Life in the Nuthouse

Happy New Year!

2011-12-31T23:48:00.001-07:00

SANTA CAME!!!

2011-12-31T14:32:00.003-07:00

We started a tradition with our kids a long time ago, that Christmas Eve dinner is pancakes. Usually Santa pancakes.

With whipped cream and cherry pie filling and M&Ms for the eyes and mouth. They look forward to it every year now. Good tradition--easy for Mom and Dad!

This is our Christmas tree that the kids so lovingly decorated... and redecorated. You can just make out the cookies and milk. Santa's favorite cookies are Mint Oreos.

Santa brought new bikes for the kids. They are still trying to figure out how santa got those bikes down the chimney.

(You can see on the couch behind the bikes---new pillows for everyone!)

Santa also brought Jingle for our family. Jill would see that little dog everytime we went to the store and want to stop and pet it and listen to it bark. Good job Santa!

Then, of course they had to go outside and try out their new bikes. Squirt still needs to figure out pedaling, but she loves just sitting on it too.

They are all so excited to have bikes that fit them. Their old ones were getting way too small!!

All in all it was a pretty good Christmas. And after Christmas, we were able to visit with family. My sister who lives in the middle of nowhere came to visit. We hadn't seen her family in 2 years. My parents came down as well. It was fun to see everyone. Then, once they left, we went up to Preston to see hubby's brother and his family. We haven't seen them in almost 2 years too. Now it's new years and we are back to just hanging out!

Gettin' Ready for Christmas

2011-12-20T07:41:00.002-07:00

This year, the kids all agreed on one shirt for their Christmas shirt. And, although it did involve sewing on 8 buttons (which I loathe!), I love my children and did it anyway. The kids wore them to the Church Christmas party, and again to pick a Christmas tree.

You can't really see the boy's but his reindeer has a bowtie instead of a hair (antler?) bow. And yes, they are all Rudolph. I wasn't about to start that fight!

We went to the Tree Lot in town that had Mater. It was pretty cool, but I couldn't bring myself to pay that much for a tree for only 2 weeks. Maybe if we'd gotten in 2 weeks ago, but not for just 2 weeks. But the kids loved Mater.

Do you like Squirt's new 'camera smile?' We brought our Rite Aid tree home and, after hubby put the lights on, we let the kids go at it. They did pretty well. It's nice that the boy can reach to top part. And there is only one glass ornament on it, so I am okay with it being in the TV room downstairs.

Happily Playing

2011-12-13T18:56:00.002-07:00

First of all, who knew we had so many penguins?!!

Secondly, thank goodness we do, since it kept Squirt busy for 30 minutes while I made dinner.

Line 'em up...

Lay 'em down...

It's not a penguin massacre. It's a penguin slumber party.

Getting Ready For Christmas

2011-12-07T20:47:00.002-07:00

Last year, we had this glass built in showcase thing where we put our advent calendar. Since we moved, I had to get creative. A trip to the dollar store, where I bought 2 spools of ribbon and a pack of clothespins and we were set. Then, I stayed up until midnight trying to get it all in the order I wanted and stuffing the bags full of candy. But, it's done and the kids are loving it!

(Munchkin helped me pin all the bags up multiple times as they kept falling!)

The kids wanted Christmas shirts again this year. Since I had to redeem myself from the reindeer craft fail of 2010, I went with reindeer again. The boy was surprisingly excited about it. Even begging to sew the button eyes on. However, since most of my crafting is done while my children sleep, his sewing career will have to start later.

(they all picked out their own ribbon for the bows and fabric for the bowtie)

I am in the Primary Presidency at church and this year we are doing a little program at the Ward Christmas dinner. The boy was chosen to be a wiseman. He asked me if I could make him a beard. I thought it would be so funny for the wisemen to have these beards, so I made three. I was kind of afraid to tell the Primary president for fear she wouldn't want the beards, but she found out and asked me to make one more for the innkeeper.

(Munchkin modeling the innkeeper beard)

The boy insisted on a black scraggly one. I had fun coming up with the shapes of the bottoms of the beards.

So far this December we have:

1. written letters to Santa on a cute printable--I had them write their top 5 wants

2. Made paper countdown chains

3. Cut out about a million snowflakes

4. Make a gingerbread man craft while eating gingerbread marshmallows

5. Watched a Rudolph movie while coloring Rudolph pictures

6. Had hot chocolate with marshmallows through red and white striped straws

7. Read a Christmas story and got 4 new Christmas books. One of them is a Mickey Mouse one but I guess it still counts.

In other news, I had my crown on my tooth replaced this week. I got it on our 5 year anniversary (5.5 years ago) and it has been hurting me for about 3 years. In the two days I have had the temp. crown, it feels so much better already! It's not cold sensitive anymore. Can I just say I love my dentist?! And I love that we have a Flex spending card to pay for it all with! This year a crown, next year Lasik for hubby.

Awesome Monday

2011-09-19T21:01:00.002-06:00

This morning, we went to Ikea to get some spice racks for bookshelves for the kids' rooms. We left our house right after the kids went to school. We got to Ikea around 9am. Guess what time Ikea opens. 10am. So we drove around Riverton looking for a park. We found one with a merry-go-round. Munchkin wanted to go fast but Squirt was on and I wasn't sure she'd hold on very well. So I got on with her. Hubby pushed us pretty fast and both girls loved it. Me? Not so much. I hadn't eaten breakfast and I was so sick!!! I even considered eating some of hubby's sunflower seeds to just put something in my stomach. I took me most of the morning and into the afternoon before I felt better. Getting old sucks!

So at 10 am we went back to Ikea and they are all out of the spice racks. For two weeks. Oh well. I got to wander around Ikea for a bit and the girls got a spinny ride on their carts from Hubby.

Since the kids went back to school, I have been running a lot of errands with the two littles. So, inevitably the two younger ones have been getting some treats that the older ones are missing out on. Like a cheap toy or treat after a trip to the store. Or a kid's meal after a long trip to the store to keep them awake on the car ride home. So the older two were feeling left out. I wanted to bring up all the things they got when they were little and the other two weren't born yet, but I didn't. So hubby pulled them out of school today and surprised them with lunch. They picked a pizza buffet and then got to get a toy at the dollar store. (We also didn't tell them that since we were running late home from Ikea, the two little girls got McDonalds for lunch.) Then we took them to Classic Skate for a while which turned into dinner...which none of them ate! Let's just say that Thumbelina is the best skater out of all of us. I only ate it once, but the boy spent most of his time on the floor. Luckily, for our pride, we were the only ones there. But they have a whole new play area with bounce houses and a climbing thing that the kids loved!

It was probably the best day ever...and Squirt went to bed at 6:30.

Back to School, Back to School...

2011-08-26T11:31:00.003-06:00

School started this week. Just before the summer fighting drove me completely insane!!!

Thumbelina started 2nd grade. She likes her teacher and has a bunch of friends in her class. She has already gotten to Yellow Card for talking. Oh well. That was her main problem last year. I have them write apology letters if they don't behave. It worked for the boy last year, but Thumbelina really likes writing notes so I'm not sure it will work with her.

My boy is in 3rd grade. His teacher seems really nice. No homework this first week-so he really liked that! He also sits right next to the girl he has a crush on. He was "totally embarrassed" when I kissed him on his forehead the first day of school. Oh well.

And this one who can't stand for the camera to be out without taking a picture of her! (or her bear in this case!)

Munchkin will start Preschool in a couple weeks so her picture will be up then.

Squash Invasion

2011-07-19T10:38:00.002-06:00

Fried zucchini, zucchini cookies (with butterscotch chips for the very first time), zucchini muffins, and sauteed zucchini and yellow squash for dinner tonight, and I am still behind! Time to get to grating and freezing!

Spray Paint Stenciling

2011-07-07T08:02:00.003-06:00

Thumbelina has a birthday party to go to for a boy in her class. And while I have a million girl present ideas, boy ideas are hard for me. The invitation was a Mario Bros one, so I went off of that. I found a Mario keychain on super clearance a while back, so I decided to pair that with a Mario shirt he could wear. I printed off a picture, and spent some quality time with my craft knife. So much time, however, that hubby told me, (and I quote) "we need to get you one of those cutter machines that you want---how much are they?" Anyway, after about a hour with the freezer paper, craft knife and iron, I had it ready...but I was too tired to find my fabric paint. So I took it outside and spray painted it:

And after all that cutting, I couldn't bear to throw away the part of the stencil I didn't use---so Thumbelina got a shirt too:
Thumbelina loves her shirt and I hope her friend likes his too. I also got a Cars puzzle, Cars Pez, and a magnifying glass to throw in the bag with the shirt and keychain.

Now that is done and I am so excited that hubby is finally onboard with the Silhouette!!!

Solution to Summer Confusion

2011-06-07T07:03:00.003-06:00

Days of the Week shirts for the boy! He wore Monday yesterday and got lots of laughs. Dollar store Ts, freezer paper and paint. Now, if I can keep up with the laundry, we might have a fighting chance at knowing what day it is this summer!

Rainbow Suncatcher

2011-06-06T06:25:00.001-06:00

This is the project that won runner-up in The Color my Summer Contest. Wanna make one, too? Here's how:

Ever feel bad about throwing away plastic cups? And during the summer, with all the birthdays, pool parties, BBQ and picnics-- well, that's a whole lot of cups! Since most events that we are attending this summer are pot-luck, I volunteer to bring the cups. That way, I can buy the right ones (wink!) and use them for this awesome project!

Which ones are the right ones? Well, type 6 recycling plastic is the same as shrinky dinks! So I bought a rainbow of cups in the transparent colors (about 25 per pack). After a couple of events, and with a bag and sign for recycling the cups, I had enough to make this sun catcher!

First, start with clean cups. The kind I had were octagonal but had a circular base. I punctured the base with pointed scissors and then cut around the circle to take the base of the cup off.

At the top of the cup, I used a hole punch to put two holes directly across from each other. These will allow you to string them together later. I used jelly roll pans and an oven at 120 degrees celsius (250 degrees farenheit.) I lined my pans with parchment paper and placed the cups TOP SIDE DOWN with the hole from cutting off the base pointing up. You don't have to space them out much-- they don't really spread as they melt. If your oven is already hot, it only takes about 2 minutes or so for the cups to melt. If they aren't completely flat, just use a spatula right after you take them out to flatten them. I have granite counter tops, so I just scooped them off the cookie sheet and let them cool on the counter. They are still a little flimsy right out of the oven, so I wouldn't use a cookie rack to cool them.

Once cooled (which only takes a second), I used gold yarn to string them up with an outer circular layer and an inner one. For the top of the chandelier, I used a clock box from Ikea, spray painted yellow.

Since it was octagonal, I decided that it would be easiest to have 8 strings of discs for the outer ring and 8 (staggered in between the original 8) for the inner ring. . The outer ring has 5 discs (one of each color) and the inner ring has 7 discs, so that they would hang down a little more.

I used a different order for colors for the inner ring so that the colors would mix between the two layers.

So- all total you will need 8x5=40 cups for the outer layer and 8x7=56 for the inner layer, or total 96 cups.

It's not evenly distributed between the 5 colors, so decide on your color scheme first to see which colors you'll need I left one end of the string of discs a little longer (tied the other end to the last disc) and then used a needle to thread it through the painted box. I tied adjoining strings together using a square knot, just to keep them from slipping out. Well go back and hot glue everything in place once everything is attached to the box.

Since clock boxes have a central circle, I used an extra plastic ring with yarn tied to it (and hot-glued into place on the box) to hang the whole contraption by stringing it up through that hole.

Then, hang by a window and enjoy!

Artists Collection

2011-06-03T14:29:00.002-06:00

My wall is filled with end of the school year projects brought home this week. Munchkin is getting upset that her pictures got bumped.

I told her she just had to draw me a new one and we would tack it up.

Craft Fail...and Redemption

2011-06-03T14:22:00.002-06:00

I was at the dollar store yesterday getting the last of the fillers for my summer bucket and I saw the t-shirts. I picked up 5 different colors for the boy. I thought it'd be funny to make him day of the week shirts. Since he wore the back one today, it became the Friday shirt. And since it was black I wanted to bleach the stencil on it. I got a little over zealous with the bleach and had to retouch the black with paint and sharpie! Oh well, he likes it!

But I redeemed myself with Wednesday's shirt.

Paint is easier than bleach today.

Only three more shirts to go.

Last Day Love For Teachers

2011-06-02T20:36:00.003-06:00

Tomorrow is the last day of school. Hurrah for summer! We wanted to leave our teachers with some end of the school year love. I made them some M&M cookies and found this cute poem online.

Put a pretty ribbon on it and you're good to go! We have loved the kids' teachers this year. I am super sad that Thumbelina won't be able to have the boy's teacher next year since she is moving to a different school. And I knew how to be her room mom!! Happy Summer teachers!!

Summer Starts Tomorrow

2011-06-02T20:29:00.002-06:00

We are homebound this summer since hubby is nearly out of vacation days. So I bought one of those giant buckets and filled it up with fun summer stuff for the kids to do.

We are also having theme days. One day we will go to the library, one day the pool, one day will be a cooking day. All of the kids will have a bit of schoolwork to do each day. Reading and math for the school kids. Beginning reading for Munchkin. We are making a reading chart for the summer where the kids can color the number of minutes they read each day to earn certain prizes at certain levels. I think the grand prize will be Lagoon at the end of the summer.

Hopefully, with this plan I will make it through the summer with my sanity!

Super Munchkin...ish

2011-05-30T16:47:00.002-06:00

Munchkin was bathed and in pajamas the other day when she came outside to ask me if she could borrow a fan. Now it has been no where near hot here so I didn't know why she wanted a fan. Turns out she had found a pink cape and wanted to try flying. It just so happened it was windy so I told her she could try outside.

She was pretty upset that it didn't work.

We Have Created LIFE!!!

2011-05-30T16:38:00.002-06:00

The majority of the plants made it through Destructo-Squirt. About half of the plants you see, she dumped out at least twice. I have an entire row that could be cucumbers,, zucchinis, or pumpkins.

But, amid the rain and hail, we got the garden planted today.

We planted green beans, summer squash, spaghetti squash, zucchini, cucumbers, pumpkins, watermelon, tomatoes, and corn. I also have some peppers (bell mix and banana) that are still in the process of sprouting in my makeshift greenhouse, aka a clear tote on my back deck.

Hubby was digging posts for my kid deterrent chicken wire fence when he hit a sprinkler pipe. So I got to finish making the rows and planting by myself while he made two trips to Lowes and fixed the pipe...twice.
Now, hopefully everything will grow.

We Love Our Teachers

2011-05-27T10:13:00.004-06:00

I am the room mom for my son's 2nd grade class. I love his teacher and was hoping that my daughter would get her next year. But, alas, the teacher is heading to a different school next year to be a vice principal. So during teacher appreciation week, I was in charge of decorating the classroom door. I got it all together and had another Mom put it up for me since hubby's graduation was at the same time. It was a "Recipe for Success" with cookies with the kids faces. Super cute!

I was also in charge of getting together a teacher gift to present on Friday. I bought and embellished an apron and had the kids sign it in fabric marker when I went to help with PE. I also asked for donations--which the parents happily provided. I saw the idea of putting the gift cards together in a scrapbook thing. This seemed like the best idea since she isn't going to be teaching next year. Here is my take on it...made around 10 pm the night before.

We are really sad that Thumbelina won't get to have her next year and we won't even get to see her anymore! But hopefully she had a great year to go out on.

Such a GIRL!

2011-05-27T08:52:00.003-06:00

My oldest daughter, Thumbelina, is almost 7. She loves anything with ruffles. She went through a long phase where she would not wear anything I made for her. She would be super excited as I was slaving over the item, but as soon as it was finished, she would cry everytime I tried to have her wear it. Good thing she has 2 younger sisters that I can save it for or I would have given up right then!

She is in first grade now. With that comes school shirts. There is the regular school shirt with the mascot on the front. Then there was a fundraiser which came with another shirt. And don't forget the dance festival where all of the first graders got matching shirts.

The problem with this is the shirts are blah. She won't wear them. So I get the fun and exciting job of trying to refashion them into something she WILL wear. Here is my first take on the fundraiser shirt.

The unaltered shirt on the left and the new 'dress' on the right. But dumb me forgot to wash the shirt before I cut it all up. So that dress goes to little sister and I now have to make another for Thumbelina...with ruffles, she said.

Gearing Up

2011-05-26T16:15:00.003-06:00

I have an awkward situation. My daughter's birthday is in August. The beginning of August. So if she wants to have a friend party and invite school friends, I either have to keep track of them over the summer ( yeah, right! I can barely keep track of my own kids over the summer,) or move her party. My two choices for moving the party are either 2 months before her birthday right at the end of the school year, or a few weeks after but during all the beginning of the school year craziness. So I chose now. I have spent about 2 weeks thinking about everything I need to do, and probably two full days actually doing it. But I think I am about done!

We are doing a big party for her next year (carnival themed) so this year is low key. With her approval, we decided on painting birdhouses.

These are from Oriental Trading and came in a 12 pack. So I told her she could invite 11 friends.

We thought about games. My kids love Bingo if we use candy as the markers. Thanks to Martha, I found a Bingo game I could just print out. I did have to make my own calling cards but easy peasy!
Then, I needed to fill up the goody bags. I found this awesome tutorial for fabric pinwheels. I made the girl ones into clips and glued safety pins on the boys ones.

Then, crazy me had to make the goody bags. I found some $2 fabric that kind of resembles those canvas drop cloths and was able to make 12 bags. The boy was my go-to-kid and painted all the birdhouses using a stencil we made.

Add birdseed, bubbles, a soaker ball, some plastic pinwheels, and a monster bookmark. Clip on the fabric pinwheel and we are ready to go.

We were going to put about 150 balloons on the trampoline and let the kids go at it, but wouldn't you know it's supposed to rain. So I need to come up with a backup plan.

Four-Legged-Horse-Like

2011-04-26T15:24:00.002-06:00

Hubby's work has a lot of land around it. So they have animals there. I think these are mules...or donkeys...or horse-things. They used to have a couple of long-horn cattle. They keep the animals in the field by the sales offices. Hubby works at the plant now--which is just down the road a bit, so we don't go to the sales offices anymore. On saturday, hubby had to fix an overloaded truck so I took the kids to feed the ducks (at Flowserve) and when we ran out of bread, to see the mules (?) at the offices. Squirt had never been there to see them before.

Right after this picture, Munchkin yelled, "MOM! I touched it!"

They had fun watching and petting them. And, as with the ducks, Squirt screamed when it was time to go: "NO! A play with the horse!"

Easter Sunday

2011-04-26T11:03:00.002-06:00

I am weird and like to have a color theme for holidays--you know the ones where you take pictures. So this year, Easter was turquoise. The boy and Thumbelina didn't get anything new...well, technically, none of the kids did.

(l-r: The Boy, Munchkin, Thumbelina, Squirt)

A friend gave us a T shirt that her sone wouldn't wear because it was too bright. So that t-shirt became Munchkin's skirt and Squirt's cardigan. I added ribbon to Squirt's dress and flowers to Munchkin's tank top. So all in all, I spent maybe 2 hours and $3 (for fabric to make the flowers and bows) and had all "new" Easter outfits.

The Student Becomes the Teacher

2011-04-26T10:39:00.003-06:00

Thumbelina has been taking Piano lessons from our neighbor since January. She really likes it. I think the best part for her is having her OWN thing that no one else does.

Monday morning, however, I walked downstairs to find her teaching Munchkin one of her piano songs.
"When I say second finger, you put this finger right here."

"that's right!"

"Mom! She's teaching me to play Shoo Fly!"

Blog Slacker!

2011-04-19T11:14:00.003-06:00

Here is what happened (that I took pictures of) this last month:

Squirt was sick forever. I turned our ottoman into her island of germs. While she was on it, we washed lots of towels and blankets and pajamas. Like all of them...multiple times.

Feeling well enough to watch Mickey, and drink Gatorade.

We though it was a milk issue. So she had to go and get her blood drawn for the allergy test. But she got a new "rubby ducky."

Thumbelina brought home Flat Stanley for Spring Break. The only thing she actually did "with" him was play XBOX.

Munchkin gets headaches. So we had her eyes checked. She is totally normal and apparently a model opthamology patient. They dialated her eyes and found these awesome sunglasses for her to take home and wear outside.
So this month, the kids had Spring Break where we saw Gnomeo and Juliet, hubby and I got a date in, we went to the museum of art at BYU, Dairy Queen, park picnics, and a lot of Wii and Xbox time.

Squirt is not allergic to milk but has some sort of weird intolerance...so we are back to buying Lactaid---ugh!

Hubby got into his Masters program so while we will still have the summer, he goes back to school for 2 more years--BOO! But at least he doesn't have to take the GMAT again!

I am trying to get my easter table runner finished. I made the top last year and when I didn't have time to finish it before Easter, I put it away and now I am trying to finish it this year!

Getting Settled In

2011-03-19T17:29:00.004-06:00

We moved a while ago. Like 2 months. I think I am almost done with how I want the upstairs to look.

I love new stuff...and when a project turns out the way you hope. Scrabble art for the wall. It stands out more in real life.

Pictures, new couch, giant TV--that one was the husband's idea.

Some vinyl for the dining room wall with enough cork board picture frames for lots of artwork--mostly Munchkin's.

Now I just need to work on the downstairs! Oh yeah and the giant catch-all that is my bedroom!

Parenting

2011-03-18T13:44:00.002-06:00

I took the kids to Roberts this morning looking for things I needed for a project I was doing. When we checked out, the lady, of course, offered the girls balloons. She tied them on their wrists and continued with taking my money. I told Squirt to leave hers on her wrist. She took it off. I told her to hold on tight or it would float away and be all gone. While she was playing in a basket of eggs by the register, she let go of her balloon. It floated up to the ceiling, out of reach. She immediately started freaking out. "Balloon! Balloon," she cried. I told her that she let go of it and it was gone. I reminded her that she took it off her wrist. Basically I lugged her out of the store screaming. While I was buckling her in, the lady in line behind me came up to me and said, "I admire your parenting." Then she was gone.

So either I am doing something right by letting my children learn consequences, or that lady was crazy.

Eight Really is Great!

2011-03-07T18:35:00.002-07:00

We had the boy's baptism on Saturday. He was so excited and just a little bit nervous. On the ride there, he kept asking his Dad to hold him under the water longer.

I made a baptism subway art for the Primary Baptism Fireside we had. So I used that at the baptism. We also took a picture of the boy and had people sign the mat. Now I just have to put his baptism picture in it and we can hang it.

A couple of his friends from school came--which was way cool for him.

Hubby did it backwards the first time so the boy got dunked twice.
The boy went with hubby to the baptism of a guy hubby works with, so this guy wanted to come to the boy's baptism. My family came, including my uncle and a few cousins that we haven't seen in a long time. In fact, my uncle was the only family member that helped bless the boy when he was a baby. We'll have to have him help again when the boys gets the priesthood.

It was a great day and we had so many friends there to help us celebrate this day with the coolest boy ever!

Zombies

2011-02-04T19:38:00.003-07:00

Raising the next generation of gamers...

While Thumbelina is playing her princess game on the Wii downstairs.

They love when Dad comes home because I am a video game retard. Munchkin can get farther than me in Mario. I may be useless at video games, but I helped Rory make an awesome cake valentine box today. We all have our talents...

The Day of Love

2011-02-02T07:48:00.002-07:00

I always make shirts for the kids. The boy got a Christmas shirt with a red truck hauling a christmas tree. They get birthday shirts...except for Munchkin who I totally forgot about! Oops! But I am working on one for her. Last year I made Valentine shirts and I fear I have set a bar. Darn it! It was so hard last year to think up something manly for the boys shirt. But he still wears it which is the real test. This year, I decided we needed a theme. You know, matchy matchy.

Conversation hearts! I had to approve the saying for the boy's shirt but he asked to wear it yesterday so I figure I'm golden!

You Rock for the boy against any lovey crap.
Sweet squirt gets hugs and kisses--because really, who doesn't want to hug and kiss that little girl?

Crazy Munchkin loves her cupcake shirt

And of course pink for Thumbelina!

The kids are so excited about them. I am just excited I got them done!

Now I have to get the boy's birthday shirt done for 4 days after Valentines!

A Whole New World!

2011-01-24T17:59:00.002-07:00

We moved!

Around the block.

Into a house without a basement apartment.

YAAAAAYYYYY!!!!!!!!!

Life is good.

Unpacking still sucks!

Buying new things for our new space.

Figuring out where all the old things go is hard.

I think I finally figured out the kitchen today...

...after rearranging it 4 times and thinking about it for 2 weeks.

Next week, we work on the garage.

So Much Sickness

2011-01-18T18:30:00.003-07:00

And WAY too much whine to go with it.

Everyone was fine during Christmas break. Then the boy got some random thing and missed his first day back to school. He managed to go every other day but came home and promptly fell asleep on the couch, slept all night and went to school the next day.

Then, Squirt got sick on Monday afternoon. General whinyness, and a small cough. After 4 days of her not getting any better, we went to the trusty doctor. CROUP! Now, if you haven't had any experience with this illness, let me tell ya---it's fun for the whole family! Especially with a thumb sucker! Coughing, wheezing, congestion, and no magic drug to make it all better. The doctor did prescribe her something to help loosen everything up. She hated it. So much that she wouldn't take her yummy ibuprofen without a lot of coaxing.

Thumbelina was hit next. She went to bed early on Friday, and stayed in bed ALL DAY on Saturday. Now this girl is the epitome of 'misery loves company' so it was totally unreal that she stayed in her bed. She moaned and whimpered most of Sunday and Monday...much to everyone's enjoyment.

Munchkin came down with a sympathetic virus. Varying syptoms of legs hurting, not being able to walk, coughing, and a genuine fever for a day or two.

Hubby went to bed last night at 8pm feeling a little sick. But being the man he is, he is just fine this morning.

I am taking my lysine and xplague everyday in the (likely dim) hope that I will get passed over. I think we are at the tail end of it all. Now if the kids would just sleep through the night, maybe I could find the energy to unpack the rest of the kitchen boxes so I can tackle the garage and maybe park my car in there this year.

Look Who's Four!

2011-01-11T09:18:00.002-07:00

Munchkin turned 4 this week! We can't believe she's only 4! It seems like she's been here forever! She is super into Handy Manny and Mickey Mouse Clubhouse, thanks to her cousins in Washington. She got the Handy Manny Talking Toolbox for Christmas and plays with it ALL THE TIME!

So while we were still moving in this weekend, we celebrated this girl's birthday with a Mickey Mouse cake,
The same sword that she gave her friend for his birthday last week,

Lots of Mickey Mouse stuff--stamps, 3D Viewers, secret marker book,

And her very own Handy Manny.

And a streamer ball made special for her by her older sister.

And she gets to go to Costco with me to pick out a new dress. Lucky her!

Christmas Eve Pancakes

2010-12-29T07:20:00.002-07:00

Every year, we have pancakes for Christmas Eve dinner. Last year was Santa with red M&Ms, marshmallows and whipped cream. This year we went slightly healthier with Christmas trees with whipped cream and sprinkles. Such an easy thing and the kids think we are sooo cool!

Add in some hot chocolate and they were all asleep by 9 pm.

Four Feet

2010-12-24T10:50:00.002-07:00

Adds up to reindeer shirts!

Merry Christmas!

Smarty

2010-12-21T09:35:00.002-07:00

Munchkin kept finding old pairs of glasses and wearing them around the house. Hubby and I were worried about her damaging her eyes since she doesn't NEED prescription glasses. Finally, I found an old pair of the Boy's glasses from when he was about her age. I popped out the lenses and VIOLA!

She's been wearing them for 3 days now. Thumbelina told her she looked weird, and made Munchkin cry before she admitted that she just wanted a pair of her own. So we popped the lenses out of hubby's old pair and now I have three kids that wear glasses.

"Helping"

2010-12-15T06:54:00.001-07:00

While the other kids were decorating the tree, Squirt was eating gingerbread men.

I mean, helping decorate.

Getting Ready for Christmas

2010-12-14T10:52:00.003-07:00

Santa showed up to our ward Christmas breakfast.

Squirt was not thrilled with the idea of sitting on this man's lap but she did really well considering her track record with strangers.

She didn't smile or laugh but she didn't cry either.

After naps, we went into the mountains and cut a tree. It isn't the best, most symmetrical tree but, since the snow was up to hubby's knees and Thumbelina and the boy were with him, this became the perfect tree!

90+ ornaments, 5 strands of sparkly garland and tinsel, 500 gold shimmery icicles, two strands of rope lights, assorted homemade ornaments and one giant star combined to make the best Christmas tree ever!!! Designed and decorated by the kids.

Saturday was hubby's birthday, but we decided to put it off for a month and have a giant celebration with Me, Hubby and Munchkin in January once we are into our new house.

Hitting Important Milestones

2010-12-07T22:39:00.002-07:00

Thumbelina's first ponytail by herself.
Why does wearing a school sweatshirt make Thumbelina seem so grown up?! Even though Munchkin is almost as tall as her.

Munchkin makes her own lunch most days. And I happily let her!

And finally, what post would be complete without a funny picture of Squirt?

She loves to eat cereal with milk...and most of the time will eat it all with little mess. But sometimes, she gets bored and dumps it onto the table to eat it.

The Babe Wrapped in Swaddling Clothes

2010-12-07T11:56:00.003-07:00

Char at Crap I've Made is hosting a Nativity Parade. I love looking at Linky Parties but rarely link up...so in the spirit of sharing:

I found these guys at Honks. They are so cute! Not quite sure what I'll do with them since it's just a shepherd and two wisemen, but maybe someday I can find a whole set.

Those are my nativities--minus one softie set that my mother-in-law made for the kids that they play with all year. I don't know where they put it.

I want to make a block set for the kids and another big set for me with each member of the nativity embroidered and framed in different sized frames and then the whole arrangement on the mantle.

Merry Christmas!

Check out all the other Nativities.

Sometimes Solo is a No-Go

2010-12-06T06:35:00.002-07:00

I am finishing up our Christmas cards and wasn't happy with one of the pictures I'd chosen. So while hubby was taking a test, I spiffed the kids up and took them down by the river. (Too bad we don't have a van!) Mostly, they were cooperative...the older ones anyway. Squirt had her own ideas about how things would go.

This one would've been good if she'd only stayed in the frame.

I love this face! It's her sneaky face. Like-Mom will never notice I am sneaking out of the picture!

It was a valiant effort but without hubby there to help keep them together, not as productive as I'd hoped. But I did get a decent picture.

Dear Santa

2010-12-01T11:40:00.003-07:00

Mama’s Holiday Wish List Meme

TodaysMama (link to: http://bit.ly/tmwishlist) and GameStop (link to: http://bit.ly/gamestop10) are giving away a sleighful of gifts this holiday season and to enter I’m sharing this meme with you.

1. What is your holiday wish for your family? Happiness above all else

2. What is your Christmas morning / Hanukkah Nightly tradition? Slurpees in light-up cups left by Santa. We set up one Santa present the night before and use special wrapping for the others. Cinnamon rolls for breakfast---if they can tear themselves away from the candy!

3. If you could ask Santa for one, completely decadent wish for yourself, what would it be? Enough money for date night with my husband every week.

4. How do you make the holidays special without spending any money? We make a lot of homemade things. Advent calendar with special activities each night. Go see the lights at Temple Square. Spend as much time together as a family as we can.

5. What games did you play with your family growing up? Uno

6. What holiday tradition have you carried on from your own childhood? Decorate the day after Thanksgiving.

7. Where would you go for a Christmas/Hanukkah-away-from-home trip? Visit the family in Washington. We are the only ones that don't live up there so it is fun to be able to spend time together.

8. Check out GameStop (link to: http://bit.ly/gamestop10) and tell us, what are the three top items on your GameStop Wish List this year? Top three include a Wii, Xbox 360 with Kinect, and Your shape fitness evolved so hubby and I can hopefully lose some weight.

Temple Challenge

2010-11-28T17:57:00.002-07:00

Last month, the kids were challenged in Primary to visit temples in Utah. So far, we have been to three. Salt Lake--two days after Thanksgiving so the lights would be on. Always enthralled by the fountains

And any type of water feature.

We decided on this shot because the stone slab had a waiting line.

Squirt was less than thrilled about the whole thing.

Mount Timpanogos for Family Night

And the Provo temple

The kids are having so much fun checking them off their lists. They were very upset with us when we wouldn't let them roll down the hill at the Provo Temple.

Happy Thanksgiving 2010

2010-11-26T11:22:00.004-07:00

The real star baker behind Thanksgiving:

Otherwise known as, "Where did my hotpad go?!!!!"

She worked so hard stealing hotpads that she didn't make it to the big meal.

Desserts: Yes, there were only 6 of us--but you gotta have variety! And dessert for 2 weeks!

Dinner: Mashed potatoes, gravy, homemade cranberry sauce, green bean casserole, stuffing, sweet potatoes with crumb topping and marshmallows ...

And RIBS!!!

Thumbelina was too into her ribs to smile for a picture. And then Squirt woke up and we had to blow out all the candles.

It was so good!!! And there are so many leftovers! Our kids are already sick of them.

It was a good day. We ate, watched movies, played games, ate dessert, played one more game (Memory--I won!), and sent to kids to the playroom to watch a show and sleep.

We Love Us Some Mickey Mouse Clubhouse

2010-11-24T10:22:00.002-07:00

Winter

2010-11-23T11:50:00.003-07:00

Winter is here. No doubt about it. Snow, cold temperatures, patches of ice waiting for me to slip. But I choose to not think about it. You see, if you don't venture out into the frozen wasteland, you hardly think about it. So I wear shorts and t shirts...mainly because Squirt won't keep anything on her feet so the heater is keeping the house toastier than normal. Denial. Works for me. And these two in my backyard:

'I still have pears---it's not winter!'

'Look at my beautiful leaves. These are FALL leaves---it's not winter!'

And then there are those who embrace the frosty season: The boy pretending to get shot on the trampoline...over and over.

It was awesome to watch! From the warmth of inside.

Sweet Justice

2010-11-12T07:29:00.002-07:00

A few weeks back, Hubby called on his way home from class to tell me he'd gotten a parking ticket. My first thought was--didn't we pay $80 for a parking permit?! He told me how he'd come out of class, walked to his car, and found the ticket. He also found his parking permit missing. So he went to the parking police office and explained the situation to them. They had him fill out some paperwork to get out of the ticket and get a new pass. While he was filling this out, the parking police office person called the actual parking police guy out giving tickets. Hubby's ticket was given within the last hour, and he would look around for his permit. 5 minutes later the guy called back. He'd found the permit in another car, and would bring it to the office. While hubby was waiting for his permit to be returned, he asked what would happen to the person who took it.

* Car impounded
**Actual theft charges filed

Hubby then asked how much the impound fee would be.

***$300

Lessons learned:

1. Lock your car doors in the school parking lot.
2. $80 permit is less than $300 impound fee
3. UVU parking police don't mess around!

House in Order

2010-11-01T10:43:00.005-06:00

Halloween is over. I have been so focused on getting everything ready for Halloween that my other chores have been neglected. Here are some hilights of the Halloween things and then I am off to fix the disaster that has become my house.

Jack O Lantern carving. The boy picked the flaming skull, Thumbelina picked the star eyes and heart mouth, and Munchkin picked Mickey Mouse. Squirt got what she got since she was taking a nap when we carved them.

Lots of blood for the boy---of course!

Lots of glitter for the mermaid---even if she is wearing snowboots.

The whole gang.

Complete with ninja moves.

Now I have to fix my house so I can do my Sharing Time for Sunday!

Two DONE!!!

2010-10-26T13:36:00.004-06:00

My original goal was to be done with Halloween costumes by Saturday. My new goal is to be finished tomorrow. I think I can make it. I just have to finish the mermaid skirt now. YAY ME!

How cute is my little clown?! Even with a double ear infection.

Trauma

2010-10-20T12:13:00.002-06:00

It seems like Munchkin is more accident prone than the other kids. When she was about 2, she pulled the TV down on her head...twice. She is always running into things, tripping over nothing and just generally banging herself up. But Sunday was a doozy. She was putting her clothes away, standing on Squirt's bed like always, when her drawer fell out. She lost her balance and did a header into the empty drawer hole. She got medicine, bandaids and to watch a show in Mom and Dad's bed.

About an hour later, she was ready to go to church...where everyone asked her what happened to her nose.

She also got 3 scratches by her eye. The boy came up later and asked what happened to her and I told him that Wolverine got her. He didn't believe me.

One Costume Down---Two to Go

2010-10-18T11:36:00.002-06:00

Now to figure out a mermaid and a clown!

Squirt and Her Bear

2010-10-12T13:55:00.002-06:00

Squirt has a bear. Her favorite bear. In fact, her favorite thing in the whole world! When we are at home, her bear stays in her bed. It only comes out in time of catastrophe or in time of laundry.

This morning was a time of catastrophe. Thumbelina was spinning the two littles in the computer chair. Both were laughing until Squirt flew out and landed right on her face.

***Bear to the rescue!***

And then the phases of bear begin:

Phase one: She sees bear

Phase two: She hugs bear

Phase three: She holds bears hand while sucking both her thumbs.

More fun bear facts:

1. We take bear along anytime she is left with a sitter. Just in case.

2. When bear gets washed, she waves to him when he goes into the washer and says, "Bye Bear!" But when we dry him, you can hear his chime as he goes round and round. So she will walk back and forth by the dryer saying, "bear? bear? Bear?"

3. Although we have about a million other Carebears, she doesn't like any of them. Sometimes she will snuggle a small pink chenille one, but it's not the same.

So Funny!

2010-10-11T07:10:00.002-06:00

I don't remember the other kids being this much fun around 18 months---except maybe Munchkin!
Squirt is definitely her own person, breaking all the rules the other three set. Hubby took her to Nursery yesterday and she loved it.

She just wants to be one of the big kids. She wanders to the playroom all the time and will just sit and watch the kids play. She is so mellow--when she's not teething. She's so fun!

Coulda Been...

2010-10-10T11:09:00.002-06:00

I got a cold sore on Monday. For those of you who have never been blessed with cold sores, they hurt. And they ooze and they scab over and they are just plain nasty! This is my 5th one in about 2 years. So as soon as I felt it Monday morning, I started with the remedies.

6 days later, it is past the hurting/oozing stage and on its way to being healed. Way faster than the 15 days last time.

It coulda been the x plague that I rubbed on it 6 times a day...and drank once a day.

It coulda been the $20 itty-bitty tube of abreva that I bought and rubbed on 5 times a day.

It coulda been the Lysine that my friend brought over and I took once a day.

I don't know for sure what it was, but you can bet that the next time I get one, I will be using this exact same cocktail!

Dear...

2010-10-06T11:01:00.002-06:00

...body,

Cold sores suck. Stop getting them!

...makers of Abreva,

$20 for a tiny, itty-bitty tube? Really!??! You should be ashamed of yourselves.

...Squirt's teeth,

Come out already and stop torturing her!

...Munchkin,

Stop waking up at 6am!

...husband,

Maybe we could go on a date sometime?

...laundry,

how about you learn to fold yourself!

Sincerely,
me

Unexpected

2010-10-04T20:13:00.002-06:00

Today we went to the doctor. An ENT, to be precise. He was going to look at the boy's nose. You see, my sweet boy has been getting regular nosebleeds since he was about 3. Last Wednesday, he had one at school, one at Karate, and one at midnight. All of them lasting at least 20 minutes. We thought about cauterization.

So last Thursday I called the doctor. Our appointment was for 2:15 this afternoon. I was putting the two littles in the car when the boy and his sister walked home from school. As soon as the boy saw me he remembered what we had to do. He started freaking out. There were tears, there were threats, pleading...I got it all!

More freakage from the car to the office. Then again walking back to the room. The doctor came in and checked.

"We could do it right now," the doctor said.

Wanna see a freak-show?

End result---we got one nostril cauterized with minimal freaking. I just hope that one was the main problem.

Tooth Fairy...And a Little Help?

2010-09-28T07:27:00.004-06:00

Thumbelina lost her first tooth this past weekend. But, unlike the boy, she went from loose tooth to no tooth in just a few minutes. Her tooth was really loose and she freaked out! With a capital F. She ran around the house crying, begging for an apple "to bite it out." Sadly, no apples were to be found. I told her she had two options: 1-Chill out about it and wiggle it, or 2-Keep freaking out and I would pull it out.

**Tip for the tooth puller in your house---dental floss works WAY better than thread for pulling teeth.***

Three minutes later, she was holding a cold blood-soaked rag in her mouth, with her tooth tucked safely in the tooth pillow.

Once she calmed down a bit, (after an otter pop and the promise of ice cream) she wrote her note to the tooth fairy, asking for toys instead of money in exchange for her teeth.

Luckily the Tooth Fairy remembered to come, and even left her own note, along with the Barbie walkie-talkies.

Does anyone know the tooth fairy book where it tells about how she collects teeth to make necklaces? Know what it's called? We borrowed it from the library when the boy had his first loose tooth--almost 4 years ago, and now we can't find it! So now the kids tooth fairy is a mash-up of that story and the Tooth Fairy movie.

Best $15 I Ever Spent

2010-09-20T15:45:00.003-06:00

You have seen the Mr Potato Head posts. The kids are loving them and play with them every single day. The great thing is it came with the big potato head container, 2 regular sized potatoes and 2 mini potatoes and all the stuff to dress them all up.

But now...

...the fun no longer stops with the potatoes.

Nacho

2010-09-17T19:44:00.002-06:00

Nacho Libre, that is.

Silly Girls

2010-09-14T22:12:00.003-06:00

This is what you get when you let two 6 year old girls loose with your camera:
96 pictures of themselves, their toys, the house/yard, siblings-- including a few of the boy's booty.

End of Summer

2010-09-07T17:45:00.001-06:00

If You Can't Beat 'Em

2010-09-06T21:44:00.000-06:00

Join 'em.

Time Out By Choice

2010-09-02T10:42:00.003-06:00

Munchkin has been in Time Out a lot lately. I think she is feeling the need to make up for the older two being gone at school.

But Squirt doesn't want to be left out.

The Month of Birthday Parties

2010-08-27T19:58:00.003-06:00

Thumbelina has a summer birthday. Not just a summer birthday but a 2 weeks before school starts summer birthday. So that I am focused on getting everything ready for school and not focused on a birthday party. So we had decided that we would have a small family party on her actual birthday, a bigger family party at Gma/Gpa Washington's, and then a friend party after school started.

(I know I am crazy!)

Now...I am too tired to think about a friend party because I really want to do a carnival theme. So I talked her into having her friend birthday party next year--maybe at the beginning of the summer. But we never really got her any presents aside from long dresses that she desperately needed for church anyway.

So we threw her a bigger family party. We took the family to the movies and saw How to Train Your Dragon. With popcorn and drinks and Thumbelina got her very own Icee. Most of the popcorn ended up on the floor and the boy's bladder was about to explode by the time it was over. Then we let her pick an ice cream cake. She got flowers and presents and cake and got to blow out her 3rd set of candles this year!

We got her a bunch of books and a pettiskirt and a paper doll book, in addition to the Chixo's from Gma/Gpa Idaho, barbies from Gma/Gpa Washington and Jeremy/Natalie and the girls, and an outfit and hair flowers from Shauna and Co. It seems like her birthday always gets dragged out.

School's BACK!

2010-08-26T07:40:00.002-06:00

The kids were so excited for school yesterday. Well, Munchkin just wanted her picture taken.

Thumbelina is probably more excited for all her new clothes, while the boy is more excited for playing with friends at recess.

I am most excited to be able to run errands with only 2 kids!

HOME

2010-08-23T07:30:00.002-06:00

It feels so good to sleep in my own bed after 10 nights of futons and air matresses and kids waking up all night long!

Now I just have to do all the laundry and try to get back in the groove of life.

Oh yeah, and do all the back-to-school shopping I have been putting off all summer!

And plan Thumbelina's friend birthday party, which-hopefully- I can reuse for another kid later!

In other big news---We turned Squirt's bed around so she is no longer caged in. She fell out twice last night. She'll get it!

The Big Milestone

2010-08-07T10:36:00.004-06:00

Squirt hit a big milestone yesterday. Her first pigtails! She totally wins at almost 15 months.

Thumbelina got there at 18 months.

And Munchkin is dead last at 23 months.
Squirt was less than thrilled when I put them in, but miracle of miracles, she left them in all day. Maybe this means she will leave her clip in at church this week.

Probably not.

Brown with and Orange Stripe

2010-08-06T14:33:00.002-06:00

The boy finished his last Karate Camp this morning. He is doing so well. He stays so focused and works hard. I just hope he's that way at school too!

Here are two of his sword forms that he learned this week.

Birthday Fun--The beginning...

2010-08-05T10:44:00.005-06:00

Thumbelina is SIX! She helped pick the design for her birthday shirt. It says 'six' at the bottom.

We let her open one of her presents on Sunday so she could wear it to church.

LONG DRESSES!!! I was so excited to find some long ones that won't be too short in a few months! And she loves it. It's her new favorite dress.

She wanted strawberry shortcake for her birthday. With pink cream. So I mixed jello with the whipped cream.

Make a wish!

Her other present--this one is a bit too long! But she loves it too.
After she opened it, she said, "Just two presents and no toys?!" We are having a party for her when we go and visit hubby's family in a little over a week, so our little family one was very low key. And she wants to have a friend party but I told her she should wait until after school starts so she can invite school friends. ( I am thinking we will do a backyard carnival if we can get enough adults to help man the booths.)

Happy birthday big girl! I can't believe she's six--but in some ways, I can't believe she's ONLY six.

For Kim

2010-08-02T10:23:00.003-06:00

Munchkin at almost 2 years old.

Party Time!

2010-07-31T08:23:00.002-06:00

We have been to more wedding receptions/open houses this summer than most of our married life. (Well, I guess if you don't count siblings.) The kids get all excited for a party! So we put on party clothes and fix their hair up nice...and hubby and I hope that the cuteness of the kids will overshadow the exhaustion of their parents!

We went to an Owls game last week, where Munchkin met her new best friend. And that best friend's son got married yesterday. So Munchkin got to see her best friend again. She was so excited. It was a great reception. Good people, good food. I mean really---they had ice cream sundaes for everyone!

The kids had a blast. Munchkin hung out with Kim, Thumbelina watched the wedding video, the Boy ate and ate, and Squirt just wanted to walk around--so hubby had to stroll her. The boy wanted to wear one of hubby's ties so he dressed all up. We get to party again tonight. I love parties--I don't have to make dinner!!!

Much Ado About Squirt

2010-07-29T10:30:00.003-06:00

We all have so much fun with Squirt. She is so funny and wants in on the action all the time. She hates being left out.

The kids laying in the hallway under the swamp cooler after jumping on the tramp. Squirt right there with them.

She joined them in the slip n slide. She never did slide much but she sat in the little pool at the end and let the water spray her. Super easy to make dinner without her under foot begging for food!

Super full diaper! This one probably weighs at least 5 pounds. But at least she has somewhere cushy, although soggy, to land when she falls down.

And somehow, from all that fun, she ended up with her first (??) black eye.

She has no trouble getting around now. She is currently working on climbing on the couch.

So Helpful

2010-07-28T13:52:00.002-06:00

If you have the time...

The Real Karate Kid

2010-07-28T09:41:00.003-06:00

The boy went to Karate Camp #2--Bo Staff Camp. He loves camp and he does so well learning everything so he can get a new belt. He is now a brown/yellow belt. (He is the second kid in.)

It's almost serene...until the last jab!

Too Hot To Blog

2010-07-26T11:45:00.003-06:00

Our swamp cooler is broken. It is sooooooo HOT! So we've been spending lots of time in the sprinklers.

Hot enough for two water cups:

Curly sue hair. I love this because I can have a whole day (or two) of bunnies (mini buns all over her head) and then curly poof for a day.

The kids keep kidnapping Squirt to the playroom. You can't really see but the boy built her a couch cushion fort---just for her! She likes it down there for a while which is nice because I can get some things done without her "help"---like sweeping the floor and loading the dishwasher.

The boy told me he doesn't want to get married because he doesn't "really like kissing." I didn't bother telling him that would change. I'll take it for now.

The other day we were walking home from the park and Thumbelina was tired. "Good thing it's only one more blog until we are home," she said. She meant block but it was so funny.

Munchkin is so funny. We went to an Owls game and she had Hubby's co-worker play her back like a piano and tickle her. Thanks Kim! Now she is Munchkin's new best friend.

Squirt is a walking fool! You can always tell when she's tired because she falls a lot more. But she hardly ever crawls anymore. If she falls, she just gets back up and starts walking again.

Hubby is short a guy at work this week so we might get to see him on Saturday.

The guy is supposed to come and fix the swamp cooler today. So maybe we won't die. The guy came on Friday and figured out what was wrong but couldn't get new parts because of Pioneer Day. He asked if we would be okay until Monday. Then he said if we died, he would get someone to break the door down so he could fix it so the next people wouldn't die. What a great guy! I am trying to make meals that don't require the oven, so we don't melt. NEED MORE ICE CREAM!!!

I'll be back later with a great video of Squirt.

Freedom of Expression

2010-07-14T05:21:00.002-06:00

We went to the 4 of July Parade--which was actually held on the 5th. We watched the pre-parade because the boy was walking with his Karate school. We stood on the edge of the street and cheered for him. Once he had gone by, we paid little attention to anything parade-wise.

Mainly because Munchkin had found a little platform and spent the rest of our time there entertaining us.

"Introducing the famous Munchkin!" Followed by a dance. Over and over.

Now We're Cooking

2010-07-12T19:20:00.003-06:00

I have been trying to be organized this summer. You know have a movie day, a library day, a whatever day. We wrote cooking day and sewing day on the calendar but so far those have only been whatever days. We did manage one cooking day and they proudly wore their aprons for most of the day. Even though all we made were muffins.

You'll notice we did not have a do-your-hair or a be-dressed requirement. But the muffins were tasty and all gone by dinner-time.

Determination

2010-07-10T10:02:00.003-06:00

Squirt does everything at her own pace but when she wants to do something---she will do it over and over until she gets it!

And about a week later:

Crawling is still so much faster.

One Down

2010-07-09T08:36:00.003-06:00

I have a problem. I have a million and a half projects in various stages of being finished. But instead of finishing those...I start a new one. But I am all done with one and just have to make the straps on the other two. Let me present...

The boy's scripture bag.

I cheated on the handles. I just cut the straps off of his mangled Kindergarten backpack and sewed them right on. I think it makes it look more manly...well, that and the camo and the skull fabric that it's lined with.

Working on Her Wave

2010-07-09T08:33:00.002-06:00

This little girl is destined to be in pageants. Anytime she hears her name, she waves. If she gets really excited, she'll stick her arm all the way out and wave really slow. Smiling all the while.

Dinosaur

2010-07-07T22:04:00.002-06:00

This summer I have been trying to come up with things for the kids to do. Things to keep us from going crazy. Things that don't involve television or computer. There is a Mall quite close to us. So somedays, we pack Squirt into the stroller (and Munchkin after about a block) and walk to the Mall to play at the kid's place. I think it is about a mile walk each way. The kids do great with the walk...as long as they are wearing shoes that fit them.

Munchkin loves to climb.

Squirt prefers to be eaten alive.

Aside from the dino skeleton, they also have a treehouse with a slide. That is where Thumbelina spends most of her time.

Tooth Fairy Unprepared

2010-07-06T12:30:00.004-06:00

The boy has had a loose tooth for a few weeks. I kept telling hubby we should just get something so we'd already have his prize when his tooth finally fell out. But we kept forgetting. Then, yesterday, he asked me to pull his tooth out. A bit of thread and a couple of tugs and he had a tooth to put in the tooth fairy pillow.

The only problem with this? Yesterday was the observed Independence holiday. Stores closed all over! So hubby went to the gas station and came home with a bunch of candy. (pretty ridiculous if you think about it!)

Good thing the 'Tooth Fairy' left a note reminding him to keep up his oral hygiene and to share!

He is always so excited to hear from the Tooth Fairy.

One Step At A Time

2010-06-30T18:08:00.002-06:00

I am plowing through my craft room. Trying to finish up projects that were started many moons ago. So far, I have finished 3 shirts for Squirt, two skirts for Thumbelina, a shirt for Thumbelina, and a bag for the Boy. Mind you, the only thing I made from scratch was the bag. All the other stuff were just refashions. You know, rompers that don't fit Squirt anymore become shirts; shirts that are too short for Thumbelina get extra length added. Recently we gave away all of our old boy clothes. But I went through them first and asked Thumbelina if she would wear any of the more neutral things. So from that, I have pink ruffles to add to a gray sweatshirt, and tan shorts that need the legs brought in and an applique added. And she is sooooo excited about it.

Anyway, since boy clothes are so much harder than girls, the Boy mostly gets bags. Here is a bag for his library books.

With a request for another bag to hold his scriptures---"but not with batman on the front because that's not appropriate for church."

Apparently some of the teaching is sinking in.

The Biggest Kid Of All

2010-06-28T18:59:00.004-06:00

Hubby on his Father's Day present.

The Funniest Thing EVER!!!

2010-06-27T17:13:00.003-06:00

TBall

I love how all the kids dogpile on the ball and ET just stands there.

It's just plain fun all around.

Brand New...Kind Of

2010-06-22T14:10:00.003-06:00

Thumbelina outgrew the bike that Grandma and Grandpa gave her. So we did the old switcheroo. Thumbelina's bike would go to Munchkin, and ET's old Spiderman bike would go to Thumbelina. Sounds like a perfect idea, right?

WRONG!!!

The problem with this idea? Well, how could Thumblina possibly be expected to ride a boy bike? I mean, really! A bike with not a stitch of pink in sight. Unthinkable. She wouldn't even consider it.

So to avoid a long and drawn out pouting session every time anyone rode a bike, we bought a can of spray paint and went to town. Pink, Pink, PINK! (But a really bad spray paint job in which I didn't take anything apart--I just sprayed.)

Then, she needed a new chain for her bike. So since we needed to take the bike apart anyway, I talked my husband into sanding, repainting and a new seat for the bike. I told Thumbelina it would take at least a week since we were factoring in a vasectomy and the subsequent lying about.

But we are totally done now.

Now she LOVES it. She is super excited to ride it.

But now we have another problem...the other kids want their bikes painted too.

Mover, Shaker, Etc.

2010-06-21T14:04:00.001-06:00

Squirt has taken this whole learning to walk thing to the next level. And she is just so darn proud of herself!

The BIG Snip

2010-06-17T21:02:00.002-06:00

Hubby goes in tomorrow for the big snip...aka his vasectomy. Try explaining that to your children. I started with, "We are done having babies so Daddy is having a surgery that makes it so we don't have any more babies."

ET: But I want a brother.

(Ain't gonna happen.)

Thumbelina: Surgery? Like they're going to cut him?

(It ain't called the big snip for nothing!)

Munchkin: What's surgery?

Then, tonight, we had whispered conversations about where exactly they are going to cut him.

ET: Where are the tubes they are going to cut?

Me: On his boy parts.

Thumbelina: (whispered) on his butt or his pe*nis?

Me: Everyone has a butt so that's not a boy part.

Consider this your fair warning if my children come and play at your house.

Snip Snip

2010-06-17T15:16:00.003-06:00

Squirt was born with hair. She is a year old now and will not leave any clips in her hair. It was getting long and in her eyes so on Sunday, I cut it. Then hubby gave her a bath and put her down for a nap. I cut more than an inch off the top.

When she got up from her nap, I almost cried! Her hair was sticking straight up--back to the mohawk! Luckily it flattened out quite a bit. She has long hair in her mohawk and right behind both ears. Now if we could just get the rest of her hair to grow a bit...

Super

2010-06-16T21:11:00.002-06:00

Super Mom I am not. But I do my best to keep the kids entertained.

They play in the house that fits over the dining room table--Squirt loves it!
Wearing big sister's jammies just for fun--thanks Dad!

Turning Thumbelina loose with the camera at the boy's Tball game---sorry random people.

Playing with a crayon sharpener...sound effects and tons of drool complimentary.

And my favorite...entertaining oneself. Look Mom! 2 feet, one slipper. Awesome!

Impaired Conversations

2010-06-11T21:15:00.002-06:00

Hubby took the boy to see the new Karate Kid movie tonight with his Karate school. They got home, we read scriptures and sent the kids to bed in the playroom. I was asking hubby who all was at the movie. Then I asked him about one of the instructors who is also in our ward.

I said, "Do you know who he is yet?"
Hubby: Yeah--well I don't know his name but I know who he is.
Me: What does he look like?
Hubby: (no answer--hubby has fallen asleep)
Me: Honey. What does he look like?
Hubby: Like a bunch of trees and an apartment complex with scenery.

**Pause**

The best part of these conversations are when he realizes that he has said something that makes absolutely no sense. So I just wait for it.

Swim Lessons

2010-06-10T18:15:00.002-06:00

The girls have been doing swim lessons.

Munchkin was in a class of 5 with 2 teachers. She didn't pass. She is still afraid to put her face in the water and terrified of the deep end. So she will be repeating it come Monday.

Thumbelina started in a class of 4, which dwindled to 2. But this whole week she has been the only one in class. She passed with flying colors. So she is taking this next session off while ET does the class she just finished. Then, next session, they will be in the same class.

Hopefully Munchkin can get over her fears.

What Would Summer Be Without Water?

2010-06-08T16:01:00.003-06:00

This is such a Munchkin look. Someone took her turn.
The boy is fearless. He even managed a couple times standing up.

Thumbelina did great too. The first few times of the summer, she always gingerly walks down it a few times before she gets the hang of it.

Munchkin didn't get very many turns with so many other bigger kids but she totally went for it.

My sister bought the kids a Slip N Slide for Christmas a few years ago and it was great. (What a cruel joke giving a summer toy in December--I had to hide it for a few months.) But last summer, it got ripped up by our totally even and level yard, and no where to safely store it. So YAY for Memorial Day sales! And the kids love it. We have water every day--alternating between the sprinkler and slip n slide with one pool day a week. Hopefully, once the kids know how to not die in the real pool, we can go there instead!

Stuck

2010-06-08T09:19:00.000-06:00

You know how sometimes when you're in the car and a song comes on but you get to wherever you are going before it ends and that song is stuck in your head ALL DAY LONG?

Well, it happens to kids too.

This is why they are outside playing.

Summer Week One

2010-06-06T08:00:00.003-06:00

Girls Night...In. Hubby took the boy camping so we had a toe-nail-painting-Tinkerbell-watching-party wherein we all slept in the playroom---even Squirt!
My girls have such squishy toes that I had to hold them apart while they dried.

But now we all have hot pink sparkly toes

Thumbelina requested Cinderella hair for church to go with her cinderella dress. And dangly earrings to match.

Munchkin got a new food set for her playhouse, complete with oven mitt. Then I found her play oven mitt in the drawer in the kitchen.

Squirt is recruiting for a new rocker gang...must have rocker, willing to ride.

And sleeping it off after church.

I caught her wiping the wall with a dryer sheet. We teach 'em young here!

Swim lessons commenced. New goggles required.

Moving on up in Karate. Now he's a green belt, which I think means he gets to help teach other classes. He is learning a lot and is so focused in class.

All in all not a bad week. I just need to be better about getting chores done in the morning when we don't do anything anyway.

Summer

2010-06-03T08:46:00.003-06:00

So far, this is my summer: trying to keep 4 kids happy in a kiddie pool.

Child Labor

2010-05-28T13:48:00.002-06:00

I have finally put my foot down. I spend hours washing, drying, folding and putting away the laundry. And then the first time the kids get dressed, everything is unfolded and a giant mess. So I came up with a solution. I will wash and dry but the kids fold and put away.

Even hubby folds his own clothes (mostly because I have to wander the house and find all of his dirty clothes to wash.) Munchkin does a great job. The clothes don't look great but she is so proud of herself. And now, all my hard work isn't wasted. As long as the shirts get into the shirt drawer, and the underwear into the underwear drawer and the pants, jammas and skirts are where they belong, I am happy.

Adventures in Hairstyling

2010-05-26T10:03:00.003-06:00

Munchkin loves trying new things. She loves having her hair out of her face...although some days not enough to let me do it. She loves having mini 'bunnies' all over her head and the resulting curls.

step one: mini bunnies

Step 2: Bozo the clown

Step three: curly sue

Wouldn't it be nice to be three again. You can wear whatever you want, have your hair however and everyone still thinks you're adorable because you're three.

Thanks Nursery

2010-05-21T17:59:00.002-06:00

Happy Birthday--Now Let's Party!

2010-05-15T21:20:00.005-06:00

The cake:
Rainbow

Not quite liking so many people around

Tentative

YUMMMMM!

Bath Time

Presents

So much sugar for such a little body! The presents were a big hit...especially with the siblings!

Thanks everyone for coming!

What a Year!

2010-05-14T14:20:00.001-06:00