And then she knew JOY

Nana gets her ears pierced

2012-02-19T09:38:00.005-07:00

Frieda mentioned that she was thinking about piercing her ears for her birthday. That was all it took for Mandy and me to say, it was being done right then and there and we were going to witness it. Fun fun fun.

She has preached to her girls the woes of getting your ears pierced and banned them from doing so while they were under the age of 18...Kristen did it I think right at 18 and I can't remember how old Ash was and Mandy said maybe when she is 30 but since she is going to be 25 years old for the rest of her life, well, she'll never get them done.

Carmel was watching and we asked her if she wanted them done and she said NO. For some reason, she thought she had to get them done, so she pitched a fit and bawled her eyes out. This didn't help coming so close to the 4 shots in the leg she has recently gotten. Anyway, she is fine and I have to say, Frieda looks GREAT with pierced ears. Who knew?!

It's Carmel's Turn

2012-02-18T20:25:00.000-07:00

Carmel's two bottom teeth have been loose for awhile now. But lately, I have noticed them becoming increasingly so, which lead me yesterday to say 'hey, we need to get a picture of your teeth because I bet today will be the last day with a full set of baby teeth' and sure enough, it was. That said, I have to admit I played a hand in the loss. She asked me to help and after a few wiggles...out it came. It was only holding on by a thread and the other is going to be out by the end of the day tomorrow, mark my word. And not at my hand. :) She was so proud and could not stop looking in the mirror and telling Claire that they were twins...that one cracked me up since of course...they are! lol Claire being the rotten thing she can be said they weren't since Carmel had only lost one. Oh siblings...sometimes you just want to strangle them. The tooth fairy has money and letter on hand so all is well on a Saturday night.

Presenting....the most silliest person's of all

2012-02-15T14:38:00.002-07:00

The donettes in the back - my vday present from the girls. Not sure where the bib comes into play but you can see they have make up and such on.

These girls are CRAZY! They came into my room and stated "presenting the most silliest person's of all." trying to understand what they were doing or why they were doing it is unknown. But funny it was. Good thing I know those panties are clean.

Valentine's Day

2012-02-15T13:20:00.001-07:00

Pears

Peas

I worked Monday so I missed their school party but we 'signed' the valentines the night before - Granny was all worried it was going to take hours and they would be exhausted and I'm like they can bust them out in a few minutes...they only had to sign 16 each. It went well and they brought home a ton of candy and the like. Then for Valentine's Day, we had a playgroup party with 21 plus kids in attendance so I bought two different Valentines and had all 3 girls write their name on each one for practice sake. Even 56 times of each girls name didn't take too long -but it can make you a bit frazzled since there is limited space to write. They did awesome and I am so proud of them. On a side note, going to a party where there are 21 plus kids with the mean age being about 3, in a home...not really a good idea. The noise level put my stress level up to about its breaking point and I couldn't wait for the valentine exchange part to be over (after lunch and some playtime).

We did not decorate at all this year - getting home on the 7th and not really getting back into a routine until yesterday...does not bode well for holiday celebrating. On a funny note, I bought dolls for the girls back at Christmas, determined they didn't need them but a friend convinced me to get them and Mandy was along and suggested I buy them and determine later if we keep them. Anyway, I kinda forgot about them and then remembered them the other day....still not sure they would love them since they don't play with the dolls they currently own on a regular basis. My mom mentioned wanting to get them something and then I didn't have anything for them so we decided to give them together. The original doll for Claire was a bottle drinking, tooth brushing doll and diaper changing but she did not appreciate it because it didn't eat and poop like the one Carmel got. She let us know before it came out of the box and Carmel was kind enough to share for the first day so there wasn't any sadness or tears. It worked out nicely and I was able to get the requested doll - brown like her that eats, drinks, poops and pees. It has only been 24 hours but so far they are a big hit - I have to make some diapers and find the clearjel they suggest online to make homemade baby food so the cost of caring for them is cut considerably.

Last Day - Headed Home

2012-02-07T20:47:00.000-07:00

We had planned on going to the beach our last day but it was a bit overcast, breezy and not a day you'd really want to spend at the beach. The girls and Carl went swimming, and mom and I chilled (I updated the blog) in our room. We also had to pack up, we had 5 carry on's, 1 suitcase to check, two huge carseats and two strollers. It was a ton of stuff and Long Beach airport has you walk a mile to reach your plane without any carts - on the way home, we were able to snag a w/c and put the carseats and strollers on it. It made a big difference on the speed at which we were able to make it to the plane. Then at the SLC airport we were able to snag two very different type of w/c's which we were able to put everything on and at 7 at night, it was nice to have some assistance.

Nightly Swim

2012-02-06T22:36:00.000-07:00

Every night after we get back to the hotel, we head down to the pool/whirlpool for an hour or so. The girls beg for it and love it. Carl loves the whirlpool and hated having to go into the pool because although heated, it was still cold. I told him dads do the fun stuff, moms do the nurturing so I didn't have to go in. I stayed in the whirlpool which was very nice. All but one night we had the pools to ourselves. It has been super nice.

Coronado Beach

2012-02-06T21:46:00.001-07:00

After the day at Sea World and then lunch/dinner at Olive Garden, we headed to Coronado Beach based on a recommendation from my friend Erin. It was a short drive and over a bridge. We cruised there and spent an hour or so. In just a short stroll on the beach, I found all those sand dollars and more... unfortunately, I did not find any that were not broken. It made me sad but I got over it. It was too cool to change into swim suits but they still had fun playing in the sand.

Sea World 2nd Visit

2012-02-06T21:23:00.001-07:00

Shamu

Shamu standing with his hand over his heart for the National Anthem

A Beluga Whale coming right at me....then it pressed its face on the glass and stared me down and took off.

Pete the Penguin...

Looking tired (allergies too) holding a Scarlet Ibis - yes I was selected and the only person to get to have the bird fly onto his/her arm.

Cats doing tricks

We fed the sea lion and it was so funny - Claire begged to do it and she was so brave because these white birds - hoover and snatch the food from you as you try to feed them.

Claire was on one and would not go by the aquarium to see the turtles and get her picture taken.

We went back to Sea World today and are very glad we did. We rode the Atlantis Ride, looked at sting rays, penguins, dolphins, turtles, watched the Pet Show, learned a little more about Shamu and his/her relatives. Not to mention getting Carmel her much loved churro. She is a freak for them.

La Jolla Cove and the Seals

2012-02-05T22:58:00.000-07:00

A seal swimming for the rocks to take a rest. It is entertaining to watch their heads bob in the water and watch them depend on the waves to get up on the rocks or out into the water.

Their castle and it's lake

Tying Shoes

2012-02-05T22:42:00.000-07:00

Claire

Carmel

My girls have never owned tie shoes. I didn't want them to have them because I would be the one tying and I didn't want to waste my time tying and retying them all day. The shoes they own now came with laces but we've worn them without until this trip. I wanted to make sure they stayed on during the rides. Anyway, both girls became obsessed with learning how to tie and both mastered the task while we were at the Safari Park. Claire beat Carmel and that about killed Carmel. She is so dang competitive.

Safari Park

2012-02-05T22:01:00.000-07:00

Part of the pass I bought was to the Safari Park...i have to say, we were not impressed. A LOT of walking and very little to see. The bulk of the pictures I have are from the bus ride through 'Africa' and it was mostly looking at various forms of Elk. We did see some rino's and giraffes and such but still not impressed. We'd never go back but I suppose are glad to have been there done that and know it isn't something we are missing out on. The birds were the biggest hit - Claire LOVED them and couldn't get enough, Carmel, screamed and dropped her food. Granny was the assistant and was in the thick of it.

La Jolla

2012-02-04T21:44:00.003-07:00

After the Zoo, we spoke with the shuttle guy and he recommended going to La Jolla and enjoying the beach there. It is super close to our hotel (10/15 min), a stunning view and pristine beach. It was so warm that I was wishing I had on a swimsuit. The water was nice to step in to but I wouldn't recommend going for a swim. We'll be going back there a few more times before our return to WJ.

San Diego Zoo

2012-02-04T21:36:00.000-07:00

We hit up the Zoo today. It was not as thrilling as we would have liked it to be but overall a great morning was had. It seems that most animals sleep all day long. :) The polar bears were very entertaining as were the hippos. FYI, the baby hippo was born on the girls birth date 1 year ago. He has a name and is on YouTube but I am too lazy to look it up. It started out a little chilly but within an hour was hot. But not too hot. The kangaroo cracked me up with his sunbathing.

Sea World 2012

2012-02-03T20:30:00.000-07:00

One is digesting food....on the outside. How cool is that?!

We were prepared to get wet watching the dolphins but did not.

Shamu or a friend of Shamu midair. It was awesome. Impressive. Too short. We did get wet but had on protective gear so not really.

I guess Sesame Street is a sponsor, nice to see Elmo and Abby.

Day 5 of our Trip

2012-02-02T21:01:00.000-07:00

We got up, headed out to San Diego without a map but with a sister to tell me what freeway to get on. When we got to San Diego, we didn't really have a plan and it was too early to check in, so we headed to a beach - the first beach we found. Needless to say, we didn't stay long. In retrospect, it is amazing how different beaches can be just a few miles apart.

The Newest Member of Our Family - Levi

2012-02-01T23:30:00.000-07:00

Ricky and his son - he was so happy and was a doting dad

Courtney and her 5th niece/nephew

Granny and her latest great grandbaby

As you can see, the girls did not make it back to the hotel awake, in fact, they fell asleep right as their food was served.

Courtney and I had made arrangements to meet up after a class she had in Long Beach around 2:30, then the day before we were to meet up, she called and said they added another meeting and could me meet for dinner around 7:00. I said yes and she said she would make a reservation. So we headed there after we had done everything a billion times (slight exaggeration) and were done with the parks. We got there a little early and I kept calling Courtney to find out when she would be there. She finally arrives and then the next thing you know, Derek and Lisa show up - very unexpected and very grateful they would take time out of their busy lives to come see up. After a little while of chatting, the next thing you know, Ricky shows up with his SON and baby's mom. Major excitement! I had lamented on the phone to Courtney and then again to Lisa how I really wanted to meet him and would have done anything to make it possible if there was contact with him. It was so nice of all of them to come see us and we really appreciated their efforts to surprise us. Levi is adorable and has beautiful bright blue eyes. He looks a lot like Ricky when he was a baby. If I recall right, he was 8 months old that night making his birthdate June 1. But now that I am thinking, he might have been 9 months - so May 1 is the birthdate. Regardless, he was adorable and we were thrilled to spend some time with our California family.

Disneyland Day 4

2012-02-01T21:17:00.000-07:00

This day was spend repeating any and all rides at California Adventure and then winding up the day repeating any and all rides we wanted to do at Disneyland. It was so fun to not worry about did we miss this or that but know we hit it all and this day was dedicated to hitting everything we loved over and over and over again.

Day 3 A little Disney but mostly California Adventure

2012-01-31T23:13:00.000-07:00

We started out the day with an early morning in Disneyland. Of course we chased down any all characters. Claire LOVES the characters and even though we may have seen and had our pictures taken with them, she insisted we do it again if we run across them.

We headed to the Bugs Life area and rode the rides there...walk on.

Then we headed to the Disney Junior Show - wasn't impressed but it was entertaining enough.

We rode the Monster's Inc. ride, it was really nice and cool and bright.

Our 3rd Mickey

Toy Story ride - LOVED IT!!! Kicked Carl's trash 2/3 times. He won the first one while I figured it out.

Probably the girls favorite ride. Goofy's Air School or something along that line - we rode it too many times to count. Walk on access most of the time. If not, a very short wait.

We were starving and cold but the area to sit and eat at all the places is outside. Granny, Carl and Claire choose something from a soup place. The food was ok. Carmel's and mine came from a Chinese food place and we won the best and most food. It was delicious.

We got tickets to the Color show and it was good but by this point the kids and Granny were tired and about done. We did stay for it but by the time we got to the hotel, we were exhausted.

We hit the entire California Adventure Park in one day, riding rides multiple times and had a good day.

Disneyland Day 2

2012-01-30T21:07:00.000-07:00

To get to the park or tram, we got to pass by Mickey and Minnie in bush form.

The storm troopers do not stop, talk or take pictures with you.

I think this picture is HILARIOUS! I am all worried about Claire and am thinking 'crap, she is not going to be a happy camper after this ride'! And sure enough, she was angry for a little while.

We ate dinner at our hotel and they brought out a mouse brownie for the girls and sang happy birthday. The picture is off of video.

Our 2nd day was spent with an early entrance into Disneyland where we ate with the characters (see post) and then hit some rides while the lines were short. We then headed to Tomorrowland and hit everything up. We did Space Mountain which scared the life out of Claire and Carmel seems to have liked but wasn't willing to go on it again. We saw the MJ show which I won't spend anymore of my time watching it. Then we went to CritterTown and saw Winnie the Pooh, Rabbit and Tigger and rode Splash Mountain and the Pooh ride. Then we hit up Adventure Land and Carl and I rode the Indiana Jones ride (we walked on). And off we went to Frontier Land and did everything there. After Frontier Land, you'd think the day would have been over, but nope we still had time to hit up the Princesses and go on repeat rides in FantasyLand. All this done by 8 when the park closed. We even had time to eat dinner at our hotel. We tried using FastPasses but seriously, the lines were so short at times they weren't even offering them or you could get the FastPass and then walk right on with it.

Character Dining

2012-01-30T20:58:00.000-07:00

We ate with Minnie one day and had such a good time. It was totally worth it and so much better than eating with the Princesses. The Characters come over to your table, try to eat your food and have a such fun with everyone. The food was fabulous too and there wasn't a rush to move on. I'd recommend it for everyone. Price wise it was pretty reasonable too. Tigger is one of my favorites - Eyore was my 2nd favorite and Bippity Boppity Boo - my least favorite. FYI - The twins were lined up oldest with oldest and youngest with youngest.

1st Day at Disneyland

2012-01-29T23:11:00.000-07:00

We arrived in Long Beach around 8am, got the car which fit us perfectly and Derek so graciously got for us and headed to Anaheim. We arrived at the hotel about 30 min later and registered at the hotel which was a nightmare. I think because the TinkerBell marathon had just finished more people than usual were hanging around. We left our bags and car with the hotel staff and headed out.

This time at Disney, I decided we would stick to an area, finish it and then head to the next - no more area to area - it kills your time there and exhausts you. We hit up the Astro rockets and Buzz rides first and then into Fantasyland. We spent the bulk of the day there and then up to ToonTown. It was fun and we were happy to find a Mickey up there. Then we watched the parade. We called it a day after the parade and as you can see - the girls were exhausted. It was late and we all crashed hard. A great start to our vacation.

Mickey and the Princesses - Here We Come!!!!

2012-01-29T20:14:00.000-07:00

Their reaction was a bit subdued thanks to the fact we had to wake them up and they were not ready to be up. It was still fun and I love that they wanted their cousins to come. Fun is the most fun when experienced with others. I have to say, the Kindles were a great asset to have on the plane. They were entertained the entire time. And I am so glad they got headphones for their birthday cause we didn't have to listen. Our flight was uneventful and we made it to the hotel without hassle.

Dance Recital

2012-01-28T22:52:00.000-07:00

(Maren has the video of Claire)

Saturday was the girls dance recital....they did a really good job and when I get around to it, if I get around to it, I will upload the videos of them. They were on opposite ends so I had to have Maren tape one while I did the other. I love their costumes this year.

Family Party

2012-01-28T22:49:00.000-07:00

Check out the burn mark. I thought it might catch fire at one point.

I have yet to decide how often we will have friend parties and since we were going to Disneyland I knew we would not have one this year (that said, we did have the little party at Chuck E Cheese's). Anyway, we have a big enough family with kids so it is always a party when we get together. We had 3 different soups and cake and ice cream. I tried a vanilla sour cream cake off of All-recipes and we were not impressed. The chocolate cake was good but that one is tried and true. They were spoiled by family near and far...thanks so much everyone.

5th Birthday Cakes

2012-01-28T00:00:00.000-07:00

This year we went with a 'Disney' theme for our cakes. Mandy made a Cinderella doll cake for Payton's birthday back in June and I said, hey I can do that...so that I did. I went ahead and purchased the cake pan since I was making two and I had a 50% off coupon...makes everything less painful. :) I gave the girls the freedom to choose whomever they wanted out of the princesses and fairies and Claire snatched Rapunzel and Carmel went with Tinkerbell. Thanks to the internet I got the ideas for decorating cause I don't have one lick of creativity in me. The purples aren't true to life in the pictures....will have to get some in natural light.

5 year Check-up

2012-01-27T11:04:00.001-07:00

Carmel:

Height: 42.5in = 50%
Weight: 41lbs = 50%
BMI: 15.96
She was pronounced Kindergarten ready.

Claire:

Height: 43.5 in = 75%

Weight: 47 lbs = 80%

BMI: 17.46

She was pronounced Kindergarten ready.

We switched pediatricians and I really like the new. She interacted well with them and the usually shy Claire was the more outgoing question answering one. Shocked the heck out of me. We postponed shots until our birthday events are complete so that we don't have any bad reactions which could ruin our birthday fun.

Girls 5th Birthday Portraits

2012-01-26T20:00:00.000-07:00

My favorite part about this picture and the picture above it is the slight finger/hand touching...it is intimate without being in your face intimate and something that just gets me.

Every year since their first birthday I have taken the girls on the actual day to have their pictures taken, this year was no exception. I did attempt a new place called FotoFly and I have to say, I was really impressed and am thrilled with the pictures. There are so many that I am actually in love with it is hard to choose a favorite.

Carmel's 5th Birthday Portraits

2012-01-26T19:55:00.000-07:00

This child wants to please her mother, therefore, sometimes, her smiles are a little forced. But when they aren't, you can see that beautiful twinkle in her eyes and your heart melts.

Claire's 5th Birthday Portraits

2012-01-26T19:50:00.000-07:00

This child can melt your heart in a less than a second flat. She knows how to work the camera and is the sweetest thing ever.

5th Birthday - School Celebration

2012-01-26T18:57:00.000-07:00

The girls celebrated their birthday at school yesterday with hot pink frosted cupcakes and neon sprinkles and capri sun's. They were very happy to be the centers of attention. They really enjoyed the pink lips the frosting gave them.

5th Birthday - Chuck E. Cheese's

2012-01-26T18:29:00.000-07:00

So the girls got to do the ticket blaster but Claire was too chicken to do it alone and the lady said I could go in and help so I did. It is harder than you think to catch the tickets and Ash suggested I open my shirt and let them fall in, which I did and I could not believe the amount of tickets that fell into my bosom. Hilarious. I was also able to snag the kahuna of all tickets the 1000 magic ticket ticket. Pay dirt!! It was hilarious and we do have it on video. Carmel did it all on her own and I was quite proud of how well she did. The funniest thing happened when later, Claire took her crown off and a ton of tickets we didn't even see, fell to the ground.

We spent way longer than I would have anticipated but the kids all had fun and we got the prereq. cotton candy that is expected when we go to CEC.

Happy 5th Birthday Girls!!!

2012-01-26T00:00:00.000-07:00

In 4 short hours or about when this post posts, my babies will be 5. I have to admit, Claire for sure is looking the part. I am as happy as I am sad about their quicker than quick aging right before my very eyes. Each age has had something fun the others don't so I can't say I love one age more than the other. That said, 4 was really fun and an age which you could really see their personalities come out.

The picture are from the 25th (happy birthday Nathan) which we rocked our '5' shirts for the first time (they celebrated turning 5 at school)...I made the 5 using my Silhouette. It was easy and I love how cute they turned out - not too shabby for a sum total of 5.50 for both the shirts and the materials.

Dentist

2012-01-18T19:07:00.001-07:00

I think she was unsure what was going to happen. It has been a year and we went to a different dentist this time.

She looks scared or something but really she is just busy watching a movie.

Ok, so one of the techs is a balloon artist and made them dogs and butterflies. Very impressive.

We went to the dentist yesterday, the first time since Claire lost 2 teeth. The scary news is, the two bottom teeth next to the two missing teeth should fall out in the next few months and even MORE scary is, her two front teeth should be out by the end of this year - yes, you read right, before she is even 6 years old. We need her bottom teeth to come in behind where the babies sat and the top to come in front of where the babies sit. If all goes as planned and hoped for - she will get rid of her underbite and crossbite. If this doesn't come to pass, she will be sporting an appliance in her mouth come next year which will stimulate upper jaw growth and impeded lower jaw growth. My only thing with anything related to her mouth is to NOT change the way she looks.

Then Carmel is also going to loose her two bottom teeth soon - unsure when by probably in the next month or so.

He raved about their teeth and complemented them over and over again as to how beautiful their teeth are and what good care they take of them. Go us!

Winter Swimming

2012-01-12T10:39:00.000-07:00

A Gorgeous Day in January

2012-01-03T16:03:00.000-07:00

Stockings

2011-12-30T11:00:00.000-07:00

Don't you just love how it is one scene?! There are differences, like the dog not being on both and the wood color is different but it is awesome.

When the girls were born I asked Sally to cross-stitch them stockings as I admired the ones she had done for Kyle and Brittany. She found the perfect stockings to stitch and finished Claire's two years ago, in time for Christmas '09 when she was two. Then Sally's life got a little crazy. But she was kind enough to work day and night and night and day like a mad woman to get Carmel's done while she was still a little girl. Something I appreciate more than you will ever know. I absolutely ADORE them and hope the girls grow to appreciate them, the hard work and the love that went into making them.

Many moons ago, Sally cross-stitched this for me. It fell last year and the glass broke. I decided the matting and frame was a little dated and had it redone. It turned out really good and makes a statement on the wall. True love that Sally has for me. Cross-stitching isn't hard but it IS a lot of work and time out of your life.

This is the little man that upstaged my stocking but he is so dang cute, you can't help but forgive him. :) We gave him the sock money outfit for Christmas. He looks very handsome.

Baby Brian

2011-12-30T00:23:00.000-07:00

The annual sitting on Uncle Brian's lap picture. We have this shot every time we have seen him, which isn't very often.

Christmas Day

2011-12-30T00:08:00.000-07:00

As you can see, the stuffed animals got to their rightful owners. So weird that I switched them when setting it all up. The Kindle's have been the best gift ever and out of the 6 Christmases, the most played with gift ever.

Opening their camera's. Funny that Carmel watches Claire to see what is inside.

Getting 'Mommy treats' in their stocking. Shear and utter joy.

The scooters were a hit but unfortunately it was cold and not to mention we have been too busy to go out and play.

The Granster slept over to see the excitement. She is always cold and this is a normal pose for her.

Carl opening his annual candy bars from his daughters. He loves his treats.

Carl got two sets of socks - I want to see if we can't find a brand that will last more than a few months before holes appear. Carl as usual had a great year from Santa....socks, jammies, undies, a ladder, fire pit and some tools.

We headed over to my mom's house after gift opening for some breakfast and then off to church. Then there was some more gift opening. Nana and Lauren were exhausted and took a nap. You'd think Nana would get comfortable so her nap could be enjoyed more.

Socks for guys seems to be a good gift. Baby Brian wanted pots and pans, shoes and socks. We even got to see more of him this year which was nice. Usually he comes to sleep and not visit.

Christmas Eve II

2011-12-29T23:48:00.000-07:00

The girls did pretty good remember to add to the Advent this year.

blurry for some unknown reason but this is our Christmas layout. Granny, Carl, Cailin, Carmel and Claire. Granny got her big Christmas gift from Santa about a week early - 13 can lights installed in her kitchen, dining and family room. She was very happy.

Carmel's area. Santa put out the wrong stuffed animal on her pile for some reason. But on Christmas, she knew which one was hers and there was no fight.

Claire's pile, she on the other hand was NOT happy with her bunny, even though she chose it. Luckily we were able to go to Build a Bear and choose a bear for her. She is now a very happy camper. Then to make matters even more complicated, Carmel's bear was recalled and I told her she might have to give it up. The good news is, it was a voluntary recall and I don't see any weakness on the face of hers so she is a keeper.

Christmas Eve

2011-12-29T23:32:00.000-07:00

Frieda's tablescape - we were able to fit 12 adults around the table. Frieda and Granny are not allowed to get married or we won't fit everyone.

The kids table. It too is festive.

The cast of The Nativity.

Chorus.

Mandy because part of the cast after the initial photos were taken.

This Mary loves her baby and took her role seriously.

Getting ready to open the annual pjs and cousin gifts.

Frieda's son's inlaws got matching outifts. Good for a giggle. They were all THRILLED. Poor Nathan's jaw dropped with sadness that they got them and he didn't. Never fear though, Granny had his for the next day.

Aren't they freakin' adorable!!!!

Claire got Molly a Tangled piggy bank - she was so happy. On Christmas and afterward she kept telling everyone she got it from Santa. Rude. :)

Dancing cousins.

Ignore the socks. It is cold.

It is nigh unto impossible to get the 4 of them looking at the camera and looking cute.

My Christmas angels!

The three beauties.

Claire did not make it out the door to go home. Exhaustion took over and she did not wake up until the next morning.

Carmel was awake long enough to put the cookies out for Santa and insisted they be by the fireplace since that is Santa's port of entry. Love my baby.

Merry Christmas!!

2011-12-25T01:00:00.000-07:00

2nd One This Week

2011-12-17T18:01:00.000-07:00

While talking on the phone today with Claire, she informed me her loose tooth was even looser because she suffered a foot to the mouth thanks to Carmel. When I got home, it was so loose I knew we would have it in our hands sooner than later and sure enough - it popped out while she was horsing around. I am a little distraught to see the size of the hole in her mouth but will deal with the angst I am feeling.

On a funny note - just a second ago, as I was singing songs with them as we do each night, she choose 'All I want for Christmas is my two front teeth'. I found it hilarious that she came up with it herself. So dang cute. I am glad I have a dollar bill in the house.

Tooth Fairy

2011-12-14T08:25:00.000-07:00

The tooth fairy made her appearance last night as promised and we have a very happy girl. For a first tooth - I guess it is $5. I think the following teeth will garner $1. She is a cutie without the missing tooth.

Lost

2011-12-13T18:51:00.000-07:00

Today we hit a exciting yet sad milestone in our household. The first tooth lost. I have been preparing for this for about a month now. About a month ago I wiggled Claire's teeth for some unknown reason and the bottom two were loose. I about wigged out and Carl almost died. :P Seriously. I was freaking out. I told her not to wiggle them, to leave them alone and pretty much forget about them. I tried to too but unfortunately, I would have moments of severe nausea hit me when I thought about my itty bitty girl loosing her teeth. I mean for heaven's sake, she is only 4 years 10 months and 2 weeks old. That is not old enough to be loosing teeth. So as heartsick as I am over this loss and the tears I have shed, I had to put on a happy face for a very sad, scared girl today and help her through a semi-traumatic time. She lost hit when she and Ellison collided in my mom's family room. She had blood which for Claire is a big deal and she can freak out and the tooth I had asked her not to mess with, was gone...and by gone, we thought swallowed because she didn't know where it was and since she was hit in the mouth - could easily have gone down her throat. So after 5-10 minutes of consoling with some cheering and discussion of the tooth fairy, I was able to calm her down and set out on the hunt for a very small tooth. Good news - we found it in the rug. Great news, she is now excited for the tooth fairy and the loss wasn't painful and she isn't afraid of losing the next one, which as you can see in the picture, is headed out any time now. Also, Carmel is now not afraid and just this week notified me one of her teeth is loose too. My dream over the last month was make it to their 5th birthday with all our baby teeth intact is gone and the reality of my girls getting big sooner than they should is slapping me over and over again in my face.

Temple Square

2011-12-11T19:20:00.000-07:00

Tonight we headed to Temple Square to see the nativity and lights. We left at 4:30 to get there at 5 when the sun set and the lights turned on but most of all while there was still some heat in the air. It has been frigid here in Utah and it makes for some misery when you are out and about. I bundled the girls in the headbands Kristen made for them last year in addition to mittens and uggs and their warm coats. We were there for about and hour and our faces were frozen and took most of the drive home to defrost. The funniest comment from the girls was wanting to know if it was going to be the 'real' Mary and Joseph at the Nativity.

My camera was acting a little strange and would not for the life of it flash...I tried messing with it and we got a few good pics...I should have brought the SLR. Next year.

Mock Skating

2011-12-09T19:39:00.000-07:00

Monday Maren called and said she didn't have school on Tuesday and wanted to do something fun. We thought ice skating would be fun...we called the Oval and they have very limited hours and Tuesday during the day wasn't one of them. Then I had read about one in South Jordan so off we went. Got there and found that they don't rent out the skates until the evening but you can skate all day for free. We didn't have any skates but shoes did the job for a few minutes. It was FREEZING!

Letters to Santa

2011-12-08T12:06:00.000-07:00

Read this one - which pretty much she only got some spelling help from Maren. And then the one below where I would point to a line and have her start. The rest of it they were on their own. See if you can tell what they want from Claire's and then read off of Carmel's. One thing that didn't make the official list is game cartridges for their Leapsters. But the paper didn't have room anyway.

Santa

2011-12-02T19:08:00.000-07:00

Giving Santa some Lovin'

He must of told them something pretty special - the look on their faces.

I love that he looked at and spoke to them individually.

The big 'ole cheesy smile for mom.

This is Santa's amazing back drop. I LOVE this Santa and it is worth every dime. Especially when every dime goes to Primary Children's. The pictures were $12 with a 5x7 and CD - my CD had 20 pictures on it. You can not get such steller pics anywhere else. We love Santa!!

Sock Money Cakes

2011-11-30T19:16:00.000-07:00

The Smash Cake

THE Birthday Cake

Side by side

Eli turns one tomorrow and Sally said he doesn't need anything. She said cupcakes were on tap for the cake so I offered to make the birthday cake instead of getting a gift. Sock Monkey is the theme and I can make a head of most anything. I think they turned out pretty cute. I hope they taste as good as they look. BTW - I L.O.V.E. marshmallow fondant - it makes everything so much easier.

Carmel's 1st day of doing back handsprings

2011-11-30T18:41:00.001-07:00

Repost - Frosty The Snowman

2011-11-29T16:42:00.001-07:00

This makes me happy and sad all at the same time. How I miss my little 23 month olds and Kristen for that matter. But dang it, aren't they the cutest things ever!!!

Happy Thanksgiving!!

2011-11-24T00:00:00.000-07:00

the newest pose

I can't find the cute bows I made last year...I have the Halloween and the Christmas bows put away but where o' where are my turkey bows?!

6 kids absent - but this is a great class. I love how well behaved they are. Lots of learning goes on.

Garrett from their class brought these in today - cute as can be. Christmas candy is inside. Hard to keep the holiday's separated.

Enjoying the feast. Last year barely touched it - this year, Claire ate everything but the corn, Carmel ate everything but the turkey and mashed potatoes. Both declare a like of pumpkin pie.

Since some kids were out - Ellison got to participate too.

They made pumpkin turkeys. Very cute.

Potty Training Camp

2011-11-13T13:23:00.000-07:00

Molly came for camp when she was pretty much potty trained and I'm not really sure we influenced her any but we had a good time and she knows where she should be going. She is very motivated by treats and if she were my kid - I would capitalize on it. My kids get bored with charts and the like. She is a really sweet girl and we are lucky she is our cousin. Ps...she loves to use Prudence as her potty.

Some Molly Pics

2011-11-13T13:12:00.000-07:00

One of the rare full on Molly pics - she is adorable.

Molly came to play with us from Tuesday evening to Friday evening. She is the best sleep over pal. She eats, sleeps and plays very well and there were no melt downs - except when Mare was around and annoying her. :)

The Swollen Faces of Lauren

2011-11-13T12:32:00.000-07:00

Lauren had her wisdom teeth out this week as well as a tooth that never came down and hung out in her sinuses. The swelling is reminiscent of Mandy when she had hers out and I have to say, I can't quit laughing when I remember how Mandy looked. I need to find a picture to post for all to see. Hilarious!!!! The good news is Lauren is on the mend and seems to be doing well.

Illness Update

2011-11-10T18:08:00.001-07:00

I took Carmel in on Wednesday to be retested for step since I thought they might have switched the test but alas, she was negative and so they were right and it was Claire with strep. But Carmel continued to be sick this week and it nagged and nagged on me that the inhaler wasn't the solution and though she would be exposed to radiation, it would be worth having an xray to make sure she did/didn't have pneumonia. So this afternoon, I took 4 little girls in and had her tested. I am very thankful that the doctor gave me a script to use at my discretion cause sure enough my mommy intuition was right and my little girl is going through her 2nd bout of pneumonia in 6 months. To say this isn't a little disconcerting would be an understatement. There has to be a reason that a common cold turns into something so serious. Which then leads me to think - a flu shot might not be a bad thing this year. I am usually anti flu shot but with her immune system not as strong, I'd hate for her to be exposed to a strain of the flu that is in the shot and she get super duper sick. But before I make a huge decision like that - I'll talk to the doctor and find out what could be going on with her lungs.

Illness and a Very Busy Day

2011-11-07T22:08:00.001-07:00

Today I took my mom in for a routine colonoscopy. I also scheduled the a doctor's appt for the girls since Carmel has had a cough for about 6 weeks and had a fever last night and then Claire has had goopy eyes for two days. I also had to arrange for the girls to go home with a friend since I would be with my mom at her appt as the designated driver.

At 9 am I drop the girls off at school - both were happy to be going and having no complaints of illness that would preclude them from going. I talk to the mom and give her the girls carseats. Head to my moms pick up up and off to her appt. Meanwhile, Maren who was going to be picking the girls up from the friends house and take them to tumbling calls to inform me she just got a call for a job interview and couldn't pick the girls up. I call the mom up and ask her if she would mind taking the girls if I'm not back. Of course she said she would. I've got good friends. Then I get called back to my mom as she is in the recovery area and after awhile, we get her dressed and then wait and wait and wait for the doctor to come and tell us how it went. Finally after about 30 plus minutes he comes and says she has one polyp and will let her know how things are when the pathology is back. That said, her colon looked good. :)

We dash off and I drop my mom off at her house and then head to get the girls and rush to tumbling, getting there right at 1 pm. I'm that good. After tumbling we head to the doctors appt - I moved the girls to a new pediatrician as their original one is far far away and I usually end up using instacare since I don't want to drive far far away and the difference in money I spend to go to an instacare - I would have spent on gas. I am thrilled with this choice and look forward to our well child visit in Jan. ANYWAY, I told the doctor that the girls had a cold when Kelly's baby was born, then another one about two weeks later and since then, Carmel has had a cough and last night developed a fever but nothing since last night. Then told her Claire has had two days of goopy eyes. I vaguely remember the girls telling me recently that their throats hurt so I mentioned that too. They do a rapid strep test and Claire, not Carmel tested positive. Our first strep. Carmel she thinks might have a bit of asthma. :( I think her lungs haven't fully recovered from the pneumonia back in the Spring.

I drop the prescriptions off and head to my moms. All this time, the girls are in fine spirits and you'd never know they were sick. And then at 5 - the facade came crashing down and poor Carmel developed a raging fever and could not function. It was very sad. We packed up and headed home, I drugged them and both were asleep at 6. It took almost 2 hours for her fever to break with both ibuprofen and tylenol on board. Heartbreaking. My thought on this is that because this was our first time to this pediatrician, they got the tests switched and Carmel really is the one with strep. I think I'm going to call and double check in the morning.

On a happy note - Claire is doing AWESOME at tumbling and gaining more and more confidence. I am thrilled for her.

Last Halloween Post 2011

2011-11-01T21:33:00.000-06:00

LOVE this one!

I think Carmel is as cute as can be as a mummy and it was a really cheap costume. I had to throw the bow on so that everyone knew she was a girl.

My little princess is all girl all the time, when she isn't wrestling with her sister that is.

Yesterday Sears was running a special where you could get a 10x14 and a collage for free. I didn't buy anything sheets so the only pictures I have are these which were taken off their website. I love how they turned out.

Halloween Costumes

2011-11-01T09:55:00.004-06:00

Maren as a fantastic Mad Hatter!

Melanie and Maren - good 'ole sister love.

Having a good laugh at Carmel's mummy pose.

Lot's of love between these three.

Sister pose.

Ellie and her mom came for dinner but Ellie trick or treated with her daddy.

The girls and their loot.

Yesterday was a very busy day, we had the school party, then went to Sears for a quick portrait session in costume, Walmart for groceries and to Granny's to make and eat dinner and then trick or treating. Maren and Melanie and Sally, Eric and Eli and Lauren went with us(Carl took the night off. YaY!) in Granny's neighborhood. It took us a little over an hour to hit the entire loop. The girls had a blast and the weather was AMAZING!!!! Now as I type this - the ground is covered in snow and it continues to snow. We couldn't have been more fortunate.

Preschool Halloween Party

2011-11-01T09:30:00.001-06:00

Isn't she a beautiful Rapunzel?!

Carmel was a big hit. She needed the bow so everyone knew she was a girl mummy.

Three Amiga's. Autumn was in their preschool class last year and this year and there is a possibility she will be in their kindergarten class next year. Claire was done with the wig but was willing to put it on for the class picture.

Poor Spiderman had a bloody nose right as the pictures were about to be taken.

Princesses

Scary costumes

Caramel Apples

2011-10-28T22:00:00.000-06:00

So we made caramel apples tonight and I kinda forgot or something to take many pictures. Granny had to remind me at one point and even then, I forgot right after I got the camera out. This is super unusual for me and because of this - the pictures aren't that great - I had to bring my girls out to get pictures after the fact because I forgot and should have for Nathan too because the picture below is the best one of him. Grr. Poor Nathan and Molly are a little under the weather but they held their own tonight.

Nathan really liked his baby bear costume and wore it for over an hour. He was freakin' adorable and I can't wait to see the pictures of his entire family.

Lauren was especially cute - she has to do the gangsta signs every time her picture is taken.

Molly didn't want to make her caramel apple and was very happy but it just doesn't come off on the camera.

The apples were delicious and even my mom complimented how tasty they were. Let me tell you, for my mom to like an apple is unheard of. She has this memory in her head of the way apples tasted back in Ireland and nary an apple has come close since.

Getting a hug from Lauren can always make you smile.

Pumpkin Carving

2011-10-28T21:49:00.000-06:00

Gutting the pumpkins - Carmel - really into it. Claire - not so much. :)

Poking out the pattern - they did EXCELLENT with this task - much better than I anticipated.

Posing with the jack-o-lanterns. We are going to leave them at Granny's. They don't have any pumpkins on their porch whereas we have 5.

From start to finish it was about 2 hours. I was really impressed with their ability to stay on task. I had to help them but they did so much of it themselves. My babies keep maturing before my very eyes.

Baby Ella

2011-10-25T21:57:00.000-06:00

Kelly and the girls came over for the afternoon and I got to get in my baby fix. She is such a good baby and pretty much sleeps, eats and is up for a little bit in between. Carmel is a mini me and loves, loves, loves babies and would skip playing in order to have some baby time. I took 5 shots and she made faces in all of them. This is one of the better. The lighting wasn't the best either. Next time - cuter pictures of Ella who is absolutely adorable.

A Day with the Mare

2011-10-25T21:12:00.003-06:00

The past 3 Monday's I have been working to make some money for the girls 5th birthday and Maren has watched the girl. Monday's are busy days with school, a break to eat lunch followed by tumbling. Then there are all the extra activities Maren throws in.

Getting a silly award for pretty much just showing up to tumbling yesterday - I guess they were throwing them away and instead gave one to each of the girls in their class. They are cute for a week or two but I don't really need the additional junk in my house. I'll take medals before huge trophy's.

Stick on Nails - it looks like they are on upside down but then again, I guess they aren't.

Making a graveyard craft

It turned out awesome and I was very impressed!!!

Looks like some time after finishing their craft - they changed clothes.

Making a potion - it was very strong but very good.

They also made a dinner that didn't turn out as good as hoped but the attempt was made. Then they headed to Ashley's new apt and helped bring in some things from the cars.

Got home past bedtime and just couldn't make it up the stairs before she fell asleep.

You can't beat a day with the Mare.

Baby's Got Length

2011-10-25T20:56:00.002-06:00

Sunday I gave Claire a hair cut while washing her hair. The ends were dead and it had been one year since they last had it cut - making this the 2nd haircut she has ever had. Anyway, I decided to band it so that her hair would stretch out before I styled it. Since I worked yesterday, she went to school with the bands in and was very ethnic looking. I was home today and after a start with a long break - got it done. It goes faster dry and doesn't cause my hands to be extremely greasy so that is a plus. There is still some shrinkage involved but this gives a much better idea as to how long her hair really is.

Epic Day - A lot of firsts

2011-10-21T19:51:00.002-06:00

Photos at Granny's house courtesy of Claire.

Carl had a personal day off from school and didn't have to work at A-1, the girls didn't have anything going either so I planned a very fun day for all of us and for just the 4 of us. We were up and out of the house around 9:30 am.

Activity 1: Bowling we bowled two games - I got off to a bad start but lets just say, when I found a ball that fight right - I kicked some booty. This was the girls first time bowling and they enjoyed it - I think having to wait 3 people is a bit long for them but they danced around and entertained themselves. We used the bumpers for them and some of the times used the thingy to drop the ball down - but they did best when they took a running start and threw the ball down the lane. lol Claire found the glove I am using as a camera case since I can't seem to find ours and decided to wear it pretty much the entire time. Claire appears to be the better bowler.

Activity 2: Lunch at Chili's - We had coupons for the kids to eat free - of course guess whose meal was more appetizing to them than their own - yep, mine. Tortilla soup. Delicious. Good news is - it was bottomless.

Activity 3: Miniature golf - The girls first time. We had a gay old time and only had to let 3 couples go ahead of us. We let them hit the ball each hole until it went in - I can't even tell you their scores...I quit after the first 3 holes. The weather was STUNNING and we thoroughly enjoyed playing out in it. Carl and I decided not to total our score card and called it even. A lot of my attention was on the girls and making sure they weren't bothering others. I think the fact there was more to entertain them while they waited their turn made them enjoy putt putt more.

Activity 4: Chuck E Cheese - We had tokens and our cup so this was a freebie. Not to mention we were in the area so it only made sense to go and play on such an epic day. :) We got our cotton candy too from our tickets. (no pictures - we go there too often to take pictures each time)

Activity 5: Park City - I had returns to do and thought it would be nice to drive up the canyon. Which it was. We got to eat some mini cinnamon pretzel bites and play in the playground they have in the outlet complex. (left the camera in the car - really didn't think to bring it)

Activity 6: Granny's house - helped take the tomatoes off the vine and eat some pudding. Yes, today was not the healthiest eating days we've ever had.

It was nice to have Carl home and spend some time together. With me working on Saturday's and Carl working most weekday nights, we really don't have much "family" time. The girls were saints, which just makes days like to day memory makers.

Peterson Farms - pumkin patch

2011-10-20T19:42:00.001-06:00

Carl got off work a little early and I still had the pumpkin patch with pictures on my list of things to do, so we headed to Peterson Farm's in the afternoon. The weather is FAB and I am so enjoying it!

The face on Claire is due to getting straw in her pants and it was poking her. She was crying and this is the best face I could get out of her.

I am queen - she is up 3 huge bales of hay. If you see the picture below - she is on the top of the highest bale.

I asked Lauren if she thought she could hit the button and take a picture, she told me yes, and sure enough, she took a few shots for us. I have a better picture of Claire, but this is the best one of the collective group. Go Lauren!!!

Claire is still in a funk after the hay episode and she is mad at her dad - she is always mad at her dad.

My pumpkins in the pumpkin patch.

The pumpkins are picked and ready to come home. I love these little pumpkins to pieces.

She can pose in any situation at the drop of a hat.

There was a small corn maze for kids which the girls loved....especially when they found an ear of corn still on the stalk.

Still dealing with the hay in the clothing and shoes.

Lauren pictures...gotta love the Lo.

Hee Haw Farm = Hee Haw Fun!

2011-10-20T19:00:00.002-06:00

Goofing off for their mother.

Waiting to get on the hayride - it was way late starting.

Playing tether ball while waiting for the hayride.

She snapped the picture just as the truck moved so nobody was looking but me. :(

Looking for the perfect pumpkin - I wasn't thrilled with their pumpkins and they were pricey to top it off. We left without one but nobody seemed to care.

Riding in the animal train - Gwen wouldn't leave her mother's side to go. Carmel was the brave one to go it alone.

We love our pony rides....

...well, most of the time. :) Claire has issues when it comes to rides - she loves them but likes to have me holding her hand - I want her to do it herself and so we kinda compromise, I walk nearby, she kinda enjoys it.

The all time favorite part of the day - the slide with burlap bags. They had an absolute blast and could have stayed the entire day riding it over and over and over and over and over again. They loved it that much.

They could ride it alone or together which made it even more fun.

Today we headed out to Hee Haw Farms with our friend Gwen and her mom, Kollette. They are located in Pleasant Grove and have enough activities to keep you busy for a few hours. It isn't the cheapest but it also is not the most expensive place to go and they have coupons to make it a little less painful. Had the kids gotten their way, we'd still be there. It was an absolutely beautiful day and I even got some sun on my face.

A Saturday with Daddy and Granny

2011-10-19T18:23:00.002-06:00

I had my mom and Carl take the girls to a Radio Disney promo going on at the Walmart by our house. I guess it was chaos and they didn't stay long. Then then headed to Granny's to "make" cookies. They had a good time rolling some of the dough and then cutting it up and just all around playing with it.

I told Carl to take a lot of pictures - he is not going to win any awards for his photography.

Girl Single Shots

2011-10-16T19:25:00.001-06:00

This girl stole many of the shots today - her smile brightened my heart.

My sweethearts do an awesome job with pictures.

Sister Pictures

2011-10-16T19:13:00.000-06:00

4 is a great age for going and taking pictures - they get to smiling right away and there is no crying or whining. I like it! I am thrilled with these pictures and most especially love their hair. It is a twist out and gives them the body of a fro without being a fro.

Daddy Daughter

2011-10-16T18:59:00.001-06:00

These are my favorites of the 3 of them.

Fall Family Pics 2011

2011-10-16T18:47:00.003-06:00

Today we headed to Wheeler Farm for our annual Fall family pictures. Unfortunately - the leaves haven't changed yet so even though a disappointment, we were able to get a few shots in the most awesome tree. Then we headed up the canyon and found a campsite with some great places to take a picture. Above are my favorite family ones.

A big thanks to Maren for coming with us and taking the pictures.

Gardner Village 2011

2011-10-16T17:38:00.003-06:00

"Besties"

After Breakfast with the Witches - we did our annual tour of all the witches at Gardner Village. We hooked up with Mandy, Nathan and Molly, Maren and Ashley even showed up. The day was GORGEOUS and for the most part the kids participated in the pictures to the best of their abilities. It is really hard to get 4 let alone 5 kids to smile for the camera. This is our 4th year and when I look back through the years - I shed a tear or two seeing how fast the girls have grown.

Breakfast With The Witches

2011-10-16T08:46:00.002-06:00

Breakfast consisted of: pancakes, fruit, bacon, scrambled eggs, hash browns and orange juice.

This witch brought around worms to eat with your breakfast. The girls enjoyed getting one but they don't like the taste.

A lot of them time the witches were screaming at each other and telling silly jokes. The witch on the microphone was wearing Dorthy's ruby red slippers. Carmel wanted to tell the witch to give them back to Dorthy.

My three little witches....they wore their witches hats but when we were eating, I had them take them off as I find it rude to try to watch a show over hats.

Dancing in a conga line - this part they really enjoyed.

Throughout the show, the witches would have some of the kids come up and dance. Their faces don't show it, but they had a great time.

Gardner Village offers Breakfast with the Wittches for a very limited time during October. I had no idea how popular it was until I was talking with Kelly about doing it and she had just gotten her tickets and told me good luck in finding good seats on a day I could go. lol Obviously we did find a day with some decent seats left though all the good seats are charged an extra $2. I'm glad we paid the extra $$$ since the other seats didn't really have a good view of the stage. The girls had fun and the food was good so I'd have to say it was worth it. I found the show lacking but I'm not 4. So if you go, let me know your opinion of it.

Cupcakes

2011-10-14T21:58:00.000-06:00

Thursday we had stew (delicious stew thank you) for dinner and then the kids got to frost cupcakes. My kids like to lick their knives while frosting. They don't know about the double dipping rule. :) Miss Molly had a great time and was adorable in her cupcake/frosting messiness.

Spider Web Craft

2011-10-14T21:05:00.001-06:00

I didn't take this picture so I'm not sure what the story is.

One of the crafts Kristen sent was a spider web with spider. She was kind enough to send everything needed to do it and even included enough for Ellison, which I greatly appreciated. They each got to choose a pipecleaner and then did their own twisting (with some help from Mandy) to make spiders. Then they wrapped their popsicle sticks in yard - again with some help from Mandy. They turned out super cute and they all enjoyed making them.

Suprise Package From the Kissy

2011-10-14T20:49:00.001-06:00

I got a call this week from Kristen that a package was being sent to Granny's house - later that day I went to see what it was but only found the paper saying come to the post office if you want it. So the next day when the girls were at school - I did just that. I held onto the package and didn't open it because it was addressed to all 4 of the kids. The good news was that the NEXT day we were all getting together. It was very exciting to see some fun crafts to do for Halloween but even more fun to have the count down chain. It is now hanging up in Granny's house over the dining room window so that we can all keep track of how many days until we get some Kissy time (and Daniel).

Pumpkin Stabbing

2011-10-14T19:41:00.000-06:00

Carmel did hers first and kept begging Claire to help and asking her to share. i wouldn't allow her to assist as Claire was very nice and didn't interfere with Carmel's. This picture is because Claire was having a hard time and I was willing to let Carmel assist in the push.

About a month ago we were in Target and found these adorable Mr. Potato Head decorations for pumpkins. While on our fieldtrip to Macey's we choose some pumpkins and finally today got around to stabbing our pumpkins. It is a nice, clean way to decorate. The weather was GORGEOUS which allowed us to sit on the front porch and do the activity. They look super cute on the porch and the girls are very proud of them.

Sally and Eli

2011-10-14T18:45:00.000-06:00

Sally and Eli came over and hung with us this afternoon. Sally even brought some cookie dough and everything needed to cook them. I let her and the girls do the activity together while I played with Eli (some how didn't take a picture of him) and transferred pictures from my hard drive to an external drive - I take a ton of pictures. Sal is great and I really enjoyed not having to do cookies though I had it in the plans to do before Halloween...maybe now I'll have the desire to do them for Thanksgiving. Sugar cookies are a ton of work....that said, now that my mother has a double oven - I will never cook them at my own house again. :)

Halloween Table Runner and Plates

2011-10-14T18:38:00.001-06:00

Last year Mandy, Ashley and I made table runners/placemats for Halloween - we copied one we saw in the store. We were able to make 4 of them for the cost of 1 had we bought it.. It took us a long time but they turned out really cute. We gave the extra one to Kristen for Christmas. Then in the spring, Ashley's storage room was emptied by the maintenance man thinking it was stuff left from old renters and she lost all her Halloween and Christmas decorations not to mention tons of other stuff.

One day in Sept I found the dessert plates online for a decent price and got Ash a set for her birthday which I gave early since it is right after Halloween. Then I got myself a set too. They are super cute and I am still really impressed with our handiwork.

Fieldtrip to Macey's

2011-10-07T14:11:00.000-06:00

Ah, a nice picture of my baby - how I adore looking at such a sweetheart.....

Seriously - can I not just have a pretty picture of you Carmel? Ask Ashley about doing silly things for pictures - she had years of them and now can't figure out why she was being so ridiculous.

This is the best of the lot - the rest of them they are being silly and kissing each other.

Lining up for pictures....Doodle is the girl in the white dress standing next to Carmel - she was in the girls class last year. There are only 5 girls in their class and Carmel and Claire are 2/5. These three are thick and the other two girls are thick. Nice that it works out.

Learning about the deli....we even got a free ice cone coupon. Go us.

Learning about how fresh everything in the bakery is - and how early they get up to make it.

Tasting how good the bakery is - which is great - I buy their frosting by the pound. Delicious.

This was the meat section and the lady showed them tongue, stomach, pigs feet and anything else you can think of that would make you want to hurl. She had them tough the stuff through the packaging.... EW!!

Up House - 3rd Time is a Charm!

2011-10-02T16:37:00.000-06:00

Some times I like to drive the 111 until it ends and then I end up on 134th in Herriman which is where the Up House is. When I asked Adalyn if she wanted to see it, she of course said yes, after all who doesn't?! Much to my dismay and EXCITEMENT, it was open and for free! It is super cute inside and I like the way they threw in a few surprises, like Andy's room, the baby blue appliances in the kitchen and then the basement family room playing Up. So dang cute. They had a lot of it roped off and then of course it is very hard for 4, four year old's not to touch things. But they enjoyed looking around and I'm sure as long as it continues to be available for tours - we will hit it up again.

Let the Halloween Post Begin...

2011-10-02T16:23:00.000-06:00

Wednesday Adalyn spent the night and in the morning we began our Halloween festivities. I made orange pumpkin shaped pancakes (I plan on making actual pumpkin flavored ones soon) and then the girls made a craft. Crafts are big when you are 4 1/2 and a girl. And yes that is lip gloss on Claire - she is such a funny girl. Adalyn and my girls are 2 1/2 months apart and get along famously. It is nice to have her as a friend and we are sure glad she is willing to spend the night and play with us since the 2 C's aren't even willing to spend the night at their Granny's.

Carmel Can Blow a Bubble

2011-09-28T16:01:00.002-06:00

Lion King - 2nd Time Around

2011-09-25T13:58:00.000-06:00

The Lion King was originally released on June 15, 1994. I vividly remember my mother and I taking my nieces who would have been 12, 10, 4 and a newborn to see it at the Villa. I can even remember that the tape caught fire. I think it happened at the end of the movie. Anyway, it was nice to go see it again on the big screen and this time no fire and my own kids and even my niece's two kids.

We went to Target before the movie and Nathan found this turkey hat and walked around the store wearing it. He really like to have his picture taken too.

Molly found this Elmo costume and I put the head on her....it was hilarious.

After the movie, the girls re-enacted the Scar/Simba part of the movie. Very violent. Molly was enjoying being part of the fray. Nathan was hooking up with his Nana and was off to the BYU football game.

Soccer Pictures

2011-09-25T09:05:00.000-06:00

We are going to have quiet the collection of sports pictures by the time they are adults. For some reason, pictures for everything fall on Saturdays, which as you all know, I'm working away and can't be a part of. Meaning someone who rarely to never does their hair, has to do the hair. Poor Granny is the lucky one and she doesn't take her responsibility lightly and stresses out to the max. I think she did a great job and they both look adorable.

Saturday was the last game of the season. We had a great coach and he didn't put any pressure on them which it being their first experience, I am thankful for. We will be playing again in the Spring, but we might just look for a girls team.

Some of our Newly Acquired Skills

2011-09-22T15:25:00.000-06:00

Carmel and Claire can both spell their first and last name. Carmel is big into writing things now - and all by herself, spelled and wrote her last name. It isn't a last name like Dow (no offense Mandy) so it is harder to remember all the letters and their order. Click this to see more. The speed at which they are learning huge things like spelling and writing is amazing to me. 4 is a GREAT age!

Them Bones, Them Bones, Them Lazy Bones

2011-09-16T19:08:00.000-06:00

We went shopping today in Park City and found these pj's, of course we couldn't leave without them. They glow in the dark!!! We love them more than you can imagine.

A Trip to Meet Chole

2011-09-15T18:51:00.000-06:00

I've been trying to get a picture of the 3 girls in their matching outfits all summer - finally today - it happened. I'm not the most thrilled with the pictures but they are what they are. And trying to get pictures of 5 kids looking at the camera - especially when Mandy's 2 are involved is IMPOSSIBLE!

A feat of feats - getting 5 car seats into the minivan. The only way it would work is for Claire to use hers as a booster and for me to buckle her in from the trunk of the van. But success was had and we had a great time watching Ruby and Max as we went from the West to the East and back to the West side of town. On the way back - 3 of the 5 were asleep and woke up for a burger and romp in Carl's Jr.

Meet Chole - she is a gorgeous puppy. The girls loved her to death. She is a bit on the nippy side right now and that can be intimidating for kids but they still want a dog and more specifically Chole. LOL We won't be getting one any time soon. Too much work and truthfully, I can live without one. We'll just have to visit Luanne more often. The girls can get their dog fix there just like I can get my baby fix by visiting Kelly. Love and leave, it's my motto. :)

Rub A Dub Dub....

2011-09-15T09:04:00.000-06:00

...5 is the maximum in this tub!

New Leo's

2011-09-13T17:02:00.000-06:00

Cousin Courtney found us these new leotards - the blue one has a small flaw which made it cheap and the other wasn't too pricey. I'm really happy with them.

Newest Soccer Player

2011-09-13T15:16:00.000-06:00

Yesterday, this little buddy was on the soccer field when we came to play. I was on the phone and taking pictures so they aren't the best. Granny came to the rescue and took it off the field before it was trampled to death by a herd of 4 year olds.

Make Up Artists

2011-09-09T19:53:00.000-06:00

Maren got the girls kid eye shadow for a back to school gift. I put some on them to wear to school today. You really couldn't tell unless you knew. Then they came home and went to town. If you look at Carmel, she also has lip gloss on. For some reason, the more the better. :) They LOVE it and a girl can't be denied, though we won't be going out in public when they are the artists.

1st Day of Pre-K

2011-09-07T14:23:00.001-06:00

There was so much going on outside that this is my best shot.

This picture cracks me up because they stood behind the flowers where I would have wanted them sitting in front of them. The flowers were a nice surprise for me on Friday when I got home from work.

She is a hoot.

I did braids in triangles, alternating the direction of the point.

The curriculum for the year. Should be fun.

Today we headed back to school for advanced pre-k. I'll be interested to see how advanced it really is. The above curriculum looks great and I really hope they stick to it. We have some of the items already checked off but I would like to see many more.

Something that has just evolved over the past week or so is sounding out words. I am really impressed with both of them, though I have to admit - Claire is freaking awesome at it. It is like a light bulb went off in her head and she "gets" it whereas Carmel's light bulb is flickering a bit.

Our teachers are Ms. Lani and Ms. Cami. I was impressed with Ms. Lani on meet the teacher night and know the girls will do well with her. They have 16 kids in their class with a total of 5 girls and we of course are two of the 5. So the boys are ruling the class. Something interesting, at two different schools here, in the first grade the boys are out numbering the girls at a rate of like 2:1. I'm not sure why we need so many boys on this earth but God knows why and I can't question His wisdom. :) I freely admit I don't like boys in the school setting after watching them last year but as the year went on, I could see the vast improvement in their behavior. This year, they appear to be almost on the same level as the girls.

I'm still a bit shocked that this is the last year of having my babies home with me a few days of the week. It is really hard to think about. Though at the same time, they are so much fun and we can do so much more. I'd just like a do over of the first year please. I really miss those gorgeous newborns.

An Unexpected Visitor

2011-09-06T19:22:00.000-06:00

How Many Childhood Illnesses Must We Endure?!!!

2011-09-01T21:55:00.000-06:00

Trying desperately to sleep - covering me and my bed in copious amounts of saliva. Gross!

One of the back sores she was willing to show me today. Can't look on the other side - too painful.

Blank tongue - courtesy of the Maalox in the miracle mouthwash.

This evenings look into her mouth. The black tongue is resolving. The sore on her tongue is shrinking.

Carmel started complaining of a sore in her mouth and at first I didn't pay much attention to it since she ate a lot of potato chips over the weekend and I thought she had gotten a canker sore just like Claire gets if she eats too many.

Monday she was able to play in her soccer game but after it - she started to complain of more and more pain. That is when I looked inside and saw a huge sore on her tongue. Back on Molly's birthday, there was some discussion of Hand Foot and Mouth Disease and how a lady brought her kids to a primary function that day knowing her kids were contagious. So as I peered more into her mouth and saw at least two other sores - my brain went to the HFMD. On Tuesday, she became hysterical most of the day. She couldn't eat, didn't really drink and was unable to participate fully in tumbling so I took her into the Instacare afterwards. We were given some Tylenol with codeine and sent on our merry way.

Unfortunately, it hasn't been so merry and she continues to be in insufferable pain. She can barely sleep and moves around constantly, partly to get away from the puddles she has created by drooling. Yesterday I was only able to get her to drink about 8 oz of Fresca and she stopped talking because of the pain. She cries when it is medicine time and then was throwing up last night due to the meds on an empty stomach.

Today, we have had ups and downs. She is able to sip liquid Jello through a straw through the side of her mouth that the tongue is not hurting. She attempted to put a noodle in her mouth in the same spot but was unable to get it any further. There are moments when I think we have crossed the threshold and are going to be ok, and then there are times when I am ready to take her to Primary's. Right before she fell asleep and moments after bawling for 10 minutes because I forced her to take her medicine, she gave me a few sentences.

I work tomorrow and she will be in the arms of her Granny. I pray she will wake up and the pain will be gone and that Claire will not get this. I am exhausted.

A Girl and Her Grasshopper

2011-08-30T11:57:00.001-06:00

Carmel has found a new best friend - meet Sparkles, a 'girl' grasshopper. Every day she goes out and finds a grasshopper to play with. I am thinking it is the same one as it will let her walk around with it on her finger, climb her body and pretty much let her bother it for a very long time. At first I thought it must have broken legs, is dead or something along that line but to my surprise - it is alive and well. Before coming inside I watched Sparkles hop happily away.

1st Soccer Game

2011-08-28T08:46:00.001-06:00

Carmel is number 8 and Caire is the perfect 10.

Carl and my mom took the girls to their first game yesterday. I was so jealous, especially once I heard all about it. It sounds like they had a blast. The coaches' son is a pro and scored time after time. I understand Carmel was able to score once or at least be part of the score - I guess it was hard to see. I can't wait to go to the game on Monday and watch the fun myself. My only hope is that it is much cooler than Sat. Poor Carl came home burned even with sunscreen. I sent Carl with a fully charged battery and an empty card - I got 4 pictures. He obviously forgot who his wife is. lol

My mom just told Carmel did a few cartwheels in the middle of the game, then Claire did and then a couple of the boys attempted some. Hilarious.

Soccer

2011-08-26T10:37:00.001-06:00

We start soccer tomorrow! I am so excited for the girls to try a new sport. I am sad I won't be there for their first game but the good news is that they have Sat and Mon games. I am bummed the coaches wife choose black as their color. How blah can it be on little girls. We are ready to bring it.

And don't they look older than their 4.5 years?!