To My Little Valentines'

What we lack on Halloween...we make up for on Valentines Day!  It's a happy, cheesy, sweet holiday and I love everything it represents.  The greatest gifts your Dad and I  can give you, my six little monkeys, is to create a safe environment where we can provide, protect, and nurture...and for Dad and I to love one another deeply as equal partners.  And, of course, to have fun and not take life so seriously.  

I love scouring blogland and copying those creative souls out there...

Like doing Izzie's hair to celebrate the holiday...cheesy?  YES, but darn cute for a three-year-old on Valentine's Day.

...and she walked a little taller because of it

Staying up until 2:30 am to finish your class Valentines 

{Thank you, Becky, for the Mad Libs idea!}

And we can't forget the custom Valentine's sanitizer for the all-important teachers!

And making the brightest, most annoying neon Valentine's cookies I've ever seen...and the biggest mess to go with it with each of you {with the cookie cutters Ama sent you}.

...well, sometimes precious little hands.

big enough to make cookies with Monson...and proud of it.

I think Bray missed Halloween 

& Christmas cookies... he's celebrating all of the holidays with his creations:

Do I see a Santa and a Halloween cat in there?

Part of my Valentines to you, cute kiddies:

And making you breakfast for lunch--whole wheat banana chocolate chip heart waffles!  Gotta get some healthy mixed in on this 'sweet' holiday.

I love you all to the sky!

You are what keeps me going day in and day out... 

{YOU are what gets me out of bed in the morning...whether I want to or not!}

Will you all be my Valentines?

xo,

Bedtime Stories

Our normal tuck-in routine isn't complete without cuddles, songs and stories.  Lexie and Izzie each need separate bed time with mom and if I'm not home to tuck them in, then I most always am awakened by one of them...uaually Lexie...to the tune of  'MOM' screamed at increasing intervals until it awakens me and a few others two rooms and a hallway away (somewhere between 1:30 and 3 am, roughly).  Needless to say, I make sure that I do my cuddles with them even if it's before bedtime so WE don't have that rude awakening. 

At bedtime Isabella stopped me as I was done with her extended tuck-in after the inevitable princess and witch story she tells me every night (which always ends in ..and they lived happily ever after).   She stopped me and I could see her trying to think of something to say (trying to buy more time, smarty pants) and finally said, 

"Mom, I want to talk to you about Jesus Christ."  

"Sure, Iz, what do you want to know about Jesus?" 

Iz:  "Did he have hair, eyes, ears and a mouth like me?"  What about chin, armpits and legs?" 

She went through EVERY body part...including the privates...cause she's Izzie.  So in the end she had no doubt that Jesus has a body like her.  I talked to her about what happened to him and how he died for 'Izzie'...and was nailed to the cross.  I went through the whole resurrection in basic terms and then asked her if she knows what will happen when she dies and she replied, 

"When I die will I have nails in my hands and my feet just like Jesus?"  

I love the three-year-old mind.  Sometimes a simple story needs repeating several times before it sinks in with a child.  Oh, how relieved she was to know that she won't be nailed to a cross--but how excited she was to tell her Daddy & Lexie all about it.  Through the eyes of a child.

Big Scouts Little Scouts

It's funny how you offer suggestions on how to run a program a little better and voile!  New calling!  (Okay...I know that's not how it really works).  Truth be told...it was a sad day for Curt when he had to say goodbye to his calling as Gospel Doctrine Teacher to be Cub Master --he LOVED teaching.  And he was GOOD at it.  Really good.  And I'm not biased. Okay, maybe a little.

As he got all spiffed up in his uniform for the first time...and then put on his new really UNforgiving zip-off-into-shorts Scout pants that looked really more like a 1980's parachute ensemble... I just chuckled.  Actually, I pretty much laughed out loud.  He should have taken me shopping with him!  It felt like I was sending another one of my little boys off to scouts...neckerchief, socks and all.   Good thing I didn't let him out that door with the white tennis shoes he originally had on.  The fashion police really would have been all over him!  It doesn't look so bad here even though it adds 15 lbs.  

His first order of business?  The importance of wearing a clean and full uniform correctly.  Who better to demonstrate this than a Colonel in the Marine Corp!  At every Pack meeting we have a 'best dressed' award...it's really for the boy that is correctly dressed.  It's a tough thing to achieve, apparently!

Monson receiving his awards

Curt does such a great job as Cub Master and is Mr. Organized.  I think he's returned some necessary tradition back to Troop 609 and has some great plans for those 20+ boys!

The Blue & Gold  Dinner last week was a huge success!  It was a cowboy theme complete with sloppy joes and all the fixin's, and the favorite annual cake auction.  The leaders really did a great job this year...did I mention it was drama-free?  The best kind!  Brian Lamoreaux did such a fabulous job the last couple of years as auctioneer; it's now his permanent duty.  I think this one went for $100.  Not too shabby! 

We went with the cowboy theme with our cute little boot cake:

Monson's artwork...starring himself as a cowboy outlaw.  

It's Mission Time!

4th grade = California Mission projects.  

California Mission Projects =  Homework for Mommie

Homework for Mommie = House falls apart around all of us

I was excited that McKenzie had 1st pick and was able to choose Mission San Juan Capistrano. We were able to visit that mission and get a taste of what hip San Juan is all about.  I'm officially in love with that town!  What a gorgeous mission nestled in a quaint yet bustling coastal town.  I loved my alone time with McKenzie while exploring the mission grounds. 

I especially enjoyed the eating part afterwards... at this cutest little place called 'The Tea House.  We wore hats, had scones with homemade jam and the whole nines.  I think my next crazy girlfriend party will have to be a tea party!

Because her class was not allowed to use the mission kits that make life so much easier... McKenzie decided to make it fun, unique and exciting for everyone (meaning me)!  So I helped her design, measure, make, cut, and assemble her mission out of good 'ole gingerbread.  Yup, the whole mission was edible yumminess...to a 9 year old kid, that is.  It was put together with frosting, muffins and hostess cupcakes for the basilica domes, pretzel crosses, marshmallow swallows, tootsie roll and whopper Indians, green colored coconut grass.  It was apparently delightful enough for the ants inside the classroom to search it out and attack!  Lovely.  Sorry Mrs. Mullane!  At least the classroom has had a nice cinnamon and ginger aroma rather than smelly 4th grade kids this past week!  

McKenzie had a great time, but by the time her project was done--I was ready to poke my own eyeballs out.  I asked Curt to take a picture of us assembling it and his response was, "why, so you can blog about how great it was when you really hated it?"  Good point...I didn't love that it took us two full days to complete her mission model.  Our house looked like the mission ruins post earthquake!  Truly, she could not have done it without an adult and so I guess we both will earn that A!  And yes, that is a knife in my hand letting out some frustrations over gingerbread mishaps.  Next year when it's Monson's turn I think graham crackers will have to do...we're going for the 'mini' model if I have anything to say about it!

Vivie's Antics

She can't be stopped.  Early on we had a glimpse into her personality when she grabbed the intubator which was supposed to help her delicate one pound body breathe... and at 12 hours old yanked the darn thing out.  She did it again when she was intubated for her MRI at 3 months old.  All before even making it home for the first time.  If something cramps her style--she'll figure a way around it.  Aside from my better judgement, at times I try to suppress her... but at every turn she amazes me with her creativity, expressions of victory,  sheer energy, and endearing wit.

As a quick update-Viviana visited with the developmental NP last week and impressed her to pieces.  We couldn't be more delighted to confirm with the 'professionals' that Viviana is indeed...right on track.  Not for her adjusted 17 1/2 month age...but closer to her 'real' almost 21 month age.  Truly, amazing.  She's all caught up and never really was considered that far behind.

Completely victorious... and she's stolen her daddy's heart with 'touchdown.'

(ya like her slobbery self?  she's been teething forever!)

Why buy toys when we have laundry baskets to fit two passengers and one driver?

Isn't she lovely.  I only wish her hair was that thick and long.  Apparently, so does she.  She loves this wig and wears it quite often.  Anything to make us laugh.

I love it that she's big enough to play with the girls and give me just 5 minutes to myself...even if it's just to pee... 

So unsuspecting and darling, isn't she?  She was glaring at me after scolding her for running into the street.

She really wasn't angry...she was making a funny camera face because that's what she does when I start clicking -- we have a little Miss comedian on our hands.  She runs to Brayden when he comes home from school everyday....as if she hasn't seen him in years.  She ADORES  Brayden.  So do I. 

Yup...it was only a matter of time. Another girl to hide my shoes from me.

She's one of the big girls now...has to 'help' in every way.

That's the look!  The victorious "ha, I did it" look.  She continued to open and close the fridge/freezer doors 112 times...because I told her 'no.'  

I'm so glad we have one of these...except for the times I wish it could somehow be locked up... when piano pounding isn't music to anyone's ears.

Everyone else makes eggos...why can't she?  She pushed the chair over there all by her lonesome self.  My girls are all ox's.  like me.

She thought she was being tricky.  Take a look at the noggin' on that thing!  That chair could come in handy if I needed her to stay put sometime....KIDDING!

Again, the victorious look.  This was back when she first learned she could climb.  She's been doing it ever since.

"Look!  It's me!"  She's in love with seeing herself on the screen saver.  This is mild--usually she stands on my desk and chucks things off... like the keyboard and mouse.  I'm on mouse #3.

But when the day is all said & and done...precious Vivs cuddles with her 'favorite' and eventually falls asleep...usually with a pen in hand (and repeatedly & annoyingly takes the cap on and off) until she finally nods off. 

Viviana...I'm quite impressed with your antics.  And you apparently didn't get that 'afraid of heights' gene from your daddy.  When I say 'no' and redirect you...you do it even bigger, better, harder, faster.  

But I love you love you love you!