Jelly Beans...

So today we made a trip to the library to return our books and check out more. I should tell you that today was actually the day the books were due so the fact that we returned them on time is a miracle! Okay, so...we (Gavin and Olivia) pick out our books and go to the desk to check out. There is the miniature Jelly Belly bin of jelly beans that Olivia managed to spy with her little eye sitting much above her head on the counter. She, being a true child, asked if she could have some and the librarian said sure. So I gave both of the children a small scoop (the bin also had this tiny scooper) and home we headed. --we live about 1.5 miles from the library-- We are just turning onto our road, .5 miles from home, and I hear

Olivia: "Mom" in this worried crying voice "my jelly bean is stuck in my nose"

Me: Oliva why is there a jelly bean in your nose?

Olivia: (laughing now) a jelly bean in my nose. (she preceeded to try to pick it out only lodging it farther up her nose.

Mom: Olivia, just leave it or I will have to take you to the hospital. (this is a fear my children have)

Olivia: Okay mom.

We get home and I have her blow her nose and out flies a pink jelly bean.

Olivia: Mom, now we need to go back for another pink jelly bean.

Mom: No Olivia we don't

That was pretty much what my whole day was... I just keep saying....I am thankful we are all healthy...I am thankful our house is warm...I am thankful I can walk...etc.. oh those simple blessings that I can always be thankful for on the hard days!!

Little girls...and randomness

So lots of really funny things happen around here everyday but for me to remember it all is impossible. First I am pregnant, which should say it all, and second, I have 3 children so my brain is still recovering from those pregnancies. So Olivia has started this little thing where she has to wear the top to her old swimsuit, it's like a jog bra, under everything, even her swimsuit which is under her clothes. I asked her why and she proceeded to explain to me that girls wear bras and that is hers. I wonder if she will be so excited to wear a bra when she really needs one. Her favorite section at the store is the bra and panties section followed closely by the shoe section. Between her girly likes and the amount of food the boys consume we may soon be living in a tent. Kevin said to me the other day:

Kevin: You know this box of snacks only has 30. That means if only the kids eat them and they only have 1 a day each we need like 3 boxes for a month.

Me: And you are just now figuring this out. why do you think I am such a mean mom and only let them eat 1 a day. And soon enough that box won't even last us 10 days

I find it humorous that he just had that epiphany.

xoxo Kirsten

3 more weeks and some other stuff

So...I am, as of today, 3 weeks away from my estimated due date. Which, I am sure you all understand, I hope is accurate. The kids are ready for summer (the pool). Olivia has been wearing her swimming suit under her clothes practically all winter. It's all I can do to convince her to take it off for church. That's just about the only time I wage a battle over clothes with her. She is girl all the way. The shoes have to match the bag which has to match the clothes....and her idea of matching is somewhat skewed from mine...but I prefer to choose different battles. Payton is gearing up for wrestling (or maybe it's just me whose ready for some kind of activity) and has been ice skating quite a bit lately. They have a small, pick-up type team on Saturday and Monday which we have been trying to get him to participate with. He still has some issues with not being the best the first time he tries something, which unfortunately he comes by naturally, but has finally decided to give it a try when he can stop on his skates without sliding, baseball style, into the boards. Fair enough. I will take what I can get. Gavin is ready for school. He gets to start this fall so we have been working on letters and numbers (writing them). He is very excited as am I...I just am a little worried for his teacher. He is so LOUD and extremely imaginative. For example, this morning he made some little pretend phones out of knex, one for him and one for Olivia. While we (insert I) was cleaning Olivia's bedroom, he kept getting calls from his girlfriend which went something like this: Gavin: oh hey honey...pause...oh yeah I can meet you for dinner...pause...where do you want to go...pause.....ok love ya....(big smooch into the phone)..bye. I just pretended it was the most natural thing I had ever heard and so I was lucky enough to hear 5 or 6 such conversations. This is pretty much standard with him...always pretending or dressing up....his teacher is in for some fun times!! xoxo Kirsten

So here is Olivia's new bathing suit for the summer. We probably will have to pick up a few more. She needs like 3 for as much as we spend at the pool.

Okay, and here is her idea of a fabulous outfit. Notice how the pink striped shirt does NOT match the heart shirt she has over it. All of which she has over her swimming suit with capris. It's a balmy 8 out I think...What can I say???

Valentines or Single Awareness

So I've never actually heard it called that but that is what Charity had posted so....Well I am adding this post in because I really, really, really, want Charity to send me one of the many wonderful things she is capable of making....The catch is I have to participate in the give away. So...in the spirit of giving (which I would gladly make and give anything if my talents permited) I am posting this little give away. I will handmake and send something to the first 3 people who comment and repost this challenge. Now...I don't have any real craft that I currently enjoy...I have participated and acquired many skills over the years but somehow I don't think my ability to wipe dirty body parts and calm screaming children qualify. So this will be a very good time for me to find some kind of creative outlet. Now...for those of you who actually comment and participate, I promise I will send you something you will be proud to display and will not have a need to donate to goodwill or use as a white elephant gift. Or if you live close by... I will probably make you some cherries since that seems to be my only talent I can currently share. We'll see....Besides wanting something from an amazingly crafty woman (Charity) I think focusing on giving to someone else is always a help for me...so here I go. Comment away and I promise you'll feel the love!! Kirsten

Olivia the Pig

So first I must say that we love Olivia the Pig. She is exactly, in every way, like our Olivia. So I found some images online and Karla did a great job of putting them on our blog. We probably won't keep it forever but for now it fits! xoxo kirsten

Keeping busy

So this will be a bit of a long post due to the fact that I have be lax in posting. So if you don't want to read it all you can just look at the pictures and get most of what I'm saying. Payton turned 8 on Jan 18th. He got baptized on the same day since it was Sunday. It was so fun and exciting. Then we had a small party with our friends the Morse's the following weekend. We went to Inkheart (the movie) and then had cake and pizza.

Here are Kevin and Payton at the baptism

Then we had the pinewood derby. This was the first for us and so I of course didn't know that it is really to see the parents skills of car building. We let Payton (and Gavin) sand and paint their cars by themselves and only helped minimially (as you will see from the pictures) with some cutting. They were both rather crude compared to those competing but they both had fun overall. I guess I will have to practice my derby car making skills this winter. (I can't wait! note the sarcasm) We didn't have weights or anything so another mom had to run home and get some. It was a learning experience to say the least. Since Gavin isn't in scouts his car was the bye car, good thing too...he might have been very upset had he actually been entered. He came in last every time. We just clapped and told him how great it was!

Here is the Cavalier Pack.

Payton's car is #8. He did the paint job all by himself.

Here's Payton sanding after much complaining.

Here is Gavin painting.

Then after all that...we went and got some skates from Play it Again. We initially went for Gavin and Payton but as you can imagine there was no way we were leaving without skates for Olivia, who up until that very minute was not interested in skating at all. But then she spied the pink skates and it was over....she NEEDED them. Who am I to argue? It didn't help that the day before we saw the Olivia the Pig episode where Olivia is the fill in professional figure skater. So we got the skates and got them home and couldn't get them off the kids for the whole day. It was quite comical. They had to pose and show off their new wares so here they are.

And here is Olivia in true skating atire. Her fur coat and pink skates.

And a close up of the skates again. They are pretty dang cute! If they were in my size I might just have had to have them also!

So tomorrow is my appointment and I only have 4 weeks (until 40) left. I am hoping to not go 2 weeks late again like with Olivia but you know how it works. It's never on my time schedule! We did get some video of the kids skating and I will try to upload it soon! xoxo Kirsten