Our New Sidewalk!

This past Saturday we had our sidewalk poured. It was so exciting! I have wanted once ever since we moved into our house. The previous owner broke up the original sidewalk and put in stepping stones to make room for his trains. From what people tell us, he had tracks all around the front beds and ran trains on them (?!). Anyway, we are now the proud owners of a new sidewalk and a mound of dirt, that was actually mostly the old broken up concrete, unforunately. Since it's 98 degrees outside this week, we are waiting until we get back from vacation to finish the landscaping. I hope our neighbors don't mind. Please...one of our neighbors kept his Christmas decorations up until May(!) in 2007. I think we're good.

Safety Town

Won't you take me to...Safety Town? We've been singing that for the past two weeks because Kathryn has been attending Safety Town. It is a program that is run by the City of O'Fallon Police Department. Well, here it is in their own words:
"Safety Town is a program for youngsters age 4½ - 6 that teaches the basics of keeping safe. Certified teachers, police officers, firefighters and other experts coach children as they practice and experience “real life” situations through a simulated town layout. Lessons teach how to be safe with traffic, bikes, water, fire, poisons, animals and personal safety."
Some important things that Kathryn learned are: Stop, Look, Listen (before you cross the street), that policemen are our friends, not to go with strangers, to always wear your helmet when you're riding your bike, how to call 911, and more I'm sure.

Here is Kathryn with Sam, her counselor, in front of safety town.

Women from the Ladies Auxillary that help support Safety Town and the yummy graduation cake.

Sydney being a poser.

Kathryn trying to put on a brave face. She gets so shy and nervous in these situations. As my stepmom would say, she got it honest. I can distinctly remember feeling the exact same way. But I can also see the other side now that I'm grown and pretty much not shy.

So, they got up there and sang a cute song and she actually sang. I was impressed. But then it came time for them to walk down the aisle and shake the police officers hands. I tried not to look at her because I knew she was going to have a hard time, and then when they called her name she just started crying and inching down the aisle and then I started crying and it was just embarrassing. Anyway, Officer Dave made a cute joke about her being so sad to leave Safety Town and that made it a little better. She came and hugged me and we cried together. I'm actually tearing up as I write this. I'm not even that emotional about it, I'm just a suggestive crier. I CAN NOT help crying if I see someone else crying. IF it's sincere crying. The fakers don't get me.

Gymnastics

The girls are in gymnastics again and are really enjoying it. Sydney's class is first and it is amazing how well she listens and obeys. Here she is sitting on her circle waiting for class to start. (I'll try harder to get some action shots next week, but the teacher doesn't like parents in the room because it's distracting...and I agree.)

Here is Kathryn working on her back roll.

And blurrily hopscotching. (Ha, she looks like she has a huge hair-colored tulip growing out of her head.)

Some summer fun...

This past Sunday we attended a baby shower for the daughter of our friend Thalia. She is having a boy in July. The girls had fun eating and watching Jill open her presents.

We built these birdhouses as a family a couple of weeks ago and the girls got to paint them this week. Sydney chose to paint hers pink and Kathryn chose blue. Those are their favorite colors and they seldom deviate. See, even their aprons are blue and pink! Oh, the ridiculousness. I just realized Sydney is wearing a pink shirt and Kathryn is wearing a blue shirt!

Another Jumping One

Just another fun one.

Our New Van!

So, since I'm me and I'm silly, these are the pics of our van. We are so excited! I'm happy to have extra room, a rear door that doesn't fall on my head, automatic back doors, and radio controls on the steering wheel. The girls love the window shades, automatic back doors, the dvd player, and rear air conditioning.


Well, here is a normal picture...if you like that kind of boring thing.

Kathryn's Sunday School class

Today I substituted in Kathryn's sunday school class. I was really feeling the pressure because she's been so excited about it and has even been counting down the days! I taught about Nephi getting the brass plates from Laban. I brought treats for them, but told them that they wouldn't get them unless they were reverent and listened and sat still. I drew a chart of the chalkboard that had a sad face on the bottom and a happy face at the top. Throughout the class, I moved a magnet up and down the scale depending on their behavior. They responded very well to it. I can remember a teacher doing this for our sunday school class when I was 5 or 6, and it really having an impression on me. (Obviously, since I remember is 25 years later!) So, they made it up to the happy face and got to eat the rice krispy treats.

Stilt Walking

We all took a try at walking on stilts. Mike, of course, was the only one that could do it! I blamed the soggy grass for making it hard.

Children's Historic Festival

On Saturday we attended the Children's Historic Festival on Main Street in St. Charles. It was part of the Lewis & Clark Heritage Festival. Here we are miking a cow (Kathryn wouldn't participate), churning butter, writing with a quill pen, and playing old-timey games.

Kathryn really loved this game. She had fun throwing the hoop back and forth with her daddy.

Grant's Farm

Nonnie came back from her trip to Wyoming on Sunday evening. On Tuesday we were supposed to go to Grant's Farm for playgroup in the morning, but I ended up having to show up for Jury Duty! I ended up being excused but not until 11:30, so I ran home and picked up Nonnie & the girls and we headed to Grant's Farm. Better late than never! It was such a beautiful day! We enjoyed the tram ride around the park.

The girls were scared of the goat, and I don't blame them! They were trying to eat every part of them! I took Sydney in, but we went right to the exit since we were being attacked. So, we fed them through the fence.

Mother's Day

For Mother's Day we had cinnamon rolls for breakfast. Then we went to church and all the women got candy during sacrament meeting. (I love this choice instead of carnations!) Then we came home and I took a nap while Mike and the girls worked on my card. Mike took these pictures of the girls, then used them to cut silhouettes out of black and white paper. They turned out really cute! Mike also signed me up for some cake decorating classes that I'm excited about taking.

Member Day at the Zoo

So, even though the kids have been sick all week, I decided to drag them out to the zoo on Friday (5/8) for Member Day at the zoo. It rained all morning so we waited until Mike got off work and he went with us.

We got to be some of the first people to check out the new sting ray exhibit.

And we rode the carousel. Kathryn really wanted to ride the caterpiller.

Sick House

We have been sick for weeks! I've had a sinus infection and the girls have had ear infections. So, we haven't been doing too much other than going to the doctor and taking medicine.

Here is Kathryn enjoying her lunch on the deck. (May 7th)
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Sydney was feeling sickly, so she was snuggling on the couch. (May 7th)

Race Day!

(This picture is not from the race today, but a 10K I did last week. I just thought it was fitting. And...well...thanks to the cameraman's impeccable timing, my legs look killer, so I had to share.)

Yay! I finished another 1/2 marathon! This morning I ran the Indianapolis 500 Festival Mini Marathon! Even with eating a late dinner, sleeping horribly, and having self-diagnosed bronchitis, I beat my time from last year! I wasn't even nervous before the race started, I just really didn't want to do it...but once I crossed the start line, something clicked and I was off running! Here are my stats:

First	Last	Bib	DIV	FiveMile	TenMile	RunnerTIME	GunTime	PACE	SEXP	OVERALL	AGE	SEX	CITY	STATE	X
Emily	Morrison	41899	Females 30-34	0:49:40	1:42:12	2:14:39	2:27:47	10:17	4963	13844	30	F	O Fallon	MO	N