Missed a Spot!

Ethan's hair was getting a little shaggy, so I decided that he was due for a haircut. Brett was already cutting his hair, so I told him that Ethan was next in line. Brett finished his hair, and then started on Ethan. Well somehow, the clippers got dropped on the tile floor, and then they didn't work anymore. Poor Ethan is stuck looking like a little old man. I had to call my sister-in-law to bring backup clippers. As you can tell from the picture, he is not a happy camper. At least it is Christmas break, and he doesn't have to go to school like that! I've had some bad haircuts in my day, but man-o-man...

This on the other hand is Ethan being super silly! He wanted me to put his hair in ponytails, so I did. I just wanted him to know that it wasn't cool to be a boy in ponytails. I might have been a little rougher than necessary,but I was thinking I was getting my point across. As a parent, you know how that goes...He looks like he got my point don't you think? This is an after the ponytails have come out picture. I couldn't find the camera before. Isn't that always the case? He went to his Aunt Shannon's house with his hair all up, and it didn't bother him at all. She had to take the kids out with her while he was there, and she said she almost couldn't bring herself to take him with her! Lucky for him, she loves him a lot!

SEE!!!

I caught her red handed! In the bathtub with the toothbrush and the toothpaste, always the toothpaste! This time it was her own toothbrush, but next time...it might be yours!

Accessories!

I just took this picture of Eliza. She is so darn cute it is hard not to just have a video on her at all times! Anyway, she has this purse that her cousin gave her, and she just loves that thing to pieces! She can't keep it on her shoulder though, so she walks around the house with one arm sticking up in the air. So far she has a little toy dog, a jingle bell, "Gingy" from Shrek, and her cup. All the essentials for filling a good accessory!

Bathing Beauty

Eliza loves the bathroom. I think because that is the one room in the house where we restrict her entrance. Usually if someone leaves the bathroom door open, she goes straight for the toothbrush drawer, and comes out with at least 3 toothbrushes that are not hers, and the toothpaste. I have had to clean up more toothpaste spills than I care to remember! Today however, she discovered she could get into the tub all by herself. So here she is climbing in the tub...

Saying Cheese for the camera...

Studiously reading her Winnie the Pooh shape book...

Getting more comfortable...

And climbing out again. It was quite the adventure! (see the paint can? we are still working on our bathroom. It's the job that never ends!)

Sleeping Beauties

My Kids are so funny when they sleep!! They get into the most preposterous positions! (by the way, I have no idea why this is underlined, and I can't fix it. Well sorry, I guess we will both have to live with it.) Here is their latest. Ethan decided that it would be a good idea to put on his winter hat and gloves for bed. I found him like this when I went to check on him before I went to bed. I wish I got a picture of him when I went to wake him up for school this morning. He was laying completely horizontal across his bed with his bare feet sticking off one side and his head haning over the other. It was priceless. Isn't he cute when he sleeps? Quiet too!

Bonnie was so tuckered out after a hard day of playing, that she fell asleep with her dinosaur tail on. This girl can sleep anywhere, and through anything. She probably wouldn't wake up for a freight train!!

I don't have a sleeping picture of Eliza because if she heard me think about coming into her room while she was sleeping she would wake up and cry. I work really hard not to have that happen.

Marshmallows Are Better Roasted!

The kids have been asking and asking to build a fire, ;so about a week ago, we appeased them. Ethan came up with the brilliant idea of roasting marshmallows! I knew I loved that kid, he must take after his mother. Well, actually some things I gladly claim while others I pawn off on their father. It's not fair I know, and poor Brett doesn't have a blog to defend himself with.

Well, anyway, we got this pretty good blaze going, and had a great time roasting our marshmallows. Eliza was not so keen on waiting around for a marshmallow that was too hot to eat, so she just started stealing them from the bag. She probably had about 4 marshmallows before we realized what she was doing. We finally had to hide the bag, and even then she found it. She ended up with around 7 marshmallows in all! A pretty good haul for an almost 2 year old!

A couple of days later, we had Grandma and Grandpa with us for a few days. Over the breakfast table, Bonnie asked why do people get smaller when they get old? Grandpa said something scientific about calcium in your bones, but Ethan really hit the nail on the head. He came up with a brilliant analogy. He asked Bonnie if she remembered when we roasted marshmallows, how the marshmallows were hard and stiff before we put them over the fire? Well, that is like our bodies when we are young, and then when we get older, it is like putting marshmallows over the flame. We become soft and mushy on the inside, and a little crinkly and brown on the outside. Wow! I think that kid had a future in psychology! I'm so proud. And Grandma and Grandpa were so flattered by the comparison!

Ethan's Baptism!!

Hooray! Today it finally happened! Ethan was baptized! I can't believe that I have an eight year old! He was so composed, and ready for this. He completely amazed me. The day was perfect, well almost, I suppose if it were to be absolutely perfect, I would have actually have had to see him baptized, and I didn't. And then I cried...a lot. Three others got baptized with Ethan today, one of them was a girl in Ethan's primary class, the other two are a young married couple who were just so excited to be there. They didn't however have anyone to be with them, and the wife needed help dressing. She asked if I would help, and I said I would be happy to. In our program, we had put the order of the baptisms specifically so that the wife would be getting baptised after Ethan, so I could watch him, and then be able to help her. Well since life isn't perfect, there was a mix up and she ended up getting baptised before Ethan. By the time I got back out to see the rest of the baptisims, they were already over. I couldn't believe that I had actually missed seeing my oldest child get baptized! My heart is broken, and although I tell myself that just because I didn't see it doesn't mean it didn't really happen, I think I am still in a little bit of shock at the whole thing. There are things that a mother should absolutely not miss, and her oldest son's baptism is one of them! Well, Ethan really did get baptized, and he was really happy today. It didn't turn his world upside down when he found out I didn't see him. He was a little sad, but only because I was. This was his day. This was about him and his choice to follow Jesus' example. I have really been trying hard to remember that.

A Hole Is Not For Peeing

This is the tale of two boys, their hole, and a buried pair of flip-flops.

It all started so innocently, just a pair of boys trying to dig to China. Who hasn't tried to dig to China? I myself made several attempts in my childhood to reach that far off land . I feel like I am a tolerant mother and every once in a while I let my children get so muddy I'm not sure where the mud ends, and the kid begins. I figure it is all a part of childhood. But enough about what an awesome mom I am...Alright, on with my story, the boys and Bonnie had been outside digging for almost 3 hours when Bonnie decided she was done, and wanted to come inside. I made her strip in the garage (that's where the washer and dryer are), then I got her in the bath. In the mean time, I went to tell the boys that it was their turn next, so they better get ready. However on the way to tell them that, I saw one of them peeing into the hole they had dug! I know that some people think, well so what, they are boys, and they had to go, so why not? I will tell you why not, A HOLE IS NOT FOR PEEING!!!! That is why we have toilets and manners!!! OK, so I told they boys they were absolutely done and they better get their empty bladders into the garage to clean up. On the way in, Ethan lets me know that he doesn't have his shoes because they are buried in the hole... Why? Why would you bury your shoes, and then pee on them? Only in the mind of an 8 year old is this OK. I told him he could bury sticks, rocks, leaves, anything that should be outside is OK to bury, not shoes, or anything that I have paid money for! So I made him and Aiden go out and dig up the shoes. When they realized they had to dig in the pee hole, they were quite upset with me, but I wasn't giving in. They buried those shoes, they sure as heck were going to be the ones to get them out! They started digging, but first they had to take out all the bricks they had put on top of about a foot of dirt they had put on top of the shoes. It took them about 45 minutes to finally dig them out. By the time they were done, they were cold and super dirty. Before I let them into my house, I sprayed them down with the hose. Man did they scream! And it maybe that I liked it a little bit. That might seem a little mean, but they were seriously muddy. And plus, our neighbors were out in their backyard hearing me yelling about not peeing in the hole and I was sorry that they didn't want to get into the pee hole, but I wasn't the one who buried my shoes and then peed on them! I did have a warm bath waiting for them when they were done with the hose, so you see I am not so heartless. Guaranteed, those are two boys that will NEVER bury their shoes in a hole and then pee on them again! Mission accomplished!

KEWING (just read it)

We have been having a lot of potty talk going on at my house lately. You know words like "pee" and "poo" and "butt". I hate that stuff! I have been really trying hard to curb this disturbing behavior, but... Brett has to make his own decisions! Just kidding. It is really the kids. Anyway, I felt like I was making some pretty good head way in this department, when the blood and guts talk started. Ewwww! Why is it so fun for five year olds to say gross stuff? I couldn't tell ya, but bummer for me! So...I have been getting after the kids to stop talking about gruesome events, when the other day in the car, I overheard Bonnie talking to Aiden (our friend) about "kewing" a vampire. She was describing how she would do it, when I interrupted her and said, "Hey stop talking about killing please! That is not nice. We do not talk about killing anyone even if they are a vampire!" I couldn't believe it! They are both 5 and they are way too young to talk about killing things. I think that kids should have to build up to that. Because if they are talking about it now, what comes next? I will tell you what comes next, actually killing things! Sure it will start off small with bugs and snails and stuff, but then come the small animals, and who knows what else!!! Alright, I could be over reacting just a bit, but I feel I am legitimately concerned here! Well, right after I told Bonnie to stop talking about killing, she immediately got defensive and said, "Mom! I am not saying KEWING him, I am saying KEWING him!" Oh right, now that makes things perfectly clear. You might have to hear Bonnie say stuff to get the true effect here, she has issues saying her "R's", "S's", and "L's". You should hear her say "car" and "cow", it sounds exactly the same! So after staring at my blank expression, she further explains, "You know I was making him say 'AHHHHHHH'!" Ohhhhhh, she was scaring him, not killing him. Bonnie has become an expert at explaining what things mean, or coming up with a different way to say the same thing. She has had to for survival. Well, I guess I can live with scaring vampires.

Just The Beginning

I know it's Saturday, and the election was on Tuesday, but I just want to say HIP HIP HOORAY for prop 8 passing!!! I feel such a great sense of release, but also I am feeling an urgency that this is not over, it is just the beginning. There have been several events that have really bothered me that have happened in politics in the last year. SB 777 (that's senate bill 777, look it up its disturbing), and Harvey Milk (is that how you spell it?) day are just the bigger events that took my notice, but prop 8 was the straw that broke the camel's back. I could not sit idly by and just wait to see what happened, which by the way is really my preferred method of dealing with problems. I don't want to give the impression that I was all that and then some, but I do feel like I did what I could to help with this cause. That however is not the point I am trying to make. I just wanted to say that I am ready for whatever comes next, cause you know this isn't the end, and because of the hard work of EVERYONE who helped to pass prop 8, I feel like we can take it! So from the person who gave money, time, and effort into prop 8 to the person who just voted yes, THANK YOU!!

Salami

I think we should have given Bonnie the middle name of "Salami". That way when someone asked her, "Do you like salami?", she could answer, "LIKE IT!! Salami's my middle name!!". I think body might be made up of 75% salami by the way she inhales it. She asks for a salami sandwich everyday for lunch. Well, at least salami has protein in it right? I think we should invest in salami stocks, because we will pretty much guarantee that those puppies won't fall!

Jumping Jacks and Funny Hats

Why do they call them jumping jacks? Was there once a guy named Jack who jumped like that a lot? I guess somethings will always be a mystery! Anywho, you can't argue, the girl's got style...right?

Speaking of style, how 'bout that Eliza? She picked those panties out herself! (Don't worry, they're clean.) She may, or may not, have had help putting them on! I will just say that she and I happened to be alone together, and...well...she did ask for help. What was a loving mother to do?

Halloween Story...Sort Of

Last night was Halloween. The kids had a GREAT time! Ethan was Scooby Doo again, Bonnie was a fairy princess, and Eliza was a ladybug. Our Halloween festivities actually started on Thursday, when the kids were able to take their costumes to school. They had a parade that Bonnie's class led, and then they had individual class parties. I was able to go help in Bonnie's class. Kindergartners are hilarious on Halloween! Well they are pretty funny any time, but especially on Halloween! We had a clown, a couple grim reapers, a little mermaid, a witch, a few princesses (Bonnie was the best one!), and one serious ninja! This was us before we went to Jenny's house for a Halloween party that was super fun! We had soup and bread and then we all went out as a group trick or treating. Eliza was so funny, she really wanted to keep up with the big kids, but her poor little legs wouldn't let her. She did not want me to carry her though, every time I picked her up, she would squirm to get down. We actually walked quite a ways, and she pretty much ran the whole time. Everyone who saw her said, "Ohhhhhh, look at the little ladybug! Isn't she adorable?" And of course they were right!

This is our ladybug, fairy princess, and scooby doo! Aren't they super duper cute?

This is on Thursday, before I took Bonnie to her class. She was so excited! I just bought her this tiara and earrings and she couldn't wait to show them off, she kept asking, "Don't I look beautiful Mom? Don't I?".

This is Ethan after school on Wednesday, it was crazy hair day. He asked me to color his hair blue and green with an orange stripe down the middle. You can't really tell anymore, because he kept wiping his hair with his hands, so it is pretty smeared. Crazy kid!

This is Bonnie after school on Crazy hair Weds. I was really proud of this hair do, cause I made her mini buns into the letter "B" for Bonnie! Also, this is how I got her hair to be so beautiful and fancy for Thursday. She didn't want to do it again for Halloween night though. Oh, well, at least I got my picture of her fantastic hair!

The Itsy Bitsy Spider

Eliza loves to sing the itsy bitsy spider. She is so cute when she does it too. She doesn't do nearly as well in the video as she normally does. But I think we can blame that on stage fright. I think she'll grow out of that. Her siblings did!

Tagged again!

I am one popular momma these days! I kinda miss those good ol' days when....Wait, nope I like it! Anyways, so I got tagged...again! And look at me here fulfilling my tagging duties! However before I do, I must announce to the world that my 1 year old just swallowed a Lego! That is right, and judging by the way she choked, and then cried about it, it didn't feel too good going down. Before you all condemn me as a horrible unfeeling mother, let me just say that it was her own fault! Just kidding, she was playing, she found a Lego, she put it in her mouth, and now it is gone. And if I ever do see that Lego again, I am going to throw the troublesome thing in the garbage! That'll teach it! The end....but not of my post. Lets get refocused here folks, tagged, I was tagged! Alright, my 6 on 6's ( what does that mean?) 6 TV shows I like to watch:

1. The Office
2. Criminal Minds
3. Bones
4. Life
5. Men in Trees
6. NCSI

6 Restaurants I like to eat at:

1. Hula's
2. Olive Garden
3. Big Al's
4. Applebees
5. Outback
6. Peter Chu's

6 things that happened today:

1. I bought Ethan vampire teeth
2. I went grocery shopping
3. I painted Bonnie's fingernails, and she got an itch before it was dry.
4. Does blogging count?
5. I donated $10 to support Prop 8
6. I called the school district to tell them the "And Tango Makes Three" is not an appropriate book to be in a school library.

6 things I am looking forward to:

1. A paycheck
2. Halloween at Jenny's
3. Thanksgiving with my mom and dad, my in-laws, and my sister (sorry to those of you who would normally have Thanksgiving with us, and are choosing to be out of town!)
4. Ethan's baptism
5. A shower (I am bathing folks, but I am looking forward to having our shower put in!)
6. Date night!

6 things on my wish list:

1. To own our own home
2. To get my BA degree
3. I would wish for a family dog that Macky wouldn't be allergic to, that would be well behaved, and that would never have vet bills. (Hey this is a wish list right?)
4. A new wardrobe
5. A newer nicer car for Brett
6. To lose 15 lbs

6 people to tag:

1. Amanda
2. Holly
3. Becky (again)
4. Katie
5. Brittany
6. Anya (again)

Sorry to those that got tagged twice, I had to tag someone, and I like you guys so much I couldn't resist. All those who didn't get tagged twice, I like you guys so much I couldn't bring myself to tag you again!

Quirk-a-liscious

I've been tagged! I guess that means I'm IT! I didn't even realize I was playing electronic tag. Oh well, can't have any of you out there thinking I'm a bad sport. Grumble, grumble. Just kidding, here "It" goes. Watch out you might be next! Here are the rules: Link the Person who Tagged you. Mention rules on your blog. Tell about 6 quirks of yours. Tag 6 fellow bloggers to do the same. Leave a comment on their blog to let them know. Delayne's Quirks-Don't judge!

1. I secretly like the faint smell of skunk. Now I wouldn't wear it as perfume or anything, but sometimes when I catch a whiff of skunk, I think hey that's good!
2. You know how all the lights on the Esplanade are timed? Well I am trying to figure out how fast I can go down the Esplanade without having to even slow down for the lights. I just want to hit all green lights. So far, I have been able to do it going 28 mph. (I do stop though if there is a red light, or a slower car in front of me.)
3. My secret ambition is to have a hurricane named after me.
4. I am not a phone caller. I hate to call people on the phone. It makes my stomach curl up in knots. Not because I don’t want to talk to them, I just have a fear of actually picking up the phone and dialing their number! So maybe it would be more accurate to say that I have a fear of dialing the phone. I love to talk on the phone if someone calls me, but it’s almost too much for me to handle to be the one to call someone else.
5. Jenny says I have a secret smile for when I think I am being really funny. I have yet to see it, so this could go under the category of myth instead of quirk.
6. I love high school movies. Like Cinderella Story, 10 Things I Hate About You, High School Musical...etc. I like to pretend that I am the age of the kids in the movie and have no responsibilities, instead of a grown up mom.

Alright, that was tough! I now tag Julie, Mikeala, Kami, Anya, Nikki, and Becky. Good luck girls!

Ethan

That's my boy!!! (Yes I do claim him when we are in public, shocking I know!)

Saturday

Well, it is about 12 am on Monday night. I am supposed to be sleeping, but instead I decided to work on some homework. Now I am taking a break from my homework to bring you the latest and greatest from the fam. So just in case anyone was wondering, I usually do my homework during the day, but I am planning on keeping my kids home from school tomorrow as part of a peaceful protest against the California Teachers Association. They have donated $1 million (that's six zeros!) to the no on prop 8 campaign. If prop 8 doesn't pass, I am going to have to start homeschooling. I have nothing against homeschooling, but it does take a special someone, and I was hoping NEVER to be that someone. However, I can and will be that someone if prop 8 fails. Go prop 8! Brett and I held "yes on 8" signs over by the mall on Saturday, and it was amazing! It is incredible the sheer volume of cars that go by there, and every one of them saw our signs! You wouldn't believe the reaction we got from some people! We got honks, and thumbs up, and people smiling and waving. We got dirty looks, the middle finger, and cussed out also. One car of teenagers yelled, "We love gays!". I yelled back, "So do WE!". For the most part, no matter if the response was positive or negative, we just smiled and waved. Another car drove by yelling obscenities, and then turned around so they could drive by and yell at us again! Well I have to say thank you to those cars. Thank you for making fools out of yourselves so that other people would turn and look to see who was making such a racket! Two cars (at separate times) pulled over and asked what prop 8 was. That was fantastic! I do have to make mention of one man in particular. He pulled his car over, and pulled out his cell phone to take a picture of us. Then he told us he wanted to take a picture of what hate looked like to send to his kids! What is unbelievable, and a bit hypocritical is that then he said, "I hope you kids all grow up to be gays and lesbians!" WOW... that was harsh, and a little hateful. We told him that was a mean thing to say, and that we would love our kids no matter how they grew up! Then he drove off in a huff. What kills me is that he was so angry that there was absolutely no way he would listen to wisdom, even if we had chosen to impart any. Don't people know that anger closes minds?

Prop 8

Alright, for all of you out there who know about prop 8, what are you doing about it? I am not trying to be all high on my horse or anything, there is plenty more that I could be doing too. I am just saying that when this election is all said and done, are you going to be able to look back and say, "I did my best, I tried my hardest, and I did what the Lord asked of me"? I am taking a moment from my usual light hearted post to let you all know that this is something I feel very strongly about. Oh, and for all of you who don't know what prop 8 is, it is an amendment to the California state constitution that says that only marriage between a man and woman is valid or legal in California. This is such a huge deal because in 2000, the voters passed this law already, but the CA supreme court had it's own agenda and overturned the people's decision by a 4-3 vote. This time around it is going on the ballet as an amendment to the state constitution so it cannot be overturned again! Go prop 8! Prop 8 is not attacking homosexuals in any way, it simply defines what marriage is. And it defines marriage as God defines it also. I don't want my children to grow up thinking that same sex marriage is the norm, or that it is morally OK. If you are a Californian, or even if you are not, this is going to affect you too! Most states follow California law. I read that somewhere recently. Pretty scary thought. Please vote in November, and please vote yes on prop 8 to reestablish traditional marriage as the law.

As promised...

I have been telling Jenny that I will write a blog about Ethan and so here it is! Ethan is supposed to read everyday for his homework. He can read whatever it is he wants, but he must read for 20 minutes. We have had issues all year with him pretending to read, and not really doing it. So we have started to make him read out loud, which he hates! The incident that really put us over the top was after Ethan had put in his 20 minutes of reading one day. He was reading "Ramona Quimby Age 8", after he was done reading, Brett asked him what he read about. Ethan started mumbling something about a girl and school, while he thumbed through the book looking at pictures. He started telling Brett about one picture in particular where Ramona goes to school, and some really mean boys steal her ipod and throw it around...Wait a minute!!! Ding, ding, ding!!! I am not sure when it was written, but I'm pretty sure that Ramona was around when I was in elementary school. And when I was in elementary school there was no such thing as an ipod!! I'm thinkin' he wasn't really reading during that 20 minutes, what do you think?

Twinners

My girls are so cute that I had to dress them up and take pictures of them! And the amazing thing is that they let me! Bonnie has been being more and more difficult when it is time to do her hair or get dressed. But I think I have found the secret! The other day she told me that if I ask her if she is ready to do work, the answer was NO!, but if I asked her if she was ready to be twinners with Eliza, the answer was YES!! So today was picture day at school, and I got Bonnie to wear what I wanted her to by telling her she could be twinners with Eliza! Go manipulation! Well, anyway it worked, and she was so stinkin cute for her pictures! Yeah mom! This is our friend Aiden, who gets to come play with us every day before and after school. His hair was done and oh, so cute, before he got to my house. By the time school time rolled around, I had to reapply 4 lbs of hairspray to his Alfalfa do. Your welcome Julie! Now she is just being silly, but hey at least you know her nose is clean! This is one of my favorite moves! She should be a poster child for the power rangers, don't you think?

Happy 1st Day of School Brett!

Today was Brett's first day at school! He is now officially a substitute teacher! Wooo-whooooo! For all of you out there that don't understand this momentous occasion, let me briefly explain. Basically Brett was out of work for the entire month of September. That is right folks, no income what so ever! NONE, ZIP, ZILCH!! And now we have income again. Life is wonderfully full of surprises isn't it? Well, we have come a long way, and we still have a long way to go. Brett's final destination is a teaching certificate, and a teaching job. However we have taken the first steps in getting there. We really feel like the Lord brought us here to Chico, and we know that we will do whatever he asks us. Life was hard for a while, well I guess life is always hard, but since I have figured out that I'm on the Lord's side, things have gotten much better! Anywho, I digress. Brett's first day as an official substitute teacher began at an elementary school where he was a rover (someone who covers for different teachers while they have meetings throughout the day). He was assigned to the kindergarten and first grade classes. I wish I could have been a fly on the wall! When he came home he told me that he made two kids cry! Really? You might ask how did my sweet Brett, who is really mellow, kind, and gentle make kids cry? Well, it turns out, he didn't really make anybody cry, they were just kindergartners who were especially missing their mommies. He did however pretend call the office for one kid. I guess the kid wouldn't calm down, so Brett threatened to call the office. He picked up the phone and pushed some buttons, and pretended to talk to the office. When he got done, the kid was terrified, and Brett looked down at him and said, "The office told you to sit in your seat!" Unfortunately for all of us dying to know if the kid did in fact sit in his seat, we will never know because at that exact moment in time the teacher came back, and school was over. Pretty anti climatic huh? Well it was still a funny story! Brett is going to be a wonderful teacher! He is such a fantastic husband and father, and I am blessed to have him in my life. I love him and I try to be the best wife I can be to him.

Jack-o-lantern

Bonnie came home from school yesterday with an orange, green, yellow, and black piece of paper. Her assignment was to make a jack-o-lantern and tell a story about it. This is what she came up with! Sorry the jack-o-lantern is sideways, but it was the only way to fit it and the story together. I really think this might be the beginning of a career for Bonnie. I wrote it down exactly as she said it. I love her imagination! I think it will be a little hard to read, so here it is again. "Once upon a time there was a witch, and she made a jack-o-lantern. And she even made pumpkin pie. She put a seed in her garden and buried it, and it grew and grew and grew so big! It was as big as a giant! She wanted to have two jack-o-lanterns, so she made another one. She made it so scary because she was a scary witch and her skin was greenish, bluish, and blackish too. Her fingernails were as big as the giant pumpkin! The end-see you tomorrow!" Isn't that a wonderful story? I love kindergarten!

Demolition

Ethan absolutely loved doing this! I thought you might like to see some video clips of us destroying our bathroom! And just in case you have never removed tile, that stuff is tough!!!

Bathroom Blues

These photos might all look the same, but oh, no! That is where you would be wrong! Take a look at that hole in the wall my son is making (with permission). It gets a little bigger in each picture! So we had a leak in our tub facet. I think we might have been draining the reservoir ourselves. Brett, my always handy man, did what he could but he couldn't reach the actual leak without tearing out the wall. We got permission from the land lord, and here we are with no bathroom in a one bathroom house. Do the math folks, that is not the odds you want in a house with four bathroom users! Well to be honest and truthful (which I always try to be), we are only without a shower and sink right now. We do have a bath tub and toilet. And the rest is not too far off, it just seems that way when you are living it, ya know? Any who, Ethan had the best time destroying that tile! It was hard work, but he kept at it for about 3 hours! He tore it down, then he helped clean it up. Can I just say here that I am in love with our shop vac? I am so grateful for that thing and the ease with which it vacuums up debris. I can't tell you how wonderful that thing is, and even more wonderful is that Brett is the one using it most of the time! How cool is that? A man vacuum! What a wonderful invention.

Apology

This is my apology for the first blog being so long. I really do put paragraph breaks in my blogs, but for some reason it never works out that way when it posts. I hope you enjoy the story despite the grammatical errors.

WARNING: SPOILER AHEAD

Alright, I know that it has been FOREVER since I have posted anything. In my defense, I totally forgot about this blog in the chaos that is my life. Until now. Now I have fodder for quite a few blogs. It's good stuff too, so stay tuned! This video is of Ethan getting his tooth pulled. I am warning you upfront that there is a little blood involved, so this may not be for the weak stomached folk. This is the saga of the tooth. Ethan had a loose tooth that was really bugging him, and he was grossing everyone out by showing them exactly how loose it was! Then he got to thinking that if he got his tooth pulled, the tooth fairy would come, and he would get some money! Wooo-whooo! So he asked me to pull his tooth for him. I am not sure how I got to be the official tooth puller, and I really don't like it, but that is the way it is. Bummer for me. I have pulled 4 out of the 5 teeth that have been lost in our house hold. The fifth one fell out on it's own. It is important for you all to know that Ethan is not a tooth fairy believer, but he pretends that he is because he knows that the tooth fairy doesn't come to little boys who don't believe. So after we pulled the tooth, we had a long talk about the tooth fairy coming and how much the going rate of a tooth is, and how big the tooth fairy is. Bonnie let us all know that the tooth fairy is small like a puppy. When I put the kids in bed that night after making a big deal about putting the tooth under Ethan's pillow, I told them that the tooth fairy was pretty sneaky and they shouldn't be surprised if they don't even wake up when she comes. Ethan told me that oh yes he was going to wake up, catch the tooth fairy, and put her in a sleeper hold. Bonnie told him he had better be nice to the tooth fairy other wise she would know and not leave him as much money under his pillow. The next morning, Ethan came into our bedroom and woke us up bright and early. He was holding his tooth in his hand. The tooth fairy forgot to come. I couldn't believe it! After the whole conversation and the pulling of the tooth, I forgot!!! What is wrong with me?! I felt terrible. I told Ethan that Dad was up with Eliza for a long time that night and maybe she tried to come but couldn't because dad would see her. Eliza did have a fever, and so she did not get to go to church. Brett stayed home with her, and while he was here, he wrote a little note from the tooth fairy. Then he put it and a dollar under Ethan's pillow. The note said "sorry I didn't make it to your house last night Ethan, I wasn't expecting your tooth to fall out until next Tuesday! Sorry about the mistake. Keep up the good work! Love the tooth fairy. PS. tell your dad thanks for taking a nap today so I could bring this to you." It was a little obvious I know, but hey, it worked! And Bonnie still believes. Ethan didn't say anything until it was almost bed time, then he came running out saying "my tooth is gone my tooth is gone." He looked about ready to cry. Brett and I asked if there was anything under his pillow? He said no he looked but that there was nothing there. So we all went in to see if we could find the tooth or the booty. We searched all over Ethan's room. Brett said that if the tooth fairy was going to leave a note, it would probably be on white paper. I asked if the tooth fairy wrote notes on regular sized paper, or if it was smaller? Brett said it was regular sized to the tooth fairy. Well, we couldn't find the tooth or the note anywhere! We finally concluded that Eliza must have got to it and moved it. We were all feeling a bit dejected. Ethan because he lost his tooth ( he had no idea about the note or money), and Brett and I because let's face it, that was a cool idea that was ruined. As we left Ethan's room to go into the living room for scriptures, Brett says "hey here it is!" and picks up a rolled up piece of paper off the floor! Ethan said "oh I found that and brought it out here when I couldn't find my tooth!" Oh the irony! Anyway everything and everyone was happy after that! The End.

Cookies Anyone?

A little while ago, Brett made up a game called "Thirty". It is really easy to play, whoever can pick up thirty things and put them away first wins! Very exciting! I had told the kids that the winner of "Thirty" got to pick out what kind of cookies I made. Well Bonnie was not to be outdone in this game! She picked up her thirty things as quick as a flick (that's a Bonnieism). Although, after she got to twenty she kept asking me what came next. Ethan was feeling a little too cool for this game. He had caught on that we were just trying to pick up the house. Brett and I have to watch out, he is on to us! So Bonnie won the game, and she decided that sugar cookies were on the menu. I secretly groaned and moaned because not only are sugar cookies the messiest things ever, they are the cookie that takes the most time! Plus, they are not my favorite. But that is what she wanted, so I put on my brave face and my favorite apron and we made sugar cookies. We made the dough, rolled it flat, and cut out the cookies. It was fun to do, and Bonnie is always entertaining to be with. So by the time we were done, I was not grumbling about the effort involved in making sugar cookies. After we had finally put the last cookie on the cooling rack, and cleaned up the kitchen, Bonnie said, "You know mom, what I really wanted was those sugar cookies that have cracks in them. You know, they have flour all over them." She was talking about snicker doodles, which are much, much, much easier and yummier than regular old sugar cookies! Not to mention funner to say! I do roll my snicker doodles in actual sugar, not flour, by the way. ARRRRRGGGGG! I need to get more information before I start a project like that! In case you were wondering, my very favorite apron that I have on says, "Who are these kids and why are they calling me Mom?" I'm not sure why I like it so much, it must be the colors!

First Day of School!

This is my attempt of immortalizing the first day of school. In this first picture, as you can see, Bonnie is smiling her very cutest I-am-to-excited-for-words smile! And Ethan is tolerating me. I told them to make their grumpiest faces. Usually reverse psychology works on Ethan. As you can see, it didn't this time. But once again, Bonnie is cooperating nicely. Now he is telling me that he doesn't' want his picture taken, and are we done yet? Bonnie is giving me a come hither look. Despite the undignified beginning to his day, Ethan told me he had a fantastic first day! His teacher gave him easy work, and he has friends in his class already. Bonnie had just a thumbs sideways day her first day at kindergarten. For those who don't know, a thumbs sideways means it was just OK, not a thumbs up awesome, and not a thumbs down total disaster. There was apparently something about her coloring when she wasn't supposed to and her teacher telling her to stop (meanly according to Bonnie). I am not sure on the details, she couldn't talk to me about them, it made her too upset. A random Bonnie story. Bonnie was asking me something, and I was saying no to whatever it was. She started to get upset with me and told me I was making her sad just like Satan! Well, I have to say, that one made me stop and think.

Seeing Double

I would just like to clear up a little confusion about the corn incedent. Yes I was at the end of my rope, and yes I really did lick the corn out of desperation, and it was the first thing I thought of. But what my loving husband failed to mention was the fact that I had to hide my face in the cupboard because I was laughing so hard. Of course Bonnie started crying that she didn't want her corn licked. I almost fell on the floor. I think I might be losing it! On to my real posting! I think I might be living in some sort of time warp where everything happens twice! I guess sorta like Ground Hogs Day, you know with Bill Murray when he gets stuck living the same day over and over. But I digress. I only live through everything twice. You might be wondering how I came to this conclusion, and I can tell you it is because of my children. They have started saying, "I was like..." after whatever it is they have said or did, and then repeating it again. Do they think that I can't remember two seconds ago? Do they think I missed it? I really just don't get it, but hearing everything twice makes me wonder if I haven't been getting it all along, and they are just trying to help me out so I don't miss anything. Ethan started it, and Bonnie has faithfully taken over for him. "Did you see mom? I was like you are such a silly eyeball, blah, blah, blah." All the while she is shaking her head like a dog. (True example) Yeah, I saw the first time cause you were right in front of me and you said, "Hey Mom", before you said it! Do mom's get vacation? I think I might need one! Anyone got any good ideas?

I Don't Know What Just Happened!

This is a Brett Entry.....So, I was at the dinner table sitting down to a delicious smelling dinner of tri-tip, garlic mashed potatoes and corn on the cob. That's right I said "on the cob". This was going to be quite a treat and even the kids new it. As usual they began fighting over which was their seat. And as usual I just tried to stay out of the way. No sense in having four involved, besides Layne was handling herself fine. After it was over and Ethan lost I thought I would try to even up the situation by letting Ethan pick his ear of corn first. Not wanting to be left out completely Bonnie piped in and said as she pointed to the ear closest to her, "I want that one". Oddly, that was the very piece that Ethan wanted. As Ethan began chomping down quite noisily on his piece, Bonnie began her pouting mode by pointing out all the dirty flaws her terribly miserable piece of vegetation. Now here's the kicker, Layne was watching this whole thing and I could see her head getting redder and her eyes bulging. I knew something to remember was about to happen. It was then that Layne picked up Bonnie's piece of corn and began licking it like an ice cream cone, being careful not to miss a spot. There was actual silence as the rest of us just watched in horror. A few seconds had to pass before the crying started and we really understood what had just happened. I really can't tell you why ...or how...er I don't even know. I just thought you might want to know what happened. Plus I doubt it would have ended up in here (at least the whole story) unless I wrote it.

Just Stuff

I'm not sure what is going on with this picture. Eliza wasn't upside down when I was browsing for pictures. Anyway, she absolutely loves to stay on the first step of the pool, and play with whatever is available. Today, she was loving this bucket. It was really funny cause she couldn't even lift the thing when it was full of water! She would start to shriek and then it was pretty much all down hill from there. I dunk her all the way under at least once whenever we go swimming, and boy does she hate that! She got so mad at me the first time I did it she yelled for a good five minutes at me. I think we might have to work on her temper next!

Bonnie and her cousin Maddie are the best of friends (almost always). They play dress up together and put makeup on each other. No, I don't have a picture of the make up and I do apologize, cause that was just plain funny! We went swimming together, and Bonnie couldn't find her towel, so sweet Maddie offered to share hers with Bonnie. As they were huddled together Bonnie tells Maddie that Ryan is so lucky because he doesn't have to share a towel with anyone. Maddie responds with a "Oh no! We are the lucky one's, cause sharing is AWESOME!" Kudo's to Maddie's mom for that one!

I was looking through my videos, and I came across this one of Bonnie singing an all time favorite, "I Like It, I Love It" by Tim McGraw. She knows most of the words by heart, but I am not sure what was going on here. Maybe a little stage fright? I think you might rule out stage fright as you watch. It is pretty darn hilarious if you ask me, but what do I know, I'm just the mom! I think that I do a pretty good job too. Maybe I SHOULD try to go for American Idol!

Ethan wanted to make his own pinata, so he got a cardboard box, taped it up with good old masking tape, hung it up in a tree outside with a bungee cord, and beat the crud out of it with his baseball bat until a stuffed cat eventually fell out! America's future at it's finest!