Sisters

There are plenty of fights and fits--- maybe even some sibling rivalry already :/.  But there are far more moments like this one.  These girls love and take care of each other and I can only imagine what their relationship will be like when they're older and have bigger dilemmas to tag-team than tying laces. Sisters are the best.

Halloween

And just because we were in the mood for braids.

I keep waiting to post their Halloween "costumes" because I never got a photo of Finn in his cow costume and I keep thinking I'll throw it back on for one.

And I keep not getting around to it. Where did all the time in our lives go?

So here are the girls before the school boo-bash. Sophia was set on being a pirate for months before Halloween... Mila debated between all of the princesses ... and Strawberry Shortcake... She ended up wearing the braid to the boo-bash, an Indian dress out of the dress-up basket for her school party, and Strawberry for trick-or treating. Why not?

So originally she'd decided on Strawberry Shortcake. We ordered the costume and she wore it non-stop for a couple of days, after which the leggings were full of holes and the wig was a frizzy mess. She assured me she didn't care (since she still wanted to play in them) and then just before Halloween, I made her this Rapunzel braid out of yarn. A friend taught a group of us how to make them, and I figured the girls would love it for dress-up... but as soon as she saw it, she was done with Strawberry and on to Rapunzel. Even if it meant that she had to wear a normal purple dress out of the closet.

Hence Mila's "costume" above.

This was the first year where I just let them pick whatever they wanted and didn't try to sway them my way. It was so liberating! No attempts to make their costumes (the braid was an accident) or pressure to be creative or base them around some cute tutu. As much 30 dollar cheep polyester as they wanted.

Then they collected candy to their heart's content just to bag up and freeze slash throw away. I wonder what year they'll start noticing that?

Guess Who?

Every once in a while we pick something up that I didn't even know I was nostalgic for. And then it's in our home and I feel like we're one step closer to a real, warm, cozy, grown up home. Apparently I have fond memories of "Guess Who?" as a kid. I realize it's just a silly game. I just love how we get to do everything over again as parents.

As for strategy. I try and teach them to start with the broad things to eliminate more characters. "Is your person a boy?" "Is your person blonde?" But they prefer to make it last. They start with "Is yours the girl in the green hat?" "Is yours sticking out his tongue?" Slow and steady. One by one. I should have known since they still refuse to do the edges of the puzzle first. I don't know why I even bother.

Tummies, teeth, and poop

I don't know when Sophia got SO much taller than Mila. Have they always been so different in height? I can't remember now. I think she just had a growth spurt--- it feels like people are constantly commenting on her height.

And how can I not mention those tummies? Oh, if only it looked so cute on a grown-up.

And this guy-- oh goodness, I hope this is a very temporary phase-- these last few days have been.... different.

I think he's teething, and I think that it's the teething that's causing him to poop only once every 9 or 10 days. My pediatrician has said in the past that "that can be perfectly normal for breast-fed babies." I wonder how HE'D feel if he went 10 days. Finn is not a happy camper. The last two nights have been rocky--- and I'm wanting my sleepy, content, little beefcake back.

Having said all of that, he woke up from this last nap happy and rested, then passed a bunch of *gas and at this moment, is a little giggly dream. Maybe the worst is behind me? No- I know better. But I'm enjoying the present.

Last thing pouring out of my streaming thoughts--- we saw Larry Crowne last weekend.

Um- what?

I guess I should have watched a preview. I had way too much faith in the cast--- I really like Tom Hanks and Julia Roberts so it seemed like a sure winner on that alone. Had I known it was a long episode of Community withOUT it's ONLY redeeming quality, I would have thought twice.

I did however get to see some really good previews before the movie including the one for The Help-- And I cannot WAIT to see that story come to life. If you haven't already read it, hurry up and read it. It won't disappoint.

Just in case you needed an opinion or two.

*excuse me, if poop or gas is an inappropriate topic in your home--- obviously it's very common in ours. :)

So we had our OWN pirate party

It's been over a month of relentless illness in our house. Who knows if it's one crazy horrible bug or if a new one starts before the old one finishes... but it's been SUPER fun. Ross is still in bed this morning with a fever, wrapped up in sweats and a sweatshirt in the same bed that I sweat through my one tiny layer each night. (Ok maybe that's the post-baby hormonal night-sweats--- CRAZY--- but still, it's NOT cold up there.)

Can I just confess that I think few things are worse than a sick husband? I'll probably regret this confession. But I think it's the worst. You're sorry for them that they're miserable, but you don't have room in your heart to be THAT sorry, because you're too busy taking care of your kids and yourself who are also sick. And your super selfish side can't help but remember that you just had a c-section a few weeks ago and--- dangit--- does this mean the being-taken-care-of phase is long gone and this is what it's been replaced with? Bummer. But-- oh yeah-- bigger bummer for him because he feels sick enough to be in bed 'till noon and when else in our lives has he done that? So then you feel like an awful wife that you're kind of annoyed the whole time and not doing that great of a job taking care of him. So conflicted.

Or is this just me? So sorry Ross.

Sophia got hit with a bad fever on Wednesday night and stayed home from school Thursday and Friday. She was SO disappointed to realize she would miss her class pirate party on Friday. That morning we laid in my bed and tried to explain why the fact that her skin was on fire and her head hurt so bad that she couldn't lift it without help, meant she needed to stay home.

We decided we'd have our own pirate party. That did the trick. Turns out her best friend, Kate got sick and had to miss it too... and dropped off a special pink pirate hat that morning at our door. Clearly, Mila needed a pink pirate hat too... hence our lovely homemade one.

We drew pirate pictures, watched a pirate movie (Peter Pan) ... and talked about eating pirate's booty, but we were out, and all too lazy to go to the store. So we ate ice cream cones instead.

Sadly, she complained later that it wasn't that fun of a party and she wished she could have gone to school. But we tried! And I must say, while there are certainly parts of the day where I almost go MAD, I love having a whole day, ALMOST guiltless, to lay around, snuggle, watch movies, and drink juice with my kids.

But I hope everyone's ready for school this week.

Friends

It used to seem like an eternity away… that phase of life where your kids are old enough to have friends over to play-- where it's not babysitting. It's been like that for a while now with Sophia, but Mila's friends are still a bit young… accept for this guy. Sawyer. He's always been like 3 going on 18. He treats Mila like a little lady, and usually gives her what she wants, which naturally, makes her a happy girl.

Several weeks back, Brooke told us that Sawyer had decided he needed to ask Mila to marry him--- they come over for dinner, and he asks for Ross. Upon finding him, he asks his permission to marry Mila. Ross says yes, as long as he has served a mission and has a good job by then.

He then proceeds to GET DOWN ON ONE KNEE, and ask Mila to marry him. None of us know where he got all of these details… but he had it all covered, so clearly Mila was wooed, and said yes.

He hasn't forgotten, and we had him over to play for the first time in a while last week. I spy subtly from the kitchen while they walk hand in hand to the corner of the family room, "and now we're getting married, at the temple", Sawyer says.

"Kiss me" ---- yup--- that's my Mila.

And so he leans over and kisses her. And then he says, we got married, because you have a baby in your tummy.

rrrrrrrrr------ there's my record screeching again. Teaching moment?

and so I taught…. about how the marriage comes first and all.

Then while driving to pick up the big girls from preschool, I hear him in the back seat saying, "me and you are going to have babies, and your mommy and daddy are the grandparents, and my mom and dad are the grandparents…. "…. like I said, seriously going on 18… I think Ross will be keeping a close eye on your little Don Juan, Brooke. ;)

But really, these two are something…. and we didn't even plan the matching stripes.

They're silly

I love little girls.

A warm, blustery, water-balloon-throwing kind of night.

This is Sophia "shaking her booty" for the camera.

Hump Day

I'm feeling it this week. Could it really ONLY be Wednesday? I got this soar-throat/cold thing that's going around, and amongst other things... not feeling too hot. But it's Easter this weekend! And that means Ross has Friday off which MEANS (and I'm just realizing this as I'm typing this) that really, I'm past hump day. Phew. All is well.

We rode our bikes over to this little desert "field" the other day. I like to believe we have fields near our house. I know it's just dirt with a few weeds.... but the girls still managed to kill the evening until Ross got home, picking flowers. They're such girls--- really-- picking flowers, looking for lady bugs, wearing princess shoes---- the other day we had Tanner over for the first time in a while and I could tell they weren't exactly seeing eye to eye on activities like they used to. Sophia wanted to paint and play "MC at a party".... ("welcome boys and girls! And now we have.... Tanner!!!!"- she says while holding the Rock Band Mic) and Tanner wanted to play fight in the backyard. I caught one glimpse of them play-fighting and Tanner had a big grin while Sophia's eyes were scrunched shut and her arms flailed while she backed away. "I don't want to fight anymore." They're so different, boys and girls. It's crazy.

Can't think of much else going on. Lots of pictures coming up on my photo blog. Editing on my new MAC is fun but frustrating. Still learning it, and I can't figure out how to do things as quickly as I used to. The keystrokes are all different and there don't seem to be as many available to assign to things. ??

My dad is hanging in there. Marybeth says he's resting peacefully and opens his eyes a little. Still intubated and needing a few machines. I just can't wait to get out there again at the end of April and I'm just PRAYING he's awake that weekend so I can talk to him, and sing him songs. Just kidding. Can you imagine? I don't sing. I can already imagine the furrow in his brow getting so much worse. I won't do that to you dad.

Still haven't sold our couch. I think we might donate it for the tax right-off instead. Let me know if anyone wants it for $200.

Oh and Brooke had her baby! She's SOO cute and looks a ton like Sawyer. Oh I love babies.

Just a little blast to the past

I was searching through my photo archives yesterday to find pictures of some furniture we're selling on Craigslist, and died over all of the old photos of my girls. I'll remember things like they were yesterday but then see that Mila (especially) was a completely different KID! A lot happens in those first few years.

I still remember this photo. We were at Byron and Kim's house and Mila got sick and had been throwing up. Her big sister wanted to comfort her. Nothing's changed there.

But I can't believe that in such a short time, she's gone from that spiky-haired baby (Papa called her "chief" in honor of her mohawk) to the most snugly, verbal, loving little 2-year old ever. She learns it all from her big sis, but last night, while eating pizza at Costco, she kept standing on the bench, wrapping her arms around my neck, snuggling her pizza-smeared cheek against mine saying "you're the best mommy EVER... I lujou.." (how to spell her pronunciation... it sounds like a blend of love-you and ajou- like the sandwich dipping sauce) "so much mommy-- I lujou so much!"

I think I'd choose right now. If I could pick a time to hit pause--- I'd choose right now. Life is really sweet.

I keep thinking I'll do the "things I love" post in honor of v-day... but it's getting closer, and I'm getting busier...

So here's a couple for starts.

P.S. Ross opted out of mancation because of the stones. Now I feel bad for joking about it as possible silver-lining. :/...... but I do have him home for valentine's weekend. Now if only I'd been a nice wife and thought of something sweet to do for him instead of writing off his snowmobiling excursion as my present to him.... hmmm...

Caught red handed--- SHARING.

Oh the miracles of music.

Look at these cheeks and then envy me for getting to smother my face in them every day... and then look at some more pics of our TWO WEEK Utah trip...

A walk across the street to talk to see the horses...

The girls wanted their cousins to meet them later... but it was too cold... too painful, and the horses were smarter than us and hiding some place (warmer, we assumed)... so we bundled them all for a "walk" that went across the street and lasted all of five minutes.

As lovely as that snow is... man that's tough with little ones. It's just so hard to not be able to get out during the day when somebody's grumpy. Our summers are painful, but water is never too far away. It's never a bad thing to grow a little appreciation for home right? But for a two week vacation... what a fun change of scenery. Utah has never looked quite so beautiful to me... I wish I'd booked some shoots to make me explore some of it!

Oh and speaking of shoots... check out a couple of new ones on the photoblog.

Have you discoved these yet?

Mini Slow Melt Popsicles? They can eat them in the shopping cart, in their car seat, on the way to church-- anywhere, honestly, and there's no mess. They have a touch of gelatin I guess, to make them melt slower... and it helps that they're like 2 inches tall... so when the girls are begging for a treat, I can pull one out and figure they're getting as much sugar as like a swig of juice, and not worry about dripping... they're amazing. A life-saver in this 115 degree paradise I live in right now.

Just a little proof.... don't they look happy? And un-messy. I know. Revolutionary right?

Can you tell that Sophia is very much about smiling for the camera right now. She NEVER has been. And all of a sudden when she puts on a hat or finds something to wear as a scarf... "get your camera mom, don't you wanna take a pitcher of me? Don't you?"

Here she's saying to Mila, "no Mila, you have to smile like this (and then she squishes her chin into her shoulder as follows with that darling dimply grin.) Already teaching her little sister how to look pretty--- so role appropriate.

Leaving for San Diego tonight--- flying out to Florida to see my LOVELY pregnant sister, Lacy on Wednesday with the girls. Thanks for all your chair opinions! I wish I could have gotten it done before the travel-whirl wind begins. I have no idea which fabric I'll do. Couldn't everyone have picked the same one to make it easier. just kidding.

Wish me luck on the flights! yikes.