Mommy Daughter Date

I have been trying all week to make a new post, but it keeps rejecting my video, so that is why I have no now updates. I guess I am just going to have to go out of sequence and eventually I will get that other one up.

A couple of weekends ago Sophie and I went on a mommy daughter date. We went to dance lessons, then out to lunch, then to the salon. We both just got trims, but Sophie got her hair curled.


It was so much fun to be with Sophie and I highly recommend some alone time with each child. I left that day feeling immensely proud that that was my daughter. Full of beauty, strength, courage, and part of me forever.

Dance Lessons

Sophie decided that she wanted to give Ben some dance lessons. I took a video of it, and it was very informational.

In these videos you see the two very different personalities of my children. First there is Sophie. She IS the instructor. She KNOWS the dance positions (when she first does 2nd position she does it incorrectly...) she EXPECTS Ben to be alert, attentive and precise. She is in charge.

Then there is Ben. He jovially flings himself around the living room with complete disregard for what he is expected to do. Never once does he get frustrated, he just pleasantly plays along, even amidst put downs. Then he reaches his max and simply states, "We're done now."







After the dance instruction Sophie and Ben decided that Ben need the complete dance outfit so Sophie lent him her leotard and ballet slippers. Ben wears boxer briefs so they stuck out below the leotard.

Ben only wore this get up for about 2.5 minutes. Aaron said he wants the photos destroyed. But then what would I put on my blog!

The T.V.

We are now proud to announce that we are a T.V. free family!! The T.V. is being packed up and shipped off to Aaron's parents as we speak (packed that is, not shipped.)

Does it still count to be T.V. free when you have a 24 in computer screen, DVD player, unlimited online viewing with Netflix and a computer device that allows you to play VHS tapes on your computer...?

A minor detail really...

My Blog

As I reviewed the photos I have in line for the blog, I realized that my life may not be as interesting to others as it is to me. For example in this next photo we have Ben who somehow...once again...got the camera. The satisfied look on his face is perhaps one that only I, as his mother, recognize. To others it probably just looks like a kid.

But guess what...he is my kid and I sure love him. Those brown eyes and that smile...I am forever connected to this handsome fellow, and I love watching and recording his growth for posterity!

This is a Ben creation. He has really been into scissors lately. Can you see all the paper scraps on top of the lego trunk? Anyway...this is a mouse city. Sophie and Ben and Jacob to a smaller degree, had loads of fun for 2 days with the mouse city. And then we burned it. Does that make us bad parents?

Forward

Normally I detest forwards, but this one made me laugh. Especially #5

AMAZING SIMPLE HOME REMEDIES:

1. AVOID CUTTING YOURSELF WHEN SLICING VEGETABLES BY GETTING SOMEONE ELSE TO HOLD THE VEGETABLES WHILE YOU CHOP.


2. AVOID ARGUMENTS WITH THE FEMALES ABOUT LIFTING THE TOILET SEAT BY USING THE SINK.


3. FOR HIGH BLOOD PRESSURE SUFFERERS ~ SIMPLY CUT YOURSELF AND BLEED FOR A FEW MINUTES, THUS REDUCING THE PRESSURE ON YOUR VEINS. REMEMBER TO USE A TIMER.


4. A MOUSE TRAP PLACED ON TOP OF YOUR ALARM CLOCK WILL PREVENT YOU FROM ROLLING OVER AND GOING BACK TO SLEEP AFTER YOU HIT THE SNOOZE BUTTON.


5. IF YOU HAVE A BAD COUGH, TAKE A LARGE DOSE OF LAXATIVES. THEN YOU'LL BE AFRAID TO COUGH.


6. YOU ONLY NEED TWO TOOLS IN LIFE - WD-40 AND DUCT TAPE. IF IT DOESN'T MOVE AND SHOULD, USE THE WD-40. IF IT SHOULDN'T MOVE AND DOES, USE THE DUCT TAPE.


7. IF YOU CAN'T FIX IT WITH A HAMMER, YOU'VE GOT AN ELECTRICAL PROBLEM.

Star Wars

Ben has been into Star Wars lately. It may have something to do with the fact that Aaron let the kids watch one of the older movies...

Anyway, Ben built a "Luke Skywalker" ship. Call me a mom, but I am always amazed with his spatial intelligence.

True Confessions of Lauren

I wear makeup on Sundays. It makes me feel extra pretty.

I can’t stand taking naps, I detest the groggy feeling of waking up. This however does not apply to this pregnancy. I take naps all the time and bounce right up from them.

I have mild ADD, but will never medicate for it. There Aaron…I admitted it.

I went to counseling for awhile and loved it. Everyone should go, even just for a while.

Sometimes I clean the bathroom with diaper wipes.

I can’t stand the term “Foodie” because aren’t we all “foodies” in some way? Some are “fast foodies” some are “dessert foodies” some are “comfort foodies” some are “gourmet foodies” some are “organic foodies”…”local foodies”…”health foodies” I could go on. In some way or another, we are all obsessed with food. It is good for survival.

I love donating money to my church. I know they don’t misuse the funds. They are doing AMAZING things with my money in Haiti (and other places) for everyone regardless of religious affiliation. Whenever someone calls and asks for my money I can honestly say that I already donated to a worthy cause.

I go out to the bus in my pajamas every morning.

I might be minorly obsessive about plucking hairs off my face

I am horrible about returning phone calls and e-mails

I enter drawings to win airline tickets at every possible opportunity. I really want to go to Utah. I even pray that I will win, even though I am pretty sure Heavenly Father can’t control raffles.

I like crafting, but have no follow through so I don’t get much done.

No matter how much I try to convince myself they are not healthy, I love Pop-Tarts, Nutter Butter Bars and Oreos

It usually takes me 3-4 days to wash fold and put away the laundry. By then it is time to do laundry again.

I used to be a neat freak (college, mission and early marriage months) but I gave it up for 2 reasons. 1. Sanity 2.I realized with kids it is an act of futility

I think I will be done for now…

Another Random One

As titled...this is another random one...

Sophie was (breaking rules) climbing in the bathroom and something about it looked vaguely dancer like. Maybe her dance classes are paying off.

I'll use this photo to tell a story about Sophie...
She had a lump under her tongue that the dentist was keeping an eye on. Last week it became red, inflamed and very painful so the dentist sent us on to the oral surgeon for a consultation.

Wednesday Sophie, Jacob and I arrived at the appt and the Dr. said that she had a calcium deposit and it was clearly visible so he wanted to remove it right then.

They gave Sophie some laughing gas. Sure enough she became all giggly. Then three shots of novocain. Jacob and I were asked to leave the room at this point. Had I known they were going to do it that day I would have arranged for child care so that I could have stayed with Sophie, but oh well...A little nick and a scoop later they had a very large calcium stone (the Dr and nurses were all impressed) that had been blocking Sophie's salivary gland under her tongue.

The interesting thing is that the flow of saliva will keep the wound open, so basically they redirected Sophie's salivary gland.

Sophie saved the stone to share with everyone, but it got lost. Sophie was devastated. Luckily I had noticed that it was about the size of a pearled barley grain. She now totes around a barley grain that looks almost identical to the original stone.

Totally Random

This is totally random and not that exciting, but I'll put it on here for the sake of maintaining the blog.

Jacob hurt his toe and used his Christmas silly putty to make a magic toe. Here he is extracting the magic toe because the toe under it is all better.

The Art of Illustration

I put this on Facebook, but for the sake of posterity and for those who are not on Facebook I add this here. Shortly after we announced to the children that we were going to have another baby, Ben drew this picture of me.

He had drawn the baby he gasped and said, "I forgot the tail!" After he drew the tail, he laughed and said, "It looks like a chipmonk!"

Getting Dressed

Jacob finally has a desire to dress himself (thank goodness!) but I guess there are some challenges that need to be overcome.

You will notice that the underwear is on backward, so are the pajamas and his leg is through the arm hole. But still, he did it all by himself!

A Wealth of Knowledge

Ben got a book about sharks out of the library. In this video he reads some of the "facts" he has learned about sharks. Sophie is the manning the camera.

In case you can't hear, this is what Ben said...
"Sharks can eat 1000 milligrams in one day. They eat brush and corncobs and fish."

For those not on Facebook, I will share a story that I think may have had something to do with this book.

We had fish for dinner one night and Jacob, very skeptically asked, "Is this lobstah?" "No Jacob it's fish." "Is it cwab (crab)?" "No Jacob, it's tilapia." "Then why does it look like a hammah head shawk (hammer head shark)?"

My transcription of course does no justice to Jacob's sweet little tone of voice and accent, but hopefully you get the gist of it.

Someone Got the Camera

At some point Jacob got the camera and took these photos. I found them as I was scrolling through the pictures on the camera. On that tiny little screen I couldn't see what they were of, but they were mildly compelling. Now that I can see them better it is clear that Jacob took a picture of his legs with his finger over the flash. If a baby could see out of the womb, I imagine this is what it would look like.

Everything Christmas

Here is every photo from the last month that has anything to do with Christmas.

Getting the tree. It was a gorgeous day, but bitterly cold. Luckily the perfect tree was just a few rows in right on the edge.

Decorating the tree. All the photos were taken by me, from the couch as I was ill.

Playing a little game with the ornaments.

I realized that if I took a picture while moving the camera up and down the Christmas lights looked like candles.

Sophie's turn to top the tree with the construction paper star we have been using every Christmas since we got married.

The stockings were hung by the chimney with care...or placed on the couch...somehow it just isn't as nostalgic.

All set and ready for Christmas morning.

Surveying the loot. It was a good Christmas!