The front door

The other morning, before I had to finally leave my a/c on full time, it was pleasant enough outside, I opened all my windows and even my front door to let in a little air.

To my knowledge, there was nothing going on outside.  But Dylan sat there for quite a while, with his head out the door, talking and playing outside, while staying in the house.

When he did finally have to move, man, you would think it was torture if you listened to the kid scream.

 If I knew this would pass for quality entertainment,

I probably would have done it a long time ago :)



Cowboys and Indians

Kari's kindergarten teacher gives the kids coins when they behave (and takes them away when they don't).  Every Friday they have Flower's Market (Mrs. Flowers being the name of her teacher) and the kids "buy" things with their good behavior money.  One Friday Kari came home with a packet of Cowboys and Indians.

 Cowboys on one side, Indians on the other.

 I dunno about you, but it looks to me like the cowboys are winning.

 I didn't even think to tell her that she is part Indian herself (on her daddy's side).

We'll have to see if that changes the outcome at all :)

Be vewy vewy qwiet!

We are hunting Easter Eggs!!!!

My new desk in the kitchen :)

 Look Mom!  Candy. . . .  On a side note, I have no idea why the Easter Bunny continues to get Peeps.  No one in our family really eats them. . . .  Maybe I will have to talk to him about that :p

 I continue the tradition we had growing up, in that we empty all the candy into a big bowl.  That way, it doesn't matter who found how many eggs. . .  Everyone gets the same chance at the same candy as everyone else.  Also, I can steal my children's candy without being caught.  Its like taking candy.  From a baby :)  Dylan was having a hard time grasping the concept of opening the candy over the bowl.  So, he opened it over the floor, and then, he proceeded to eat the candy that fell on the floor.

 Because he is a drooler anyway, and because he had so many jelly beans in his mouth, he physically could not close it, he started getting his brand new Easter shirt dirty.  So, I took it off, shouted it, and threw it directly into the washer.  He spent the majority of the rest of the day shirtless.  Ah.  To be 2 and unselfconscious again!

After church, and before the egg hunting, I took the kids out and posed them in their new Easter outfits, courtesy of Grandma and Grandpa.  (Sorry, it was a bit sunny out)

 Love this one :)

 But I love this one!

I love Kaitlyn's hand placement.  And his face is priceless! 

"I'm doing this for you mom.  You owe me!  Big time!!!"

Tie Dying Eggs

This blog is a completely safe place.  No judging allowed.  Sanctuary, right?

Well, this is the first year that we have dyed Easter eggs.  Last year we might have done it, but we were camping, so that kinda didn't work so well.  And, we wanted the kids to be old enough to enjoy it.  So, there it is.  Our first year!  While we could have done the traditional dunk method, I found a painting method I thought the kids would like a bit more.  This is the picture on the back of the package.

Kari, ever systematic, took things very seriously.  She didn't mix colors and only picked her favorite three (since I only boiled enough for them each to do three.  I originally did an even dozen, but several of them cracked, so...  There you go).  She also coined the term tie dying the eggs.  I kept correcting her, telling her we were just dying them, but I guess that didn't sound as fun :)

Kaitlyn didn't pay any attention to one color or the other, and mixed them pretty evenly.  She had a good time, and her eggs looked very pretty.

She also thoroughly enjoyed herself :)

Dylan took his egg painting pretty seriously.  Daddy was a great helper.  We also took the opportunity to teach him a bit about colors...   

He also paid no attention to any color "gendering" having used quite a bit of the pink and purple :)

See?  One big happy egg coloring family!

The finished product.  Kari's single colored eggs are on the left, Kaitlyn's in the middle, and Dylan's on the right.

 I think they turned out quite pretty myself!

PS- That is also my new counter top in the background.  It's pretty too, innit? :)

Easter Party

I know Easter isn't for a day or two, but our Ward Easter party was on Wednesday, and the kids had a blast!  We started with a picnic lunch outside.  And while sandwiches were provided, I am pretty sure my children's dinner consisted of chips and grapes.

And, I'm just gonna state for the record, that there are very few things more gross than Cheeto hands.

We made some "ears" for Dylan (since the girls had some from previous years).  But, of course it is humid in Alabama, so Dylan was a droopy little bunny, as he carried around all the extra baskets of the night.  Also, check out his shirt.  I thought it was pretty cute, and entirely Easter appropriate :)

 My good friend Kelly agreed to do the three legged race with Kari.  It didn't turn out exactly to be a three legged race, per se, but they had fun.  She also got second place in the egg race.  I oughtta know.  I was a line judge ;) 

Before we left, we did a mini photo shoot :)  The whiskers and noses were Kari's idea.  Hers lasted the whole activity pretty much.  Kaitlyn's rubbed off on some poor, unsuspecting person's clothes, and for that I truly apologize.

My cute little escape artist.

  Hoppy Easter!!! :)

Rockstar

S & M gave this present to Dylan for his birthday.  But of course the girls thing it is great too!  However, I think she has been listening to Pink somehow.  You tell me....

Big News

Nope. Not for me.  For my 'Rents :)  (For those of you who know them and care :)

My fabulous parents are moving!!!  Where, you might ask?

I'll give you a few hints:

~They are not staying in the state of CA.

~They are not staying in the United States.

~They are not even staying on the same Continent.

Give up yet?

CHILE, SOUTH AMERICA.

 My dad will be the South American Area Controller for the company he presently works for (The LDS Church's Deseret Farms/Ag Reserves). 

The Google map below shows the farm where they will be outlined in red.  The farm currently is planted with fruit, but they are going to clear it all and go with olives/olive oil. 

It was a pretty big surprise for everyone.  And, while I am sad they will be leaving, they should have all the modern amenities that still make it easy to keep in touch, like skype, email, and a US phone number.  I am excited for the new opportunities for my dad and mom.  And while I know my mom is scared to death, I also know she will be just fine, and hopefully will be able to enjoy the adventure too.  Lots to do before they go (pretty much as soon as possible, but certainly before the summer is over).  So, if you happen to be in the neighborhood, feel free to stop by and help out with the packing and storage-ing :)

What better time to take a trip down to Chile than when I have a free room, food and tour guide?  Well, maybe when tickets aren't upwards of $2500. . . .  YIKES!



Fine print: Yes, I did copy Thompson's blog.  I even stole her pictures.  But, news this exciting deserves to be shared in multiple places :)

Open House

Most of the time I am not serious.  And, while I am religious, I am also a non confrontational wimp, so I don't often talk about it.  But, I did want to share the opportunity we had on Saturday to tour the Atlanta, GA temple during the Open House before its re-dedication in May.  It has undergone some pretty serious remodeling during the past 2 years, and it is open for tours until the re-dedication. 

 We went with the rest of the ward, and enjoyed taking the kids through.  Thankfully, they were quite well behaved.  And while I doubt any of them will remember it at all, let alone in great detail, I would like to think they will remember that it was a special opportunity, and that it made them happy to be there.

 Hubby went specifically to see the workmanship inside, and was very impressed with the craftsmanship there of.  There was a ton of beautiful molding, and hubby said he only found 2 less than perfect places (which is saying quite a bit, since he was looking for them).

 It was also a surprisingly pleasant day outside, so we took some pictures.  Dylan found a bench out front, and I couldn't help myself.

 When I am trying to take a picture, and he won't look at the camera, I will ask "Where's your face?"  This was the face I got in return. :)

If you are interested, the tours are going on for the rest of this week, until April 23.  They are free, but they do ask that you make a reservation online, so they can spread out the tours properly.

Ape

I grew up on musicals.  I own several myself, and plan on forcing my children to watch them (and hence allowing them to fall in love them as much as I do) this summer :)  One of my favorites is Seven Brides for Seven Brothers.  If you haven't seen this one, I highly recommend it.  There is a part where Gideon is confronting Adam, and he says that he always looked up to him.  Tried to "ape" him.  It is only thanks to subtitles that I ever figured out what he said.  And, I am here to tell you that I have a little Ape in my home.  For a few reasons.  1) He has long, curly, opposable toes :)  And 2) he copies everything his sisters do.  Observe. . . 

This day Kaitlyn was leaning against the couch.  Dylan took one look at her, and decided that he needed to do the same.  It was so obvious (because he doesn't look comfortable at all), and so cute, that I had to take a picture.

 This day Kaitlyn was watching a movie.  Maybe this one isn't an "ape" so much, but still a pretty cute picture. 

And this was the other night at dinner.  Kari was tired, and laying her head on her hand.  Again, Dylan saw this and decided it was a good action to copy.

This video is from the other day when Kaitlyn was sick.

It is so humorous to me to watch him, because it is such a conscious decision.  He sees the action, decides he wants to do it, and does his best to copy it...

First Monkeys.  Now Apes.  What's next? :)

Monkey Bread

Have you ever had Monkey Bread? Not the stuff (I understand) they are selling in the frozen section of the grocery store. But, homemade, get yourself dirty making it, Monkey Bread. If you haven't, you are sorely lacking, my friend. Growing up, mom made it as a dessert, and we would put it in the middle of the table, and just chow down. No plates or forks or knives required. I take the (only very slightly) more civilized approach and cut off large hunks and put it on plates for my kids to eat. We also eat it for breakfast. . . I figure there is very little difference between Monkey Bread and Cinnamon Rolls.

It's called Monkey Bread, because you pick it apart and eat it with your fingers. The kids thought this was pretty cool :) They could hardly even be bothered to look up from eating it for a picture.

The recipe I follow is my mother's. And her mother's before her. And her mother's before her. It has been handed down for generations. Just kidding. I have no idea where mom got it from. But, I do know, that I feel like it is a secret, and if I posted it on the Internet for the whole world to see, I would feel like a traitor. So, here is a link to a recipe that is very similar.

The girls love to help me make it. I mix the cinnamon and sugar together, then cut the biscuits into quarters, and let the girls go to town rolling them in the mixture before placing them in the bundt pan. This usually ends up requiring a vacuum afterwards, but I suppose I should be grateful they are helping. I have also made it the night before, and stuck it in the fridge to just cook in the morning, and that worked out fairly well...

So, if you are looking for a nice little breakfast/reward to feed your monkeys, consider something that is so aptly named for them... You just might get a big ol' sticky hug afterwards :)

Things my kids say

Kids interpret things very differently. Sometimes, it catches me off guard. And, sometimes, I love it so much that I don't correct them :) Here are just a few examples:

Kaitlyn: I squeaked the ketchup out all by myself. (squeezed)

Kari (reading the label): Mom, this has one lunchbox and 4 oces in it. (1 lb 4 oz)

Kaitlyn: My diaper is dry (we still put her in a diaper overnight). I didn't peeped in it! (pee)

Kari (I was trying to convince Kari that lasagna is very similar to spaghetti): No. I won't eat it. Me: Kari, do you know what similar means? Kari: It means it is different!

Dylan story: While we were up in VA, we took a trip to Wallyworld. It was Dylan's birthday, so Pop decided to take him to the toy aisle and let him pick out his new favorite car. We got there, and Dylan was ecstatic. He would pull a car off the shelf, and then get frustrated because he couldn't actually touch it. The packaging was in the way. So he would try a different car, and just kept getting more and more frustrated. He ended up picking 2 cars that only had the box around the back and bottom, so he could touch most of the car. It was so funny, cute and sad at the same time. It was like we had taken him to the gates of heaven, but wouldn't let him in. It was torture. Poor kid :(

Just Another Day

Just another day here in the Smith household... Hanging out on the table, being cute.

See.... Being cute :) Like I said. Being very cute!

Just another day, here at home.... :)

Videos

We had a little cold thing going around our house for a while. Everyone eventually caught it. It was a cough kinda thing, which made the voice sound all scratchy. And, while most of the time I think the scratchy thing is so out (sorry Demi), if you apply scratchy to an almost 4 year old's voice, it is actually quite cute. That, and it decreased Kaitlyn's naturally loud volume to bearable, so it was a win/win! I took some video to try to capture it. I don't think it came across as much as I wanted it too, but the video is still dang cute :)

Things I love about the video: The child can't hold still. Really, I am just not sure it is physically possible. Maybe she is like one of those rare creatures that has to move to make energy for itself or it dies. I'm not kidding! Those do exist for real ya know! Somewhere. . . Also, the smart alec remark of "Alphabet!" Watch and you'll see....

In this video, I like Kaitlyn's version of Wheels on the Bus. What can I say other than she is inventive, and likes to do things on her own and live in her own world?

Isn't that enough of an explanation? ;)

Humidity

Thankfully, when the severe storms went through here the other day, we remained safe. Quite a bit of thunder and lightening, as well as wind, but nothing damaged in our area. Today, it is supposed to storm again, and I wanted to show you what that means. Mostly it means it is pretty warm (for the beginning of April anyway) and very, very, very humid (did I mention that it is pretty humid?). Those of us with curly hair know exactly what that means. . . .

Unruly hair, that will not be tamed without lots and lots of product. And, then my hubby gives the nickname of "helmet head". Yes, my husband is always this complimentary to me, why do you ask?

The spaghetti sauce is completely optional.

Camping

This past weekend, we had the opportunity to go camping. I will admit, that I thought I was camping ruined. Growing up, camping=girls camp. Which mean it was hot, muggy, bug infested and pretty miserable all around, except for hanging out with the girls. Which, we totally could have done inside, elsewhere. However, believe it or not, if you go camping where the weather is nice, and there are limited amounts of bugs, camping can be quite fun! :) Not to mention that between your hubby and your father in law, you have pretty much all the modern conveniences of home, right there in your own backyard. My Mother, Father, Sister, and Brother in law, as well as my niece Karley, drove to meet us halfway. It was pretty fun!

This is Kaitlyn. Practicing her driving skills in preparation for when she will drive. When she is much, much older. And much, much taller :) Camping is also considerably more enjoyable when you bring along your own cook, AKA Pop. This is the steak and potatoes we had for dinner Saturday night. Why is it, I eat better when I am camping than when I am at home? :)

There was plenty of reading going on.

And, that is our campfire ring. It looks like a pretty impressive array of campfire chairs, and believe me, they were all used. It was very nice to sit around the campfire, and just talk!

My super deluxe tent! It has 3 separate rooms inside (although this time we didn't put up the dividers), is plenty spacious, and we can even stand up. It was pretty great!

View of the inside: First the girls 2 sleeping bags, followed by my queen air mattress, followed by Dylan's pack and play. Ah.... The great outdoors!

Aunt Stacy also brought a late birthday present for Dylan. It was the perfect thing for them all to fight over ;)

Although, to be fair, they did share sometimes.

This was the "table" for the steak dinner. Believe it or not, all three of the kids finished the salad, and only halfway at the potato, beans, and steak. I guess that is a good thing, right?

Cute pictures of Dylan.

After steak, we roasted marshmallows. . . I mean, what camping trip is complete without marshmallows? And, what 6 yr old girl is complete without marshmallows in her eye?

Hubby was the perfect marshmallow roaster. Exhibit A:

Some Father/Son head bashing going on. No camping trip is complete without that either!

Kari decided to climb trees while we were there too. As you can see, she was quite adventurous ;)

And that's the story of our camping trip. It was great! We froze our little bums off at night, but during the day it was lovely!!!! I doubt I could imagine a more pleasant trip.