Emery's spotlight

Emery Sharon Balle
I'm gonna call her "tumbleina," because she just can't quit cartwheeling, hanging upside down, jumping on the neighbors tramp, flipping over the couch and just bouncing all around the town. She's finishing up her 2nd year of tumbling. It's been hard, they work these girls and there was a spell where Emery wanted out, but she stuck with is and has mastered her front walkover, back walkover, back handspring, aerial, and her back tuck is just about there.

Mrs. Tumbleina is also so very smart and capable.
I'm not joking when is say capable. She's a better mom than I am. She takes care of Kate so well. If it weren't against the law I would hire her as my babysitter.

 Her logic is amazing for a 1st grader and she can articulate herself better than I can. In kindergarten last year she didn't seem to progress in reading as the boys did and I was getting a tad worried that she wasn't getting it, but this year she has just excelled. She moved up the chart so fast I couldn't believe it. I got this email from her teacher back in November

"Hello, I just wanted to take a minute and share with you how much I love having Emery in my class. She is a sweetheart who always tries her best. She works hard to do the right thing and sets a great example for her classmates. Emery is always a ray of sunshine who brightens up our classroom. Thank you for sharing her with me. I am so thankful to spend my days with students as amazing as she is." -Emily Sroufe

She gets all her homework done on her own and gives me all the info about her class that I need before I even read the newsletters. She makes her own lunch and can pretty much just take care of herself.

She'll go in her room, set up her toys the certain way she likes them and just plays by herself.

She also loves her little friends and I love to hear them play as well. She does have a little grown up, sassy side that I'm trying to bring back down to the 1st grade. When she pretends that she has a cell phone and is texting like a teenager I have to remind her to enjoy being a 1st grader by playing 1st grader things. She has crush's on Ivan's friends and likes to get in their business when they are over.

She writes the sweetest notes. The other night I came home and she had made a little treasure hunt for me and Mike. The last clue ended on our bed and we each had a box on our pillow.
(this was her old valentine box) it says, "open the box."

Inside was a note that said, "mom I love you so much and know how much you do for us and I am so lucky to have a great mom. From ?"

This little thing is now my big, mature 7yr old. We love you so much Emery

Ivan's spotlight

Ivan Michael Balle

I say it every year....and I'll say it again.... can Ivan really be ELEVEN!?!? 

It looks like just a regular smile in this picture 

but that smile speaks so many things to me. It shows how much joy he gets from his little Kate and it shows how super sweet this boy can be. I get after Ivan a lot and sometimes when I see this sweet smile I feel guilt. I feel a tinge of sadness that I let myself get after that sweet face. I feel guilt because Ivan has to be the first born and endure all my mistakes, yet he keeps smiling. It's what I admire most about Ivan. I admire his strength to rise above his mom and her mistakes. He is very sensitive to my mood and I think it affects him greatly. He has a hard time leaving the house or going to bed if he knows I'm mad. He is always quick to say sorry. He is very sensitive that way. 

I love Ivan and his energy. He LOVES anything active. Playing tackle football this year sent him through the roof with excitement. He loves it so much. He played basketball this winter and learned a ton. Ivan is pretty athletic and when you see him in the backyard playing with his friends he is a fighter, but it's tricky when he gets out in an organized sport, something happens mentally. He gets inside his head and is very afraid of making a mistake and forgets to play like he does in the back yard. He becomes very careful.  I think we had a little mental break through with basketball this season. About the last 4 or 5 games something clicked and he got out of his mind and onto the court. It was fun to see the change. He's now starting baseball and we are hoping he can carry that over into this season and then into football in the fall. 

Ivan is very particular. He has a handful of outfits that he wears over and over again. I say "outfits" because a certain shirt has to be worn with certain shorts and certain underwear and certain socks. I feel bad for his other shirts that hang so lonely in his closet or that different shorts don't get to mingle with different shirts. But that's my Ivan. 

He is smart, loves and knows a lot about animals. I think he's overcome his Fortnite obsession and I'm feeling happy about that. He loves free time with friends more than anything. He still complains a tad when he has to be done "playing." He's entering that pre-teen stage and has been informed by a friend that he needs to stop saying, "can you play?" and instead say, "can you hang." 

He does good in school.  I got this email from his teacher back in January

"I just wanted to let you know how impressed I am with Ivan! He is always (100%) of the time doing what is asked of him, uses his time wisely, asking questions when he has them, helping others, and being nice to others. I know I can always count on Ivan to be a good example to others. I really enjoy having him in my class!" -Mrs. Brenda Smith

We enjoy having Ivan in our family as well. He could eat cereal for breakfast lunch and dinner and I have to ask him to take smaller bites, chew quieter and watch that milk dripping from his chin, BUT other than that, Mr Ivan Balle is a keeper

School career field trip to JA cit

MARCH

I'm a laurel advisor at church right now. For an activity they suggested snow caving. When they suggested it one of the leaders said to me, "do you think they mean sleeping in snow caves." I said, "no- i'm sure they just want to go find some to explore." Turns out they meant sleeping in them. What!? Yeah, one of the girls goes with her family and loves it. What you do is go up during the week and pile snow and then the night you want to sleep you go and hollow the caves out. Another leader and I and a couple dads went up with the girls Tuesday to build the caves. It was warm and so fun to be in the snow. Then Friday I didn't go, but the crew went back, hollowed them out, warmed their dinner over a campfire and slept in the caves. What adventurous girls. Glad they did it

March is the never ending birthday month. 

With two kids birthdays I feel like all we do is celebrate. One Sunday is my family, one Sunday is Mike's family and then they have their actual birthday and then they each had a friend party this year.

My side

Mikes side

This year was Emery's first friend party and we had a great time.
They painted a unicorn that my niece Hannah drew for us, played in the back yard and then decorated a cupcake
(Lucy, Brin, Charley, Clara, Elizabeth, Kenley, Lizzy and Emery)

One of our laurel girls was in a play, the little mermaid so we went to see her perform.

I took a much needed gals trip to St George to see the comedian Ryan Hamilton at the Tuachan. If you remember a couple posts back I mentioned he is a friend of mine and my friend Mindy is a big fan, so when we saw he was doing a show in St George it was a must go. 

We met him for lunch when we got into town. 

Then we did a little bit of shopping and then headed to the theater

After the show certain fans get to go back stage for a meet and greet with the comedians. We got to do that for a minute and then went back to his hotel with him, another comedian and wife and we played games for a bit. Such a fun time. 

Saturday morning we got up, went to breakfast, took a tour of Brigham Young's summer home, stopped at the temple

and then drove over a curb and tore a panel thingy off the bottom of the car. So a nice guy at the service station fixed it for us.

and then we drove on home. Short but very sweet. It was nice to get away and laugh really hard. I need to laugh more often. It's good for me.

Then Monday Ivan had his friend party. We took them to play battle ball. Boys are rowdy.

Ivan, Jack, Crew, Micah, Corbin, Kayden, Owen, Ethan, Cael, Porter, Brayden, Sawyer and Charlie

I think they had most fun flipping water bottles at the table

and by golly, that's a wrap for March

I'll never have another one

Of these mugs!!

It's pretty much the reason, after Ivan's birth, that I chose to have 3 more kids. I love these mugs. The water just tastes so good as it comes up through this straw. I feel like I drink so much more water when I use it. 

I mean this is cute too

 but these mugs are worth giving birth for. Unfortunately I noticed mold in the straw today. Sure I could find a new straw, but I'm afraid it won't be the same. Plus, I think I'm ready to throw it away and move forward. 

Things are a chang'n here at the Balle house. We are officially moving into another phase of life. Our little Kate is about 2 1/2 and not only have we thrown away her birth mug, but we are also quitting nursing. I'm not good at much, I don't have many talents, but the one thing I think I was born to do is nurse. I love it so much and this week will be the end of it for me. Now what will I become?

I've got to take some different hormone supplements that I probably shouldn't be nursing with. When I was at the doctors office the other day we were talking about it and Kate was sitting on the chair next to me coloring. The doctor mentioned I should stop nursing with these supplements and I replied, "yeah it's probably time" and Kate stopped her coloring, looked up at us and said, "no more nursies?" I said, "yeah, we need to stop nursing love" and she tilled her head to one side and with a very confused look said, "wwwhy?"

That night we got in bed and read a couple books and then she turned into me and said, "I need nursies....oh wait, not nursies." so I confirmed and told her we can't nurse and she at first agreed, "doctor said no nursies" but then she started to cry, "I need nursies!" It actually didn't last long and she went to sleep.

The next day nap time went great. Instead of laying in my bed and nursing I went downstairs to the rocking chair and she took the binki and didn't fuss about nursing. That night we were coming home from someplace and she fell asleep in the car so we dodged that one. The next two days naps have been great, but bedtime has been a tad harder. I actually feel so bad for her. Her crying for it is almost more out of hurt and frustration than anger. It's like she's trying to do what she's suppose to, but really, really wants to nurse. She was up a few times last night, but only cried for a couple minutes each time. We'll get there. Pretty sad for both of us in the meantime.

But then that will be it. Baby life is a thing of the past. Out of diapers forever and done with nursing forever. Crazy thing this life is and how time fly's.