I was looking back through my blog the other night to look at last years Christmas posts. It made me so sad that I have not been a better blogger over the last couple months. I fear I have missed important things, funny phrases and a stage in my children's life. After the New Year..I vow to get back on track. Until then...another picture of these two cuties will have to do.

I don't even know where to begin. Maybe with a guessing game...






That was my week in a nutshell. Answer:

Pancreatitis

So, so, so not fun. This thanksgiving I would have to say I was most grateful for good health. And to top it off some other highlights of the week would be Livi's broken toe and her puking Saturday evening after I was at the hospital all day. I'll be back to my regular scheduled blogging after my house is in order again, laundry is folded and I can eat more than JELLO, popsicles and chicken broth. Loves to all those who have helped!!!

Dear Scratch Disks,

Whatever you are...will you please not be full on my computer so I can actually blog for once. Or tell my husband to come fix my disks.

With love,

The computer challenged wife

The child loves her "Ipod".

Every night since they have been little we make them give hugs and kisses and say goodnight. Tonight Eth went in for the kiss and Livi grabbed his chubby cheeks and said to him, "Only on the cheek tonight bud. You slobber EVERY TIME on me." I had to stifle my laughter and my heart swelled with love for these two little muchkins.

She really does think he's family and it's quite cute.

Livi is learning about Pilgrims & Indians in school lately. For some reason she cannot keep them straight and is always telling us the goofiest things about them. Today she told me she made an alien hat (Indian). Then tonight this conversation happened.
Mike: So Livi, what did you learn about in school today?
Livi: Penguins....(weird look on her face)...I mean pilgrims
Mike: So..what are pilgrims?
Livi: They are little ladies.
Mike: So what is special about them?
Livi: They go like this...ow,ow,ow,ow (that noise you make when you put your hand over your mouth).
We about lost it.


Mike got home from school after we had already finished dinner. He was scooping his up and wondered why the sauce was a weird color. (We had Hawaiian haystacks). I explained that I had grated a carrot into the sauce just to get some more veggies into the kids. He replied, "Oh, so are you trying to be seductively secret"??" No, more like deceptively delicious (Jessica Seinfeld's kids cookbook). Classic


Livi: No, No Ethan. Don't do that or you have to....go night, night!! (Wish I was threatened with that!!)


Mom: What did you do at school today?
Livi: Oh just sat on a yellow octagon.


Livi came up to me one morning and with the most serious face said, "How do you spell keep out?" Hmmm....wondered why she wanted to know that.


In church the other day Livi took my shoe off. I told her to put it back on please to which she replied, "If you want your shoe back you have to solve my riddle."


Mom: Livi, what do you want for lunch?
Livi: Hop Ramen


While we were coloring the other day Livi asked me, "Mom, are sea turtles scared of hyena's?"

Mom: Livi, want to help me make mummy cupcakes?
Livi: No, I want to make Livi cupcakes (said with the goofiest grin like she thought she was the funniest person EVER!)


Livi: When I grow up I want to be a dog walker.
Mom: Shoot for the stars my dear!

Livi came in to me the other day and said, "What are you saying Willis?" I about fell off my chair. I called Mike at work and apparently he said the proper version to her the other day.

Mom: Come on, time to get in the bath.
Livi: No bath mom, I don't want my toenails to fall off.

Livi: I have the dots again (Goosebumps)

Ethan hit Livi's tummy the other day and it made a Hollow Sound. I told Ethan to please not hit and Livi said, "It's ok mom, he's just playing my tummy drum."

I really wish I had a picture of the next one. Mike and I were both laying in bed still when all of a sudden Livi came in completely twisted up in her earphone cord/MP3 player. She looked at us very seriously and said, "Is this going to be a problem?"

The other day my arms were full and Liv asked me to carry her up the stairs. I said I couldn't to which she turned to Ethan. "Ethan, will you carry me?", she asked.

The other day Livi wanted to go somewhere during Ethan's nap time and I told her we'd have to wait until he woke up. She said, "It's ok mom, the house can babysit him."

I can't wait until Ethan talks.......

One day I woke up and decided to be real nice. Livi had been begging for Isaac to come over and Leah was having a "need to work day" so we went over and picked him up after breakfast. (Up to 3 children at this point) A couple hours later Amy dropped off the girls. It was her bday and I had told her I would watch the girls for a couple of hours so she could dine in peace. (Up to 5 children, All 3 and under I might add). Leah came just in time for lunch and added one more child. (Up to 6 children now). Let's just say I will never be having 6 children. It was fun for a couple of hours. After that, I was glad to be back to just my two.

The lunch bunch. Looks pretty calm surprisingly.



Sweet Simone could have sat at the table all day long just munching on her food and never making a peep.



She was truly the sweetest EVER!



This after every meal?? No thanks..

Props to people with millions of kids.
Now for the choas......

Leah...you know how much this makes me laugh. Put him in voice lessons STAT.

These pictures were taken the same night. I went in to check on them before bed and could not believe they were both blanket faces. Two peas in a pod.

I can't even tell you what this picture does for me. A real smile...finally. I think we are finally rid of her special ed smile.

In 4 short hours...yes, I really should be sleeping, I'll be on my way to Seattle. With kids you ask? Oh no..Mike is Mr. Mom for the weekend. I seriously couldn't ask for a better husband/father. He is "excited" and I know the kids are going to have a great time. The only things I worry about are Livi's hair and them getting enough fruits/veggies. I can't wait to see the twins and the rest of the fam. Loves to Mike for making it all possible and surprising me with all this for my bday!

A shakin chicken bum, skinny chicken legs and that cheesy grin. Doesn't get much better than that for me....

Ethan CRUISES in high heels. It's kind of scary, especially to his dad.

We went in the other night to check on Livi and this is what we found. After I took a few pictures it dropped onto her face. I can't believe they sleep through this stuff...

I can't tell you how many times a day I find him like this is his room, just quietly playing. Lately it is up in his rocking chair with a stack of books. He is a sweet little guy.

We headed down to St. George for my birthday/Labor day. It was SO hot!! Thank goodness for this new park just minutes from Grandma's house. The kids could have spent all day there. Mike and I were spoiled with a night on our own. We headed to the Hilton Garden Inn and slept like babies in our pitch black, silent room. It was heaven. Thanks to Mike's family for watching the kids!!

P.S. Of course Leah took these...were you really even wondering??

Ok, that was pretty lame. But seriously...to all my loyal readers..... I'm back!!!! Mike has fixed my photoshop and I am ready to post.

Yes...the TWINS are here. Oh, I can hardly contain my excitement!! I just don't know how I'll wait three more weeks to fly out to see them. Mark and Laurel had their babies tonight and my heart is just overflowing. It has been quite the year for them conceiving these little miracles, Laurel's mom passing a month ago and now this!! Send those pics ASAP mother!!!

We're having a sick day over here. The kids have mild snotty noses and coughs and I just went them gone!! We've been in P.J.'s all day and it feels kind of nice after the usual pace we keep. I've been organizing and cleaning in between playing and refereeing. Luckily we will get out of the house later tonight. We have a picnic up the canyon planned with friends after the boys finish fishing. I feel summer quickly closing in on me. What are you up to today??

I can't believe it...he is not a baby AT ALL anymore. I look at this picture and see a little boy. People keep asking me if #3 is on the way. Hopefully due to my last spacing and not the muffin top I'm sporting these days. This kid is a riot! His vocabulary gains a new word everyday. He is absolutely OBSESSED with apple juice and would only drink it and not eat all day if I would let him. He loves his sister and copies her every move. He is so filthy sometimes I don't even know what to think. He finds every dirt pile, rock, or water source and makes a mess. Today he even ate someone's spilled Reeces Pieces off the ground at the park and I wanted to throw up. He loves to say thank you and it melts my heart every time I hear it which is probably why he gets whatever he wants. He sits in timeout alot for hitting which is all new to me since Olivia is still yet to hit someone. He is a champion sleeper and goes down without a peep everynight unless we are not at home. That is another story! He loves dogs and makes a mean horse noise that I must get on tape ASAP. He can cruise in princess shoes, loves to use purses and loves to get into my make-up much to Mike's dismay. I hear on a daily basis, "What are you doing to my son?" Not to fear he points out everyball and can now differenciate between them. He hates brushing his teeth, he loves yogurt and applesauce, and I worship him.

I was trying to teach Olivia one of those hand-clapping games that were the coolest thing to do during recess in elementary school and could not remember one for the life of me. I told her I should go look on the internet. She quickly responded, "Want me to go look on a blog for you?"

I was telling Livi something and mentioned the word nuggets in the story. She looked at me and I could tell her brain was working away. She asked, "Like mine in the toilet?"

We talked about how my birthday was coming up and she asked me if I was going to have an Isa the Iguana cake. For all you non Dora watchers, Isa is probably the 2nd to the bottom in the line up of characters. On the bottom is Benny the Bull...Olivia's bday party theme.

I told Livi I wanted to go to Seven Peaks but didn't know if it was closed or not. She did not skip a beat and told me to go check online to see. This tech savvy generation is scary!

For those avid Max & Ruby watchers: This is Olivia informing me she is in fact a "bunny scout". Later in the day she put round stickers all over her shirt and told me they were her "badges". Let's just say she loves it.

That is what I heard this morning when I went to check on her in the bathroom. As I told her sure and closed the door I couldn't help but think to myself why she doesn't understand the concept when it's me in there. A great mystery of the world I suppose.

The weather forecast is not looking so hot for the upcoming holiday weekend. I'm just not sure I'm ready to leave summer behind. We have spent WAY to many days just like this.