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BLOG IS MOVING

I decided to move our blog to http://toddandkristiecarlson.blogspot.com/
So go there for pics and blogs!

school

We had a lot of fun doing school today. In history they start out the first half of the year by going to every continent and learning about a few countries in each. Today we flew to Australia. We were all running around the room pretending to be in an airplane. They had worksheets of pictures of a suitcase that we colored and glued to a manila folder, and a passport that we put their pictures on. After we read a story and some info about Australia, they colored and cut out some animals that are found there, and I hid them around the living room. They went around finding the animals and taking pictures of them, which they then glued into their "suitcases". We also listened and sang to the song "Kookaburra" on the CD that came with the course. There's a song on it for every place we go, and a song to help them remember all the continents (8, right Allison??).

Katherine slept through the night again last night! However, she only sleeps through the night when she's snuggled up with me in my bed.

Yes, Allison I will post new pictures. But I'll have to do it tomorrow because I'm tired!

yea!

Katherine slept through the night last night! She slept from 1am-9am without making a peep!

I have really enjoyed having Ryan here--I feel like I've gotten to know him. He was only 13 when I left for college and I haven't really been around him much since then (except for the one summer I came home from college and was working 2 jobs and hated life so no one liked me then... we'll pretend that never happened). He's actually very nice! He is so sweet to Shannon, and always helps us out. We usually eat Sunday dinner together and play a couple ruthless games of "Settlers". Seeing Ryan and Shannon in college makes me SO grateful neither me or Todd are in school anymore (especially me!)! I was just thinking that I'm glad I've had a chance to get to know him better. Love ya, Beebafingerbeeguts:) hahaha

stuff

Me and the kids went to the Utah art museum to see a traveling art exhibit of famous painters like Monet, Van Gogh, Manet, Picasso, etc. with the boys' K12 school. We liked it. We're going to go back with Todd. When I was pulling out of the parking lot, though, I hit another car who was pulling out at the same time and my back tailgate got dented really bad and the back window shattered. It scared the boys, though they said they weren't scared they were just worried about our car being broken. No one was hurt, I'm really surprised that it did as much damage as it did. I'll post a picture of the car later. We had to drive from SLC without a back window to the Saturn place in Orem. The insurance got us a rental car. It was quite a long day!

I am doing home school with the boys this year. It's K12, a program through the public school where they give us the supplies and curriculum (at no charge to us!) but I teach them at home. We still have to mark attendance because it's public school even though it's at home. They have activities and get togethers for the kids to interact. So far me and the boys have really liked it. The curriculum is really great and I love teaching the boys. I am teaching them both first grade, and Nathan is doing just fine! Alex is reading really well so I do a different reading lesson with each of them, but everything else they do together. We took down the playhouse in the loft and made the loft our school. They both really love to learn-- it takes us about 4 hours to do everything and they don't complain, they just love to learn! Nathan's attention span has REALLY improved and he is doing really well with that. Not too long ago he couldn't sit for longer than 5 minutes before he was up running around pretending to blow stuff up. Alex has always had a really good attention span. I look forward to teaching them each day. The curriculum is fun. They have phonics (reading), handwriting, math, language arts (literature), art, history, science and spanish, but we haven't started the spanish yet because we are waiting on them to send us the microphone. We also do scripture study and then they memorize scriptures and they are on their 7th memorized scripture (that's not part of the curriculum though). They are so smart! I decided to do home school with them because  Nathan really wanted to go to school (he's not in school until next year) so I was getting a curriculum for him and told alex he could do home school if he wanted, he could choose. He chose to do home school this year, and next year I'll let the boys decide again. I really like having them home, too:). Yesterday we were eating lunch and laughing and I was so glad we were together. We also have a fun "recess" at the end of their lessons. When they finish their lessons, we go to Jumping Jacks, the pool, the Dino Museum, etc.

Right now Nathan is VERY interested (obessessed, really) with size. His standard of measurement is a T-REx, either the whole T-Rex, or its head, tail, tooth, toe, etc. Sometimes it's also a long-neck. He asks all day which is bigger, a T-Rex or a ___? Or, is this as big as 2 T-Rexes? etc. He asks these kinds of questions all day long (literally!) Especially now that we are doing school, they think about everything and ask questions about cute random things. They also will have discussions between the 2 of them, and will ask "what do you think about...?" The other day Alex asked nathan in the car, "Do you think Satan sent germs?"  The boys really love their baby sister. They hug her and kiss her and rub her head all the time, especially Nathan. They are really loving and sweet with her. They are also very patient. Today at the art museum the baby woke up right as we were going in, and she had to eat, and then we were going in again and then she pooped, and then she wanted to eat some more. We were joking that we'd never get to go in the museum and they were so patient. The other day Nathan was pretending that the baby's head was the moon or a planet and was blasting a pretend rocket off her head.

Baby Katherine (or Kate or Katie) has grown 1 inch and gained 2 pounds since her birth 4 weeks ago! I think she'll be a chunky baby like the boys were. She still sleeps almost the whole time, but when she is awake she's more alert and likes to look around. She hates her arms to be wrapped up in a blanket, she likes to be able to move them. And she hates to have any tiny bit of poop in her diaper. We literally change more than 10 diapers a day. At night she likes to have her pacifier (nathan calls a "sacrifier") and she likes to sleep on her side and she likes sleeping snuggled with me best. She usually wakes up about every 3  hours to eat at night. I'm still having fun putting dresses, bows and bracelets and pink, pink, pink on her! Everywhere we go people say what a cute little tiny newborn she is! She sleeps while we do home school, but if she is awake I just hold her while we do lessons (and then she falls asleep again).

I'm not doing daycare anymore---hallelujah! I quit when I was about 20 weeks or so pregnant. I really love just being a mom! I am much more appreciative of being a stay at home mom now. Todd is working still at Platinum, a security system sales company. He did a really cool program so they took all the programmers and their wives to Ruth's Chris Steakhouse in Salt Lake...yummy!! He still cooks and is an AMAZING cook, as usual. Our favorite recipe lately is a steak with a kind of sweet rub/glaze and plantains on top also in a sweet glaze. It's very very good. He brought eclairs to work and now he has a reputation. The boys like to visit him at work and he gives them a candy. He also brings them home a cool paper airplane every day when he comes home from work, a fun little tradition he started. Todd is already smitten with his daughter. He's going to spoil that little girl like crazy! He is a really great dad with all of the kids. Last night he told the boys a story he made up about "Sir Jupiter" when they were going to bed, and it was about 30 minutes long! They boys really really love to hear stories. Unfortunately, mom isn't very good at making up stories. Good thing they have dad!

meaning of Katherine Lily

We have a meaning for all of our kids' names. Richard Alexander is named after my dad and Todd (Richard Todd). Nathan John is named after John the Baptist. We decided to do Katherine Lily because here is the meaning behind "Lily":

Lily:

Purity & Royalty

The lily's scepter or trumpet shape makes it a symbol of royalty. Its white color indicates purity, innocence, hope, and virtue. The white lily, with its implications of purity, is linked to chastity. Sometimes the Child Jesus is portrayed handing a lily to one of these saints as if granting him or her the gift of chastity. To be "lily-like" is to be of a gentle demeanor and to love others with a pure love. To "gild a lily" is to waste time and energy trying to improve something which is already perfect.

The Lily of the Valley is one of the first flowers to bloom in the spring. Its fresh appearance after a long winter and its purity make it a symbol of both Christ and the Virgin Mary. Mary is thought to be Solomon's "lily among thorns," (Song 2:2). To both Jesus (who was the only male without sin) and Mary are attributed the words, "I am the rose of Sharon, and the lily of the valleys" (Song 2:1). In the second century A.D., Origen? declared that the lily represents the pure life of Christ and the valley symbolizes the sinful world He overcame.

As an emblem of purity, rebirth, and eternal life, lilies were used to decorate the pillars of Solomon's temple (1 Ki 7:19, 22). This flower is associated with the Resurrection because its bulb is buried in the ground like a human corpse, and yet from this apparent death a beautiful flower arises.

There are many other legends about the lily. The earliest is that the first lilies were born from Eve's beautiful tears of repentance as she left the Garden of Eden weeping over her transgressions. Others say they sprang from Christ's sweat of blood as He agonized in the Garden of Gethsemane (Lk 22:44). They are sometimes called the "white-robed apostles of hope."

Christ made the lily a symbol of what would be done for those who trust in divine providence when He said, "Consider the lilies, how they grow: they neither toil nor spin; and yet I say to you, even Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these. If then God so clothes the grass, which today is in the field and tomorrow is thrown into the oven, how much more will He clothe you, O you of little faith?" (Luke 12:27-28; see also Mt 6:28-29).

When Jesus is pictured holding a lily in His mouth, He is taking His place as Judge of the World. The lily in His mouth symbolizes His divine mercy and his perfect judgments. The lily was used as a symbol of perfection and beauty when God said of Israel, "I will heal their backsliding...I will be like the dew to Israel; he shall grow like the lily..." (Hosea 14:4-5). Because He is merciful, the aim of the Lord's judgments is the perfection of His people and not their destruction.

He is said to feed his flocks "among the lilies," meaning that the children of God find nourishment in the Church and in pure company, thoughts, or activities (Song 2:16). Snakes, a symbol of the devil are rumored to flee from the pure aroma of the lily. The Beloved's lips are described as "lilies, dripping liquid myrrh" because of the sweet aroma of the words of Christ (Song 5:13).

The Fleur-de-lis is a stylized triple lily signifying royalty, perfection, the Trinity, and the virtues of faith, hope, and charity. It was believed to have been given to King Clovis by an angel when he was baptized around 496 A.D. as a token of the gifts received in Christ. It is an attribute of kingly saints and the Queen of Heaven.

 

Royalty- child of God

I also happen to really love flowers

meaning of Katherine Lily

We decided to do Katherine Lily because here is the meaning behind "Lily":

Lily:

Purity & Royalty

The lily's scepter or trumpet shape makes it a symbol of royalty. Its white color indicates purity, innocence, hope, and virtue. The white lily, with its implications of purity, is linked to chastity. Sometimes the Child Jesus is portrayed handing a lily to one of these saints as if granting him or her the gift of chastity. To be "lily-like" is to be of a gentle demeanor and to love others with a pure love. To "gild a lily" is to waste time and energy trying to improve something which is already perfect.

The Lily of the Valley is one of the first flowers to bloom in the spring. Its fresh appearance after a long winter and its purity make it a symbol of both Christ and the Virgin Mary. Mary is thought to be Solomon's "lily among thorns," (Song 2:2). To both Jesus (who was the only male without sin) and Mary are attributed the words, "I am the rose of Sharon, and the lily of the valleys" (Song 2:1). In the second century A.D., Origen? declared that the lily represents the pure life of Christ and the valley symbolizes the sinful world He overcame.

As an emblem of purity, rebirth, and eternal life, lilies were used to decorate the pillars of Solomon's temple (1 Ki 7:19, 22). This flower is associated with the Resurrection because its bulb is buried in the ground like a human corpse, and yet from this apparent death a beautiful flower arises.

There are many other legends about the lily. The earliest is that the first lilies were born from Eve's beautiful tears of repentance as she left the Garden of Eden weeping over her transgressions. Others say they sprang from Christ's sweat of blood as He agonized in the Garden of Gethsemane (Lk 22:44). They are sometimes called the "white-robed apostles of hope."

Christ made the lily a symbol of what would be done for those who trust in divine providence when He said, "Consider the lilies, how they grow: they neither toil nor spin; and yet I say to you, even Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these. If then God so clothes the grass, which today is in the field and tomorrow is thrown into the oven, how much more will He clothe you, O you of little faith?" (Luke 12:27-28; see also Mt 6:28-29).

When Jesus is pictured holding a lily in His mouth, He is taking His place as Judge of the World. The lily in His mouth symbolizes His divine mercy and his perfect judgments. The lily was used as a symbol of perfection and beauty when God said of Israel, "I will heal their backsliding...I will be like the dew to Israel; he shall grow like the lily..." (Hosea 14:4-5). Because He is merciful, the aim of the Lord's judgments is the perfection of His people and not their destruction.

He is said to feed his flocks "among the lilies," meaning that the children of God find nourishment in the Church and in pure company, thoughts, or activities (Song 2:16). Snakes, a symbol of the devil are rumored to flee from the pure aroma of the lily. The Beloved's lips are described as "lilies, dripping liquid myrrh" because of the sweet aroma of the words of Christ (Song 5:13).

The Fleur-de-lis is a stylized triple lily signifying royalty, perfection, the Trinity, and the virtues of faith, hope, and charity. It was believed to have been given to King Clovis by an angel when he was baptized around 496 A.D. as a token of the gifts received in Christ. It is an attribute of kingly saints and the Queen of Heaven.

 

Royalty- child of God

I also happen to really love flowers

July 29

Baby Kate is a week old! I had to have my gall bladder out on Sat., and everything went smoothly. It's Tues. and me and Kate are sleeping about the same amount still:). Thank goodness Mom is here to take care of the boys! They are at the Dino Museum right now and they were so excited. Tonight Todd is going to have a cooking date with them, and nathan said he wanted to make peach cobbler. The boys love to give the baby kisses and hold her. She is still sleeping all the time, but when she wakes up for the 10 minutes a day, the boys run to her and show her puppets and toys and talk to her. She is a very very good baby. She hardly cries (she did learn how to cry) and sleeps all the time. It's so fun to have her with us. 

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