Sunday, March 22, 2009
Spring Break
We had a great Spring Break this past week -- highlights being that Daddy took some time off (so great!) and that we went to Dallas for a few days to visit my sister Jennifer and her family (so fun!). In Dallas, the girls loved their first trip to Chuck E Cheese's -- in Abby's words, "That was sooo much fun!" -- we had fun four-wheeling and dirt-biking, "swimming" in the hot tub, and playing the Wii. Thanks for being such great hosts, Jennifer and Matt! We had a great time!
Bathing beauties
Through the Eyes of a Child
My friend Jess did this with her daughter so I thought I'd ask my girls the same questions and see what they said. Neither of them heard the other's answers.
Millie, 7
Abby, 4
What is something mom always says to you?
M: Pick up your shoes
A: Tell the truth
What makes mom happy?
M: When I pick up my things
A: When I tell the truth
What makes mom sad?
M: When I don't pick things up
A: When I don't tell the truth
(They both seem to have a one-track mind here!)
How does your mom make you laugh?
M: By dancing funny
A: Being funny
What was your mom like as a child?
M: Good and brave
A: She played in the snow
How old is your mom?
M: 34
A: 40 (excuse me?!)
How tall is your mom?
M: 10 feet
A: 4 feet
What is her favorite thing to watch on TV?
M: General Conference (unfortunately, it is not usually General Conference that I am watching on TV . . .)
A: The News
What does your mom do when you're not around?
M: Run errands
A: Play with Jane
If your mom becomes famous, what will it be for?
M: Art, 'cause you're good at art
A: I don't know
What is your mom really good at?
M: Writing (Dad told me)
A: Studying things on the computer
What is your mom not very good at?
M: Nothing (here's hoping she thinks this for a long time to come . . .)
A: Drawing pictures
What does your mom do for her job?
M: Get the girls and me dressed and doing our hair
A: Studying things for your ladies (anything to do with Relief Society is referred to as "my ladies")
What is your mom's favorite food?
M: Mashed potatoes -- it's mine, too
A: Rice
What makes you proud of your mom?
M: You're an excellent cooker
A: She does something fun for me
If your mom were a cartoon character, who would she be?
M: Eloise (?)
A: A fire engine girl (????!)
What do you and your mom do together?
M: Spend time together in the morning before school
A: Play games like UNO
How are you and your mom the same?
M: We're in the same family
A: We like each other
How are you and your mom different?
M: We don't look the same. We don't have the same color hair or eyes and we're not the same age
A: You have blue eyes and I have brown eyes
How do you know your mom loves you?
M: You're kind to me
A: Because I'm funny and you are kind to me
What does your mom like most about your dad?
M: How he's funny -- he cracks you up!
A: Since he goes to work and tries to work hard for us
Where is your mom's favorite place to go?
M: a restaurant
A: to the playspace (the gym)
Millie, 7
Abby, 4
What is something mom always says to you?
M: Pick up your shoes
A: Tell the truth
What makes mom happy?
M: When I pick up my things
A: When I tell the truth
What makes mom sad?
M: When I don't pick things up
A: When I don't tell the truth
(They both seem to have a one-track mind here!)
How does your mom make you laugh?
M: By dancing funny
A: Being funny
What was your mom like as a child?
M: Good and brave
A: She played in the snow
How old is your mom?
M: 34
A: 40 (excuse me?!)
How tall is your mom?
M: 10 feet
A: 4 feet
What is her favorite thing to watch on TV?
M: General Conference (unfortunately, it is not usually General Conference that I am watching on TV . . .)
A: The News
What does your mom do when you're not around?
M: Run errands
A: Play with Jane
If your mom becomes famous, what will it be for?
M: Art, 'cause you're good at art
A: I don't know
What is your mom really good at?
M: Writing (Dad told me)
A: Studying things on the computer
What is your mom not very good at?
M: Nothing (here's hoping she thinks this for a long time to come . . .)
A: Drawing pictures
What does your mom do for her job?
M: Get the girls and me dressed and doing our hair
A: Studying things for your ladies (anything to do with Relief Society is referred to as "my ladies")
What is your mom's favorite food?
M: Mashed potatoes -- it's mine, too
A: Rice
What makes you proud of your mom?
M: You're an excellent cooker
A: She does something fun for me
If your mom were a cartoon character, who would she be?
M: Eloise (?)
A: A fire engine girl (????!)
What do you and your mom do together?
M: Spend time together in the morning before school
A: Play games like UNO
How are you and your mom the same?
M: We're in the same family
A: We like each other
How are you and your mom different?
M: We don't look the same. We don't have the same color hair or eyes and we're not the same age
A: You have blue eyes and I have brown eyes
How do you know your mom loves you?
M: You're kind to me
A: Because I'm funny and you are kind to me
What does your mom like most about your dad?
M: How he's funny -- he cracks you up!
A: Since he goes to work and tries to work hard for us
Where is your mom's favorite place to go?
M: a restaurant
A: to the playspace (the gym)
Sunday, March 8, 2009
Millie turns 7!
We've had a busy week full of birthday celebrations for Miss Millie. She woke up on her birthday sooo excited (this is the girl who begins waiting with baited breath and planning for her birthday in the Fall). On the way to school that morning she said, "I like being 7!" When I asked her if it felt any different she said, "A little."
We had a family celebration on her actual birthday and then had her party this weekend -- a carnival party to be exact. It was a lot of fun albeit a little hectic (16 little people=a whole lot of craziness). They seemed to mostly just want to run around so after a few organized games, we opted for freeze tag and parachute games (with a sheet). I could have saved a lot of prep time if I'd only known. By far, the biggest hit of the party was the pie throwing contest (Daddy was a good sport to pose as the target). The kids thought it was hilarious, which it, in fact, was.
This week to celebrate Millie's birthday, I've been reading entries from her baby journal and it is amazing to see how her personality is so similar to that of when she was a baby. She has such a bright, sunny disposition. She loves to laugh and loves it when her mind is engaged. No one can ever be bored when she is around because she is a source of endless creative ideas for fun. She loves her sisters, her friends, and animals (she never gives up on trying to get us to get a pet). She is so capable, helpful (mostly), and observant, and she has such a pure, sensitive, loving heart. She is a never-ending source of joy and we feel so blessed to have her in our home. We love our Millie!
Sunday, March 1, 2009
February
Much of the first part of February passed laboriously due to a sickness that laid every member of the family flat over the course of two weeks. It is crummy to be sick as a mother since we have no sick leave, benefits, or vacation packages and are on-call 24/7. Fortunately (for me, not for him), Mark was still home from work convalescing when it hit me the hardest. We are glad to be on the mend.
We had a nice Valentine's weekend. The older girls both loved making and exchanging their Valentine's at their respective schools. They then proceeded to come home and devour every last inch of candy in the first hour. Jane hovered on the edges of the candy binge trying to stick her grubby little hands into the pile whenever she could. The funniest/saddest thing was when she came to me crying as if her heart would break -- big alligator tears rolling down her cheeks -- saying, "Abby took my canny!" Upon investigation, though, it was discovered that Jane had stolen Abby's candy and claimed it as her own, whereupon Abby retrieved it and hence the ruckus. This year it seemed as if Valentine's was almost another Halloween.
Mark and I had fun attending a Valentine's concert where a Baroque music group played all of the Bach's Brandeburg Concertos (concerti?). I especially liked the 6th (if I remember correctly) because it especially featured the viola. We went to an Indian restaurant for dinner beforehand. It was so nice to get out.
Mark has been working long hours during the week, but we try to make up for that on the weekends and have been having a lot of fun. Mark has been taking the girls out on Saturdays occasionally to garage sales. They think it great fun and the people running the sales inevitably give them each a stash of free treasures (ahem, junk) which they bring home and show me rapturously and which they have yet to notice disappears in the trash throughout the following week.
On President's Day we drove about an hour to visit Brennam -- home Blue Bell ice cream, the pride of Texas. Texans rave about this ice cream and at the factory they give a tour followed by a dish of ice cream. The girls loved it and it was rather interesting to see how they make the ice cream and the ice cream sandwiches. It reminded me of the stories my Grandpa Ward used to tell about visiting his Dad's ice cream factory when he was a boy.
It's rodeo season here in Houston and while the big-time rodeo is just getting kicked off downtown, we decided to go to the smaller, more accessible Katy Rodeo with the kids this weekend. They were so excited to dress up in their cowgirl boots and hats and were mesmerized by the bull-riding in particular. Abby was brave enough to participate in the stick-horse race for little kids in the arena and had the biggest grin ever as she ran towards me (pictures of the cute spectacle were too blurry).

We had a nice Valentine's weekend. The older girls both loved making and exchanging their Valentine's at their respective schools. They then proceeded to come home and devour every last inch of candy in the first hour. Jane hovered on the edges of the candy binge trying to stick her grubby little hands into the pile whenever she could. The funniest/saddest thing was when she came to me crying as if her heart would break -- big alligator tears rolling down her cheeks -- saying, "Abby took my canny!" Upon investigation, though, it was discovered that Jane had stolen Abby's candy and claimed it as her own, whereupon Abby retrieved it and hence the ruckus. This year it seemed as if Valentine's was almost another Halloween.
Mark and I had fun attending a Valentine's concert where a Baroque music group played all of the Bach's Brandeburg Concertos (concerti?). I especially liked the 6th (if I remember correctly) because it especially featured the viola. We went to an Indian restaurant for dinner beforehand. It was so nice to get out.
Mark has been working long hours during the week, but we try to make up for that on the weekends and have been having a lot of fun. Mark has been taking the girls out on Saturdays occasionally to garage sales. They think it great fun and the people running the sales inevitably give them each a stash of free treasures (ahem, junk) which they bring home and show me rapturously and which they have yet to notice disappears in the trash throughout the following week.
On President's Day we drove about an hour to visit Brennam -- home Blue Bell ice cream, the pride of Texas. Texans rave about this ice cream and at the factory they give a tour followed by a dish of ice cream. The girls loved it and it was rather interesting to see how they make the ice cream and the ice cream sandwiches. It reminded me of the stories my Grandpa Ward used to tell about visiting his Dad's ice cream factory when he was a boy.
It's rodeo season here in Houston and while the big-time rodeo is just getting kicked off downtown, we decided to go to the smaller, more accessible Katy Rodeo with the kids this weekend. They were so excited to dress up in their cowgirl boots and hats and were mesmerized by the bull-riding in particular. Abby was brave enough to participate in the stick-horse race for little kids in the arena and had the biggest grin ever as she ran towards me (pictures of the cute spectacle were too blurry).
A Millie-sim: At FHE this past week I was talking to the girls about how special it is that we have an eternal family because we can be a family even after this life. Millie said, "Yeah, but it would still be ok if we weren't because we could still probably meet up together and hang out.
Some Jane-isms:
Jane: Mommy, I want a wings on!" (bringing me the dress up "fairy" wings) A few minutes after donning the wings, Jane comes back perplexed: "Mama, I can't fly!"
I put Jane in a new dress the other day that has a little bit of a twirly skirt. She got down, twirled around and said, "I a pincess, Mommy! I like a pincess!" This self-view explains much about what influences her rather imperious behavior these days :).
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