Play time at our house

We love building things and making things with the things we have:) One afternoon it was a jump park out of books. Then a couple days ago Brady comes in looking like this.

All about Thing 2

We have been fooling around with the camera a bunch and found that Thing2 likes to pose for pictures.

Here is a short list of all the goods on Thing 2

• announcing to everyone she is already six although it isn't official for another couple of months. (yes even Santa at the Band's Work party got the "I am Six line")
• She doesn't like Candy Cookies or anything with a large amount of Sugar. Strangers are not a danger if they come bearing treats!
  
• She is particular about all her clothes (Pajamas yes pajamas too!)
• Is in love with two or more boys at a time. Currently Miguel and Aaron.
• Doesn't want to marry Donovan although he has been professing undying love, and devotion since the beginning of the school year.
  
• Loves to take care of her brothers and her parents when she finds she can help them in some fantastic way.

• loves to make up crazy stories about what happened at school that day! Oh man I have heard about kids kicking teachers, a boy calling her a goblin, and her teacher's cousin getting lost in the city! Today it was that she had a rough day when I came late to pick her up.
  
• Loves animals and cries when they are too cute.
• Loves her hair down or in pigtails. Calls her braids "curlies"
  
• Plays My little ponies
• Dances like a rockstar
• Can't get enough of Soccer since the Fall season ended.
• loves being outside
• Jump ropes up to seven jumps in a row.

Little Thing 1 turns 7

There aren't enough words for the feelings I have on this day.

In one moment I am holding in my arms this wide mouthed screaming little boy. Having him calm down right away as I start to talk to him. And now I have this wonderful little man that is so quick with a compliment for all that he meets. He is gentle and sweet and so protective of the underdog. He is always ready to play and have a "great time" I miss him this year, as it is his first going to six hours of school. He wants so badly to do the right thing and often succeeds. He reminds me constantly of what the gospel teaches and what I need to be doing in order to raise the wonderful gifts I have been given. He always spits out the lessons or morals to what he learned through out the rough experiences he has had.

Season ends with a bang!

Thing 2 really enjoyed playing soccer this year. She has played all the time at recess since. Love of the game is strong and so we finally broke down and bought a soccer ball.

Halloween haunts out memories still

I figure I'd better post these before christmas happens.

Catching up begins

Ok so we have been sick.... Yes again.First it was Halloween with the barfing. Then that lasted until they all got this cold. Green is just our color of choice right now. It has lasted for so long. This time we have fevers, and coughing that lasts all night with or with out cough medicine.

Behind The Awkwardness: Neverland

Behind The Awkwardness: Neverland




This made me laugh. Granted I have gone to bed at 2 am for the past two nights so everything makes me laugh but this made me laugh hard. I love Awkward family Photo. com!!

Photoshop project theme is taken from this Video :)

Ted.com has some seriously cool stuff and ideas on there. I could watch all day long if I could. I am doing some design projects and had to pick a theme it was difficult with so many cool ideas on there. But the one I liked the most was this one. Check it out and I'll post the design ideas from there.

Brandon Flowers Who???

In seventh grade my good friend fell hard for the Phantom of the Opera's lead singer. Micheal Crawford. I think she has repressed all these memories since then. But I have missed this whole obsession with the famous person. UNTIL now...... wow I loved the Killers and all their head bashing songs, slow ones, and everything in between. Then I heard his interview on NPR and hit itunes for the newly released solo album, Flamingo. I can't believe how many songs I am totally obsessed with. And then I saw the Crossfire video! SOLD full on Obsession. Oh and I will be seeing him live in concert. And I will yell "I love you Brandon" like I was in seventh grade.While faithfully holding to my one true love's hand. I think they call this regression.... rhymes with obsession. Nice. Check out "ONLY The YOUNG" and Magdelena on the album.

I remember thinking Brad Pitt was cute when he was young and all it took was some rumor that he stunk like really bad B.O. and I was forever cured from another look. Brandon you can stink all you want and it would be like a room full of roses for me :)

And it begins.... the empty Nest syndrome

So here we go again. It is preschool time for my little tiny baby. The one that still bless him gets a bottle that he calls for, and is rarely seen without his pacifier! I know you should have seen the dentist's face last week when I said he still uses one. I know that socially it is unacceptable thing but really I can't pull it. Thing 1 still has his at night so that he doesn't continually wake up at 4 am and look for one under all and I mean all the beds. I just continually get them all a bink or two at the store when we run out. I may have to change the title of my blog to Tripping over Binkis. We'll see.

It has been crazy seeing this little fish grow. I still am very stuck in him being only ten months old. I known there is a big three year old, but it is so hard to treat him like a big kid when he is my little baby still.

The Baby Hunger is setting in pretty bad. At the soccer game on Saturday I about ran up to a mom just to smell the top of the newborn's crusty crown to catch a sent of that sweet smell. I am glad there are baby producers in church so on Sunday I can get my fill of baby toes, cheeks and over all yummy-ness of the new baby smell. Have they figured out how to bottle the smell and mass produce it and sell it at Target yet? I would buy it!

I am now looking for stuff to fill my time during the time they are in school. I am finding it is not a lot of time. But still a good obsession project may be in order :)

Getting out the angst and frustration

Today like yesterday was supposed to be a get out the pent up energy day. Poor dog and poor JD. We both sat inside all day with sick little kids. Can't wait to see if they are better by tomorrow :) I think two days is good enough for colds to hang out, Right? I am going to create a sick day calendar. It seems every year we are just collectors of all the ailments that are in Davis. So look for another mommy planner design for the school year 2010-2011. That is in the next day or so. I need a calendar that works for me and my specialness.

Another game I do love every six months or so is clean house LOL. New game this year is bookshelf cleansing. Good night we have a lot of non-sense space here in this little apt. I have so much crap in boxes I don't know what is even in there. So this time I have a vision and now it is just getting the shovel out and going through the dirt.

I am working on making the third bedroom into a bedroom not a storage closet. You see we even have a special name for the room of clutter. It's official name is the "Secret Locked Room" all the kids know that there are things in there you don't want to get into but they always do. Like Mommy's special prisma color markers, or scrapbooking odds and ends that I need to find a new home for (like literally a new home), or the stash of books that would put all the hording shows to shame! I really have a hard time with the printed word. I love to read a good solid book with a great binding and soft pages. But it is so nice to curl up to my light and portable iPhone and read as well.

Got TO go Plan and PURGE

Some times it is time for a swing.

With the Band's graduation come and gone searching high and low ways to figure out what are next move is.

At times it is like I have this great monster truck ready to roll over all 36 cars and it has no gas in the engine. We just don't know where focus all the energy. Praying and Searching has been a real challenge when you feel good about all the options in equal measures. The Band is now at Toyota selling cars. He has been applying everywhere but the "just while we find another job" job is going so well.

In the search for answers to the hard questions I have found that returning to the small things really has it's perks.

In high school one of the favorite things my BFF and I would do was go to the swing set in West Point and see how high we could go. We would talk about all the stuff going on.

Still the swings are soothing place for me and luckily my kids love them too. Davis is the perfect place to contemplate as you return to the basics. Bike trails and parks are a plenty and it is still fall not raining too bad yet.

I know there is change coming I am just hoping to accept all that comes with the change.

Until then more prayer, seeking, and a return to the simple pleasures in life.

Internet Back! Time for catch up.... on thing 2

This year we have been trying out some sports for the kids.
My favorite so far has been Swimming but I have to admit that soccer is growning on me.

There is a new app and I am addicted to it!

SO for about a week I decided to rid myself of my cell phone and then I found this Iphone app that makes your world beautiful and vintage all at the same time! It is called Hipstamatic and it is an awesome glorious thing. I can't wait to play around some more every day with the new and different lenses filters and flashes that give you all different options. I should have gotten another Blackberry lol.

My neighbor just told me to shut up I can hear her from here :) she is stoked the new Crackberry is already in stores. But really can she find this on there if soooooo I could be a cr@ck baby again too :)

so I can't really stop Crocheting.

Those are just the billed hats!

FOURTH OF JULY

This year we went to see the fireworks at Uncle Dave's house. Uncle K was called by all other names but his own by my three children. I guess we don't see them near enough! It was so good to catch up a bit and see the old paddle boat in action. The kids had a blast. And Gabe because he can swim was down with getting back into the canoe maybe next time :)

There are so many items of business to report on

First there is the job hunting going on right now for the Band. He has his paper and now it is time to put it to good use and get a career started :)
Here is another Nursery picture and I will be loading up some more this evening :)

Then there is my three year old who is taking off on his bike in this video!! yes this is the Fish and you will hear his real name used please ignore it lol.

Swim Lessons

This summer we are trying things different there is a new parenting book on my night stand that is helping cope with the heat, and boredom and crazies of the season. We are swimming!! Well Thing 1 and two are taking lessons. Last year was a bit sketchy when I had all three in the pool at once and tried to keep eveyone's head above water. Thing 2 can tell you some scarry stories so that ended the three "untrained swimming episodes". I am pretty sure we'll be entering the water with a little more confidence this year. And yes, even with all the protective arm floaties I am pretty sure my crew could discover a new method of drowning.

So here we are on the mini swim darts "swim team" which is incredible! I can't wait to see how the next six weeks developes. They love it. I mean... LOVE. IT. You can hear them a block away squealing about what moves they did, and if I had witnessed the spectacular sight of them on a swim noodle. I think I am addicted to this age they are right now. I just want them to always have this much excitement for the things they are doing in life.

The coaching staff caught on really quick to the needs of my Thing 1 and has a "younger male" coach of maybe thirteen assigned to reign him in. I love the fact that I can hear across the two pools and at the top of the bleachers my child's name being called as he is jumping endlessly in the water. Of the 1/2 hour of instruction there is maybe five solid minutes that he is above water listening :) He is more and more like his mother everyday.

Little Boy room Pictures

When I printed these the color came out all crazy. The snake (originally orange) came out all red. They are in the local Baby Shop right now but we'll see if they actually sell :) I can't believe how fun these are. I will have to see what is next maybe a jungle theme :)

I am working on some pictures for my house right now but these are a fun start :)

The last day of Instruction. Mixed emotions.

This post will probably be enormous in length. So bring on the emotional spattering that comes with an extra long post. I am sitting in my car as I wait for my little five year old, Thing two, to go to preschool. She is five and right around the time of her birth was when my Band and I decided it was time for him to finish his education.

The aquiring of an education for me is something of an issue for myself personally. But to watch some one do it with ease and grace has been something wonderful to take part in.

For the past five years there has been struggles, sickness, stress beyond stress, poverty, rice, crazy schedules, pasta, garage sale finds, second hand land, diapers, puppies, beach trips, roller blades, Ebay-ing, baby bracelets, crocheting, digital photography, and did I mention more pasta. I wouldn't a want my kids to endure what I have had to. Only, it has taught me how to survive on a very restricted budget, believe in the impossible, surmount insurmountable odds, and humility. Those are lessons I could have probably learned in a less-intensive-live-action environment, but what would have been the fun in that? So many people have helped us along the way. So many angels have been our companions telling us to keep going and don't loose sight of the goal.

We have known that this day was comming only it's arrival today has been somewhat of a shock. It is like when you finally go into labor and you realize you are taking home a person. A person you just named, and you don't know if she'll end up liking her name. All of this work hasn't been for nothing.

Now it is on to the next step. The horizon is bright because you have a paper that in some cities only 13% of the population have (you know who you are :). This is a tricky next step that is requiring a lot of faith on my part. The reserves of faith have been slower these days to be replenished than I'd like.


Now as I gaze up at a cap and gown that has been hanging in my room for the past two nights I am very aware that this is just a temporary phase and soon I will be looking back at this time with fond memories. That is until he goes to grad. school hahahha. That is a post for another day.