Bye Bye Bottle

Colors to match the kids Ikea dishes

We usually start this around 6 months, and we did- but with little consistency or success. So we are officially starting to transfer from bottle to cup today. (Poor boy will have to be used to this in a few short weeks because he looses his bottles on his first birthday) We picked up 6 cuppies at the store today. I gave the boy some juice in one and he is loving it. The rule will be that he can only have bottles during the night now. (by the way, these are the cups that have worked best for each of my kids. Which is nice, because they are cheap).

Kids Do And Say The Funnist Things

I used to write my girls personal letters about all of the fun and wonderful things they were doing. I still do, occasionally, but life gets too busy to really keep up with it. Instead, I find myself sharing them on Facebook. Mom tells me always that I need to keep a book for them of these things. I told her that is why I have the blog, and then realized that I don't often transfer those things from Facebook to the blog- so here it is. A partial list (about a year's worth) of cute, funny, wonderful, and crazy things my kids say and do that I want them to hear about someday.

The kids-

February 2012:

15-

Another great one: Alexis reached to get the plate of cookies I said they could have (only one left for each of them). As she is getting the plate down one of the cookies falls and lands frosting side down on the floor. She looks at her sister and says, "I got that one for you!"

Alexis has taken her pretending to be a horse to a new level. She currently has a basket tied to her dress straps, she fills it up and pulls it around the house. She calls it her carriage.

I kinda hate that my daughter can read advertising.
Alexis: "Emi do you want a piece of cheese? I promise you'll like it!"
Emi: "What's it taste like?"
Lexi: "I don't know. It says, 'good tasting', so it's good!"

My girls have watched us clean fingerprints off a number of DVDs and now believe water can fix any movie that is not working. Which is why it was so hilarious to see Alexis come out of the other room drying a vhs tape off with her dress. Yeah, that'll make it work!

14- so, the boy got into the trash can- grabbed an empty yogurt container and tried to lick the inside of it. So I gave him a mootube (portable yogurt like go-gurt). HE LOVED IT! He even tried licking his high chair tray clean after it was gone. I am glad he got a V-day gift, since he isn't getting any of the cookies.

11-our family has been making an effort to eat more fresh fruits and vegetables. I am loving it (especially this salad my husband just made). Alexis made a great observation about this today, "I was going to eat an orange too, but if I eat too many fruits I will have horrible diarrhea!" Love it!

9-And it has begun... Every time I turn around today, Nater is on something. He climbs on and off the couches and chair now. Even climbed up on the girls' step stool. I am not ready for a climber. Between that and his walking- we are going to be in major trouble soon!

January 2012-

30-Alexis just came out and tried to explain why Emi should not be in their shared room cleaning. I said to her, "do you work better alone?" Yes! So we sent Emi out of the room- to which she replied, "I told you you were wrong- I don't like cleaning!"

25-Nater all of a sudden wants to be a walker. He totally just stands unsupported today and even attempted a step. Silly boy!

23-Emi just asked me, "mom when I was born did I have a tag?" I asked her some questions to try to understand what a tag was. She said, "from the store, to know what number I was."

17-My daughters, Prince Alex and Princess Emily, just got married. After I pronounced them prince and princess- they danced and THEN sealed it with a kiss. Immediately after the kiss- they began fighting. Alex said "he" would go slay the dragon unicorn by swording it in the belly. Emily said, "you mean the horn?!" Now they are switching roles and I have another wedding ceremony to perform.

12-Johnathon is at an age that he is really starting to miss his Daddy. He asks for/about him during the day "daDA. Dada" and then whines when there is no Dad to show for his request. Then when Philip comes home Johnathon doesn't let him leave his sight. Philip just came home to shave and such, and Nater wants to be in his arms non-stop. It's such a cute stage. I love that he loves his Dad so much.

10-Johnathon and I discussed his levels of clean today. There is clean (in the bath- and for a short time after- like until he is dry). There is pre-filthy, filthy, and BEYOND filthy. hehehe. He really isn't THAT bad- but he always pulls his bibs off when he eats.

2011

December-

28-Emily is having so much fun discovering all the things there are in Texas. She keeps saying, "there's a ( insert name of restaurant or shopping chain here) in Texas!"

22-Emi has hit the emergent reading stage- beginning to sound out words and reading simple text (hop on pop). Today we practiced manipulating sounds of words by changing letters- I don't know who is more excited- me or her.

15-Dear Johnathon, I am not a jungle gym. When you climb on me and I move you to the floor it is not because I don't love you or I am neglecting you. It is simply because I am NOT a jungle gym.

9-And now... one more. I find it funny that Nater is now getting around the house much more slowly than before. He can still crawl rapidly- but it is no longer from room to room. He crawls rapidly from one piece of furniture to another. As soon as he comes to a sturdy piece of furniture he pulls himself up to standing and tries to walk. When he can't walk, he gets down and rapidly crawls to the NEXT piece of furniture.

5-watching nativity stories and the girls asked why they had a donkey. I tried to explain that there were not cars then. Emi replied, "because in church movies they don't have cars."

November-

22-I love that my girls play "having babies". Lexi was just lying on the floor (propped up on the body pillow) and said, "she's going to fall out in ten, nine..." at which point Emi stopped in the middle of her sentence (to me), turned around, and pulled the stuffed animal from under Lexi's dress. She tossed it at Lexi, turned around and finished her sentence. :D Girls are so much fun!

17-I am grateful for the innocence of children. Today Emi is telling my dad, "I am smart because I can write the uppercase R." and "we do homeschool because we don't know where the school outside is, but there is one. Only one!"

8-The girls are currently playing that their toys are in spirit world. Lexi just called out, "Quick fetch some hot water for Jesus! He's SICK! Quick!"

October-

27-Emi came in this morning and told me Lex said stupid. I said to remind her we don't say that word. Lexi's response- I didn't want you to tell.

23-Where do they get this stuff? Earlier Alexis came in the room with an animal under her shirt (as they often do when playing "pregnant") and asked if I knew what she had in there. I guessed "twins?" to which she replied, "no, I'm just really fat, you know"

September-

28-So much for taking the kids out to play while I clean outside area. There is a snake back there! The girls want to keep it as a pet. Emi wants to give it her toy snake to keep as his pet. I want to kill it (and I am usually a major fan of snakes- just not around my kids)

7-Alexis to me this morning: "your baby is still in Heaven"
Me: "what baby?"
Alexis: "the one that is coming soon"

She went on to announce that our neighbor is having 5 kids.

5-Alexis has apparently inherited a love of cheese from her father- she is currently having a slice of cheddar on top of a pancake for lunch. Emi, on the other hand, has inherited sarcasm- Miranda pulled a mango out of the fridge and asked what's this. Me: A mango Mir: what's a mango Emi: THAT!!!

1-Guess what today is? NOT August! (Lexi announced that today. She is excited for September. Come to think of it, so am I.)

August-

29-It's official. The boy is mobile ( he has been for some time- I finally saw how today). It seemed to me like 5 months is too early to be crawling. Slow down Nater!

21-Emi popped Lexi's tooth out. Lexi bit Emi's dress and Emi pulled the dress along with a tooth out of Lexi's mouth.

I wonder if this is how our Heavenly Father felt. Our conversation today went like this- Alexis: (as she runs from the table) "Mom, Emi got the cereal out" Me: "Did you eat some?" Alexis: "no" Me: "the truth" Alexis: "well, Emi got it out" Emi: "Lexi ate it" Lexi: "well, Emi got it out, Emi gave it to me" (I just couldn't help but hear- the women, that thou gavest to be with me, she gave me the fruit...)

19-Alexis told me this morning that she would like to be a tooth fairy when she grows up. She very well may get her wish.

18-Lexi just (finally) pulled her own tooth. She had that tooth hanging on by a thread for so long!

15-After a bit of an argument over Lexi wearing flip flops to school this morning she gave in and wore tennis shoes. First thing she announced after coming out the door of her classroom "Ms. Brooke wears flip flops to school- so we CAN!"

9-I love that Alexis always asks to taste Johnathon's baby food. Today she finished off what he didn't want of his peas.

8-Philip found a lock of curls in the art room today. I call Emi upstairs and identify the spot the hair is missing from. So I ask, did you get a hair cut? She smiles, rubs her hair and replies, "yeah, I did it myself!" She was so happy and proud I couldn't stay mad.

July-

31-Alexis is so kind. She cut a pair of panties out of construction paper for me. She gave them to me and told me they are my "big panties to cover me. Because (I) have a big one. Well, it's true!"

28-Emi just counted... she has 28 toes! I guess we missed a few last time we counted.

27-JohnnyNater ate his first solid food tonight. Not sure how much he actually consumed, mostly he wore it.

My girls always talk about marrying the neighbor boys. Today Lexi told Marshall, " I'll show you the cake I want when we get married" I didn't know she had such detailed plans already.

19-Emi was playing with her brother (next to me on the bed) I look over and she is halfway through changing his diaper- without any help. How crazy is that!

3-Decided to take the girls with me to the "army party" they had no idea who their guest of honor would be. Lexi talked his ear off, telling him about all the things he missed. Emi quietly basked in the happiness of him being home. Johnathon cried and screamed at him (to be fair, he was hungry). So happy to be whole again.

June-

27-The multitasking begins early! Alexis just asked, "while I play on the computer can I play a game on your phone?"

1-My girls packed their bags today to go to SC to see "our friend Willy (lily)" but I don't have to worry they will "live there for a few days and then come back to visit"

May-

22-Alexis just announced some very important information... "fast poop is diarrhea"

15-Miranda is making cookies. Emi brought her an egg and said, "I wanna hatch it!"

14-Emily is no stranger to wordly fashion. After her bath, she used her towel to make herself a fancy dress. She then explained to Lexi, "a fancy dress not for bras" (meaning breast). "That is why my bras aren't in it" Now to teach modesty...

11-Em: "Mom, there's a chipmunk on our puppies' gate"
Me: "oh no! what are we going to do?"
Em: "KILL him!"

9-Watched coming home with the girls today. Lexi broke down in tears, "I really wish my daddy was coming home soon. I really miss my daddy." We all do Lex, we all do!

8-Emi, "mom can I watch a movie?"
Me, "I don't think so"
Emi, "I don't think so means YES!

5-Talked a bit to the girls today about mothers and women. I asked how many kids they would like to one day have. Alexis answered, "as many as Jesus wants me to have"

Alexis' toy said to Emily's toy, "You're Jesus, and we are bad guys. So now you need to stay in this cave forever!"

April-

23-‎"I think Santa Clause came and brought us Easter eggs" That is what Lexi said when she saw her Easter eggs this morning. We have determined though that it was the Easter bunny who left us a nest of eggs downstairs. Happy Easter everybody. (today is candy day, so tomorrow can be focused on Christ)

20-Lexi sang this song to Emi earlier (Emi was only pretending to be sick)
"If you are sick you have to go to bed.
If you have to throw up, throw up in a bucket.
This is the throw up song.
Because throw up, is for EVERY one"

4-poor girls their "tummies have headaches" causing need for a "hot lava bath"

March-

31-I love how these kids hear what they want to hear. I gave them all some chocolate chips. Then I scooped myself some peanut butter and covered it in chocolate chips. They asked if they could have some. I said "No the rest are for me". They asked again. I asked what I had already told them. Marshall, "YES". Emi, "Maybe"

25-I was breathing through contractions while combing Emi's hair. She turns to me to see if she is done and I don't answer because I am breathing. So she says, "I don't need it blowed mom" and walks away.

Emi: "when we have fire in our mouth, we're dragons!"

5-UGH! Vomit at 2:30 in the morning. Poor Lexi, "my tummy hurt, and so then I threw up, and now my tummy doesn't hurt by my throat does.

February-

28-Emi: "Mir IS 3, she had a birthday!"
Lexi: "NO! 13!"

Mir is 23.

23-How awesome! Alexis wanted to do "homework" stuff, so we sat down and did some things. I told her I would write a word and she could read it. So we learned about the "silent e" She was able to read silent e words, explain to her grandma what a silent e is, and then pick silent e words out while we read a book together. She even picked out the words faces and closed as having silent e. Way to go Lex!

19-girls got hula hoops:
Emi says, "lex I am going to show you how to do a hula hoop" You do this (held up in air) and then throw it at people
guess they watch too much wii fit

3-The problem with a child that can hear the differences in letter sounds, and one that can't yet pronounce the differences.
"Wily"
"I'm Lily!"
"yeah, l-l- willy"
"NO! I'm LILY!"
Poor Emi really thinks she is saying Lily, Poor Lily doesn't want to be called willy any more.

1-Alexis to me, "WOW Mom! You look fat!"
Me to Lexi, "Oh yeah, why is that?"
Lexi, "Jonathon is growing!"

January-

26-Lexi put her nightgown on for bed and said, "my little boobs are starting to get bigger, they're starting to growing up."
Lily was asking what different noises things make. She asked what does a princess say and Emi whined, "eeeehhhh, I wanna go to the ball!"

A Pirate's Life For Me

We are nearly finished with one of the rooms in the house. It is currently Nater's room and will easily become a nursery for him and the baby when needed. We have the practical; crib, play pen, diapering closet, and dresser. And we have the fun; bookshelf, recliner, treasure maps, pirate ship tent area, treasure chests, blocks, and push toys. The kids all love to play in there and it cleans up quickly. I am loving this room, and it is better than I imagined even.

Fun: the pirate ship play tent. Inside are his large little people toys.

Dresser toppers. Not sure what will be in the chests yet.

Our practical: closet is a changing area with dirty clothes hamper hanging nearby.

The pillow that inspired it all. Made by my dear friend.

Lexi, Emi, and I made maps.

Prints and styrofoam. Simple and cheap way to add a bit of art to the walls. Hung safely out of reach above the crib.

Testimony

The girls often play church, during which they take turns sharing their beliefs and thoughts. They bare their testimonies in this way at least once a week. I love to hear the things they say. The sweet and pure understanding they have of the gospel. Today when we walked into church Alexis heard that it was fast and testimony meeting (for any who may not know- this is a meeting once a month in which members of the church I belong to are encouraged to fast and to share their beliefs during our first meeting). She turned to me and said, "I have a testimony!" She was so excited- as if it were a golden ticket! She knew she had her very own testimony. I told her that if she wanted she could ask her dad to take her up to share her testimony (as I was headed to the hall to take care of the boy). Sitting in the hall I heard first my husband over the microphone share his feelings. Then Alexis, "I love to share my testimony I know the church is true. I know that Heavenly Father is real." I cried a bit. I love the power that comes from those, who are so fresh from our Heavenly home, sharing what the Spirit testifies to them. I love the way I learn and grow daily through my children. I love to see things from their perspective, to feel things from their tender viewpoints and to learn from their experiences. I have a testimony that our Heavenly Father is real and He does love us. We are all his children and He wants us to do what is right so that we may return to Him again. I am so grateful for this knowledge and the blessings it brings to my life.

February In Pictures

Cherish took this one of me. Look at all of that hair.

My Cherish

Adventure is his middle name (well, not literally).

Everything still goes straight into his mouth.

Playing barefoot at the park.

I love how much this girl loves to eat apples. It gets me to eat more apples.

Crafting. Using the scissors correctly and not to cut hair.

Loving the beautiful weather and having fun at the park.

She loved hanging from this and marching her legs. "I'm walking on air!"

Self proclaimed Queen of climbing.

At the age of having to pose silly for every picture.

Running ahead of the group during a family walk.

Family walks around the block. Philip was taking the pictures.

Showing off their new outfits.

One day I will no longer have to cook. This girl will do it all. She would now, if I let her.

He loved the sound these made.

Our hopscotch will go all the way to 100. I think they made it to 12.

After picking the dandelion she ran inside to get a hair clip to hold it in her hair. So pretty!

Developing Talents

Alexis is a writer,

 and an artist,

 and a reader,

 and a singer, 

and an athlete.

 She really does love to do it all. 

She just finished her first chapter book today (Katie Kazoo Switcheroo Out to Lunch).

 It was so much fun to talk to her about the sequence of events in the book and her thoughts on the book.

 She immediately began reading another chapter book and now believes she can read anything she wants.

 Alexis loves to sing. 

She memorizes songs almost instantly and loves to make up her own songs. 

She sings loud and clear, without screaming. 

Alexis loves to be outdoors and loves to be moving. 

She loves her bike and going on bike rides. 

She also loves the trampoline, her scooter, and just running around. 

We plan on getting her new skates for her birthday.

Alexis has always loved art. 

She seems to like painting the best.

She also colors and draws daily. 

She likes to draw pictures to tell stories. 

Along with her pictures, she writes stories.

She loves writing in her journal everyday.

She makes up her own "homework" to complete and writes her own directions.

The other day she wrote a short story about her and her sister being captured.

Once upon a time I was trapped.

Can you spot me? (I think she is a bat)

Can you spot my sister? She says HELP!

She was very proud of her conversation bubble.

Getting My Happy Back

So, I've been kinda down lately. Nothing in particular, just not happy. I am sure you can read it in the blogs. Pictures with brief descriptions of what is going on in them. Little to no emotion or meaning. That is kinda how every day life felt. And then, I broke. I cried and cried and talked and talked to my husband. He listened, and talked, and argued back. And finally after several hours, I discovered what was wrong. I am not a priority in anybody's life. I needed to be a priority in somebody's life. I decided to make myself a priority in my own life. Then next day I showered before worrying about the boy being down for a nap, before worrying about having a clean house or laundry, or dishes. Before doing homeschool with the girls. I made myself a priority and I showered. Then my husband made it even better. He made me a priority- coming home for lunch to give me bread and other foods we had been needing and (most importantly) a hug. It was all of a sudden easier, much easier to find things to be happy about. And so I did. I found ways to be happy or make myself happy throughout the day. The beautiful weather and being able to be outside has helped. I hope you are happy too!