Cameron Says

Driving to pick Syd up from gymnastics.
Seat assignments are as follows :
-last row, Cameron - Ryan - Spencer
-middle row, Sydney (not present) Nathan.
Spencer starts, "Ryan, say Spencer "
Ryan repeats, "Spencer"
Spencer, "Say, Sydney"
Ryan, "Sydney"
Spencer, "Say, Sadie"
Ryan, "Sadie"
Cameron, "Say storm cloud"
WTH ????
Nathan chimes in, "storm cloud"


Me, "Cam ! Leave that baby alone."
Cam, "NO ! I don't want to be a zample mom, I just want to push him"

Cam, "Mom ! I just saw a black spider with brown spots.  NO, I just saw a black spider with orange on his belly"
Me, "you mean a black widow spider Cam ?"
Cam, "yes mom, a black widow, I just saw one ! Come on, come and see !"
Me, "honey, spiders hibernate during the winter.  There aren't any spiders awake right now."
Cam, "hibernate ?  black widows hibernate ?"
Me, "yip"
Cam, "Mom ! I just saw a tranchula"
Me, "Cam....tarantula's are spiders too, although the size of a small kitten, they aren't and they sleep in the winter too."
Cam, "oh.  can we watch the video of the spider eggs hatching again ? pleeeease ?"
(I let the boys watch several video's online of black widow eggs hatching and a tarantula being eaten by a centepede (seriously) and allegators and other cools stuff. (mostly peaceful and non threatening) We had also read a spider book (Cam's choice) the night before.  thus my non urgent response to his request to "come see mom come see !" :)

Cameron.   At 4 1/2 yrs old....you have hit the "I'm going to, I'm not going to" stage.  ie.  If you don't let me watch that then I'm going to hit your TV.  or  if you tell me to go to bed....I'm not going to.
I'm not going to put this away.    I'm going to throw this at you.   I'm not going to eat then.
You will stand, arms folded, determined to look mad and unmoving.    I can gently reach out and hold your hand and your whole body immediately softens and you  concede.   Only one of my favorite things about you.  
You are the kid to pick up when you are mad or sad or tired.   Even if you are mad at me, you'll let me comfort you.    You melt in my arms and curl up on my lap.    I will be sad when you won't fit anymore.   I'm thinking that won't be until you are at least 17.  :)

You play with my hair.   You run your fingers through it, spiking it up or just messing it up.   I Love it.   Not only is it a great scalp massage....but you'll do it while you sit by me and talk.   You usually don't even realize you're doing it.

You are so sweet with your baby brothers.  most of the time.   I catch you helping them, comforting them, babying them and just being a great example....even though you say you don't want to be one :)  you already are.    You will sometimes say, "I want him to let me hold him...to lay on me like that."  looking over at one of the babies curled up on one of our chests.    Neither baby was willing at that time....but you are still so loving with them.

You slow us down on pre school days.  but once there you love it and you always leave super happy.    You come home singing lots of fun new songs and can't wait to show me how well you are writing your name.

Like any mother I worry about you and I'm so very proud of you and I ache with the love that fills my heart for you.   You have the most gentle and calm soul Cameron.  I have no idea where you get it from.  I hope you never ever change.

All before 9am

Spencer came in at 6am asking me to roll his tummy.
After showering (yes I showered before 7:30am) Spencer came in crying that I didn't roll his tummy again and now he felt like he was going to throw up. He walked over to my toilet and proceeded to throw up.
Sydney cried for 37 minutes that she didn't want to go to school. She said that she was sick and was afraid that she'd get the feeling to throw up at school.
I didn't believe her, or I didn't want to believe her so I forced her into clothes gave her some Motrin and sent her to school with the promise that if she was still sick, I'd pick her up.
Spencer had diarrhea.
Nathan opened the closed childproof bottle of Motrin and drank nearly 1/2 bottle.
Did you know, according to poison control, a child weighing 33lbs can drink 1/2 bottle of ibuprofen without being hurt ? Me neither. hmm ?
Spencer's fine. Nathan's fine. Waiting to see if Syd is in fact fine.

**updated**
Syd's home. Of course she is. She was given the option to come home.
She's fine.
Nathan climbed over the gate to the kitchen. He announced, "ta da, I'm in"
I'm not fine. I haven't stopped crying.

Unbirthday birthday party !

Little Miss Emma and Mr Matthew had birthdays this month.    We decided to celebrate them by going to the Aice in Wonderland unbirthday birthday party at the Treehouse in Ogden.
It was lots of fun to spend time with family.   Such cute kids.

Emma lou hoo and Syd

The birthday boy Matthew

Syd got to bring her best friend Hailey.   They had fun and ended the night with a sleep over.

Cam playing a challanging game of Chess.

Syd and Matt playing a game of flamingo croquet with the Queen.

Whoooo arrre yoooou ?

Singing songs on stage with the Caterpillar

Having a bit of tea and cookies with the March Hare and the Mad Hatter

No room !   Move down, clean cups !   These 2 were hilarious.   They told each other jokes the whole time.  There were eclairs and cookies, my kind of tea party. :)

Spencer picked up one of the chocolate dove hearts in the middle of the table and asked me, "Are these real."   Thinking he thought it was decoration I said, "yes buddy"   He then unwrapped it and looked at me asking, "is this going to make me big ?"   :)  Such a funny kid !

Wordless Wednesday

6-26 in 1-2-3 pop !

My baby girl. The one who refused to get her ears pierced...EVER...unless she was unconscious.
The one who I told could have them done when she was 8, but figured could make the decision for herself because her decision has always been no. The one who keeps saying, "I'm going to do it on my birthday. no, I'm not, I'm going to do it on my birthday, no, I'm not.
The one who said, "let's get my ears pierced today after pedicures." and then didn't back down until she was dotted on both ears and sitting in the chair crying.

That very same girl....got her ears pierced today.



Syd's best friend giving lots of encouragement and support

Fear setting in

Emotions unravel (this is just before the 1-2-3 pop)

right after the 1-2-3 pop





Girls being girls, with suckers !

Thanks you guys for making it such a fun girls day out today !

Syd, I'm very proud of you for finally doing it. You can never have anything else pierced, dyed, tattooed or other wise on that sweet little body that I birthed. GOT IT !

Accomplishments 2-11

The boys have been working on learning and writing their names this year in pre school.
I'm so proud of them.

Such cute boys ! 

Sydney gets these in the mail every so often.   It's so nice to hear that she's doing such a good job in school.  And what a nice thing, for the principle to recognize her.

Naps !

We have been skipping naps with the babies lately. Which as you can see.....is almost impossible some days.

Our bedtime routine is, I put the older 3 to bed, J puts the babies to bed. A task she didn't mind doing when their room was our room.....with a TV.....so that she could watch sports whildst putting them to bed I might add.
Now that they are in their own room the task can only take 5-10 minutes or it becomes exhausting. ESPECIALLY if they've nodded off for a few minutes or 45, during the day.
If they don't have naps...these two are ready for bed (at 5:30 :) and asleep by 7-7:30 pm. With even a 20 minute power nap, or sometimes 45.....they will still be laughing and screwing around at 9:30-10'oclock. It really is a nightmare for us err mostly J.
Plus, with the 7:30 bedtime we have been able to just be at night. We can talk, or not talk and it's quiet and nobody is trying to share whatever late night snack I saved in the back of the cupboard for myself. It's WONDERFUL.

But what do you do when they are just too tired to keep their little eyes open.
I either A) sit them on the counter and have them help me clean up lunch or cook dinner. They end up fussing and then screaming for over an hour sometimes in exhausted misery. Something I don't like to deal with.
or B) after catching them asleep on the floor, couch, under a bed.....leave them and take a picture. Letting J deal with them laughing and playing for over an hour sometimes with no end in sight.
I think there needs to be a balance here.

Nathan slid down the couch after bob bob bobbing and ended up on Ryan's lap. SO cute. Now, had I not decided to choose option B. This picture never would have happened for a few minutes or 45. :)

It's not all chocolate covered strawberries

Both babies woke up and ended up in our room last night. Nathan peed out.

Well, we forgot to put a diaper on him last night before bed....so technically it was our fault.

There is a streak of poop on my glider in the babies room. Looks to have been wiped by a small finger. I have no idea where it came from and I've been smelling each and every room and drawer thinking that I'll come to some poopy mess that one of them "handled". In the meantime....steam cleaner....I'm making a cape to attach to the back of you. One that will blow out when you are turned on. Because you are, my super hero.

I hope everyone had a wonderful Valentines Day. No carbs or fat for me. It was a super special day. (read : boring)

I can't WAIT FOR SUMMER !!!!!

I learned it from watching YOU grandma....I learned it from watching you.

I am celebrating Valentines day by not eating any carbs. (sobs, not the silent ones, scream out from under my arms as my head lands on the edge of my key board d,mzxvcn,xcz.cnz.vzc./nzcvn.vzcx)

I also made sugar cookies with my kids today. (sobs, now escaping J's mouth clear from the other room, where she's made herself try to go to sleep to stop from eating one)

Any hew. on to the little people.

Ryan stayed dry last night.

Nathan has slept in his bed the last 2 nights. CLEAR UNTIL THE MORNING.

And I haven't had to stick my hands in the toilet to wash out poopy anything since the last time I posted that the boys were completely potty trained :)

NOW....if I could some how figure out how to expand those little bladders....so that I don't have to run to the bathroom every 4-5 minutes. because if it's not one....it's the other one.

Also, how do I get my babies to clean...key word clean...up their pee, namely Nathan....he likes to stand now and isn't such a straight shooter. He has to pinch it to help the pee feeling come...so when it first comes out, he pees all over the back of the toilet. He corrects himself quickly...but quickly isn't keeping the toilet from being drenched in pee. So back to my problem. I have asked them to clean up after themselves and they either use a whole roll of toilet paper and make an even bigger mess...or a whole thing of wet wipes....because to them...they are toys not cleaning products.
I have them put away...so I have to physically go with them to the potty each and evey time. Thing is...I don't wanna. (whine whine whine) sometimes I just like to keep doing my thing while they goest and do theirs.

Any ways. IF someone knows how to accomplish both...a clean potty and independent pee'ers...I'd like to know the trick :)

Tonight we were playing cards at my moms house. The kids were supPOSED to be downstairs playing, but weren't.   We get a little sassy when we play cards and tonight was no different.
My mom says as I lay down my hand, "you know, nobody likes you Karen"
J then reads the scores out..I've just taken the lead away from my mom...and my mom responds, "oh shut up"

Syd who was standing against the couch watching my hearing impaired (thank goodness) grandma knit, without missing a beat, turns and says, "you know, I get that from you"

Hilarious.   We've always said...my kids will get their potty mouths from their grandparents :) ha ha

We say, mostly under our breath, but sometimes out loud if it's not dealing with the children and pain. "oooh, that's aunt karma." You know, anytime someone is a butt and then trips and falls right on his butt :) "why, that's aunt karma."

When the kids are acting out and then get hurt....my inside voice screams, "aunt karma kiddo" and then of course I hug and kiss and cuddle whoever got hurt without them knowing that I took a small amount of pleasure in the action-reaction.

Well today, Spencer had been bugging Sydney. She walks over and wacks him in the arm and says, "Now That's Aunt Karma !"
oh my hell I couldn't stop laughing. I told J that we needed to listen and learn from her.
Next time I'm just going to slap the next person who's bugging me and say, "that's aunt karma"
Give that woman a break any ways. She works A LOT OF HOURS !

Top and 2 cute bottoms



Did you hear that, mom says we're potty trained...YAAAAAY !!!



In other exciting and no I'm not rubbing it in...just celebrating with the people who read my blog...because there's nobody else out there that could really care less and since I posted that ridiculously cute bumalicious picture you have to act excited too. (a little like, not laughing at you just with you, but it's all about me and it's not really funny so you won't want to laugh at me any ways)


Nathan slept through the night. in his big boy bed. didn't wake up until this morning at 8:49 am.

Ryan came in at his regular time 4:52 am. Not bad...not bad at all.
It's been Nathan who's been getting up and then Ryan kind of follows. Maybe tonight will be EVEN BETTER ! (shudder) dare I dream.

I know Nathan sleeping on a high bunk bed might scare some of you. It made me nervous to think about it too...but remember...that kid has been climbing, laying and jumping off of this bunk bed since he was 15 months old. He seriously jumps off of it...well it's kind of a slide to the other bed but still. He rarely climbs up the right way, using the ladder, and will climb up the other end.
He's been doing this since the bunk bed was set up in the first place. We haven't been able to keep him off of it.

Also. He is my still sleeper. Just like Spencer. They barely move all night long. Which is why Spencer was and still is my top bunk sleeper.
We do have a long crocodile pillow that we put to cover the opening by his head and then I tuck his covers around it so that it won't move. Just to be safe. but he doesn't sleep crazy like most babies/kids.

Ryan. he fell out of bed last night. which is why he woke up and came to bed with us at 4:52 am. No wait. he cried and J went and got him and just brought him back to bed with her. either way...poor kid. The crocodile was purchased to help keep Cam in bed. Thus his position on the bottom as well.
We have a bed guard. We just need to dig it out and put it up.
Cam and Ryan have ALWAYS been my bed faller out of's. One day I'll say, "explains a lot" Right now it'd go right over their fractured heads. :)

So. That's the story about why we are crazy enough to put a 2 1/2 year old suspended 5 ft off of the floor.
I'd like to stack them all one on top of the other one to save space...but J assures me that they wouldn't go to bed and would play. (sigh)
Mama sure would like to have a craft room/office again.
I hope they sleep through again !

Nighty Night !

Giddy up !

Ryan did it.   Superbowl XXVIIX or whatever :) Ryan pooped in the potty.   He was hesitant and originally refused, requesting a pull up...so J left him alone on the toilet to get one...you know, so that he could put a pull up on and let it go on his own terms....and upon returning he had done a poo poo on the paw-tay.  We celebrated by cheering, singing, clapping and doing the poo poo on the potty dance.   Which ironically looked just like the, Greenbay scored again, dance.

Both boys are in underwear during the day.   Neither has to be reminded to go.    No accidents.
I can o-fishully mark today down as the day my babies were potty trained.
Strike that.   I WILL not say that out loud.   Like I need fate to come in and wash my mouth out with toilet water and soap or something.
teedly teedly tee.  not even paying attention.  just lettin' em do their thing.   :)  I'M JUST SO FREAKING HAPPY PEOPLE !  It's the first time they've been easy in 2 1/2 years.   First time.

They're always cute.

sorry camera phone quality

For my boys !

Last night Nathan woke up to tell us that he had to go potty and then he proceeded to go.    He had a wet diaper on.  and he woke up with a 2nd wet diaper this morning (the first one was changed after going potty) but that he woke up and said "pee pee ah potty" was amazing.    And also not something I want to start.   I'm fine with him wearing diapers/pull ups until he's 5 if it will keep him in bed.
Thing is....he's sleeping in a new bed and his whole sleeping routine has been altered.
He starts out in his new bed and then between 1-5 am he and his brother make their way back to our bedroom.   Nathan will usually lay in his old bed which is still against the wall in our room.....Ryan crawls up and cuddles down under the covers between me and J.    Which basically is in fact his old bed.  
BUT.  that they are sleeping in their own beds, in their new own room, for 6 + hours has my internal orgnans doing a dance in my body.    Hope fills my soul people.  FILLS IT TO THE BRIM !  The tippity top.

Sleeping arrangements

My sweet boy.

We let them sleep together in the full on the bottom in the beginning.....this is what happens....for over an hour.   They can't NOT play so Nathan is now on the top bunk.    It seemed like the perfect solution.   Ryan likes the touch of skin and would reach over feel Nate's face and fall back to sleep.  :)  Maybe later on.

Cameron and Spencer have been moved downstairs to the guest/nanny Nicole's old room.    I didn't think they were ready.   J was ready.   We started talking about it and planning some fun things like a star wars themed room.....and both boys were hooked and fully on board.
Spencer has always been my best sleeper and continues to do so.   Cam will come up stairs one or two times and I'll either walk him back down or tell him he needs to go to bed and he does.   We leave the bathroom light on and it seems to help.

Next up....radon check.  
(no pictures...still working on details and their bedding is currently in the washing machine)

Sydney was distraught when,   "EVERYONE GETS NEW STUFF BUT ME !"
So we agreed to move her bedroom around.   She got to pick where everything would go and pointed while J and I lifted and rotated to get it just right.
I have to say.....she did a pretty damn good job.   I was a little hesitant (as I can be a bit of a control freak (shut up)) and would have done things slightly differnt if it were up to me....but it wasn't and it's all her room and it turned out perfect.

I have wood letters that need to be modged podged and hung up.    I've had them since she was 2 month I think.   Time to getter done.

P.S.  Both babies continue to potty in the potty.   We went to a jump house place for a few hours last night...Nathan in underwear and Ryan in a pull up.   They took several trips to the drinking fountain.   Nathan went potty twice.  Ryan once.   Neither time did I have to ask them if they needed to go.....and they both came home dry.   AMAZING !   Again with the dance party happening in my chest cavity right now.    eeeeeeeeeeh !
It was our turn though.   We earned this.  

Diaper Extravaganza !

I've meant to post about this for some time.  
If  you buy your diapers through amazon, they offer a 15% discount AND they deliver them to your front door.  FOR FREE ! That's right.   No deliver charge.
No more running out.   And no more running to the store. :)
You can get whatever brand you use and then sign up for the 15% off discount.  
We get nighttimes, regular diapers and pull ups.
We calculated it and found that we were saving  $0.10-$0.15 cents per diaper....even over buying them at Cost.co.
Click here for more details.
We've only done it a few months, but I know someone who's done it for a while.    It's pretty sweet.
(also.  I'm not making any kind of commission for advertising this.   I just like to share a great deal)

Cute Cabooses

Potty Training update :

Nathan puts his own underwear on. (he likes to see the majority of the characters on his...can't really see that from the back now can ya ?   And other than Woody and Buzz, Ryan calls all other character underwear Elmo :) No wait, he picked them out, so he calls them...MY Elmo !

Nathan.   The boy is baaasically potty trained.   He pooped in the potty 3 times today, and only requested me to follow him in to watch once.   He yells for me to wipe him and watch him flush.   Well that is unless Ryan hasn't already flushed it all down....which pisses Nathan off to no end.  someone usually gets hit and then there is crying.   Flushing is a big deal at our house. 
I took him out of the house 3 days in a row last week with underwear on and he didn't have any accidents.    I was gone for several hours each time too.    He even went poop at Barnes and Noble.   He peed in almost every store we went to. (ugh)  there were 8 stores if you wanted to know. 2 the first day, 3 the second and 3 the 3rd.  He was super great about it.   Not afraid of the big flush like the other 3 were.
He did pee in his pants today once.   I'm not sure why...and I expect this is normal and he'll still move forward.  Mostly he's had to be naked to be fully potty trained so this is great progress.  I'm so proud of him.



Yip ! Cute caboose !

 Ryan.   As long as I remind him to go to the bathroom every so often...he's potty trained.   He is totally potty trained (- pooping) if he's naked.   Put underwear on him and it's a 50/50.   Today he peed, washed his hands and then 2 minutes later peed on the kitchen chair.     He was in underwear.
If he would have been naked, he'd have run in and peed on the potty.
I have NEVER been a fan of the pull ups.   but for this kid, I think we'll be doing pull ups.   He can pull them down and go if he wants to, but I don't have to hover over him and worry about him having an accident AND it's "buzz woody mama".  
Again with the....it'll happen when he's ready so why stress about it now.
Any ways.....if we are home, he usually doesn't have anything on below the waist.   But going out he's doing the pull up thing.  I suppose one good thing about this freezing cold weather.  It keeps us inside.

Neither one is wearing underwear at night.    I won't even PUSH that issue for a while.... at least until they start showing me signs that they are ready.   (we have them in nighttime diapers they pee so much.   they pee out in those darn things all of the time too) 

Sooooo, the boys and I made honey wheat bread tuesday.  
I used yeast that had expired.   I had it in my freezer (mostly forgotten about) and figured, hey what the heck.   When I talked to my mom I asked her if we would die if we ate it.   She said that she would be surprised if it would even rise but it wouldn't hurt us.     
She was right.  After it barely puffed up (after sitting for 1 1/2 hrs) ....I kneaded it and put it in bread pans to see if it would again "puff up"   The boys were so excited that I couldn't stand to just throw it away.   and then. I had the most wonderful idea to make scones out of it for dinner.
OH MY GOOTNESS MARSHA THEY WERE SO GOOD !

Grocery list :
milk
eggs
cinnamon
wheat thins
lunch meat
egg noodles
yeast
more honey butter