, arms, legs etc.).
Identify healthy foods.
Identify some safety rules (e.g., fire safety, traffic/pedestrian safety, dangerous objects/substances/activities, etc.).
Demonstrate basic disease prevention skills (e.g., cover mouth/nose when sneezing/coughing, hand washing, etc.).
Recognize community health and safety helpers (e.g. police, firefighters, doctors).
Identify the basic need for air, water, and food.
Identify and express basic feelings (e.g., happy, sad, angry, frightened, etc.).
Identify potential hazards at home, school, and community.
Seek adult assistance when injured and/or ill.

Late Date

Bill and I did our "Valentines Day Date" tonight and we had a blast, even though we didn't even leave the house until 5:30 (When you have to drive over an hour to get to where you're going that's late.) We just got home, it's now 1:30 am. We had a buffet for dinner at the Sun Coast, which was a very decent buffet, for an incredibly decent price! (Gotta love that). Then we drove over to Red Rock, which was only about 3 minutes away, and we went to the movie theater. After the movie I got a picture with Walley, which is totally going to be the cutest movie ever, because I LOVE Pixar movies, honestly... who doesn't.
Thanks for an AWESOME night honey. (Marion watched the boys so we got to go out all alone... oooooooh!)

Guitar Hero

At a party last year the hosts teenage son entertained the younger kids with Guitar Hero 2. Jake, Vanessa, Bill, and I all got a chance to try it out though, and I fell instantly in love. I really wanted it, and put it on my Christmas list, and then a couple of days before Christmas it arrived from my birth Mom, Arlene. Thankyou so much, we love it. We entertain our guests with it, and we also take it with us to parties.

The funny thing is, I play it more than anyone else but we don't have any pictures of me playing it (I guess that's what I get for being a "picture taking hog".) Here my Dad is giving it a go on his "Bryan Adams Visit". If he had more time I think he could be a pro!

My hubby is great at it, but I don't think he loves it quite as much as me... maybe that's just cause I can kick his butt. LOL, just kidding honey, wink wink.

Yo Gabba Gabba

So there's this new tv show here in the States called Yo Gabba Gabba, it's totally sweeping the nation and the kids seem to love it whenever it's on. I think it's mostly a dancing show, but there's other things too. For example: There's a party in my tummy. It's this song that they sing, and it's incredibly catchy and a great way to convince our kids to eat their food. The episodes kind of suck you in, and at the end of them you realized you just waisted a half hour of your day sucked into parties in your tummy, and the "I'm so I'm so Sorry" song. But be careful, if you try it, you might like it! They also get famous people to come in and dance and do "cool tricks", it's hillarious and slightly embarrasing. Check out Elijah Wood.

Anyways, this crazy show was founded by one of our friends kids. When Yo Gabba Gabba first came out she told us that she made the hats for the movie, so we watched thinking we'd see hats, but the only one who wears a hat is DJ Lance Rock, so I was confused. Anyways, a couple months later Bill and I went over to this friends house to pick up our food storage and we saw her bumper sticker that said "Yo Gabba Gramma" and thought that was cute. When we went in we mentioned that our boys watch it and she said "Which character is your favorite" and we said "Brobee". She dissapeared for a couple minutes and her husband told us about the time he was at a football game and he heard one of the coaches singing a yo gabba gabba song to his team. When she came back she had this cute hat, and it all made sence. Thanks Sister Whiton, for the cool Brobee hat!

This picture was taken the same day as the hat pictures. I just thought he was so cute.

Hot Water At Last!!!!

Our long month of February started with a broken water line, which my hubby did his best to fix. After the horror of having no water for a whole day we found we had to replace our water heater as well, as it was old, and leaking. We ordered a new one here, and unfortunatly the woman we ordered it from fell ill, and was hospitalized for a week, leaving us with a big delema. Finally it arrived and we started the installation prossess. Long story very short: we didn't have hot water for 4 days! Well, before this new hot water heater was installed our showers could be about 5 minutes long before we ran out of hot water. This morning I climbed into the shower and I didn't have to turn the hot water up once! I shampooed twice. I conditioned twice. I washed my body twice. And when I got out there was still hot water coming out of the tap!!!!!!!

Happy V-alien-tines Day!!

Today I woke up to a pleasant suprise. Bill, my hubby remembered Valentines Day and got me a very pretty pink rose, and lovely card. The boys made their first Valentines Day cards ever (with a little help from yours truly). Ezra loves Nemo (it's his favorite) so we made fish, and Liam loved the aliens, so we made aliens. We got the patterns off line, but they were fun.

The picture of Bill and I was on our "not a date" to the Grand Canyon, where we fell in like, and then in love within a 24 hour period. This is my favorite picture of us, although there is someone out there who doesn't like this picture (I won't say who, but she knows who she is... wink wink).

Thankyou Hunny for the beautiful flower, and the list of wonderful things about me (who doesn't like flattery anyway?). You are an awesome daddy, and a perfect husband. I love you!!!

Happy Birthday Ezra!!!

I can't believe our little Ezra is 3 years old today! How time flies.

Ezra was so excited to have a birthday party this year. I asked him what kind of cake he wanted and he excitedly told me "A spider cake!" After a lot of thought I finally came up with this cake, and thought it turned out alright. Ezra told me it was scary after I put the eyes on (no mouth at that point), so I asked him "Do you think he needs a smile?" Ezra said yes, so I put a smile on, and then he was happy. (Both Ezra and the Spider!)

Ezra got sooooo many presents, including a toy tool set with a working drill (from Nana, Papa, and Cheyanne), a T.M.X Elmo (eXtra specail edition, from Grandma Marion), Thomas Trains, a Pirates of the Carribean Treasure Chest (from Vanessa), stickers, a fire truck flashlight and much more.

Mosiah was VERY happy with the meal (Tortalini) and made the BIGGEST mess he has ever constructed. I love his smile in this picture.

Bryan Adams Concert

My Dad came down from Canada to go to a Bryan Adams concert with me (Thanks Mom and Dad for the ticket!) on Saturday night at the Hard Rock Hotel and Cafe. I've been to plenty of Bryan Adams concerts, and I've had a blast at all of them, this one was no exception. At my second Bryan Adams concert Bryan announced that he needed a girl from the audience to sing "When You're Gone" with him. I was on the front row and I yelled and screamed for him to "Pick ME!" He looked right at me and said "Do you know the words?" I totally did, but I hesitated, and then he picked the girl behind me and when she didn't know the lyrics he gave them to her on a sheet of paper! I was so bummed out, but only for a moment, and then I had a blast anyways.
The next concert I went to was after I was married, and had Liam. Liam, Bill, my parents and I all went to an outdoor concert in AZ, and Bryan again asked the crowd for a girl to sing with him. My Dad was not going to let me miss out again, so he (and some incredibly strong drunk lady) threw me up on stage. I went nuts and hugged Bryan and probably babbled about how much I loved his music, or maybe him and before I knew it there were securtiy guards escorting me off stage. When the crowd started to boo Bryan said "What... do you want to give her a chance???" The crowd went nuts so they let me go back on stage and I got to sing with Bryan Adams!!!!!
This did not happen at the concert I went to on Saturday night, but it was still a tonne of fun!
In the picture of the two hands, it is my hand and my Dad's concert stamps. We thought it was strange that they said Bowie at a Bryan Adams concert!

The two pictures of Bryan and I were taken by a local AZ magazine photographer.

It's Tax Time!

Bill spent some time today struggling over our complicated tax year. When Ezra asked Daddy "What are you doing?", Bill told him "I'm trying to figure out where to calculate a Section 1256." This is the first year Bill has ever had to deal with a Section 1256, and he seemed deep in thought when he said it out loud to my two year old. Ezra told Daddy "Don't worry, I'll call and ask someone." Then he promptly put his banana to his ear and babbled some jibberish about penguins and hippopotomuses.

Long Lost Twins?

I think this picture speaks for itself... obviously I am part bear. (If you don't believe me just ask my hubby what I'm like in the mornings!

Like Radelle, I find myself innocently Guilty

Okay, my cousin Radelle did this really cute post on blog stalking, and you can check it out right here. I think I posted a comment with stalker mis-spelled as stocker, but don't mock me to bad, although, for some reason when it's spelled like that it makes me think of dirty sweat socks, and panty hose... um.... tmi. (to much information)
But, anyways... I just wanted to tell you all that I am a total blog stalker. I have a favorite blog that I stalk daily, it's this adorable girl who has to live in Utah, and she is so honest, and freaking hillarious, that I crack up every time I read it but on the odd chance that I'm not cracking up, I'm bawling, because she is also very spiritual, and she is due to have her baby any day. She also posts random recipes, like for example, the lettuce wraps from PF Changs, um... yummy! Anyways, I talk to my husband about her sometimes, and he's like "Who is this?" and I'm all.... "Oh, Jessie, you know... Jessie?" So Bill says "*cough*" and I roll my eyes at him and say "Yooooooouu knooooooooow, the girl with the cute blooooooooooooog?" Then he rolls his eyes and says "Ooooooh, of cooooooarse, how could I not know J-J-Jayme, or was it J-J-Jackie...!" Then I return the on going eye rolls, have a good laugh at myself and tell Vanessa about it instead. (I love you Vanessa!) I am so bad with stalking this girl, that I actually posted her link in my "friends" list so that I don't have to click through my friends links to find her anymore! Okay, now I'm sounding creepy!
Anyways, I'd love to know if I have any stalkers, but if I don't, I'm not going to cry or anything... well maybe a little. So, if you're my blog stalker, let me know! And maybe I can check out your blog too!?!
I would also like to un-creepify myself, by telling you that I am not the only one stalking this girl. On average she gets 69 hits on her blog a day. I get like 16! In a month she gets over 400, I think I only have like 600 total, so obviously I'm not on the same level as Jessie, but I still love blogging, and I'll keep right on keepin' on for all you faithful readers... even if it is just my Mom and her cute friends at work who stalk me (I love you Mom!)