Monday, December 14, 2009

Hair Cuts, Glass Ice,I Luv U and Baby

The boys needed a hair cut..Badly!!!So I thought why not blog about how to cut a cute boys hair cut for the clipper paranoid child. It will be posting step-by-step asap on my craftersguru blogNina is now my official photographer. If I or my hands are in the picture, it was most likely taken by her! She's getting better all the time:) In fact she took every picture on this post minus the baby pics!!!
Jack was soooo cute! He was eating stick pretzels and called out to Nina,"I love you Nina!" with the pretzels in his fingers! It's an Olsen thing to sign I love you all the time. Nina does it with Jack and now (sniffle, sniffle. tear drop) he thinks of saying it to her (cheesy to get emotional but it was sooo sweet!!!). He's been doing it for the passed year and a half. At 18 months we taught him to flip it around to be Spiderman when that was all the rage for him.
It was so cold last week that the water in our little turtle pool froze over with a thin sheet of ice. Sam and Charlotte thought it was so cool and it reminded them of our trip this summer at Glacier National Forest.

I felt Charlotte was old enough to hold the baby while standing. She is very careful and loves to hold our little Jefferson:)

Peek-a-boo Jefferson!

Monday, December 7, 2009

It's Been a Crazy Happy Month

On November 7,2009 after working a 7 and a half hour work day my water broke. I was at home about 3 hours after work, worrying about the baby when my water broke like never before. I thought that this was it and that I'd better hurry to the hospital because he would be coming fast.
So I packed my bag and Rick and I went to the hospital.Only to pace the halls for 6 hours before labor finally began. It was a good thing because the video camera and camera were both out of batteries,so we had plenty of time to go home,get the chargers and charge them. I was also able to Facebook my progress:)

Two hours and 3 pushes later Jefferson Gordon Olsen was born, November 8th 2009.

My mother sadly had the flu so my sister and father were there.All warm and snugly after his first bath given by his father(it's tradition)
Proud Daddy with our precious son:) He's got daddy's chin!I was ready to go home after the first 6 hours but the pediatrician likes the baby to be there 24.
The kids were sooo excited they ran out to meet us! It was a wonderful precious site to see!

Big brother Jack HAD to be the first to hold HIS new baby!So we let each of the kids hold him, youngest to oldest. Charlotte loves her new baby too.
Sam wasn't quite sure what to make of his new brother but he still wanted to hold him for a quick moment.
Scott took on the oldest brother role right away! He is always asking to hold his new brother.Nina is such a pro by now:) They called me into work just 2 weeks after having Jefferson. Here is the I-Phone picture I took to show everyone.
Here is the cake that they wanted me to make. It took 4 hours!!!Rick was off work for 3 weeks. He helped out and was able to tackle a few small projects. Jack loved helping his dad with the drummel.
Uncle Jeff holding Jefferson. What an awesome uncle. He is always taking his sons and our kids hiking, shooting, bike riding and is there for every priesthood ordinance!
When Nana was over the flu she came right over to hold her 18th grand baby!Aunt Joy came to visit with the girls and brought dinner!
Daddy is always helping out and holding the baby.When the cord fell off, mommy gave Jeff his first real bath(with Nina's help holding the pacifier). He hates to be cold. He only cries when he is hungry and when he gets his diaper changed. He is a really calm, easy baby. We are blessed.Mommy getting the baby warm and dry.Yeah! Nana came and stayed for a week! She helped out so much with getting the kids back into school mode. Sam got a lot of one on one time with Nana.
Scott loves to hold his brother. While listening to his school lessons he loves to hold and cuddle with his new brother.Scott helps mommy feed the baby with pumped milk. Jack loves the milk too!Grandma stayed and helped out a TON preparing for 18 guests over for Thanks Giving!
Papa gets to hold Jefferson while we got everything ready.Nana takes time out to cuddle her latest grandchild.Cousin Mimi wants to hold him to!
Rachel and Lizzy got to hold him too!Grandma Jana and Papa Tom came for Thanks Giving too! They also took each of the kids out shopping on Black Friday. They all felt very special for getting Grandma to themselves.
Aunt Tami got to hold him too!Jack cuddles with Aunt Tami! The kids missed Tami and were soooo excited to spend time with her.
Tami is going to beauty school and cut my hair and Nina's hair. She did a great job.Charlotte wanted to learn how to sew on the machine and she caught on really fast. I showed her a couple of times and then she was totally on her own the rest of the time. She is making a blanket for her doll.I made a necklace out of Yo-yo's and Tami and Nina liked it so much I made one for each of them and taught Tami how to make them. She made a hair clip out of one of them.I made Charlotte another Twirling skirt. She really loved it because of all the bright colors.Sam wanted to hold the baby. He hasn't really been interested until he realized the baby looked and acts like he did when he was a baby. He finally bonded and now calls him his twin :)The kids decorated a gingerbread house together for FHE.
This was all that remained by mid morning the next day.
Good thing I took a picture.Jefferson got his first shower with Dad (another tradition). He was not happy at all at first but got use to it.Aunt Tina, Teak and Riley visited their new cousin.HAPPY BIRTHDAY JACK! YOU'RE 3 !!!
Jack wanted to go to church on his birthday really badly. I haven't let him go for 4 weeks because I don't want him bringing some sickness home from the die hards at church.
But I acquiesced and let him go..reluctantly. H1N1 (aka the swine flue) is really prevalent and I didn't want that brought home.
Jack took a new approach to present opening...with scissors!!!
He was sooo excited to get a Mega Blocks Halo set. He jumped up and down screaming"Halo 3!! U-hawh, Yeah Baby!!!" Master Chief is his new favorite guy! He had to have a picture of him.I made a volcano dinosaur cake for Jack and Wyatt's joint birthday party!How awesome is that to share a birthday with a cousin you are so close to!Jack loves to hold his baby brother every day!

Wednesday, November 4, 2009

Teaching the Kids to Sew

It all started with the Personal Progress Pouches that my sister saw online. She wanted to make one for her niece for her birthday and wondered if I could show her how. I saw the site and didn't really like the pattern. So I made up my own. My daughter liked it so much that she wanted to make up her own. She had such fun making it that she wanted to make one for her entire beehive class. That's 11 girls!!! Needless to say she is using this to pass off a 10 hour project in her personal progress book. Up above is her second one! She is really getting the hang of sewing and wants to do more.
I started from pattern making, to cutting to sewing! She did great. For the project I am helping her out with the cutting and ironing. the sewing alone will take up the 10 hours. Well it started a sewing frenzy in our house.
Seeing his sister sewing and creating made him want to learn how to hand sew. I have taught classes at the local elementary school and my kids were there. But they were never really THAT into it. Now he really wanted to learn. So we started with a pattern. He wanted to make mittens for his sister or brother to play with. I had him place his hand on a piece of paper and bubble traced mittens (making sure to have plenty of seam allowance and wrist room. Then I had him cut 2 pieces out of felt. I then showed him how to thread a needle, make a knot at the end and make a running stitch. He did an excellent job with his running stitch. they were surprisingly very even. I was really impressed! The needle, thread and knot was a bit hard to grasp but maybe next time.Charlotte loved the glove so much that she wanted to make her own set. I let her use her brothers pattern and told Sam to show her what to do. She traced and cut out the pattern and then I showed her how to thread a needle, make a knot and make a running stitch. She, like Sam did a really great job at the running stitch. She was very ambitious and made 2 gloves. She plays with them all of the time.Jack loves the mittens too!Scott wanted to make a bean bag voodoo doll (silly boy).They all did a really good job but the house needed to be cleaned after a long weekend, dinner needed to be made and Family Home Evening needed to be had. I was really tired by that time. After a full day of home schooling, teaching the kids, I forced my self to round every one up to clean, made a super easy meal and assigned FHE assignments. We recapped last weeks family song "Come Thou Fount" that Nina taught, the boys made up a bowling game from plastic cups, Charlotte lead the Wheels on the bus and Rick and I helped the kids memorize the first verse of D&C 4. Scott needs to memorize all of D&C 4 before becoming a deacon. We finished off with some easy and yummy cake mix cookies!
Luckily I had a lot of energy that day because it was all used up. The next day I had none! Can't wait to get my old self and body back!

Tuesday, November 3, 2009

Trick or Treating, a Family Affair!

We went Trick Or Treating at my sister's new house in Moorpark! I was really tired from a 7 hour work day and in my 9th month of pregnancy. I had to get out of my house. My house represented (at that moment) a place of endless clean up! I had to get away from it (this nesting thing is really hard with 5 kids, home schooled in a tiny house). My wonderful sister made us dinner, meatballs and spaghetti! Here Jack is eating them. It was really funny to watch. He is really into theatrical eating and even makes cute little piggy noises for an even greater effect!Uncle Jeff lent Jack his head light to go Trick Or Treating! Rick, Jeff, and my parents took all the kids around while my sister and I got to talk, relax and pass out candy! My idea of Trick Or Treating while this big and fat :) Even Rick was in a silly mood :)Uncle Jeff bought the kids some make up and Wyatt and I went to town on the kids faces! A Pirate Zombie Sam, A Hooded Zombie Wyatt and a Zombie Park Ranger Scott. They all made up these outfits!Nana even got into the Halloween Spirit! Isn't she awesome! Princess Bride Charlotte and Maleficent Charlotte!The Trick Or Treating Gang!

After scoring a bunch of candy Rick and Jeff took the kids to a Haunted House. These creative neighbors have been putting this free event for the local kids for years! Charlotte cried and the boys loved it so much they waited 45 minutes in line to go again!!!

We all talked til late afterwards while the kids played and watched movies. This is my idea of fun..Good company, good times!

Thursday, October 29, 2009

Field Trip #2 Placerita Nature Center

My awesome visiting teacher,Wendy, invited to take us to Placerita Nature Center.Charlotte and Nina pose in the parking lot.

Jack's on the go....!
We got to see an up close look at a hawk.
My kids see a tree and they have to climb it!!!

Turtles!

Inside they have a little exhibit of things to touch and see.
We went on a little hike to the butterfly gardens and more...
We saw the Oak of the Golden Dream! Where gold was first discovered in California!
"The Oak" where a man surveying his newly purchased property fell asleep near this oak tree and had a dream. In the dream he was told that he would be very rich. When he awoke he pulled onions from the ground and up came gold nuggets with roots!The story and plaque!To get to the oak you have to go under a bridge. My kids are pointing at a mural.To finish it off we had a pic-nic!

Monday, October 26, 2009

Ward Trunk-Or-Treat

Ranger Scott and the Attack of the Killer Snake!Our own Harry Potter Jack! He was Spider man minutes before we were to leave, but promptly undressed and wanted to be Harry Potter.Take a bow Princess Charlotte!She was a princess Musketeer but changed her mind before we left.The last Minute Monk! Sam changed his mind from a fully dressed pirate to a monk before we left.
I had just gotten home from a 5 hour cake decorating shift and I was dead beat. The kids were partially dressed. Once I was through the door they wanted me to re-invent their costumes at the last minute! I quickly helped them transform into different outfits and took pictures once we arrived. that was about all my exhausted legs and body could do. I just sat in a chair and handed out candy the rest of the night while the kids ran free and Rick took Jack from trunk to trunk. I didn't get a picture of out Aria (Elf Princess Nina). She was gone with her friends decorating their cars and Trunk-Or-Treating the evening away!

Thursday, October 22, 2009

Home School Field Trip #1

This is our first official field trip. Going to their cousins house would make this the second!
The pictures will be out of order because I had some problems down loading them and it would take way to long to fix it. So here goes. Our first field trip! Here is field trip criteria:1# it must be within 30 minutes from out home, #2 it must be free (with this economy my budget fro such things is now ZERO $ and ZERO cents, #3 it must be out doors (this can be changed). So this is what fell in the 3 criteria. Going to Hart Park and Mansion! Here is Nina and Jack viewing the remains of the pool.

The kids stop for a much needed drink. We took the trail first and then the road. It is a lot easier than taking the steep road all the way.Here's the look out tower from Hart Mansion.
We have Bison in SCV. No need to go to another state!
Look at this huge palm tree! Nina wanted a picture with it :)
This is the bunk house for the workers/ranch hands of Hart Mansion. It's now used as a meeting house.This just makes my heart sing. Big brother Scott holding his baby brother's hand by choice!

I wanted to get out of the house and I wanted the kids to get out too! We had so much fun , I think that i want to do a field trip every week! We'll see after the baby comes if I am up to it...I hope so. The kids were so well behaved at Hart Park, it makes me want to do more and more!
The city renovated Hart Park and it looks great. It has a very small farm/zoo where they keep animals for people to look at. this was a warthog!This cow was the biggest cow I had ever seen!
You can't see it very well in the picture but in the cage is a massive pig.
My kids are so use to pictures that they often tell me to take a picture and pose. Even Charlotte at 7 and Jack at 2yrs. know the routine :)
The Trading Post was closed due to lack of volunteers and the animal food vending machine was broken. I could only eek out very small bits of food after depositing a quarter. The kids still had fun with their 5 tiny pieces of food to give to the animals. This male deer had hormone problems and had a mass growing on it's antlers and head. It looked like it's brain was growing on the outside. They are going to give him hormone shot next season to rectify the problem. A worker told us that these deer are Asian meat deer and normally do not live this long. They are also neutered. This combination apparently causes hormone problems.
We saw a Burro and Horse from afar.
There were also a variety of chickens, birds, rabbits and turkeys to see.

This was where Mr. Hart buried his well loved horse.
Scott insisted on a moment of silence for the horse.
Another moment of silence for the dogs.This is where all the dogs that Mr. Hart had were buried.
They stayed on the trail and we had a great time!