What’s up?

Oh, me?  Same old same old.
Which means, in case you’re wondering, doing laundry, washing dishes, kissing boo boos, wiping noses, cracking the homework whip, slave-driving the chore train, tickling tummies, reading stories, saying prayers, and trying to steal cat-naps on the couch when I think they won’t tear the house down.

And also, lately,
CHRISTMAS!

Oh so fun.  I love it.

But it’s sucking up all my extra time.

So, as is customary, the blog suffers.

Facebook doesn’t, though.  Does anybody see anything wrong with this picture?  Me too.

SO.

I resolve henceforth to blog more, facebook less.

A few weeks ago my mom sent a package, which we opened after the kids went to bed.  John saw something inside it and his whole face lit up like a Christmas tree.  He POUNCED on that pomegranite, saying in a high, nasally voice,

Stories like that are …

But it’s slow.  And it sounds like that title up there sometimes.  Ka-chunk!  Ka-chunk!  Ka-chunk!

Here’s a little updating you on our sweet daughter, Creativity.

She had a great time at the PCC last Saturday.  We took the family for a quick walk-through, and it was definitely one of our more spontaneous outings.  Grab the kids in whatever they’re wearing, toss ‘em in the car, hang out for an hour, & go home.  It was actually pretty fun.

Next time, though, I’m taking 10 minutes to get my children  into something that looks a little less like we were mucking around doing yardwork all day.  We weren’t, but that’s what it looked like.  At the PCC, you never know when they’re going to end up on stage in front of 50+ well-dressed tourists from Japan.

<palm-to-forehead>…

The parents kids have enjoyed them to no end, as you will see.

Yes, Eagle won the binky war. For now, anyway. He started searching out small choking hazards and putting them in his mouth in absence of the pacifier… You understand.

Added note: The “pirates” are sailing the seven seas currently, with a “ship” built from every cusion off the play room couch (sigh) and a great big parachute tied to the tops of 5 chairs.

You know, I’m beginning to see that not only do children not *need* toys — they don’t even really *want* them. My kids, at any rate, are perfectly happy just being creative. Maybe I got lucky and happened to get creative genius children. Or maybe I just have three pretty normal kids (albeit abnormally cute, according to my biased opinion) who don’t have commercials …

BUT, in addition to that, I have to share a story.  Because it might just be impossible for me to publish a post with fewer than 1,500 words.  Sorry, it’s just who I am.  

SO.  I…

No, too many details.  I don’t want to bore you.  Short story, must think short…

Brain hurting.

I’ll let you follow me.  Experience what I did.  That’d be the best.

I went here,

then here,

then here,

looking for an all-encompassing link to share with someone unfamiliar with what “Conference” us crazy Mormon folk are talking about this weekend.  I wasn’t overly impressed… (I mean, don’t get me wrong here!  the Church is true, Conference is amazing, but the website… looks… a little… dare I say, boring?) 

Then my Sweetheart (who’s been working on this for, um, a long time) suggests …

Whoops.

It’s just that the others haven’t been very photogenic lately.

And then when they are, this happens:

Not fair.

So, on to the cute one.

Yes, the ordering of sherbet the same color as his shirt was intentional.  It was a good idea.

Man, I love those eyes.  And I love how when you ask him to smile, he does this with those beautiful eyes:

We went to the Treehouse on Mr.Blue-Eye’s birthday (which actually happened the day after the party) — He had a good time, but I still think the “birthday” concept was a bit beyond him.  Here is is crafting with Daddy (serious business) just before he noticed I was taking pictures.

And here they are smiling for the camera.

See?  Isn’t it adorable?

Not so adorable was how I found him the other day. …

We love our little man.  Two is going to be a great age for this one.

It’s amazing to watch another “language boom” stage.  He’s been piecing little sentences together lately, and getting more and more adventurous with words.  “I yike toast” was the first of many surprising little phrases.

I digress.  Today we invited all the family nearby to come on over for dinner, cake, and -sorry- no ice cream.  With… let’s do a head count shall we?  Our family + kids.  Two of John’s siblings and their 4 kids each.  My parents & Grams, his parents, my sister, brother & girlfriend… Yeah.  It was a house full.  I think the oldest of the 12 kids here was about 10, and most were under 6.  (LOUD!)  Man, I love it when we all get together.  I love it even more, though, during the summer when the …

Valentine's Day.  I also like coloring.  And my ring pop.

Doodle, what do you love?

My candy necklace, and my wing pop.

Valentine's Candy is so fun, isn't it!
But I was thinking of *any* day, not just today.  What do you love?

Oh.  I love making Fweedom smile.

If Eagle wasn’t napping at the moment, I’m sure he’d tell us he loves his binkies – all 10 of them – taking naps, eating eggs, and being a big brother.

Freedom loves… Let me ask him.  A full tummy, sleeping with mommy, learning to use his hands, and getting attention from his big siblings – or anyone else willing to smile big smiles and make silly sounds.

It’s fun having little kids around.  I just love love love them, especially when they aren’t …

Sorry, thinking out loud – or rather, into the keyboard – again.

Hi.

Welcome back.

Guess what we did tonight?
Can’t tell from the picture, can you?
Well, forgive me for putting you in suspense.  I had to wait all week long to find out what we were doing this evening.  It’s only fair that you get a few moments.  We look happy though, don’t we?  That’s my, “If I smile bigger I’ll probably look goofy and there’s a stranger taking the picture” face.

John loves to surprise me.  Many long stories behind that, but I won’t bore you.  Suffice it to say, I didn’t look at billboards or bus-sides, I didn’t check our credit card balances, and didn’t even listen to the radio during this …