A Year of Laughter

Can't believe another year is coming to a close. It has been a good year. A really good year.

We have been blessed with love and laughter and lots of other good things all year long. I feel grateful. Grateful for the love and the good things. And the laughter is a bonus.

In honor of the year that presented us with lots of laughter, I want to list a few of the funny (to me) things the children have said this year. I think I only want to include 12 things, but we'll see how it goes as I look through my blog that I call "laughing with my little loves". It's one of those private, invisible blogs. It's a place where I document those silly kids and their funny talk. Well, funny to me and the husband.

And just for your reference, and to put these funny things into perspective, oldest daughter is 9, middle daughter is 7, and little son is 5.

Funny talk of 2011

January
little son and i were watching his one year old cousin who was crying in an unstoppable manner. little son quips: "she scares me when she cries. it hurts my head and my ears. it's kind of like a weapon. a little baby weapon."


February

feb 14-- watching a movie with the children, oldest daughter leans over to me and says: "mom, i feel like satan is tempting me to say 'how the hell?'
mom: "why?"
oldest daughter: "i don't know"
mom: "sing a song to get those icky things out of your head."
oldest daughter hums families can be together forever, pauses and then whispers to mom: "he's like 'do it, say it, it won't hurt.' "

feb 27-- at the blessing of my tiny, new niece, little son leans over to the husband and whispers in his ear: "dad, three things: i. love. you."

March

mar 31-- shortly after tucking the children into bed for the night, little son yells out: "dad, if my leg falls off can we have a funeral for it?"
dad: "yes, son, if your leg falls off we can have a funeral for it"
little son: "yay!"
dad: "but i don't think it's gonna fall off"
little son: "yay!"

April

apr 13-- i was putting pink foam rollers in middle daughters hair one evening as little son came crawling, army-style, into the room.
little son: "i'm dying! i'm dying!"
mom and middle daughter: "what?"
little son, whispering: "mom, take care of yourself when i'm gone..."

May

may 19-- oldest daughter was explaining how nervous she was while having to have a small cavity filled.
oldest daughter: "mom, when i was getting my shot, i just kept thinking to myself, 'jesus had more pain when he died on the cross. jesus had more pain when he died on the cross.' "

June

june 28-- in utah after playing at a bounce house that had an indoor miniature golf course little son proclaims: "someday i really need to play some manager golf. i think i'd be really good at it."

june 29-- also while in utah, the children were getting ready for bed. little son was brushing his teeth while he and a cousin were watching a little star wars. he walks into the bathroom to put away his toothbrush and declares: "i love yoda! he's the awesomest one! he, like, never dies. HE NEVER DIES!"

July

jul 17-- after watching movies about jesus, middle daughter becomes contemplative and asks: "how many lives do we get?"
mom: "just one here on this earth, but after we are done here, we will live forever."
middle daughter: "so we will get born again?"
mom: "no, we will continue living as adults."
middle daughter: "and then we will grow back down to babies?"
mom: "no, we will stay adults."
middle daughter with eyes as huge as saucers: "really?! we will always be adults?"
mom: "yep"

August

aug 22-- shopping with little son
little son: "mom, one time i was shopping with dad and your dad. your dad was looking for some shorts and he said, 'these shorts are too short. i guess that's why they call them shorts.' he is soooooo funny!!!"

aug 19--
mom: "little son, did you just toot?"
little son: "no, i fluffed."
mom: "that's the same thing as tooting."
little son: "no, it's not. a toot sounds like, 'plbbttt' and a fluff sounds like 'fffaaahhhh.' plus, toots don't stink, but fluffs do.

September

sept 10-- middle daughter has really gotten into riddles and trying to stump us by coming up with original riddles.

middle daughter: "two people are in a cabin and they are dead. how do you know they are dead?"
dad: "cause you are not one of them?"
middle daughter: "no"
dad: "cause you read it in a newspaper?"
middle daughter: "no"
mom: "cause they are not breathing?"
middle daughter: "no"
dad and mom: "k, why?"
middle daughter: "it was the pilot and the co-pilot. and then the plane goes down. nobody was in the plane.
my cousin taught me that one."

October

oct 13-- we were watching my cute little 2 year old niece, junie (name changed to protect the 2 year old), for my sister who is going through a very rough pregnancy. after putting junie down for bed, little son told us: "mom, don't be fooled by junie's cuteness, she hurt me and she hurt oldest daughter."

oct 18-- newly returned from school, little son was walking around the house aimlessly picking up items and putting them down, commenting on everything.
little son: "i'm guessing you're gonna say 'how was your p.e.?' "
mom: "how was your p.e.?"
little son: "i knew it!! it was good."

November

nov 9-- upon picking up little son at the bus stop
little son: "mom, i have gummy bears in my back pack and i'm not afraid to use them!"

nov 13-- little son: "mom, me and middle daughter are the funniest ones in this family!!"

December

dec 10-- a woman in our congregation has been very ill and the ward held a special fast for her. upon hearing about the special fast, little son says: "i can fast my candy."
so he did, he had no candy all day.

the next sunday...
mom: "little son, hurry up and eat so that we won't be late for church."
little son: "mom, i'm fasting for sister j."
and he did. he fasted breakfast and lunch.

the next sunday...
mom: "little son, eat breakfast!"
little son: "i'm fasting for sister j again."

at the end of the day, little son says: "how about next time i fast school?"

dec 25-- dad: "little son, will you say the family prayer and be sure to thank heavenly father for all our presents?"
little son: "what abooooouuuuut can i count him in and thank him for him as a present?"
dad: "yes!"

good night hugs and kisses followed after the prayer. the children ran off to bed. little son promptly ran out of his room to say: "dad, one more thing: thank you for all the presents!!"

dec 29-- friends were visiting from utah and little son and his friend wanted to play a board game. little son ran off to the game cupboard and proclaimed: "let me show you where the magic happens!"




Ok, so pretty much, little son says the most funny stuff around here. Apparently. He is at a good age.

Anyway, here's to a new year with new laughs and new good things. Happy New Year to you and yours. May you be blessed abundantly and find joy in all around you.

Take Me Out to the Ball Game

My daughters (along with a few other elementary school children) will be singing the national anthem at the beginning of the Diamondbacks game tonight. Pretty sure I can't wait.

Look for them.

It's a big deal.

A Sweet Gig

The daughters (oldest and middle) are taking piano lessons. Since July.

Oldest daughter was introduced to the piano 3 years ago. She took one year of lessons. And then we moved. It took me a while to find a new teacher. But, I finally found one and we started in July. And, boy, is she good. I love her! So do the daughters.

I made a motivational deal with the daughters that if they would practice 5 days a week, they could earn a pack of gum. The small pack. Five pieces. One for each day they practiced.

The second part of the deal was that if they practiced 6 days a week, they could earn a Thrifty ice cream cone from our local water store. (Lots of Arizonans actually purchase drinking water in bulk due to the high ickiness of our tap water.) And the local water store has an ice cream freezer full of tasty Thrifty ice cream choices. For some reason, the Thrifty ice cream counter at our local water store is magical for the children.

The third part of the deal is that if they practice 6 days a week for 4 consecutive weeks, they can have a double scoop in a waffle cone. I know!

Combine these rewards with the candy they earn from their teacher for practicing and I have a couple of budding concert pianists on my hands.

The husband, little son and I are the lucky beneficiaries of the daughters who regularly partake of our new daily tradition of piano practice. I am proud to report that they have not missed out on any of their practice rewards. Since July. They are pretty motivated.

I am so impressed with how quickly middle daughter has caught on to the piano. The first few weeks of practice were a little rough. A few tears. Some tantrums. But now she practices without even being reminded. And she is starting to sound really good.

Oldest daughter is flying through her books. She is just finishing her third set since starting and is about to begin her fourth. Her songs are beginning to be enjoyable to listen to. Over and over.

So, our new weekly tradition is ice cream on Monday nights. Right after Family Home Evening. These past two weeks, middle daughter and little son have opted to get something from the bubble gum machine in lieu of their single scoop, which is usually either cotton candy (which turns their whole mouth a bluish-purple) or cake batter. And, that's way cool for the pocket book, since the bubble gum machine prize is like $1.54 cheaper per person than ice cream.The husband typically orders strawberry cheesecake, while I always go with chocolate malted crunch. Oldest daughter is the bravest of the family because she gets something different every time.

I am wondering how long it will take these lovely and intelligent daughters of mine to figure out that there are three of us riding their wave of reward, since pretty much there are three of us in the family who are rewarded, besides listening to their lovely tunes, for doing nothing. Absolutely nothin.

It's a sweet gig.

Look-Alikes

In a fairly recent post, I mentioned my children's latest obsession with the cartoon She-Ra. As with all obsessions, the children find ways to relate She-Ra to their everyday lives. Little son loves to tell me how She-Ra would fight the bad guys and middle daughter talks about She-Ra's horse.

Another thing middle daughter told me the other day is that I look like Shadow Weaver. I had no clue who that was. I googled it and came up with this

Awesome.

Shadow Weaver is a villain. Could you tell? Don't know quite how to take that.

The only thing that pulled me through was remembering the husband had told me just the day before that I was having one of my 10 sexiest days of all time.

Awesome!!

darn google

this past summer, we sat on the porch at grandma and grandpa's house in the evenings to drink in the lovely dusk and the mountain breezes pouring out of the canyon.

and we told knock knock jokes and climbed the poles and ran races and timed them to see how fast we were getting. some of us got pretty fast. and the husband taught the children how to handle corners when racing.

often, i would find two children on my lap, wanting tickles. or just time.

one evening, middle daughter was on my lap and little son was behind me, playing with my hair- which i always love and welcome. pretty soon i noticed he was muttering something as his little fingers danced through my hair. so i listened closer and understood him to be saying,

"searching, searching, searching."

finally i asked him what he was doing. to which he matter-of-factly replied,

"i'm searching for the eyes in the back of your head."

all mothers have them, you know. my mom did.

*********

yesterday morning as i was helping oldest daughter with her hair before sending her off to school and her exciting field trip, she decidedly announced that she knows i do not have eyes in the back of my head.

aghast, i demanded to know where this preposterous notion had originated. she then declared that she had googled it.

what? googled if moms have eyes in the backs of their heads? she did. at school, during computer time.

who gave permission for that? don't school computers have filters? and where's the teacher who should be monitoring what the children are doing?

i have been thinking long and hard for a rebuttal to this revelation. and i got nothing. nothing.

years and years to build up a good story and darn that google goes and destroys it all in one search.

still, amazing what you can google. donchathink?

nook report

Since I received my nook from the husband, I have had a lot of questions from people about it. And let me just declare to all the world: I LOVE IT!! I love it so much that I would marry it. Except I am already married to the husband. Whom I love. And so, we're good.

I'm telling ya- love the nook. I have only read one book on it so far, and it was a book that I never anticipated I would ever read- let alone enjoy. It was a free download that was included with the nook. And at first I just scrolled over it every time I got that nook out to look at, until finally, one of my nephews left it open after exploring my e-reader, so I began reading. And it captivated me.

Curious what book it was? Bram Stoker's Dracula. I know.

I haven't ever been interested in that sort of thing. Ever. I haven't read any of the Twilight series, nor have I seen the movies. I have never delved into anything vampire. I have not seen any of the Dracula movies, and I had no idea Van Helsing was associated with Dracula in any way, but thanks to the recent movie- the name was familiar.

And I loved the book. Perhaps because I had such low expectations? Who knows.

And so, for my first selection on my brand new e-reader, I read Dracula. And liked it.

The husband and I are currently reading William Clayton's journals. Also a free download. Very interesting. Clayton is an early leader in the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. He was a clerk to Joseph Smith and traveled with Brigham Young in the first wagon train to Utah. In that same wagon train were the husband's great great great grandfather (Parley P. Pratt) and my great great great grandfather (John D. Lee), both of whom are mentioned in the journals. Clayton is also the author of the popular LDS hymn Come, Come, Ye Saints. He wrote it in response to news that his wife had given birth to a son. She was still in Nauvoo, Illinois, and he was somewhere west of that- travelling. Very interesting account.

The nook has recently added some features. And they are awesome. You should check out all it has to offer. Seriously. Link here. And then you should get one so we can share books!

And then we could write nook reports back and forth. Doesn't that sound fun? I know.

Plus, today I was reminiscing about middle daughter, way back to when she was 4 years old (she is newly-turned 6). When she was 4, we could tell her any word and she would come up with a word to rhyme with the given word. The best part was that she always started the rhyming word with the letter H. For example, if you would say start, she would answer with heart, and so on. We liked to give her words like bell and fussy and bore and chirpy. It was really 6th-grade-boy of us, but you know, that's how we displayed all our rebellion. Please don't think less of us. Too much.

The End.

Happy 6th!

Today we celebrated 6 years of middle daughter's life.

Where has the time gone?

We had a fun weekend, filled with parties and pinatas and strawberry cupcakes. I never thought we would ever in a million years, serve strawberry cupcakes at middle daughter's anything.

Whenever- and I really mean whenever- we go to a party of any sort, middle daughter expresses her wishes of "I hope they don't have strawberry cake at this party. I hate strawberry cake!!!" (with multiple exclamation points)

So, as I was prepping for the 6 party, I questioned middle daughter to determine what we would include in the perfect party. And she requested a pinata and strawberry cupcakes.

What?!? Strawberry cupcakes?

I thought we were not on the same page, so I reminded her that she doesn't like strawberry cake. To which she coolly replied, "I don't like strawberry cake. I love strawberry cupcakes!!! With strawberry frosting."

Oh, of course.

So, strawberry cupcakes it was- with the cutest candles I have ever seen in my life.

But I was unwilling to spend $20 on a pinata. So I had my sister make one. Out of a red berry Special K cereal box- multi-pack from Sam's Club- wrapped in paper with mylar strips hanging from it. And it was a hit. And all the party kids were able to take multiple whacks at it and it lasted. Until the end, at which point it showered all it's sugary goodness (of candy, not the cereal. i did actually fill it with candy). And, yay, $20 saved.

I love that little brown-eyed girl of mine. What would we do without her? We couldn't do without her! I knew when she entered this world, weighing a delightful 11 lbs 3 ozs, she would be a child who made a big impact wherever she went. And I was right. She is full of kindness, love, goodness, theatrics, stubbornness, and sweetness.

In conclusion, it has been an emotional weekend. My middle daughter has turned the clock forward. And I love her. And an octet of young men sang a beautiful song (We'll Bring the World His Truth) during Sacrament meeting today- all of whom are minutes from leaving on their missions- and I had to face the fact that someday my own children will leave home. Mothers shouldn't have to face these kinds of facts on 6th birthdays. And I may have shed a tear or two.

Oh, the emotion. Plus, I was a mean and nasty wife to the husband on Saturday. I don't know what my deal was. But I'm pretty sure he didn't deserve all I had to dish out. And so, emotions. I think I was like the devil to him.

Maybe because I was all focused on sixes all weekend? Sixes in triplicate.

Poetry Lessons and Sea Weed Picking

Among oldest daughter's greatest concerns is that she might possibly have a mother whose Junie B. proficiency does not meet industry standards.

As we prepared for bed this evening she reminded me that I am three volumes behind. (She passes each book to me once she has completed them) In order to appease the second grade cutie, I sidled up near the husband and cracked the spine of Junie B., First Grader: Cheater Pants once the children were in bed.

Believing that the husband should be well-versed in all things Junie B., I read aloud as he gave me a nice back rub and massaged my feet. Good trade, no?

The two of us read as oldest daughter lay in her bed, listening to Pachelbel's Canon in D. Until she couldn't sleep and traipsed into our room to alert us to her non-slumber status. (no surprise, just part of our nightly routine) The husband reminded her to lie on her back, arm raised and let it sway as she "picked sea weed". (also part of the nightly routine) (proper lay / lie usage? I think so. Holly, can you verify?)

Just as we began to read about Mr. Scary explaining the rules of the cinquain to Room One, little son awoke crying. Legs aching. Inconsolable. Oldest daughter still sea weed picking. Middle daughter long into dreamland.

Once all the leg issues were addressed, little son cuddled, rocked (as in: rocking chair) and serenaded and we were ensured the sea weed picking was progressing swimmingly, we eagerly returned to Junie B. and the cheater pants cinquain lesson.

It occurred to me, in between giggles, I might want to try my hand at a little cinquain.

We finished the book. It was delightful. Gotta love that little Junie B.

And the sea weed picker. Who had finally fallen asleep.

Oh, yeah, that cinquain. Here goes:

Moonies

Obsessed, Excited

Loving, Re-reading, Buzzing

I'm staying home tonight

Twilight

Did you see New Moon? What did you think?

A Little Weekend Miscellany

Remember that Halloween donuts are a tradition in my family? They are. And this year was no different. The husband and I loaded the children (and the canine) in the car and traveled on over to Grandma and Grandpa's casa (after two small stops- the first at Sonic for slushes and the second at the Crocs store) where we enjoyed soup that was too good (in the words of one adorable niece) and donuts that can't be beat.

As we all consumed unreasonable amounts of donuts and soup, ooh's and ahh's were in plentiful supply as each family arrived and we marveled at the ingenious costumes that each family assembled.

emo, emo, pumpkin, Wolverine, Arizona Cardinal

Oldest daughter proved her commitment to piano and was rewarded with the Cleopatra costume she had been working to earn all month. She was on cloud nine, swimming laps in the Nile, if you will.

The family gathered for a Halloween portrait. Complete with goofy faces and zero percent loveliness.

Can you guess what the husband and I were?

As we were trick-or-treating with all the cousins, my sister was recalling how three years ago this very holiday, she was receiving a precious little bundle into her home as they were adopting my adorable little nephew. She recounted how emotional the holiday was as she was waiting for that little boy and hoping and praying that the birth mother would decide to go through with the adoption and not cancel it. My very own little middle daughter was listening to the whole story and predicted that through the whole process that cute little baby was probably thinking,

"Yay! New parents!"

I think she is right.

That does it for the Halloween recap. How about a little Miscellany?

First of all, huge thanks to Megan who notified me of my erroneous BYU Football post. For some reason I thought the Cougars were matching up with the Cowboys this past Saturday. Even though I read the date of the game, it just didn't register. So I posted a football post. And sweet cousin Megan (or was it Eph?) alerted me that I had been a little trigger happy. Look for a correct post on Saturday. K?

Middle daughter is pretty motivated by the Internet. Anything we have a question about, she replies with a, "just go to ________dot com!" For instance, we were wondering a bit about Cleopatra's history- since she has been something of an anomaly in our household of late. So, that brilliant middle daughter told us to go to Cleopatra dot com. Got a leg ache? Check out leg ache dot com, won't you?

Plus, she is pretty astute about passwords. She knows that my password for everything is dot dot dot dot. (maybe you already saw that on the husband's twitter feed- he scoops me on everything with that silly tweeting of his)

You will be happy to know that my OB/GYN is pleased to report a normal mammogram. Also pleased? The husband.

Some of you may recall my escapades regarding one Barta Heiner. I have a new visiting teaching partner. Her maiden name is Heiner. I was chuckling when I found out. And of course I regaled her with the entire Barta saga- after inquiring if she knew Barta and if she were a relative. She is not. Not gonna lie- a little bummed.

Today during fast and testimony meeting, oldest daughter asked why I wasn't bearing my testimony. So I told her I would if she would. We waited for the person who was at the mic to finish and then I stood up to take my turn. Oldest daughter didn't follow. Middle daughter did. So, I was duped and had to bear my testimony without oldest daughter. It was ok, though, because little son was sitting on my lap and kept trying to lick me- bearing my testimony was a great way to escape the licking. Thank you oldest daughter.

Finally, our evening was spent swapping riddles. Two hours of made-up riddles with the children. It was enchanting. I highly recommend doing it with your own little offspring. They are pretty clever. And the husband has discovered that he is riddly-gifted. Who knew?

Woo Hoo!!! Bring on the holidays! This is such a brilliant time of year- so. many. traditions. I hope you can handle traditions. I've got a bundle to share. Look for them throughout the next couple of months. And also, Tune In Tuesday for I don't know what yet, but I'm sure I'll come up with something. Suggestions?

Paranoia and Vinyl Stickers

Paranoia can be a positive thing. Right? I have to believe that it can.

I recently shuttled my darling girls to school, arriving with time to spare before the bell.

I am in the habit of stopping the car right in front of the kindergarten gate- so I can watch middle daughter enter her classroom.

This particular day, there was no spot for me by the kinder gate, so I pulled up to the curb- several car lengths back.

Middle daughter jumped out of the car after so graciously bestowing her sloppy kisses on my cheek. And her little kindergarten self was away so fast that I barely had time to blink. My instinct was to call her back so that oldest daughter could walk her up to her classroom, but there was no time- she was off.

So I watched her little princess backpacked back as she skipped merrily away. And then I was granted more wet kisses from a little 2nd grade cutie as she jumped out of the car and met a couple of her little girlfriends with hugs and off they skipped to the playground.

When my attention finally turned back to the little kinder girl, she was nowhere in sight. Immediately I started wondering if she had in fact made it to her classroom. And then I started taking mental note of every car in front of me. Believing that it was totally conceivable that anyone of them could have snatched her up and taken her while I was busy bidding adieu to my 2nd grader.

I noted the truck, with the annoying high-heeled devil/angel silhouette vinyl stickers on the rear window. Am I the only one who doesn't like those? I have to believe there are others out there who don't particularly fancy them. And do they have a name?

And I checked where the teachers on duty were standing. My rational side kept assuring me that for sure she had made it into her class. Don't worry.

So I drove home and tried to put it out of my mind- my rational self trying to convince the paranoid self to just let it go. But I couldn't. I kept running the scenarios in my mind.

All I could think of were the stories about people in terrible situations and in retrospect, proclaiming that they should have listened to their gut.

And so I surrendered. And I called the little kindergarten classroom. And asked the teacher if my little girl had indeed made it into class.

And she was there. In her desk. Safe.

And I was relieved. Paranoid, but relieved.

***my sincerest apologies to the husband who never knew that our middle daughter was presumably kidnapped until now. because i could not bear the embarrassment of telling him about my paranoia. also, i didn't want to reconfirm to him that i can be a little silly sometimes. really, i can- hard to believe, i know. and i guess i was a little paranoid that he might be a tad bit upset if i lost our daughter. i would have told him. eventually.

The Tulles of Choreography

How was your nine-nine-oh-nine? Mine was like Christmas.

I knew yesterday was going to be a great day. And that was before I even remembered that yesterday was the premiere of the 6th season of So You Think You Can Dance. My fave show. I'm telling ya'. Christmas! Because, hello, we didn't have to wait a whole year for a new season. This is like Double Christmas!

The day was awesome and then we capped it off as a family by sitting down to watch the show. And no sooner had I snuggled up next to the husband, than I had two little kid magnets wedged up under each armpit and the other affixed to the husband's left rib. The best way to watch a show, I always say. And it only makes it better when you have a freshly-bathed kid armpit magnet who leaves puddles in your pits on account of their newly-scrubbed and washed hair. Heaven.

I had no idea that as we watched SYTYCD, I was in for a little choreography myself. Middle daughter had two strips of tulle- one hot pink and the other turquoise. Remnant leftovers from the tutus we made two weekends ago. And they were the perfect strips of tulle for the little dance number she had in mind.

As she sat under my right armpit, she expected that I was going to participate in her tulle dance. And she had a whole routine worked out by the end of the show. And I admit, I was only half-heartedly participating in her little "1-2-3 bow down" with a little arm movement, since I was mainly training my ears toward the big screen, trying in vain to make out Mary Murphy's botoxed bellowings. Oh, how I love her.

Middle daughter was sure to correct me if I didn't quite complete the move or if I was giving the wrong feeling behind it. She knows her stuff.

I didn't think much of it until family prayers had been offered and three little ones were ushered off to bed. Middle daughter snuck quietly back into our bedroom, offering me the lovely tulle remnants with a request that I put them somewhere safe so that next Wednesday they can be pulled out and the routine repeated when we watch SYTYCD. Yikes.

I believe I have witnessed the birth of a new tradition. The Tulle Dance during SYTYCD.

Who knows, we may even be featured dancers this season.

Watch for us. Because, you know as well as I do, that if I ever made it on that show- it would be Christmas!

What I Learned On Labor Day:

Ahem. Bullets, Please.

• If you sleep in til 9:30, it is possible that all your downstairs will be cleaned by the time you make your way, well, downstairs. But, this requires one bonus husband.
• When the doorbell rings and you are still in your pajamas and you go to look out the peephole and you can distinctly see the fingerprint of the person on the other side, it is your dad and your mom. Stopping in on their very own anniversary. The family I grew up in is 42 years old today. Happy Birthday to my family!
• The canine seems to be gaining weight. Finally.
• Burger King does not put onions on its cheeseburgers. Middle daughter was pleased. But they do put on ketchup. Not pleased.
• Voltron is the Defender of the Universe. (read: Votwon is the defendow of the univowse. {with puckered up lips}) Did you know? I didn't. Little son enlightened me while we were taking a stroll around the lake.
• A picnic is almost pleasant in 100 degree weather at 40% humidity.
• Model homes are open on Labor Day. And they are a great place to go after a sweaty picnic. They keep the a/c really low.
• The Sports Authority employee who stuck with me for an 1 1/2 hours, ensuring that I find the best size 11 out there, was just about to get off work when we walked in. Muchas Gracias, Sports Authority Guy! I'm thinking my walk in the morning will go much mo' bettah.
• There's a geocache somewhere near Sports Authority. We had too many thirsties in the car to stop and look. We shall return another day.
• We may be coming down with Swine Flu in the next few days. My visiting teacher has it. She was here last week. The husband was just at their house- he is their home teacher- he took over a few movies for them to watch. Because, what else do you do when you have the Swine Flu? Watch a little movie, I think.
• Barbie Thumbelina is pretty ok, if you're into all that eco-stuff. But it's not as good as Princess and the Pauper. (Can I get an amen, Nathan?)

(Tangent)

I just clicked over to Nathan's blog to find his famous post on Barbie movies and it is no where to be found.

I vote for a re-post!

(End Tangent)

• Family Home Evening on Labor Day. Have a lesson about babies, I believe.
• Holidays are never long enough!

Learning

Yesterday was the first day of school for my girls. I have to admit that I hated to see them go back to school. I like having them near me. Maybe you have heard me say that before.

But, send them back to school I must. And in that case, I decided to make the best of the situation and have a party.

So, I invited the women in my ward over for a little back to school breakfast. Just like my mom used to do. And it took my mind off my absent girls. Except, it made me realize that I haven't made an effort to make new friends in a long time. And then it made me start wondering how I am perceived by others. But, I had to stop that- and not go there. Cause that can get depressing. (Please tell me I'm not the only one who ever has these thoughts.) So I didn't go there and I had a great time.

It was nice to visit with a few ladies. And eat.

When I picked up my newly-kindergartened middle daughter this afternoon, I asked her what she learned today. She told me, "I didn't learn today. That teacher doesn't teach us ANYTHING!"

That cracked me up. What I think is that she has a sneaky teacher- because middle daughter learned a few things, like what a cube is. And how to draw a picture of what she does to get ready for school. And how to sit properly in a classroom.

To sum up: it has been a good first week of school so far. And I have remembered to pick them up both days. (remember this post?)

Happy Wednesday.

The Details

I firmly believe God is in the details of our lives. Elder Neal A. Maxwell talked about this in a conference talk in 1996 and that statement has stuck with me. And I have often looked back on an experience and thought to myself *yes, every detail.*

On Tuesday- one of my true marathon days- I know God was in every detail.

Tuesday was crazy! We woke up, got oldest daughter to school and then took the husband's brand new car in to the dealership to have LoJack installed (so don't even think about trying to swipe his ride- we'll know where you are within 24 hours- they have assured us).

The dealership is about 45 miles from our home- and we were fighting morning rush hour, so it took a good hour and 20 minutes to get there. Little son wanted to ride with the husband in his sweet new blue and silver roller skate, so we loaded up his car seat and the husband stressed about finding something to put behind it because of the velcro it has on the back of little son's car seat. The husband didn't want it pulling at the fabric on his new seat. I must admit, I was a little impatient with this- it seemed pointless to me, not to mention it was holding us up- and I was on a tight schedule that day. He eventually found a yellow rag to put behind the car seat to act as a buffer between the scratchy velcro strip and his new seat.

We pulled onto the freeway and I followed the husband and little son all the way to the dealership. Once the husband got all the keys handed over to the service department, he threw the yellow rag on the floor of the van while I secured little son's car seat in my car and buckled him in. Finally, we were on our way again. This time headed about 25 miles away to the husband's office.

We dropped the husband off at his office and headed home so I could get showered before dropping middle daughter off at preschool, little son at the babysitter's, and myself at oldest daughter's school to help in her classroom. Because I always help on Tuesdays. The husband and I arranged that I would pick him up right after I left oldest daughter's class and picked up middle daughter and little son. And then we would go and get his car, which should be done by then.

As we headed home, I had no idea our exit was closed. Nor do I recall any alerts along the way stating that most important detail. I was a little frustrated as we came upon our exit and there is an orange sign stating that the exit is closed. I had to drive to the next exit. Once I exited, I decided I may as well stop at Sam's Club to pick up promised treats for oldest daughter's class. (she loves the chocolate chip creme sandwich cookies rolled in sprinkles from the bakery. I highly recommend them as well)

We got the cookies, and on the way out we passed by some chicken salad that I just happened to throw in the cart.

We arrived home in time for me to shower, prepare a quick lunch for the kids and run out the door to get to preschool, babysitter's, and volunteering on time.

As the kids were loading in the car, little son determined it was important for him to play with the yellow rag that was on the floor of the van. And he dropped it to the garage floor as I was shutting the door. I left it, and jumped in and we were off.

Oldest daughter's class was in party mode and thoroughly enjoyed the treats I brought. No sooner were we done with the treats than in walks the teacher's husband with ice cream cones for all the kids and a bouquet of flowers for me. Beautiful flowers, might I add.

It just so happened that the Character Assembly was to be held at 1:30 and oldest daughter had been award the Character Award for her classroom, so I was able to attend with the class. It was a lovely assembly. And I was a proud mother.

As soon as the assembly concluded, I went ahead and signed oldest daughter out of school an hour early and we left to retrieve brother, sister and husband. And, of course, we were on a tight schedule because we had to be home in time for oldest daughter's Girl Scout Bridging to Brownie ceremony- which I would have to leave a bit early and head straight to a camp meeting.

I decided to stop by home to put the flowers in water so that they would not die on our long trip to retrieve the husband and his little tikes look-alike car.

After I got the flowers taken care of and headed out to the garage, I noticed the infamous yellow rag was attached to the front drivers side tire. I stooped to pull it off the tire and found a bit of resistance. As I reached my hand to the inside of the tire to detach it, I felt the wire on the tire tread and immediately took that as a bad sign. And the first thing I thought was, "There is no way I am going on a 100 mile freeway trip with my tire in this condition!"

I called the husband and alerted him of the situation and told him to stand by, because I thought I could pick up the other two kids, get the tires changed at Sam's Club and then still make it to his office and to the dealership and back home in time for the ceremony and my meeting.

It turned out (and this is where I am making a long story a little less long) that Sam's Club doesn't carry our particular tires- special order only. So I went over to Wal-Mart- and there is only one guy working with 3 customers waiting and he was no where to be found. Par for Wal-Mart. So I headed to Pep Boys across the street.

I ended up replacing the two front tires and had them do a front-end alignment, called the husband to let him know it would take an hour and a half and would not be able to make it to his office to get him. He got a cab to the dealership to retrieve the date car, and made it home before I did- all in rush hour traffic.

After the mechanic pulled off the tires, he showed me the terrible shape they were in- the tread gone, wires exposed and a couple of gaps- and expressed his surprise that they hadn't already blown. I was in awe. I was thankful for the annoyance of finding a yellow rag to protect a new car's seat, thankful for a son who has to play with everything and thankful for a teacher who gave me a beautiful bouquet of flowers that I had to return home to put in water. If not for these three things, I am positive I would have encountered some catastrophic event on the freeway.

I arrived home after the husband, quickly whipped up brownies for the "Brownie" Ceremony, slapped some chicken salad on bread (being thankful I had thrown it in the cart at Sam's Club earlier that morning), ironed patches on oldest daughter's Daisy Girl Scout tunic, and rushed out the door to make it just on time for the ceremony. After which, I ran to my meeting- arriving just after the opening prayer.

Once I had a chance to breathe that night, I gave thanks to a loving Father in Heaven for watching out for me.

And for caring enough to be in the details of my life.

Yes, every detail.

Five at last

Today is middle daughter's birthday. No more sleeps. It is today.

Yesterday as we were snuggling on the couch, I told middle daughter in a pretend sad voice, "This is the last day I can hold my four year old girl. What am I going to do? After this I won't have a four year old to hold?"

After a bit of carrying on, middle daughter's eyes began to tear up and I knew I had taken the teasing too far. I asked what was wrong and she told me that she was sad that I could never hold her again.

I explained that I will always hold her- even when she is six.

Then I told her about the day she was born. She loves to hear about it. And she reminds me that she had hair on her ears. And a wrinkled forehead. And that she was born on her grandma's birthday. That makes her day extra special. And she was named after her other grandma. How lucky can one little girl be?

I love reliving that day. The births of my children are some of my favorite moments to remember. I did my best work on those days.

And so today is the day of the pink balloons, Dora pinatas, Barbie toys, cake and lots of laughs. But more than any gift we could give her, she has given us more.

In five years she has given us:

• hours and hours of make-believe kitty play
• shared snuggles on the couch, watching Dora
• dozens of batches of cookies she has helped make
• multiple opportunities to read favorite picture books
• smiles when I check on her at night and find her on the floor- her favorite place to rest her little sleeping body
• many chances to pick her up, dust her off, bandage an owie and send her happily on her way
• smiles when she reminds us that the Salt Lake Temple is her temple- and she is getting married there
• invaluable service in being our garden harvester
• joy in observing her gentle care for the canine
• a willing dance partner any time we are able
• creativity in expanding our snacking options
• introducing us to absolute determination in standing one's ground as a four year old
• pause to realize that she is content to just be- to be herself, to play on her own, to enjoy creating her own world to inhabit
• opportunities to learn and grow as parents

I feel so blessed to have such a daughter.

And we are prepared to celebrate the dickens out of this day. And tomorrow will begin preparation for middle daughter's sixth birthday.

It's in 364 sleeps, you know.

Gotcha!

Oldest daughter has been way excited for this day to come. Because, hello, April Fool's Day! A holiday made especially for children. It's an excuse to be silly. To pull one over on your parents.

I believe this is the first year that it has meant anything to our little brood. And that's because we finally have a daughter out "in the world" who learns stuff and comes home and teaches us all the stuff she learns. Hence, Martin Luther King, Jr. Day, St. Patrick's Day, and Groundhog Day have become holidays of note in our household.

Thank you, oldest daughter!



She has been excited all week about what promises to be a super fun, prank-pulling day. And she has told us that she has some doozies for us- so we should be ready.

Well, I am here to tell you, she was not fooling! She got us good!



First thing when she woke up this morning, she told me, "Mom, you have a moth behind you!" I turned around and guess what? No moth.

And later, she tricked us with the old "Dad, you have something on your forehead!" Again- not a thing on the forehead! What a joker.

Middle daughter was intoxicated with all the hilarity and she soon got in on the action. She pulled a couple silly jokes on us and when we fell for those jokes, she exclaimed, "Foolin' ya!"

Foolin' ya. Can you coin a cuter phrase for this day than Foolin' ya?

Didn't think so.

Sleeps

Middle daughter's birthday is just around the corner. Only 18 more sleeps, you know.

We have been counting "sleeps" for over 250 sleeps. We started using the sleeps measurement system to measure time when oldest daughter was little, because she couldn't get the concept of tomorrow, or in 3 days, or on Sunday, etc.

250 sleeps ago- and after a gazillion "how many more sleeps till my birthday?"s, middle daughter was informed that her birthday would not be until after Easter happened. So, she has been looking for signs of Easter. And Easter is everywhere right now. So, she knows that the birthday is close at hand.

All along the way, middle daughter has been laying out her list of demands for the ultimate birthday party. Something new has been added to the list each day for over 250 days. And now we are down to 18. Whew.

Among her most important wishes: (bullets, please)

• Dora pinata
• butterfly cake
• Easter bunny cake
• sparkly hats
• Little Mermaid outfit
• Pink- and Pink ONLY- balloons
• her very own Easy Bake Oven (because it is beneath her to share the one oldest daughter got for Christmas)
• every Barbie thing that ever comes on television
• her own bag of Chex Mix- the big bag
• a cat
• a trampoline
• purses
• etc, etc, etc

Of course, there are many more items than what I have included on the list. Some, I have forgotten.

I love celebrating birthdays. My mom taught me how important they are. She always made sure that we felt special on our special day. It was pure magic.

I'm dusting off the wizard hat- or magic wand, I guess since wizards are usually men- I am excited to pump out a little magic for middle daughter's birthday. Because, I'm not totally sure, but I think she may have said something about wanting a little magic on her big day. And skittles.

Only 18 more sleeps...

scales

the husband often employs a catchy little phrase in his daily ramblings that kinda baffles me. if you happen to talk to him, you may hear him preface a statement with, "on a scale of 1 to 10..."

for instance, he will say, "on a scale of 1 to 10, i am tired."

or, "on a scale of 1 to 10, it looks like rain." or "on a scale of 1 to 10, i love you."

etc.

etc.

etc.

this morning as the children were getting ready to leave for church, i was reminding them to gather their sunday bags and get a piece of gum. because, i let them chew a whole piece of gum (on any other day, just a half piece) after the sacrament has been passed. and just now, typing it out, i may have to rethink that one. gum is probably a little irreverent to be chewing during sacrament meeting. however, i do not allow them to blow bubbles. ok? and we no longer take little baggies of snacks to church, so it really is the only refreshment they receive. on a scale of 1 to 10, i think maybe it is ok afterall. as long as they are reverent chewers.

anyway, oldest daughter has a stash of bubble gum that she has been rationing. middle daughter wanted a piece of it to drop into her sunday bag. she begged and pleaded with oldest daughter to have a piece of the precious gum.

as i am in the bathroom, applying non-waterproof mascara (when will i ever learn to wear only waterproof mascara on the sabbath?) i hear this little exchange:

middle daughter: can i pleeeaaassse have a piece of your gum?
oldest daughter: on a scale of 1 to 10............(pause, pause, pause)............. no.

many thanks to the husband.

however, as i was jumping into the car, i noticed middle daughter with a little piece of pink bubble gum tucked securely in her fist.

on a scale of 1 to 10, oldest daughter really is a sharer.

Happy Groundhog Day

And so, (that phrase was for all of you who might remember this. i couldn't help myself.) I was at Target today with middle daughter and little son. We were scouting out the clearance piles, or aisles, if you prefer. (We still call them piles- a la little son.) And I got some great deals on Christmas toys. For birthdays.

Of course when I go to Target, I case the entire joint. Check every clearance pile. And re-check. Thoroughly. And then I meander throughout the rest of the store, just in case I am missing anything. It is a process.

As we were passing by the bedding piles, little son's spidey senses detected a way awesome stuffed Batman pillow. I'm talking way way awesome- it's basically like a stuffed batman doll. It's at least two feet tall, maybe more, and has a cape. So, we paused to allow for a little super hero on super hero combat. And it was good combat. And little son loved that Batman pillow. And we moved on. To the hairspray. Because I had to get some, eventhough the husband had just purchased some for me on his late-Saturday-night jaunt to the grocer's. But he got aerosol. And I don't believe I have used aerosol hairspray since my Aqua-Net glory days. (I will give the husband props, though, because he did call me while at the grocer's, standing in the hairspray pile, and informed me that only aerosol was available in my particular spray, and what should he do? And since it was imperative that I be a little bit cute for my lesson on Sunday, I gave the consent for the aerosol purchase. So when I used it yesterday, I was not satisfied with it. Hence the need for visiting the hairspray pile at Target.)

After Target we headed home. And so, as I entered my mobile office, I took out the cell phone to take care of the business that one can conduct in one's mobile office. I dialed 411 to get the number of the business that I needed to call and was greeted with:

AT&T 411 Info. Happy Groundhog Day

from the lady whose voice is pre-recorded. Wow. I had completely forgotten this holiday.

We really need to put the Groudhog back into Groudhog Day. I can't remember the last time someone wished me a Happy Groundhog Day. And I was filled with warm fuzzies. And tears came to my eyes. And then, as a bonus, I was wished a Happy Groundhog Day AGAIN after I received the information I was seeking. I believe AT&T could change the world.

Soon we were pulling into the garage and unloading the car.

As we sat down to lunch, I asked my two children what they loved best about visiting Target today. (This is a habit for me after we visit stores, so that I can make mental notes of the kinds of things to get them for holidays.) And middle daughter answered the typical girl answer- she loved the Barbies. But, little son surprised me. He said, "I liked the bras."

Yikes.

How did you spend your Groundhog Day?

Teaching Moments

Actual conversation middle daughter had with the canine just 2 minutes ago:

Middle daughter had in her possession two Ariel toothbrushes. Both her own. Because Ariel is her favorite princess. She crouched down to be better able to see the canine and lifted that little hairy face with her tiny hands. As she gently cradled the canine's chin so they could see eye to eye, she said softly, "These are my toothbrushes. They brush teeth. Ariel is on them. But they are not the same. One is pink and white with sparkles and the other one is purple and pink. My favorite colors are purple and pink."

She opened her mouth and pointed to her pearly whites and said, "These are teeth."

Then she pointed to the canines chops and lovingly pointed out, "These are your teeth. They are pointy. My teeth are not pointy. I am a girl. You are a dog."

She was truly teaching the canine. And it was obvious she knew that the canine was privy to new information. And the canine was attentive. As any student should be.

I think she is going to be a great mom.