Birthday Boy......

Well, this little baby:









is now this big boy:









He turned 5 years old on April 5th...so here are my 5 favorite things about him:

*He has THE longest eyelashes and THE softest cheeks in the world (hence, my nickname for him: Sweetcheeks)

*His contagious laugh

*He is very protective of his sisters (although that usually is when I'm not around.....we're working on that...)

*He's a thinker. He mulls things over for a while, stays very quiet, and then out of the blue he'll tell me something he'd been thinking about. He called his uncle Audi the day after his birthday and this was his conversation. "Audi? I'm 5 years old now. Where's my present?" Tell us what you're thinking about, Dallin....

*Dallin still likes for me to lay down with him at bedtime, and sometimes he has a hard time waiting in the basement for me to finish putting Madison to bed. So he'll "sneak" upstairs and hide in the linen closet outside her room to wait. The other night after Madison was asleep (we're sleep-training right now...long story for another day), this is what I found when I looked in the linen closet:





Did I mention how much I love this sweet boy??
Happy Birthday, Dally. We love you!

Random post

I'd been looking for this performance for some time and today my friend, Rhonda, told me what it was called- if you've never seen it before, it's definitely worth watching- Kelly Clarkson fan, or not. Amazing.

Finally posting Easter pics-

Easter was over a week ago, so I figured it was time to post some pics...Natalie and Dallin have always been willing to have their pictures taken, so it never occurred to me that some children simply do NOT like to say cheese and smile when asked. Enter Madison. So- I still don't have many good pictures of the three of them together. For the record: Madison was very whiny that morning, so YES- I gave her her plug. And Dallin's tattoo he'd put on 3 days prior was STILL on his arm despite 3 baths and me scrubbing with soap. So he wore his tattoo to church on Easter Sunday. Don't judge me. lol

I'm happy to say our basement is now 99% finished; all but the bathroom tile, toilet and sink. Tim has done an amazing job on it- he really did some beautiful work- I'm so lucky to have such a talented husband. Now just comes the task of making it feel like "us". In Natalie's room I'm working on a simple tied quilt made from these fabrics:And I repainted a dresser we got from Tim's parents when we were first married- it's been well-used and is still surprisingly sturdy! So with a fresh coat of paint and knobs that I painted, it's as good as new:












That's all that's really new around here. But here's a funny: We have a carpet-runner going down the hall from our bedroom. About 10:00 last night I went to go check on the kids before going to sleep and I saw a long lump under the rug, but nothing hanging out. I thought one of the kids had stuffed some blankets or toys under it, but when I got closer I realized Dallin had snuck upstairs and was hiding under it fast asleep! So Tim came over and gently uncovered him saying, "Hey Buddy- whatchya doin'?" Dallin didn't skip a beat- he just smiled and said, "Who's there?" So we walked him back to his room and he fell back to sleep. Good times.

new month's resolution...

Last Wednesday at R.S. birthday celebration our branch president came and gave a talk on the importance of balance in our lives. It was nothing "new" really, but was definitely something I needed to hear. He talked about how when we "don't have time" for the important things (scriptures/prayer/exercise/fhe...whatever) then maybe it's because we're actually wasting too much time doing things that don't matter. He mentioned computer time (noting that saying that might get him in trouble!)...and I have to say I wasn't offended at all even though it *definitely* applied to me.
I don't look at anything that isn't good online- but it's so easy to see how sitting down to check email turns into 30 minutes before I know it- looking at fun sites (which I'll list on my blog so you can be addicted as well...), checking blogs to see if anything new has happened in the past 3 hours ;) , or just researching random things. Anyway- so when night comes and I'm too tired to read scriptures, I really have no excuse. Should have done it instead of checking email. If someone needs to get a hold of me that bad, they've got my phone number so it's not necessary to check it several times a day, right??
And while I was putting Madison to bed the other night I was so grateful that it sometimes takes an hour for her to go to sleep because it's an hour I can just lay and think without feeling too guilty. But while I was laying there it occurred to me that when my life is out of balance (i.e.- I'm not doing prayer and scripture study like I should), I suddenly become more frantic and desperate; desperate for more alone time, for the kids to be in bed earlier, to talk to friends, to have the house in perfect condition (there IS a balance), to have more money. The list goes on.

So here's my new resolution- starting tomorrow (because I've already blown it today by writing this entry), I'm only getting on the computer at night after the kids are in bed. Period. I'll check email then. I'll check blogs then, etc. (Darla---since I know you stalk me and know when I stalk you, you can be my enforcer if needed...)
I'm trying this for the next 3 weeks because that's how long it takes to make a habit, I've heard...then I'll let you know if I'm anymore patient, nicer, feeling less frazzled, have more energy. (And I'll give myself a little leeway considering being almost 27 weeks preggo.)

If you've made it this far- number one, thanks, because I know this post was entirely self-serving. And number two, I suggest making better use of your time from now on. ;)

Now THIS is dancing....

I know this is so old, but it's hilarious and still cracks me up...

Happy St. Paddy's Day

At Dallin's preschool last week leprechauns visited his preschool and left their little green footprints all over the walls, doors, etc; and they even peed in the toilet turning the water green....silly leprechauns. They had lucky charms for their snack and when the milk was poured in, they magically turned green! His teachers did face painting, which was adorable. Dallin loved it, but by that night he couldn't wait to get it off because it was itching so much! His preschool is actually run by a friend of mine and she and her assistant are amazing...they always do such FUN, creative things I'm a little worried that Dallin will be bored with Kindergarten. Not really- I'm sure he'll be fine....especially since I called Christine for reassurance...long story. But he will *definitely* miss Ms. Christine and Ms. Kim-

My mom called me yesterday at about 5:00 to ask what I was making for dinner that was green considering the Holiday...I was trying to load the kids in the car to take Natty to soccer practice, change Madison's diaper before we left, and I was running late and was dreading the fact that it would be almost 7 by the time we got home. Needless to say, I hadn't even thought about dinner, let alone a GREEN dinner. Mom was always really good at celebrating the fun holidays, and we'd usually have green bread and whatever else she could turn green. I remember it being so fun; so of course I was filled with guilt that I wasn't creating fun memories like that for my kids. Anyway- I had a quick and idea while at soccer, so this is what we ended up having:
Green pancakes with green sprinkles and green milk...not exactly healthy or particularly creative, but the kids were impressed and I looked like a superhero. And that's all that really counts.

Natty is officially brace-free.....

natty got her braces off yesterday, so this is what she looks like without them. She was so excited because she doesn't have to go in each month to have them adjusted, and I was excited because brushing and flossing her teeth was a PAIN! She got her retainer, which she wasn't crazy about until she learned how to talk with it. And, it's cute. It's called "Party Sparkle" because it's clear with glitter in it.