Excuse the mess, we're making memories

a day at the pond

2012-01-29T15:07:00.000-08:00

This summer we took a pic of (almost) all the kids on the big rock, up at the pond

But perhaps you are wondering, where is Nahshon? Well, he's here:

having a moment

a boy and his balloon

2012-01-29T14:33:00.001-08:00

my girls

2012-01-29T13:21:00.000-08:00

beam routine

2012-01-22T13:28:00.000-08:00

It might take a minute for the video to load up.......

The music you hear is from a floor routine happening nearby, and the woman in black standing in front of the beam that Genna hugs after her routine is her main coach.

that's one way to catch snow I guess

2012-01-19T15:54:00.000-08:00

I'm surprised he didn't end up with tiny icicles dangling from those lashes

is he trying to be subtle, or do we need a review of the calendar?

2012-01-14T21:28:00.000-08:00

Tonight for dessert I made an apple crisp, which turned out mighty fine, in my opinion. I asked Isaac if he liked the dessert to which he answered in the affirmative, but then suggested I make it again in two years. Um, thanks?

Yikes! I'm really behind on posting pictures!

2012-01-14T21:25:00.000-08:00

For now, please enjoy this picture of my little princess cuddling up with her big bro Elijah

What's wrong with his eyes?

2011-12-31T16:27:00.000-08:00

That's what my mom asked me when she first saw this picture:

Then she realized those big black circles around his eyes are just his amazing eyelashes. They are full, jet black, and a good half inch long; they frame his baby blues just perfectly. It's not fair.

On another note, isn't this a beautiful picture? My friend Rachel took this, and it showcases his love for his baby sister perfectly. He truly adores Abigail, and she's quite the lucky one to have Isaac as a big brother.

sweet baby girl

2011-12-16T12:35:00.000-08:00

Thank you Rachel for this beautiful photo!

my love

2011-12-15T17:17:00.000-08:00

Jonathan Horton!

2011-12-11T06:52:00.000-08:00

can you spot Genna in the sea of little gymnasts?

Olympian comes to Leading Edge Gymnastics

Introducing Abigail!

2011-11-29T13:45:00.000-08:00

Meet the newest member of our family:

Abigail Leighla

This little cherub arrived at 11:19am on November 27, 2011 weighing in at 8 pounds 5 ounces, and measuring 21 inches long.

The birth was pretty uneventful, which is just the way I like it.

The bigger kids are all so excited she's finally home, and Noah and Micaiah seem to be warming up to her OK

Welcome to the world sweet Abigail, we're so glad you're here!

your guide to my 40th week of pregnancy

2011-11-26T05:41:00.000-08:00

I have not made it past my due date since I was pregnant with Genna, and seeing how little Abigail has no intentions of introducing herself to the world anytime soon, I thought I'd make a handy little guide for my friends and family on how to deal with someone (me) in their 40th week of pregnancy.
*note, in the past 4 days I've probably had a grand total of 5 hours of sleep*

1. Don't ask me when the baby is going to come. I don't know. If I could accurately predict things like that, I'd be a very rich woman.

2. Don't ask me when the Dr. thinks the baby is going to come. He doesn't know. If he could accurately predict things like that, he'd be a very rich man.

3. Do not, under any circumstances, tell me when it's best for YOU, for the baby to come. I don't care, and she doesn't care. If it seems that your schedule and social calendar is more important, I'll probably just leave you off my contact list for when she does come. I'm serious.

4. If you see me and I'm still pregnant, do not ask me "no baby yet?" or anything else along those lines. I won't call you stupid to your face, but I'll be thinking it, and you'll be able to tell I'm thinking it.

5. If you get offended by a cranky pregnant woman, get over it. At this stage of pregnancy, I'm not sleeping. At all. Seriously, show up at my house at 3:30 in the morning and you'll find me doing laundry or making extra cranberry sauce to go with turkey leftovers. (my laundry is so caught up that I can't even fill the wash machine at the end of the day!!!) That level of sleep deprivation is turning me into the type of crazy person you might not want to be alone with in an elevator.

6. If you call or text me and I don't answer or respond, don't keep calling and texting. There's a 95% chance that enough of the kids are being quiet that I'm attempting to rest. Seeing as how I'm not sleeping, every moment of peaceful rest is VITALLY important to me. I'm not screening my calls, I'm pressing the silence button without even looking to see who's calling so you can take heart I'm not ignoring you personally, I'm ignoring everyone.

7. Don't tell me to hang in there. I warned my Dr. that the next person to say that to me was going to be hung up by their toes until this baby comes out. Yes, I said that to the man who has the power to write me a scrip for pain pills after the birth; that's just where I'm at right now.

8. The ONLY person who gets a pass on any of this is my dad, and my dad alone. (nope, not even my children get a pass) My dad gets one because he really doesn't know better, and I'm OK with that. (On Thanksgiving he asked when my due date was, I told him Saturday. He then asked what time! ahahaha!)

Some day I'll have pictures of little Abby for you to come back and see. Until then, whatever.

what's going on with baby?

2011-11-24T05:24:00.000-08:00

Nothing. Absolutely nothing. No contractions, no sign that she wants to come out any time soon. Jeremy was 100% sure she'd come the day before Thanksgiving. It's 5am, Thanksgiving day, and...... nothing. Don't ask me when I think she's going to come; I have no idea. And please, for your own safety, do not tell me when you want her to come- I promise you're not going to like my response. Other than that, Happy Thanksgiving everyone!

oh, how things have changed

2011-11-20T16:52:00.000-08:00

Late last night as I was getting a glass of water, I saw the big box of dishwashing tabs we just purchased from Costco sitting on the counter. It's a box of 200 dishwashing packs, and when we bought it Jeremy estimated it would last us about 1 1/2 to 2 months. When I spotted the number 200 on the box last night, I bagan to think back to our first apartment, when it was just me, Jeremy, and baby Gennavieve. Back then, a box of 200 dishwashing tabs probably would have lasted us nearly a whole year! That led me to thinking about our laundry; why did it seem like we always had so much laundry to do back then? It would litterally stretch down the hall- how did that happen with only 3 people? These days we almost always have two buckets full waiting to be washed, but it doesn't seem so bad considering there are 9 of us. (although we have burned through more than a couple of washers and dryers!) Our little pantry could EASILY hold a month's worth of dry/canned foods. Today our entire kitchen can only hold about 2 weeks worth of food. It's rather amusing to me to think back on how things used to be, but of course I wouldn't have it any other way!

and he just keeps going

2011-11-17T18:45:00.000-08:00

Today in the car Bella asked me where Everett is. I reminded her that it's the city we live in, to which Isaac said, "have mercy, I thought we were in Washington!" I began to explain the concept of city, county, state, country, continent, hemisphere, planet, universe......... Which caused Isaac to ask, "what's a planet? Does it have wings?" Wow. On a brighter note, Nahshon noted to me today that the feet on a tree frog look a bit like suction cups. He gives me hope........

out of the mouths of babes

2011-11-16T21:48:00.000-08:00

Today Isaac told Jeremy that I woke up with really bad leg crabs. I wonder if leg crabs would hurt more or less than the massive leg cramp I woke up with?

Booo!

2011-11-08T19:38:00.000-08:00

TOP ROW: Elijah, Bella, Micaiah

BOTTOM ROW: Isaac, Nahshon, Noah, Genna

For the record, Genna found her design in a pumpkin carving book. She apparently was looking at the book upside down, and thought she had picked out a ghost design. We were gone when Jeremy traced it on her pumpkin (after questioning the other kids if they were sure Genna had picked a witch design), and after she came home and started cutting it out she commented that she thought Jeremy had traced it upside down. We compared the design in the book to what was on her gourd and figured out it was her that was reading things wrong! hahaha!

continuing with the classics

2011-11-08T18:37:00.000-08:00

Sadly, I had to miss Bella's show during the Chocolate Classic weekend at gymnastics, (Jeremy and I had to make a trade off due to lack of sitter) but Jeremy made sure to take lots of pictures for me.

warm up time:

beam routine:

floor show:

this one is my favorite picture of the day

vault:

what would a Chocolate Classic show be without a medal made of chocolate??

Nice job, Bella!

a meltdown, in pictures

2011-10-30T20:09:00.000-07:00

Ever wondered what a two year old looks like during a tantrum with pumpkin goop on his face? Well, you are in luck! Micaiah had a little meltdown in the middle of pumpkin carving today, and my camera was already in my hands and ready to go:

Oh, the memories

perspective

2011-10-30T18:59:00.001-07:00

a classic weekend

2011-10-30T11:06:00.000-07:00

This weekend is all about gymnastics as Leading Edge hosted the 20th annual Chocolate Classic. This was Genna's very first competition, and I think she did pretty well. She struggled with her vaults, but her floor routine was beautiful. At her level we don't get to see scores until the end of the year, which is nice because it takes off some of the pressure for the girls. Most importantly, she had a lot of fun and cannot wait for her next meet in January!

(her "medal" is made of chocolate)

This afternoon Bella will be heading to day 2 of the Chocolate Classic for her skills show, so stay tuned for more pictures!

pumpkin patch

2011-10-29T20:36:00.000-07:00

We'd been wanting to take the kids down to the pumpkin patch, but our crazy schedule just hadn't allowed for it. Thursday night turned out to be a beautiful evening with everyone at home, so we packed everyone up and headed to The Farm!

run for the pumpkins!

Caiah trying to roll his pick over to the wheel-barrow

maybe this one?

no, this one!

I found a green one!!!

still working on rolling that giant pumpkin

Isaac found his

just right for Genna

giving up on the giant

Noah thinks he found the right one, but it's a little big for those baby hands

Here you go, Noah!

(the orange and green one with the curved stem on the top is the one Micaiah picked)

Happy Pumpkin Picking!

coming soon!

2011-10-27T20:58:00.000-07:00

Pumpkin Patch 2011!

practice makes perfect

2011-10-25T17:34:00.000-07:00

I finally remembered to bring my camera down to Bella's gymnastics practice today!

learning to fly

bar work

I love this picture because it looks like she's "trying" to make her body look like this, but this is actually just the result of all her hard work. Check out those muscles, baby!!!

They are taught early on how to move equipment

some of it is a little big and heavy though!

at least her bum landed on the springy floor

getting ready to practice her beam routine

a beauty in blue

flipping into the pit, so fun!

where did October go?

2011-10-25T16:44:00.000-07:00

Yesterday was Elijah's birthday, Next week is Halloween, and next month we're having a baby! How did this month go by already?

bros in a hammock

2011-10-07T06:20:00.000-07:00

two brothers, just hanging out and relaxing at grandma and papa's pond

I love the expressions on Elijah and Noah's faces as they look at Isaac in this picture. I have no idea what Isaac was having a giggle fit about (that's something he does a lot), but the other two boys certainly seem to have an opinion about their brother at that moment

*you can click on the pictures to enlarge them if needed*

whose children are these?

2011-10-01T05:37:00.000-07:00

These can't possibly be MY children, because these are pictures of babies and if these are my babies, then that means my babies are growing up, and that means I will have to fall over and die from heartbreak.

Bella, age 3 1/2

Genna, age 5

Isaac, a few weeks old

Elijah, age 4

Isaac, 4 months

Bella, around 2 I think

Nahshon, about 6 weeks I think

*I'm dead*

just like her mom

2011-09-30T13:24:00.000-07:00

When I had asked Genna leading up to her birthday what she wanted to do, she expressed interest in getting her ears pierced for a second time. I've never really seen a few ear piercings as a big deal (I've got three sets in my own ears), so I figured why not!

nervously listening as to the piercing process being explained

getting the holes marked

This picture cracks me up, look at her friend watching behind her!

*deep breath* that hurt

other side wasn't so bad

double ear piercings!

(not to worry, the earrings are no longer sticking out like they are in the picture, that's just how they are immediately after the piercing)

It certainly helps matters that Genna is an extremely responsible young lady, and hasn't required any assistance in caring for her new piercings. Now she's asking when she can get her nose pierced! Ha! That one's gonna be a long time off, my love.

How did she get so lucky?

2011-09-29T19:34:00.000-07:00

While you wait for Genna's piercing pics, lets skip forward to dinner. Genna had been saying for a few months that she wanted to go out for steak and lobster for her 10th birthday. Jeremy wasn't sure where to take her, and when talking to the chef at work about it, he graciously offered to special order a lobster for Genna's birthday! You see, lobster is not on the menu at Bin on the Lake. Not only that, but the chef ordered the lobster as his treat for her! Jeremy and I were blown away at his generosity. What started out as a special dinner date with daddy turned into a dinner experience I imagine she won't soon forget.

they started the evening with a walk on the dock at sunset

a birthday toast!

she was then invited into the kitchen, which was very neat for my mini Julia Child

meeting her dinner

She named him Cleetus

of course she must be properly outfitted for the kitchen!

she thought he felt very strange

helping the chef cook her dinner

Genna with the chef staff at Bin on the Lake

while Genna and Jeremy were in the kitchen, their server set up a place setting for Kit at the table. That wine glass with sparkling cider is actually a mini tasting size glass, just right for a doll!

Dinner time!

WOW!

Genna made sure to bring along a thank you card for the chef

And they topped it off with a huckleberry cheesecake! (notice the rose petals on the table; the server did that for her too)

After dinner was not the end of her night though, Jeremy had one more surprise up his sleeve. They were almost home, when Jeremy pulled off into the parking lot of the bowling alley. He had made reservations for cosmic bowling, and Genna got a double surprise when her awesome Uncle Greg showed up to bowl with her. Jeremy didn't take any pictures of the bowling, but she participated in the contests and said she had a super fun time.

American Girls at lunch

2011-09-28T21:54:00.000-07:00

Genna started her birthday with breakfast and gifts at home, one of which was a certificate to get her ears pierced again. (those pictures will come next) Genna had asked to get her ears pierced for a second time, but the certificate also served as a great excuse to head to the mall. We passed the American Girl store on our way into the mall, and I asked the girls if they wanted to pop in for a moment and poke around. Genna suspected something was up because as we were meandering through the store, she kept looking over her shoulder. We were admiring the Kaya dolls near the front of the store when...... surprise! Our friends walked in! I asked Genna if she would be terribly disappointed if we didn't have bagels at home for lunch like she suggested, because I had made a reservation for all of us at the American Girl Bistro! Naturally, she was so upset she ran out of the store screaming in protest. Ha! Yeah right! All of the girls started jumping up and down squealing with excitement. I must say, I was pleasantly surprised with the food at the bistro. I had read reviews from different American Girl restaurant locations, and it seemed like people were saying the food was mediocre and the prices high. I figured it would be something we would do just for the experience of it. I'm happy to report I found the food to be wonderful and the prices extremely reasonable. I would not hesitate to stop in for a casual lunch now and then. A wonderful time was had by all.

checking out the goody bags......... you'll notice Genna and her doll have matching outfits, which was a gift from her very thoughtful sister

modeling the ribbons from Genna's gift (sadly, I don't have a picture of the awesome present from her friends)

ladies that lunch

Kit was catching up on her reading while waiting for her food

Yum! Bella enjoyed a bitty picnic lunch, while Genna had spaghetti and meatballs. I had an excellent pasta dish with a white wine reduction sauce, fresh red and yellow tomatoes, and goat cheese. Double yum!

both my girls said their lunches were very tasty

The cake!

Happy Birthday Genna!

a wish was made........

the cake was half chocolate and half vanilla, and they served it with vanilla bean ice cream; it was all very nice

I think Genna liked it...........

Genna received an American Girl gift card from my mom, as well as one from us, in addition to all the allowance money she'd saved up. Lunch was followed up by a mini-shopping spree in the American Girl store. Unfortunately my Dr. wanted me on bed rest that weekend, so my friend and I sat on a bench in the store while our girls shopped their little hearts out and I don't have any pictures of the shopping. I can report with accuracy however, that Genna had a fantastic time! And this was only the beginning of her day..................

she's 10

2011-09-26T13:24:00.001-07:00

more birthday pictures coming soon........

Jeremy, this is YOUR child

2011-09-23T13:15:00.000-07:00

*on a side note, check out those baby blues!

boys on the beach

2011-09-21T17:44:00.000-07:00

Jeremy took this picture and even though it didn't turn out "right", I thought it was kind of a cool shot.

Who's been talking to my kids?

2011-09-20T00:07:00.000-07:00

Last night's conversation:

Bella: IS the Earth getting hotter? It would be good to know.

Genna: Now THAT would be an inconvenient truth!

Seriously, what the heck?!?

This is my life

2011-09-11T13:15:00.000-07:00

Last night Noah decided to acquaint his head with the cement step in front of the house, and scored himself his very first "headband"! Up until now, Nahshon has been the only one who has had to have a headband, but I guess Noah didn't want to get left out of the fun. (I'm actually quite surprised Micaiah hasn't needed a headband yet) I swear, each boy gets a little worse than the one before him when it comes to daredevil behavior. I'm amazed no one has broken a bone yet! (knock on wood......) I suppose this is what I get for marrying a man that would climb on the roof of his house at 3 years old. On the positive side, we keep a stock of gauze and sports tape on hand for Genna's gymnastic injuries, so I'm always prepared! Hmmm, perhaps I should special order supplies in different colors so we can just work it into their wardrobes?..........

OMG

2011-09-10T16:50:00.000-07:00

My daughter is going to be 10 this week. 10!!! How did that happen? I swear she was only 4 last week; is there a pause button somewhere I can push? And speaking of the number 10, the day after Genna's birthday will mark only 10 more weeks until baby Abby! I'm having an all around freak out this week..............

Unit 1

2011-09-08T13:37:00.000-07:00

We're going to begin our studies in 1764 with a unit on Native Americans, and specific focus on Native Americans of the PNW. We'll be reading through the American Girl Kaya series to really help bring to life what it was like to live in a Native American tribe a couple hundred years ago. For this unit the kids will be taking field trips to Pioneer Farms for the Native American tour, the salmon hatchery in Issaquah, the Center for Wooden Boats in Seattle to ride in a canoe, and possibly the University of Washington Burke Museum of Natural History and Culture to learn more about native pacific cultures and geology of WA state! Our science studies will focus on weather and seasons, for which we'll mainly be using our eyes and noses to observe and experience the beautiful changing of seasons here in the Northwest.

Once you get passed all the rain, you realize just how beautiful it can be around here!

The bell rang, please take your seats

2011-09-08T10:18:00.000-07:00

School is back in session! I wasn't planning to start until next week, but the books I needed to start the school year came sooner than expected, so we started on Monday. We're easing into the school year slowly, adding a bit more to our schedule each week. This year we'll be studying early American history using the American Girl books, and being helped along the way with Portraits of American Girlhood unit studies. Don't be fooled by the "girl" part of it, it's equally educational for boys! I have designated Jeremy as Field Trip Man, and have plans to send him all over the NW with the kids for fun trips this year. I have high hopes for a positive and productive school year, and I think we're going to have a lot of fun on the way too!!!

Nursery hint #4

2011-09-02T10:24:00.001-07:00

GLÄNSA

Nursery hint #3

2011-08-31T01:29:00.001-07:00

Nursery hint #2

2011-08-29T20:26:00.001-07:00

Nursery hint #1

2011-08-29T03:47:00.000-07:00

*I had nothing to do with making this beautiful print*

*I do not own anything with this print*

*It is simply serving as an inspiration and a hint*

I think I might have a problem

2011-08-17T12:23:00.000-07:00

Or maybe it's just a side effect of living with Jeremy for a decade? I have this terrible habit of seeing something good, but instantly thinking of ways it could be great. I do this with recipes, sewing patterns, homeschool curriculum, and now with Abigail's "nursery" decor. Every year I think how wonderful it would be to just buy a big box of ready to go curriculum, and every year I start with that intention when I begin to compile my order for the following year. By the time I hit the place order button though, I have completely dismantled the big box curriculum and pieced together my own. Those big boxes just never fit quite right. *sigh*

As for Abby's stuff, we'll be making most everything ourselves. (and most stuff will probably end up being family projects that even the kids will help with) I won't spill my secrets just yet; you'll have to look out for pictures in the coming months!

Possibly the easiest Halloween costume EVER?

2011-08-16T19:44:00.000-07:00

Tonight the girls were talking about what they were going to be for Halloween. Genna wants to be Kit and Bella wants to be Kanani; both from the American Girl collection. Nahshon was nearby so I asked him what he wanted to be for Halloween- a Nahshon doll! I must say, that would be a pretty cute doll, but I'm not completely certain how to turn that into a Halloween costume. I'm sure by tomorrow he'll change his mind, because that's just the way he works these days, but for now I'll enjoy his adorableness.

What do you want to learn about this year?

2011-08-12T20:02:00.000-07:00

That was the question I asked the girls tonight as I'm trying to pin down the last details of our school year, and wanted to make sure I didn't miss anything important to them. Bella said she wants to learn about horses, fruit, and fairies. Yea....mmm....K. I told her perhaps we could discuss fairies when we discuss what is fact vs. fiction, to which she responded with a face just like this:

and these words:

"What is fiction? Is that supposed to be like a B, like my name, Bella?"

Um, yeah.

*obviously this picture isn't from tonight, but it's exactly what her face looked like, so I used it.*

how to rock a rope swing

2011-08-11T20:34:00.000-07:00

Step 1. Swim across the lake.

See the little house with the blue roof? That's our cabin. The older kids swam over while Isaac and Nahsh rode in a boat with Jeremy.

Step 2. Climb up a tree with the rope in hand.

Step 3. Swing for your life.

Step 4. Make a big splash.

Step 5. Have a blast.

Step 6. Repeat.

Unless of course you are Bella, in which case you will just sort of drop in to the water........

or if you are Nahsh, you won't even get out of the boat

miss minimalist: an experiment

2011-08-08T16:01:00.000-07:00

Before we left for the lake house, I loaded a small e-book on my kindle that was a collection of articles from a writer who calls herself Miss Minimalist. The articles were all about how to live a minimalistic lifestyle. While some of her ideas seem a bit extreme, and some just absolutely would not work with a house full of kids, she had a few ideas that were interesting and inspiring to me. Being nearly a family of 10 with very limited space, I have to be very mindful about what enters the house because it can multiply in the blink of an eye. Even being mindful though, things still have to be sorted and purged once in a while. For the next year, we're going to try a little experiment; everyone has to get rid of 1 item everyday. It could be an item of clothing that is now stained, a toy fallen out of favor, a pair of shoes I never wear, an old bottle of lotion that is never used, or an old piece of paperwork or craft project that we have no reason to keep. The item can be something that is worthy of donating or something that just needs to find a new home in the trash bin. Hopefully at this time next year our household will be a lot lighter on stuff and far more organized. Wish us luck!

2011-08-06T21:28:00.000-07:00

Please enjoy this cute picture of Noah while you wait for me to upload a handful of the 1700 photos I took on our vacation this week........

snail science

2011-08-02T20:27:00.000-07:00

About a week or so ago my mom was visiting, and the kids spotted a snail on her chair. We see snails semi-often, but this snail in particular is the biggest we've ever seen here. The kids were really excited to "observe" our new little garden friend.

gently touching it and watching it crawl back into it's shell

Nahsh was a bit less than impressed with it, clearly

Micaiah however, was amazed!

Bella trying to feed it a flower

(notice Nahshon in the background, keeping his distance from the scary creature)

(yes, Micaiah dressed himself that day)

Nahsh coming to see the snail holding the flower, and he's obviously so impressed..................

The snail was actually holding on pretty tight to it!

Eventually he let go of the flower in favor of some fresh peas from our garden. We placed him in a lovely patch of weeds when the kids were done thoroughly examining him.

why I love taking pictures of a 3 year old

2011-07-28T17:27:00.000-07:00

you

just

never

know

what

you'll

get

What being a girl is all about

2011-07-27T16:30:00.000-07:00

Yesterday was finally our "official" visit to the new American Girl store at Alderwood Mall. The girls had no idea as I told them we were just headed to the mall to see the weekly summer movie at the theater. They were rather surprised as I was rushing them past the store so we "wouldn't be late for the movie", to see our friends hanging out at the entrance. It didn't take long for the screaming and jumping to begin! Trying to take pictures of girls in a new doll store is a bit like trying to capture a gazelle running from a pride of lions. They go this way and that, only looking back at you for a second to make sure you're still around.

Genna and Bella posing with Kanani at her shaved ice stand

she's adored these Bitty Babies for a few years now, so it's quite a treat to finally get to hold one

checking out the display

Bell and Kanani

she's just tickled to bits to be here!

Admiring the horses, and Genna announcing she would rather buy a horse from Target or Walmart since they would be much cheaper, haha!

what's over here.......no, what's over here........... wait for little Brie!

The very helpful staff found a doll "just like Genna"

She's so happy to be bringing home Kanani she can't even keep her eyes open!

Somehow I managed not to snap a pic of the girls with their new dolls, but I'm sure I'll have one to post soon since I've pretty much turned into a stalker with my new camera. I'm equally as certain there will be many trips to American Girl in our future, and many more photo opportunities. Now I must go cuddle with Bella and read her new Kanani book to her and her dolly.

my summer babies

2011-07-23T16:11:00.000-07:00

It's here! It's here! It's here!

2011-07-17T21:01:00.000-07:00

Did you miss me? Sorry about that, I've pretty much moved into Leading Edge Gymnastics part time. And when not there, I've been trying to keep my kids busy with summer rainy day activities since it seems we're going to have a rather moist summer. (oh, and I'm NOT complaining! Right now I much prefer rain to heat, but my kids are bummin' big time) On the rare chance I don't actually have anything on my calendar, I've been busy buying buckets of pink. (buckets being about the size of a sand pail though since I haven't actually had much free time) In a nutshell, I'm a little short on time these days. Anyhow, I have an announcement:

The moment every little girl dreams of is finally here: American Girl has opened a store at the Alderwood Mall! I think there are still less than a dozen of these stores in the entire country, and if you have an American Girl fan, it's a big deal to get one in your neck of the woods.

Now, I had ZERO intention of going there on opening day. I knew it would be a mad-house, and we have plans to visit with some dear friends after the initial hullabaloo settles down. I've been in need of some new maternity tops, and due to aforementioned crazy schedule, I found myself headed to the mall on launch day. I had Bella in tow, but still no plan to visit wonderland. For some stupid reason, I was taken by surprise at the hundreds of little girls milling about holding their dolls, signs plastered on every surface, balloons galore, and, of course, a DJ for radio Disney in the parking lot. Bella wouldn't have said a combative word if I told her we weren't going to visit, but that's just not the kind of mom I am. So, we paraded across the parking lot, in the rain, and got our admission tickets. (tickets were free, this was simply a safety and crowd control measure) We were told our ticket number would probably be let in the store around noon, which was fine because we'd come to the mall to shop anyhow.

Since we were already in the parking lot, we decided to head over to the tent where the music was coming from and see the happenings. Jamba Juice was set up with free smoothies for everyone; a perfect treat at 9:30 am! There were tables set up with crafts, and Bella was able to make a crown to take home to one of her dolls. They also had karaoke set up for the brave young ladies to take turns dazzling the crowds, and each participant won a prize. They even had the girl of the year set up on a table in the tent, much to Bella's excitement:

(she's been admiring Kanani in the catalog since January!)

We made our way back inside to do our shopping and have some lunch while we waited for our turn to tour the store. Despite the massive crowds, it was fairly well organized. When we came back they were already passed our number, so we simply showed our tickets and walked right in without having to stand in line. Bella was immediately handed a free gift just for coming in the store. Super cool!!

I think it took her a good 45 seconds to even speak after walking in, and even then it was more a jumble of sounds than a complete sentence. The fact that the place was so jammed you had to shuffle around made no difference to her- all she could see was a world of dollies. (thankfully Bella is small, so it was easy for me to just park myself in an empty corner and watch her weave in and out to all the different displays; oohing and ahhing equally at each one) In true American Girl style, it was a pink paradise. Being a bibliophile, I was a bit disappointed in the "book store" section, but I noticed they had most of the historical character books displayed with the dolls instead. I didn't get more than a peek at the bistro, but what I saw of the menu looked pretty good. (hopefully it'll taste good too because I'm planning a surprise lunch party for Genna on her birthday!)

The store also features a doll hospital, a doll salon (which includes ear piercing and hair styling for the doll), and a "Tee for Two" station where you can have matching T-shirts designed for you and your doll.

The staff seemed genuinely happy and helpful, and I was amazed at how well behaved all the children in the store were! No tantrums or whining, no rudeness of any kind despite the overwhelming excitement. It was also really neat to see the wide range of ages of the girls in the store; I guess appropriate toys and books which encourage girls to be independent ladies has wide appeal........ are you taking notes toy companies????? The parents on the other hand............... wow. They were pushing, smacking into people, barking at their kids and the employees. Yes it was busy and the line to purchase things was very long, but what did they expect on opening day?

No matter, it was the perfect end stop to a lovely shopping day with my sugarbell. I just love seeing that childhood amazement come over her, and can't wait to go back with our friends soon!

the anatomy of a cartwheel

2011-06-25T09:36:00.000-07:00

thank you Vickie for these action shots!

Oh to be a fly on the wall..........

2011-06-25T01:26:00.000-07:00

On Thursday night the girls participated in their very first Gala at Leading Edge Gymnastics. This set of snapshots was taken from across the gym while the girls were waiting to take their place on the floor as the next act. I can only imagine what they must have been talking about........ *please ignore the random family behind them. Not sure who they are or why they were over in the coaches area*

this one is my favorite

They have yet to divulge their secret conversation, but that's OK because I crack up every time I look at these pictures. I'll post pics of the actual performance very soon.

Awesome Bell, thanks

2011-06-18T16:35:00.000-07:00

Yesterday morning Bella came to my room and woke me up early to tell me:

"time travels are just not fair."

Ok, I agree, I suppose............?

Also, Bella thinks we should name our new baby Duchess Ivanna Partay. I wonder if there will ever come a day when that girl doesn't surprise me with what comes out of her mouth?

Keep your receipts........

2011-06-18T16:32:00.000-07:00

That's what the ultrasound tech told me at my scan since I was only 16 weeks, but it looks like we might be adding a little girl to our family! I'll have another scan in about a month, which will be more in depth and hopefully we'll be able to see for sure! If this does turn out to be the baby girl the kids have been hoping for, her name will be Abigail Leighla. Abbie for short. Whatever this baby turns to be, we know they'll be cool- the tech got a picture of the baby giving us a thumbs up!

I suppose he's right

2011-06-04T15:28:00.000-07:00

Isaac said to me, "if our family was a movie, witches, pirates, and lions that talk would come to our house. Squirrels are OK though."

And there you have it.

words of wisdom from classic cinema

2011-05-29T17:02:00.000-07:00

I like old black and white movie. There's no shock value, no sex appeal, no computer generated images. They had to rely on good actors, a good script, and wit; imagine that! The other night I decided to watch Harvey with James Stewart, and there was a line that I loved:

Years ago, my mother used to say to me, she'd say "In this world, Elwood, you can be oh so smart, or oh so pleasant." Well, for years I was smart... I recommend pleasant. You may quote me. ~ Elwood P. Dowd (James Stewart's character)

Words to live by. Perhaps we could all use a little Harvey in our lives.

sorry about that, I thought the world was ending

2011-05-24T15:25:00.000-07:00

otherwise I would have updated the blog sooner!

Ok, obviously I didn't actually expect the world to end on Saturday, but there are a lot of people who did. Harold Camping claims there were secret passages in the Bible that were revealed to him, and God gave him the codes he needed to decipher these encrypted scriptures. Let's all say it together now: ooooooook. Sounds a little out there, right? I certainly think so. Unfortunately there were people who believed this man. It's easy to mock and make jokes, but right now our focus needs to be on the victims of this scam. (it is a scam because Harold Camping's "ministry" is reported to be worth somewhere in the ballpark of $100 million) Yes, there actually are victims in this mess, and they are completely innocent and deserving of our concern: the children. The children whose parents believed Harold Camping. The children who had no choice as their parents sold off their house, their cars, and all their possessions. They had no say in the fact that their parents quit their jobs, maxed out their credit cards, and used every last cent to their name. They endured the heartbreak as their parents gave away beloved family pets, or even worse, had them euthanized. One way or another, these children were told they were going to die. Either they would be lifted up to Heaven in the rapture, or would be left behind on Earth to suffer through earthquakes, volcanic eruptions, fire, disease...... a literal hell on Earth without any guarantee someone would be there to look after them. These are the people we should all be focused on right now, ESPECIALLY because Harold Camping still claims October 21st is when the Earth will cease to exist. There has already been one report of a woman attempting to commit suicide, and to take her daughter with her. Please pray that these people will seek the counsel they need, and pray these children will heal and move on from these monumental mistakes their parents have made. They did nothing wrong, but will suffer the most.

suprise!

2011-05-15T18:57:00.000-07:00

we're having a baby!

not sure what I should have expected really

2011-05-12T00:12:00.000-07:00

For mother's day, Bella said she was going to make my bed. When I went to lay down, I discovered she had actually made me a fort. That girl is awesome. ♥

I miss her little days

2011-05-06T02:05:00.000-07:00

With Genna inching ever closer to double digits, it becomes increasingly rare for her to say those silly little kid things we all love so much. Last night though, I got a great one from her. We were watching the new singing competition, The Voice, and she was singing along to all the country songs. I asked her if she liked country music, and she gave me an shy smile and admitted she kind of did. I told her there was no reason to act embarrassed- everyone likes different music. With a bit more confidence she said, "I actually do think I like country music better than city music!" Hahahaha! City music!?! I couldn't help but pull her in for a big hug while I cracked up. It's wonderful to get a little glimpse back in time like that.

By the way, what exactly is city music?

Hmmm, maybe I will have a favorite after all..........

2011-04-30T19:15:00.000-07:00

Tonight Isaac told me, "someday I'm going to marry a wonderful girl just like mommy." Oh how I love that little boy!

a little bit of luck?

2011-04-23T15:05:00.000-07:00

There's a horseshoe above our front door. We didn't put it up, but I love that it's there. I usually forget about it completely until I'm sitting out in the right spot in the yard and happen to look up and notice it. Every time I see it, it makes me smile because it reminds me of my grandpa. He was a cowboy. Not a silly city guy that just wore the boots and hat, but a true born and bred cowboy. People called him Tex. (Or Rip. He came from a place where everyone had nicknames.) When I was young he bought a ranch in Idaho and built a log cabin, and hang a horseshoe above his front door. He said it was for good luck, and as long as it hung upright his life would be filled with riches. (if the horseshoe falls over, all of your luck will spill out) I often wonder about who hung it up there, and wonder if maybe they knew him since he used to live right in this area. Sometimes I think about if I'll take it with me or not when we move someday, but then I think perhaps I'll leave it there to give the next family a bit of luck.

Who IS this child?

2011-04-22T16:50:00.000-07:00

Today I was thinking about what we would do to celebrate Micaiah's birthday next month, and suggested heading to Country Village to ride the train, see the chickens, and have ice cream cones. Genna has never been to Country Village, and asked what type of things they have there. I was showing her pictures on their web site and telling her the different stores; bead shops, gift shops, fabric shop, stamping store, toy store, paper shop, antique store....... when she loudly exclaimed "ANTIQUE STORE?!?" Uh, yeah. (insert confused look here) She then started going on and on about how much she loves antique stores because my mom took both girls to one up north near her property, and they both loved it. This was surprising news because as a child, my parents had their own antique store and I spent countless hours being dragged to antique stores and malls from here to Montana. To me, antique stores = smelly and boring. I could be quite happy to live the rest of my life and never again step foot into an antique store. Thankfully since it will be Micaiah's birthday I think I'll be able to avoid taking her through the antique shops, but it wouldn't surprise me at all after our visit if she asks to come back for her own birthday to visit the tea room and go antique shopping. Where did this strange little child come from?

A city girl with a farmers heart?

2011-04-19T23:59:00.000-07:00

Much to my parents dismay I believe, I have always been much more of a city girl than a country girl. Camping? Uh, no thank you, please point me to the nearest hotel with room service. However, in the last couple years I have found myself having a bit more of a desire for homesteading. Today a friend was telling me that her family is thinking about raising hens, and it reminded me of my own desire to have a little urban farm. I would love to have a little hen house and have fresh eggs on hand all the time. I also would love to have a little goat friend to help make light work of our little wilderness patch on the side of the house. I mentioned the hens to Jeremy today; let's just say the look he gave me led me to decide this wasn't the best time to bring up the goat. I can't imagine why though, it's not as if we're busy these days or anything............ Oh well, perhaps someday we'll realize our dream of having a patch of land with bountiful vegetable gardens, and I'll be able to have my chicks and goats.

It finally happened to me

2011-04-10T14:24:00.000-07:00

This morning I woke up and saw a sleeping child next to me. That in itself is not strange or unusual. What was odd, is the fact that I had to pull the covers down and look at the PJ's to know if it was Micaiah or Isaac! There have been many occasions when Jeremy has come home at night and asked which child was asleep on our bed or the couch, but up until today I've never not been able to tell. In my defense, both boys do have blond hair cut into mohawks, round faces, and very long eyelashes so they actually look quite similar when asleep. (especially now that Micaiah is getting so big) It's a peculiar feeling though, as a mother, to look at one of your kids and not know which one you are looking at!

mommy quote of the night

2011-04-03T02:01:00.000-07:00

You wouldn't have to say uh-oh if you didn't do that!

Wait a minute......

2011-04-02T18:40:00.000-07:00

Are my teeth too small, or do I just got a cheap tooth fairy?

This is what Bella asked me upon hearing the news that kids at the school where her grandma works often get $10 a tooth. I guess I'm going to just have to go with cheap tooth fairy, sorry kid.

The mind of a 3 year old

2011-03-25T21:35:00.000-07:00

Tonight the girls were asking about how daddy and I met, and how he proposed, etc.... Genna thought it was neat, but Bella thought it was too mushy for her taste. As she walked away, Isaac said "Hey guys, wanna talk about married, and kissing, and dancing stuff?!?" To which Nahshon responded, "NOT ME, I'M A CHRISTIAN!"

What can I say, the kid's got values.

kidney stones

2011-03-23T13:06:00.000-07:00

Painful. Inconvenient. Painful. Time Consuming. Oh, and painful. How can something so small be so agonizing? And, since they won't come out on their own, I have to go in to have them broken up on Monday morning. (the same day I start college again) This sucks. There is no nicer way to describe it. It sucks. (oh yeah, and hurts)

She's a firecracker

2011-03-14T03:36:00.000-07:00

Recently at dinner, Isaac announced that when he grows up he plans to have 6 daughters and 6 sons. Here's the conversation the following day:

Isaac- Actually, I'm going to have 12 daughters and 12 sons! How many kids is that? (yes, the entire conversation started with the word "actually", as if we were still in the middle of last night's dinner talk)

Mom- That's 24 kids.

Bella- (popping her head in from the next room) Ha! Good luck with that! You're gonna need 2 wives!

Mom- A man can't have 2 wives, it's against the law.

Bella- Yes they can, I saw it on cable.

*for the record, please note we do not have cable, and have not had any TV service for a while, so...... you have some explaining to do grandma!

budding romantic?

2011-03-06T00:30:00.000-08:00

This morning when I got out of the shower, Isaac said, "You take showers every day. Why do you take showers everyday?" I told him, "I liked to be clean and smell nice, that way daddy will kiss me!" Isaac gave me a silly grin and said, "I like kissing stuff and married stuff. When I grow up I'm going to have my own car, my own house, get married, and go to COLLEGE!" (he was really excited about college) Suddenly Elijah piped up from behind (very casually, but very seriously), "Isaac, you want to meet a wonderful girl, and have all your dreams come true?" Isaac answered with a very enthusiastic yes and they started discussing their future plans with their wives. At that point I had to go take care of Noah, but oh how I would have loved to hear the rest of that conversation!

Wimpy Kid = Awesome

2011-02-22T16:20:00.000-08:00

For Christmas I gave Genna the first 4 books from the Diary of a Wimpy Kid series. On Wednesday she decided to start reading the first one. She has now read the entire series in 1 week. (I ordered book #5 when I realized how quickly she was devouring these books, and thanks to Amazon it arrived the day after I ordered it!) As a special treat for her persistence, we're going to rent the Diary of a Wimpy Kid movie on Thursday. I love seeing her dive into reading like this, and can't wait to have the chance to experience the movie with her this week!

He's finally in!

2011-02-20T13:16:00.000-08:00

My kids seem to have a way of hazing the newest family addition into their tight-knit group:

They color their heads. Genna did it to Elijah. Elijah did it to Bella. Bella did it to Isaac. Isaac did it to Nahshon. Nahshon did it to Micaiah. Now Micaiah has done it to Noah. We told Noah this was a very special moment and gave him a big round of applause.

He's very happy to be part of the group now.

skating!

2011-02-19T14:51:00.000-08:00

Bella had been asking to go ice skating for a long time, but we were just never able to get it scheduled. Last night Jeremy surprisingly had the night off work and casually asked me if he should take Bell ice skating. I looked up skating sessions at the nearby ice rink, thinking there was no way the rink would be open for a public skate, and they had a session starting up in 20 minutes!! She fell a couple times, and held Jeremy's hand a lot, but by the end she had gotten the hang of it pretty well. She had such a great time; now all the kids are asking to go!

Is there anything better.........

2011-02-14T14:37:00.000-08:00

Than when your 3 year old tells you he is your valentine? I think not.

Happy Valentines Day!

Ahhh, boys

2011-02-08T00:08:00.000-08:00

1. Tonight Isaac was finishing off the last couple sips of Jeremy's Pepsi while playing a game at the table. When finished, he crumpled up the can and just tossed it over his shoulder. Then, he had the nerve to act utterly insulted when I made him pick up the can, plus an additional 25 items to serve as a reminder that his frat boy behavior needs to be kept in check for another 15 years. Oh how I dread the day these boys figure out how to smash cans on their heads.

2. Still sore from surgery, I decided to make scalloped potatoes au gratin for my dinner. Isaac was sitting next to me, watching me eat when he suddenly asked, "can I have a bite of your butt cheese?" HUH? He then pointed out how the cheese on one area of potatoes looked like the shape of a booty. Way to keep it classy son.

3. This isn't as much of a boy thing, as it is a three year old thing. Last night Nahshon hurt his shoulder on the corner of a kitchen drawer. Remembering there was a tiny bit of ice cream left in the freezer, I told him I had some "special owie medicine" for him. I dropped a few chocolate chips in the container, tapped the lid, shook it up, and did a little dance until the tears turned to giggles. I then handed him the carton and a spoon. He looked down at the treat and then looked back at me, puzzled, and asked, "is it a car?" Wha....? No. He looked at it again and decidedly pronounced, "it's an elephant" as he walked away. Whatever.

When will he learn?

2011-02-06T19:43:00.000-08:00

Every year for the last 6 years, Genna has correctly guessed the winning super bowl team. Every year. I told Jeremy he needed to place a bet one of these years, but he never does. (I even called him to let him know which team Genna was rooting for this year) This year Genna had a little Super Bowl party with her papa. I haven't talked to her yet, but I'm sure she's super psyched that her team won yet again. Maybe next year we can make a little money off our little football prodigy.

she's a dork and I love her

2011-02-02T12:15:00.000-08:00

This morning Bella was pouring herself a bowl of cereal (Kix, to be exact), and in her very best mixed up Russian/Brooklyn accent she repeatedly said, "You've got to be kixing me." (kixing instead of kidding) She's so weird sometimes, but it's the kind of weird that makes my life better.

when I'm 9

2011-02-01T15:38:00.000-08:00

When I'm 9, I'll be big. When I'm big, I'll go to college; but I don't have a skateboard to take to college, so I'll just take my watch.

~Isaac (age 4)

A MUST- see

2011-01-26T19:47:00.000-08:00

Last night Jeremy took me to see The King's Speech. Now I understand why there is so much buzz about this movie! I had no clue what it was about beforehand; Jeremy thought I would enjoy it more if I had no foreknowledge of the plot. (for that reason, I will also avoid sharing too much) Colin Firth was great, you could feel the pain of his character. Helena Bonham Carter was witty and fun. Geoffry Rush though, in my opinion, was the star. He was phenomenal! It was the perfect date movie too; no blood, not packed with action/adventure, not overly mushy or sappy- just a fantastic story. I can see this being one we will buy.

blue birthday balloon

2011-01-18T22:12:00.000-08:00

At the end of gymnastics today, Nahshon's wonderful (and very patient) coach gave him a balloon to celebrate his upcoming 3rd birthday. When we got home, he drew a face on it and named it King Julian.

*Thank you, Rachel for taking this lovely picture!*

Yeah...... I believe ya.....

2011-01-16T17:07:00.000-08:00

Just walked into the kitchen where Bella and Isaac were talking. Bella looked over her shoulder and said, "we're just talking, mama." Um, that's perfectly fine Bell. Then Isaac chimed in, "but we're not talking about you!" Well, I didn't think you were, but I do now!

Awesome Christmas Gifts

2011-01-08T23:07:00.000-08:00

Since I still have no clue where my camera cord is, I thought I would just share some of neat things that found their way under our Christmas tree this year.

Jeremy and I like to encourage a giving heart in our children, so at Christmas time they each get to pick a gift for me and Jeremy. This year, "Noah" gave me a Kindle!!

I love reading, and reading on a Kindle makes it so much easier to actually sit down and enjoy a book with a handful of kids running around me. I just finished my first Kindle book too- My Life in France by Julia Child. It's a lovely book, and I highly recommend it.

Next up on my list of cool Christmas stuff, is this gift from Micaiah:

It's a purse hook! Mine doesn't look exactly like this, but it's the same style. If you are like me and have never even seen one of these before, here is what it's for:

It gives you a handy place to hang your handbag when you go out! Brilliant, right?

Now on to this little cutie:

This was not one of my gifts, but what the big man left for Nahshon. I think this little play kitchen is too stinkin' adorable! I love that it's wood;no sound effects mean my kids get to use their imagination to the fullest! It's small, which means it fits perfectly in my living room. And it's red, so it matches my living room too! Nahshon also got a large set of mini metal pots and pans, and mini baking accessories to boot! This set has been played with everyday since Christmas.

I know I'm a little late to the party with this next one, but it's too great not to mention:

Aquadoodle! My kids are notorious for coloring all over their bodies (they ALL have gone through a phase where they doodle themselves head to toe!), so this is just awesome. I especially love the fact that since you "paint" on it with water, I never have to worry about markers drying out, crayons getting cracked, and if the water pen gets lost you can just use paint brushes, sponges, or even your hands!

Of course there were many more things under the tree, but these were just a few of my personal favorites. Hope everyone had a lovely Christmas!

not a newborn anymore

2011-01-02T15:29:00.000-08:00

Today while playing with Noah, he grabbed my hand a bit down on my fingers to show me the power of his new (and very sharp!) teeth! Wasn't he just born like two weeks ago? How can he possibly be 5 months old and growing teeth already?

Liar, Liar, now my oven's on fire!

2011-01-01T15:49:00.000-08:00

Ugh! Not the best way to kick off a new year. Two nights ago I made scalloped potatoes au gratin. Unfortunately, I used a baking dish that was a bit too small, and some of the lovely cream sauce bubbled over into the bottom of the oven. Now, normally I'm very careful about not spilling things in the oven (that's usually Jeremy's job), and then I completely forgot about it. Until today. I just whipped up the loveliest smelling garlic pizza dough, because the kids and I were going to use our wonderful new pizza stone to bake a pizza tonight. I popped the stone in the oven, turned it on, and a few minutes later noticed the oven was smoking. I asked Jeremy if I should worry or if the heat would just burn it off. He assured me the heat would just burn it off. Being cheeky, I said "so you promise it's not going to start a big fire?" He laughed, and said no, not at all. Fast forward 3 minutes, I look over at the oven and realize I have a toasty little fire going! I yelped and went for the baking soda, which is the exact moment Genna noticed it and started screaming FIRE! FIRE! FIRE! And all the kids ran outside. In the snow. In their bare feet. To sum it all up- The fire is out. My house smells like smoke. Dinner is being delivered from the pizza place around the corner. And my husband is a big fat liar.

And this is all typed in white and highlighted in charcoal so you can get the feel of what my smoke infested house feels like. Isn't it nice how I bring you right in to my world?

My new year's resolution: ME!

2010-12-31T18:48:00.000-08:00

This year I resolve to put myself first more. Not in a selfish way, of course. As a mom, the needs of my children will ALWAYS come before my own. However, like most moms (I assume), I often put my children's wants ahead of my needs- and that's just not good for anyone. This year I also give myself permission to occasionally indulge in my wants, without feeling guilty about it. And that's that.

Happy New Year!!!!!!

A riddle? A joke? Just plain madness?

2010-12-29T02:03:00.000-08:00

I can't even begin to imagine how boring my life would be if I didn't have Miss Isabell around. She said something tonight, yet again, that left Jeremy and I completely perplexed:

How do monsters play soccer? They stick pinecones on their butts, and run around screaming!

The word you are searching for right now is, "what?" Honestly, I just don't know.

That's what 25 years of marriage will do to ya!

2010-12-20T23:51:00.000-08:00

A couple days ago I was talking to my mom, and asked her if she had any Christmas ideas for my dad. She sighed, and lamented that he always asks for the same things: Levi's, thermals, and socks. Uninspired by her list, I decided to go straight to the source and ask my dad directly if he had any ideas for Christmas. He chipperly replied "Levi's, thermals, and socks would be great!" Hahahahaha! I guess she nailed it! Of course I can't tell yet what we got for him, but I'm sure he'll love it!

true to name

2010-12-08T23:21:00.000-08:00

Last night Jeremy and I had a mini date night, and our first stop of the evening was here: Painless Steel Tattoo. After having achieved an important goal recently, I decided to reward myself with something fun; I had my nose pierced! Amazingly, the piercing really doesn't hurt. It's a quick pinch and takes no longer than a standard immunization from your doctor. While I doubt there are too many people reading this that are in the market for a body modification shop, if you are looking, I highly recommend this place! They were extremely friendly, and most importantly, they were extremely clean! I don't have a pic to show of my piercing yet because I need to buy a new connection cord for my camera, but hopefully I'll have one up sooner than later.

uh, I blame his dad

2010-12-04T23:26:00.000-08:00

Tonight Isaac spilled some juice, and I instructed him to please grab a towel and wipe it up. By the third time I asked him to clean it up, he tried to tell me that first he needed more juice. Nope, sorry, you need to clean that up first. Then he tried to convince me to get him more juice, and I told him I would be more than happy to, but first he needed to wipe up his spill. He then said to me "please get me more juice first...... I'll give you a necklace for Christmas!" What!?!?!?!!! You are trying to BRIBE me? Yeah, fat chance buddy!

*the juice was cleaned up immediately after as I was not amused at his stall tactics and told him he had exactly 20 seconds to get a towel and clean it up.

let it snow, let it snow, let it snow!

2010-11-23T00:01:00.000-08:00

Today we finally got some snow!! Not a lot (2 inches), but enough that the kids are having fun. I LOVE snow leading up to Christmas time. Nothing puts me in a holiday mood more than snow outside and the Christmas tunes turned up! It's also awesome that I almost never have to worry about venturing out on the roads; I'm sure that's part of why I'd love to have a good 6 inches of snow right now. However, here is what I don't like.

Tonight, I am here:

(that would be my home)

And Jeremy is here:

(that would be work)

Jeremy works at Bin on the Lake, which is owned by the Woodmark Hotel. The roads are so bad tonight that the managers have decided all employees will not be allowed to leave, and must stay at the hotel. (for free, of course) I am extremely thankful he works at a place that is so concerned for employee safety that they would put them up for the night, but it is a bummer he can't make it home. Oh well, I'm going to keep enjoying my snow. Hopefully he'll make it home sometime in the next couple days!

oh brother!

2010-11-17T22:24:00.000-08:00

We have determined, without a doubt, that Nahshon is what sitcom brothers are modeled after. Truly, he's incredible.

The other day, he and Isaac were talking to Jeremy in the kitchen and Jeremy told Nahshon to go blow his nose. Can you guess what Nahsh did? He leaned into Isaac's back, and blew his nose into Isaac's shirt. Seriously. And THIS is what Cai and Noah have to look up to as a role model; I can't wait.

Jim and his staples

2010-11-13T23:56:00.000-08:00

I know right now you are wondering, who is Jim and what is so important about his staples? Well, let me tell ya! "Jim" is Nahshon. And those staples? They are in the side of his head. Yeah. At the start of this week little, sweet, never gets in trouble Nahshon, was jumping around at the dinner table and apparently jumped himself right off his chair and into the bookshelf behind him. Needless to say, there was blood. Jeremy rushed home from work and we took the little tyke down to Children's Hospital where they stapled his head shut. You might think such an even would be very traumatic for a young child, and it seems, the drug companies would agree with that. Before they took the office equipment to his head, they shot some stuff up his nose and said pretty soon he'd look and act like he'd just downed a couple pints at the local pub. At one point Jeremy asked Nahshon his name, and in between little snorts and fits of giggles he replied "JIM!" At that time we informed his nurse that he was thoroughly trashed and ready to go. Here's the really amazing part though: the drugs they gave him cause him to actually FORGET the whole ordeal! Crazy, right?

At first I thought it was fantastic that he wouldn't remember it, but within minutes of getting home I began to see the serious downside of it all- he didn't remember he hurt his head! His head was still puffy, the staples still shiny, and he was attempting to stand on the arm of a chair! This entire week, we've had this conversation about 10 times per day:

(me) NAHSHON! Do you still have staples in your head?

(him) yes

(me) Then stop that right now, you're going to get hurt!

(him- in an angry shout and then stomping away with his arms folded) OK MOM!

I would love to think this will be the first and last time we have to deal with something like this, but we all know that probably isn't true. Wonder if they sell those staple kits for home use.............

YES YES YES!!!

2010-11-05T01:58:00.000-07:00

Today was THE day. The day Jeremy and I have practically pulling out our hair trying to reach for the past two years. Today, Elijah read a book. Anyone on the outside would probably be thinking, didn't he just celebrate his 8th birthday? Shouldn't he be reading already? If it was any of my other kids, I would agree, but not with Elijah. If you know my family, then you know we've struggled with him from day 1. Ever since we pulled Elijah from school, I've wrestled with my decision There is so much risk that he'll just get overlook and lost in the "system" at public school, but then there's that constant nagging feeling that I might not know how to teach a child like him. This year though, I tossed out "traditional" schooling for him. Last year was so hard, and I wasn't going to put any of us through it again. In place of stacks of books, we gave him a Leapster system. On day one I could see we made a good choice because he was getting excited again about learning. (that is the foundation to a successful education, in my opinion) The only workbook I ordered for him this year was a language arts book, which we do in a group lesson with Bella. Today their lesson included a long list of words, and they had to find the match. After the assignment was complete, I asked Bella to please read me the list of words. Elijah quickly joined in, and I asked Bell to stop so we could hear Elijah. To the surprise and amazement of us all, he read the entire page correctly. Not long after I handed him a small book for beginning readers, and he read the entire thing without help! This is exactly what we needed to kick start our school year in the right direction. How fantastically awesome!

On another happy reading note...... Yesterday Genna started a new book. The title escapes me, but I know it was a Halloween mystery book. (that girl loves a good mystery) I asked her to read a chapter before bed, and told her she could go read in my room so it would be quiet. A while later I went to check on her, and she had already read three chapters and begged me to let her read one more. I said OK, but that she had to go to bed right after. She obeyed and went to bed, but about 45 minutes later came out of her room saying she couldn't sleep because she couldn't stop thinking about her book and could she pleeeaaassseeee read a tiny bit more. I figured she didn't have anywhere to be in the morning, so why not? I wasn't all that surprised when a bit over an hour later she came and said she finished the entire book! It actually made me laugh a bit because I remember when I was her age and would read an entire book in a day when I had to spend time at my parent's store. (or would use a flashlight to read in bed) I love that she loves to read, and I hope she never loses that passion.

Need a nickname?

2010-10-17T11:07:00.000-07:00

Just ask Elijah for one!

This is baby Logan:

Isn't he a cutie? He's the newest cousin in the family. Elijah calls him Cosmo. Don't know why, but he just does.

This is Micaiah

He's sweet and cuddly in all the right places. Elijah calls him Little Meatball.

(To be honest, this one I kind of get because he is rather round and squishy.)

Perhaps a future as a personal trainer?

2010-10-11T23:45:00.000-07:00

Genna and I have been doing Dance Dance Revolution together every night as I try to shake off this baby weight. (from the last TWO babies, no less) Genna suggested we try one of the new songs we unlocked in the game. I responded by laughing hysterically and telling her she was crazy. When she asked why I thought she was crazy, I told her I had no intention of killing myself that night by trying one of those songs. (seriously, some of the songs on there are so fast it's stupid) She looked me right in the eye and very sweetly (but fully sincere) said, "Mom you're not going to kill yourself........ you're going to kill calories!" I thanked her for her kind words, and then immediately switched the song to a nice easy one ;)