Ohhh....the Joys of a Mom

Koen is sitting on my lap watching family's blogs....
Koen: Hmmmm...this is fluffy, mom.
Me: Fluffy? Really?
Koen: Super fluffy.
(Me, now giving him a very quizzical face and he continues to rub my tricep "English teacher" arms.)
Koen: Fluffy means soft (and he lays his face on my now squished up arm rubbing his cheek against it like it's a pillow).

New Year's Resolution #10: work on triceps

Nutcracker Dance

Daradie has waited almost 3 years to finally perform in The Nutcracker ballet. She was a clown. Daradie was graceful, poised, and confident. She had a blast and loved every minute of it. She can't wait to wear toe shoes and be the Sugar Plum Fairy.

It's SNOW Problem

Dan is quite the primo shoveler.
This year we have had a ton of snow! The kiddos love it.

My Little Brother's Famous....Again

Link below to see my lil' brother's snowboard on a Ford commercial!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=fW3Qpo0Z_hY#!

He was the owner of Compatriot (sold the company last year) and the pro snowboarder in the commercial is using one of Kelly's boards! Yeah, for you, Kelly! Do you wish you still owned the company, now?

(Sage, in the commercial, has my dream hair. If only my hair looked that good while wearing a snow hat.)

Ohhhh the Joys of a Mom.....

While doing Daradie's hair before school.....
Daradie: There's fairies that hook to a key chain and their wings come out.
Me: And so what else do they do?
Daradie: Well, they look cool and I want them for Christmas.
Me: What keys will you be hooking this fairy to?
Daradie: Never mind. I already mailed my list. Will Santa tell me, "Daradie, you'll get what you'll get and don't throw a fit."
Me: Probably.
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Coming home from church and it's just us two girls. Right before we pull into the driveway Daradie looks at me almost in tears.....
Daradie: Mom, I need to talk.
Me: What is it? (really nervous because I'm not good in situations like this....)
Daradie: I think bad things and I can't stop.
Me: Um...like really bad things?
Daradie: Yes. And I say bad words in my head.
Me: Well, tell me what you mean and we'll get this figured out (kind of wondering how bad these words really are....)
Daradie: I sky write your name and then stick my tongue out at your name and think that I hate you.
Me: So, you write my name in the air and think bad things about me? When do you do it? (trying hard to not laugh because this is really quite innocent and serious all at the same time, I'm a mom that needs to be compassionate, right?)
Daradie: When you make me do chores and things that I don't want to do.
Me: How do you feel right now? You look pretty sad.
Daradie: I feel bad because I love you but I also think those things and stick my tongue out at you when I get mad and I just can't stop!

My daughter has such a big conscience. Love it. I could perhaps learn from her.
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Daradie said her testimony at church last week. She's been practicing for it for almost a month. She first asked me to go with her but nothing a little prompting of a big bowl of ice cream if she goes by herself wouldn't do the trick (I know, Dan later chastised me and said that the prompting should have come from the Spirit and not a bribe...but really, it's okay to nudge a little, right?)

Daradie, so proud and excited and clear, in the microphone: I want to bear my testimony. I know Joseph Smith was the first prophet. I know he helped us get the scriptures. The scriptures are true. I love to read them. I am happy in church. In the name of Jesus Christ, amen.

(She can have ice cream every month!)

Ohhhh the Joys of a Mom....

If you did not learn about God what would you do? Thought provoking note my SIX year old was writing during sacrament meeting. I wonder what else she would write if allowed more time. But really. What would YOU do if you've never learned about God?

Ohhhh the Joys of a Mom.....

Does anybody hate coming up with what to make for dinner? One of the worse jobs out there (okay, tied with washing dishes AND then having to put them away off the counter). I decided to gather the troops and get some suggestions from them.

Dan: steak, shrimp pasta, hamburgers, tacos

Koen: carrots, tacos, elephant ears (German pancakes), rice with milk and sugar

Daradie: ramen noodles, cookies, candy, bread, gum, rolls, cake, ice cream

If only....

And the Results are in...

Everything is finished! We had a huge list of to-do items before the snow came and we made it with 24 hours to spare. There are now trees in our yard. Yeah! We transplanted 13 trees from our neighbor's house and parent's. We even hauled off a 20 feet Mountain Ash. Go ahead. Imagine Dan and I maneuvering that bad boy down the road. And yes, some are merely sticks. As Koen and Daradie said while helping us, "But Mom, I thought we were going to plant trees. These are sticks!" Faith is like a seed children. I can finally look out our front window with satisfaction and pride. Love the front yard. Just pray that they will survive the transplant. We put up Christmas lights. Dan does not like putting them up in the snow and ice. Dan is great at putting up lights. Our rule is, no Christmas lights until birthdays are done. We have a pretty big raspberry patch. Plus, "Peck's Pumpkin Patch" that will be up and running next September. And the grand finale...
this is what 550 feet of hoses look like all wrapped up and ready for winter storage.

Simple Craft Idea

Easy Christmas tree ornament for all ages, I used this for my Webelo troop (Craftsman pin--nonwood item) and the kiddos. The metal rings are the ends of a frozen juice container. Just hammer in a design with a nail (make sure the metal ring is on a wood block or something to eliminate holes in the nice dining table) and tie a ribbon on top. Took us a matter of 10 minutes for each scout to do 2. Festive lil' activity and low maintenance while the turkey is roasting.

Sistine Chapel 101

Koen's becoming a budding artist. He's finally sitting down to color and write! Above is on original pencil sketch of his family. Koen is quite advanced by even putting the family in chronological order of age. Below is an AWESOME colored picture. His choice of medium was the crayon. Talk about staying in the lines. He is obviously extremely proud of his new found talent. One of his and Daradie's favorite things to do in the car is to play "book." Koen illustrates the pictures and Daradie then is the author and writes the storyline based on the pictures. It's fun to hear them play together and cooperate.

Ohhhhh....the Joys of a Mom

I'm not a regular hair washer (I know, pretty surprising). It was about 4 days and I knew I needed to wash--matted curls can only go so long in a ponytail. While brushing my teeth and getting prepped to hop in the shower Koen comes in the bathroom and states oh so matter-of- factly, "Honey, you've never looked better." Turns around and leaves. Bless his heart.
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Koen: Mom, why do you always have to be on time to pick me up at preschool?
Me: You want me to be late?
Koen: I want to sit on the porch with some of the other kids and wait for you.
Me: I can arrange to be late. Not a problem, trust me.
--------------------------------------------
Koen: It was so cool today at preschool. We all had to climb up in the playhouse during recess because there was a bull running at us.
Me: What? A bull was running at you?
Koen: We were playing outside for recess and teacher said for all of us to climb up in the playhouse and she ran inside to call the bull helpers.
Me: Wow, really?
Koen: She ran faster than Daradie, you and Dad.
Me: What happened then?
Koen: It was soooo boring. We had to wait until the bull helpers came to put the bull back and we had to wait in the playhouse forever.
(He's also petted a real alligator for A day[his teacher's personal pet], the bull just so happen to be on B day...I just hope there's no Jaguar or Mammoth coming up.)
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Koen: What are you staring at?
Me: You, is that okay?
Koen: Sure, you can stare all you want because I'm so cute.
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Me, at dinner: Daradie, how was school today?
Daradie: Fine, I guess.
Me: What did you have for lunch?
Daradie: Ramen.
Me: Ramen! What? The school serves Ramen. Does that even fit in the health category?
Dan: She came home sick today.
Daradie: Remember? You made lunch today.
[And yes, in this household, Ramen fits in a health category of some kind....]

Ohhhh....the Joys of a Mom

Sunday dinner conversation....
Daradie: Mom, there's those arm things that you hold and they shake your arms.
Me: Is it a toy?
Daradie: No. They're for you. You hold on to them to make your arms strong.
Dan: [holding up arm and showing kiddos his muscle] I don't need them. I've got muscle.
Me: I don't need them either. I've got good arms.
Daradie: No you don't. You have flabbies. You need little kid arms like mine. See, so you can have skinny kid arms. [Dan is avoiding eye contact and shaking from laughing--not sure if he's in my corner or not....]
Dan: A lot of football players have them. [Koen is now flapping my flabbies.]
Daradie: Flabbies.
Koen: Mom has flabbies.
Daradie: Flabbies, flabbies, flabbies, flabbies (repeated in the background for the next 83 seconds that seems more like eternity).
Dan: [after putting dinner plate away and looks on the top pantry shelf] Hey, who ate my Twinkie?
Koen: Not me.
Daradie: There are Twinkies? [finally relieved that she is no longer chanting "Flabbies."]
All eyes on me as I say: I did. It's right there [shaking my flabby].

Ohhhh...the Joys of a Mom/A Whole Slice of Sin City

On the way to church (two funny conversations in one--prepare yourself)....
Koen: I don't like the big primary (aka sacrament meeting).
Me: That's the most important part of church because that's where we take the sacrament.
Daradie: That's when you're suppose to think about Jesus or about what China would be like but not to tell anyone about it because we have to be quiet.
Koen: I wished they would give us a bigger snack.
Dan: You eat snacks in primary?
Koen: No, all I get is a small piece of bread just like you. If I didn't eat lunch would I get a bigger piece of bread?
[can't remember how we moved into the next conversation but here goes....]
Koen: Where does Jesus live?
Daradie: In heaven.
Koen: Are there bad things in heaven?
Dan: No, only good things are in heaven.
Daradie: There are bad things from "Layton."
Me: Did something bad happen to you at our old house?
Daradie: No, but "Layton" makes you do bad things.
Dan: Daradie, what are you talking about?
Daradie: That man that is bad and wants you to do bad things...
Dan/Me: You mean "Satan?!?"

And to think that those two conversations along with the Last Supper, priesthood age of 12 and being worthy to pass the sacrament all in a mile drive.

Keeping Busy

Oh, what do you do in the school time when all the kids are gone? Do you wish to play? Do you want a friend? Well, so do I.

Ohhhh, the Joys of a Mom

While having dinner....
Koen: When I'm done eating my sloppy joe and chips can you put a pile of that (pointing to the sloppy joe hamburger stuff) on my plate?
Me: Just the meat? No bun?
Koen: [insert caveman grunt here] Just the meat. I like meat. Men eat meat and I eat like a man. [insert caveman grunt here, again]
I plop a spoonful of meat onto his plate feeling like I'm dining with Tim Taylor, Tarzan and a great white shark in a feeding frenzy.

Daradie's Day

8 a.m: Surprisingly front tooth #2 is loose. Serious, focused wiggling begins.
8:30 a.m: Daradie refuses to brush teeth, eat breakfast, take a bath or anything else until front tooth #2 is out.
9:45 a.m: Tooth is out. Examination of holes. Constant begging to listen to more whistling sounds from the now new hole. Tooth Fairy "landing zone" is prepped and ready for the big drop-off.
2:15 p.m: Lunch is finally served to two children who would rather play all day.
2:30 p.m: Bank errand.
2:45 p.m: Gas in car.
3:00 p.m: Haircuts for the girls. Daradie went short, above the shoulders, and she can't help stare at her reflection.
4:15 p.m: Visit to the grocery store.
4:25 p.m: Koen tells the checkout lady that she is cute. He gets a treat. Daradie shows her her missing front teeth. She gets a treat. And I get the bill.
4:40 p.m: Dan and Koen are on date night.
5:45 p.m: Daradie is allowed to wear some lipstick and blush.
6:10 p.m: Purchasing school supplies. Discussion of why a first grader does not need a fire proof box. Discussion on why first graders do not need protractors. (Glad discussions on why a preschool student doesn't need these as well is refreshing.)
7 p.m: Daradie participates in my temple recommend interview with the bishopric member.
7:20-7:45 p.m: Daradie draws on chalkboard in high council room waiting for stake presidency's interview.
7:45-7:55 p.m: Daradie smiles at me when she hears the same questions in the interview. Stake president smiles back and helps me feel like a good mom knowing my daughter knows I have a testimony.
8-8:25 p.m: Daradie is granted one of her summer wishes. She walks through the cemetery. She is reminded to stop picking the flowers. She loves reading the names and looking at the pictures on the headstones.
8:40 p.m: After tucking in Daradie and on the way out the door, "Mom, I had a fun day. Thanks for letting me do soooooo many fun things."

And there you have it. Make any ordinary, dull day turn into a memory by visiting a cemetery.

Nauvoo Night

After my parents came back from their Nauvoo LDS mission, we all ventured up to the cabin to experience "Nauvoo Night" and a couple of days with the whole family. Mom spent a lot of time making each grandchild a bonnet or a teamster hat. We had a school lesson on spelling back in Nauvoo days, braided headbands (admire Sophie's headband and admit that cute lil' face melts your heart),

Kelly took a stab walking on stilts .

To top off the evening we lit sparkles,

talked and laughed together,

(If you think daughter/mother combo look the same, they sound even more the same on the phone), ate homemade ice cream and shared more stories around the campfire.

Pioneer games and Nauvoo night was a big hit.

Obvious? Thought so.

More Hours Needed in the Day...especially in the Closet

Wow! I just can't seem to fit everything in 24 hours in the day lately. I honestly think it's been almost 3 weeks since a bathroom's been cleaned around here. Let's see, what have we been doing....sandbox digging, weed pulling, raspberry picking, hiking and pit-stopping at a beachy knoll at the cabin,

and decorating our "float" for the July 4th parade

and of course, Daradie hanging on for dear life on the "chalupa" (and that's her seeping into the tube)and Dan wake boarding like he's 19

and Koen wanting to show his "man-ness" and ride the boogey board, but Ethan had to ride with him

and then Diana stepping up her game with this trick

and so me, deciding to give it a whirlbut hey, who am I kidding? My kids are proud of me no matter how I look.

Maybe some more time in the day needs to be involved in deciding what to wear.... Dan, you married a hot one.

Ohhhh, the Joys of a Mom

During family home evening:
Dan: Close your eyes, Koen, we're ready to say the prayer.
Koen: I don't have to close my eyes.
Dan: Yes, you do. That's how we say prayers.
Koen: It's the opening prayer. My eyes can be open during the opening prayer but I shut them during the closing prayer.
(wonder how long that's been going on....)

Daradie: Mom, can we paint on your real car?
Me: No.
Daradie: It will look really pretty.
Me: No.
Daradie: Just a picture of you driving the rest of the family?
Me: No.
Daradie: Really small in the window?
Me: No.

Kiddos talking about borrowing someone else's shoes while hauling hay (more on that later):
Daradie: I borrowed his shoes and they were ties and they fit me perfectly. Koen wore cowboy boots.
Koen: And they were super too small. My toes were scrunched up.
Daradie: Koen said they hurt his feet but he had to wear them. Right, mom? To keep the pokies out, right, mom?
Koen: And my ankles hurt kind of but mom's ankles would hurt super bad. Her ankles are huge.

Salivate Away....

I understand my position all too well. I want things. I am human. Click below and you'll discover my house. Unfortunately, it's not MY house but one that I dream, covet, admire, covet, hope, covet and covet some more. What makes it even harder, it's about 3 hours away is all. It's in my same planting zone! Can you imagine the outrageous amounts of fun one could have watching the fish rise in the morning while eating your pancakes from the back porch!

http://themeadowbrookblog.blogspot.com/

Behold. I have set a goal. My yellowish green grass will be transformed into that haven of havens. Who's with me? (hopefully you, Dan, right, babe?)

We're Going to the Dogs

A promise is a promise. Kiddos have been asking for a dog for over a year. No joke. Really. Asking, pleading, begging for over 365 days. Well, okay, not every day was a dog. There was some dabbling in the cat department, horse, tiger, turtle and even a white mouse. That's when we decided that we must fulfill our end of the bargain fast before we end up with lab experiments.

It took the kids about 3 months to figure out what type of dog fit their criteria. Koen wanted a "man's dog," like a Great Dane, jumps in the truck and goes camping. Daradie wanted a little dog with a pink bow in it's hair and that could fit in her purse, did not jump or make loud sounds and could also go camping (we tried the stuffed animal trick but she didn't fall for it). Hmmmm.....

Introducing "Bessie," a 6-ish year old white lab. She's perfect for our kids. Doesn't dig, bark, jump or fetch balls--it's hard to teach an old dog new tricks. But she loves to lick your legs and wags her tail so fast it thumps on the back door when she's ready for attention. Her previous owner was getting rid of her because she likes to eat chicken--as in raw, egg laying chickens from their coop. The two of us old gals like to run in the mornings and she loves to chase Koen on the bike. I found Daradie rubbing Bessie's stomach with her foot while she was reading to her. A good ole patient dog that doesn't mind being Koen's horse or being paraded to the neighbor's with Daradie.

Happy Father's Day!

We enjoyed a little Saturday fun the day before Father's Day. The kiddos were anxious to go on a hike and the Grover girls have never been on one, so we ventured out. A perfect day. The first day to actually be in the mid 70's and no rain. Could it be possible? (just as a side note, the two days before I took the kiddos to swimming lessons and the temperature was a blazing 40 degrees. The pool was outside. My kids are stainless steel.)

There was a little dipping in the pools.

And a lot of getting wet. It was soon becoming a losing battle. The kids came home soaking wet. Along the trail is a hot spring that makes the water lukewarm versus ice cold. The kids loved that. One of the most memorable Father's days we've had.

Oh and the fathers? Well, one went fishing and the other went on a 4-wheel trip. I'm sure they had just as much fun.

Good Things to Come

Don't be reading too deep into this movie but just a little remainder that "some blessings come fast, some come later and some don't come until heaven but there will always be blessings."

A grown man, daughter's umbrella and a MOUSE

Dan's start to a Monday:
1. Drop car off to get oil changed.
2. Take Angilee and the kids back home to get swimming lessons done and switch cars.
3. Take the pickup to work.
4. Turn the radio up a bit to block out the rattly ladder rack sound.
5. Approach the exit for my work.
6. Now realize that grown men can do it--scream like a girl. A MOUSE ran across my lap.
7. Now realize that grown men can do it--poke and jab around the pickup with daughter's blue fish umbrella trying to find that mouse.
8. Give up and continue to work but keeping one eye on the road and the other on my lap.
9. Remove mouse traps from my office (aka basement storage room) and place in pickup.
We'll see how the commute back home fairs.

Ohhhh, the Joys of a Mom

Koen: Are you sure you know where we're going?
Dan: Yes. Just keep following us.
Koen: Are we lost?
Dan: No. It's called faith. Trust me, Koen.
Koen: So don't trust the mom? (Yes, he did refer to me as "the mom" and suddenly felt the 3rd wheel.)
Dan: Yes, trust the mom. Always trust the mom. Dads may forget where they're going and loose the path but moms always get the dads back on track. Always trust mom. (I know. Good husband.)

Rockstar vs. Popstar

Pre-summer Cabin Activities

We did a little of this...

(He's my nephew and one heck of a great guy. I'm lucky to be his aunt. Koen idolizes him.)

And some of this....

Since the weather snowed, rain, and even sunshined we did some of this at Yellowstone National Park.

Kiddos loved the place where it smelled like "Dad's famous eggs." Compliment, yes or no to Dan's cooking? We saw a baby buffalo and the lone wolf (among the infamous herds and herds of buffalo and elk).

And watched a little of this...

And a little 4-wheelin'. That was Koen's favorite part. It was very muddy and he loved having the mud splash up all over them. This is taken at Big Springs.

Tooth Fairies

Finally. Daradie has finally lost a tooth...or teeth. Her middle bottom teeth have been loose now for almost a month. She worked them good anxiously waiting to see the Tooth Fairy. Dan pulled it out and left just a thread so she can claim the deed of pulling out her own teeth. (Warning, TaNece and other known sicklies concerning bodily fluids this video may not be suitable for you.)

Two teeth in two days. Things are looking pretty cheesy these days.

Massive Embarrassing Moment #48

In the master bathroom is an opaque, foggy glassed window. To make stories short, after I just took a shower Dan comes in from changing the sprinklers and sits me down. He informs me that we need some blinds in that window and pronto! That foggy, textured window that we can not see anything from the inside tells a great deal from the outside. And it's only taken us 6 months to discover. Go ahead and start singing, "For Your Eyes Only...."

Good windows, make good neighbors.

Ohhhh, the Joys of a Mom

Great FHE idea:
Been struggling with keeping the house clean and orderly. I showed the kids my temple recommend and told them that there are rules I have to follow to go to the temple. Asked them what they could be. Dan then showed them pictures of Celestial rooms and how clean they were (Daradie loves the SLC and Koen prefers the St. Louis Celestial room). The two kids commented how pretty they were and one said that those rooms made them feel good. We then talked about how Heavenly Father wants our house to be like the temple so we can feel good inside. We need to follow the rules at home to keep things orderly here. It's worked pretty good so far. I accidentally heard one of them say that they want their room to be like heaven. Cute.
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Daradie: Mom, I need to talk to President Monson right now.
Me: Why?
Daradie: I'm just a kid and I've got something important to say.
Me: What do you have in mind?
Daradie: I know he talks to Heavenly Father a lot and I'm just a kid that doesn't say very good prayers right now and want Heavenly Father to listen to me.
Me: So, you think Heavenly Father only listens to the prophet?
Daradie: No, but he just has more practice and he is the prophet.

The Adventures at the D.I.

So, I've been pretty lucky at some excellent finds at the DI. I found some paned windows and the glass is still intact (and one of them had the old 6 panes, Joy and Lisa, you would be jealous) and one VERY cute miniature door that I'm not quite sure what to do with but I'll find something. Then I found a super old antique gas can that I thought would look kind of cool in Koen's room and some huge ole pots at a rummage something or other. They might become flower pots or decor on my vaulted ceiling shelve things that I seem to have in every room and down the hallway and above the kitchen cabinets. Obvious my house is dated, as in the '90-ish era. Get this, at that rummage sale, they were wanting OVER $150 for an old wagon wheel. Mom, now I'm sure you had good intentions with a wagon wheel I found in the pasture that was covered up with grass but there was no way on earth that I would pay for something when I knew I could find something similar to it in the field, right? Hope you don't mind but I've got plans for it. You weren't rushing home to be decorating with that? By the way, did you know you still had that old chair lift seat? I haven't thought of anything for that, so you can keep it.

Okay, back to the adventures at the DI. The family headed over to see if we can find some motorcycle, bike, skateboard paraphernalia for Koen's room. (We did find an old front bumper from a car that I thought would be outrageously awesome to hang on the wall but we couldn't figure out how to do it since it stuck so far out and they wouldn't budge on their price.) It was about 10:00 in the morning on a Saturday. There she was. You know those moms that bark at their kids and constantly nag at them to sit down, stop touching, blah blah blah blah. Crazy mom says to two children sitting in cart, "We need to hurry. You need to take a nap so I can get ready to go to Walmart." Really? I'm not quite sure why I stared at her, but seriously? Rushing home to get ready to shop at Walmart? Aren't the clientele pretty much the same at both stores? I understand getting ready for a doctor's appointment or an appointment with your loan officer for a car, but Walmart? People are funny.

PS: Mom, hope you don't mind by I also "discovered" a very rusty water pump behind the fence by the shop.....do you mind if I borrow it for several long years in front of my house next to my Bird's nest spruce bushes?

Ohhhh, the Joys of a Mom

In a whisper and eyeing sheepishly...
Daradie: I need to tell you something.
Me: Ummm, okay (I'm not really one that enjoys a whisper--too close, hot breath, heavy breathing.....).
Daradie: Don't tell Dad, but you're my favorite.
Me: Really?!? But, why?
Daradie: Girls have to stick together.

Whisperings of sweet somethings.
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These are just some old jokes that stem from my dad's comical background and I try to use the material on my children, but they're just not ready for them but I laugh.

1. While driving past the cemetery....
Koen: Look! The cemetery!
Daradie: Why is there a gate around the cemetery?
Me: To keep the dead people inside.
Koen: Why?
Daradie: Why do the dead people have to stay inside?
Me: Well, we can't have them walking around scaring people out of their skins! (Thanks to dear sweet cousin Kirk, the actual punch line is that other people are dying to get in. But hey, a true comedian can go with the flow, right?)

2. While watching a television show:
Dan: Look at that guy swimming.
Daradie: He doesn't have any arms.
Dan: Nope and he's swimming for 2 miles.
Koen: Why doesn't he have arms?
Dan: Wow! (now the race is finished) He doesn't have any legs either.
Koen: How did he swim without his legs and arms?
Daradie: Who's that talking? The swimmer guy? What's his name?
Me: Bob.
(Go ahead and laugh. I only got the rolling of the eyes from Dan.)

Legally Blonde and Blonde

Found these two in the car on a date. They had the music on and Barbie was looking for some gum and her sunglasses. And to think that one day, they will be making all legal decisions in our behalf.

Dancing from my Little Star

Just a little late night entertainment for grandparents (and if you continue watching this, more power to you). Daradie and Paige are second and third from the right in both numbers.

And here we have the tap number. This was by far the favorite of the two dances for both Paige and Daradie. Koen and I (and I think I can speak on behalf of Ella and TaNece) have this song memorized and have secretly hid the CD.

They had fun and that's all that matters when they are 6 and 7.

Daradie really loves dancing. She's good at it. There's just something about the way she carries herself while dancing. She practices it all the time. I love watching her. I love her excitement. Which is why I was truly honored to pose with her in this picture (she didn't ask her Dad but just ME!). I do believe she's starting to understand that I've got her back and I'm there for her....
"Mom, I'm really nervous. I can't keep up with the moves. The music is too fast. I get pop it, lock it, polka dot it but the hip hop slide gets too fast." (The grand finale's song and dance stemming from the ideal role model, Hannah Montana.) "Ahhh, don't worry about it. Just smile big and stand in the back." Solid advice from any good mom, right?

Dancing with my lil' Star

Ohhh, the Joys of a Mom

During Mother's day dinner:

Daradie: Is there a "Children's Day"?

Me: Nope, sorry. (And Dan and I are both thinking that every day is a child's day....)

Daradie: Is there a Daughter's Day?

Dan: No...

Koen suddenly interrupts: No! Harr, harr. There's a Son-day. Too bad Daradie. There's always a Son-day.

Daradie: It's not the same "son" Koen. Mommmmm!!!

Got to hand it to 'em. Koen is witty. Daradie is brilliant. What 6 year old already knows about homophones? Geniuses.

Happy Mother's Day to Me

The gift of time. A very expensive present. That's what I always want from Dan. Nothing says "I love you" more than a few hours of crossing off the to-do list. Dan wishes I asked for easy things like a spa certificate.

First steps of making our garden. The requested vegetables are potatoes, corn, cucumbers, beets, peas, carrots, tomatoes (3 different varieties), strawberries, raspberries and pumpkins.

The previous owners of the home made a doghouse out of hay bales. One neighbor was excited to see the dog and his home go, he lit the hay bales on fire. We now had a partially burnt, moldy mess to clean up. We thought about having our garden there since it had no grass. Too bad the tree gave it too much shade. But it makes a perfect spot for a sandbox.

And there you have it. The perfect Mother's day gift. This will be much funner that sitting on a plastic covered table getting my back or feet rubbed by a stranger and telling me to relax.

Ohhh, the Joys of a Mom

During lunch, Daradie is reading a Mother's Day card she made me to Koen and me:
Daradie: I love mom because she's funny.
Koen: She's not funny. She's pretty.
(Can't help but feel good inside.)
Daradie: No, she's not pretty, she's funny. Her laugh is funny.
Koen: Yea, when she laughs she sounds funny.
(Can't help but feel like there is hope, Julia Roberts has a distinct laugh and look where she's at now.)


Dan has had to start wearing his glasses again (laser surgery lasts only so long). Daradie wants glasses so bad! During breakfast this morning:
Daradie: I want to wear glasses!
Koen: Me too!
Daradie: I want to wear glasses and wear bracelets (braces) on my teeth.
Koen: Me too!
(Let's just see where that comment will take her in 6-7 years.)

Testimony on Fast Offerings

I just realized that we've been blessed a ton from fast offerings. Never imagined myself of getting a testimony from fast offerings but hey, a generous fast offering really does bless your life.

Experience 1: Last year was a bomb out year for painting. We went almost 2 months without a decent size job. We took a loan to keep the company afloat, which is relatively normal but we had to do it within the first 3 months rather in mid-summer while waiting for payment, etc. We decided to put our house up for sale "just in case" we needed the money for the company and in hopes we could build and live happily ever after. Dan was a basket case. We did not earn any money for 5 months. We were just paying bills to keep things going. A comment in Sunday School made me think, really, really hard about upping the amount of fast offerings. We needed blessings and fast! I was absolutely sick to my stomach as a I wrote a check for fast offerings that quadrupled the normal amount. We sold our house that month. We had a heart-to-heart about what we really wanted from life and decided to change states, goals and ambitions, jobs, etc. I'm glad we did. Dan enjoys the "business world" and working with numbers. Daradie was voted as Student of the Month and gets to eat lunch with the principal. She's very excited for that. Koen loves to hear the cows and feed the neighbor's chickens worms and bugs. My life is good right now.

Experience 2: Once again, we are not making any money. In fact, we are losing more money getting an insurance company up and rolling. In three months time we pay a grand total of $38. That's right. The math is correct. The biggest pay off was from selling one of our giant bean bags. Dan is once again frustrated. We both know that the move was the right choice but the particular company was not a good match for Dan. We need to make another major decision. Dan has been going around to insurance companies within a 30 mile radius asking for a job or asking who would be a good company to work for. Everyone keeps mentioning the same name and saying if you could get with them he'd be very lucky because they have integrity and play fair. Dan set his mark on that specific company. I write another fast offering check with the same quadrupled amount. Later that month he got the job with the dream company. He comes home much happier. He sees the kids on a daily basis. He works 40 hours a week instead of the 70+. He enjoys wearing a tie to work and asks if I can starch the front of his shirts (he actually wants the whole shirt done, but he settles with just the front). Sure it's still a bit scary because it's based on commission but it's still a good fit for Dan. Things are good.

It is absolutely terrifying to write the amount for fast offerings that we did. It took a lot of faith. But in the end, we've been blessed both times we took that leap. Heavenly Father doesn't joke around with blessings. A generous fast offering equals generous blessings.

AWESOME Children make AWESOME Parents!

Okay, I realize that pride is a sin, but this is amazing! I just want to go and write a self-help book on parenting....just not quite sure what we even did but I'm willing to take credit for it!

Example 1: At pack meeting, the scouts (my scouts actually) did a skit (which was excellent and my kids talked about it for days) and threw Easter eggs filled with candy out to the audience. I was hoping every child there would get at least 2 eggs and share with the others. But kids will be kids and some walked away with more than their share. Daradie got 1 and Koen 0. He started to whimper. Daradie, dear sweet Daradie, pulled through for me. Her and Koen were sitting in front of me and she tore her ONLY piece of candy in half and shared it with Koen. Daradie sharing candy is comparable to a mother grizzly sharing her cub--bloody, ruthless and possibly deadly. She (Daradie, not the bear) did it all on her own! I puffed up with pride and wanted to grab that microphone and shout out to all the scouts how great my daughter is.

Example 2: Story time here is unreal--games, free books, songs and stories crammed into 30 minutes and my children look forward to it weekly. They even have stuffed animals ("reading buddies") to snuggle up with while listening to the stories. Koen had two stuffed animals. There are a bazillion to choose from so the likely hood of someone wanting one of his was pretty slim. A 3-4 year old came toddling in and sat down. Eyed Koen. Cried. I guess he always comes to get that red bear. He was kicking and screaming. His mother told him to go and ask. He went up and asked Koen for the bear. Koen gave it to him and then patted the boy on his head (although the same age, Koen thinks all smaller boys are babies). Holy cow! I white-knuckled the chair I was sitting in waiting for an explosion. Zero sparks. Koen turned around and he got a loving thumbs-up from his prideful mom that wanted to ask all the other moms if they just saw a wonder of the world.

Example 3: Hometeaching our family can be difficult. Dan is a high priest and so the age gap is...well, gapped. Let me set the scene for you. Koen has ran downstairs, grabbed his dart gun and begins shooting darts at the walls and barely misses the companion. Daradie is flopped across the couch pretending to be asleep and demonstrates her yawning ability. So, you see how and why we were so surprised to get this comment from our home teacher during a talk. The comment went something like this: "The Peck kids are something. In all my time in this ward and in others, I've never seen children shake the bishopric's hands every Sunday (the kiddos go up to the stand and shake because the bishopric doesn't welcome you in the chapel like some wards). Those kids have their scriptures with them every week. The Peck kids even go over and shake the missionaries' hands. There's just something different about those kids."

I need a heart transplant. Mine just burst with pride.

Treasured Events

I was in need of some rocks for a border for my new flowerbed. I took Daradie to the canal. We found a lot of nice river rocks...along with some other "treasures." The pick up took home 13 rocks, 2 tired girls, 1 fish tail, 4 pop cans, 1 discussion on bloated cats, 3 feathers and 1 jawbone with about 8 teeth. After some intense investigation and some scientific reasoning, we came to the conclusion that the jawbone did not belong to a shark, crocodile, or a hippo but most likely a dog.

Koen and I went on a bike ride while the other halves where schooling and working. Along the way, we had to stop and admire the cow in the barrow pit (man, it feels good to use that word again). However, the actual cow was no longer there. Just the skin remained. Koen was fascinated. Oh how he wanted to poke it and see it move around. He has talked about it for days. Making this cow so mysteriously wonderful that Daradie has now been infected with jealousy of not witnessing the dead cow in the barrow pit. But, the wait has ended. Daradie was in charge of the activity for family night. She wanted to take a bike ride. The bike ride concluded at the dead cow in the barrow pit. What an event that brought the family closer together.

Tugs at the Heartstrings

To Mama, I am so sorry for being so bad. From Daradie. The reverse side had a face in a broken heart with tears falling from the eyes. The infamous night no strawberry shortcake was served.....

Leprachaun Traps

Daradie and Koen's idea of a little fun. I know you've heard of them before but I didn't say anything--Daradie came up with this idea all her own. She even put Lucky Charms in the box (which I'm glad I even had in the cupboard) because she's a 6 year old and learns everything from the TV, like I need a tomato plant holder that turns upside down and a snakey thing for the bathroom sink so Dan doesn't have to clean out my hair and if I get it fast then I can get another one. Wow! I was just amazed that they were excited for St. Patrick's Day--you would've thought it was Christmas. The trap did not catch anything but the leprachauns did leave a green 4 leaf clover on the kiddos when they woke up the next morning to wish them good luck.
Anyway, Koen is just funny in this picture. He has this thing with last year's Ninja Halloween costume. It's just this filmy, silky material and so not too substantial in winter. What's even funnier is that he wears it with white socks and his black church shoes--all the time. The poor costume hits him mid-calf. It's quite the sight. I realize it's a tad small. He however, does not.

Cottage Cheese Cookies (better than they sound, trust me)

1/2 c. shortening
3 1/2 c. sugar
4 eggs
1 pt. cottage cheese (So serious on this one. Sounds gross and "curdy" but the chunks cook out. That's coming from a girl who hates bananas, but wishes she doesn't for convenience purposes, because they're squishy and mushy. Go for it! You'll love them!)
1 c. cocoa
5 c. flour
1 tsp. salt
1 tsp. baking soda
2 tsp. baking powder
4 tsp. vanilla
Mix together shortening, sugar, eggs and cottage cheese. Then add cocoa, flour, salt, baking soda, baking powder, and vanilla. Cream all together. Refrigerate dough 24 hours. Roll in a ball and then roll in powdered sugar. Dough is VERY sticky and spray Pam on fingers to help roll into balls. Bake 350 for 10 mins. on greased cookie sheet. Makes a huge batch but dough freezes fine. These cookies are SUPER moist.

Hot off the Press!

Getting married at the temple. Crayon art by Daradie, 6 years old.

Original story written by Daradie, 6 years old. No help on spelling or punctuation. Impressed. It's not the first...or the last of these stories, I'm sure.

Koen's list of things he's thankful for, age 4. He did have help with spelling. This was actually part of his talk he gave in sacrament meeting. Yep, correct. He talked about Nephi's "boat" (we valiantly practiced saying "bow" but failed) and brought his bow and arrow and held it up. He explained that Nephi's family gave a prayer of "thank yous" for the food. Koen concluded with his own list of "thank yous." Koen is thankful for: Koen (duh), primary, preschool (he's anxious to attend in the fall), temples, Koen, Daradie, Dad, Mom (family), toys, couch, porch, table (and a few other things he randomly saw while writing this list) and his new house. During his talk he added the priesthood, just like his dad. Precious, I know. Daradie gave a talk about prayer and Daniel and the lion's den. She did a beautiful watercolor work of a lion in a dark, purplish cave. It was quite inspiring.

It's Official, I have an Old Lady's Body

Conversation #1:
Me: Daradie, what's your favorite thing to do?
Daradie: (after some thought) In church I like to touch your arm right there by your elbow (triceps) and push it back and forth and watch it move around.
Me: Thanks (and I end all conversation and walk away).
Daradie: Mom, wait! I also like to touch your top leg (thigh) and feel it squish.

Which leads me to this conversation....

Koen: What are those?
Me: Oh, just blood vessels. Those are the roads that take blood all over your body.
Koen: I know, Mom but what are those? (as he points with extreme hesitation and queasiness of stomach)
Me: Um, those are blood vessels, too.
Koen: But why are they so big and yucky looking? I don't have those. Those are super gross. Yuck (and insert tongue sticking out with nose scrunched up and complete and utter disdain).
Me: Well, son, those are called varicose veins. (And to teach him a lesson and compassion for his future wife, I stick my leg in his face and he runs off crying. Some lessons are better taught by experience.)

And need I remind you of the "big bum" conversation on the right side panel of screen.....

Big 6th Birthday Concert

Preshow concert tickets:

Live, on main hallway stage starring Daradie Peck and the BIG 6 Birthday:

After concert a free picture of the star:

SIX things I love about Daradie:

1. Her ambition and drive, 2. Creativity (she makes me jealous at her art projects), 3. outgoing, 4. love and protection for her brother, 5. her cute little freckles on her nose that seem to multiply by the months, 6. she can catch any detail and has a memory like an elephant (she's great to bring along to the grocery store)

The birthday girl had a rockin' time this year. She had a party where we face painted, did nails, made bracelets and played a few games.

I stole some ideas from a magazine about new birthday traditions and they turned out really fun. The best idea (that would work great for those "tweens" in your life), "Yes!" cards: three yes cards that can be used to trump mom's "no." They can't be used to break the rules or ask for anything outlandish (like no DisneyLand trips.) Example, she used two to wear some of my lipstick and to wear shorts outside of the house (which normally isn't an issue except we still have knee-deep snow here). She loved that!

Happy Valentines Day!

Heart shaped pancakes with pink whip cream, pink strawberry milk, and heart shaped sausages (yeah, Daradie was the coolest kid at church since her dad made heart shaped sausages--he's good with processed meat). Breakfast made especially for our kiddos....

Very happy bunch.