School is IN!

Yeah for SCHOOL! I know I am not the only mother out there who is super duper EXCITED that school has begun! It's ok, admit it!

Here are the CRAZY STAPEL kids on their first day back:

But first, my disclaimer: Yes, Kendall is on the ground posing on our weathering sidewalk. Yes, the younger ones picked out their own outfits, did their own hair and I let them! (As everyday is an adventure around here, I have found it best not to fight over what matches and what is just plain hideous! The latter usually makes it out the door on Ryann!)

Rylie - officially a Sophomore! Driver's Ed third trimester - YIKES!

Dylann - 8th Grade. This is her last year in middle school :(

Kendall - 5th Grade. Her last year in elementary!

Ryann - 2nd Grade! Holy Moley! Don't you just love the leg-pop!

And our Cousin Tater! Payton - 2nd Grade. Isn't she darling!

I haven't updated in a while. More like a year. Rylie's now a freshman in highschool and has a worse attidude then last year. She still loves books and doesn't complain about my cooking anymore. Dylann is in seventh grade and is pretty much the same. She just recently turned thirteen I don't think I'm ready for another teenager. Rylie will stay inside and will ask to do anything, but Dylann doesn't. Kendall is in fourth grade and is still crazy about school. She's been playing basketball and soccer and loves it. Ryann is still my little monkey. I think Rylie is influencing her actions more and more. I have to think that or I might be worried she is going to be more of a problem than Rylie. I'll try to keep updating, but no promises.

Almost an ENTIRE YEAR!

It has been almost one whole year since I last updated! I can't believe I have been that busy! (Maybe because I haven't really been!)

My hubby is a little mad that I have been so behind. As soon as I can figure my phone out, I might just start adding silly pictures again....

Until then....

Holy Crap - I'm blogging!

It seems that time has just flown by since last spring. Here it is October, and I have no idea where I have been! (That is normal for me :))

I am just going to shove a whole bunch of pictures on here. If you choose to read on, you will see what our summer consisted of.....

The Last Day of School May 28th- Dylann sang "The Sun Will Come Out Tomorrow" in front of the whole elementary (106 kids) and their parents. Now remember, Dylann will not speak out loud to anyone, but she loves her a solo. Weird-o!

We bought Lagoon passes this summer and had a blast! Spent time with friends and family riding rides that make me sick now, but loved as a teenager. Ryann was so fun to watch. She loved kiddie land. It was nice to be able to let Rylie, Dylann & Kendall go off on their own, or with friends, so I could live it up on 'PUFF'! If I never ride that dragon again it will be too soon! The only bad thing about Lagoon, was......

The freaky house of dolls and clowns! I hate, hate, hate DOLLS! I know, how can I possibly hate dolls when I have 4 daughters? Long history of evil doll nightmares. Major source of anxiety. And to add to the fear and peeing of my pants, the Lagoon people have put up freaky clown posters that look like someone shot Smiley the Clown in the forehead. New source of anxiety!

Topher made it to Lagoon a time or two with us. I made him take in his share of kiddie land. He loved the swings...

Kendall played AYSO soccer in Evanston at the beginning of summer. She was AWESOME! Lucky #7. The first night she met her team, all kids who go to school in Evanston, she kicked the ball hardcore into a boys head. I don't think he ever was on the field next to her the rest of the season.

Ryann had her first experience with T-Ball. She happily played in one game, and refused to be in the team photo. Topher and I coached Kendall & Dylann's team. I did not take any photos of our games. One game I did almost get hit by a foul ball. Lucky for me, I was able to shove Ryann in the path of the ball. So I was fine.

I was the 'Craft Specialist at YW's Camp. I made Topher be my assistant. We made the cutest clocks out of cd's. We had the opportunity to give a ride to and from camp to a super funny, super cute, super kind lady named Laurel Christensen. She is an awesome speaker! I totally felt the Spirit with every word she spoke. http://deseretbook.com/auth/15428/Laurel_Christensen

Rylie actually participated in the skit. She is the rock star with the black hair and pink guitar!

We went on the annual Russell island Park trip with my family. I forgot to pack the camera, but packed a million other things I didn't even use! When my dad gets me our pictures, I'll post a few. We had so much fun!

Next thing you know, school is back in!

Rylie started 8th grade. Her last year in Junior High! She is still a book-aholic. If there is a type of AA for this, I need her to join. Reading is her life! She tells me daily that I am killing her because everything I cook is disgusting! She wants to turn me in to DFS.

Dylann started Junior high. A big 6th grader! She is in choir and can't stop singing. Heaven help me. She is a texting fool. She texts me from the next room instead of talking to me.

K-dogg (Kendall) is in 3rd. She loves anything to do with SKULLS! She is part pirate, part crazy person! She is so funny! She loves her scars, war wounds and the stories that go with them.

Ryann is in ALL DAY KINDERGARTEN! It's super-d-duper! It is a little sad that my baby is in school. I didn't cry or anything like that. It was weird at first that I did not have a shadow following me undoing all my hard work. Her first day of school was a little traumatic. She spilled her lunch tray and got chocolate milk and sauce all over herself. I had to bring a change of clothes. After I changed her, she asked, "How many more hours do I have to do this?" The next day she hid under her desk drinking her milk because she was not ready to toss it in the trash and get back to work. Mrs. Weston had to pull her out. Then a few days later, she had two accidents 1/2 hour apart from each other. All is going well now. When I go in on Mondays to help, she is content to sit on her own chair and not on my lap. Her teacher takes a picture of all the kids to put up on the wall, this is Ryann. I could not get the marker off her face before we went for the picture.

That about sounds up our life to this point. But just for fun, here is a picture of a freaky bird that fell out of our pine tree and I chased down in the rain to get it's photo. I bet his peeps were taking photos of me chasing their friend saying, "That is one freaky looking human that came out of that BIG HUGE 12 PASSENGER VAN her husband bought even though they only have 4 kids!

Paging Dr. Stapel!

Alta View Hospital had a Community Health Fair a few weeks ago - so Ryann, Kendall & I stopped by to see my mom manning her booth & get some free stuff :)!

There were little booths to get your eyes checked, blood pressure, tours of the x-ray room, birthing room, ER, and our favorite - THE OPERATING ROOMS!

Ryann and Kendall dressed up as Doctors and did an Appendectomy, stitches, staples, removed muscle from a bone (pig foot) & dissected an eyeball (grape).

Maybe they will be operating on you someday!

Happy "Patrick's" Day!

It is very hard to explain to a 4 year old that it is not "Patrick's Day" .

I guess he does wear green swim trunks :)

Sorry about the following picture. I googled images of Patrick Star & this popped up! Was someone really serious when they dressed up like this? ............................

I can't stop looking at Johnny Depp!

I listen to the radio on my computer at work, "AOL Fresh Hits". Every so often a new song comes on from the new Disney movie Alice In Wonderland with Johnny Depp. When a song comes on, a picture of him as the Mad Hatter shows up:

It is a little creepy, I admit. But I still love it. Ever since I was young and 21 Jump Street was on TV, I have loved Johnny Depp. I wished he would come do some undercover police work at my school :)Then there was The Headless Horseman. He was so cute:

Edward Scissorhands (I made my kids watch this and forced them to love Johnny!):

OK, now Willy Wonka was a little weird:

I think this makes up for that crazy just a little, don't you?

I love they way he gets into his characters. From Benny in Benny & June, to Victor Van Dort in the Corpse Bride. I even liked him in Sweeny Todd.

He is so cute! (I know, I am weird :))