Four Things

First: two pictures of a cutie.

Second: a Christmas project.  I figure I can share this one since he's young enough that I doubt he looks at my blog.  I made a pair of pajama pants for my 7 year old nephew.  Then because I had just enough fabric left, I made him a pillow case to match.

Third: Alex's first slumber party with Daddy.  Jim has a slumber party with Annie and Logan every Friday night, and he decided Alex was old enough finally.  I hear it wasn't the most restful night.

Fourth: A Saturday raking leaves.  We had a major carpet of leaves in our backyard, so we decided to take care of them last weekend.  It was a good workout!

LOTS of leaves!

We decided to throw the kids in the big pile, but I wasn't expecting Jim to throw them quite so high.  Thankfully she wasn't hurt, but she didn't like the fall on this one.

After a lot of work (we've learned a lesson for next year) this was our final pile.  Hopefully the truck will come soon to take them away...before they all blow back into our yard.

Announcement

I thought I'd see how well people would notice our hidden announcement in the last post, but now I'm going to make it obvious for anyone who didn't see it.  (Doubly obvious if you look at our sidebar.)  We're expecting baby #4!  He/she is due around July 6 and we're very excited!

Halloween

We had lots of positive, happy, un-scary fun this year for Halloween.  First of all, we went to a pumpkin farm (details and pictures on the school blog).  Then we went to a trunk or treat at the church.  That was a little overwhelming for me because they decided to hold the trunk or treating in the hallway instead of the parking lot and I could barely hang onto my kids and help them!  There were just so many people there since it was a combined ward activity.  The kids definitely had fun, though.

Here's Annie all ready for the trunk or treat.  She was very happy to wear the same costume again this year (good thing because I didn't have another option for her.)

Logan at the last minute decided he wanted to wear his old costume too...that's three years in a row!  He REALLY had to get out of his comfort zone to allow me to put facepaint on him.  Then he didn't want a picture of it.  Afterwards, he decided he enjoyed the facepaint.  He overcame an anxiety, though!  (Big deal here.  This kid has an unusually high level of anxiety, and we work with him on it a lot in SAFE situations where he can feel okay if he fails.) 

I was so excited to use the duck costume again this year.  Alex was one cute little bird!

We also decorated our pumpkins last week.  (More details and pictures on the school blog.)  This is the biggest masterpiece of my lifetime.  Too bad it's rotting on the front porch.  (Not normally an artist here...)

Last night we went trick or treating.  The kids had a blast, and it was such a fun family activity.  We really enjoyed walking around together and seeing the kids interact with the nice people that gave them candy.  Logan decided to wear his new-to-us costume.

We also had a little stowaway along for all of our activities.  He/she sure was secretive!

After trick or treating we had a good time hanging out as a family.  It was seriously one of those evenings where the magic of family time happened.  LOVED IT.

Kids Say

Annie admiring herself in the mirror, "I have big eyes!  Do you have big eyes?"
Me, "Yes."
Annie with a shrug, "I guess I'm a mommy now.  I guess I'm bigger than you."

Logan, "I think we should have a rule that you should not go ice skating with a baby in your arms."

Logan, "I think a good Christmas present is to a call a table company and a chair company and have them deliver a table and chairs to someone who doesn't have a table and chairs."

Me going over our family standard, "What is an appropriate touch for family members?"
Logan, "No crabs.  No crabs pinchers."

Logan, "I wish I was named Autumn."

Annie looking at the weeds in our yard, "We have broccoli in our yard!"

Annie, "I died when you and Daddy and Logan were on the bus and I was in heaven.  And I drinked alcohol.  That story is bad."

I heard the last part of something Annie said from the down the hall, "...fell in the toilet!"
Me coming into the bathroom, "What fell in the toilet?"
Annie, "I did!!"

Annie, "Mom, why are you cleaning?  Because you have a consequence?"  (Our kids earn extra chores as negative consequences.)

Logan, "That was a loud piece of thunder."

Logan, "I wish we would build a huge palace that had monster faces."

Logan, "Annie, wanna play wild downstairs?"  (She actually turned down the offer...)

Logan, "Get out of my shadow!  My shadow is my personal space!"

Logan in one breath, "Mom I'm going to get a sewing machine for my birthday when I'm a grownup.  I will get a space shuttle sewing machine or a racecar sewing machine or a dinosaur sewing machine.  I wish I will live forever and not die.  I wish I never had blood."

Annie, "My feet are sick.  Can I have medicine for my feet?"

What is Normal?

Most of the time I don't care if my life is 'normal', and in fact I'm often glad it's not in many ways.  Sometimes I find myself hoping that certain aspects are 'normal', though, usually in relation to my kids.  Like when my kids ignore my instructions even with consistent consequences.  I'm pretty sure they have selective hearing.  Or when everytime I turn around they've unrolled toilet paper, climbed on the shelves of the fridge, poured water all over something, or other mischief.  Or when they whine about 'no' answers.  And especially when they pick on each other and scream all day.  Those are the days that I hope my kids are 'normal' because if they're not I must be doing something wrong.  Today isn't actually one of 'those' days, but yesterday was.  So are your kids 'normal' like mine?  Do they have days where it seems they whine and fight all day?  If not I don't want to know, but if so it's nice to know there are other moms out there having 'those' days.

Happy Birthday Jim!

Jim had a birthday on Sunday.  If you want to know how old he is just ask Logan.  I'm pretty sure he shared that information with most of the Primary on Sunday, so you could ask one of his friends or teachers too.  :)  After church we had a nice meal of Jim's choosing, my making.  Then he opened his present. 

Puzzling over what could be in the box.

Oh boy...

A Kindle!

He actually knew what most of his present was.  I was so careful to leave no evidence, and I had him thoroughly convinced that he wasn't getting an e-reader even though that is what he wanted.  I even knew what I was going to tell him if he saw the purchase on our bank account.  Food storage!  And he would have totally believed me.  I was SO careful.  Then he checked the mail one day.  Of the two days a year that he gets the mail instead of me, and the one day a year that it was hours late so I didn't see it, it had to be the day that the warranty for it came!  Sheesh!  So he found out a few days early.  He had to wait to open it, though, and he really did not know what was in the second box (it was the cover for it).  I must say, we're both enjoying his Kindle.  It's so nice to get free books that we can't find at the library!  (I've already read an entire book on it...it really was for him though.  I promise!)

After his present, most of us had a nap.  (He began searching for books.)  Then we had dessert for dinner.  Aren't I a good mom?  Here's my justification:  If I made another meal the kids wouldn't touch it anyway because our lunch was so late and full, but Jim and I would.  Then we would all still have dessert anyway because it was Jim's birthday.  If I didn't make another meal, I would save myself the chore and some calories for the day.  :)  (Not a normal practice...)

Anyway, Jim wanted homemade ice cream sandwiches again this year.  Delicious!

Little Mozarts

Please notice the foot.  Alex has been doing this a lot lately.  I guess he's noticed that I use the pedals when I play the piano.  Cute!

Christmas Prep

Last week I started thinking about Christmas which prompted some preparations. 

First a good bubble bath; I figure this should keep them clean until Christmas.  (Actually I just didn't want to give these pictures their own post.)

He really disappeared into those bubbles!

Nude no more...

Logan just wanted his picture taken after he saw me taking Alex's.

Anyway, my Christmas-ey thoughts led me into some sewing and I've already completed one very cute gift........................ 

But I can't post that here or she might see it.  Sorry.  Nor can I share my other Christmas-ey thoughts on here because others might read about them.  Sorry again.  I do hope to make Alex's stocking this year.  That being said, I don't have any pictures yet because I haven't started it.  Triple sorry.  This post is really getting to be a bummer, heh?  (And maybe I'm feeling unusually silly right now.) 

However, the aformentioned Christmas-ey thoughts did inspire this little project which I will gladly share.  :)  I had this candy corn fabric in my fabric pile and I went to work one day while Annie was taking a nap.

She's so cute, and I'm thrilled that she's too little to think my sewing is unfashionable.

Once again, someone wanted his picture taken after seeing a sibling in the spotlight.

Kids Say

Logan, "Are my hits and kicks made out of molecules?"

Logan's phrase of the day (today actually), "That just occurred to me."

Logan after choking a bit on a piece of popcorn, "I found out that I'm allergic to popcorn."  (I'd recently told him that eating food that you're allergic to can make you choke.)  Me, "You're not allergic to popcorn."  Logan, "But I choked on it!"  Me, "It just tried to go down the wrong pipe."  Logan incredulous, "There's pipes in my body?!"

Last night I asked Logan if he had any ideas for a birthday present for Jim.  Here's his fabulous list:
-a 'lid bowl' for work to take lunch in
-a lunchbox
- a remote control airplane (something Logan's been asking for recently)
-a wrench (my favorite)
-a door for an office (which we would then build office walls for around the desk in the living room)
-a new water bottle

Annie all week has included this in her prayers, "...and please help us go to bed safely."  Apparently there are hazards along the way.  :)

Annie to me, "You're the sweet child of Papa." 

Annie looking at Jim's arm hair, "I have some of these!!  Look!  They are growing!  I have some hair on my arm.  They are white so you can't see them."

The kids were pretending to be nurses and I was texting Jim the updates of their creativity.  I loved it and they loved 'being in charge' of me. 
Logan, "Everyone who stays here stays for fifteen days."
Me, "What kind of a hospital is this?"
Logan, "It's a daycare hostipal.  There are no doctors in this hostipal, just nurses."
Then he wheeled me on my hospital bed into the elevator to the lab for shots.  Annie gave me a shot in the cheek and a bandaid on my wrist.  Apparently the lab couldn't find enough needles, so I also received shots with dinosaurs and baby bottles.  Then Logan gave me a nasal swab to get the germs out for testing.
Logan while giving me shot in the neck, "This shot goes down to the end of your legs...  I'm going to fill the bottle with medical medicine.  This medicine is for your heart...  Now we got to give you an IV.  It's just a piece of plastic in that little hole now...  This is a knife to stick into your arm.  This has to slice into half your arm.  K mom?  Be brave.  We don't put a bandage on these...  We gotta look at your heart.  This is a special heart looker up.  Your heart looks good....  One more day for you to stay!  This nurse has a special pet for you."  Then Annie gave me a stuffed animal.
Logan, "Now there's going to be something that you'll have to kick and scream.  And it won't hurt if you kick and scream...  You're in a ambliance.  We have to go to a different hostipal."  (He has always mis-said ambulance and hospital, and has taught Annie the wrong way to say them too.  Cute.)  "You'll have a lot of pokes at this place.  This hostipal is really dirty.  This is the last medical hostipal.  Every day you get half a snack.  You have to have snacks all night in this hostipal.  You have to stay here for 21 days.  This is a different hostipal.  This one is called 21 days for kids and teenagers and grownups!...  This needle goes all the way through your arm and through your whole body to that wall."
Me, "I guess I have the stomach flu."
Logan, "That's right.  We have supplies.  Real sharp supplies."
Logan, "We have to cut that bone and that will take off your leg.  And then we have to glue the bone back together."  He then proceeded to cut off my leg and glue it on again just like he said.  "Okay, you can walk again, but your arm is broken."
Me, "Can I go home yet?"
Logan, "Yes the ambliance will take you home.  What is your address?"
They finally put me in a wheelchair (our rolling desk chair) and took me for a ride.  Then the game ended.

Logan to Annie, "Do you know what a heart breaker is?"  Annie, "Someone who breaks your heart."  Logan, "No, it is someone who gives you a huge shot then checks your heart with a special camera."

Logan, "Mom, you'll be dead by the time Annie's a grown up.  Because you'll be really old.  Like old Grandma and Grandpa and Dad."  Annie's response, "I didn't die when I was old."

Annie in her prayers on a day that she bit him, "Please bless Logan not to have teeth marks." 

General Conference

We had another fantastic General Conference weekend!  This is really becoming a holiday for our family.  We set everything aside for the whole weekend, we have special meals and snacks, and special games for the kids.  I love how excited the kids get for conference, and they are getting so good at letting us listen.  I was able to really listen to all four sessions this time!  So wonderful!  I asked Logan if he liked conference or Christmas better (because he really gets that excited) and he told me that he liked both the same.  He said he likes conference because he gets to see the prophet and Christmas because we get to celebrate Jesus' birth. 

They were all ready while we were setting up.

Admittedly, they didn't sit for all eight hours, but they did really well.