LAST POST of 2009

Last night CC begged me to make spagetti. She has loved it since Grandma Craven came to visit last October and made it for her. Sierra was so excited to eat spagetti. MJ was little excited herself. I loved watching her eat it, she was so intent and messy.
MJ and CC have been playing in these boxes since we got back from the store. They were using them as a train and making me push them around the living room. I can't believe how out of shape I am, it didn't last long. For the new year we ate and talked of what 2010 will bring. We have been waiting for this year for a long time, ever since Nate was excepted into school, class 2010. I can't believe we have been here for four years and I can't believe we are almost done. I can't believe I will have to say goodbye. I can't believe how much pain that makes me feel, thinking of saying goodbye, when I reflect on how hard my first year was. I love it here. It will be really hard to say goodbye.

HANGIN' WITH MY GIRLS

Nate took CC on a Daddy Daughter Date.(Say that three times fast.) He suggested it. She ran to her bedroom to get dressed. He took her to Wendy's, the greatest restaurant on earth according to her, and ordered her nuggets and a frosty. He then took her to the pet shop. She has been begging to go for sometime. They picked out this little number. She has been staring at it for two days. She turned on a Strawberry Shortcake show and watched it with the fish. She had to watch it upside down so the fish could see. She has drawn him several pictures, played him several lullabies, read him stories, and shown him everything she got for Christmas. She wanted to name him Nathan Ralph but Nate adamently objected, so she settled on Mr. Fishy Fish.
Me and the girls today chilling in our Pajamas.
I love these little girls. Maybe we should get dressed and do something today. Then again, maybe not.

CHRISTMAS EVE & DAY

After helping Santa out, I sat down to watch It's a Wonderful Life. (My father always set the biggest presents up tall infront of the tree. Then funneled the remaining presents out biggest to smallest. We carried on the tradition. Doesn't it look nice.)
MJ asleep in her new pajamas.
Sierra so excited that Santa brought her a princesses polly in her stocking.
Sierra opening grandma and grandpa McKnight's gift.
Sierra elated. Here grandma knows her pretty well.
Sierra showing Nate what her grandma and grandpa gave her. Since she opened all the art supplies. She has made dozens of works of art. The fridge is full and so is the kitchen table. Her work is taking over the house. Look in the mail. You maybe getting some beautiful pictures pretty soon. ;)
Santa brought us puzzles to put together this year. Nate and Sierra put puzzles together most of the day. Nate kept complaining but he insisted on finishing.
MJ playing with her gift from grandma and grandpa McKnight. MJ played with this most of the day, she loved it.
MJ loving her new baby doll.

Merry Christmas!

OUR LITTLE ANGEL

Joy was so sweet and allowed us to use her house to have a evening to remember the true meaning of Christmas. The children all dressed up and preformed the nativity. CC was an angel. I practiced all day with her so she could do her lines. I would mess up the line on purpose, so she would correct me and remember the words. She thought is was a fun game. She made up her own version of misplaced words and kept saying, "Fear not I bring you bras?" and laughing her head off. I told her that wasn't funny and hoped my staunch objection would prevent her public announcements of bras. Luckily, she was too shy to say her line.
Here's an adorable Shepherd
There is the beautiful blessed mother along with a real live baby playing Jesus.
If you would like to watch the production in its entirety click here. Merry Christmas. Thanks Joy for opening your home and suggesting such a wonderful activity.

DEAD ANIMAL ZOO.

I love these two little girls. Yesterday when I went in to tuck them in before I went to bed. I saw them sleeping like this. It reminded me of snuggling up to my little sister when we shared a bed as little girls. I am grateful my girls have each other.
We went to West Virgina today to Cabela's one of Nate's favorite outings. Sierra insisted on bringing some friends along. She has been playing with these three good fairies none stop. She is always sitting in the corner doing all the little voices. She is obsessed with fairies.
Thanks Jennifer and Derrick for making her day again.
The girls love Cabela's too. We call it the dead animal zoo. It is such a great place to take little kids because the animals don't move, so they get to see all of them. I love it. They rode around in a very bumpy, twirling, fast shopping cart and saw some awesome animals and fish (Nate's personal favorite.). All in all better than any theme park.

SHAMBOLICIOUS

I loved this lady on the past season of Survivor. The announcer asked her, "What do you call that hair style?" She replied, "Shambolicious." Then he asked, "How long have you been sporting that hair cut." She said, "Since 1987." He said, "Have you ever thought about changing it." She said, "Why mess with perfection baby?"
I feel you girl. Here is a picture of me sporting my own bit of perfection.
More Shamboliciousness.
Everyone needs a good laugh this time of year.

SNOW DAY

Get really warm. Put on way too many layers.
Go for a sled ride.
Eat some snow. (I know snow is dirty, but I loved eating it as a little girl. Why spoil the simple pleasures of life because of dirt and germs and polution?)

ONERY AND A BABY

If you ignore the banter between CC and I, MJ is pretty cute. CC was mad because I took apart the t.v. and threw it into the entry way and threatened to haul it to the garbage shot, because she had another melt down today when I told her to turn the t.v. off. I am done with t.v. for a little while. I am sure it will be back, but for now it is in the entryway.

Later, I put CC in the bath with MJ and they played and she forgot about the t.v. Here is a picture of them playing with dolls after they were all clean. PRICELESS.

FREE TO A GOOD HOME: 4 YR OLD GIRL

I told CC to leave her princess video game and come help me clean her room. She came. I told her to pick up the books and I would make the bed. She watched me make the bed. I finished. I said, "Pick up the books CC." She said, "You help me." (Translation: You pick them up while I watch.) I said, "No you pick the books up." She started to cry and scream and throw a fit. Then I said, "No, princess video games for the rest of the day unless you stop and pick up the books." The fit continued. Then she said, "I don't want you to be my mom anymore. I want a different mom." There you have it folks. CC is looking for a new mom.

I told her I would video her ad for a new mom. She changed her mind. See video.CC I love you so much. I will be your mom forever and ever even when you are a silly goose girl.

FUNNY STORY

Sierra would not stop coming out of her bedroom tonight. I was getting so frustrated. She mentioned her stomach hurt. I told her she shouldn't have eaten four tacos for dinner. (I don't even think her Dad ate four tacos. She kept saying she was so hungry.) She replied, "Well, mom you shouldn't have made such yummy tacos or I wouldn't have eaten so many." At one point she came out of her bed and said, "Mommy, I am so sorry." I said, "Why are you so sorry?" She said, "Because I am writing. I have to practice my letters." She then came back out to show me what she had done. They were the best A's I think she has ever done. She was so excited as she handed it to me she exclaimed, "I passed my test." I couldn't get mad. I said, "Good job... Now get to bed!" She finally fell asleep. I sat down to watch a PBS special. An hour later she comes out of the back bedroom. Her eyes are glazed over. She said, "Mom, Madison pooed all over the bed and I can't sleep." I jumped up and headed for her bedroom. (Maybe, Nate hadn't check MJ's diaper before he put her to bed and she had a blow out. He had rocked her to sleep.) I got to the bedroom and looked on the bed. There is MJ all curled up on one side of the bed and there is literally throw up covering CC's entire side of her bed, pillows, blankets, sheets, mattress, floor, and a trail of it all the way out the door. It was all over in CC's hair and all over her pj's. I put her in the tub. She said, "Why do I have to get in the tub? I don't want to get in the tub. I just need to brush my teeth because I got some of that poo in my mouth." I insisted she needed a bath. She threw up in her sleep. I don't think she realized what had happened until she threw up again while I was trying to brush her teeth. So here I sit, laughing about my poor daughter who woke up in what she thought was a pile of MJ's poo and doing laundry. I think I maybe up for a few more hours.

SANTA VIDEOS

Send your own ElfYourself eCards

Seriously. This is one of my favorite family traditions. Elf yourself and laugh and laugh and laugh. I can't help it. It is just funny. If you have children that believe here is a fun video my cousin recommended. The minute Santa said Sierra's name she dove behind my legs and the minute he mentioned her brushing her teeth she ran to her room and hide under the blanket on her bed.

A WALK, PLEASE

MJ begged to go for a walk. I got out the door and halfway around the first block and she was out.
Sierra stole her apple.
She decided she wanted some for herself.
CC brought her nature journal. She is suppose to draw pictures of nature when we are out doors but mostly she draws Mermaids.
She loves to draw and has continued to draw, despite her prior threat to never draw again
I love this beautiful home we saw on our walk. I love the wreaths hanging on all the windows.
CC loves the swings.
MJ loves the swings too. CC loves to push MJ in the swings.
When we got home we had hot chocolate and mashmellows.
MJ thought it was pretty yummy.
Happy holidays. Have a beautiful day.

WARD CHRISTMAS PARTY

We went to the ward Christmas party tonight. Santa was there. Sierra absolutely refused to go up and sit on his lap. Finally she said, "If you go up with me mom then I will sit on his lap." I went up with her. She wouldn't sit on his lap. I sat on his lap. She got a little gift from him. Most of the other girls got a little fairy doll from the dollar store. She got crayons. She cried. I told her Santa just knows what a good artist you are and he wants you to draw more. She said, "I am never drawing again." When she got home her Dad tried to convience her that her gift was awesome. He sat down and drew with her. She was happy.
I put MJ in Sierra's bed last night. Both of the girls slept from 10:00pm till 4:00am, the best night sleep of my life. We will try it again tonight and see if we are onto something, or whether it was a fluke.

COOKIES

MJ has been acting really strange. She has been running a slight fever on and off. One day she will appear fine and two days later she is running a slight temperature again. She hasn't been sleeping well. Last night she was awake most of the night. I can tell her little body is in pain but don't know what is wrong. She isn't screaming just uncomfortable and fidgety. Today when her daddy came home from school she reach for him and snuggled right down on his chest and went to sleep. She loves her daddy.
CC made cookies today. My friend picked me up some frozen sugar cookie dough. First experience doing sugar cookies, not from scratch. I loved it. Little fuss, little mess, and a lot of fun.
Sierra got a little too excited and frosted the cookie before it was cooked. Silly girl.

COMB

Seriously honey, let's not do this again. Sigh.

THESE ARE THE DAYS OF MY LIFE

I forgot to turn on the garbage disposal before I hooked up the washing machine. The sink filled and then spilled over. Yeah. Sigh. I spent at least an hour cleaning it up.
The water filled the drawers as it slopped over the counter and ran down the face of the cabinets. Sigh.
Worst still. The girls had to go back to their room because they were wanting to make water foot prints in the carpet. They took their spagetti. (We were in the middle of dinnertime.) This was the result. Twenty more minutes of wiping up spagetti out of the carpet and the toy box. Breathe.
(This probably should be a seperate post. I had a better morning.) I finished this project this morning. My first ever re-cycle t-shirt dress. Two old t-shirts = a new dress for CC. She loved it. Yes, I tried a re-verse applique on the sleeve. I am not thrilled about how it turned out. I wish I had of put it on the top of the sleeve instead of the side, but I will know next time. All in all, a success.