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. :)