Kitchen Girls

(Alexa titled this blog)

On Sunday my cute girls decided they wanted to help with dinner. They got themselves dressed in these adorable "kitchen" outfits and went to work. Callie kept running around the house yelling, "I need the recipe" over and over and over. So, even though Mom had the recipe in her head, I had to get out the cookbook and show it to her. They tried so hard to be helpful. Callie almost cried when I told her she couldn't take anything out of the oven. She assured me over and over that she was big enough and strong enough to do it. Maybe in a few years...

Let Her Eat Cake!!

I am finally getting around to posting pictures of Leah's birthday adventures. We kept it small and quiet this year. Grandma, PopPop and Uncle Nathan and KoKo were the only ones who came to the house for cake and ice cream (Aunt Lydia had to work). Leah gets a little tense when there are crowds around. And, with it being the last week of school, everyone is so busy- it just seemed like a good idea to do simple this year. I'll spare you the pictures of her sisters opening all her gifts, but the cake was lots of fun. We sang, Callie blew out the candle and then Leah stared at it. I had to put icing on my finger and let her lick it off before she understood what she was supposed to do- or what she could do with a whole cake to herself.
Alexa didn't think the cake I made for everyone else was as fun as Leah's. Luckily, Leah was willing to share. This is actually how Leah first started eating the cake- she wouldn't touch it with her hands, she just shoved her face down in it so she could get bites. It was really funny.
It took a little coaxing, but she finally got into it. She would pick up handfuls and squeeze it through her fingers before she would attempt to get it in her mouth.
I love this picture. Leah thinks it's really funny to feed me while I am feeding her. So, she is offering me a bite which, as a mother, you can't refuse. It was pretty good cake, I must say.

This is the aftermath of eating cake- don't they always end up getting a bath in the kitchen sink and then spending time with no clothes on?
It was a fun evening. We are so grateful to have Leah as a part of our family. Just seeing her little face in these pictures makes me smile.

Happy Birthday, Little One!

It's been nearly nineteen months since I first endured the shock of being pregnant. I was scheduled for testing to see what it would take to get pregnant after I ran the marathon. Imagine my surprise to find out I was already there!! It took an ultrasound to discover I was due on June 7th- my birthday. Near the end of my pregnancy I started having problems. I had three or four doctors appointments each week to monitor my fluid levels. On May 19th, we went to the hospital when the baby's movements changed. After a few hours of monitoring I had the choice of staying or going home. I chose to go home (yes, I'd rather deal with the pain on my own couch till I really can't stand it anymore). I slept all night and we were back at the hospital in the morning when her movements changed again. My doctor was waiting for us- he didn't give me a choice this time. He broke my water around 8AM. Leah Jayne was born at noon. My doctor happens to be in my ward... they had to call him out of Sunday School - he barely made it on time, but was done in time to make it to the end of Priesthood. :) Although Leah was a surprise, she has been nothing but a blessing. She is sweet, and cuddly, and loves to make her sisters laugh. She adores them. Each morning when I get her out of her crib, I thank Heavenly Father for sending such a beautiful little girl to my home. We have been blessed. At just five pounds when we brought her home from the hospital, I was afraid I would break her! We were so lucky she didn't have any problems from being born three weeks early. She is still our tiny girl- weighing in at a whopping 16 and half pounds.
Her sisters still adore her. Alexa is such a good babysitter and Callie... well, Callie tries really hard to take care of her too... in her own way.
Under that hat is piles of dark hair. She had more hair than both my other girls and we thought they had lots! She also had blue eyes, which was a shock for us. I thought for sure those Italian genes of Andrew's would give us all brown-eyed babies. How fun to have a blue-eyed girl too. I still look at her eyes and smile.
She didn't even really fit in this car seat when she was born. I tried not to take her anywhere just because I hated having to try to make her little body fit in the seat!

Bagged

So, we're not exactly sure how she did this... she was playing with the bag today and it ended up on her back. Weird. huh? It was really funny and she didn't seem to mind much. I wish I would have been watching her to see how it happened! I grabbed the camera so I could get a good side shot, but whenever I tried to get a picture of her, she'd veer towards me and ruin it. So, the pictures we got are slightly blurry and are not great. But, it did make us all laugh today!

Buxtonbag.com

So, Alexa has got to be the funniest kid around. Yesterday were playing on the floor of my room while Andrew was on the computer working. The TV was on and all of the sudden Alexa walks right up to it. This was our conversation:

Mom: Lex, what are you doing? Back up from the TV.

Lex: But, this is my favorite commercial. It's an organizing bag.

Mom: A what?

Lex: Mom, it's like a purse only you can find things easier. See? It has a place for your cell phone and your keys so you can always find them. (As she is intently watching and not looking at me at all).
And, it comes in two other fashion colors. Red or Tan. Which do you like?

Mom: (trying not to laugh), Well, I think the black is good.

Lex: And, if you order now they will give you a digital reminder so you can remember what you need to get at the grocery store. Isn't it great?

Mom: (trying to think if great is the word I am looking for), Well, I'm glad you like it. Have you seen this commercial lots?

Lex: Yes. I already said it was one of my favorites.


I have now decided that before Alexa learns how to use a credit card we must cancel the cable at our house so we get NO infomercials. Five years old and already mentally buying whatever they sell on TV. So, if anyone wants to see the Buxton Bag, just visit their website at: buxtonbag.com... or you can just call my house. Alexa can fill you in on any of the details I may have missed.

The Three Amigos... or is that Stooges?

So, it is practically impossible to get a decent picture of three kids at the same time. You have one crawling away, another who always smiles with her eyes closed, another who is trying to make the crawler laugh and stay in one place. It's a total recipe for disaster. So, here are the pictures in all their glory. I don't think we will attempt to do this again anytime soon.



Yes- if you look closely, I am bribing her with Cheetos.... the worst possible thing to have around when you are taking pictures. Can we find a messier treat? Her shirt came off right after this and had to be laundered promptly. Ahh... someday I will learn.











She was maybe too tired to take pictures... or maybe too hungry... or maybe she hated her outfit. I just don't know. She wouldn't smile, she refused to stay in one place, and cried a few times when I tried to put her back in place. Oh wait- I figured it out. She's almost one- no other explanation needed, right?

OK, so this picture of the three of them isn't too bad- well, of the older girls. Leah, Leah, Leah. Life was so much easier before you were mobile!

I think Callie is starting to look so much older. She is nearly three, which almost seems impossible, doesn't it?
Cute Alexa. I don't know what was said to make her smile so big. She usually has the most fake smiles. This one is almost to the other extreme. She is such a sweetheart.

Water Fun

Today we went to the Library for storytime. We brought Callie's cute friend, Jaide, with us. Our library downtown has this great little town-squarish area outside where they have added a splash park and wading area with rocks to climb on. We ate lunch there and then spent some time playing. It was so much fun! The weather was great and the girls had a good time. I think we will have to head there more often this summer.

Make video montages at www.OneTrueMedia.com

Cotton Days

We had a busy day on Saturday. Washington City Cotton Days was this last week, so we went to the parade on Saturday morning with our friends the Dean's. We then had a double birthday party for our cousins Breanna and Cade. And, I left the party early to go get a pedicure and a manicure. Fun for me! It was nice being alone for awhile. These are pictures of the kids at the parade. Amie and Ryan- if you thought Puyallup was small-town, you haven't been to Washington City, Utah. I think half the parade was made up of tractors. The kids had a good time- the weather was perfect that early in the morning, it wasn't too crowded and it was done in less than an hour. What a perfect parade! Jordan, Alexa, Callie, Parker and Leah waiting for the Parade to start. They didn't last long on this blanket. I think it mostly housed the candy that was collected.
This is the Washington City Royalty. Two of the girls are in our ward (red dress and dark dress). Way to go Kaylee and Amber!! We are so proud of you!
Leah, watching from the safety of her stroller. I think she really enjoyed herself- she didn't even complain once. And, she loved when the horses came by. She would point and yell. It was really cute.
Some of our spoils from the parade. Almost every float or entry throws candy. Parker was great to be the first on the scene; he'd grab what he could so the little kids didn't get trampled by other big kids. Collecting candy can be a nasty business...

Mother's Day

These are my cute girls and the beautiful tulips they picked out for me for Mother's Day (with the help of their Dad, of course). Mother's Day is always an interesting holiday, I think. We spend so much time and energy to make ONE day nice for our moms- a dinner she doesn't have to cook herself, gifts and cards to let her know how much we love her, possibly a nap, which every mother needs, etc. And, it is nice- I'm not complaining about Mother's Day. But, what I like more than the one day is when my kids draw me a picture just because or they give me a hug and tell me they love me because I got them a drink of juice or when Dad takes them outside on a normal day so the house is quiet for a while. Those are the times I love. Mother's Day is great, but the other days are what matter most to me. So, this is a tribute to all the other days of the year that don't have a sign or Hallmark card reminding you to think of all that your Mother has done for you.

Tagged... Again

Thanks, Honor...

A: The rules of the game are posted at the beginning.
B: Each player answers the questions about themselves
C: At the end of the post, the player then tags 3 people and posts their names, then goes to their blogs and leaves them a comment, letting them know that they have been tagged and asking them to read your blog.

1. What was I doing 10 years ago...
I had just finished my first year at BYU. I was home for the summer working at Old Navy (glamorous, I know). And, I was probably getting ready to leave to visit Andrew in Baltimore for a couple weeks. He had probably just gotten his mission call to London and would be leaving in September. Two years seemed like such along time back then- now it feels like nothing.

2. What is on my to-do list for today?
Well, since today is almost over, I'll give you my list for tomorrow: return books and the girls' movies to the library, finish the laundry I started today, clean anything else I can while the girls are gone (Alexa and Callie are spending the night with Grandma, PopPop and Aunt Andrea), get all of Leah's too small clothes out of her drawers and find the summer clothes that fit her...I know they are around here somewhere.

3. What would I do if I suddenly became a billionaire?
Buy a house in Washington, a plane and a personal pilot so I could go home whenever I wanted and my family could come here whenever they wanted. And, a house on the ocean that was big enough for my family to get together there every summer.

4. 3 Bad habits...
I bite my nails when I am nervous.
I answer my kids without even hearing the question... I'm pretty good at tuning them out
I wander around the house when I am on the phone (my kids do it now too)

5. Places I have lived.....Puyallup, WA (Edgewood too, I guess), Anacortes, WA; Provo, UT; Salt Lake City, UT; St. George, UT; Washington, UT

6. Places I have worked...
Old Navy (in Washington and Utah), St. Joseph's Med. Center (Pharmacy), Zion's Bank, box office at Tuacahn Center for the Arts (the coolest job EVER... seriously).

7. 3 Things people don't know about me.... like my sister Honor, I also like to dance at home, but my girls don't think I'm weird- they love it. I dance with them and they are always mad when I say we need to be done.
When I was at BYU I wanted to apply for Study Abroad London... when Andrew got his mission call I decided that wasn't such a great idea and dropped the whole plan.
I've always had a complex about being too skinny- even going back as far as Junior High. I actually had a friend tell me that a Home Ec. class full of some of our other friends had a conversation on whether I was anorexic or not... it's bothered me ever since. I like food too much to ever abstain from it.

OK, so this was lots of fun- kind of. I am tagging Jill W., Emily K., and Leesa L.- if you want to do it.

Ode To The Pajama Pants

Come listen to my story... a tale of woe-
Of the pajama pants my Beehives started, oh so long ago.

With sixteen Beehives, WHAT WERE WE THINKING??
Of taking on such a large undertaking.

We've spent three activities working on them all;
If I hear one more person say, "SISTER HENCH!", under a rock I will crawl.

I don't think I can take one more Tuesday night of "fun",
So, they'll come to our homes to get them all done.

Now, I love my Beehives; I'm really not crying;
Just shaking my head, laughing and sighing.

Late... As Usual

So, it's May... I thought I should pay tribute to all those birthdays in April that I totally neglected. It's not that I forget- I always remember and have good intentions. It's just that I always think of it when I am in the middle of something else. And then something else comes up that has to be taken care of and something else... You get the picture. So, by the time I get a minute to do what I want, it's too late to call or send a card or update my blog. So, here's the list of April birthdays:

My Mom, niece Eliza, sister Emily, nephew jack, friend Jodie, nephew Tyler, friend Amber, Grandma Locke, cousin Kiana, friend Rachael, sister Karen, cute little Madilyn, friend Tracey (how was Disneyland, by the way?)... did I miss anyone? My apologies if I did.

Some of you may have recieved a proper birthday greeting. Sorry to those who didn't- I really can guarantee I did think of you on your actual birthday. There's always next year to do better, right?