Mommy Money...

This week the school is having a book fair. Breckyn is dying to spend her money on books. The teachers take the classes down and have the kids make a list of books so their parents know which books to buy. (convenient huh?) Breckyn's class has one more chance to buy stuff today. So this morning she is begging me to take some money for books. I tell her maybe she should just save her money (knowing that every book there is still gonna cost me serious moola for her to "buy" it with her own money). She says, "Yeah right, girls don't save money." I say, "Yeah, they do-- I save money." To which she replies, "No you don't, you spend money all the time. Dad makes all the money and you spend it whenever you want to." (shock still showing on my face as a pick up my shattered little pieces to reply) I try to explain to her the finer details of running a house hold and who has what jobs-- nothing... I try to tell her that girls can do lots of things blah, blah, blah,... bottom line-- she didn't get to take money to the book fair. (on principal-- or perhaps pride-- but either way I technically won) So, we will be taking a "guilt trip" to Barnes and Nobles this weekend to make up for my evilness as a mother today.... when does it get easier?

Rugby is too smart...

Tonight I said that Tim's joke was "dumb." I was quickly corrected by the word police (a.k.a. Breckyn) and told that we don't say "dumb." Rugby added to my correction by saying we also don't say freedom. I said, "yeah, we do say freedom-- why wouldn't we?" He says, "Mom, free dumb-- it says dumb too." I stand corrected in a weirdo sort of way. Official correction to the rule-- we can say words with dumb in them, just not dumb itself. ...and it just keeps gettin' better...

More Snow...

We got a bunch more snow this weekend. Today after school the kids and I played outside. Here are our adventures...

Breckyn beat Rugby to the top.... oh the glory.

Rugby with his turn at King of the Mountain... too much power goes straight to his head.
Breckyn and Rugs kept climbing up on my life guard stand and jumping off into the snow. Believe it or not, no one got hurt-- bonus.
Emerson out next to the huge mounds of snow.
Does that look like trouble or what?
Breckyn, still showing off her new hole.
Breckyn peeping out from one of our snow mountains.
Brothers and sisters gotta hug!Brecky, Rugs, and me (I know, you're thinking-- is that Blossom or Leca?) (Thanks for laughing Cheri, I know you are the only one that will get what I mean and actually think I'm funny)

We have a hole...

Breckyn finally lost her other front tooth. This morning it was barely hanging on and Tim offered to put it out of its misery. Breckyn agreed and Tim pulled. Her hole is officially ginormous. It looks a lot cuter with the big hole than the hillbilly tooth that had migrated to the middle. She is lovin' the toothfairy business-- she made $1 for each tooth! She is rich now and dying to spend the money on something amazing. I offered to let her spend the money on an icecream date with Mom... we are still in negotiations. As for now, she is rich, toothless, and happy-- just like I hope to be someday (just not the toothless part).

Wierd Science...

So I promised you pictures and here they are. I cannot explain how completely excited our kids were for this night. They have been counting down the days all week and trying to trick Tim into thinking it was Science Night everyday. The moment they had all been waiting for finally came.... Tim presented each one of them with their own pair of safety goggles and cranked up the science song and this is what happened....

Tim with that crazy look in his eyes... the look of science!

The whole research team ready to start some experimenting

(no animals were hurt in this process)

Emerson-- a little goggle challenged... but we're working on it!

The kids ready for their first chemical reaction

The start of the major explosion (just vinegar and baking soda-- the smaller,

less messy version of a volcano)

Zoey and her bottle waiting for their turn

Rugby totally amazed that his dad is a real scientist

Emerson-- thinking he is going to get to drink this cool new soda...

it's a little too zippy for my taste

Brecky thinking this is officially the coolest night of her life

Under Mom's recommendations, they also painted bird houses (boring, I know)

I pitty the bird who will live here...

B and Z hmmm... is Zoey even painting the bird house-- looks more like her arm to me.
The next morning I had a hard time convincing the kids that they didn't need their safety goggles for everything. I've made lots of pancakes without losing an eye--

but, safety first I guess.

The kids at the breakfast table-- still wearing the goggles.
Emerson-- still goggle challenged-- but so cute!

Rugby told me the next morning that he is officially a scientist because he did lots of experiments with Dad. They also ventured outside with some 2 liter diet Cokes and mentos. Apparently it also explodes (note to all readers-- NEVER MAKE THAT COMBO IN YOUR TUMMY-- it will also explode in a different way). It shoots up into the air several feet-- completely sealing the deal on Tim's credibility as a scientist to the kids. They loved it! Stay tuned for next weeks compelling episode of Taylor Daddy Science Night....

I woke up to this...

This is my good good boy. I woke up to some rustling in the hallway this morning. I come out and find this handsome man all dressed for the day. He had gotten himself naked and picked out his own clothes. He could only reach the PJ's and the summer clothes (not the undie drawer). He has on a short sleaved shirt, a PJ top and some socks (inside out). He is definately missing something in the middle-- but I didn't want to crush his little feelings. So, we celebrated with a few pictures.
Nice mix of shirts huh?
Oh yeah, he looked the cutest from the back-- squeezy cheeks!
Rugby got a new T-shirt that he helped pick out himself. He has been telling everyone what it says because he knows it's funny. The look on his face sums up his mood today... it's going to be a long day (for me).

Breckyn lost a tooth...

This morning while I was brushing B's teeth one came flying out. She spit out a frothy white wad of tooth and now has a cute little hole that makes a funny whistling sound. The next door neighbor tooth is just barely hangin' on so I'm sure we'll have a cute big hole on our hands soon.

A special thanks to Grandma G and Grandpa Dennis for making this moment possible. It warmed up to 39 degrees and sunny today. We were loving it-- and broke out the summer toys early. The boys took this baby to maximum speed and tried out it's 4 wheel capabilities. It's a pretty sweet ride. Thanks guys!

Zoey on the school's "crazy hair" day.
Breckyn-- also "crazy hair" day. I did "piggies all over their heads with

lots of bows for that extra "crazy" effect.

Wal-Mart

Breckyn decided she wanted to make me my favorite thing-- she got creative. This is a box left over from the Barlow's move-- tweeked a little and formed into my own personal Wal-Mart. (granted I like Target better-- but Wal-Mart is closer to our house so I got Wal-Mart) My baby just thinking of her Mommy, how sweet is that!

Wal-Mart clearly labled and so it's not mistaken for anything else.
The produce section and the check-out lady.
The toy section and a tiny door that she cut out all by herself with blunt tipped scissors-- Impressive!
The top of the box decorated very cheery-- because Wal-Mart makes Mommy happy.

watch what you say...

Tim told the kids that he had a super cool "daddy night" planned for them. Breckyn keeps drilling Tim about what it is. To which he replies, "I could tell you-- but then I'd have to kill you." (thank you Tim) Breckyn doesn't say anything to him at the time but feels she needs to taddle on him to her teacher and also to me. Her teacher says-- "Kill is not a word I like to use." She takes me aside and says, "Dad said something highly inappropriate to me today." At this point I'm trying to contain my giggles because my 6 year old said "highly inappropriate." (immature of me, I know, but it was still funny) I say as seriously as possible-- "what did he say honey?" She proceedes to tell me that Dad said kill and that is not a word that Taylors are suppose to use. I tried to tell her that her dad thought he was being funny-- she failed to see the humor and pressed for action to be taken against Tim. I tried every angle around the issue to try to help Tim out-- it wasn't happening. She says, "Adults make all of these rules and then don't follow them." I try the "it was funny" angle again-- nothing. So I cave and tell her that I will talk to her Daddy about his highly inappropriate behavior. So now Tim is down in the slums with the grody boy in her class that said "pee" today-- also highly inappropriate...
For any other censuring issues you might have please contact Breckyn via email-- she'd like to know if anything "highly inappropriate" is going down so that she can stop it.

Ode to Timmy...

Tim is the best daddy in the whole world. Every couple of Saturdays he piles the kids in the car (I'm still sleeping of course, which he lets me do every Saturday) and takes them to the bakery for doughnuts. They are always in their pajamas and looking a little unorganized-- but they always have a blast. I think this picture sums up how they all feel.... THANK YOU DADDY!
I figure as long as I'm gushing why not through in a few extra stories. Every Thursday night is girls night out at the Taylor house-- that means that I go out with my mom and sisters for the evening and he mans the kids. (dinner, activity, baths, and bed) It rocks for me and has given him some serious daddy skills. Anyway, he says to me just before I leave, "Can you download a song for me on your ipod?" I'm a little skeptical because he has had no interest in my ipod up until now. So I venture a little further into his motive only to find that he wants the song "Weird Science" no, you didn't read it wrong-- WEIRD SCIENCE. The freaky Oingo Boingo song from the 80's-- freaky then and still freaky now. I'm thinking-- what? So he goes on to explain that he feels he could make more out of his Thursday nights with the kids by turning it into science night... and you can't have a science night without a theme song-- duh! I'm starting to think I might not have a house to come home to-- they could be experimenting with anything with Tim as the teacher. "Hmmm, this week we are going to talk about firecracker safety-- or maybe we'll start something on fire" I'm not sure how this is going to work-- but I do know that he has asked me to purchase safety glasses for all of our children-- that's not a good sign. I told him to keep it to bird houses and clay bowls-- but that doesn't sound super sciencey. He has also told all of the kids that he is a real scientist (he graduated with a biology major). But, the next day, after the first sucessful "science night," the kids are now asking for the new super cool "Daddy song." Next week.... volcanoes-- I'm sure I'll have pictures to share.

Kids are the best...

So we are getting ready for showers and bedtime routine and Breckyn starts complaining that she has had a really long day and she is tired. (a direct quote from me, stolen and used by my children-- hmmmm... they do catch on to my "phrases" a little too fast) So I tell her, "It's ok, just take a nice long hot shower and shower off the day." To which Rugby replies rather quickly-- "yeah, Breckyn I see some "day" on your butt-- go shower it off!" Kids say the best things and that's what keeps my days so interesting...

Emerson with his constant companion... the LOUD truck (sound effects not included)
Zoey spending a little quality time on the computer
Brecky practicing her piano for lessons tomorrow. If you notice there is no music because every week she tries to think of new ways to "Wow" her teacher. This week she is working on "no music"-- who knows, maybe next week, no hands. :)
All the kids playing the computer together with Rugs at the wheel.

K P is back!!!

Our family are closet cartoon junkies. I mean all of us seriously like our cartoons. We had gotten hooked on a Disney cartoon called Kim Possible a few years back-- we TiVoed every episode and had all the seasons at the touch of a button... but we got bored. The series never got new episodes so we had seen every one like a bagillion times. We hit the jack-pot a few days ago when we saw an ad that said new episodes were coming.....AAAAAAAHHHHHH! We were in heaven. So here we are-- the pathetic, completely hooked, mesmerized, (but we could totally quit any time ) Taylor family. KP is back baby!!!!! (if anyone needs some good cartoon suggestions-- our family is also currently addicted to Justice League, Superman, Spiderman, and a little Jimmy Neutron-- just to mix it up)

Tim and the kids watching their first compelling episode of Kim Possible.

Nothing bonds a family like a little KP...

Tim and Zoey reading books
Breckyn reading her library book

Breckyn and her new hair cut