Eight

Interview with B.A.

Favorites:

Color - pink

Book - Geronimo Stilton and Ramona

TV Show - Star Wars Clone Wars and Pucca

Movie - Madagascar 2 Escape to Africa

Music - The Killers, All American Rejects, and Jimmy Eat World (good girl)

Parent - me! (just kidding, I didn't actually ask her that)

Activity - reading, drawing, and playing video games

Video Game - Phantom Hourglass and Animal Crossing

Food - bolognese

Sport - soccer

Season - spring and fall

Song - Mr. Brightside, and Real World

Subject in school - science and social studies

What do you want to be when you grow up?  teacher or writer

What do you like most about yourself?  I'm funny and creative

What don't you like about yourself?  I'm bossy

If you could go anywhere right now, where would you go?  Italy, India, and Taiwan

Yup, she's eight.

White Dress

B.A. was baptized!

She had a great day.  

It was her birthday. 

Grammy and Poppy came.  Justin and Jennifer came.  Grandma and Mark came.  And even Rachel came.  

They had a hard time finding a white suit to fit her.  She is so tiny.  We had to roll the legs.

There were 10 other kids getting baptized that day and we were the very last ones.

We sang primary songs in the chapel for about an hour.

I wasn't prepared for this.  The boys (Poppy included) got bored.  And hungry.

My favorite part was when we sang Do As I'm Doing and B.A. chose to jump up and down instead of roll her arms like the chorister suggested.

My real favorite part was after she got dunked.  She looked out at everyone and gave us a huge smile.  Then she waved at her sisters.

Afterwards she told me it felt like she was floating in the water because of the jumpsuit.  She thought it felt weird.

She cried during and after her confirmation.

Finally, we hurried home to feed everyone lunch and celebrate her birthday.

Free (OBO)

This kid is not my best friend right now.

How many times can I pull him off the counter before going insane?

How many times can I tell him "no" in a kind tone before I lose my cool?

How many times can I grab him from the street before I decide to never go outside again?

He has already been in time out.

He has already been sent inside for not listening outside.

He has already been forced to clean up his own messes.

He eats soap out of the bathroom, and  in the kitchen sink.

He stands on and IN the toilet.

He plays in the video game basket.

He dumps toys, and runs away.

He dumps books, and runs away.

He empties my cabinets, and runs away.

He pours water everywhere.

He thinks it's fun to see if the girls can read The Friend if it is in a million pieces.

He enjoys chucking the dishes, and shutting the dishwasher when I am trying to load it.

Nothing deters him from climbing on the stove.  Not even the fire.

He bites off all the erasers of our pencils.

He uses crayons to color on anything.

He also uses crayons as snacks.

He screams.

He bites.

He flops.

And worst of all, he still only says, "Daddy".  And it sounds really cute.  No "Momma" yet.  

He decided recently that he doesn't want to sit still while I put a diaper on.  Sometimes they get ripped while trying to fight him.

He figured out how to weasel through the fence into our neighbors back yard.

He learned to climb the stools.  And how he can push them anywhere to aide in his trouble-making quests.

Nothing stops this kid.

I have never known such naughtiness.

My patience has never been tested to this degree.

He still makes me smile.  Even when I am trying not to because I am mad at him.

I love the way his cheeks jiggle when he walks.  The ones on his face, but I'm sure the other ones do too.

Takes The Grease Out Of Your Way

Rhon helping me with the dishes.

Her beauty always amazes me.

Especially first thing in the morning,

when her hair is all over the place.

Free Way

This was Friday.  When it was sunny, but still cold.  

She came to me and asked if she could go outside in this get-up.  B.A.'s jacket, Mads' boots (on the wrong feet), and all with only a leotard underneath.

Mads is sporting Rhon's jacket, spiderman slippers, all with jammies underneath.

Awesome.

Big Fat Winter Size Flakes

This was as we were leaving IKEA on Wednesday.  Look at my poor children without jackets.  I know, it's cruel.  But they are eating a cinnamon roll.  Does that make up for it?

I told Dare to smile and that is what I got.  She is hilarious.  And cold, apparently.

This is what we woke up to the next morning.  I guess I shouldn't be surprised after being here for 8 years.  It happens every year...

Celebration

Dare is definitely one of Mads' favorite people.  She can make him laugh like no other.  I think this was his favorite part of his birthday.  When they were sitting at the counter laughing.  At what?  I don't even know.  She doesn't have to do much.

This is "Tortilla Face".

We went to Rubio's for dinner ($1.25 tacos, remember?).  Grandma and Mark joined us.

Tortilla Face looked so cute on the counter.

Then we went to Leatherby's for ice cream.  

I think next time I will just eat him for dessert.

Fourth

Mads

You are the coolest 3-year old on the planet.

You love to laugh.  Mostly at Dare.

You are an awesome big brother.

You love to eat raw onions.  Yellow, green, red.  It doesn't matter.

Being outside is one of your all-time favorite things.

One of your new phrases is, "That's my problem."  You will tell me something mean Dare did to you then say, "That's my problem!"

Your favorite color is green.

You still let me hug you, but the other day you told me, "You give me lovies all the time!"  In an angry tone.

You are thoroughly addicted to your dark blue fleece blanket.  I'll be honest, it is driving me a bit crazy.

You went to nursery last Sunday for the first time.  We'll see if it lasts.

You tell me you love me and that I am your best friend 10 (ish) times a day.  Okay, you tell anyone you like those same things.

You still love to watch airplanes, and especially the army helicopters that fly by our house.

You like to ride your bike and scooter.

The first thing you say to me every morning is, "Can I have some cereal?"

You make Dad carry you to bed on his shoulder every night.

Most nights you end up in my bed.  Right in between me and Dad.

You like to be contrary.  Just like your oldest sister.

You are super smart.

You are incredibly handsome.

I love you to pieces.

Happy Birthday.

My Baby Poop

For some reason my girls think it is fun to say bad words.  Like AFTER I tell them it is a bad word.  They like to try it out a few times before I tell them to seriously stop saying it.  B.A. saw the title of a Blink 182 song called "Dammit".  I told her not to say it because it wasn't polite.  She must have said it 4 times before I finally got her to stop.  The same thing happened with Rhon the other day.  She said hell and asked a few questions about it, using the word of course.  Nate thinks it is funny and ironic that our kids will probably hear all the bad words from me before him and even friends at school.  We are talking the nice ones, people.  And I don't use the words, necessarily.  They just come up somehow.

I am in the habit of calling G "Little Caca."  I must say it to the kid 67 times a day.  It's mostly his fault.  If he stayed out of trouble, I wouldn't have to call him anything.  We decided  long ago that caca would probably be one of his first words.  I think it was number three.   

                                          

                                                             

If that is not the cutest thing, I don't know what is.

By the way, "caca" is not a bad word.  I have gotten confirmation that it is just the same as saying poop.  And I like it better than poop.