Did I ever tell you...

The other day while we were in the car, Alex was talking about cars on the road and Ashlyn suddenly asks, "Did I ever tell you I want to be an astronaut when I grow up?" then, "And a model and a movie star."
Quickly Alex chimes in, "I just want to see the stars."

Sometimes, I have to wonder where my kids come up with this stuff. I know that much of the sense of humor and certainly some personality traits come from Ben and I and the environment my kids have grown up in. But a astronaut, model and a movie star? First of all, how do those things even come to be in the same sentence? I remember seeing a picture of Buzz Aldrin, he was certainly no model. Ashlyn does have the dramatics to be an actress, so I guess "movie star" isn't that big of a stretch for an 8 year-old.

(Side note: obviously Ben wasn't home at the time I took these pictures. I don't think rollerblading and remote control trucks really go hand in hand. Hmm, I wonder where my kids get such weird combos in their minds...)

SPRING! (dare I think it?)

We get one day of above 32 degrees and my kids think it's summer! I have been begged and pleaded with ever since they came home from school today. "We're sweating! I think it's a thousand degrees outside!"
I remember days like this as a kid. But I am positive "hundred" was the enormous number we used to describe everything. (Must be inflation).
We lived on Rio Way in Sandy, and our backdoor neighbors had a swimming pool. Any day the sun shone, we apparently thought it was time to swim! My mom had to make up a rule that it must be at least 70 degrees before we could begin the process of bugging our neighbors to let us use their pool. We thought it was totally unfair and mean of our mother to impose such a strict policy, but we faithfully followed it. We would call time and temperature over and over until it would tell us the magic number. One day it didn't get over 68 degrees, we of course, thought it was a hundred, and all we could hear were the laughing and splahing of our neighbors while we sat and called time and temperature again and again.
Sad, I know! Now, I think my mom was quite reasonable.
It did help, of course that our neighbor friend was in on the plot to get me to say yes to the slip n' slide. Today, it got up to 75 degrees, and I still thought, it was iffy whether or not I was going to be the first in the neighborhood to declare warm weather. I am certainly ready for it. Even if it only lasts one day, my kids will remember it as the day they got to break out the new swimsuits and play in the water! "Hip o way!" said Jane.

Ben's running (again)

So Ben has started running a little earlier this year and participated in the Salt Lake City 1/2 marathon. (He's the one in the red visor.) We had many friends and some family running this year too, so I went down to watch with a couple of friends! To get my kids dressed and in the car by 7:00am on a Saturday was somewhat of a struggle, but completely worth it! My sister-in-law Meghan Clark, friends: Steve Bull, Brian Adair, Craig and Ange Christiansen, work friends: Karen, Jared, and Marty were all runners I wanted to see. Unfortunately, we didn't get to see many other runners, we had to get Ben and the kids home after the race. Looking surprisingly good near the finish line, he was sick in the morning, throwing up twice before the race and once around mile 7! (Sorry to those who had to watch that!!!) Still a champion, he finished in good time, making it within his goal. Honestly, who does that?

It was a fun atmosphere to be in and a really pretty morning (before the wind got too bad). Next year, when I am not feeding a baby, or pregnant with one, I'd really like to be part of the running crowd.

Too Small, Too Big?

Sidney's first set of clothes are already too small for her. Problem is, the next set is a little big!

It makes me sad and nostalgic when this happens to my babies (by "this", I mean, "getting bigger"). I have a special milk supply that apparently makes my babies into perfectly oval butterballs, complete with a budha belly and amazing legs!
It is when I first notice them plump out that I begin to think of them as big! And if I think Sidney is big, what does that make Jane, Alex, and especially Ashlyn? Of course, in my mind, I am still the perfect age of 25! Ashlyn is turning eight next week! WOW!

Jane wrote pen on Sidney's face, this picture is AFTER I tried to get it off!!!

Watching General Conference today made me think of all the ways I need to try to slow down my life and make sure I am making the most of this time. The truth is, I AM LOVING IT and I really don't want it to end! I have never really been one to want to go back to a certain time in my life and do it over, but I had a neighbor come by and mention how she would love to spend a half a day back in her life when her kids were younger and she could hold them and give them every bit of her attention. I can already feel myself feeling like this time is not enough. I really love to hold them when they are babies, but I also love to see them figure things out and try to act like they are big stuff. I love when they are starting school and I get to help them do homework and read. I even love when they are really finding themselves and we can talk about friends, teachers and joke and play together. I guess that is why I am perfectly happy right now, because I have one in each of those stages!

This week, even before I heard it at conference, I had made it a goal to spend more one-on-one time with each of my kids. Whether its lying in bed with them and talking before they fall asleep, or making homemade playdough and letting them choose the color. I am trying to make the most of the time I am sitting nursing Sidney too. I read with Alex, play school with Jane, and direct Ashlyn in her homework. The real sad thing is, I will still not do enough and will regret my inability to not do IT ALL. I guess that's why we still get to keep trying!

Birthday Celebration!

I know I will get in trouble for posting this (oh well)! For as long as I have known Ben, I have heard about the birthday cakes his mom made for his birthdays. Action figures and candy played a big part in these creations, even coins for a money cake. Honestly, how could I compete? I didn't.

Somehow, while Ben was gone for his birthday, I got the creative cake bug and thought I could make a "favorite things" cake. Our brother-in-law Dallas's birthday is only a few days later, so I put an extra four-wheeler on for him. Still no competition for his mother, but I have had a few requests from Alex already! I'm taking orders....

Bald is Beautiful!

So, a quick post about Sidney's first haircut. "WHAT HAIR?" you ask, why the tupay she has been sporting lately. (I have no idea how to spell "tupay" and spell check came up with "tape" by the way I phonetically tried to spell it, I could just write "rug"). Lucky for Sidney, my trusty clippers were near!
Yes, she officially does have a bald shiny head, but at least it is even all over!