Pimellos

Have you ever heard of a Pimello?

Me neither... at least until we found a bag of them at Costco the other week and had to buy them just to see what they were!

They are similar to grapefruit. Bigger - huge in fact! Less tangy. And the pilth or whatever the white stuff is called is similar to cotton candy in texture, but thicker. There is about as much fruit as an actual grapefruit would have or less. But just like grapefruits - our kids love them. I've had a taste and am not necessarily endeared to them - but they are fun!

we just had to share.

The first pimello we cut into, the fruit was a square shape. I should have taken a picture of that - but it was breakfast - and we were running late!

I put the apple in there for size comparison. And yes those are Elayna's little bite marks. She seems to think all fruit is hers and will often be found to have climbed up to the fruit bowl and taking bites out of whatever looks good (I guess). It's halved because we still try to eat the apples, and the only way to mask the bites is to cut the apple in slices for the boys!

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conversations!

Today I had 6 kids in the back of the car. Weston, Isaac and Tyler were in the back back so it was a little hard to hear but I did get some. And though Isaac was talking I wasn't paying much attention to him because he seemed to be quit the kill-joy for the two boys with their discussion but this is what I got!

Weston: Pirate.. when I grow up
Isaac: you can't do that - you can't be two things
Mom: Weston? What did you want to be?

Weston: An Astronaut and a pirate
Mom: Wow - that sounds like fun
Tyler: I want to be an alien... an alien and a robot, with wheels so I can punch.(and hit)

Isaac: you can't be an alien - )
Weston: ya - you can't be an alien because they have green skin

Isaac, Daniel, Weston: You can't be an alien
Isaac: you can't be an alien you have to choose a job (Isaac is 6 and in 1st grade- obviously knows everything about life !)

Mom: You don't have to choose a job until you're a daddy (obviously you have to choose earlier - but why burden the creativity of children with technicalities)

Tyler : I'm going to be an alien
Weston: But you can't they have green skin
Isaac: an no hair
Weston: and three eyes and four legs

Tyler - I'll be an astronaut alien
Isaac: what are you going to do wear a space suit?

then we were home and that fizzled out but there was a short discussion about how Tyler would turn his skin green. I think they decided he could paint his skin.

I had to blog it though. I thought it was very amusing!

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18 Months Old....

..... And I'll cry if I want to!

I have tried to get pictures of the kids at their 'benchmark ages', 1 month, 2 month..... 1 year, 18 month, 2, 3,4,5 year, etc..



So on the 12th of January Elayna was officially 18 months old and in keeping with tradition I tried to get some pictures. She was just up from a nap and I thought I would take a few pictures then doll her up and get some fun shots. After I had taken just a couple shots, she wanted to see the pictures, then she wanted to hold the camera and take her own pictures and since I wasn't going to let that happen she started to pout...then to throw her little tantrum.

She has been experimenting with tantrums and I'm happy to say I am seeing less and less and they aren't as dramatic each time - because we just don't allow it - but I am understanding that there is a learning curve bending to my will rather than her own. So I enjoyed this tantrum as I hope it will be one of the last!
Needless to say, I didn't get any more pictures that day and the day is gone.. So we'll l have to wait to get nicer pictures at the 2 year mark!

She's really rather cute though - she stomps her feet, screams, stomps her feet again while turning around in a circle, then she will stomp her feet and scream as she runs to a better location (soft for falling). This time she took a lap around the kitchen island - stopping at each corner to give a good scream/cry and then continued to stomp around. She eventually ended up in the living room face down and flailing around.

at 18 months old her favorite things are.....
- Shoes - trying on every pair of shoes she can find and walking around with them on.
- shoes - taking them off, along with her socks every time we get in the car and depending on her mood complaining until someone tickles her bare feet.
- pushing her little stroller around - with or without a baby in it.
- carrying her baby around in a baby carrier
- playing with her brothers and getting in their way.
- climbing up and on to everything
- playing with scissors
- taking showers - not baths!
- dancing

- singing

- her blanket
- being in charge
- coloring
- shopping... always carrying around bags, purses and old shopping bags with various items inside and with keys in hand
- computers, keyboards... pounding on them and pushing the buttons
- cuddling with daddy, always daddy she is such a daddy's girl!
- playing in the cupboards
- rearranging shelves, cupboards, toys, clothes, etc.
- cleaning.. always with rag in hand wiping things up and vacuuming when she can get her vacuum away from her brothers!


We love Elayna, she has been such a wonderful addition to our family, and though the girl part still scares me sometimes (!) we love her and are so grateful to have her in our family.

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Peas in a Pod

These two crack me up.
Yes we have days where I want to duct tape both of them to the beds, shut the doors and hide under my pillow, but in general they absolutely adore each other and I love to watch them interact. Weston loves Elayna and Elayna loves Weston, but there is a different relationship between Tyler and Elayna.

Elayna will mimic Tyler exactly - thumbs (bad habit), walking on toes, squeals, hand motions, looks, laughs, head nods or bobs... anything he does she mimics exactly and instantly.

So the other day, Tyler wanted me to take pictures of him eating a cookie (not sure why, but I can't say no to being able to use my camera and take picts of my kids when getting them to pose is worse than pulling teeth)


I just started snapping shots, and later looked to see if I got any pictures I could keep I had to laugh when I saw these two shots...These were taken in sequence, seconds or less apart..... No posing, no prodding... just the two of them acting the way they always do!

I wish they posed as well for me as they do for themselves.

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She is getting hair!!!!!!!

For those who know my concern with Elayna's hair, you may be as excited as I am to see that she is finally starting to get some!

Elayna has never had hair, but I always thought she had, some..... but looking back I realized how little there was and how much she really did resemble a Que ball.





But..... :) it is starting to come in and week by week it seems to be getting a lot fuller and the hair line of growth keeps moving up - which is good. The length isn't changing - just getting curlier... we just keep hoping that the top, sides and crown area will decide it wants to catch up with the back before she really starts to look like a mullet queen!

I had to document this though, because with any amount of luck at all she will continue to sprout hair and we will actually have a full head of even length hair in a few months! But if she doesn't... at least we had hair for a little while!

We admit that she looks rather homely right now... her hair being the major cause. But as long as she doesn't have my hair genes... she should be okay as soon as it all decides to grow, even if she doesn't get to keep the curl!

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Playing with their food!

I guess messes just make life more fun... for the kids....

I on the other hand have just grown numb to the mess, but I do try to document it all. Just in case I need to support the "but I was a good mom and did let you get away with murder sometimes" case... or if blackmail is ever needed at a future date!

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Happy New Years 2009

For New Years we had the Squires come over for Pizza and rootbear floats, which no one seemed to enjoy as much as I did. Maybe it's a nostalgia thing for me, but I love rootbear floats and they seem to be the perfect treat for new years.

The Squires had brought over a very nice selection of fireworks... so after a lot of yummy pizza and the kids had played for a while we headed out to the cold to set off some of the fire works. The dad's had the fun of lighting and actually playing with fire. And they seemed to be just as thrilled or more, with all the screeching and booms and pops, as the little boys were!


We had a few neighbors camping out on their porches enjoying the entire show of our two families doing the fireworks... especially enjoying all 5 boys jumping up and down and around with the anticipation of each new firework! Which was nice since I was worried that we were going to have the police called in because we were being too loud at 10:00 at night. Not to mention all the fireworks we had may not have been entirely legal!


I still don't know how to use my camera so these aren't the best... but we did have fun, and I'm finding that I'm taking fewer pictures and enjoying the moments more... which makes the fewer pictures we have, that much more meaningful with the memories!

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Grandma and Grandpa's House

The day after Christmas we drove up to Visit Grandma Liz and Grandpa Steve and see my sisters which I haven't seen in so long.... According to Weston and Tyler we went to get Bakugans from Aunt Hilary.
.....
Tyler - Where are we going
(upset we had to leave all his new toys at home,
or just upset that we were leaving again so soon)

Me - to Grandma and Grandpa's house

Tyler - But I don't want to go, I just want to go home

Weston - (Very seriously) Do You Want Your Bakugan?

Tyler - Yes

Weston - Then you have to go to Grandma's House, Okay?

Tyler - Okay.

.....
I'm really glad Aunt Hilary remembered, and had the bakugans!!!!!!

But we got there and had a good visit despite the cold, inside and out, and lack of sleep! It was great to see everyone and to have a nice change of scenery.

We did make a trip to the pier to see the ocean and Canada 'White rock' so that Asher could see them. Sadly, getting there was more eventful than the actual pier was.
We got stuck going out of the drive way, and we all had to help push and dig us out. Then when we got to the pier it was sooo cold, we were there a total of 5 minutes or less. Then we went back home again.



Grandpa did take his pellet rifle out so the grandkids each had a turn shooting - except Layna which made her a little upset, but we all agreed she was a little young.. Even Tyler just stood there sucking his sucker while Grandpa did all the work! But they did have fun spending some one on one time with Grandpa - and that was the point!





Layna got a little play date with her cousin Sophia and enjoyed playing with all the boots available... so all in all it was a good weekend. And as you can see she is just now starting to grow some hair! She still looks like a little redneck or 80's fan.. but I just can't give her a boy cut when she looks so much like Weston.. And besides now that we know the virtues of versatile... her curls actually last through the head rub from her brothers any time they see her 'girly' hair.

Thanks to everyone for being there!

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Christmas

We love Christmas. We love it for the chance to reflect more on our Savior Jesus Christ. For the snow, and the lights. The music and the good food and fun treats! We also love playing up the Santa Clause story as much as possible.

We have a very firm "no traveling for Christmas" rule. And though we were in our house Christmas morning.. it ended up being a very busy and full Christmas... but we loved it!

The Friday before John left for a two day camping trip. He got home and I got sick. Monday we were leaving to meet up with the Spangenberg's at Great Wolf, but got a late start so I could go to the doctor. Monday and Tuesday were spent at the Lodge. Tuesday night - after a very full day of swimming and playing we headed home to clean up (the mess we left as we hurried out for the lodge - since I was sick and couldn't clean) before Brenda (John's sister) and her family came to stay with us.

We had a great visit with Brenda, Anthony and their boys... and though it was a quick visit I'm so glad they were willing to brave the weather, the roads and our family to visit! It was wonderful to have a calm and relaxed visit with Brenda and Anthony and see her cute boys. Weston still refers to Andrew as 'the big boy baby' - because Brandon was the little baby.

Christmas was wonderful... Santa was great! And we were blessed to be able to spoil our kids. They loved it and we did too! We still are loving all the fun new toys we have - John and I included!

Friday we all got up and sent Brenda and Anthony off, and we rushed out leaving a messy home again, to go visit my parents and 3 sisters that had gone to their house for Christmas.

We had a good visit, wonderful to see my three sisters that I haven't seen in years, literally! We planned to stay until Monday, but found out at church on Sunday that the funeral for a friend from our ward was going to be in that building on Tuesday so we stayed an extra day for that.

Being a sympathy crier is a very bad thing to be at a funeral.. and by the end of service I looked worse than anyone else there, and I was anxious to just get home and sleep of my new headache!

We went back and picked up the kids and loaded up and made the 4 hour trek home..
John had work Wednesday, Thursday off, and left again Friday for a camp out!

I finally have my house, mostly clean and organized and though it was crazy there for a while, and we are very glad to be home... we miss our families so much and with we had more time and a lot more money so we could have the chance to visit more of our family.

After this year though our resolution is ....Next year we wont travel so much in a single week....

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Great Wolf Lodge

The Monday and Tuesday before Christmas we were able to go to the Great Wolf Lodge down by Olympia with our Friends and their kids.... I still am waiting to get picts from them since I didn't bring my camera to the pool.

Great Wolf lodge is a huge indoor water park (similar to seven peaks from Provo, Utah) with a hotel built around it. It was so much fun and I would love to make that into a yearly tradition, especially going with Ward and Laura and their kids. We all had so much fun and loved the break from the cold. It was great, we were walking around in swimsuits, flip flops and shorts with 'feet' of snow outside.





Tyler got ready to go to the pool, and since we were up way too early, and had time to wait for our friends we decided to have a little photo shoot... John figured Tyler looked like he was ready for a Chippendale calendar - firemen style! (we had him show us his muscles and kiss them!) What a cutie.

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Time to go....

Elayna loves - loves - loves shoes. And she also loves to go..... anywhere. She isn't of the personality to just sit quietly and play with toys, she always wants to be going. In the morning when John leaves, she often times gets very upset that she isn't going with daddy.
So she'll take it upon herself to go get her shoes and if I can't help her or wont help her put them on, she will go get her boots on which she can do by herself. Then she will go get some keys (or bring me to get the car keys) and then try to go out the door herself. Since she can open the doors herself we are very appreciative of the deadbolt!

And it doesn't seem to matter what time it is, how cold it is or what she is wearing... or not wearing! She just wants to be going and doing!

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We have a dog!!!

This is for those of you who wonder if Tyler is still in his doggy day's..... As in he thinks he is a dog and likes to 'play' dog, where he is someones doggy/puppy or someone else is his doggy.

The answer is YES.... (and what you see is all self initiated)

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