Kids are funny little people

Today at the dinner table the kids were arguing over what a rectangular prism was and weather or not that is the shape of a gas tank. Little A was drawing it in the air and Little D was correcting her. She had it just about right

Also and interesting conversation about staring contests.

Then there was talk about Justin Bieber, wherein Little A says, "I can't say his name cause it freaks me out!"

There was also talk of who Little D was going to marry, which I must say is a much better choice than his last one. This one is at least a member. He said that they already had a "conversation" about it. I didn't realize he knew the meaning of the word conversation.

Where did these kids come from?

Yard work

Today I mowed the lawn! ... I KNOW! Its the first time since we have the new grass. It was getting so long and Big J never has time to mow so I decided today was the day.

It started when I just wanted to go pick up Cheyenne's "presents" but it was hard to pick them up when the grass is about a foot tall. So I thought that if I try and keep it short it will be much easier to pick it all up.

So when I got the mower out I tried to start it like 5 times and couldn't get it going. (I tried moving the choke and all that but it was hard to figure out which way to move it and then if I was to leave it like that or what) I knew that I had to admit defeat and call in the "Big Guns". I was not thrilled with having to call Him but there was no other way. I knew that he was first going to make fun of me and then going to say, "I can't believe you don't know how.". And I also didn't really want to admit that I was going to do it because once I do it then he is going to make me do it all the time. I don't know maybe I should just do it once a week but I don't want to. (but does anyone, really?)

After getting the mower going I mowed half the yard and realized that I wasn't holding down the lever to make it "drive". Here I was actually pushing the thing when I could have just been steering. Needless to say that the second half of it went much faster.

By then I was on a roll and kept going, I cleaned the patio off too. Ours seems to get so dirty. Mostly because the do has a hole that she digs right next to it and then it blows all over. Soon I will fill it and the grass will grow over it. Until then, children, don't fall in the hole.

Now that its all done it feels so nice and fun out there. The kids are out there right now. (they are never out there)

Ward Christmas Party 2010

We recently went to the Olive Knolls Ward Christmas Party and ate and sang and saw Santa. Here are some pictures of the kids with Santa.

Little D Asked for a Computer

Little A asked for a Kitty (its one of 2 things on her list. the other is a pillow pet)

Little C asked for something that no one could understand. (I'm sure that he was trying to say RC train)

Butterflies

As I mentioned in Little D's birthday post he got bug stuff from Grandma Moss. But before that Big J had brought home 5 caterpillars that a friend from work had brought him for the kids. So it worked out perfectly. We watched them make their cocoons and then when they were done I transferred them into the butterfly habitat. Now they have all hatched and we have 5 butterflies fluttering around in there.

Here you can kind of see them through the mesh one is out and the other 4 are in cocoons still.

I have been wondering how long we are supposed to keep them before we let them go.


We made sugar water and put it on flower heads and then cut up a strawberry and put it in the bottom. I don't know if they eat strawberries but I do know they like oranges so I figure that they are close to the same.


So anyway, Its been fun for the kids to watch and we have a coupon for more caterpillars if we want to get some later. It came with the butterfly habitat.

Playing in the Rain

The kids are always saying, "Why don't you ever let us use our umbrellas?"


Its not that I don't LET them use them, its that we never need them and if we do we never have them with us or we forget about them. So the other day it rained and we were just hanging in the house. I remembered their umbrellas and told them to go outside and play.


I think that Little C thought that it was the coolest. He only used his umbrella for the first couple mins though. Then it was just playing in the rain.

A Crazy 3 Hours

This evening was crazy, Little C decided to stop eating his dinner and have a good cry. A 45 minute break down over apparently nothing. After he finally stopped crying we had to rush out of our house to take a meal into a fellow sister, stop at the store for bread on the way and on the way home, pick up cookies for a funeral tomorrow. After we got home the dog decided to race across the busy street to freak the neighbor kids half to death. Then just when I thought that I had her on the way inside she spotted the birds that have been nesting in our bark and decided to chase it half way down the block. Then Little A got her fingers pinched in a door, and I found Little C's bowl of popcorn thrown in his little potty. And its only 6:30pm.

Is it bed time yet?

And even after they are finally in bed I just know that Little D will come out about 5 times to "tell" me something. However once he comes out and I say what? he will say,"hmmm.... let me think".

Is it tomorrow yet?

Sometimes its so simple

I was talking with a friend at the gym yesterday and telling her how I was having a hard time getting Little D to want to read. I think that he knows more than he thinks/shows because if he gets mad enough at me telling him to read it he will read it just fine. It always ends in a yelling match or me getting tired of trying and saying "OK fine. I'm done." Which only ends in more tears because if you know Little D then you know that he is a pleaser. And he will cry more because he wants to do it. Anyway, its been hard and I don't even want to sit and have him try anymore. Sometimes I wonder if he is dyslexic or has some other problem that I don't know about. My friend said that its normal for kids to switch letters around until about 3rd grade and I knew that because I've told it to friends before. But I was trying to find some reason that this was so difficult for him.

She told me that her daughter was the same way and that she hated reading because it was so stressful. Then she did the following and it was a lot better. She asked me if I read to him. I told her yes but not the books that he was trying to read. She suggested that I first read him the book and make it fun with voices and other things. And then give Little D a turn to do the funny voices. She said to try and make it stress free and fun. And if he came to a word he didn't know to just tell him and move on. (I always make him try and sound it out) I thought... How did I not think of that? Its so simple. I guess I was just focusing on getting it done.

So last night before bed I told him to go get a book and he did. Not without yelling at me telling me that he was NOT READING ANYTHING! First I read the Curious George story and used voices and tried to make it sound fun. (Big J is better at voices and fun than I am) But it totally worked. After I said, "Now its your turn." At first he was telling me no and throwing a little tantrum but then I told him that when he got to the parts where people were talking he could make up a funny voice he was more on board.

He read the entire book. There were times in the story that there were 2 or so pages with no talking and I thought for sure he would give up. But he didn't. There were also times when I thought maybe I'll just read this page and let him read the page with the voices. But I didn't. He loved it. When he was finished he went back through making up the story and voices trying to make it funny.

I also told her about how anytime I tell him to do something he yells and says I KNOW!!! Or I CAN'T DO IT ALL! I'll ask him to change his clothes and get his shoes on and he will reply I KNOW! To which I want to say, "Then why aren't you doing it?" She then suggested that I try not to make it a command. And basically to phrase it differently and let him be more responsible.

So this morning I said to him after he was done eating, "I know that you know what you need to do to get ready for school right?" He said yes and I said "OK then." He came out later and had his shoes and socks on but hadn't changed his shirt. I asked him if he forgot anything and he was like, "No." I said, "Didn't you wear that shirt yesterday?" He then went to change it. I went by his room later and noticed he still hadn't changed his shirt. (he was looking at a Curious George book) I told him that he still needed to change his shirt and I got, "I KNOW!" So it didn't work perfectly but it was better. Maybe a few more times and he really will be able to get ready all by himself.

He did say that he had never read the book he was looking at before. So I told him we would read it tonight. And I didn't get a tantrum.

Its funny how sometimes all it takes is for someone to say, "Hey! Try this" In order for you to see how simple it can be.

ANOTHER HALLOWEEN!

This year we had a Clone Trooper, Tinker Bell, and a Dragon! But I must admit that my enthusiasm for Halloween wasn't as it should have been. I only made Little A's costume and by the time I was done with that all my Halloween Spirit was gone. Plus Little D was insistent on being a Clone Trooper and I didn't want to make one of those.

But the kids had fun and we were able to go to the church Trunk-Or-Treat. First they played little games and there was food to eat.



Little C had colored chocolate dripping down his chin and onto his costume. That was my first mistake, letting him have that first bag of M&M's. I was very grateful for Bro. Krumm for handing out Cheetos instead of candy. I would rather give Little C Cheetos than candy.

This was the first year that we let Little D run around with his friends by himself. He was pretty excited. Big J took Little A around to all the cars.

Needless to say we now have too much candy hanging around and all the kids are addicted. Little C brings me candy after candy wanting me to open it. We have caught him a few times with a candy bar eating and squeezing it through the wrapper. He must have a hidden stash somewhere.

"Workin' at the Car Wash"

Who needs drive through car washes! Not me cause I have 3 car washers. Today after seeing that the car was really dirty I decided to let the kids wash it. Even Little C got into it. Here are some pictures of the kids and I washing our car.

Here is Little C in charge of holding the hose during washing.



Here are Little D and Little A. Scrub-a-dub-dub.



Here I am getting the high spots the kid couldn't get.



After Little C was done squirting his sister with the hose, (which she thought was hilarious) He decided to try his hand in Wash boy.



Another cute picture of Little C hard at work.
So our car went from Really dirty to still a little dirty in about 30 mins!

Ingredients for the Earth

Often times the kids start their stories with "When I was a baby...." or "When I was little....". This story was no different. As we were driving up to the cabin for the first day of our reunion Little D says, " When I was little I didn't know how the Earth was made. But now that I am bigger I know the ingredients."
I said, "Oh yea? What are they?"
He said, "They are grass, roads, trees, clouds, bushes, and signs...."
He went on to list everything that he saw out of the car window. I guess it takes a trip to the mountains in Montana to know the "ingredients" of the Earth.

A little Conversation...

This is a little conversation that the Kids and I had in the car yesterday;

Little D: "Hey, Mom. Would it be sad if you didn't have any babies?"

Mom: "Yes, that would be very sad."

Little A: "But you do have babies?"

Mom: "Yes, I do. I have 3 babies."

Little A: "So you're berry happy."

Mom: "Yes, Little A, I am very happy."

Child Torture

So today I made the best chicken salad ever! I love it! The first time I tried it I was like, "I have to get this recipe!" but never did. Until I was talking to a friend and she told me that it was in the Ward Cookbook! It was here in my cupboard the whole time. Right under my nose. The whole time I was making it I couldn't stop picking. (which is bad for my diet)

Anyway the reason that I am sharing this is because you would have thought that it was some form of child torture! Little D looked like we were poking him with sticks! I was so confused. To me it is heaven. And he likes everything that was in it. Apples.... GOOD, Grapes..... GOOD, Chicken.....GOOD, Pasta..... GOOD! Whats not to love?

Here is Little D as I was "poking" him. He made this face just about every bite.

Kids and the funny things they say

Every Tues and Thurs night Megan Okerlund goes swimming at the pool and all are invited. We go to swim laps. By laps I mean swim back and forth in the pool talking. So yesterday I decided to go running to the pool instead of drive there. It was only 1.5 miles and It wasn't dark yet so I thought that I would run there and get a ride home. I had Little D's backpack filled with a water, a towel and my cell phone. As I was leaving Little D ran out and said, "Bye Mom, I hope you come back...... Because I really need that backpack tomorrow." And then left to get back in bed. There I was thinking that he was concerned that I would run in the dark, but all he really needed was his backpack!

Picnic in the Park

So on Friday it was such a nice day that I decided to take the Kids to the Park for a Picnic. It was sunny and clear and a perfect day. It was really fun. The kids rode their bikes there and back. They didn't complain one time about being tired. Poor Little A has such a small trike that she had to pedal twice as fast too. I think that we will have to see about getting her a big girl bike. I pushed Little C in the stroller. One man commented on our way by where my bike was and I was like I wish I had one. But then I would need one of those trailers or seats on the back for Little C.

Once the Kids got to the park we put a blanket down and had our picnic of sandwiches, strawberries, pineapple, celery and peanut butter.

Later the kids played at the park and rode their bikes around. Little D thought that it was fun to get the other kids to chase him on his bike. He liked showing me his new trick on his bike that was to stand up and pedal. He thinks that its fun, but not as fun as making skid marks on the sidewalk.

While the Kids were playing Little C was so excited and you could tell that he wanted to go play with them. He would get up on his knees and raise his arms and yell. He was practicaly pacing the blanket. It was so funny. He wouldn't crawl off the blanket because he didn't want to touch the grass. He did one time when he wanted to check out Little A's bike and imediatly retreated. It was like his own little play pen.

Along the way we saw a lot of "popcorn" trees and had to sing the song. Here is a picture of one that I took on the way back.

It was a lot of fun and the kids are already begging to do it again.