I am dreaming.....

...of SPRING!

Please come and visit us the kids are tired of being inside and it is much to cold to bundle them up and play outside, although even if I did it would last a whole ten minutes, shorter then it took to bundle them up. The sky is grey and the sun doesn't come out much. The colors around town are dirty and grey. Will there be an end, it sure doesn't seem that way to me. I will just continue to dream of all the things we can do and enjoy once the spring weather comes to visit and better yet...Summer!

Oh how we wish for spring!

Time to move it

Never before has this been an issue. Now a big issue! Garrett has discovered the dogs food. He doesn't want to eat it or anything like that just likes to get in it and play in it and then proceed to spill it all over the floor and then feed the dog all day long. Maybe I need to find one that has a lock, although i don't think they make them. This is not all he has discovered he has renewed his fascination with the dogs water bowl and will take the food and put it in the water, he can hardly contain his excitement! Crazy kid!

Construction

Garrett is really into building things and while he builds he wears this construction hat! He is getting pretty good at stacking things on top of each other. He is up to about 8-10 blocks at once and of course it comes toppling over. He loves legos too! He is growing up way to fast!

Tax Return

Love this time of year! This year Dave said that I had to get something for me with a little of the money and we are getting the kids a swingset closer to spring. So we went out looking and as we were looking I could not think of anything I really needed, then Dave said what about an ipod.

So now I own an ipod and I am excited to listen to something while working out. And what do you know Dave got one for him too. The rest is put away for a great little vacation later this year.

Pizza Anyone!

Garrett loves pizza! Of course the pizza contains no toppings but he loves it just the same, cause he has never had it any different! We have a pizza place here in town called Cassanos and it is his favorite. The pizza is cut into little squares and it is delicious! Garrett can eat on average 12 pieces of this pizza and no little bits for him he usually shoves the whole piece in his mouth! And the best part is whatever they do different he doesn't seem to have any reactions to it.

Look who came to visit

Katrina, Vince and Ashton came to visit us a couple weeks ago, yes I know I am that far behind!

We had a blast and the kids loving playing with each other. We went rollerskating and played at home, lots of forts were built, I thinke every toy was played with! We loved having visitors! Thanks for coming!

What a good idea

If we had extra funds I think I would really look into doing this.

www.babyplays.com

Now why didn't think of that! This woman has a market and I think the idea is brilliant!

she started her business in October with 10 customers and now she has 200. That is pretty good in 4 months!

Something to Remember

Don't buy the real conversation hearts for the kids......Madison put them in her mouth and 2 seconds later she was looking for a place to spit it out. So what do I do put my hand under her mouth. It is a good thing I love her! She then said, "Mom, those are disgusting!" Garrett not a big fan either but he just took it out of his mouth and put it back in the box......the box went in the trash. Crazy Kids!

Our little Valentines

Dave and I have the best little Valentines Ever! Madison and Garrett we love you more then you will ever know. Today Madison was fascinated by Valentines Day (we have been couting down all month) she told everyone, "Happy Valentine's Day! Since we have been trying really hard to really limit the junk intake we opted for these cute little puppets for presents. Madison got the frog and Garrett the puppy. You put them on and as you move there mouths they belt out 3 different songs in their own sound, i.e. puppy barks out Old McDonald. So cute! And Thanks to JoAnn Fabric who had them 50% off making them only $3.75 a piece! After they got their presents Madison said, "Mom I didn't get you anything?" I told her that was okay the best gift she could give me was always listening and helping with her brother. About 10 minutes later she brings me a card she had drew, and on the inside she wrote mom and drew a picture of me. It was precious! We have been working on spelling mom and dad and she got it right! You go Madison! I will put that card away for definent safe keeping! Her first Valentines Day card all by herself! I really truly LOVE BOTH MY KIDS! It is hard to imagine life without them!

And what Valentines Day wouldn't be complete without talking about my best friend and eternal companion, Dave! He works so hard and tries so hard to do what will be best for our family. Going back to school, working 2nd shift hours(which stink), all the while trying to spend as much time with the family. Some weeks are better then others but we are still a family no matter what, translates to no matter how crazy, loud or even messy our house can get during the day we are still a forever family! The kids adore him and Garrett is always asking all day, "where dad" and Madison always ask, "what day is it?" After you tell her she will ask what is tomorrow and that continues until we get to Saturday and she will say, "there is _ days til Daddy doesn't have to work." She looks forward to her weekend with her dad and especially her dates with her dad. I love you! The flowers are from Dave he broke the rules he wasn't suppose to buy them. But they sure do look beautiful on the table.

Valentine Party

We had a party today! I have 4 kids plus my two during the day and so we had a party! The kids had a blast they all brough valentines from home for everyone. Our first order of business paint and decorate some boxes for the Valentines to go into or the way Madison puts it, "for her treasures from friends who really like me."

When the kids got here this morning the house was decorated, complete with balloons and streamers. We played some games, iced some heart shaped sugar cookies...then the kids each got to eat one, they were in heaven. Made some awesome alien inspired party hats. Instead of paint we used little paint circle daubers (like bingo daubers - but better), no mess, no leaking, and they had a blast with the different colors, which also sparkled. Start with piece of white cardstock, decorate, cut into strips messure and put together to make a band. Pink and white pipecleaners twisted together make the antenna with heart cutout for toppers. (Excuse Madison's teeth showing grin, seems to be a staple lately.)

We had a fun filled day. One thing I was sad to miss from Rexburg was the heart shaped pizzas you could get from Papa Murphys. The kids would have loved it, instead we had regular pizza. Both Garrett and Madison came away from the party with a box full of valentines and candy treats. What a fun day! Extremely exhausting but fun!

And for all our Rexburg/Idaho Falls Friends, I am missing the snow, never thought I would say that but it just isn't the same here.

This is what I see.....

This is what I see a lot of lately. Some of you know Dave started his Masters in Business Administration in January. We thought we were done with school. The tentative date is by next summer to be done but that is without taking any time off. So we will get used to seeing this, but to have that degree under his belt will be such a blessing.

Learning a new game

Dave tried to teach Madison checkers the other day. They got everything arranged but she just didn't grab the concept of checkers yet. She realized you needed to get to the other side of the board but the stragedy part is where he lost her. So she just started to put them away without saying anything, she just got frustrated. But if you ask her now she will tell you she had fun playing.

More.......

More of a sampling of the things we have made.

Madison made this mobile of the things she loves.

It is hard to read with the small pic but you can click on it and make it bigger.

She wrote everything herself!

2nd Heart Tree

A really fun one trace their hands and their arm all the way to the elbow, have them draw and cut out hearts and glue them on the tree as leaves. Madison's is on the left and Garrett's on the right. Madison drew and cut out her own hearts and of course Garrett had help.

A great way for me to preserve their little hand prints before they get to big.

Gave in

We gave in and finally let Garrett play the WII. He thought he was so cool, what the picture doesn't show is the big lip and pouting face that arrived when we told him it was time to put it away. Needless to say we haven't let him play again, but everytime he sees a Wii game he says, "me play....please"

Crafts

Some new crafts we have done for preschool, some are Valentine Day inspired the other is inspired from our ocean theme we have been working on for about 2 weeks, a different animal of the sea each day. When we complete our wall mural I will take a picture of that. A big distraction from the grey bland days of winter

Disregard the horrible picture we haven't had sunshine for over a week, I gave up waiting for a day where you could see them better, they are vellum hearts that the kids painted watercolors on, when the sun finally does shine it should look extremely pretty with all the colors. The other window has 3 more hung up. Very easy and a different medium then tempra paints, crayons, markers or color pencils. Upclose the lines will be jagged but the accomplish of cutting the hearts out themselves is worth it.

The second craft is just basic salt dough.

3/4 cup flour

2/3 cup salt

3/4 cup cornstarch

2/3 cup water

Mix all dry ingrediants together, mix in water, knead dough for about 10 minutes until is forms a firm ball.

We then rolled the dough out and cut with cookie cutters, then bake

****if you are going to make a necklace make a hole before baking***

preheat oven to 200 degrees

Place creations on cookie sheet

put in oven

after 3 hours take out of oven, if you tap with your finger nail it should make a light sound if it is a heavy sound cook longer.

After they cool completely you can decorate I let them just use markers this time. They had a blast and I believe were able to centralize the colors better then with paint and the best part was when they started mixing colors, we had just talked about this last week and they had so much fun!

We are making a new craft today and will have one everyday next week. The kdis are so excited we are having a valentines party and they are bringing valentines for everyone!

It was getting easy

I was getting used to the idea that my kids would actually sleep through the night the majority of the nights. Oh how I was wrong! Garrett is at it again, a little disclaimer, Madison is doing great in her new room she loves it. So this post is about Garrett, oh how we love him but I am getting tired! He sleeps great for the first say 4 hours and around midnight, he is up and down, crying and whinning, going in his sisters room, etc. So because I am so tired I have brought him in bed with us some of these nights, bad idea, he pushes me off the bed, we have a king size, he toses and turns sits up in bed and will get in my face and say, "juice juice" which means he wants milk(which if you get it for him instead of drinking a little bit, he will drink the whole thing in a matter of 5 minutes) One of the past nights I must have been really tired after putting him to bed a few times the next thing I know is there is a little boy standing next to me with his cup off the counter and his rice milk in hand shoving it in my face! Uggghhhh! I am not sure what the newest non sleeping nights mean, hopefully just a phase, but this is going on night #6! I pray he sleeps tonight, this reminds me of pre surgery sleep! As I write this I just heard him start crying!

Yikes

"Buzz Lightyear to the rescue" She says she is Buzz, which I am proud of her imagination and the things she can come up with using what she has but I am more concerned with her clothing ability! Yikes! And to top it off it was about 5 degrees outside and she is wearing shorts, glad we didn't go outside! Madison's comment, "But mom the sun is out."

Recycle Crayons

This isn't a new innovative craft, but the kids loved it and they each got to take home 2 crayons that they picked the colors and made. You get to have everyone practice eye-hand coordination peeling the papers off the crayons, some of them can be quite tricky! Very fun and very easy, and while they are in the oven we turned on the light to watch and talked about what was happening to the crayons. A hit! (They were so excited to show their parents)

So much Better

Apparently playing Playhouse Disney on the computer is so much better with Sunglasses on. I asked Madison why she had them on and she said, "well I have to win and these glasses give me super powers!" I don't know how many times she won but she played like this for awhile.