Out of the mouths of babes......

We haven't seen or talked to Max in a week, this is a conversation made up by Cameron.
Cameron - "mom, I just called my friend Max Alex....and he said....that's a lovely...and he said....that's a rockstar name....I like that name....Alex is rockstar."

Sydney - "MOM, why are you all dressed up.   Are you going somewhere ?"
note : I had showered.   I had also changed the sweats I had been wearing for 2 days in to another pair of sweats.

With sores in my mouth.....

and snow on the ground.
I couldn't go out, and jump all around.

I sat in my chair I sat there, just one.
I watched as my siblings played and had fun.

Too sick to join in,
Too sad to get dressed.
I sat at the window feeling extremely depressed.

Park/Blanchard Christmas 2010

Christmas this year was awesome.   
Aunt Pam, Uncle Rich, cousins Allyson and Lindsay drove in from California.   We had so much fun Christmas eve playing with them, Aunt Jo and Grandma Bessie.
Rich has some kind of energy.   If he could some how bottle and sell it he'd be a bazillionaire.    My kids adored him.   He wrestled and played and goofed around with each of them, helping to wear them out for bed time.    He is an amazing male role model that I wish was present in my kids lives all of the time.   Not just once a year.
Pam sat down with Syd, who was SOOOO excited to show her piano skillz to, and taught her a few things.   She learned a months worth in a matter of minutes.  
Why is it that they don't live here again ?  :-(
We played Beattles rock band, it was really fun.  

Aunt Pam who really can sing

Uncle Rich and Cousin Ally

Grandma Bessie just pretending

Aunt Jan and Lindsay

Aunt Jo Jo

The student

Christmas day was fun.   Jan and I didn't go to bed until 2:30 am....and then we just pretended because Nathan decided to get hand foot and mouth the week of Christmas and was up all night with mouth pain from the ulcers.   The kids came in at 7:13 am to start the day.   We had to explain that it was in fact Christmas and that Santa had come that night, before they got excited.
The presents are set up downstairs next to the playroom and for good reason :)

Cameron's

Sydney's

Spencer's

Ryan's

Nathan's

This picture describes it PERFECTLY.  
Spencer and Cameron fighting for the Empire.  Ryan eating any and everyone's candy and Nathan pushing his new baby in his new shopping cart. 

I think we could both use a little binky right now baby.   Are you sick too ?

Cameron's imagination soaring.

Don't even think about it...he'll shoot.

Syd giving rides on her scooter. 

Later that day we met up at Grandma and Papa's house to eat eggs cut up in gravy (family tradition and such a yummy and artery clogging good one) open more presents and play the annual 7-11 dice game.
My mom does such a great job getting gifts that she knows we will all fight tooth and nail over....ie. costco sized toilet paper, viva paper towels (those things are as soft and strong as wash rags) pots and pans, $50.00 home depot gift card and then there's always the money that's hidden in a pack of gum.    Other than Chris stashing the coin valued at 40.00, nobody cheated this year.   And when I say nobody...I'm of course referring to Chris and Brian :)
It was fun and I SCORED !
Another special surprise was that Aunt Marie and Uncle Ron were there dropping Grandma Argyle off, so we got to play with them Christmas day too.

Aunt Meg.   My wii dance partner.  

Uncle Brian, Aunt Liz, Cousins Matthew and Emma.  Such a sweet family.

Aunt Mary.  err Midvale err Marie.

Captain Ron and his trusty side kick Roni.

Grandma Argyle

The game

The popcorn balls that I won :)

My sweet sick boy :(  taking a nap on his grandma.

Matt doing what he loves best.   Playing the drums.

The smile.   :)  Hilarious.               

It was such a great Christmas.  Relaxing and filled with the people we love.

Sydney Says

This was actually said on Thursday, but I had the whole This moment Friday picture and that great photo to contend with and why post 2 in 1 day....you gotta stretch those posts out.


Scene : Kitchen. I'm sweeping up the floors. Syd's eating her after school snack of apples and peanut butter at the table. Both of us quiet for a couple of minutes and then Syd says :
Syd : Wow mom, you are working hard today !
Mom : Yip. I try !
Syd pauses a moment and then adds : ACTUALLY I think the broom is doing most of the work here !

End scene.

Well not really the end. I considered using the broom as a bat and then just laughed and finished sweeping the floors.  I went on to vacuum.....poor vacuum...it did WAY more work than the broom had to.

This Moment Friday

{this moment} - A Friday ritual. A single photo - no words - capturing a moment from the week. A simple, special, extraordinary moment. A moment I want to pause, savor and remember

On December 13th, 2010....it happened.

Nathan comes running down the hall, naked, "yi-an did it"
I had just taken them both from the tub wrapped them in towels and realized I was short a pair of pants.   Mistake number 1.   I left them both on my bed.  in towels.  with the basket of lotions, creams and q-tips on my dresser while I ran MAYBE 20 feet to get the pants.

There isn't a mistake number 2.  if you were wondering.  It only takes 1 mistake when you have a kid like Ryan. :)

"Ryan did what Nathan ?"  both of us now heading to my bedroom.   Nathan turning every few steps checking to make sure I was following him, arm extended finger pointed towards my room repeating, "Yi-an mama, Yi-an did it"

As I entered my room Ryan was squatted over a large open container of Eucerin and had his fingers full of the super coating salve.
We made eye contact...he ran, to a corner, oh ye are a little fool....I ran after him fast and was able to snatch him up before he could cower down in the corner which would then unintentionally (this time) get the eucerin all over my floor.

I wiped his hands off on the towel and quickly surveyed the room and couldn't see a thing.   Had I in fact caught him in time ?  Could this be a miracle of timing AND tattling ?

"look mom, Yi-an did it"  Nathan pointing to the toddler bed against one wall.   There, a small smear of Eucerin.   on wood.   NO PROBLEM.   I used the same towel and wiped it off.
"look mom, Yi-an did it"  Nathan pointing to the OTHER toddler bed against the OTHER wall.   Yet another smear of Eucerin.    I wiped it up.  My eyes were now darting around so fast I got dizzy trying to find more smears.   Finally, Nathan looked up at me, head tilted, eyes lifted, lips turned up on one side, "look"  there on my bed was the last of the mess.   Not bad, but on my blanket and there was a bit more.   I hated wasting it so I scrapped what I could off and lifted Ryan back on the bed and said, "you little shit"   Nathan was already hoisting himself up and said in total agreement, "yeah, shit Yi-an"

I'd say I've done pretty good considering it's been 6 almost 7 years without one of my children swearing.
Nice right.

Well, I suppose there was that chance with Cam and Spence....and maybe we just couldn't understand them.  but I don't think so.   ha ha

So on December 13th, 2010....one of my kids swore their first swear word.  and gratefully, it was shit.

He hasn't said it again...but now, whenever Nathan does something wrong.  and he does his fair share...he now comes to me with that same crooked face and says, "Yi-an did it"    Such a little shit.
both of them. :)

Wordless Wednesday

This moment Friday

{this moment} - A Friday ritual. A single photo - no words - capturing a moment from the week. A simple, special, extraordinary moment. A moment I want to pause, savor and remember.

Not too bad for a couple of amatuer's

Armed with my neighbor and her camera and then making a little magic with photoshop (elements because I'm not smart enough for the real thing)   Look at what we did this weekend.....

a sneak peak

This moment Friday

{this moment} - A Friday ritual. A single photo - no words - capturing a moment from the week. A simple, special, extraordinary moment. A moment I want to pause, savor and remember

If you can't beat em, but want to, join em...

And what I mean by that is this.....

He was squirting water with his teeth all over me and the walls and the tub.   He thought this was hilarious.



I love this picture....Ryan is pouring and Nathan is cleaning :)

This was not how I had expected to feel.   I'm not enjoying myself.

I'm outa here !

He was so absolutely thrilled by all of this mess

Ryan spilled poured a bowl of 1/2 eaten cereal into another bowl of 1/2 eaten cereal on my kitchen table.    He missed.   He also ate 1/2 of his big brothers cupcake that they got at pre school.  The boys did share them with the babies.  but it was still all over the place.   THAT'S WHEN IT CAME TO ME.

I took him to the tub and started handing him the things that he loved to get into the most :

The cereal bowls (might as well finish them off)

Spray bottle (it's water, I use it to wet down the boys hair)

Toothpaste 

Syrup

Pump Soap

Baby Lotion

an Egg

Water bottle

Shaving cream

Wet wipes

Nathan joined his brother and fanatically cleaned the whole time and then wanted out.  

Ryan played for over an hour.   He didn't look at the camera more than 3 times because he was so focused on what he was doing.   He was in HEAVEN.   I asked him several times if he was ready to get out and he would say very sternly, "No!"

We may be slow people, but we's not so stupid.  
I don't know WHY we haven't just done this a million years ago.
This gate is a miracle.   I can lock them downstairs.....OR.  OR OR OR OR....I can swivel that sucker around and lock them JUST out of the kitchen.   WOOOOOO HOOOOOOO !
I don't know what I'll do with myself.  
My stomach is all tickley and jumpy right now I'm just so dang happy.  

Let's take a vote.   How long do you think this gate will in fact keep the babies confined before it's either broken, they learn to climb it or they learn how to open it ?
Any guesses ?  :)