Red Door

Confessions...

There have been times when I pretend not to see my kids doing bad things just so I don't have to discipline them.

Sometimes I play Dr. Mario for a couple hours in the middle of the day.

Sometimes I play Rock Band for an hour or so in the middle of the day.

I bought a chocolate cake from Costco today even though I still need to lose weight.  I will probably eat half of it.  It was on sale though.  $5 off!

When I was eating said cake, I didn't even wait to cut a piece.  I just grabbed a fork and dug in.

Sometimes G needs a new diaper for a LONG time before I change it.

I am teaching Relief Society on Sunday, and I haven't even started planning it.  I don't even know the topic yet.

I hate cleaning.  When all my kids are in school, I would rather get a job than to stay at home and clean.  I will pay someone to do it, even if I break even.

I never go to sleep before midnight, and I'm usually up past 1 am.

Extra

Mads says, "I did" about everything.  Put your shoes away.  I did.  Wash your hands.  I did.  Eat your dinner.  I did.  He says this when the job was obviously NOT done.  My favorite was last night when I told him to go to sleep.  Mads - "I did."

I pulled B.A.'s other top tooth out.  I am so awesome!  Didn't even flinch.

B.A. has no front teeth.  We love to hear her talk.  Cinderella, sincerely, and Mississippi are among our favorite words to have her say.

I love the Chinese market.  It is a family tradition to shop there.  It deserves a blog post of its own, but I had to share this label.  Always a good laugh.

Dare cries when she needs to go pee when we are not at home.  Cries and cries and cries until we find a toilet.

It is way too cold out.

We are so happy that a Rubios went up close to our house.  The fish tacos are only $1.25 on Tuesdays.

My house is up for sale.

G is intent on remaking any messes I manage to clean up.  He follows me around undoing everything I do.

Trigger

More climbing.  More falling.  More chucking of my bathroom items.

*****

I'm really not bragging here, but I have to say G has some mad skills!  We were eating muffins for breakfast this morning, and we all know how G loves to grab food.  So he takes Mads' muffin from the coffee table before anyone had time for a second glance.  He had it in his hand and he was waving his arm all around to keep it away from Mads, who was trying to grab it back.  I was enjoying the scene because G is really good at playing keep-away.  Then I thought before long he is going to squish the thing and get it everywhere.  I stepped in because I didn't want to have to clean banana chocolate chip muffin out of my carpet.  I grabbed the arm with the muffin filled hand, and I told Mads to grab it while I held him steady.  Without even thinking, G lets go of the muffin and catches it with his other hand!  Then he starts the waving thing over with the other arm.  I was immensely impressed. 

Of course, the whole time he is grinning his trouble-making grin.

Me?

                              

"No.  You're the man"

Peepers

I liked the hand picture.  It was fun to see if the kids knew which hand was theirs, and if they knew whose hands the others were.  So I decided to try it with eyes.  They all have such different eyes.  All gorgeous.

Once when Nate and I were dating, I took a bunch of pictures of the two of us and cut them up into parts.  Some of the time it was hard to  tell whose eyes or nose I was looking at.  Mouth was easy because of Nate's massive lips.  Just kidding Nate.  When you take out hair we look really similar.  I wonder if it would be that way with our kids.  Can you tell who is who?

35

There are some days when having kids is super awesome.  I'll be honest, I don't feel like that everyday, but today was one of them.  We went to the public library down town.  Even though they were bummed we didn't take any books home, they were still happy to be doing and seeing things out of the ordinary.  We took a ride in the glass elevators.  When we walked outside to go to the car, there was a flight of concrete stairs.  They asked if they could run up the stairs.  What?  Seriously?  I said yes, and they all ran off with such joy.  I was happy I said yes when my first thought was to say no because I didn't understand why.  It made me realize how young they are, and how such simple things make them happy.

It's fun to think about all the differences between the 5 of them, and what I love about them.

     

G

I love that when he walks away from me, he always looks back to make sure I am still there.  

I love his smile, and how he holds nothing back.  It is 100% sincere.

I love how he will still lay his head down on my shoulder, even if it's just for a second.

Mads

I love that he tells me he loves me 350 times a day (average).

I love that his face is so expressive.  He can do amazing things with those eyebrows.

I love that he makes sound effects while playing.  It makes me smile.  

Dare

I love how bouncy she is.

I love how she makes people laugh, and laughs at herself.

I love that she likes to play.  It never matters with who, or what they are playing.  She just likes to play. 

Rhon

I love it that she is so cool.

I love her thoughtful, and quizzical nature.

I love her ability to make everyone she is around happy.

B.A.

I love how she knows what she wants, and isn't afraid to let everyone know about it.

I love how she can't pass up a book, and how she finishes 15 library books in 2 days.

I love her emotions, and how her love is so strong.

Angels?

Twinners.

This was the first day back to school after Christmas break.  They did everything the same, down to the barrette they wore in their hair.  I left the demon eyes on the picture because I thought it was funny.  Twin demon eyes.

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Oooo, fun.  Check out G's new trick.  He doesn't have the best track record for knowing how to get down from things.  This should be interesting.  

I swear this kid wears clothes most of the time.  I don't know how I manage to take his picture with only a diaper on all the time.  Oh well, at least it looks like a clean one.  I feel good about that.

Letters

Dear 2008,

I don't have much to say to you.  You went by really fast.  Your beginning had me taking care of a newborn.  Which takes up a lot of time.  We took a trip to Arizona in your spring.  Your summer kept us busy with lots of bike riding, and riding our scooters.  We had a 2nd grader and a 1st grader start school.  And our Uncle Jut got married.  Because of that super awesome event, we took another trip to Arizona.  You were a good year.  

Dear 2009,

Did you read 2008's letter?  We want you to be good just like he was.  Will there be change?  If so, make it the good kind.  I feel excited, anxious, and hopeful.  Okay, and a bit worried.  I will be a mom to an 8 year old, you know.  My resolutions?  Naw, don't have any.  I just want to keep doing what I am doing, and get better at it.  Be good to us.  

Did you hear that?

Stay up late tonic.

Homemade pizza.

Stuff that makes loud noises.  Girls and metal spoons on metal pan lids.

That was our New Year's Eve.  This was the first one I even attempted to let the kids stay up late, and the girls made it to midnight.  I was pleasantly surprised.