Walmart bag kite flying

One day I'm going to do a post on all of the glorious things you can do with a Walmart bag. This is a classic, that worked out super good for a crazy windy, but sunny day. The kids had nasty colds and had been stuck in the house for...well, forever, it seemed. So despite the sicknesses, cough, and lack of real kites, we had to get out for a little while. So we whipped up, once again, fantastic Walmart bag kites. The wind was blowing so hard the kids barely had to move to get these babies flying.

We spent about a half an hour in the fun, sunny, kite-flying weather before we headed back inside to curl up in a blanket, cough some more, and watch another re-run of Curious George.

Random questions

I've decided to answer two different peoples random questions. The first is from my Mama, whom I love. :)

And the next is from one of my best friends...whom I also love. :)

My answers are short. I'm sorry. I've only got a little while to blog this morning. But they are short, sweet and to the point...:)

1. If you could be a superhero, what would your super powers be?

I would have telepathy, the super power where I can move stuff with my mind, and teleportation powers. Really anything with "tele" in the front of it...;)

2. Hot dogs or hamburgers?

Both. Really. I like 'em both

3. If you could change one thing about yourself what would it be?

I'm pretty much perfect...but at this very moment the thing I would change about myself is to have more will power.

4. In the next life, when we are all perfect :) what age would you be?

I don't know, I haven't lived every age yet, and I hear the next little while is pretty awesome too, but from the time I have lived I would choose sometime in the past two years. I don't have achy bones or anything yet, I'm happy, and fairly health...I think :)

5. Tell me your favorite movie and why it is.

I'm kind of a lame-o when it comes to movies, but I love Tangled, Despicable Me, How to Train Your Dragon. Anything light, simple and that makes me laugh and feel good. That's it.

6. What would your dream vehicle be?

I have my dream vehicle. Really, my Toyota Sienna is AWESOME! I would however take a newer one. And I guess this is my dream "Mom" vehicle. My dream grown up vehicle is probably something smaller that runs and is paid off :). And has heated seats. Never knew how much I love them until I got a car that had 'em.

7. If you won the lottery, what would be the first thing you'd do with your new found wealth?

Pay off school debt.

8. If you could spend an hour with anyone (alive or dead) who would it be?

My family. I miss them.

9. Where would you like to see yourself in 10 years?

One or two more kids. Living in a house, with a nice big yard. With enough money to go traveling a couple of times a year. :) With a happy family.

10. If we had the "beam me up Scottie" technology- where on earth would you travel to?

Utah and Disneyland. I miss my family....I miss Disneyland.

11. If you had to change into either a dolphin or a falcon which would you become?

(Tom. Honestly.) Falcon, I'm not a fan of ocean creatures.

And the other one-

1. Were you named after someone and if so whom?

A muppet gelfling from Dark Crystal. I don't think you can get cooler than that.
2. If you were another person, would you be friends with you?

Yes.
3. What is the first thing you notice about people?

Their looks. Weither they look "goofy" or not. That's horrible but true. I try not to judge them too harshly though. I've made some excellent friends who I thought were totally "goofy" looking...
4. Who do you miss at the moment?

hu, I don't know ;) My Utah family.
5. Mountain hideaway or beach house?

beach house
6. What is the farthest you have been from home?

I've been to Mexico once, for like three hours.
7. City or country?

In between? Not too far from the city, but not too close either.
8. Would you bungee jump?

No. Tony and I argue about this all the time. Let's not talk about it.
9. Favorite sport to watch?

Superbowl commercials? I like to watch volleyball also.
10. Favorite school teacher and why?

Oh, wow, um...I had a couple of seminary teachers that I really liked, Mr Ormond (high school english), everybody else hated him, but I thought the stuff he taught was fascinating. Mr. Finlayson (junior high science), I t.a.-ed for him, got to hold the classroom animals, and actually helped Tony yesterday with some of his biology class with stuff that I learned in that class.
11. What do you want to do when you retire?

Travel. Really that's all I want to do ever. I love going new places and seeing cool things with my family.

Melts your little heart

Blogging has been slow. We have been sick. Not that I haven't had something to blog about, but two weeks ago the kids and I had the flu, on different days. This week Emma and Fox have some death cold/cough. I'm done with winter. Really. Even though it hasn't been that bad of a winter. But maybe that's the problem. Their hasn't been any really cool or big snow storms. No worth-mentioning wind, rain, or hail storms. It's just been blah. Cloudy, but nothing else, and I'm done with it. Alright, I'm done complaining, now on to what I got on here to blog about- a few melt-your-heart pictures.

I took this one Sunday when Fox was in the beginning stages of his death cold. :) Who doesn't love sleeping with a little pudgy arm on their face?

On Valentines day eve I put out a gift bag for each member of the family and told them that in the morning the kids could write notes/ draw pictures for each other. This is mine from Liam.

"I love you mom. Frum Liam yoor baby" I LOVE it. I always cradle and kiss Liam has he desperately tries to break away and tell him that he's my baby. I remind he has he walks by that he's my first baby, and he's always going to be my baby. I tell him "I love you, baby boy." I love, love, love this note. :)

Grape Jam, and Pillow Suitcases

Yesterday I was in the living room and Fox was in the kitchen. I, being an awesome Mom, called into him, "Fox, what are you doing?" Fox walked out of the kitchen carrying our jar of raspberry jam and replied, "Grape!" I quickly told him that that was raspberry jam and that he need to put it away.

He looked at me funny and then replied again, "Grape!" I corrected him again, then told him he couldn't have any and threatened his life if he didn't put it away (hahaha Just kidding...kind of). He marched in the kitchen and put it away.

Today I got the raspberry jam out to make pb&j sandwiches. I opened the lid and was startled to find about 25 "Grapes!" shoved into the raspberry jam.

Yeah. That's my kid. At least he was honest.

Yesterday Emma was helping me fold laundry and said, "Don't worry Mom, I'll fold the pillow suitcases." I t was so darn cute, I didn't correct her. :)

Yeyes-Said like eyes...but with a "y" in front.

Fox is driving me crazy lately. (as I write this Emma yells up the stairs teasingly, "you're crazy, Mom!" Literally just barely...So maybe Fox isn't driving me crazy...perhaps I've been there for far longer than I want to admit...) Anywhoo. All I can figure is that Fox is going to grow up to be a lawyer or something, cause that kid is the subbornest kid I've ever met. And he tries to (and mostly succeeds, if only he could say all the words in the english language...) talk his way out of and into everything. We had a war of him crying in his bed for about an hour today, all because he wanted me to "car-wee" (carry) him. I finally won that one, but fits where thrown, subjects where changed (by him, not me), and spirits were broken...

That boy has me wrapped around his finger more than I want to say. And he knows how to work it. Take nap time for instance. 10 minutes before bed Fox tells me he doesn't want Scooby-Dooby, he wants Liam's monkey. It took him telling me many times in a matter of fact voice, and then us going up into his bedroom, to figure out that Fox has Scooby-Doo on his pillow case, and Liam has a pillow case with Aladdin and Abu. I figured, he put so much effort into that one (starting 10 minutes early) I'd let him have it. And you just can't ignore a kids request when they say things like Scooby-Dooby matter-of-factly.

I then handed him Pooh (a stuffed Pooh bear that my mom made him for Christmas, that he always sleeps with), Put on his blanket and left the room shutting the door. I suddenly hear Fox anxiously saying "Mom, yeyes! mom! yeyes!!" I rush in and ask him "What? What's wrong with your eyes?" He looks at Pooh bear and says "Mom, yeyes."

Me, being a forgetful and over-looking mom, clearly didn't realize that I had put the blanket over Pooh bears "yeyes". And Fox, being the forgiving and helpful son, decided he couldn't move the blanket off of Pooh's eye's, but that he would call mom back in to fix her mistake.

It's exhausting. And all of that happened in a matter of thirty seconds (Well, ten minutes thirty seconds if you consider the campaign that started for the monkey pillow before bed). Try living with it all day. There's not many days that go by that I don't say, "Who taught that kid how to talk?"

LIfe exploded

How is it that life has exploded?

I got the call to be the Young Woman's president in my ward this past month (December). I was super excited, and ridiculously nervous. I was told it took a lot of time...I had no idea.

There is so much that I want to do for these girls; so much support I want to give, so much love. But man, it takes it's toll. The past month has been a whirlwind of...stuff. Activities, stake activities (which we drove an hour and a half, each way, to get to), presidency meetings, stake presidency meetings, Ward council, ward conference, and supporting girls by going to their extra circular activities. All of which have been AWESOME and I'm so excited and happy that I get to go and be a part of it...after I get there.

It's taken it's toll on Tony also. Suddenly roles have been reversed. Yesterday I came home from a 6 hour church day to Tony who had stayed home with sick kids. While talking to him he warily said "I did the dishes." I laughed but felt so much sympathy for him. It's hard being a mom, dealing with the bizzillion needs of kids. It's usually me saying "I did the dishes" helping him to compliment me on the menial things that I was able to accomplish in the day. I kissed him and told him how great he did, and then laughed some more.

It seems like suddenly my ward has noticed me this past month also. I have received 4 requests this last week to help bring food, crafts, and decorations to babyshowers, baptisms and other activities. I love it. I want to be asked, and I want to help. But it's crazy true the saying of "when it rains, it pours."

So yes, I feel as life has exploded. I keep waiting for it to slow down, and I keep thinking, 'ah, this week I have hardly anything.' and then Monday hits and my week is full. I don't think life is going to be slowing down any time soon. But I'll keep going until I die. And luckily, if I do die it'll be doing something that I love. Now lets hope Tony holds out...

A Day of Preschool in Pictures

mouthful of snowflake m&m's

One of my goals for the new year was to have more regular preschool with Emma and Fox. We've done well so far. Luckily there are soooo many resources for fun ideas on the internet! The m&m idea we got from here. And the marshmallow idea we got from here. (The paints made out of milk and food coloring! Cool, hu?)