Shark Cake Q & A

Well, It is supposed to be Bruce from the 'Finding Nemo' movie.

Actually, I traced the cake rounds on paper then cut out the shapes I needed to use as a pattern.

Yes, it is RED like blood inside, per birthday boy's request.

Yes, it also says "Bruce" on the side, also per birthday boy's request.

Yes, I stayed up til 2 am making it.

No, it's not perfect and wouldn't have won any cake decorating contests.

Yes, he loved it, it made him feel special, so Yes it was worth it.

Keith's To-Do this week

--Turn 4 (check) --don't have any friends over to break open my shark birthday pinata. I don't want to have to share the loot. (check)

--be super cute on my birthday and exclaim "this is the BEST present!" after each one. (check)

--play with birthday toys all day for 3 days straight. (check)

--read Belle's sight word flashcards from kindergarten (check) --explain to the neighbor that he is an Allosaurus, I am a Tyrannosaurus, that we are cousins because we're both Therapods which are carnivores that have long tails and walk on two feet but we come from different time periods. (check) --make sure everyone knows that whale sharks and basking sharks are filter feeders. Still carnivores, but they only eat tiny shrimp and fish by swimming slowly with their mouths open and eat what they catch in their gills. (check) --put mouthwash, handsoap, and hand sanitizer in the neighbor girl's hair while Mom is holding her baby brother and Grace both on her lap. (check) --give lots of hugs and kisses (check) He had a fun birthday. We went to the Museum of Natural History the week before for his 'birhtday outing'.

We're so glad he gets to go to Sunbeams now and he enjoys it and doesn't have to worry about nursery anymore. Now I get to start worrying about what we're going to do with him when Belle goes to school all day next year. Preschool for sure but that will take up what? 6 hours a week?

Gracie's Favorite Things

These are a few of her favorite things: girls in white dresses with blue satin sashes, snow flakes that stay....no just kidding. Ok so that was a bit cheesy. For real she loves this little teddy that is so soft, she digs her fingers into it's fur. I've started hauling it around with her, encouraging the attachment...maybe it will help be a sleep comfort thing. When she wakes up she will lay in the crib and play with her teddy. She also loves her binky, which thanks to Belle is still called a puta around here, her fingers, razzing, Mom (lucky me), and milk. Actually she takes to David a lot better than our other two babies did, which he loves, and at meal times she watches us all eat very intently. I think she'll be ready to try some rice cereal at 5 months! :)

Mom maybe you recognize this little outfit she has on :)...

I guess we should have put it on her a few months ago, but we had to at least take her picture in it. for those of you who are lost....this little pink jumper was mine as a baby. And a shout out to David who always helps with the kids whatever I ask him to do...even if he puts the outfits on backwards :) hehe.

Can't say that Belle and Buggie are her favorite things--she does smile and laugh at them when in the right mood, but most of the time she gets overwhelmed by their loudness. Never realized how LOUD they could be til we had a baby around. But this was a cute picture anyway. Sorry it's sideways, I'm slightly inept at these things.

changed the youtube video of Grace talking to "unlisted" instead of "private", so if you use the link in the post below it should work now.

Rare who roast beast

For dinner last night: Rare who roast beast, who hash, and who pudding :) The kids loved it!! When asked a few days ago if the Grinch stole the who's Christmas Keith answered: "no he didn't" Christmas still came. I guess he get's the message :)

David doing the honor of carving the Rare Who Roast Beast

And the Christmas Cactus is blooming!!

Use it up, wear it out, make it do or do without

Most of you have seen David's phone and joined in the teasing. It's older than gun smoke. A dinosaur. A fossil. All those phrases used to describe something old and out of date. It's the phone he got for free 8 years ago.

You might have even seen him wear his patched-up jeans. He likes me to patch his jeans rather than buy new.

But you probably haven't seen the bottom of his shoes. At one point he mentioned to me his work/dress shoes were starting to wear out and we needed to buy him new. So we did. That was in the summer of 2010. Over two years ago. And what have the new shoes been doing this whole time? Being worn? Um...no. Sitting in a box, waiting. Waiting for what you ask? Waiting for the old shoes to finish wearing out. Yes these pictures were taken while they were on his feet, on his way to work. Friday. Today however, it has snowed, and I believe the new shoes will get worn finally or his feet are going to get wet. :)

Love you, sweets. I'd much rather have this problem than someone who needs the latest and greatest all the time.Use it up, wear it out, make it do or do without.

Isabelle's Dance Recital

Belle had her 1st dance recital yesterday. She was so excited she was dancing around the kitchen all morning! She was so cute! All my friends who saw her commented the same thing--that she was so focused, concentrating very hard! They did a tap dance this time, in the spring they will do a ballet and a jazz.

Dave and I were both impressed with the dance studio--all the girls wore the same t-shirts and black pants--all 20 dance teams--all modest and every dance tasteful. They also were impressive and had the whole thing done in less than an hour and a half! And the recital was free....anyway, we like how they do things at Grantsville Dance!

Grace Remembers

A video of Gracie telling us all about what she remembers from heaven. You have to copy and past this into you browser. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CyhrXt_nzKE

My Little Aggies

Oh, and a BIG Aggie, too. :)

Two Months old!

I've sat down several times to write about our sweet Gracie and have never been able to finish. Here's a couple pics at least. smiles and blessing day. she has the BEST huge smiles!

Life as we know it.....is over.

Isabelle started Kindergarten this week. The day we have dreaded arrived. At least the day I have been dreading. She was SO excited. Couldn't sleep, woke up early, wanted to get ready right away. I know school is good for her and she will grow & learn and have fun with her peers. It is a good thing. I just haven't been looking forward to sending her off out into the world every day, and being stuck to a school schedule. Now for the next however many years until we are done with kids in school we will be on THEIR schedule. I like to run off to my sister's in the middle of winter just because. I like to do family things on weekdays when places aren't crowded. I like getting up in the morning and reading stories for 45 minutes before breakfast. All gone.

Although, David & I are determined that school, especially Elementary school, will not stop us from doing some of those things we like. A trip to see cousins or a day off to spend with Dad who worked all weekend might just be a higher priority than school sometimes.

The first day Belle had a good time in class but was super overwhelmed at pick-up time. I had told her that the teacher would bring her outside and we would pick her up there. I did not prepare her for the chaos of all the kids at the school waiting for their parents, lots of kids and cars everywhere. The teacher stayed by the class at a different door than the rest--but for some reason she wandered off a bit and was nearly to tears and the crossing guard helped her find David. Then when she got home she WAS in tears, the emotion of it all was just too much and she cried on my lap for awhile. She said "all the big graders got out at the same time as the kindergarten!" And she didn't have very many positive things to say about school...just was overcome with the scariness of pick-up time. Yesterday was better, we picked her a "special spot" where she can stand and wait, and that seemed to help. She was more talkative about what they did in the classroom rather than just what happened after school. Today she initially said she wanted us to take her again, but when it came time to go she went with the car pool.

AND...I must mention...SHE found a loose tooth!! Kindergarten and loose tooth in the same day was a lot for us! It's a good thing we have a baby coming or what would we do?!

Keith riding

Link to a video of Keith riding his bike. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Sp4u8zkfUq0 Go Buggie! Yes he is 3.

Hummingbird sitting still on our Glads.

I try hard not to complain, I know it only makes matters worse, the best way to handle things it to buck up, dig in, and move forward with a smile. But I'm going to slip a little tonight just to say... head cold with splitting headache + unable to sleep well for several nights + 34.5 weeks pregnant + horrible overwhelming messes due to crazy schedules and projects and dying fish + David leaving yesterday and not having another full day off til Monday (meaning no help with those dishes or children that went to bed without being bathed or read to) = me grumpy and discouraged. going to bed under the premise that "tomorrow is another day" and hoping for a better one. At least I don't have an unbearable turtle stink ruining my week (or my furniture). sorry, Millie....wish we could've helped.

2012-07-04

And she hasn't taken it off much in two days....Miss 12 min something running a whole mile! we were really surprised at how well she did! Shocked, really. We thought she would need some encouragement to keep going, walk halfway sort of thing. Nothing like that! She just took off...

2012-07-04

Me & Missy

2012-07-04

Sidewalk chalk to entertain as we waited for the parade

2012-07-04

2012-07-04

this has to be one of my favorites. People around the finish line are cheering for him and he is so proud! So adorable makes you want to just hug him!

She's got it!

A video of Belle riding her bike. This was yesterday and she's become even more steady and confidant since then. She was balancing but still unsteady in the handle bars--then yesterday the 9 yr old neighbor you see in the picture said "hey, Bella, follow me" and started weaving big and gradual back and forth in the street, and then started doing big circles. And as Belle followed she did it! Yesterday was a big day :) http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DwTVaklMoOA