First day of kindergarten, Labor Day weekend, and produce. (With a little humor thrown in.)

Two Tuesdays ago, Mira started kindergarten. We were almost late. And I didn't have her puzzle piece to introduce herself because I accidentally watered it. (But they didn't need it the first week so it was okay.)

She was a little nervous the night before, but Steve gave her a father's blessing and I think she felt better after.

Emilia held her hand all the way into the school and to her classroom. It makes my mommy heart happy to see them be friends.

When I picked her up the other day, she looked smaller and younger than when I dropped her off. Perhaps she is part of the incredible shrinking classroom. Or maybe she was wearing an oversized school shirt that Emilia handed down to her. Either way, it was a little scary.

She seems to be enjoying her teacher and her classmates and her learning. Though one day last week when I picked her up, she leaned into me and closed her eyes. "I'm tired, Mom," she said. I asked her why, thinking they'd had a long recess or something. But she said, "All that thinking really wears me out." (Or something to that effect.)

After we dropped Mira off that first day, Cecily and I came home and played with playdoh. I made this guy:

Then Cecily made this guy:

And we worked on a few more together. I may have to add them into a story one day. Wouldn't they be cute picture book characters?

The weather's been beautiful. It finally dropped from the 90s into the low 80s that week. So the kids have wanted to play outside with their friends instead of doing homework. I don't blame them. (And sometimes I let them.) Emilia is so diligent though. She really wants to do well, so she works hard most of the time.

Steve played LOTR with my brother that week and we did a bunch of errands on Saturday. On one errand I saw this cool spider web that somebody had spray painted bright orange. It looked almost like the sun was making it shine from within at first glance. That may have to go into a story, too.

Sunday we invited the Nelsons to come down and share the day with us, so the girls got to play with their cousins and we got to play games. Lots of barbies and stuffed animals were coerced into being movie stars along with our girls. Unfortunately some Barbies also lost their heads over it.

Monday was Labor day and we decided to go to the Onion Days parade to celebrate. It was a fun parade! Short (only an hour), we left Ben's house five minutes before it started and still got curbside seats (they set up chairs and people left them there), the kids got oodles of candy (which I commandeered to put in a homework assignment for Mira -- she had to have 24 or more of the same, individually wrapped candy by Tuesday and I only got the darn thing on Friday -- so Mira's class got a bunch of taffy from the Onion Days parade), and it wasn't even hot. I'll say now that we're going again next year. I kind of love parades and Steve didn't hate this one, so that's two thumbs up if you ask me.

My parents came down and went with us, and Ben and Haylee live in Payson (where the Onion Days are held), and Haylee's family is from there, so they were too.

We played some games in the afternoon. Star Wars: Escape from the Death Star with the kids and Splendor with the adults. Then my parents went home and us and the Frohlichs drove up to Cascade Springs. On the way, we saw a moose!

Then we had a picnic 50 feet away from a sign that said picnics weren't allowed at the Springs. I think we were okay, because we were on the paved road that led to the Springs and not at the Springs. But just in case, don't tell any park rangers about it, okay?

Cascade Springs is a pretty place with lots of little waterfalls and wildflowers and mountainous backdrops. There's a boardwalk that goes over and around much of the watery area, so nobody gets wet. (Nobody even fell in! Which considering the clumsiness of Cecily, is kind of a feat.)

She is super cute, though.

Oh, okay. They're all cute. (Ford was stuck in the stroller for this picture, but he's cute, too.)

Emilia had soccer games Wed and Saturday. I think they try to get fewer people to play by making the parents go to two games a week for two and a half months. Steve also got his game night this week, and all us girls got haircuts. Mira was the bravest.

Before:

After:

The other two don't look too much different, but I like their poses.

I got my first ripe tomatoes this week! I was ecstatic. I made fresh tomato soup to celebrate (and I'm the only one who ate it). I have the recipe on my public blog (here) if you want it. It's a great way to use up tomatoes.

Friday night we were invited to the home of a widow in our ward to roast marshmallows. She invited another family with little kids and they had a BLAST. Not only were there smores (made with keebler cookies instead of graham crackers and chocolate), but there was a mountain to explore and an airplane teeter totter and a swing set and other kids to play with. And they got to stay up late. Pretty much heaven right there.

The widow is a funny little lady who keeps herself active and busy. We're going to can pickles together this week or next. She promised to show me how to make them using a steamer instead of water bath. I'd never even heard of that! And she knew where I could buy a bunch of pickling cucumbers since I only planted one plant and two cucumbers a week is just a good way to throw away tiny cucumbers.

Last night we watched the BYU vs Utah football game with our friends the Childresses. The girls were up late again and BYU lost, but at least there was good food and friends to share it with. :)