My Three Amigos

Amigo Numero Uno

The other day, Austin took an inventory of the pantry and kitchen. After his assessment, he grabbed a post-it note and wrote me a list: apples, cream, grapefrute, cheese, eggs, yogurt, 3 pieces of candy, red milk, and chireeos.

(When I asked him about the list, he offered a few explanations: The cream is for peaches and cream - I also find it ironic that "peaches" did not make the list. Three pieces of candy: "One for each of the kids.")

Amigo Numero Dos

Greg planned FHE on Monday night. We went to the South Town Expo Center to view the floats for the upcoming Pioneer Day Parade. When I first told Macy, she asked me what flavor. I laughed and explained they were not "ice cream floats." Then, she asked if they would be able to swim in them. She said this 3 or 4 times. I was so confused. Then, I finally made the connection: We call swimming tubes "floaties." I tried explaining what they really were, but since my children are ultra-deprived and have never been to a parade, she was clueless. I finally just told her that she would have to be surprised.

She went and got dressed (possibly outfit #6 or 7 - she goes through quite a few in a day). She obviously had quite a few layers on. When I lifted up her shirt, I saw her swimsuit. I asked her why she was wearing that. Her answer: "Just in case you're wrong about the floats."

* * *

Macy was in the car with Lisa telling her all about how we live on a little speck of dust. Lisa suggested that we don't actually live on a speck of dust, and that it's just a fun story/movie. Very seriously, Macy said: "Lisa! A person's a person no matter how small!"

Amigo Numero Tres

Austin was playfully teasing Paige by calling her a Goofball. She was becoming irate. Finally, I told her to calm down and that it was just a silly name. There was no need to get so upset. More angry than ever, she said, "Mom! Look at my face!" Then with a pleading tone, she added, "I'm Paige, right?!?"

* * *

The other day, I said to Paige, "Go finish your cereal before it gets too soggy."

She said: "I don't want to eat my cereal because then my tummy will be big like yours."

Big Brother; Big Sister

This boy...This one right here...

He is simply A.MAZ.ING!!! People have told me that these pre-teen years are the Golden Age of childhood. We are really enjoying him. He's old enough to really "get it," and yet he still really likes us. We joke with him, chat with him, and he is really so pleasant most of the time. I've worried about him because the girls will have each other, and the twins will have each other, but I he's just sort of stuck out there - at the beginning of our family - sort of all alone. We wondered what kind of relationship he would have with his brothers - being 8 years apart. He absolutely adores them. He has so much patience with them, loves helping them, and relishes in teaching them things. I walked into the front room today and found this:

Austin had put Spencer on the bench with him while he was practicing his piano.


The most amazing thing to me is that Austin was able to go on with his normal practice with his baby brother pounding on the keys right next to him. It didn't phase him; it didn't distract him. I guess that's what it's like - being the oldest of 5!

If your hands get tired, go ahead and try playing with your mouth. (Don't worry; I'm sure this is perfectly sanitary.)

Check out the second picture - Can you tell that Spence is swinging his legs while playing. He was just dancing away to his own little music. Love it!

Just taking a closer look at the notes. What a good little pianist! Oh, and don't forget the page turn.

Austin has really blossomed this past year in his piano playing. He is really loving it, and it is rarely a battle to practice anymore. I found a book for boys. Right now, he is playing songs from "Harry Potter" and "Star Wars." He gets excited about practicing and taking on the challenge of these harder pieces. Love it!!!

I just love this picture. Spencer is staring up at Austin. Fair or not - the oldest sibling sets an example and somewhat of a precedence. I hope that all my children follow his example in the music department. He has been so diligent and he is starting to really love it. Thanks for being such a fabulous Big Brother, Austin. I sure do love you!

Meanwhile, in another corner of the house, Macy has hijacked Kade and turned him into "Andriella":

So sorry, Bud:

The attempted escape:

The capture:

Trying to have a sense of humor about the situation:

I think this is how he really feels about his torture:

This Week in Snapshots

Austin turned 9 (N.I.N.E.) - can you even believe it??? He asked us how many days he's been alive. So, we told him to multiply 365 by 9 and add 7. He laughed, grabbed Dad's iphone, and found the calculator app (kids these days). I feel a bit like Rip Van Winkle. How come I can only recall a handful of those 3, 292 days??? What happened to my little boy? He's turned into a big kid in the blink of an eye. I sure love you, Bud!

Macy (enough said):

Sisters (with "Summer Hair"):

Paige emerged from my bathroom looking like this the other day (I promptly found a new place to put my make-up):

These are the very happy hands of a boy that has just returned from Scout Camp. Awesome! Definitely one of the highlights of the summer for my Cub Scout! He came home on cloud nine both days, talking our ear off about all the highlights (BB guns, archery, and the jokes - oh the endless jokes), and looking (and smelling) like Pig-pen from Charlie Brown. Thanks to all the wonderful leaders for making this possible.

When Greg and Austin got home from the Fathers-And-Sons Campout last month, Macy asked when it was going to be "Daddys & Daughters." He promised her a fishing trip. He was sure she would be bored out of her mind, but she surprised him. I guess she LOVED casting. She even practiced in the front yard when she got home (she was trying to catch the car). She said her goal was to cast it "20 feet." They didn't catch any fish, but some people gave them one of theirs. She wasn't too sure about the gutting of the fish though. We grilled it up and she ate all of it (she is definitely my best fish eater).

*Yes, I did let my daughter out of the house dressed like that. Hair in shambles, too-big hat hanging over her ears, and please - don't forget to check out the socks!

The Mullet Crisis of 2010:

Before & After:

Paige's new "I'm Getting My Picture Taken" face, complete with squinty eyes and crooked smile. I get it every time she sees a camera. I like to call it: I'm Three and I Have My Own Brain - In Case You Haven't Noticed

Weird Shot - I was taking some stuff out the garbage with my little helper. On the way back, Paige said, "Can you hold my hand." I saw our shadows in the grass and snapped a picture.

We could not get Paige in bed fast enough last night. She was beyond grumpy. It was all I could do to take a deep breath and read her a story (instead of toss her on the bed and walk out the door). When Macy went to bed, this is what we found. This sweet little angel, with her hands tucked tenderly under her head, couldn't possible be the same terror nightmare that was on the rampage just 30 minutes earlier! One time, I asked my mom why she had so many pictures of us sleeping (when we were kids). Without missing a beat, and in her sweetest, most sincere voice, she said, "Because that's when I loved you the most."

Apparently the twins were in bed or down for a nap while we were taking all these pictures. It's difficult to navigate a camera (or anything really) with four arms and four legs constantly grabbing and climbing and wanting every bit of attention. But, after two tries, this fabulous lady did manage to get some dang cute photos of my sweet boys. Check it out!

My New Haircut: Take Two

Remember my last haircut...That was eight months ago. Against my better judgement, I decided it was time to try again. Most people average two haircuts a year...right?!? Greg kind of liked my hair long (I use that term in a relative sense), and I liked being able to pull it into a ponytail during the summer, but the split ends were getting out of hand.

So, I walked in and asked for a trim. TRIM!!! She said, "So, are you thinking about a half an inch." Sure. That sounded good to me. She asked, "Do you want me to trim your layers too?" Of course, especially since that is where most of the split ends were coming from. She actually did cut a half inch off the length, and I'm estimating 3-4 inches off the layers.

At first, I thought, maybe it won't be so bad after I wash it and style it myself.

Wrong!

This is what I ended up with:

Actually, it's closer to one of these:

I know the 80s are back, but I think this might be pushing it a bit. So, I am on the hunt for a very , very talented hairstylist to fix this disaster. I'm thinking we might have to chop it off to my ears to salvage it. Dorothy Hamill here we come!

Grow hair, GROW!!!

Always Awesome

A few weeks ago, we were sitting in church, and Macy wanted to write some stuff down. She asked me about some spelling, and she wrote her sentence. Afterward, she showed me. I complimented her and told her how lovely her handwriting was. She looked up at me and said (with a shoulder shrug), "I'm always awesome." (And "humble" I might add.)

Miss Macers lost her first tooth a couple of weeks ago. It has been loose for a very long time, and she finally decided it was time for it to come out. Greg wrapped some dental floss around it, counted down from 20 (her suggestion), and yanked. We have evidence that it came out based on the hole in her mouth, but her actual tooth is MIA. We didn't even hear it land. Greg has scoured the room, I have vacuumed several times, I've even dusted, but that tooth has not shown up. Who knows?!? Macy was a very good sport about it. Luckily, with Dad's help, Macy wrote a note to the Tooth Fairy who forgave the loss and rewarded her with two dollars.

She's always awesome.

Happy Father's Day: A Female Perspective

Greg and I had the opportunity to attend the temple last night. We made a goal when we first got married that we would go to the temple at least once a month. We have been pretty good with that goal - except for the past year. I have only been a handful of times, and I have missed it terribly. We did Initiatories. Over the hour and half that we were there, I had the opportunity to look into the faces of about a dozen women. Maybe two of them were my mother's age, but most of them were quite a bit older. Each of them has lived so much of life. I was overcome with how strikingly beautiful a woman's face is as she ages. I found the lines and wrinkles so fascinating, and their eyes were absolutely radiant.

I thought a lot about these women that I had never met before, and will most likely never come in contact with again in this life. I figured that each of them have deep, strong testimonies of the gospel to give up their Saturday evenings to serve in the temple. As I looked into their eyes, I could see and feel their love for the Savior and this work. I figured that each one of them have faced challenges in their lives. Undoubtedly, many of them have suffered loss, and all of them have most definitely struggled through periods of frustration and trials. I figured that they are among Heavenly Father's most righteous daughters. And yet, they were all so different.

Some spoke quickly, others were positively animated while they spoke. There was one sister that just made me smile. I imagined how lovely it would have been to be a child of hers and have her tell bedtime stories. She was quite entertaining. One sister spoke incredibly slow - emphasizing each and every word. I imagined that this is probably how she is in all aspects of life; careful, exact, precise, and purposeful. One sister had the most gorgeous blue eyes. They were the color of the sky on a clear, summer day. Captivating. One sister spoke with a Brazilian accent. She moved her lips so quickly, and the accent was gorgeous. I could have listened to her all evening. One sister struggled through every one of my Chinese names. She was boisterous, and just smiled at her pronunciation. She tried her best, but did not seem flustered. I could imagine her plowing through everything in her life - with a smile and a laugh and a shrug of the shoulders when it didn't go perfectly. It is possible for each of us to live this life in our way, and worship in our way, and grow in our way.

As I sat there, I felt such a connection with these women. I felt such a connection with all women. I gained new insight to how the Gospel of Jesus Christ specifically blesses women. But mostly I felt so deeply how much our Heavenly Father loves his daughters. I know that my husband loves all of our children - deeply. But honestly, his daughters hold a very special place in his heart. I think most men would admit to this. There is such a unique bond between a father and his daughters. And I wondered if perhaps it isn't the same for our Heavenly Father. I knew that he loved these beautiful women that I met in the temple. They were his precious daughters, and so am I. It was one of those moments that can never be taken from me. A simple, yet profound moment where I felt so loved. A moment that seems almost too sacred to share, and yet I want to add my testimony of this sacred, eternal, unconditional love.

(Macy and I discovered this beautiful butterfly on our flowers this morning. She didn't stay long, and we didn't want to get too close. I just love Spring!)

To My Dad: My dad went above and beyond the call of duty this weekend. He and my mom took my five children so Greg and I could attend the temple. Normally, this wouldn't be such a sacrifice, but my sweet Paige has broken her leg. It is currently in a splint, and this child is miserable with a capital "M". She has cried for days!!! She has been awake and whining most of the hours of the night the past three nights. (Sidenote: For the record, I am not known for my patience at 4:08 in the morning.) I desperately needed a break, and my parents stepped up. Sure enough, she cried/whined for two hours straight when they got there. Finally, out of exhaustion and desperation, my mom surrendered to shoving candy in her mouth every time she opened it. While my mom was attending Paige, my dad was in charge of the twins. It is easy to be a good parent when everyone is getting along, people are in good moods, and things are going smoothly. It is easy to be a good dad on fun, exciting outings. But, a good dad - a really good dad - is there when it is tough. Thanks Dad, for being an amazing father. I love you. I am so blessed.

To My Husband: I love being the mother and observing this relationship that you have with our kids. I know you can't always see it, but you are the axis that their world's revolve around. You are the center of their universe. They adore you. A-Dore! You bring so much happiness into our home and into the lives of our kids. I feel so honored to share this life with you. Your dedication to me and to these kids is so inspiring. I know that you do a lot "behind the scenes." I know that you work so hard for us. I know that you carry a lot of stress and pressures on your shoulders. I know that you carry this burden alone to ease my burden. I am so happy that there is a day to celebrate your self-sacrifice and emphasize the importance of fathers. I love you. I am so blessed.

One of THOSE Days

This is how I feel tonight:

I think a combination of allergies (I don't know what the wind has stirred up, but I have been sneezing nonstop ALL DAY and my eyes are itching like crazy) and summer just kicking me in the butt (honestly, five kids home ALL DAY is just more of a tornado than I can keep up with), and I raise the white flag tonight. I surrender.

How many times a day do you say: "Shut the door!"??? Just one of the sounds of summer, I guess.

*This picture is a family favorite for obvious reasons that involve great torture on my behalf. Although that looks like Spencer (same carseat that he is using now), it is actually Austin. That picture was taken eight years ago. If you look closely, I bet you'll see a little drool on the corner of my mouth. I'm known for drool...and natural beauty, of course.