Recreating the Past

Taken when each boy was about 4/5 months old.  

Matty on top, Asher on the bottom.

Dying Eggs 2017

Just 2 quick comments on these.

1.  I'm DYING seeing that huge gap in Jossy's front teeth!  I remember it being really big as we were using an expander and creating space in her mouth, but I forgot just HOW BIG it really was!!

2.  I can always tell when Matty needs a haircut by the height of his crazy hair on the top back of his head. 

April the Giraffe

This is by far the most flattering picture to be posting on the internet!  LOL

BUT it's funny to me.  One morning we happened to catch the birth of a baby giraffe that the world had been waiting weeks to be shown.  There had been a live feed going and everyone few days I just checked it randomly, not really expecting to catch "the moment," nor was I obsessed about it like some people.  But I did happen to catch it, and all the kids climbed in our bed and we watched it together on our phones . . . until we realized we could just go watch it on a bigger screen downstairs on YouTube.

Random Marchness

When you're handsome and you know it.

 When your sisters think you are another doll to play with.

When life as a puppy is better.

When you can't decide which face to make. 

Sometimes . . .

. . . Summer is just exhausting.

Alice Turns 3!

When I asked Alice what she wanted to do for her birthday, she said go to Farm Country.  Funny, that's exactly what Lacey wanted when she turned 3!

That evening we had a little party for her with just our family.  We opened presents, had cup cakes, and watched her movie pick, Toy Story.  The next day, we had another celebration with extended family.

 

 Jossy gave Alice Starbursts, which she calls "star wars."  It makes us laugh every time she asks to eat star wars.  

Alice is the biggest source of joy in our family right now.  If you ask her if she's cute, she says, "No, I'm funny!"  If you ask if she's funny, she says, "No, I'm cute!"  Her sense of humor is hilarious.  Alice loves stuffed animals, especially puppies.  She loves playing "family" with her siblings, Barbies, or baby dolls.  Her favorite shows are Caillou, Daniel Tiger, George, and Doc McStuffins.  At bedtime, she always wants a song, and it's usually some strange version of the primary song "Daddy's Homecoming" but she wants the lyrics changed to "I'm so glad when _______ comes home."  The blank she changes daily from her fan or a blanket to even her door.  I sang the door version one night upon her request.  Afterwards she said, "But Mom!  Doors don't have necks!"  Yes, Dear.  I realize that.  You're the one who asked for some weird song, not me.

If the Box Fits . . .

. . . sleep in it.

"No, Mom. I don't need a nap."

 "I'll just go color on your phone in my room.  I'm not tired."

When One Isn't Enough

Matchy Matchy

 They still love to match each other.  Wonder how long that will last.

Poor Matty gets left out a lot.

Real life, yo.

Oops

Leave the room for a minute and someone will decide bath time ended too soon for her liking.

Fortunately she really didn't like wet clothes so it's not likely to happen again.

Visiting the Big Guy

We went to see Santa early this year, the day after Thanksgiving in fact.  I was recovering from some nasty kidney stones but was functional.  It was such nice weather for winter that we figured it would be smart to go see him before it got super cold (which it never really did!)

Some were excited and ready!

Some a little unsure and apprehensive.

Perfection.

No worries.  She didn't stay traumatized for long.  It was nothing some pretty lights and candy apples couldn't quickly fix.  

(Sugar and shiney things are a girls' best friend.)

  

Adorable

I don't know which I like more: 

her in these frames or the 1.5 top teeth showing.

Lacey at 3

When I went to take Alice's 1-year pictures I had an epiphany where I realized I never did 3-year pics for Lacey.  Oops!  So 4 months late, here's Lacey at 3. We didn't even brush her hair.  She wanted them done and I said, "Great!  Here, put this dress on."  I knew we'd be doing family pictures soon anyway so it didn't matter too much to me.  

And this is really what a photo shoot in your home with no other parent to watch other kids is like. Full of photo-bombing fun.  Alice would NOT STOP getting in the picture!  She thought it was hilarious to have me dragging her out of there over and over.  

Mommy Tetris

As a kid I used to LOVE the game Tetris.  I've always been pretty good at spacial reasoning and can pack a car right up there with my Dad's natural talent for it.  I can think of my next move while I'm putting the current brick in place.

Little did I know, someday I'd be playing Mommy Tetris day after day after day . . .

It looks something like this:

Oh I could've done a much better job labeling this and making it all cute, but you know what?  Blogging didn't even make it on a brick in there so obviously I have time for none of that Pinterest perfection business!  Some other bricks in my life not listed here are simple things like taking a shower, getting to pee, potty training, meal planning, kid homework, communicating to teachers, praying, scripture reading, temple attendance, brushing hair, journal writing. . . you get the idea. 

Here's a more literal view of my Mommy Tetris game.  I give you my playroom closet, one giant game of Tetris and Jenga all rolled into one!

I feel like everyday I'm given a stack of funky-shaped bricks and have to make them all fit together with the time I have for that day.  24 hours.  Same as everyone else.  Only I have WAY more bricks than fit in the amount of space I've been given.  As I'm changing a diaper or making a sandwich, I have to be thinking about who needs my attention next or things fall behind.  And things always fall behind.  Usually the first things that get knocked out of the running are things like getting to take a shower, go to the bathroom, or spend any sort of quality time with my husband.  And just like the real game, if I can't fit things in a space when they're given to me, nothing seems to work out just right anymore.  Bricks fall faster and faster as the day goes on and I just try to keep my leaning tower at bay until I can start a new game all over again the next day. 

Sometimes my bricks get stacked too high, I lose the game that day, and things usually end in tears and some sort of indulgence involving massive amounts of chocolate. 

Mommy Tetris is downright exhausting.

Cock-a-doodle-doo!

When Mom doesn't comb your hair back down after having it in little poneytail, you may end up looking like a rooster for days. 

The Napkin Quandary

When Dad does Matty's lunch napkin . . .

 . . . it can require a follow up explanation.

When Mom does it . . .

 

Tasty!

Is there anything more delectable than one's own toes?  I dare say no.

And is there anything cuter than a contortionist baby who loves to suck on hers?  Again, I say no.

One Determined Boy

About a week or so ago, we put the kids to bed and Matty was messing around wiggling a loose tooth.  I told him to stop wiggling it and go to sleep.  That particular tooth had only been loose a couple days and I knew if probably wasn't ready to fall out yet. 

Dan and I went downstairs and discussed in great detail what we would get everyone for Christmas (we're trying to actually get it done early for once) and what things we'd strongly encourage Santa to bring them.  Around 10:30, Dan looks up from the table and goes, "Matty!" I turn around and there's my son with a pale ghost face.  I thought "OH CRAP!  HE HEARD US!"  I quickly asked him what he was doing up.  He lifted up the small tooth in his hand.  I said, "You've been up this whole time to get that tooth out?!"  He nodded and BURST into tears.  Oh no worries, not because of any conversation Dan and I were having but merely because he was so tired!!  He said the tooth just wouldn't stop bugging him so he had spent 2.5 hours lying exhausted in bed, wanting to sleep, but couldn't because of that stupid tooth.  Dan and I probably shouldn't have but we laughed so hard!!  Of course I wish he had just gone to sleep when I told him too, but it was all still funny to us.  We made him take a picture next to a clock before sending him back up to bed with an envelope for his tooth. 

 

Poor kid.  He feel asleep in about 2 minutes flat after that.