The best part of MY day

What is the best part of my day?

Is it waking up and feeling Jason's arm draped over my waist. That is a great feeling.

Maybe a morning house full of noise. Commotion, Arguing, Laughter.

Have a great day kisses as they run out the door.

Is it riding bikes to school with Clara. Giggling and having "our" special time.

Is it walking into the house with all the dishes done. 

Drinking that perfect diet coke with great ice.

When the house is empty and it is just me and my thoughts of what to do.... or not do.

I love the part of the day when I can just feel that the kids are almost home. That last few moments of quiet before they burst into the house.

Is it watching one child get to play in the game that they have been working so hard at, and do really well.

The moment of the day when 5 kids need 5 different things. 

Sitting around the dinner table.

Or is it when I pour warm water over the little ones heads watching the shampoo bubbles fall down their backs.

Is it reading one of those books, that I probably have memorized by now. Knowing that I read that book as a child and loved it as much as they do.  Or waiting patiently as a child struggles over a word to sound it out as they read to me. 

Is it walking past a bedroom door ay bedtime and seeing Jason on his knees having a tender moment with one of the kids.

Every night being hugged goodnight by that wiry teenager that would never let his friends know that he loves the hug from me right back.

Or the moment when it is quiet again, all the kids in bed, with Jason's arm around my waist knowing that I get to have the best part of my day again tomorrow!

Art Mom

I am "ART MOM!" Yes you heard right. Me, the non creative who knows nothing about art. But since I sign up for everything... I decided to try something new this time. My class is 18 2nd graders. Today was my 1st art Mom day. I choose Chagall. A Russian 20th century artist. He has done several "dream" paintings. I got the kids talking about all the different kids of dreams that we have. How a flying purple horse and a funny lady with feather hat and a blue face serving rainbow ice cream upside down is your imagination working while you are asleep. We made those dreams come to life on paper today. It was so fun to see their little 7 and 8 year old minds work as they put together their very own masterpieces. I was so proud of them. Here are a few of the kids art work.
Best moment was when I heard Isaac say "yup that's my Mom, she is Art Mom" (is that like a super hero?)

What will we do next week?
Mrs. Slatter-Art Mom aka superhero My little Picasso at work!

This one is Isaac's dream

Bikes

Tonight on our family Sunday evening bike ride to the park, I could not help but think how much I love riding a bike.

We have started a fun tradition of getting the kids out for just a minute and riding around the neighborhood. The cool breeze against my face as we ride through the neighborhood, the sound of Clara spinning her training wheels is like music to my ears.

As we ride down the street, we each take turns trying to ride the longest with out holding onto our handlebars.

Most of my childhood memories revolve around a bike. Me and each of my friends had one. Mine was a hand me down from my sister Jennifer. Green with a banana seat. We rode all over the place. One summer we made a "cool" bike trail through the empty lot on the corner. It has hills and jumps. I think we went around it a thousand time.

In my neighborhood were the house at the top of the hill, so after a long day out with friends I remember peddling up the hill back home. I would get speed up, by driving up neighbors driveways and then coasting down to gain speed up the hill. I was telling Camilla some of these stories tonight on our ride. She rode side by side listening to my bike stories.

Isaac came in last week asking for some masking tape. He wanted to tape a Pokemon card to his spokes. He said "please hurry mom, all the boys have their cards taped on already and I don't want to loose them"
I had a huge smile on my face as I helped him tape this card to his spokes. It made me think of our bikes all those years ago with cards in the spokes.

Each summer we went to Balboa Island, California. We spent a couple of weeks hanging around at the beach. We had beach cruisers at my grandparents beach house. We rode on handle bars and double (sometimes triple) to a bike.

Jason has....lets say, several bikes. Each morning he rides. He rides miles and miles. It is early and he loves the quietness as the sun comes up on his early morning rides.

I hope to teach my kids to love the quietness of nature as we ride our bikes. The trees branches ticking our heads as we ride under them. The breeze floating through our hair as we speed down the street & the spinning of the wheels as we pedal pedal pedal! Life moves fast.....enjoy!

It's the most wonderful time of the year!

BACK TO SCHOOL!!!!!
The kids had all the emotions running through their minds as they started school this year.
The boys were nervous. They both only knew one or two kids on the 1st day. Starting a new school is never easy, but these 2 boys went in strong and came home with amazing attitudes. I was so happy to see smiles on their faces when they came home from school. They could commiserate together and give each other the boost that they needed to make it through the first day and now the first week of school. We are so proud of these boys. They have made this move with such positive attitudes. They are supportive and have made the absolute best out of this hard move at a difficult age across the country. I love them and am speechless at the kindness they are showing each other as they grow a little older and more mature. These are 2 GREAT boys!

Isaac could be the happiest kid ever. He makes friends easy and is pretty much content riding around the neighborhood with his new buddies. Jason has changed his tire on his bike about 10 times in the last 3 weeks. Isaac has a little problem staying on the bike trail. They have these huge thorns that fall from the tress this time of year and I think Ike has run over( unintentionally) just about all the thorns possible. What a great smile to start 2nd grade with. He is happy , fun and so excited about our move to Boise. Isaac is my buddy. He will tell me all about his day. Boy do I love this kid!

With the cutest face and personality to go with it, Camilla has made more friends than any of us in the first few weeks. She can go up and talk to anyone. She has such a confidence about her. She loves to do her hair and pick out "just the right" out fit. She could be the perfect cross between a girly girl and sporty spice. She is my little friend and loves to just "hang out". She is the best helper and is currently writing a play. It is hidden under her bed in her journal, but I have read the 1st act (she let me!) and it is very creative. This girl LOVES her dad. She can't get enough hugs from her dad each day. This will be a great year for Camilla as she grows and ages up to the double digits! Yikes.

All of our great schools are with in walking/bike riding distance. Dylan is in a carpool, but Zach, Camilla, Isaac and Clara all ride their bikes to school. They are thrilled to be riding bikes to school. We have always been bus riders, so this is a new things that we are all really excited about.

Here are the kids locking up their bikes before school!

Isaac has Mrs. Scroggie this year. He was a little disappointed to be the ONLY boy at his desk group, so he went up to the teacher after school and asked if he could change to a table with boys!

This school is different than our other schools. Each classroom has an outside door that opens up to the playground, so the kids line up at their classroom doors each morning instead of walking through the school. They are also really excited about 3 recesses each day!!!

Camilla is in Mr. Williams 5th grade class. She has heard that he is the "best" 5th grade teacher. This is Camilla's 3rd elementary school. WOW this girl can adapt.

KINDERGARTEN!!!!!

Time could just be moving too fast. This little 25lb peanut actually started Kindergarten this week. She has soooo been looking forward to going to school like the rest of the kids. We had a calendar for the last month or so that she checks off each day until school starts. Clara is beautiful and so eager to learn. She is probably the most unprepared Slatter to start kindergarten. She does not know all her letters. She has no interest in making letters, but boy does she want to be a big girl and go to school. She is precious and stubborn all wrapped into her tiny little package. She is a full head or two shorter than the other kids, but she can hold her own on the playground. She does not let anyone push her around. My heart was so full as I rode my bike and left her at the school. For the past 15 years I have had a little one at my knee. This will take a little getting used to. I am happy and proud of all the kids. They really are amazing (if I do say so myself). I am proud to be the mother of these Slatter Kids!

Clara is so stinkin kissable! That girl is ready (or not) for kindergarten!

Clara hanging her backpack said "I have been waiting and waiting to be able to do this!"

Summer comes to an end

Well after a LONG & trying summer we finished it off with a few fun activities. Near our house here is a fun lake called Eagle Island. I took the kids one afternoon it was a great HOT day!

We just LOVE our new neighborhood. It has walking and biking trails all around. All the kids ride bikes everywhere. Jason surprised me with a new cruiser bike to ride in style around the neighborhood. I can even ride my bike to Target. Each of our schools are with in walking distance, so everyone needed a bike to get around. Sunday seems to be the evening when all the neighbors ride around as families and then meet at the Hobble Creek Park. It is really fun to have so many great families so close. We are really loving it here in the Hobble Creek neighborhood!

How can you not go to as many Fairs as possible. Yes we tortured the teens again and took them to the Boise State Fair. This was the real thing. The boys actually had a great time riding all the sketchie fair rides. Camilla and Clara got to meet Miss Idaho, and Isaac loved the petting zoo!

We love being able to see our families more. We went down to Park City and met the Buehner Cousins for a very fun week. We went boating, played at the Ranch on the 4 wheelers, fished, mountain biked and even made it to Lagoon! It was such a great time.