Random Bits

Grace usually eats a peanut butter and honey sandwich for lunch. One day she asked for a peanut butter and jelly sandwich.  While making my own lunch I overheard her talking to herself.  She stated in a very firm voice, "If you make it taste like honey again, taste bugs (tastebuds), you will go to time out."

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Sam got the dog treats off the top of the fridge.  When I asked him what he was doing he said he was going to do a trick with Bosco, grabbed a treat and asked Bosco to wave hi and bye.  Bosco obliged while staring at the treat.  Then Sam started walking down the hall. "Hey, Sam, you need to give Bosco his dog treat, he did a trick."  Sam mumbled something and he and Bosco wandered off down the hall.
A few minutes later Sam wandered back.   "Mom, look in my mouth!"
"I don't see anything, Sam."
"Look in my mouth!  I ate the dog cookie!"
The dog eats soap, the kid eats the dog treats; I think I may need a lot more chocolate to deal with my reality.

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After being stuck in a nasty sunless inversion for two weeks, today the sun finally came out.  The temperature decided to come up above freezing as well.  What were we to do but put on coats and head to the park?

Grace looked up at the sky and said, "It feels like summer on my face!"

Well stated child, well stated.  We have missed the sun.

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Grace wears her tiara everywhere lately.  Except she calls it her CTR-uh.  She seems to have gotten her CTR ring and tiara confused.  It's dang cute so I'm not going to correct her either.

***

Michael took the kids out to the MK Nature Center for the afternoon so I could get some homework done.  Grace recounted the following in a chipper tone:  "We did like three things on the playground, then we looked at dead animals, then we colored."  It seems they had a grand adventure.

New Years Eve!

My nieces Aubrey and Amanda took the girls ice skating.  I have no pictures but imagine rosy cheeks, razor sharp skates, and lots of bumps and bruises.  My girls did pretty well but Amanda didn't fare so well. However, they all seemed to have a stellar time.

The boys felt a little left out, even though Ethan hates ice skating and Sam doesn't know how, so Michael took them to the Discovery Center.

This is how Sam forecasts the weather using the green screen.  "Watch out!  That snow storm is coming for YOU!"

While everyone was out on adventures I had the whole quiet house to myself.  Heaven!

After dinner we started our rockin' New Year's Eve party.  We watched a movie!  We played some board games!  We ate popcorn and Christmas candy (as I write this 19 days later we are still working on Christmas treats.  It's the gift that keeps on giving...)  By nine o'clock the grown ups were all partied out.  Michael got on the computer and found London's New Year's celebration.  I love London! They are so brilliant for celebrating early so us Americans can put our kids who can't tell time to bed.  We watched their countdown and then let off our very own fireworks.

By fireworks I mean we stomped on bubble wrap.  If you have enough of it is sound like fireworks.  Thanks to Aunt Heidi we had more than enough.  We blew horns and toasted the holiday with Mormon bubbly aka sparkling cider.  It was fabulous.  The little ones felt they had thoroughly celebrated and we still got them to bed by nine.

My big kids were not at easily persuaded.  At some point I had the misguided notion to teach them how to tell time.  They know when midnight is and insisted in staying up.  We pulled out some board games I won't pull out with Sam the Terror around.  We dusted off Risk.  Michael beat me at it once years and years ago and has refused to play since.  Ethan was so excited to play.  Libby was not interested so Michael, Ethan, and I played (mission Risk not world domination for those who play).  I had plans to reclaim my victorious reign over Michael.  Alas, lady luck did not like me.  She kissed Ethan on the head and he tromped all over Michael and I.  He won as graciously as a ten year old boy can.

At midnight we watched the glorious Idaho potato drop which was just as exciting as it sounds and then went to bed.  Everyone was snoring by 12:07.  We will not talk about how naughty my tired children were the next day.

Happy New-ish Year!

Christmas!

The early morning line up.  No one is allowed in the living room until everyone is up.  This means the older kids are really good at sneaking out of bed and checking out the loot without getting caught.

Santa brought a superhero outfit so Sam can save the world instead of destroying it.

Libby received an art easel that took three people to operate.

After presents we ran to Michael's parents house.  I'm sporting the hair band Ethan made for me.  It's awfully cute.

After presents we tried to get a picture of all the grandkids with the grandparents.

It went well.

 

After heading home for a few minutes we went to my sister's house for the evening.  Ethan just looked at this picture and said in his best sarcastic voice, "I don't think we had enough presents."  It can be a bit overwhelming.

We truly hope you all had a very merry Christmas!

Surviving the Christmas Season

December is crazy.  During the ten days leading up to Christmas, we were...busy.  We had the monthly birthday party.  We celebrated Ethan's 10th birthday and my brother-in-law's not-so-10th birthday.

Lots and lots of treats.

Harry Potter!

Amazon gift cards!

Two days later the kids had a concert.

They danced.

They played (well not Gracie, she just kept some rhythm and looked cute holding her tiny violin)

Libby played though.

And so did Ethan.

Two days after the concert it was time to bundle up and go caroling with Michael's family.

After all the build-up Christmas Eve finally came.  Kids were tucked in bed and Santa visited shortly before he retired as well.  Santa was pooped from the week before.

One Decade!

I am so happy this kid doesn't mind sharing his birthday with Christmas Eve. This year we spent all day before his birthday making homemade candies to gift.  The morning of his birthday I asked what kind of cake he wanted.  He answered, "I don't really need a cake."  He was all sugared out.  I did pick up some grocery store cupcakes but felt pretty bad about it.  Our wonderful neighbor dropped off some homemade Russian honey cake as a Christmas cake.  Ethan LOVES her cake so we re-purposed it as a birthday cake and his birthday was saved and we were saved from eating the nasty grocery store cupcakes. 

Grandpa bought him pants.  That is sincere joy on his face.  He was down to just a couple pairs of jeans and I refused to buy him any until after his birthday and Christmas.

Michael and I bought him books and more books.  He was very pleased.  Books and pants are all it takes to make his joy complete.