I feel pretty...oh so pretty.

How cute are these kids? I know I'm their mother but I really don't think I'm being bias. They are probably the most attractive kids to ever walk the face of the earth. I have to say that because if I didn't it would be obvious that I was being too modest. LOL!! I guess this post is meant mainly for the grandparents and great-grandparents. Enjoy!

The Playground vs. My Bar of Soap

Whenever my kids use a bad word they get a bar of soap in their mouth. I used to use Johnson's baby soap but I've moved up to Ivory. For anyone reading this and thinking "Hey, I might start using soap in my kid's mouth!" let me warn you. With all the anti-bacterial soaps on the market you need to be careful what you choose. Choose one that says it is NOT harmful to ingest. Contrary to what Ralphie from Christmas Story thinks, I've never known anyone who has gone blind from soap in the mouth. I rarely use my bar of soap. At our house you get a soap bar in the mouth if you:

1. Say a bad word.

2. Talk back to a parent.

3. Talk bad about someone else. ( I know, there's not enough soap on the shelves right?)

Of course soap is the last resort after reminders and warnings that the soap is coming out. It usually only takes the final soap warning to put a stop to it. At our house bad words are: stupid, dumb, stupidhead, crap, and freakin. Being the good mother I am, I taught the kids the last two words myself. Yes, I need the bar of soap in my own mouth from time to time. Why the soap story? Last night Kendall and I were laying on my bed watching TV and they said a bad word on TV (of course). Here's our conversation.

Kendall "Oh, he said the B word (butt)"

Me: "Yes, that's a bad one"

Kendall "The F word is also a bad word"

Me: (trying to act like I'm not flipping out) "What's the F word Kendall?"

Kendall: "I don't know. But it's as bad as the SH word."
Me: "What's the SH word?"
Kendall: "I don't know. Don't you know?"

Me: "Yes."

Kendall: "Well, don't say it."
Me: "I won't. Who taught you about the F word and SH word?"

Kendall: "The kids at school. They don't know the bad words, but they sure know what they start with."

Oww..my brain

This conversation took place at 3:35 central time.

Me: "Ohh Maddie, your hands are so cold. Have you been playing in the ice bucket."
Kendall: "What's an ice bucket?"
Me: "A bucket you keep ice in."
Kendall: "Oh, that makes sense." Long pause, "Except they should call it a pail."

Can't this child agree with anything I say? If I said snow was white she would say that "Actually mom (her favorite phrase), snow only appears white because of the color spectrum bouncing off of it and reflecting white." I promise she would say something weird like that. I think I answered less questions per day when I taught first grade (and got less lip service)!

The Golden Rule

Kendall just walked into the kitchen and told me the golden rule was that we shouldn't kill each other. I said that was a good rule but it was not the golden rule. I explained that the golden rule was Do unto others as you would have them do unto you. (for anybody who might need a refresher!). We talked about what that rule meant and how we could follow it. After my lesson Kendall said, "I think it would just be easier to follow the don't kill each other rule.". Amen sister!!

Where's the closest charm school?

More than once these past couple of weeks I have found myself chatting with mothers of boys about wrestling and acting crazy in the house. They all say the same things. "Boys are so different from girls. Mine are always so physical with each other." I think they haven't spent enough time at my house. My girls love to wrestle with each other. It is a daily occurrence. Sometimes I have to get in the middle and pull them off of each other. We've been stuck in the house due to weather quite a few days this week. It only makes the wrestling more intense and louder. I tried to capture it on video but when they saw I was taping they really backed off on the smack downs. Maybe that's the difference between boy and girl wrestling. They both do it but the boys do it for show and the girls don't want any proof that they do it!

The Maddie Boss

My 18 month old thinks she knows everything. She does not heed warnings or take directions well. I don't know where she gets it. (hee hee.). So when her big sister got a sit and spin for her birthday, Madison had to try it out; her own way. Here is the pictoral play by play.

Happy Birthday Grace.

Dear Gracie,

Your daddy and I are so excited you've made it to your 3rd birthday. You are so special to us. Your beautiful eyes and sweet smile light up the world. You've got your daddy wrapped around your little finger. When you're in trouble you flash that sweet grin and he's puddy in your hands. You make us laugh with your silliness until we're on the floor. You can crack up the whole room and barely crack a smile yourself the whole time. You have enough love in your little heart to turn around the worst day. You love your sisters like nobody else can. Although you argue with them sometimes; they know that you will always protect them and stand with them. The whole family is crazy in love with you and can't stop talking about your silly little antics. You may have had a rough start, but you're breezing through the toddler years with flying colors. So please forgive us if we shower you with hugs, kisses, and tickles. We just can't help ourselves. We can't wait to see what this year will bring.

Love,

Mom and Dad

Vegas, Turkey, and Toenuckles

That about sums up why I haven't been blogging the past couple of weeks. Byron and I went to Las Vegas to get away for a few days. We had a great time, saw lots of sites, ate lots of good food, and Byron even won a little $$ playing poker one afternoon. Then it was straight home the day before Thanksgiving to spend Thanksgiving with the family. We had a great time, experienced lots of hugs and kisses from the girls, and ate lots of good food. This is my first week home and I still haven't fully recovered from those two weeks. I love spending time with Byron. I forget that sometimes because we're so busy with our lives that we usually end up falling asleep not long after the girls go to bed. It doesn't leave much room for quality time. I miss out on the little things Byron does like read every sign on the road out loud, the clever comments he makes when we people watch, or how he uses strange words like toenuckles. Toenuckles is a real word and it's exactly what you think it is. He said one afternoon that he had a blister on his toenuckle. I laughed so hard I almost peed myself because he kept insisting it was a real word. After looking it up on the Internet (although I think his source was wikepedia, so take it with a grain of salt) he proved that toenuckle was a valid description. Feel free to try to work that into your daily vocabulary.