Yay for School!!

So hooray for school starting! Can I tell you how much simpler my life has gotten this week since school started? It is so easy to run errands with just two kids-especially since they are the mild mannered ones. Peanut only gets out of control when his big brothers are around, so he's been so chill this week just hanging out by himself playing legos and cars and doing puzzles. So Bubba has entered the world of 3rd grade. He came home the first day and said that they're motto is, "3rd graders rule the school." He also has taken to carrying a messenger bag instead of his backpack because it's "cooler." JP is in 1st grade this year. He seemed a little worried that he wouldn't get in the heart at school. The teacher has a big heart drawn on the board and if she catches you doing something nice or working hard, she puts your name in there and gives you a skittle at the end of the day. So he didn't get in on the first day and was convinced he would never get in there. Poor kid got my low self-esteem issues. Anyway, he ended up in the heart by the third day! He was very excited and proud of himself. Bubba also got a character counts award already for offering his teacher some help with opening a water bottle. We also finally found Mario Cart Race for the Wii that we've been searching hi and low for for the last 3 months or so. So that has been the after school activity of choice this week. I've been pulling my hair out today because they already had their first day off for teacher inservice. Luckily, they're going to the farm later today to help out for the weekend and I'll be by myself with Cart-man until late tomorrow night. Don't get me wrong, I love my boys, but sometimes they make me want to bash my head into a wall repeatedly. In better news, my youngest brother just got his mission call to Cebu, Philippines! He is so excited. He really wanted to go somewhere that he could learn an Asian language. I also noticed in my brief online research that a temple will be completed ther sometime in 2010 during his mission. How exciting!

Vacation Pictures

Okay, so I decided I should probably at least post a few more pictures of our trip so this wouldn't be so plain of a blog. Also, I really want my playlist that I made to be included on my blog, but somehow it's still not working when I try to copy my code. Any suggestions?

So some highlights from our trip-

• Bubba-Tall enough to ride the Desperado roller coaster at the state line in Nevada/CA (which he keeps telling everyone is in the Guiness Book of Records for the tallest and fastest roller coaster with a 225 ft. drop and 85 mph). He absolutely loved it! I went on it with him and it was hysterical as we were climbing up the tall drop, he said, "Mom, I'm scared. Hold me," but he said it in such a funny voice. He also loves the roller coaster at CA Adventure called California Screamin' that goes upside down. He has also decided he will be a builder at Legoland when he grows up.
• JP-Finally tall enough for Indiana Jones and CA Screamin'. His two new favorite rides, though Splash Mtn. is a close 2nd. Also, insisted we visit the beach on the way home so he could collect seashells. Also, discovered that In and Out burgers are really good even though he "hates" hamburgers.
• Peanut-Tall enough to go on all the big coasters at D-land at least once this year. Some workers said he was too short the 2nd day. He loved Splash Mtn. and Thunder Mtn. the best. Bought a pirate gun with his own money as his souvenir. Also, did pretty good at going potty at D-land.
• Cart-man-Loved putting his tootsies in the sand and water at the beach. Also prefered to be held as much as possible. Loved the Winnie the Pooh ride.
• Mama-Space Mtn. and Splash Mtn. my favorites. Did not enjoy whiny kids the first day at D-land. Loved Laguna Beach and never wanted to leave. Took 4 kids by myself to Legoland for a whole day! Of course In and Out was a highlight-especially since last year on our trip I was pregnant and sick the whole time and couldn't eat there. I also loved having my mom and brother come to Disneyland with us one day!
• Daddio-Loves the Desperado coaster at state line and CA Screamin'. Was an awesome trooper doing almost all of the driving! I would also venture to say that In and Out was one of his favorite things!

Okay, so I've finally entered the world of blogging. It's actually kind of exciting creating something, though, I'm still trying to figure out how to customize things. We just got home last weekend from our annual Disneyland trip. Daddio had a business conference in San Diego and they paid for the hotel and Legoland down there, so we decided to head down there early and hit D-land. Crazy with 4 kids, lemme tell you! But it was fun. We went to Disneyland for 2 days, CA Adventure one day, drove to San Diego the next and hit In and Out and the beach, Legoland for 2 days, then beach on the way home. The 2 big boys started school today. First day of 1st and 3rd grades! Yay, only 2 kids at home during the day. Piece of cake to run errands now. Peanut might start pre-school after Labor Day, but we're still working on the toilet thing. He is just so lazy about it. He really doesn't mind sitting in a wet or dirty pull-up. Eeew! Anyway, he plays so well by himself during the day, so that's awesome. We also went to the Twin Falls Temple open house on our trip. It was so beautiful and Bubba made us a little vaclempt by telling us when we left, "I'll never forget this day for the rest of my life."