Dragons in 3D

This last weekend my Dad invited all the kids to go see "How to tame your Dragon" in 3D. It was so much fun. They gave us all fun glasses, and the movie was fun for the kids. They had a great time.
You can keep your glasses if you want and of course Ali wanted to keep some, just to look like uncle bud!! So Cam loved wearing them around.

I thought maybe Ali wouldn't like it because it was a boy and a bunch of dragons, but she really liked it and was saying she wanted to buy it when it comes out. So it isn't just a boys movie!!!

My Kids

My kids are at such fun ages. I wanted to jot down a few things I love about them right now, and don't want to forget.
ALI- she is my "independant" 6 year old. Independant meaning, she already knows everything, and she doesn't need help with anything.(meaning homework)
She loves playing with anything, and makes voices for anything she is playing with. Her new favorite colors are Blue and Green, and she still only likes her hair in a ponytail.
She doesn't understand who you can be friends with. She explained to me why she doesn't play with certain kids in her class and they were reasons like: she doesn't raise her hand when she talks, or she shouts out in class, or he bit a kid(which is a good-stay away from that kid), but she thinks if they do anything they are not supposed to do, she can't associate with them. I hope that may be a trait that carries into her teens- but we'll see!!
she loves making people laugh. She has a very silly side that I think only a few people have ever seen, and it is so funny. She really likes getting her cousins laughing and it makes her feel so good when they do laugh at her.
She has moments when she just doesn't want to talk. Usually when I pick her up from school, she just gives me the silent treatment, or says, I just don't want to talk about it. In further prying into this behavior, she claims it is just because there is always so much talking at school, and she is tired of it!! (PRE-TEEN!)
She loves cuddling, and if she had her way we would spend all day watching movies, reading books, or just sitting on each others lap- without Cam to interfere!

CAM- he is all boy, and all FUN!! Well mostly fun! he is currently in a very "CLINGY" phase. He wants to be held almost all the time by me, just because. He gets really posessive if I am hugging Ali, and will instantly come jump on her to make her move. He mimicks all the sounds we make, He loves Trains and will want to run out side to see them. He loves his cousins. He will walk around all day saying, Noah REEd, CHRISTIAN a ton, and always associates swimming whenever he hears Christians name(we love taking them swimming). He loves laughing, and loves, chocolate. He doesn't like food, but he LOVES candy and his bottle. He loves running, and counting. He loves singing Twinkle Twinkle little star with me at night. He loves making crazy faces, and he is really good at getting us all laughing pretty hard.
Cam makes me smile A LOT. Getting to spend time All day with just him has given me plenty of "BONDING" time. One of his favorite things to do is play hide and go seek. And it has also taught him how to count to 10! Yes he is one and a half and can count to 10. Not that he is a genius it just shows you how much hide and go seek we play. The other day I hid on top of my bed in a little ball. As he was yelling mom, all I did was say "BEEP, BEEP". Instantly he picked up on this and said, "BEEp, BEEP"back. He kept saying beep, beep until he found me and just laughed. Now when he is trying to find me in the house, he often yells Mom, or BEEP BEEP!

EAstER KIckoFF

This Last saturday we had the first official Easter Egg Hunt with the Browns!! My cute sister in law Camille planned it for all the kids. We had some fun searching for eggs, eating food, and having fun!!

Ali played the perfect "big sister" role and taught how to find eggs before we even got there. She hid them in our house and showed Cam how to find them and put them in his basket. She loves Easter Egg Hunts!!



Thanks to alis Help Cam had it pretty much figured out. He was totally content after finding one egg, but we kept urgeing him to find some more. Life got even better when one broke open and he realized CANDY was inside!!


They had a great time!! Ali and Cam ended up with about 36 eggs!! They were only supposed to get 12 each. Camilles mom brought extra and Ali loved finding all that she could!!


My kids love their Pappa!! They got a little one on one bouncing time with him. They love him so much!! Thanks for playing with them Pappa!!

The "UCK" family

Every week Ali brings home spelling words. It usually consists of 4 words and then 2 sets of "ending families", such as the -ing family, or the -ot family. this helps the kids to learn there are many words that end in that family. Example in the -ing family there are words like: bring, sing, ring,bing,ting, thing- etc. Well every week Ali loves to sound out every possible word to fit into that family. A couple weeks ago fro said, "I'm glad there isn't an -uck family, that could be bad."
Well what do you know- this week we got the -uck family.
As I was going over the list with Ali I had to break the news to her that there was a bad word in the -uck family. It was so cute to watch her face find out that a bad word was in the -uck family. I told her what it was and that we don't say that word because it is really bad.
She then went to tell Fro that the -uck family had a bad word in it. she was so cute telling him that she learned the F word and that it is part of the -uck family. He told her again, that we never say it because there are some words we just don't say. She said, "I know we don't say them. I already know the S word and I don't say it either." He said you know the S word. And she whispered to me that it was STUPID. Once again we had to tell her there was also another bad S word to. Then she said she heard there was a bad H word and a bad B word and what were they. Fro didn't realize there was a bad H word and I had to explain Hell to both of them, and then explain it was also a place. Then we decided that those swear words were enough for one day. I can only imagine what is going around the 1st grade this week.......buck, cuck, duck, *uck, guck, huck, luck, muck, puck,truck....... You gotta love first graders!!!

Going SIMMING!!

It does say going simming, but really it is going Swimming. This a little story I got a great kick out of and wanted to have it in my book. Last Week me and my sister Brooke decided we would take Cam and her little girl Christian swimming. Well I really didn't want Ali to find out because she gets sad when we do fun stuff without her. So I was secretly packing up the swim stuff, towels, and hiding my swimsuit before taking her to school. I had to run in Cams room and grab his suit and he saw me get his swim diaper and got all excited and said, "Going Simming??" I told him yes, and that we had to take Ali to school first.
After packing everything secretly into the car, I loaded Ali and Cam in the car. As we start to drive Cam starts chanting, "going simming, going simming!" I was dying. I knew Ali would be devastated. I just started laughing because I didn't know what to do. I asked Ali what Cam was saying, and she said," Oh he is just singing his new song, called going simming!" I started laughing even harder because he was really pronouncing it clearly, but she didn't recognize it.
Well I got her off to school successfully, then had a great time swimming. when I got home I washed all the towels and suits, so there would be no suspicion and was so relieved there wouldn't be any feeling of being left out.
That night we were watching a movie pretty late and as we were walking to bed Ali noticed something. She stopped me and pointed to my wrist and asked me what it was.. OH DANG I WAS BUSTED- I forgot to take off the dang WRIST BAND. I told her that I took Cam swimming. She started balling and was so sad. She asked why i couldn't have waited for her. I explained that we are home all day and still have to have fun. Then she said, "Well why couldn't you have gone to the thanksgiving point farm or something." Then I told her we did that yesterday, and she began balling even more.
REality hit pretty hard that we don't just sit home without her, but we are really off having fun. She wasn't to happy about that reality, but she finally realized cam was going Swimming not simming!!

Trying to feel Summer

This last week we have been in tank tops and shorts, flip flops, and then winter coats. My kids have no idea what season it is anymore. Ali has been counting down all week for Spring- which offically was supposed to start today. But with all the random snow flakes, and sporatic 50 degree days, we just have to pretend Spring is here. So my kids spent some time playing outside, and eating some ding dongs to make the winter weather bareable!! Spring should be here soon- hopefully!!

St. Patricks Day

Since last year when Ali was in Kindergarten, St. Patricks day became kind of a "exciting day." Not intentionally and really not on purpose. Last year Ali came home from school so excited that every kid had been visited by a leprachaun and hers must be at her house by now. Not really knowing what I wanted out of this holiday from that day on, it is officially a holiday Ali looks forward to all year. She calls it "The day everything turns green!"
This year we were all amazed as the pancakes turned green right before our eyes!! How do those leprachauns do that!! they are AMAZING!!

And Cam was pretty thrilled to have Green Milk!! He actually didn't care it was green he just wanted some!

this year the leprachauns were sloppy and left a trail of Andes mints for the kids, and her lunch box, and backpack were missing and hidden in crazy places. They had so much fun as they would go to another room and Ali would quickly point out everything that had moved on its own!! Half of it was just stuff she didn't remember moving herself!! It was pretty funny!!
and to top off St. Patricks day, Ali saw this hairdo on my friends hairblog, and she said, "I want a shamrock in my hair!" so thanks to Mindys step by step instructions, boom- a pretty successful shamrock. Ali was pretty happy with it!!

Alis' many faces!!

Ali loves to have "Fashion shows". After school one day she decided she was going to suprise me and see if I could guess what she was. She loves pulling everything in her room apart to become "SOMEONE!" I personally think it is pretty funny, and very entertaining. If I am really lucky we manage to do it without making Cam a girl of some kind. In this picture can you guess what she is????............
Is she Lady GAGA- as she has become introduced to via the television, or the statue of Liberty??? She thinks Lady Gaga is crazy and always dressed crazy, but I believe she is the statue of liberty this time!!

Here Ali is being the professional/tourist/ photographer!!

Ali loves her teacher Mrs. Crawford and she wanted to be a teacher just like her. Love the glasses she stole from me. She keeps stealing them because she really wants glasses. I remember growing up, we didn't want glasses- how did that change!!

A dancer!! Notice the glasses that she wouldn't take off!!

This last week Ali had "Career Day". All the students could dress up in whaterver clothes represented what they wanted to be when they grow up. I laughed so hard because I was giving Ali all kinds of Ideas and all she said was, " I don't care what I am, I just want to wear warm clothes." So that is what she based her outfit on. she ended up being a MOM!! I would take it to heart, but in reality it was all about comfort!!

Cams first haircut-by me!!

A day before I cut Cams hair I was telling myself he would be cute with longer hair, and then it just got to me, and I grabbed the scissors. I have taken him to a friend for his haircut, but I decided it didn't look to hard.

Chocolate was smeared across his face to keep him busy as I clipped, and clipped, and clipped. there was no rhyme or reason to my clipping, and he was one big ball of HAIR! I didn't realize what a mess I made until I was done, and there was hair EVERYWHERE! Back in the tub he went.

I was pretty impressed by the job I did with NO training. There were many things I learned, like not to clip the top to short or it just sticks up, and to cover Cam with somekind of towel. I know next time will be even better- if I dare!!

Things that make you stop and see

We have some great freinds the Pettys who used to live out here by us, but moved away a few years ago. They are the type of friends you just love, and every time you get together it is like they never left, and you can just have a great time. We went out to dinner with them a few weeks ago and had a great time just reminiscing and talking about life. Well this week was as Craig put it "a life changing" week. They just found out their little boy has Leukemia. They have been at primary childrens hospital the last two days, and hearing what they are going through just breaks my heart. Their little Max, who they call Bubby, has already had to endure many things that most of us will never face. Watching a child go through such extensive pain, and know you can't do anything for them, is so awful. He has the most treatable form of Leukemia, but to be told it is good that they most likely will only have to endure 3 1/2 years of chemo treatments and radiation made me just hurt inside. They have kept a great attitude and have definately approached it the best they can, knowing the Lord is in charge. I totally feel for them, and want them to know how much they are loved, and thought about. You never want bad things to happen to anyone, but when it is people you love, and care for, it is always harder.They have created a blog to allow us to follow and if you want to read more, and be inspired by them it is battlingforbubby.blogspot.com It makes me so grateful for all the people in my life that teach me something new each day.

I'm a good listener

I just had to write this down simply for Ali to realize what I love about her. Ali and I have a love hate relationship with her hair. I love it, she hates me to do it!! Every morning before school, it is the question of how are we doing your hair today?? the answer without hesitation is "a low ponytail in the back." No variation, no fun, No bows, nothing!! She has gorgeous long hair and she very rarely lets me go crazy. We recently made a deal that every other day she would choose how to do it, and opposite days I got to choose. It usually ends up always Alis' day,to keep peace in our house.I eventually told her that her hair was dying from doing it the same way everyday. That has allowed for a few variations!! Well today Ali was getting a little crazy and wanted a Low ponytail, but with a braid in it. I wanted to do a few other things, but of course gave in and made it beautiful. As I finished she felt it and said, "Good Job mom, You really listened!!" I realized that as a kid, that is exactly what I haven't been doing, Listening!! Ali as I always tell you, You look beautiful no matter how your hair is, and I am glad you know that at least one day I listened!!

Treat Free Month!!

My good friend Marcy came to visit me on sunday and we were discussing Candy. Especially her Love for Easter Candy. She told me she wanted to go a month without eating sweets. I told her there is nothing better to help you do that, than a bet that will hurt if you loose!! So here we are on day 2 of our NO CaNdY OR dEssErTs FOR ONE MONTH!! Loser pays $50. Marcys reply to the $50 dollar wage "I can't do that" , Exactly-we had to make an amount that would hurt!! So during this month I will be missing my favorite desserts, candy and hopefully a few extra inches!!
Being day two I really had to laugh when I received a text from her asking if Reeses Peanut Butter Puff cereal was against the rules, or Chocolate pudding!! I have never laughed so hard because techinically NO they are not candy, but seriously can we get any closer to Pure sugar than that. she did justify the pudding as being sugar free! We had to set a few additional boundaries as to -if questionable, don't eat, and if it has candy in the title- it doesn't count!!
Love ya Marcy and I hope you lose!!!I mean- good Luck!!

Happy Birthday Dad!

My Dad had another birthday on friday and what a day it turned out to be. Fro and I decided that it would be fun to take them out to dinner if they didn't already have big plans made. So we arranged to go to dinner and come back for games. Well word got out and having 6 siblings it was inevitable to include everyone on my Dads day!! It is only fair to share the guy with everyone. So we decided to have the family over for dessert and a movie I made for my dad. After the movie we went upstairs to have the dessert I had waiting. My dad LOVES banana cream pie, so of course I got him one. It looked delicious and he was salivating just looking at it. In the meantime Fro was placing bets to see if Brittany, my "pure, innocent, would never hurt a fly" of a sister, would throw the pie in my dads face.
He asked her what it would take for her to throw the pie in his face and her answer was money. So with that being said fro placed 20 bucks on the table and was quietly getting more money on this bet. Well my dad heard something going on and asked what was going on. There was also a plate of donuts and I said that we were betting to see if Brittany would eat the whole plate of donuts. He was excited at the thought and even offered to put some money on the bet!! We were all laughing pretty hard because he had NO CLUE!!

Brittany is looking a little nervous about the whole thing, but hey she would be getting some pretty good cash- I think the pot was up to 30 + dollars by this point!

We all sat pretending she was getting ready to eat the donuts, when BOOM she grabbed the pie and in one swoop had if FULL THROTTLE in my dads face. I think it was really gratifying for her!! She nailed him. Not just a little pie got on him, but the whole pie got on him.

He kept trying to smear it off, but it was thick and very caked on his face. We were all laughing about how brittany just nailed him. He was clueless and so suprised that his little Brittany would do such a thing. So of course he had to give her a big squeeze back, and covered her face with the pie also.

My dad said in all his many years he has never had that happen to him!! so it made us feel good that we could help him check that off of his lifetime to do list!!
The next day we had already had a birthday breakfast planned for him so we headed to my parents. My dad is one of those guys you just love to be with and it is always so fun. It has been one of my favorite things in life to watch him with my kids and my nieces and nephews. My dad always is instigating some party and loves time with his family the most. Being the bishop of a singles ward doesn't leave him a lot of time but that is one thing he is amazing at, he always tries to put his family first. He is such a great example for all of us and I am so glad my kids get to love their grandpa as long as they have.
"PAPPA" pulling ali around on the sweepers at his church. We headed over there after breakfast for games. My dad came up with three brooms and we had all the kids racing around on them!! I love his creativity!! Dad, your the best!! I hope your around for many more years to come. I love you so much, and you already know that your my FAVORITE!!