Topher's Happy Feet

This kid dances to the beat of his own drummer! I just wanted to show you what I mean by Happy Feet, this boy will climb on anything and do a little tap dance, anytime he is excited or happy about something his feet just start going. Very much like the little penguin in the movie. I caught him doing this last night, I just caught the end of a very long happy feet session-this kid cracks us up!

Ha Ha

I love this big picture of Topher and the little ones too. This is just a layout I made about the funny things Topher does that make us laugh all the time. I like it, minimal supplies and it's stuff I always want to remember. Click on the photo to see it better-the red journaling box is hard to read in this photo-but it says-'you crack us up kid'-Christopher 2007

From Cute to Disaster in 30 Seconds

A little background first. I have this shelf, basically in my entry way (I don't have anywhere else to put it). I love it-(thanks Tab-for the fantastic find, I still have yours too by the way!) it is full to the brim with scrapbooking supplies all organized and pretty and ready to use. There was a big problem with that though and that problem is called Christopher. If I didn't have a way to cover the shelf up-my stuff would be destroyed pretty darn quick! My step dad cut me a piece of wood (bless him!) to cover it up with and Chad put heavy duty velcro on the shelf to hold the piece of wood on. Now all of my supplies are covered up and still easy enough to get into for me, but Topher can't pull the velcro (yet). So everything is dandy-In the back of my head I kept thinking I would do something creative and cute with this piece of wood so that it doesn't look so blah-but hadn't had that extra push to do something until tonight. Christopher got out the colored pencils and started coloring all over it. I almost lost it, until Chad said to let the little kids paint on it and put their handprints etc.. on it, until I figure out what to do with it. Fine. It started out fine anyway, the babies were being so cute, painting little swatches of color, Bekah wrote mom on it, & Topher put his handprint on it (with my help). Then after I went to put the camera away, I came out and saw Zachary putting his handiwork all over it, by the time I stopped him it was too late. He smeared big red and orange all over it with one of my big sponge brushes and started to write his name in big red letters. Lets just say I will be making a trip to the Home Depot tomorrow for some spray paint and pray that it will cover up this mess!

Better Than Flowers

My husband is the sweetest, sorry girls it's the truth! I had a girls night I was going to go to tonight but had to bail because of this yuckiness I've been feeling. Chad called to see what time it was at so that he could be sure to be home in time. When I told him I wasn't feeling up to going and just wanted some rest he really came through. Without me asking him for anything, he came home Coke in hand and took ALL of the kids to the zoo so I could just relax. That is a sweet (brave) man! He took some pics of his adventure and shock shock, Zach is pulling faces in all of them... I posted a few of the better ones here. I had some good me time though. I lounged a bit and even had time for some scrapbooking-check out my new page and let me know what you think!

....Some Big Hugs sent out to some very important people in my life

I have to mention this, though it is so sad. 2 guys that grew up in my ward with me when I lived in Utah were in a terrible accident last night. (You can click there for a video of the candlelight vigil held tonight and to see pics of them). They were on their way to Seattle and the car rolled. One of the boys Travis Landeen didn't survive. We send our love to Steve and Arlynn and want them to know our prayers are with them and their family. The other guy Jonathan Kieth is still in the hospital. He is not doing well, but is still expected to recover. He was the pianist at my wedding and I'm sure is one of the best musicians alive. From what I hear all of the fingers in his right hand are broken and have lots of damage-I know he will be okay, but I ask that you will pray for him to make a full recovery and be able to play again. It is horrible when something like this happens, I have known these boys their whole lives. I remember them being my own kids' age and I watched them grow up. I was over at Jonathans house with his big sister Gretchen almost every day my junior year in high school. He used to play piano for us and make up songs off the top of his head for us. He is so talented. Travis was the student body president last year at my old high school. Such good boys with so much talent and potential. Their families have been such a big part of my life, I feel like they are my extended family. I know I don't see them anymore living out here and now that I have my own family and have moved out of the ward, but almost every time I'm in Utah I run into at least some of them and know that they would be there for me if I ever needed anything. Landeen family-I love you guys so much and am so sorry for your loss, I can't imagine how you are feeling. I am glad that you know that you will all be together forever and that you will see Travis again. Keith family-I love all of you and we will continue to pray for Jon. Big hugs from me to everyone who knows and loves these boys. xxxxx

Just another day in paradise...

Kids clinging (on both legs, if not around my neck-it all comes with the mom territory), phone ringing (with maintenance requests for everything from a light switch to a dryer), landscapers mowing and even more loudly blowing outside my window while I try to write an article for my new side job as a writer for WAHM outsource-, door bell ringing and the even more dreaded sound of kids knocking at my door for everything from more maintenance requests to kids asking if their 13 year old brother is old enough to watch them, (we have a new policy at our complex that kids under 18 are not allowed out on the commons areas without their parent, because we have a few trouble makers in our midst). Had to snap a pic today, (I was just going to take a pic of me, but like I said before-kids clinging..)because I got dressed today and actually did my hair-something I have been denying myself of lately. So I had to document that it actually happens once in awhile-for posterity you know! Sweats and a rubber band have been my BF's lately. My eyes keep going to the clock at the bottom of the screen, hoping that the minutes tick away faster and that 5:00 is here so that Chad will come home and restore that peaceful feeling that I have when he is home, and so that I can go grocery shopping-because as my mom can testify to-the only thing I have in my fridge is condiments and a quarter of a gallon of milk, (yes mom I picked up a gallon of milk at least!) Life is fantastic! I really am glad to have all of this and keep so busy, my life is full of blessings that I can fully appreciate. Now if I can just learn to appreciate this sinus headache that won't go away-life would truly be perfect!

12:51 A moment to pull my hair out

I am tired. I want to go to bed. It's been a long night. We decided to go to a movie instead of going swimming. We went and saw 'Surf's Up'-the penguin movie. It was funny, taking Topher to the movie was not. He was loud, restless and running all over the place. Chad got to chase him, since he wanted to do the whole movie thing. Still, we got to see the whole thing without taking him out, because it wasn't that crowded, so Chad just ended up letting him run and just sit in the aisle Topher was running down at the moment-don't you just love parents like us at the movies?!? HaHaHa. Then we stopped by my moms house to pick up some stuff of Tylers because he is spending the night again, but of course, 'So you think you can dance' was on, so we stayed for that. Our going to bed early thing is not working out so hot! So you ask why don't I go to bed and stop blogging. The answer is; we still have not moved Tophers crib back into his room, so I can't go in my room until he is asleep, or he won't stay in his bed! So I am sitting here listening to him scream at me. Hopefully he will stop soon, he's really on one tonight-just being a terror you know? Bekah was being one too, super whiney and stuff while she was getting ready for bed-but as soon as her head was forced onto her pillow (she said she didn't want to go to bed), she was out. Well, it looks like my cute sucker of a husband thinks it's just too sad to hear the little (adorable) beast cry-and went in to rescue him-so bet you money that makes 3 of us in our bed tonight. Amazing how much room a 1 year old can take up (and always on my side) on a king size bed! Whatever, I'm tired-too tired.

A Hair Raising Experience

We went to OMSI last night which was kind of a disappointment for the first time ever. We were going to go to the Body World Exhibit that they have going on there, and we thought it might cost extra to get in, but we have a membership and thought it couldn't be that much-so we didn't check into it. Chad, Ty and I wanted to go and when we got there we found out that even with the membership it was $15 bucks a person. It would have been $45 to go for us, we sat there and went back and forth if it was worth it and decided to bag it. My mom came with us to watch the kids while we went, she said you couldn't pay her $15 bucks to see it. So my mom and I decided to take the little kids up stairs to the science playground and it was closed. Most of the stuff in Turbine Hall was still open for awhile, but they started closing down that stuff too. So we ended up leaving feeling a little let down by the whole experience. Maybe we should have just forked over the money for the exhibit. Anyone been? Worth it? Topher checking himself out in the funhouse mirrors in the Physics Lab

Uncle Ty and Goodnight Moon

My little bro spent the night last night much to the delight of all the kids. Here he is reading to Topher, Topher's all time favorite book-Goodnight Moon. Topher wants this read to him ALL the time. He likes all books lately, but LOVES this book. He took a break from reading when I came in with the camera to show me his Happy Feet. I keep meaning to do a post on this-his new nick name, but I haven't taken a good picture of him dancing yet! This kid is forever shaking his booty. ~LOVe It!~

What does 400 Water Balloons look like?

Here is your answer.
It took about an hour and a half to fill all these balloons and about 20 minutes to make our backyard a very colorful swamp!
Another successful day! It's hot-I want to go swimming, I know the kids are all prunes, but they are all still up for it, so there may be pics of that up tonight or tomorrow.

Children's Museum

These pics are at the childrens musuem and are some of my favorites.
The journaling reads; family outing, husband, wife, kids, happy family...one of our favorite things to do in Portland is go to the childrens musuem. The kids can climb on everything and even us adults can do the things the kids are doing and no one looks at you strange, well...