Little Ditties about the Kiddies

Maleia-

She loves girl scouts and has expressed her own addition to the Girl Scout Law:

Make sure to listen to the boss of the girl scouts and don't let anyone make a mess. No one is allowed to sit on toys during the Girl Scout meeting. Make sure the parents can help you during the Girl Scout meeting. The ones that are the teachers will help all the little ones because they aren't big enough to be big yet. But maybe when they are big they can can do big kid things, but not until they are 5. The current room is not allowed to be played in during the meeting. The Girl Scout meeting is really long because the parents know it's really long, but the little kids can play because they don't care too much. We have to like Girl Scouts because we learn stuff and stuff like that. We need to learn because it's hard to be big sometimes and we need to learn to be good and to scrapbook. The little babies can't be in Girl Scouts because they aren't ready to learn how to be big yet. It's hard to learn to read, but it's easy to be a girl because just girls are allowed to go to the Girl Scout meeting because it's hard for boys to learn how not to make messes.

Get it?

Dylan-

He calls his cars Carzees
He says Sod-ee for Sorry

He quotes the Disney movie, CARS, all. the. time. For example:
1. I pull into the gas station, and Dylan yells, "Pit Stop!"
2. We are on the run way and everyone in the airplane is silent as we reach full speed to take off and Dylan yells, "Dynaco, Here we come!" (He also yells this in the car when I start the engine.)
3. I asked him if he wants a tomato and he responds, "Like tuh-mato without the tuh."
4. Hey just walks around saying, "Cachiga! Cachiga!" And swivels his hips when he says it.
5. He will throw things in the air and yell, "Fly away Stanley! Be Freeeeeeee!"

Haley-

She gets to chose her own after school activities and she picked two this term. Gymnastics and DRUMS!!! How awesome is that? They have drums for 1st graders. And she LOVES it! Who would have thought? She walks around chanting:

Base, tone, tone, tone. Base, Base, tone, tone. Base, tone, tone, tone. Base, Base, tone, tone.

Seriously. This gets me sooo excited! Maybe I should have been a drummer...

Update on Pregnancy:

1. I haven't thrown up since Saturday!!! 2 Thumbs WAY up. My throat definitely needed a break becuase I already have the 1st trimester raspy voice because throw up thrashes my throat. wow. Say that thirteen times fast.

2. I am craving Mac and Cheese, but not the elbow kind. I will take the cheese out of the box and make it with spiral noodles. It just tastes better.

3. I haven't seen a doctor here yet... maybe I should. I have gone to the doctor twice in Utah who will deliver the baby, but I need to go to a doctor here so I can schedule my tests and junk. ug. After 3 kids it just doesn't get me excited to go see the doctor anymore. It's almost...(shhhhh!) pointless. Don't lecture me. :)

4. I am 11 weeks along. Only 29 weeks left. rats.

The Secret is OUT!

This is an example of what my 10 week baby looks like. It's not my ultrasound. My 6 week ultrasound looks like a big ball of goo. Apparently the baby is an inch long right now.

Sorry that I haven't been updating the blog as often lately. I just got back home a week ago and then I have been sick ever since. But apparently it's a good thing because I am pregnant! Wow. Baby #4. This is such a blessing since we miscarried in September, though it would have been better timing, it just wasn't meant to be. Obviously. So if you hear me complaining about being sick, just knock me over the head and remind me it's a GOOD thing. Not literally. I tend to fight back. But I'm good at taking things from nice people. I have lost 2 pounds so far, not the ideal and NOT the way anyone wants to lose weight, but I feel like I already have a little baby pooch. Way earlier than the others.

Things I have learned so far:
Jet lag + pregnancy = yuck.
Head cold + pregnancy = double yuck.
My kids are better than I thought. They have been so awesome lately. Helpful, kind, capable. . . it's been so nice to be able to depend on them. It has been even surprising to see what they can handle.

All I want to do it sleep. Can't I just sleep for a few months straight until the sickness ends?

I can't do everything I want to do anymore.

Things I have forgotten:
Everything
How sick I get when I'm pregnant.

Cravings so far:
Fruit (primarily oranges)
Vegetables (primarily red, orange, and yellow peppers)
Eggs
Hamburgers

*If you are going to comment to ask me if I am crazy, don't.
*If you are going to comment to ask me if this is finally our last, don't.
*If you are going to comment to ask me if this is planned, it was. It was just not the timing we planned on. We wanted it EARLIER. :) Life goes on. And we feel very grateful.
(I have already been asked all three of these questions and I just don't want to give the answer that I really want to give. Sorry if I sound grumpy.)

Teenagers... scary!

Advice to myself when my kids are teenagers.

1. Be consistent. Be vigilant. Hold your ground!! Don't give in!!

2. Talk to them about the big issues in life and have an environment that is conducive to being open and can talk about anything! Talk about sex, alcohol, drugs, and smoking.

3. Don't turn your back on your kids. Ever. You can watch and support, but be there for them. Even when she makes bad choices.

4. Have a home where they want to be. If she always wants to be somewhere else besides home, then that's a red flag.

5. Get to know their friends and their friend's parents.

6. Pray for them and with them.

Little things

I just got teary eyed because Maleia went into the kitchen, got two sippy cups down, filled them with juice, put the juice back, closed the tops, (all without me knowing), came in the room, and gave one to Dylan saying, "Here you go buddy!" And Dylan gave her a hug, and excitedly said, "Thanks Maleia!"

I needed that today.

It's the small things that make life so great!

What goes on in VA, stays in VA

But really it stays with me forever...

Once upon a time there was a lady named Rhonda who invited the whole ward to go on a Scrapbook Weekend. I was new in the ward and didn't know many people yet, but she had me at "Scrapbook." So I went. And I was hooked! Then the next year, people moved out and we wanted to go to the same place, so she invited the whole ward again... I am amazed that more people didn't sign up to go, but there were some moms whose husbands were deployed and there were some that thought that it was just for people who Scrapbooked. Well, by that time there were 2 that came that didn't even scrapbook and boy was I glad that they came. I got to know some stellar women and bond through tears, but mostly laughter. Lots and LOTS of laughter. Some of my favorite stories EVER come from these long weekends. So 6 years later, we are still holding strong and is now more of a reunion than anything, but new people still come and we love it. I love that I can say anything without judgment and the encouragement that I feel when I am around these ladies is quite amazing. No drama. Can you imagine? That many women together without drama? Awesome. And I say "these ladies" but there have been different ladies every year, of all ages and backgrounds. We love the anonymity that we have when we go and people feel so comfortable being there. It's more like therapy. And it was CHEAP!! wow. Cheap therapy? Where do I sign up?

This year we found an amazing retreat in a State Park back in the woods in VA with our back porch next to a huge river. Beautiful! And I think only 4 of us actually scrapbooked... I was just proud that I got 7 layouts done, which one was actually done by one of the best non-scrapbookers there. Lots of ladies, helping each other out. Isn't that the way life is supposed to be? Women uplifting and serving each other?

I have some really funny stories, but I think my favorite was finding a restaurant to go to for Shelly's birthday. Oh. My. Redneck. It was in the middle of NOWHERE. Okay, so it was in the middle of a scary campground and we had to drive on two dirt roads to get there, but the good ole trusty GPS got us there in one piece. When we got out of the car and looked at the place, we were joking that many of us might not come out alive! We all decided to use the buddy system to go to the bathroom. :) It was awesome! The best part was the food, but it was fun to get hit on by these men that walked over from the bar next door that wanted to play beer pong with us. I had to be instructed on how to play beer pong and even had to be told what it even was, but we reluctantly declined since we thought it wasn't really fair that we would be the only ones playing the game sober. :) Oh yea, that and we were all married!! heehee. Did I mention the HUGE steak and all the appetizers and the rest of the food that was awesome? Don't judge a restaurant by it's freaky, scary drive and appearance. We left at halftime of the Colts vs. Ravens game to make it home for the 2nd half. Go Colts!

Other than that, I think that is the only story I am allowed to tell. Darn. There are some good ones. So if I start giggling randomly for some reason, just know that it is probably me remembering some good story or thinking of the fun times we had.

It might take me about a month to catch up on sleep, but the food was amazing too, so it will take another month to work off that too. Boy can these ladies cook! I can't wait to see what next year brings, but who knows where I will be and if I can actually go. In two years, I am trying to push for a hot beach, but we'll see where we are at that point. Who knows? I wonder if my insurance will pay for my "therapy?" :)

NEW POST

I am in dire need of a new post. I even just got an email from a friend that told me that last post was an awful way to end my yearly blog. It was pretty crappy, huh? heehee. But I am a million (okay, maybe thousands) of miles away from home and away from the comfort of my own computer and I just can't muster up enough of anything to post because I feel backlogged.

*Wedding
*Pre-Christmas Christmas Eve
*Pre-Christmas Christmas Day
*Christmas Day
*New Years Eve
*Trip stuff

I know this is for posterity, but I am just a little concerned that I didn't put in a blank post to add to later so that they will all be in the 2009 book. I am currently annoyed at myself.

And I just want to add that my New Year's Resolution was to spend less time at the computer and I AM DOING GREAT SO FAR!!!

And I am feeling sick.

And that is why I haven't posted.

The End.