The Dynamics of Fit Throwing

Last night Kaylee threw a fit because she wasn't allowed to stand on the toilet and brush her teeth (Jay caught her in the act and brought her into the kids room). She was so mad that she laid down on the floor screaming and thrashing around. She got up for a few seconds and then would lay back down again. Her fit lasted so long we went and got the camera and took pictures of her. It's cute and sad at the same time. Don't worry she went to bed right after this and then woke up this morning like nothing happened. Ah, to be a kid.

Crazy for Christmas

The excitement is definitely rising in our humble home. The kids have the Christmas Crazy bad this year. They can't stop talking about it, and seeing Santa everywhere is not helping us at all. Today Jay took them to the Dollar Store to find things for a few people so that they could give their own gifts this year. I can't wait to see what they picked out. I wish I was the carefree kid again, and not the stressed out Adult.

Mountaineer

You know your in trouble when the one year old in the house can get on top of anything. I heard this little knocking sound, and so I went to investigate, this is what I found. The only reason I have a picture is because the camera was sitting right there on the counter. I took one when she wasn't looking and then I said, "Hey!" And she immediately had this look on her face, guilty. Sometimes I feel like my whole week is about one of the kids, if that is true, this is definitely Kaylee's week.

Little Mama

When the kids are away, Kaylee will play. Lately Kaylee has been happy to put necklaces around her neck. But today that wasn't enough, she had to get the baby bag and Audrey's baby doll. She has been walking around with the two for twenty minutes, just holding the baby with her cheek pressed against the babies face. She is so cute.

Flashlight

The kids often ask for a flashlight when they are sent to bed and cannot sleep. Jay has lots of flashlights, all different sizes, and the kids love them. Last night JJ used his to read a book, I watched him shining it on everything in the room, looking closely at his hands and the pictures. Then I told him to lay down and go to sleep. Soon the flashlight was shining under his covers. I remember staying up late into the night reading with a flashlight, mostly Babysitters Club books, I read as many as I could get my hands on. There's nothing like a good book and a flashlight.

O' Christmas Tree

We picked out our Christmas tree from a parking lot the during the first week of December. I wonder what it's like to walk out into the snow and pick a tree from the quiet stillness that happens when the snow is falling. Maybe someday we will go and pick our tree from the snowy mountains, but this year it was the parking lot by the Pack-n-Save. We found a cute little six foot tree that we promptly decorated. The kids were really excited about it, especially Kaylee. I will post a picture of it decorated soon, I just keep forgetting take one when the lights are on at night.

My Feet

JJ has a weird relationship with his feet. The other day he came and told me that he had new feet that help him stop. I asked where he got the new feet, he said "Oh, at the store." And another time he ran into a door jam and Jay asked him if he was okay, to which JJ replied, "Yeah, I'm okay, are you okay feet? (high pitched voice) Yeah I'm okay." And then he said to Jay, "Yeah my feet okay." Today he told me that he got new feet to help him go fast. I just wonder, if he keeps replacing his feet where are all the old feet going?

Kriss Kross

When I woke up on Tuesday morning of last week JJ said, "Look Mom, I got dressed!" Of course I was so excited, this is a huge step toward clothing independence. I didn't have the heart to tell him that he put his whole outfit on backwards. When I was in sixth grade these two kids were very popular singers, they had a song called Kriss Kross and in the video they wore their clothes backwards. It was so popular, all of the boys at school were wearing their clothes backwards. JJ didn't know it but he was helping to reinvent that old trend one outfit at a time.

Asleep

I love that when the kids go to sleep it is like they are these sweet innocent little people who bear no resemblance to the ones that were driving us crazy just hours before. These are some of the ones that were so cute we had to remember them forever. The top is Kaylee airing her underarms (she does sweat a lot when she sleeps), and then JJ with stickers all over his body (we found stickers for days after that), and Kaylee asleep in the high chair (that was the first time it ever happened) and Audrey hanging her legs over the side of the bedrail (she cracks us up). I remember when we were kids my mom used to joke about how my sister Megan slept so still and always in the same spot that her bed was like a driveway. . . I don't think the same holds true now. Do you remember anything about funny sleeping habits from when you were a kid?

Fake Sick

I remember when I was a kid and I got to stay home and I started feeling better from whatever had made me feel bad well before the school day would have been over I thought that I might have been fake sick. I know that Audrey was really sick this weekend; but, it is as if her illness has been completely erased from her consciousness and now she is just FAKE SICK. Running around, getting the kids all riled up, throwing fits because she isn't able to see the T.V. etc. First thing in the morning today the kids set up the tents and went to work playing. They built tunnels, they had a camp out, they fought, and then they watched "How the Grinch Stole Christmas" and "Spongebob", then they played in the tent again. By the end of what would have been the regular school day I was wishing Audrey's fever had been long gone so that she would have been able to get out of the house. Thank goodness for tomorrow.

Mystery Sort of Solved

Well I just wanted to update you all on Audrey's condition. She has been running a 103-104.2 fever since Thursday night but did not complain of a sore throat and so we didn't think to check for Strep. But today the fever was still there and so we went to the doctor and she took one look and said that she was 90% positive that it's strep throat. She sent a culture to the lab and we should hear back tomorrow. So in the meantime no school until Wednesday at least. Wish her luck, or more accurately wish me luck since I have been home with her since Thursday night(I think tomorrow will be really hard for her, you know laying on the couch and being waited on hand and foot). Check out this brief story in from TIME about strep throat.

Laundry

I always do this to myself. I wait until the last minute to do Laundry and then this happens. This pile of clothes that needs to be folded and put away. For one brief moment there is not a dirty or clean pile of clothes. And then it happens all over again. I remember a sitcom once where a woman told a man, "I washed your towel, it was all hard and crusty." To which he responded, "That's when I throw them away and buy new ones." I wish I could remember where I heard that. My mother-in-law says that she tries to follow the "Touch it Once" rule; take the clothes out of the dryer, fold them up, and put them away. I know that this would work, but If I did that I would be folding all day because Kaylee unfolds everything that I fold unless I wait until she is not around. What's a girl to do.

FEVER!

How does that song go? "FEVER, in the mornin' fever all through the night..." It's a medical mystery. We can now all ponder it together. Audrey complained of a headache all day with no other symptoms. She blamed it on getting kicked on accident today at school while walking under the monkey bars. She went to bed and seemed fine. Then at 11:30 she suddenly woke up with a 103.1 fever. The strange part is that last week on Sunday she complained of a fever all day and then that night woke up with a fever so high and hot I could barely touch her. The next day it was gone, as if it had never been. She was fine and upset that she couldn't go to school. I was being cautious, 24 hours after a fever before returning to school is the rule around here (although I think that I am the only one who follows it). So I called Kaiser and they said that they couldn't think of anything that would cause that. Any ideas? And when do I start making a stink about it?

Images From A 3 Year Old

JJ is so proud of himself, he took these pictures, his hands were too small to really hold the camera and he kept looking in the wrong end. But I finally got him to press hard enough on the big top button for him to actually take the picture. Kaylee was more than happy to pose. I on the other hand was a little too close to him, I said, "Do you see what you want the picture of?" To which he replied, "Yes." and then took the picture. I only put that up because after I thought about it for awhile it occurred to me that that is probably what I do look like to the three year old, five year old, and the one year old that dominate the largest portion of my life. I guess in retrospect JJ looks just like that top picture, a blur (here he is actually dancing and not waiting for me to take the picture) of energy, Kaylee a pale bald head, and Audrey just tall enough for me to look her in the eye when I am sitting at the table. I remember when my house seemed so big, when the desks at school were immense and I could hide all kinds of things in that tiny compartment, I remember feeling like the playground was giant and that when I was on the top I couldn't be reached by even the tallest of the kids. I remember thinking that I would never have to be old, that I would always be little and thinking that those big people didn't ever know how to have fun, but really how could they when they didn't fit in any of the forts that my sisters and I built or have a desire to build Barbie World for eight hours on Saturday. I'm glad that JJ took that bad picture of me. I think it reminded me that we all see things a little differently.

Tickling the Ivories

Audrey had her first piano lesson yesterday with a Sister in our ward. She was so cute and sweet to the teacher. She did exactly what she was told and then came home and practiced. Until we get the piano that my mom is giving us Audrey is using this roll-up keyboard. It's so neat, and the kids are all fighting over who gets to play on it. So far Audrey has been learning her C scale and has even played a few little songs. No recital yet, but we will keep you posted.

Crazy Hair

For Halloween this year we found Audrey a pink wig for not much money at Target and she wanted to wear it with her Witch Costume. She only wore it for a short time while we were at the Trunk-or-Treat; but, everyone else has had a chance to try it on. Jay looked really great in it, but I am not sure that he would stay still for a picture. A long time ago Lisa gave me this really beautiful shall for my birthday and when we got it Jay put it on and posed for a whole bunch of pictures. He is so funny. I think that Kaylee is fast on her way to taking after her dad.

RC Cars

I was experimenting with YouTube but I can't seem to get it to work. I still uploaded a short clip of the guys messing around with their RC Cars from about a year ago. Check it out. And if you know how to incorporate a YouTube video on the Blog, please let me know.

Story Time

This weekend we went up to my Grandparents house for my Grandfathers 79th birthday party. Upon our arrival late Friday night we quickly set up the beds and got the kids into their pajamas. Grandma Joanie chipped in by reading the bedtime story, Pirate Pete. She was sweet with the kids and they loved every minute of it.

Trick or Treat?

We went to my mom's house on Halloween night and took the kids trick-or-treating with Megan on Marvilla, a little street behind my Mom's house that is always crowded with so many kids that the people sit at their doors with buckets of candy to pass out, this way they don't have to stand or keep answering the door every two seconds I suppose. It was a lot of fun for the kids to see everyone in their costume. Karen and Kaylee stayed at my moms with Lauren, my sister. Kaylee wasn't feeling well and Lauren didn't want Karen out with all the commotion I'm sure. The kids brought home a bucket full of candy each, and they were exhausted.
We also went up to Grandma C's house and Trick-or-Treated there and to the Trunk-or-Treat that our ward puts on at the church. This is one of the kids favorite things because everyone drives their car up and decorates the trunk and passes out candy, the kids go around three or four times (the older, faster kids go around more) and they always have a blast. This year at the Trunk-or-Treat Audrey won 3rd place in the costume contest for children 0-5 years old. But JJ was the one who got the most recognition on the street when we went out later, everyone said, "Hi Superman!" He loved it. Next year Audrey told us she is going to be either a "Mommy" (really a Mummy) or a devil. JJ hasn't decided yet.

I Love A Parade!

School is a blast when everyone is dressed up in their favorite costumes! The kids are crazy and the teachers seem to not notice. Wednesday was definitely that day. It was so fun for JJ to go to school dressed as Superman and he thought that all of the other kids looked "good" in theirs. Audrey didn't change into her costume until after lunch at school but we went to help with their little Halloween party and the parade preparations for the classroom and then we went out to watch the parade. The school has over 600 children all K-5 so you can imagine that the parade was quite long. The classes buddied up olders with youngers like partners so that the teachers wouldn't have to work so hard I suppose. The parade lasted just shy of an hour and Audrey was toward the end so we waited for the whole parade to snap pictures of her in her witch costume casting a spell.

Pumpkins and Earthquakes

Tonight we carved our Pumpkins this year we really did exactly what the kids wanted. Usually we kind of just make a face but this year Audrey drew on two of them, and asked me to cut out the word SEE like the pumpkin was yelling it, I think it was because it is one of three words she can read with no problem right now. At least she didn't ask me to cut out the word MY. That would have been weird. Kaylee is tasting the pumpkin, in fact she ate about six or seven seeds rather quickly. JJ was afraid to touch the "goop" and Audrey can't stop posing for the camera long enough to be herself, but I guess in a way that is who she is. While we were carving our pumpkins we had an Earthquake that shook the house just long enough for us to realize that it was an earthquake. Audrey was really upset by this and kept saying that she didn't want to feel any earthquakes. We called up Grandma C and she talked about how she felt the earthquake too and that she just stayed calm and was safe. Then Audrey wanted to call everyone, but instead we watched the news brief on it and took the moment to explain the geological reasons for an earthquake. After awhile the pumpkins were all done and the candles all lit and we made sure to get a good picture of the "SEE" on the side of the pumpkin. My favorite was the one with three eyes, two noses, and two mouths. Jay carved the one with big eyes for JJ, so cute! And then they all went to bed.

I don't need you anymore!

Here is one more example of JJ's getting older. Last night at dinner JJ asked a us to get him something, he didn't say please or excuse me, and I told him that he needed to ask again and use his manners. Audrey chimed in saying, "Say, Excuse me Mom, can I please have..." and JJ interrupted her by shouting across the table "Don't tell me that, I DON'T NEED YOU ANYMORE!" we were all astonished. But not JJ, he knew exactly what he was talking about.

JJ, school at last!

Today was the first day of JJ's mini preschool class! I am so excited! He is too, he has been wanting to go to school since he could tell me that he wanted to go to school. I guess that it was mostly because Audrey is going to school and has been going for a very long time. He would always ask, "Is that my school?" or, "When does my school start?" This is so great and he was so excited, he has been talking about it all weekend and then this morning when he got up. He was so friendly and sweet to the other kids and to the teacher, when I introduced him to the teacher he reached up and squeezed her hand and said, "Hi, I'm JJ." it was so cute.
And the best part was that there was a little potty there, and a little sink, and a light switch that was perfect for him to reach, we went in and talked about it and I told him that when he had to go to just come in here and go so that he wouldn't have any accidents. He said okay, and when I picked him up from the school the teacher told me that he went all by himself, she didn't ask him to or remind him, and that was fabulous!
So JJ is in school, and is getting older by the minute, in fact he is telling all of the other three year olds that he is really five. I wonder if they are confused. And the funny thing is when he is talking to all of the other three year olds they are all speaking this cute little three year old language with little lisps and made up words, and they understand each other. Hooray JJ!

PARTY!

Today we went to a Halloween party, the kids first outside of Primary activities. They had a blast! The two were both a little shy at first but soon got over it, probably due to the sugar rush that followed the pinata, cake, and candy etc.
JJ's Superman suit has a blow-up effect, really cool, everyone loved it, and Audrey was the sweetest little witch, Halloween is going to be so much fun!
Check out the video of Musical Chairs to Primary songs like "I am a Child of God" and "I'm trying to be like Jesus" it was so funny, the kids didn't care but the adults knew how funny that was, see the older man in the back working the radio he kept covering his eyes...so funny.