March 4, 2014

Dental cleaning day! 3/4 had no cavities, can you guess who does? It's Christopher, it's always Christopher! That kid HATES brushing and flossing. Major fights, wailing and gnashing of dirty teeth have occurred over this kid and his dental hygiene. Grrrr.

March 2, 2014

After church play dough time with quiet naughty and noisy naughty! These two make church...interesting.

It's pretty fantastic when your kids genuinely like each other! These two never fight and always are planning something. Their latest idea has been planning a restaurant. Love them!

“Like it? Well, I don’t see why I oughtn’t to like it. does a boy get a chance to whitewash a fence every day?” I totally Tom Sawyered all my kids into painting the doors for the craft room. They couldn't get enough!

Masterpiece.

Porter leaves his masterpieces all over my walls on a nearly daily basis. 

No lie.

I throw crayons away.

I hide pencils and pens like they are expensive chocolates.

I keep permanent markers on my list of things that don't enter the house...I mean right up there with porn and crack.

Yet somehow he manages to find things that I don't know exist or finds my secret stash or climbs the wall like a spider monkey to get the pencils off the high shelves.

This was our favorite find.

My baby covered in permanent markers that Bekah had gotten from her school this week. 

Not aware they were permanent.

Not until we tried to clean his face, hair, stomach, hands, arms, legs, neck.

This is the morning after the fact.

My little artist is going places.

Like a time out.

Bekah's Baptism

February 4th was a very special day that we won't forget anytime soon. 

Our sweet baby girl made the decision to get baptized and confirmed a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints. She was so lucky to have her amazing daddy be the Priesthood holder who was able to perform these blessings for her.

Her grandma's were both able to come, so it was really special for her...and for the rest of us!

 I have the absolute BEST friends on the planet who drove out to support us on this fun weekend. Sara, Carissa, Jaime, Cathy and April-you rock. Literally. Love each and every one of your cute faces.

 Right before the dunk we were able to get a couple pics with Bekah and her daddy. Obligatory.

And how cute are these friends of hers who drove out with their mommies to be a part of this special day? I know this just made it such an incredible experience for her and she loves these friends as much as I love their moms. Ann, Theo, Raegan, Phoebe and Ellie...thanks for being exactly the kinds of friends that I have always wanted for my daughter, she is so lucky.

3 Boys in a Tub

Rub a Dub Dub
3 Boys in a Tub
And who do you think they be?

Well isn't it obvious?
It's Oliver, Porter and Topher you see.
And never a happier three.

The Apple of Mom's Eye

Can I just tell you how completely in love I am with this small wonder?

He is the cutest little stinker with the sweetest little face.

He has those sweet baby cheeks that I can't stop kissing.

And the determination of...I don't know what-but think of something really determined and he has that kind of determination.

Oh and those sweet little baby hands...even when they are all red from being out in the cold, melt my heart.

I really wonder if I could possibly love this little monster any more than I do.
At least right now.
He did just have a nap.
He is in a good mood and is not demanding my attention by screaming.
Just demanding it with his cuteness.
Much more effective by the way.
The squeaky wheel in this house does not get the grease...just time outs.
Ha ha.
That is so not the case and this kid knows it.
He yells and we jump.
Bad bad parenting 101.

Daily Something September 20, 2011; Moves Like Jagger

Daily Something;
Moves Like Jagger by Maroon 5 came on the radio today while the kids and I were running errands today and has been stuck in all of our heads. All day long one of us is singing the chorus. Even little Porter is swinging his hips singing "I got the mooooooooves."
Bekah came in after playing with some of the kids in the neighborhood tonight and she said they were playing a game where they acted like a famous person and then the others would try to guess who it was.
Bekah said she impersonated Mick Jagger. She held up a microphone and pretended to sing and dance and the clue was the letter J...strangely enough none of the kids in the neighborhood guessed Mick Jagger.
They were guessing people like Justin Beiber, Justin Timberlake or the Jonas Brothers. Bekah has no idea who those people are and couldn't believe they didn't know who Jagger was.
She is a little sheltered from the tween throbs of the day...but at least she knows good music when she hears it, and knows that a kid with a name like Beiber could only wish he had the moves like Jagger.

Daily Something September 15 Sink Baths

Daily Something
Today Chad got his grades back from his first term on extern-4.0! He has comped on 11 scans out of the 23 necessary to graduate and is doing awesome! Just wanted to throw that in there.
My story is about how we gave Oliver a sink bath tonight after dinner. He was so messy we didn't dare bring him up the stairs. As Chad was manipulating his hair into rooster tails and mohawks, it occurred to me that this little guy will be one next week. His time of being thrown in the sink to take a bath is rapidly coming to an end. As my last baby this makes me sad. He is getting so big but still he enjoys these little moments so immensely. It makes me want to slow down and enjoy these little moments more too. Instead of just trying to get him clean so that we can move on to the next thing, I need to spend more time splashing in the water and smelling his sweet baby scent after he is out...because before long that scent turns into something not so sweet...as evidenced by my two older boys.

Turn Around Bright Eyes...

My little Oliver is walking.

It's true.

It's sad.

It's cute.

But mostly it's hard to get him to look at me while I am trying to take a photo.
There we go, 1 second to see why mom is telling me no no for getting into the bookshelf...again. I do have other kids besides Oliver I promise. Someday I might let you know what they are up to too! :)

60 Seconds with the Oli Bug

While sorting through some school stuff in the boys room today and doing a rotation of toys I was taking pictures for my other blog.

My little Oliver decided he wanted my camera.

The following 6 pictures are a result of the immediate 60 seconds after he saw me with the camera.

"Oooh I want that thing mom!"
"You say no to me all the time...it stops me in my tracks...but just for a minute.""I will have it now!"
"Seriously...look at me...how could you not just hand it over? Look into my eyes, I am completely and wholly adorable."
"Not going to give it to me huh? Oh well I give up!"
"Psyche!"

This kid is a fast little stinker, but my camera got out safe and sound...barely! :)

Welcome to the Crawl Ball

Easter Best

Is there anything sweeter...

...than a baby sleeping on your shoulder?

I can't think of one.single.thing.

This little guy has us smitten.

Gaga.

Crazy in love.

We would do anything to make him smile.

He knows this, and demands attention at all hours of the day.

We give it, even when the dishes have been piling up for days, the garage is a mess, there are pictures to edit, a neglected family blog, exercise to do, laundry to be put away, and meals to prepare.

Sometimes we wish we could do those other things that need our attention, but getting smiles and slobbery kisses from him is just too big a temptation to pass up 99% of the time.

So yes, our house is messy, and there are things left undone.

But he is our last...and we are soaking it up.

Hi Dad!

We are in Portland right now while dad is home studying for finals.
We miss you honey! Good luck on your test tomorrow! :)

(I was taking some maternity pics and while the mom to be was changing I threw my kids together for this pic. I just realized that this is the only picture I have of all 4 of my kids together! WHAT?!?! This must be remedied!)

He felt left out...

Since my little Oli-bug was asleep in the car the other day and didn't get any pics up, he was a little sad...okay so that is a lie!

Oliver sad?

Only when his mom isn't holding him or isn't within reaching distance!

Look at this kid! He is a happy go lucky, adorable, fun to kiss on little monkey man and I just love him to absolute pieces!

Wouldn't you?

Oliver-January in Review

This little guy was stealing hearts and taking names this January...

• Got to meet a lot of his cousins, aunts and uncles while in Utah at Grandma Mona's
• Went to a his very first 'second Christmas' at Grandma Julie's
• Started Grinning and Giggling on purpose
• Gives sucking face kisses
• Sleeps like an angel in his swing
• No more colic!!!

Things he loves right now;

• His mom
• The rest of his family too...especially his big brother who is always by his side
• Nursing
• Dancing
• Laughing
• The shower

Things that make him just plain mad;

• Putting him down
• Trying to feed him anything but mama's milk
• Getting out of the shower
• Getting dressed
• Being ignored