Christmas moments

Here are a few of my favorite moments from the past few days:

Alex playing peek-a-boo with Erika from under his new pillow.
Will naming his pillow a "Bobbie pillow" to go with his "Bobbie blankie."
Ella saying she hopes next year she can get a pillow like those boys did.

Will playing his violin and having such wonderful cheers and smiles from family all around him.

Getting such a good reception for my weird dinner gift to my family and also receiving such sweet thoughtful gifts from everyone. (Not to mention everyone telling me how good I looked in my new scarf!)

Will finally agreeing to wear his new jammies for Christmas after I explained that it was a present for Mom to see them in brand new warm jammies on Christmas morning. (And Ella putting up no fight to put on new clothes.)

Will snuggling with us in bed Christmas morning and saying that what he did first before he got out of bed to see his Christmas presents was say a prayer to thank Jesus for Christmas.

Ella ignoring her Leapster to keep playing with her Barbies and mini-Disney princesses. Will ignoring all his toys to play with his Leapster.

Ella dressing up in her snow white dress with shoes, then 10 minutes later her Cinderella dress, then 10 minutes later her fairy princess dress.

Alex getting so tired that he'd watch a new Baby Einstein movie without sound for 20 minutes. Then, him standing in the middle of the floor staring off for 2 minutes. (poor baby!) We saved the rest of his presents for after his nap.

Ella dancing with her new Sleeping Beauty Barbie to the music of her new Sleeping Beauty movie.

Alex pushing his little choo-choo ball train all over the kitchen floor, and kissing his little Glow Bug that plays music.

Grandma Bobbie playing with Will's new Leapster game system.

Watching Kung Fu Panda with Bre, Michael, Adam, Bobbie and Kimball and the kids.

Surprising Kimball with 3 Christmas presents he wasn't expecting and having him mention it over and over.


It felt like Christmas Day this year was one moment in time where we got to stop from all our worries and work and no one was fighting or bored and we all got to be together to play and rest. I guess a lot of extra time and effort went into making it that way, but it's nice to see even just for a little while what a special, sweet family we have and really be able to enjoy it all together.

Hope you had a Merry Christmas!

Nostalgia

I guess it's that time of year when you reminisce on the "good ole days." But some things your kids do just make you remember when you were a kid. Ella has started playing with Barbie dolls and can role play with her dolls and plastic horses for a good couple of hours. It is such a familiar, comfortable feeling hearing her soft chatter in the background as I do chores. I feel so lucky to get to have a daughter like her. She frequently tells me I'm beautiful and comments on my outfit choices. She also has a keen attention to detail and notices when things are clean or dirty or out of place. She also gives such sweet hugs, often followed with an "I love you." Little girls definitely have a precious charm about them.

*Another Ella moment* I bought a lot of dress-up dresses the day after Halloween because they were 50% off, but unfortunately Ella was with me and has a memory like a steel vault when it comes to dress up! So I later told her we had to wait til Christmas and wrap them in presents (even though she knows they're in my closet, on the floor... easily accessible). The other day she said that Santa would give her her dress up dresses, the pink fairy one and cinderella and snow white with the shoes. I said, you want Santa to give you those? But they're in Mommy and Daddy's room. She said, "Maybe he could sneak into your room and get them and wrap them in presents and put them under the tree for me." So, Santa, if you're reading this, you don't have to go to any extra trouble over here. Apparently, all Ella needs is for you do some wrapping so she can have her dress up dresses!

Dancin' Alex

Yesterday I got out a bag of little plastic animals. Alex "ooh"ed and "ahh"ed and picked his legs up in a little dance. He then refused to take a nap without his little dalmation and cheetah (we called it a kitty). He's also really gotten interested in Baby Einstein, which Will also loved. He'll choose a movie and come find me to put it in. Then he sits on the couch and does a wiggly dance to the music and shakes his head side-to-side. He also talks to the movie, as if practicing some of the words. It's all pretty cute. It's fun to see him get so interested in new things like animals and toys. Another busy little boy in our house!

Oh, did I mention he can climb on top of our kitchen table? He's also learned how to climb on the outside of the railing of our stairs (thanks to Ella). But at least he's temporarily stopped unraveling my toilet paper, wax paper, and foil. Although that may come back at any time.

Ella-isms and Will-isms

The other day Ella came over to me with her mouth full of lunch and said, "Okay, mom, let's talk about it." I asked her what she wanted to talk about (I thought maybe she wanted to negotiate how much she had to eat), but with up-raised hands she emphatically said, "Santa!" Like, come on, we really need to figure out this Santa-thing. Is he coming to my house? Am I going to get any presents? What's everyone talking about? I made her finish her lunch and then we had a little discussion about Santa. She seemed quite pleased and satisfied after I informed her that Santa would indeed bring her presents right to her house.

A few days ago I tried to tell Will that our fish, Harry, seemed like he wasn't feeling very well. (He's pretty much given up eating.) He usually slows down every winter and spends most of his time at the bottom of the bowl, but this time just seems to be taking its toll. Anyway, Will was sad for a while and I explained that we could get a new fish to which he said, "But it won't be the same fish." I said that was true and then he asked me, "Could we get a poodle instead?" Thanks to Grandma for that idea.

Speaking of Grandma, Will was with her the other day and this was their conversation.
Will: "Wouldn't it be nice if this was just the beginning of summer instead of the beginning of winter?"
Grandma: "Well in some places around the world it is the beginning of summer. Everything that's below the equator is starting summer right now. Places like Australia and South America ...."
Will: "Well maybe we should go to those places when it's winter time here."
Grandma: "Well in the beginning of winter we get to have lots of parties like Halloween and Christmas and we get to go to Grandma's house and have a party, but then when it's January and February there aren't anymore parties and some people do go to those places in those months."
Will:"Well I know. We should just have another party at Grandma's house and then we wouldn't have to go to those places!"

You gotta hand it to him.

Alex dancing and Ella hurling

At Kimball's brother's house the other night, all the kids played "freeze dance." As everyone was dancing, Alex decided to join in the fun. With both hands pulled up for balance, he lifted his legs one after the other very quickly while pretty much standing in place. It was so precious. Also precious was the other night when he quite effectively zerberted Will's tummy! He is such a boy!

Ella got the flu this week. She only threw up once, but slept almost 24 hours straight and had a bad fever. On Sunday evening we had her hair wet to keep her cool and her hair curled up into the most gorgeous curls I've ever seen, maybe the kind you see on a porcelain doll. Her face even looked pristine and precious like a little doll. She looked so beautiful even though she was so miserable.

Last night we had her sleep in between us for a few hours because I was worried about her, she was having trouble sleeping. It was funny to every now and then get a hand in the face or a foot in the gut. But she also said things! (amidst the snoring) She called out once, "Daddy!" and then said, "but I'm just scared, that's why" and "isn't she soft" (of course talking of her stuffed animals). She even mentioned Will in a slur of words. Funny to see the things a 3 year old dreams about. Pretty much the same stuff she does every day. I might need to keep her away from the scary movies, though. (Pinocchio and Polar Express are the most recent)

Frozen Feathers

The other day I was driving down the street and a little sparrow was taking a brave dip into a chilly puddle on the side of the road. It seemed that the eight other birds surrounding the puddle were daring him into it. He went in beak and head, then ruffled his feathers and they all flew away as I drove past. Funny to see birds bathing in such cold weather.

trickeh kitteh

Today we went to Kimball's brother's house for a nice get-together. They have a really sweet, laid back kitteh. It came around and visited everyone and let Ella pet it and even sat in a chair when it came time for dinner. Kimball said Alex went up to the kitty and pulled the hair on it's side and grabbed it's tail. The whole time, the cat barely noticed or reacted. After all, it lives in a house with three boys, so I guess this was nothing. Later the cat walked up to Kimball and invitingly rolled onto it's back for a nice belly rub. Kimball reached down and started to rub the kitteh when it promptly bit him. Kimball, puzzled, sat there for a few seconds waiting for the cat to release him. When it did he was thoroughly confused. As he told me this story I couldn't stop laughing. What a trickeh kitteh!

So, this would fall under the "massive mistakes" part of my quote to the right. This isn't actually my garage, thank goodness. It's a home that went through a Florida hurricane. Can you believe the wind did that? Crazy. Anyway, today I ran into the house to set the baby down after I had opened the back of my van open for unloading groceries. I heard the garage door (which doesn't have a sensor) closing and ran out as fast as I could. Ella had crawled to the front of the van and pushed the button. She's done it in the past and I've told her not too, but apparently she couldn't resist yet again. Sure enough, the door of the garage was caught on the back door of the van. I finally figured out that I could move the van forward a little to un-hook them, but unfortunately, the garage door got a little bent out of shape. One side is about a foot higher than the other. It's funny because even the handy man said, "This is just one of those memories you can look back and laugh about." That might take awhile. Ella apologized at lunch and said, "I'm sorry mom. I just thought it was a toy. "

explanation

So, I got this cold, which went away after a week as you'd expect, but then I got another one, which decided to get worse instead of better. I finally went in after staying awake coughing for 3 days straight and got antibiotics which worked right away. I got much needed sleep and felt so much better, but unfortunately the medicine left me a bit zombie-ish and I was unable to post! I can't even believe how long it's been! So, after much ado, here are some quick clips of funny, happy moments over the last few weeks.

All Gone

Alex loves his Daddy. Every night when Kimball comes home Alex stays glued to his side. If by chance a door gets shut or Kimball rushes off too quick to tuck the kids in, Alex just loses it! Yesterday he actually came downstairs and sat in the middle of the kitchen floor and wailed. It didn't seem to matter that I was about 10 feet away. Later, he came down and I asked him, "What about Mama? You only want to hug and snuggle Daddy? Where's Mama's snuggles?" Too which he raised both palms and hummed "Ga-gone." Come to think of it, today in the car I told Will that I missed his snuggles and hugs, too. He also told me they were all gone. Hmmm.... We might have to go out and find some more!

Painty

Tonight Ella got to do some painting with her Dad. They were so sweet together and she loved telling him what colors to choose. The next night she told him to tell me just before bed, "I'm so painty and computery and hungry and thirsty and playdohy and when it's wake-up time we can go to church tomorrow!"

They're at it again.

Well, I couldn't resist this video-op when Alex climbed up to the piano and started banging away, quickly followed by Ella. They are quite a pair.

Show and Tell

Will really wanted to show his class how he can play Twinkle, Twinkle Little Star on his violin. I was really proud that he felt confident enough to do that. It's good practice! Isn't that little violin so cute!?

One year and one month

It was exactly a year and a month ago that I set a goal to write down my happiest moments of the day. I think I only missed a week or two out of the whole year. I'm taking time to reflect on this lately. It got me through some really tough times being able to think of at least one moment that was happy or joyful. I'm not sure that I'll try as hard to do a daily moment now, but at least take more pictures and document some of our happiest moments of the week.

That being said, today, Ella pulled the string out of my hooded jacket. I was a little exasperated when I told her it couldn't be fixed, to which she replied, "But you awe a geeenyussss." These little tykes sure can argue sometimes. And of course, the jacket was fixed in a matter of minutes.

HAPPY HALLOWEEN!

Will's Halloween Parade at school

Ella's costume

TRICK OR TREAT!

YUM!

Watch that wiggle

I opened the "noisy" box today for the kids. I turned around and saw them doing this. It was so funny I just had to capture it.

goodbye

Alex waved goodbye to my sister as she left our house tonight without cues or prompts. She just said goodbye and he lifted his hand to acknowledge her leaving. It was such a sweet moment.

Happy Halloween

Tonight we carved our pumpkin and Ella said, "I'm so happy it's Halloween time! I'm just so, so, so EXCITED! I'm not even scawed." She loves the movie "Heffalump Halloween" and has watched it regularly this past year. I guess having the strange holiday actually come up is just unbelievably exciting to her! Way too cute.

I see you.

This morning Alex saw me in the full-length mirror attached to the bathroom door that goes between our bedroom and the bathroom. I was sitting on my bed while he was in the bathroom. He smiled a big grin and then grabbed the door and pushed it halfway closed to look behind. He repeated this at least 3 times. It was so adorable. He'd look at me, smile, then look behind the door. I finally got his attention and he crawled into the bedroom.

This one's for yesterday: On the way to the store today, Will was figuring out our errands and explaining how I could rearrange them according to which store was closer. As we pulled into the parking lot, he said, "I sure am a smart kindergartener. Well, other kids are smart too. I'm so glad Heavenly Father gives us so many skills to think and do things. I'm just really grateful." Every now and then I wonder if our kids realize how blessed they are and every now and then I think they do.

Going Bananas

Today as I was leaving the store I heard a faint, "Ma'am, ma'am, MA'AM! You've lost your bananas!" I was embarrassed as I slowly walked back toward the store. Two other women coming out of the store took the bag from her and walked it over to me. As I took it I said, "I'm sure that's not the only thing." (Like maybe my dignity? or my mind, which is why they fell without notice in the first place.) The women just busted up laughing. It was really cute. My poor bananas. They fell to the floor twice when I was trying to put them in the little green store bags, and now again as I left the store. I guess I'll just have to make some banana bread.

peek-a-boo

Alex loves to play peek-a-boo while he's eating. It's really cute because sometimes he really hides like this:

Other times he can still see you like this:

And then sometimes he does a half version of "see no evil, hear no evil":

He had me laughing so hard today when he had one hand completely over his ear and the other on his eye. I guess peek-a-boo is open for personal interpretation.

outside fun

We got more yard work done this afternoon. The kids were crazy outside playing with their bikes and cars. Alex took off from the little blanket he was sitting on. One moment I turned around and he was a few feet away, the next, completely gone. Kimball found him behind the van pushing his little blue truck. I don't know how he found it or how he disappeared so fast, but I guess after watching his brother and sister playing on the sidewalk for so long, he figured he wanted to join in!

laying in bed

I was exhausted today, so this was my happiest moment.

the best babysitter

Our babysitter came over today. We found her a few months back on ksl.com. She comes once or twice a month and watches the kids on Saturday while we work on projects or go on a date. Today we brought home tacos for lunch and had a picnic outside. She kept laughing at the kids and said it was the most she'd laughed in about a week. That made me feel so good. I always feel guilty when I have someone watch my kids. But she seems to really enjoy it which is so precious. The kids love it when she comes because she does fun things with them that I am sometimes "too busy" to do (or clean up). Today they painted, blew bubbles outside, and she even pushed Alex on a little toddler truck which he just giggled about. We got a ton of yardwork done (now that it's practically winter already). So, it just turned out to be a great day--apart from the sore muscles. =)

cultural immersion

We took the kids to Betos today because both our cars were in the shop. I didn't realize what a little cultural experience it would be! Will kept asking me what kind of music was playing, why they were singing in Spanish and how to say things in Spanish. Then, with no hesitation he'd wave to the cashier and say "hola!" The atmosphere was honestly so upbeat in that little restaurant. Everyone that came in seemed so content. It was refreshing to be in a place where I was the only mom with kids. The cashier and waitress kept smiling at Alex, but I'm pretty sure I heard the waitress use the words "bebe" and "como" and "abuela" in the same sentence. I know, he kind of does look like an old man sometimes, but I could've just missed too many of the words to be sure that's what she said. It's just funny when they say something and smile at you and they know that you have no idea what they just said. Anyway, when we left, Will shouted "Adios!" and "Gracias." I was glad we got to have that little experience and really yummy food and it was neat to encourage Will to learn some Spanish.

inquisitive

Yesterday, Ella asked me if when the sun comes out it's warm or cold. I love this age and how curious they get about the world. It also made me appreciate the sun more. The fact that it gives light to everything and just enough warmth to keep us comfortable (for the most part). It really is amazing.

Today she tried riding Will's little bike for the first time. It'll be awhile til she can manage the pedals and steering at the same time, but she just giggled at the feeling of being on a bike.

chatterbox

I'm typing right now as Ella narrates a few princess stories to me. I'm amazed at her endurance. This morning as I was laying in bed, she came up to me and said, "Mama, when you aw done westing, you can get up and and go down on da couch and you can do some exewcise and den dat wiw fix yow muscles and den you can watch cawtoons." Well I guess she knows what we need to save our energy for!

surprise

Kimball came home early today. He told me he'd come home at 3, but he tricked me and was actually home at 3 instead of leaving at 3. It was a nice surprise.

baby kisses

Is there anything sweeter? Alex gave me tons of kisses today. Then, he enjoyed having me hold him and crash into Kimball. What a belly laugh! He's such a boy.

Cameron's Baptism

I was so glad we were able to see Cameron get baptized today! She looked so beautiful and it was such a sweet experience. It made me think more about the things that are most important to me and how much I love my family.

Swim Harry Swim

Today, Will's class had parents bring in pets. We took our litte Beta fish, Harry. It was really sweet. Alex kept pointing at the big dogs and saying "Daga, daga." Ella really liked them, too.

I'm gonna miss you sooo much.

Ella's been saying this a lot lately. It's neat that she's learning to express her feelings so clearly now. The funny thing is she says it when I go to the store, when Will goes to school, when Kimball's at work, etc. Pretty much any time someone leaves. But I'm grateful that she loves us so much and gives us sweet hugs and snuggles when we're about to leave.

strong arms

Today Alex took five steps with a one-gallon pitcher in each hand. He tried it once with just one pitcher, but I guess he needed 2 to balance better. He's starting to figure out a better way of transporting objects than click-clacking as he crawls with them in his hands.

blankie

Lately, Alex has been holding up his blankets when we go to take him out of his crib. Then, he crawls around the house dragging them with him. It's particularly difficult going up stairs with them, but he manages. When he finds a good spot, he pulls the blanket forward and lays his head down and says, "mmmm." So snuggly.

a budding actress

Tonight the kids were eating jello for dessert. They were holding up oblong pieces of wiggly red and shooting at each other. I was walking by the table and about to tell them to stop when I just burst out laughing. Apparently, they had both just shot each other and each was letting their head fall in slow motion to opposite sides. As I watched Ella's head fall with her eyes shut and her mouth pulled into a low frown, I couldn't help but picture two little x's covering both eyelids. When Will asked me why I was laughing, I said, "Ella makes a really good dead face." I couldn't even reprimand because her play-acting was so convincing.

Panoramic

Today I drove around to the other side of the lake and looked at some houses out there. It was really beautiful. So peaceful and quiet with the lake on one side and the rolling hills on the other. Plus, it was raining/misty over the lake which gave quite a dramatic feel to the snow tipped mountains in the distance with the dappled sunlight spread throughout. A few spots just took my breath away. Don't worry, I'm not moving. I just found a 4,000 square foot home for $300,000. and had to check it out. Just window shopping. Someday . . . .

Flaming Red

Why do I have 2 kids with flaming red hair? It's a quandry. I never thought this would even be in the cards for me, but here they are. I took Alex for his 1 year photo shoot today. He's thirteen and a half months now, but he's been sick for 3 weeks, teething and all. Usually, we're indoors and his hair is in messy clumps and it looks sort of chestnut colored. But, today, we brushed it out and took him out in the daylight and it's just the same bright red as Ella's. It's interesting how something that used to be so foreign to you (like redheads) can become a part of who you are through your children. I guess it was always in me one way or another. ;)

Movie

I was absolutely giddy to go to a movie this afternoon. Kimball came home early. I was so burnt out this week that I really needed a break. I saw Ghost Town. It was really funny (& quirky). I don't know how any of the actors could keep a straight face around each other. Laughter really is the best medicine I think.

sleep

My happiest moment today was falling asleep at 8:45. It's probably been years since I've been able to go to sleep that early. I'm usually not tired, or up worrying about something until 11 or 12 (or 1 or 2). I took a melatonin pill at 8 and it actually worked right away. Maybe going to the gym the other day helped, too. Man it was nice to get a full night's sleep, though. Really. Wonderful.

workout

I got to go to the gym today. It doesn't happen as much as I'd like. Sometimes, it feels like a tremendous effort, but it stands out as my happiest moment today because it was something I did for myself.

Will's birthday

Today we had a little party for Will turning 6. On Saturday he got to take 2 friends to the Discovery Museum in Salt Lake, so today was a small party, but he did get a surprise bike! He wanted a chocolate cake with Strawberry frosting and sprinkles. Then, he wanted the sprinkles to spell out his name, and he put the candles on himself. I guess that's how it goes when it's your birthday.

little girl giggles

I just don't think there is a more precious sound than when Ella laughs. She has the cutest giggle. It's so free and joyful. It just makes you want to laugh too.

Sunday drive

crisp fall air, beautiful colors, good company, need I say more?

Walking

Alex stood up in the middle of the floor today and walked. I've never seen a kid do that before. They usually let go of a table or the couch and take a few tentative steps. Not Alex. He stood up 3 or 4 times with a big grin and once he figured that out, he took eight steps. He practiced some more and tried to remember how to get up and then walked right into the kitchen, 12 steps. The other kids didn't walk until 15 1/2 months, Alex is 13 months and 6 days. I guess I have mixed feelings because while it was the most precious thing to see, I know it's going to be a lot harder with him walking everywhere.

tickles

Today I was tickling and teasing Ella while we sat on the couch together. Alex stood by and got so excited. He raised his eyebrows and with the pacifier in his mouth said, "Ahhh." He giggled and thought it was so much fun.

Stitches, ugh.

So, Will smacked his head on the arm of the futon this morning. I took him to the ER after hearing several people say that if he needs any plastic surgery, he should go there. (It was only an inch long, but I figured might as well.) They were so wonderful. Thanks to American Fork for being very uneventful, there was nobody there when we walked in. They gave him stuff to numb it and he only cried when they injected more anesthetic. He laid very still with his eyes closed for all the stitching, while the doctor explained the string and making knots. The doctor and nurses were totally impressed with how well he did. They couldn't stop talking about how smart he was. When I was out of the room he asked the nurse how many people come to the emergency room everyday. The nurse thought that was such a mature question. When I came back he asked me how you order food to eat. That still makes me laugh. Can I get some room service please? I'm ready for a treat!

Separation Anxiety

Every morning I take the kids to school and the second they stand up to get out of the car Alex falls apart. He just can't handle them leaving. I think he knows they will be gone for a long time and he doesn't want them to go. Will stops to give him a kiss through the tears, but it's little consolation. Then, as we turn the corner, he stops crying and seems to accept the half empty car. It isn't exactly a happy moment, but today, on the way home, I thought how wonderful it is that he loves his brother so much. He has such a strong bond and admiration for him that it creates that strong of a reaction. When Will gets home, it's a bit of the same story. Alex wimpers and Will has to give him a nice greeting with a hug and a kiss. I never really knew that siblings could have that great of an importance and influence in each other's lives--despite the nagging, teasing, and complaining they also do.

The Joy of Reading

Tonight Will was reading one of his take home books by himself. It was really neat to watch him read the words and not really struggle over sounding them out. Now it seems he's reading to "read" --to understand the story. I just watched as he turned each page and said the words. It was really beautiful.

One baby in the basket

Today I ran to the grocery store with only one child! I go many times with none on the weekend or at night, but it was such a delight to go during the day with only Alex when I should normally have three. Will was at school and Ella has a little playgroup on Mondays. I finally bit the bullet and rushed out for a quick errand. I was so delighted to only have one kid to get out of the car that I wisked him out and carried him into the store and walked around for 20 minutes before I realized I left my purse in the car. I guess I'll have to move a little slower next time.

Sunday afternoon

Sunday afternoon is the very best time to take a nap. It's the one time of the week where I don't feel like there is an immediate need to get something done and I can tell my mind to rest and not think about things for just a little while. Sometimes it's only about half an hour, but it is so peaceful. I'm also really grateful that Kimball watches the kids for me so that I can rest.

little virtuoso

Today, Will had a violin party. It was a very casual get together with all of his teacher's students playing songs for their parents. They started with the oldest students and worked their way down to songs by the younger ones. He was a little nervous at first, but when it was his turn he did just great! He was able to keep up with everyone and just looked so precious up there with close to 30 other students. After it was over a couple of older girls complimented him and told him what a good job he did. It was really sweet.

The Big Slide

Tonight we went to McDonald's (I know, I'm ashamed). I spent all day making cookies that didn't turn out and couldn't face the kitchen anymore. So, anyway, it was actually really nice and empty for a change and the kids had a nice time playing. The last couple of times we've gone to a playland, Ella has been too scared to go down the slides. A few months ago I actually had to climb into the playland and grab her and bring her down. So, tonight I was really nervous for her, but she had her big brother to show her the way. The first time, she completely balked at the idea and ended up climbing all the way back down through several tunnels to get out. The second time, with much encouragement from Will she actually took the slide! It just happened to be the tallest slide with like 3 twists and plenty of time stuck in a dark, yet colorful tube not knowing when it would be over. She was so pleased with herself when she got out that from then on there was no holding back!

Reading

I got to read today. I'm reading The Host by Stephenie Meyer. I'm only up to page 100, so I'm not sure if it's good yet, but it's nice to have something fun and distracting.

"I'm just so hungwy abowd it!"

Ella's been saying this a lot lately. I realized today that we say that phrase about a lot of other things like, "I'm so happy about it" or "I'm so mad about it." Why not "I'm so hungry about it?" Her entire phrase was, "Oooo! I'm just so hungwy abowd it. Das what my tummy is saying. Because it's not being patient. Because I'm not being patient!" I think her tummy really was saying that. It's hard to be patient when we are being ruled by our organs and nerve impulses and very vocal stomachs all day long.

Making Plans

Yesterday, I made plans for a vacation. Then, I started to feel guilty about the money and wondering if we should put it somewhere else, but we've never really done a big vacation with just our family. Today, I kept making plans for the future and it feels good to have things to look forward to. Then, I actually got to watch Oprah and they talked about the guy, Randy Pausch, and his lecture on living life to the fullest and having fun. It finally connected that a family vacation wasn't just something we can do for fun, but something we need to do to create memories for our kids. So, now I both have a plan and a reason, and I just have to wait til May.

another movie

Okay, so tonight Batman Begins was on. It's just so nice to have a boring day and watch a movie and relax.

movie night

Even though I was really, really tired, I enjoyed watching a movie with Kimball tonight. It was National Treasure 2.

budding artists

I got to watch my sister's kids today. When I brought home some Disney posters for everyone to color, I didn't know it would be such a hit! We have some die-hard colorers in our family. Anyway, it was just precious to see them all coloring away. They did a really good job! Even Alex got in on the act.

energy

Today I was so glad I had energy to clean my house. It doesn't come around very often, but I actually picked up all the toys, swept the floor and vacuumed. I even washed the dishes, paid the bills and made dinner.

a little lopsided

Now that Will is in school, it gives me a chance to spend more time with Ella. She is really starting to relish this. She was so excited today when she suggested that we go to the farm to see the "aminals" and I actually said "okay"! She managed to hold on the whole time despite being so lopsided.

Cheezy

My happiest moment today came when Ella wrote her name for the very first time. First, she did the "E" and she kept saying, "It's a three! It's a three!" Then, Will encouraged her to keep going. She did her whole name! (Will helped her put the stem on the "a.")

This is the face she made when she was done.

I'll scratch your nose if you scratch mine.

Today as I drove the kids to school I saw two horses behaving in the oddest manner. One of them was holding what looked like a deflated red ball while the other rubbed its nose up and down on it. One the way back, the other one held the ball while the first horse rubbed its nose. It brought new meaning to the phrase, "I'll scratch your back if you scratch mine."

So cute!

We didn't exactly notice that Alex could do these things until today. Well, yesterday, he started opening and shutting his hands and did it whenever I sang the song that goes along with it. Today, we were sitting together for a prayer and he automatically folded his arms. At first I thought it was a fluke, but then he did it a few more times when prompted. Then, Ella ran up to me and I said, "Give me five!" She did and ran away. Alex, standing right beside me also repeated the gesture. Unbelievable! I didn't even know he knew all of this. It was hysterical! So, I captured a little bit of it for my blog. =)

Open-Shut Them

A bad case of the giggles

You know how sometimes you get the giggles and no matter what you do you can't stop? Tonight, Ella was being silly and just giggling like crazy. I guess I don't play with her enough, because I was laying down next to her on the floor and pretending to be sleep. She gave me a pillow and a blankie (both doll size, of course). And she lay down next to me and just wouldn't stop chuckling and belly laughing. It reminded me of nights I used to have as a little girl, when I stayed up with my sister or a friend and occasionally we'd burst out in laughter. I remember waiting with dread for my mom to come in and tell us to quiet down.

Saturday Morning

Saturday mornings can be rough. The kids have to do their chores at 9:00 before much of anything else can happen. But this morning, when I came down the stairs, Will was getting out his violin. He said he wanted "extra practice." It wasn't long before I was on to him. He has to earn 30 points to get a toy out of the toy box and he was up to 14. Violin practice earns him 5 more. I was amazed as he did a great lesson, picked up 30 things off the floor (yes there were that many), did his whole chore, which requires sweeping the floor, shaking out the rugs, and moving and replacing the kitchen chairs, then went upstairs and got dressed, and finally spent at least 10 minutes cleaning up his room and making his bed. Of course, he earned all of his points, but I also fell on his bedroom floor because his room was "so beautiful it knocked me over." That was a really great Saturday morning. (Ella did her share of dusting the piano, taking clothes to her room and getting dressed, so they both enjoyed a new toy.)

Attached

I guess I've realized that part of the reason I've been so nervous for Will and worried about him, was that I didn't really plan or prepare for him being gone all day. Sure the first day or two were nice. I read to Ella and painted her fingers and toes in nail polish, ran several errands, and finished up two books I've been reading. But, I didn't realize how much I'd miss him (even though he drove me crazy this summer!) He is such a Huge presence in our family and I didn't know what to do with myself without him here.

So, it was a sweet moment when his kindergarten teacher called me up this morning. She was checking to see if I'd decided where Will was going for sure, but she also let me know that she had checked up on him and his teacher said he was just fine, just your average first grader. That made me feel good and I told her, "He's loving it, but I'm miserable!" She laughed and said her youngest child was graduating from High School this year. If I'm this bad with First grade . . . . But she said I should just keep myself busy, and I have. After all, summer was a challenge and this is a time to actually work on some of the things I've been putting off. Anyway, it was a nice bonding moment. She said she just went to check up on him because "Even after a week, you get attached to those little guys." You really do.

The Three Musketeers

This morning I dropped off Will, Caleb, and his sister, Julia at school. After entering the playground, they paused and all held hands. Then, they walked together toward the grass. It was such a sweet moment. This is a new school for all of them and they don't really know anyone else very well. You could just see the three of them, united together, braving this vast new world. It was so precious.

The Brain

So, Alex had his 12 month checkup today. It turns out he got shorter and skinnier (percentile-wise), but his head actually got bigger! It's now at 83%. He is such a cutie.

SuperWill

Today was Will's first day of First grade. I was totally prepared for a call home in the middle of the day to tell me that he'd had a breakdown and was too exhausted to continue. When that didn't happen I was fully prepared to pick him up broken hearted and balling. So, when I got there early, waited with anticipation, stood outside the school doors and saw him come out giggling and smiling I was just dumbfounded. I grabbed his hand and gave him a kiss on the cheek and said, "I missed you sooo much today!" He just giggled. "How was your day?" I asked. "Good," he said. He was totally happy. I asked if it was hard. He said, "Nope." I asked if he learned a lot. He said, "Not really."

The big news was that 4 of his classmates from his kindergarten last year were in his very same class! I was so shocked! Imagine that. To go to a completely different school and change grades and all of a sudden know more than 1/5 of the students already! He told me about eating lunch and I asked if he got a special note in his lunchbox. He said that he opened his lunchbox and said, "Huh?" "What is that?" Everyone at the table wanted to read it. What an attention grabber. (The note said "I love you. <3 mom)

So, needless to say, I have a TON of pent up adrenaline and worry with nowhere to go. I'm actually shaking because I was so nervous for him. Apparently, for no reason. He actually seemed very relaxed and satisfied when he got home. Go figure.

Puppy kisses

Today's moment was while Alex was playing with his "Little People" toys. He took a little puppy and set it in the smoke stack of the play train. Then he paused and looked at it gazing up at him. He slowly bent down with a wide open mouth and gently gave the puppy a kiss. It was so precious.

We also had a get together today which was fun for labor day and I enjoyed playing games with the kids. The oldest two were awesome with the memory game, and then we had fun with Labor Day facts. It was fun to have questions for both big and little kids and they did great! I was really impressed!

Grandpa

Today's happiest moment was probably spending time with my dad and his wife. At one point my sister and her husband were over and we all were in the same room to catch the tale end of Barbie and the Magic of Pegasus. It was funny and cute to all be enjoying the moment together and I think a little special for my daughter to have everyone watching her movie.

The funniest part of the visit was when my sister went outside to "experience" the wild wind and as she turned to come back inside, I shouted over the deafening leaves of our big tree out front, "What are you doing!?" And she actually hit a perfect note as she screamed for about 2 seconds. It was awesome!

Reception

We got to attend Nikki's wedding reception tonight. I think my happiest moment was just enjoying the atmosphere and soaking up the ambience of beautiful music, flowers, lighting, catering, etc. Not to mention being so happy for her and her new husband. There was a very peaceful, joyous feeling there.

Tell it like it is

Will finished up his testing with the school psychologist today. On Tuesday he took a really long IQ test and then today they covered reading and math comprehension. When it was over, the psychologist asked, "Do you like Kindergarten?" Will said, "Yeah." Then the psychologist asked, "Is it hard?" Will said, "Not as hard as you!"

Choodwips

When Will got in the car from school yesterday he said, "We played tag and it was a little hard. Boy those girls sure can run fast!" Then he said, "I made all 25 friends, but one I took off cause she was putting choodwips in my hair. But then she got back on because she started being nice again." I laughed as I asked, "you mean woodchips?"

Today, he was chasing that same girl again and again commented on how fast she was. Pretty cute.

Teacher's Pet

I have to confess that I used to be a teacher's pet. I loved staying after school to erase the chalkboard for my 1st grade teacher. I loved it even better when I got to help with grading or writing things out for her. I enjoyed talking to the teacher as a friend and getting the inside scoop, as well as the special treatment in class and favoritism, when it was given. So, that lasted pretty much my whole life, but as I grew I tried to hide it a little more. I guess I shouldn't be surprised, then, that Will got in the car from school and said "the whole class was being bad today, but I was being good." And "we were supposed to be coloring our papers but everyone was just scribbling theirs, and the teacher held mine up and showed everyone that mine was what it was supposed to look like." He then said, "Cause it doesn't matter how fast you get it done, it only matters how good a job you do." Awww. I'm so proud. Following in his mother's footsteps. . . .

OOHHHH

Happiest Moment: Today, I remembered Alex's birthday cards from Grandpa Ross & Kathy and Aunt Lynne. I got them out to show them to Alex while he was sitting in his high chair. As I pulled the first card out he said, "Ohhhh," with eyes wide and a big, enthusiastic smile. You should have heard the inflection as his voice started, rose and then gradually trailed off. I opened the card and he did it again. I read the words and he smiled. Then, again with the second card, same thing. It was so precious. He did it a few more times today, like when Kimball started a Baby Einstein movie for him this evening. And once he held up a baby doll and just exclaimed, "Da da da da da," as he fingered its eyes, mouth, and nose. At least he has no problem expressing himself! (By the way, thanks for the cards! And sorry I forgot about them until today.)

Happiest Moment: This came late today, but that didn't make it any less wonderful. I got a phone call from one of my best friends tonight. We got to talk about babies and motherhood and other fun things. I don't know why these phone calls always last over an hour when it only feels like it's been 10 minutes! But it was great to chat with someone who already knows me so well, and I love that I get to stay connected to her, too. (A close second, however, was seeing my husband walk in the door with dinner. It usually happens once a week, but I have to say it's one of the finest sights to see after a long day!)

Babies are Way Better Than Dogs

Happiest Moment: Every now and then I think I want a dog, and then I have to remind myself that I had one once and couldn't stand the barking, incessant need for attention and cuddling, and well, you know, cleaning up after them. So today before I laid Alex down for his nap, I took a moment to gently scratch the back of his neck and brush my fingers back and forth feeling his soft baby hair. His head leaned into me, absorbing the feeling and I took a deep breath of sweet, clean baby skin. I thought that sometimes this is what you do with a dog, press the side of your cheek up against them as you pet them, and then I thought of how dogs usually smell, and how that makes me sneeze, and how they are always squirmy, and usually want to lick your face, and how when that happens I have to wash my cheek and I better wash my hands, too, lest I unknowingly rub my eyes and instigate an all out allergic reaction. . . . Then I came back to reality and soaked up the joy that this was not a dog, but my sweet baby boy, and I thought, babies are way better than dogs.

Here Goes

Happiest Moment:

This isn't from today, but I wanted to record it. As I was carrying Ella upstairs the other day, she laid her head on my shoulder and draped her arm in front and over my opposite shoulder. There was something so beautiful and elegant about that moment. She can be so graceful and beautiful even as we walk upstairs for naptime. I think that says a lot about women in general. Even in the most mundane or uninteresting tasks, we can be absolutely and unequivocally stunning.

She wasn't kidding

Well, my sister wasn't kidding when she said this was easy. So, I've started a blog, simple and unimpressive, but still an effective way of recording little moments of my life. My main motivation was that I reached the end of my journal tonight, where I've been recording my happiest moments everyday for the past year. I realized that it might be even easier to record these moments here and also get to share some of these things with others. Please forgive me as this won't be the most beautiful blog and probably won't always have many pictures. At least it will be a place where I can save some of my best memories. This is for you Breanne!