Just A Few *Gems*

I find it  ironic that the shortest month of the year has actually turned out to be pretty long. I'm not sure if it has anything to do with the weather and being cooped up inside or that I'm just really anxious for spring to come. We've had a lot going on around here between a birthday, a holiday, the Olympics, and the beginning of many doctor appointments. It's also been a month of little gems from our kids. Gems that are too good to for me to forget!

1. Since watching the Olympics, big names like Apolo Ohno, Lindsey Vonn, Shaun White, and many more have become a part of our daily conversations. Each of our kids has decided what he or she would do if they were to be a part of the games. Brandon has taken up speed skating across the wood floors when he's not watching the events while Kelsie is often seen twirling and spinning just like a figure skater. She also really liked the downhill skiing and can't decide which one would be better. Caleb is convinced that the bobsleds are just giant race cars and that it would be so fun to go so fast! It's been a lot of fun watching the Olympics together and they have been on almost non stop since the opening ceremonies two weeks ago.

2. We have a ward talent show coming up and Kelsie and a friend have decided to do a hula hoop routine to this song. As great as their dance is (and I really can't wait to see the actual performance!) you can really only take hearing that song so many times. Which is a little unfortunate since I heard it nonstop for about 4 hours straight during their practice/playdate this weekend.

3. Caleb has recently been introduced into the wonderful world of Reader Rabbit computer games. I told him that he couldn't play his game until his room was clean, so he decided to do something about it. He gave the best effort only a three year old can give. He picked everything up off the floor and put it on his bed. As long as the floor is clean, it counts, right?!

4. Brandon has been exploring his feelings lately and the night of Caleb's birthday party, he saw the lighter we used to light the candles next to me on the floor. All of the sudden he said, "Mom, will you move that because I feel like I really want to play with it!" At least he thinks before he acts (for now)!

5. Brandon also said: "I wish we had Apolo Ohno's phone number so we could call him and congratulation him!"

6. We walked home from school with a friend who lives only a few houses away.  I asked Kelsie and Brandon to walk her all the way home so she wouldn't have to go alone to which they agreed (almost) wholeheartedly.  When they got home, they told me that a stranger almost followed them.  Upon further investigation, I found out that Brandon convinced Kelsie that they needed to hide behind a tree.  When I asked where the stranger was, they told me he was across the street and that he almost looked at them.  Now, don't get me wrong.  I'm glad that they made it home safe and we had a talk about how it's better to come straight home than hide behind a tree.  I am glad, however, that they weren't too intimidated by the stranger that almost looked at them!

Valentine's Day Recap

I realize that Valentine's Day has come and gone and I have a habit of not posting anything if it gets too far away, so I figured now's as good of time as any.

I could go on and on about how fun our Valentine's weekend was and describe in great detail all the things that happened around here, but I don't want to bore you with all the particulars.

I could tell you all about our 3rd Annual Valentine's Dance held in our basement. I could tell you how Kelsie played a major part in the play list this year which subsequently meant lots of HSM songs and how Brandon would only dance to the "boy" songs. I could also tell you how Caleb hung out at the dessert table and filled and refilled his cup with M&M's until he single-handedly ate them all. I could also tell you the new favorite song of the night was the Chicken Dance and that it was played more than once while everyone danced their best impressions of a chicken. I could also mention how fun it is to watch me dance the Chicken Dance heading into my 3rd trimester (and BIG belly), but I won't do that. It might be too much information.

I also could tell you all of the hard work that was put into Kelsie's Mad Lib Valentine's for her classmates and that they were the big hit of the day. You might also be interested in knowing that cutting out Valentine's printed off the computer proved to be a little too much for Brandon to do, so instead, after I gathered all the supplies and got everything ready, all he had to do was tape on a joke (which also proved to be a little too much for my non-crafty son). I could also mention how cute Caleb's paper airplane Valentine's he made for the family was, but that might be taking it a little too far.

I could also tell you how Brandon couldn't wait to open his Valentine's from everyone else, but didn’t bother to hand out any of his own. While Kelsie, on the other hand, worked very hard on her Valentine for him and was quite offended that he couldn't quote it back to her the next day. I could also tell you all about the scavenger hunt held throughout the house for the 2nd annual "Tub of Love" and how the candy was consumed in record breaking time, but again, I won’t do that to you.

I could also tell you how great our homemade egg rolls turned out to go along with our Vietnamese Salad for dinner and that we were even able to convince the kids that anything fried is almost guaranteed to appease their taste buds.

But I won't tell you about all that. It could be TMI.

What I will tell you is that we had a great day and that we made some great memories. Spending time together as a family ranks up high on our list of priorities and we had a great time together. And, there was something big that happened. Valentine’s Day was the last day that Caleb wore a pull-up. He has worn underwear ever since (except at night, but he actually has stayed dry at night too for the last week). He finally earned the Diego underwear that he’s been eyeing at the store! He’s such a big boy now and even locks us out of the bathroom to take care of business all by himself (I keep a screwdriver handy so I can get in quick if he needs a little help in the wiping area). It feels so good to be diaper free again—at least for the time being!

**I apologize for no pictures, but the computer is having some technical difficulties and I will try to post some in the next couple of days!**

I’m 3!!!

This little guy turned 3 years old over the weekend!  It’s hard to believe that much time has passed since he became a part of our family.  It’s hard to remember life without him.  He’s such a cute kid and he always manages to put a smile on our faces.  He is known to put his arm around his brother or sister to make sure they are OK.  He likes to dance to crazy music, but definitely does not like to shake his bootie!  He loves to play in the snow while we walk to and from school and occasionally sneaks it into his mouth.  He loves anything green and isn’t afraid to speak up if it is something that he wants (green plate, green m&m’s, green straw, you name it!).  He loves to play with his older brother and sister when they come home from school.  He loves to watch Dora and Diego in the morning.  He loves to follow me around the house and play in whatever room I am in.  He is a thinker and often asks us questions about what is on his mind.  He likes to take charge when he thinks that he should or if someone is breaking a rule.  He likes to ride his bike and his scooter and can’t wait for the snow to melt so he can go out and play again!  He is such a sweet little guy and we love him so much!  Happy Birthday buddy!

SNOW!

We had record breaking snowfall here this week and some of us are pretty excited!

UnbelievaBULL

B and I went with some friends to watch the Chicago Bulls beat the Heat in the Madhouse on Madison (The United Center) this past weekend. It was the first live NBA experience for both of us, and we’ll never forget it. And Since Flat Stanley flew in all the way from American Fork, UT, we thought he might enjoy the game too.

Just behind Stanley, you can see the gigantic remote-control bull that flew around the United Center dropping off assorted Bulls paraphernalia.

 

After sugaring up on Twizzlers and Starburst, it didn’t take too long for B to figure out that it was okay to MAKE SOME NOISE – and for everyone else to figure out that they’d better plug their ears when he did! He didn’t hesitate to shout out loud every time the Bulls scored, and to tell the Heat to “MISS! MISS! MISS!” every time they stepped up to the free-throw line. I expected him to wear out around half-time, but he was cheering the loudest at the end of the 95-91 Chicago Bulls win over the Miami Heat.

In anticipation of the game, B made a sign to bring to the game to help cheer the bulls on. And also because someone said it might help him get on TV. We didn’t get on Jumbo Vision, and it’s too bad because this is a real classic from the Bulls newest fan:

Go BULLS!

Speak up, please!

I lost my voice today.  I don’t remember ever losing my voice before now.  My kids didn’t know what to think of me this morning as I was trying to get everyone out the door to school on time.  There was a lot of “what?” and “what’s wrong with your voice?” going on.  I couldn’t even explain to them why because they couldn’t hear or understand me anyway.  I don’t think it would be so bad either, except I had my doctor’s appointment today and had some questions for him about my upcoming glucose test.  That was an interesting conversation, to say the least!  The only time I ever remember losing my voice was in junior high when I didn’t actually lose it, I just pretended to because I didn’t want the teacher to call on me.  It didn’t take long for me to forget about it and get caught by the teacher 20 minutes into the class.  That is all the (fake) experience I have on the subject.  Any advice in this regard would be greatly appreciated!

As far as the picture goes, I did a practice photo shoot with Caleb yesterday for his birthday coming up next week.  I thought this one was funny because I had to bribe him with skittles to smile.  I got the smile, for sure.  Green teeth and all!

Have a happy weekend!