maren's birthday

The 14th was Maren's 3rd birthday. She was very excited. Throughout the day, I would tell her happy birthday and every time, she would make a high pitched gasp and say "It's my birthday?" I think this happened at least 30 times. She must have just liked hearing that it was her birthday.

We all love this little girl. If there was one word to describe her, it would be spunky! She's the one that everyone wants to be with because she is so much fun. She also has a mind of her own and she chooses to use it as much as she can. A lot of her personality comes out in these pictures.







Here are some random birthday facts about our family.

1. We all either have a birthday in May or October. May= Cameron, Zack, Riley.
October= Steph, Coleman, Maren. { Yes, that was planned. And YES, we are that good! }
2. October birthdays : We are all 8 days apart.
3. The day that I had Maren I was, to the day, the same age as my mom when she had me.

Cameron (after Zack and Coleman got into a fight) : "Boys, because you fought, I'm going to make you clean the room together."
Coleman: "Zack has to do more because he kicked me twice."
Cameron: "No he doesn't. Coleman, you started the fight."
Coleman: "So does that mean I have to do more."
Cameron: "No, you both have to clean the room. But you'll have to do it while wearing a dress."

back to school

I feel like I was just writing about the last day of school.






Coleman was excited about 1st grade, but nervous. He doesn't look very happy in the picture. And he wasn't. Mostly because he saw all of his friends at the bus stop and didn't want to stand there and get his picture taken. Little does he know, he has eleven more of these coming!


Zack is "mostly not excited" for school. He thinks 4th grade is going to be hard just because the class supply list was quite outrageous!

My thoughts for right now.

I just wanted to put this down on [paper], and since this is a place where it won't get lost or filed away not to be seen again for awhile, this is where it will go.

I LOVE MY FAMILY!

I can't imagine my life without them. I feel so lucky to be the MOM of these four sweet little kids. Each of them with their own personalities and quirks. I love it all and would never trade it for anything. Each of them are smart, funny, kind, loving with a little streak of bad in there. :)

My goal in this life is to raise them the best way I can and know how. With so many things in the world to be sad or worried about, I hope that I can help them along the way to be pillars in their circle of influence. That they will be the good that others can look to and know that everything will be OK. I hope that I can teach them right and wrong and to NEVER back down from that knowledge. I hope that their light shines as brightly as their potential does. I have really felt lately that we need to raise them to be most amazing people because the world is going to need them to be amazing.

I hope everything I do in my life will be an example of good for them. That when things are placed in front of them that could harm them physically or spiritually, they will be able to rise above it. There is nothing in this life worth more than what lies ahead in the next. I want to be with my family FOREVER and I will do everything in my power to get there with them. And I hope they will do the same for me.

Zack, Coleman, Riley and Maren,
I love you!

moments like these

Sunday night while Cameron and I were watching TV, we went through the shows for the week to record all the stuff that we wanted to watch. ( Is it possible to watch live TV anymore? ) I saw that Ghostbusters was on, so we recorded it for the kids to watch later on.

We all cuddled up on the couch to turn on our show. I told the girls that when I told them to, I wanted them to cover their eyes. Do you remember which part I was worried about? The part in the library at the beginning. If you don't remember, go watch the whole movie. It's a classic and has the most quotablity. (I just made that word up) OK, it's a tie with Tommy Boy. Quotes like "Llisten. Do you smell something?" or "mother pussbucket" or "Ray, when someone asks you if you're a god, you say "YES"!" or how about "I feel like the floor of a taxi cab." And Cameron needs to remember this one. "Back off, man. I'm a scientist." So many good ones. But back to the story.

The part in the movie comes on and Maren immediately covers her entire face with her tiny little hands. She was very obedient. I look over at Riley and she has her entire arm over her face. But where her elbow bent, she had a little peep hole to look through. She saw the whole thing.

She quietly watched the rest of the movie, laughing at the funny parts and was pretty much glued to the TV. We all had a great time. Until it was time to go to bed. That's when everything fell apart in her little world. She could no longer go upstairs by herself. Go in her room by herself. Go to the bathroom by herself. She couldn't even pull her pajamas on over her head because that would mean she wasn't looking forward to see what was going to pop out in front of her.

I finally got her into bed and as I was leaving, she asked very sweetly if Zack could sleep with her so she wouldn't be scared. (she has our old queen bed, so there is room to spare) He very willingly went in there, excited to be the hero and protector of all. I hid behind the door to watch and listen to see how he handled his new popularity and what she did in her "damsel in distress" roll. He talked to her and told her it was going to be OK and there were no such things as monsters or ghosts and that she didn't need to be scared because he was there. It was very cute.

After a little while, I went to check on them, make sure they had gone to sleep, and to see if Zack had been pulled into one of Riley's evil plots. But, what I saw when I went in made my heart melt a little. They had fallen asleep like this.


I told Cameron to go in a look at them. He stood there watching them. Then as usual, he had to climb up in there with them. To him, a perfectly still, happy sleeping body is to irresistible leave alone.

Next day, Riley asks if she can watch Ghostbusters again. I turn it on after the library part. She catches on to what I was doing and she says, "No, I want to watch the scary part again."

:: it's official ::

Summer has begun.


I'm bummed these pictures were blurry. I saw the bus go pass the window, so I was a caught a little off guard. And they were running really fast at me. I couldn't get it together fast enough.


Are they excited? You betcha. Me? Make the smallest space between your thumb and pointer finger, that's where I'm at. More time at home means, everyone's volume level goes up a couple of notches, more "mom, can I have...", more fighting, more I'm bored. I'm glad that I get them home, but to be honest, I'm a little afraid of them too. They are going to be demanding little people again. And I can guarantee that I will hit my all time record this summer of saying "Knock it off!"

:: project done ::

I finished the boys desk last week and was all geared up to post it, but I couldn't. The blog thought it was more in charge than me and said no. As I was finishing the desk and waiting in between each coat of stain, I thought I'd tackle a few more projects.

{ the desk }

before.


after.

I've been trying to decide which knobs to put on and just seeing them in the picture, we're going black. It also looks really shiny on the top, but it's not. The picture, I found at a discount store for $7.00!! The regular price tag said $99.99. Now I just need to hang it.

Remember this? I found it on the side of the road in someones garbage. It was an old radio and record player. I took it all out. It was gross. It had years of dead bugs in it.



I knew I wanted this in my foyer just as you walked in. The only light that you get in the foyer is from the light above you. So I wanted a lamp for it which I found at a thrift store for $4.00. I liked the shape, just not the finish, so I spray painted it with an oil rubbed bronze paint. I think I let out a little wahoo! in the aisle of home depot when I saw that.


after.


I just have to put the knobs on and decide if I'm keeping the lamp shade. I also made the frame and got some vinyl lettering that says 'please remove your shoes'. I have a picture of the kids bare feet to put in there.

Those finger prints on the doors are killing me. But, right now, fingerprints are my life. I also want to make a trip to good ol' Hobby Lobby to get things to put in, on and around this.

I also started painting Riley's room. We are doing a fun little thing for her walls that I'll put on here as soon as we are done.

:: my new project ::

So here is my next big project.


I got this about 2 months ago at a antique/craft co-op store. I have been wanting to get a desk for the boys room so they can do their own projects without having to put everything away every time. The girls are notorious for getting into things and causing serious damage. So when I saw this, I had to have it. It's big and it's heavy and I love the feet. And it's not really missing a drawer, I was just too lazy to put it back in before the picture. The best part was the $8.00 price tag. My plan is to strip it and stain it dark. Normally, I would pull out my gallon of black paint (is it bad that I buy black paint by the gallon?) but we are being over run by black furniture. It's everywhere. So we're treading new water here. I've got a deadline - 2 weeks. The boys keep bugging me about it, they want it - BAD! So, here we go. Wish me luck!

Easter

I have had a major lack in blogging mojo lately. Cameron thought it was a bloggers block, but I just haven't felt like to doing it. I have plently to blog about, which (no promises) I going to try and get caught up on this week. I have 2 months worth!! Ick, the task seems daunting.

Anyway, we had a good Easter. Cameron had to speak in church. He was the last speaker of 4. The first 3 were all new members who have been baptized in the last couple of months. Such good, amazing people! We also, since being the Kirtland Ward, had a bus full of people from Europe touring all the church history sites. Church was very full!

Cameron's mom has also been here all week long. It was spring break for the boys, so it was the perfect week for her to come. She also did an Easter egg hunt for all of us. Even Cameron and I. She stuffed all the eggs with money. $120 worth! We all hid in the basement while she did the eggs. Then we all came up and she said go and we were all off. Coleman won with $30, Zack in second with $27, me, Cameron and Riley with $5.50. I don't remember how much Cameron and I got. Little Marsey got her own at the end with candy in the eggs. It was fun. The boys were off the next day to buy Lego Indiana Jones for the Wii.

I also decided on a whim that i was going to make the girls Easter dresses. I don't like the chiffon-y dresses that they have at the stores. So I drew up a pattern and off I went.

my pattern.

the result.

{I should have gotten pictures before church. After church, shirts come untucked and hair gets pulled out of piggies. }

The boys were feeling left out on getting the pictures taken, so I had them all come out and jump. Some of the pictures that I got were hilarious. Our favorite part was the shape that their shadows made.

check out last years to see how the kids have changed

it just keeps getting better . . . { 11 years }


photo by nicole

1.20.09 - a day in history

Seeing the big picture amazes me.
Although he didn't get my vote, I hope for the future.

In fourteen hundred ninety-two Columbus sailed the ocean blue

In two thousand and nine, Stephanie did nothing except sleep for a really long time.

So really, Chris and I both know how to make good use of our time. I sleep in. He discovers North America.

But hey, in my defense, it was REALLY cold today, so school was canceled, perfect for sleeping late.

Can you see those numbers. Temp is -8, but it feels like -30 with 70% humidity. Who lives like this?

I usually can't sleep in. Once I'm awake, that's it, I'm up. Cameron and I even trade every Saturday who gets to sleep in. He does very well at it. I'm usually up by 8 - 8:30. That's even with me trying to stay there as long as I can so I don't get the "that's it? That's not even sleeping in" lecture.

And I think it’s against the law or something to set an alarm clock on days off from school. Well if it’s not, it should be, don’t you think?

So I didn’t get out of bed until 10:30 today, and can I say, it was won.der.ful.

I did get up at 8 when Cameron was leaving for work. I came down for morning scripture study and family prayer. But, that bed was calling to me, so I went back up. Maren was still in bed, why couldn't I be.

I felt a tap on my back about 8:45, Riley was informing me that Maren was now awake. She said that she would get her out. Well since she put it that way, I rolled over again. A few seconds later I hear, "ok maren, i'm getting you out today. hold on." Then in Maren's cute little voice I hear, "O tay Rirey. Be tareful." Then came a very loud thud, then giggling. Ok, we're good. I'm stayin.

At 9:15, another tap on the back from Maren saying she is thirsty. But she didn't hover, she just ran off. I thought about getting up at that point. But I figured she must not be that thirsty if she's not going to tell me 30 times. So the darkness of my room and the sound of children quietly watching TV made it so tempting to roll over yet again. So I did.

When the sound of peaceful TV watching turned into the sound of the WWF Junior League in my family room, I could not ignore my parenting responsibilities any longer. So I got up. But I really didn’t want to.

(I like to think it still counts as sleeping until 10:30 even if I was interrupted every hour or so.)

((I choose to believe it does, because I haven’t slept without interruptions in eight-ish years.))

So I figured, since I slept through breakfast, I might as well continue the trend of supreme parenting that was taking place today, and I hopped in my car and got everyone McDonald’s. It was a brunch of happy meals.

I think I'll even follow it by a day spent in my pj’s.

It's going to be a good day.

back in the saddle

Sorry for the unannounced blog break. For as guilty as I felt for not getting on here to get our life on (vitutal) paper, its been a really wonderful break - a break from not only blogging, but from reading blogs (gasp!), but now I'm spending a lot of time catching up. So to start things off, here's what happened in the month of November. And to keep up the laziness, I'm TOTALLY copying this post from my sister-in-law, Carly. I've added some of my own pictures, but it's mostly her work. She came out for Thanksgiving and she summed everything up perfectly.

So here, in the words of Carly, is how our Thanksgiving went.

I went to the Ohio to visit Cam and Steph and their chitlins. The flight was short and non-eventful, just like we like 'em to be. I was greeted at the airport by Steph and the two little girls, Riley and Maren. Maren was a little stand-offish at first, but pretty soon all the kids were my best buddies, wanting me to play lightsabers and gun fights and dress ups with them. The next day, as I was getting ready, I was greeted by two little girls wanting some make-up. I didn't know if they were ready for mascara and lipstick, but I didn't want to disappoint so I gave them just a little something.


Maren's tat was mostly rubbed off within 30 minutes, but Riley's heart stayed on for a couple of days. After that, Riley asked for make up every time I was near the bathroom.

We didn't have a whole lot planned, just mostly hanging out, and it was really nice. I had talked to Stephanie a week before and said I wanted to help make a big Thanksgiving dinner, complete with pies. The day before, Steph and I made a chocolate custard pie from the Lion House recipe book. It was very elaborate and involved and made me feel like I was a real cook. Thanksgiving day, we made the rest of the meal, complete with a huge 47 lb turkey (well, it might not have been that big, but it seemed pretty large). It took Cameron and I hours to carve it and when I left on Monday, we hadn't even eaten half of the turkey meat. It was a really fun Thanksgiving.

The next day we went to shining, shimmering, splendid, neat and clean downtown Cleveland to a mall. After parking 83 levels below the mall, the Durango barely making it into the 6'0" tall parking garage, and braving a 251-year-old elevator to wind our way back to civilization, we made it to the mall. We headed over to this Santa's workshop discovery museum gateway laboratory school factory type event-like place that wafted sweet, rotten cauliflower and dirty playdough aromas and boasted an array of elf-type creatures. The bigger kids were given lab coats to don during their adventure-type-discovery-lesson.


Ah, look at those minds at work. The girls were enjoying the noise making section of the discovery-like-mystery-tour.


After our our creating-ish-cog-turning-escapade in Santa's...whatever, we opted to skip seeing the big guy and head to the candy store. I bought three small bags of candy for only $52 and my left kidney.

Lastly, we headed to a train ride around the mall, complete with angry parents scolding the train driver for having too long of a line.


All tuckered out, we headed home. Such is the elaborate, glamorous life in Cleveland, the jewel of America (under my rough exterior of sarcasm and cynicism is a heart of gold that enjoyed every minute of being with my family).

That night, the durn TV busted for the second or third time, so Cameron was left with no choice but to head to the store buy a new one. I watched the kids while Cam and Steph went shopping. After the kids were all asleep, they walked in the door with a very LARGE piece of electronic wall art. Cameron wanted to install it immediately. Steph and I watched with amusement as he labored over getting it just right.


Saturday, we headed to Pittsburgh for another day full of adventure-type-discover-ish-ness. After having a nice impromptu driving tour of Pittsburgh's red light district, we made our way to the other side of town to the Science Center. It was four floors of pure genius. We stayed there for hours and hours. It was a blast. I don't know who had more fun, the kids, Cameron, or me and Steph watching the kids.


Maren has some serious skills in her stroller. She has learned how to be dexterous and nimble in obtaining what she is after, all while fully or partially strapped in. She's just as capable as well of bringing it home and putting it on the DL, reclining and putting her feet up on the safety bar. She's learning to get the stroller to work for her, sorting laundry and filing tax returns...like I said, serious skills.


Riley has this thing with smelling and/or licking things as a way of learning more about them. She smelled, and sometimes licked, all the lids and discs and categorized them in her own way. It's very cute; luckily she hasn't turned that fetish toward people (let's hope that stays in the bag until she's at least 16).


Riley and Coleman loved this water feature place.


Riley especially loved it, and stayed there without making a peep, barely looking up to acknowledge other humans for at least 30 minutes.


Zack and Coleman also liked this ball place; sort of like McDonald's play place on steroids.


Maren playing with tins sticking to a magnetic wall.


After barrels of fun at the science center, we headed to the Duquesne Incline. No, it's not a ski slope, my friend, it's a trolley thingy built around the turn of the century. Basically, Pittsburgh has several steep hills, and during the time period, in order to get up the hill quickly and efficiently, they rode an incline. It's like a trolley sitting on top of a triangle that rides level up the hill. Look it up, it's pretty cool.






We had to cross a super old pedestrian bridge to get to the incline from the parking lot (Zack is on the left, Cameron in the middle).



At the top of the incline, they had a little museum and overlook of the city.


The building with the funnel-satellite dish-looking thing on the top and the big red letters is the science center. The stadium is where the Steelers play.


Zack at the top. Smile big, dear.








After downtown Pittsburgh, we headed to IKEA. I'll tell you what, that was like an amusement park. What a site. I thoroughly enjoyed it (what, no sarcasm? Did someone else start typing on Carly's blog?).

The next day was church. We were late, thanks to me (come on, are you surprised? Really?). It was a nice small ward which I really enjoy. After church we took a 3 minute drive to the Kirtland Temple and took a tour of that. I got to see the attic which I didn't get to see the first time I went through it and was slightly miffed, so that was exciting. Did you know that the Kirtland temple was originally a grayish-blue with a red roof at it's dedication? All my years as a Mormon, and I never knew that.

The next day we played dress ups and watched the barbie diamond castle, picked the boys up from school and headed to the airport for a sad good bye, all the while singing that old Christmas favorite, "Old McDonald had some pants, boy-ee, boy-ee, boy-ee." At the airport, I asked Steph if I could take a picture with the kids. They all had to climb out of the warm car onto the cold, cruel sidewalk to stand next to me. Don't they look sad to see me go?


Huh, ...let's try taking one more.


Perfect.

I'm so glad I got to go see them while I had time and money to do it. Every time I see them I'm more sad they live so far away. Hopefully after just a few more years, they'll make like a pioneer and head west.

Thanks for coming Carly. Thanks for also writing this all out for me!