Random Savannah...

Savannah is wonderful. Let me tell you why.
Well, actually, let me briefly highlight some of the reasons why, because if I don't, you'll be here reading for a VERY long time. Yep, she's that awesome!

So, Savannah is sweet. Inside and outside, she is sweet.
Tender. Loving. Kind. Sincere. Thoughtful.

The other day, I was downstairs, and noticed that Savannah had made her bed, and pretty much cleaned up her room before she went to school. But, the best part is, I never asked her to do it. She just did.

I have been told many times, by many people, that my Savannah is very sweet and caring to other people. All of her teachers have said that she is a wonderful student to have in class, because she is so willing to be a friend to everyone, and tries so hard to help.

She tries so hard to make sure everyone around her is feeling good about themselves. A few days ago, Charlotte was trying to put together one of her toys, and it evidently was not working the way Charlotte intended. Charlotte, who is just a tiny little bit like Dani, was not pleased, and having a slight impatience-induced temper tantrum over it. Savannah tried to help her, and pointed out that the way Charlotte had put it together made a great bed for her Little Pet Shops. Charlotte was so glad, and proud that she could "build a Pet Shop bed all by myself!"

And, just because I love this about her:
Savannah loves music, and appreciates and favors a more soft, mellow and quiet range of music than I do. Not that I don't like soft, mellow music or anything, but she LOVES it, much more than I do.
A little while ago, Savannah put in a CD while we were cleaning up a bit, and getting dinner ready.
Her choice?
"The Best of Ella Fitzgerald."
And her remark after the music started:
"Mom, it's impossible not to smile and be happy when you
listen to Ella."

LOVE my Green-eyed Beauty!

How do I love thee...

Yesterday at lunch, Barrett was eating his sandwich, and then said "Mom." Anticipating that he was going to ask for chips (which he knows he can't have until his sandwich and banana are all gone), I said "After your sandwich and banana, Bear."
Then, he just said "Mom" again. So, I just said "What, Bear?"
And he replied with: "Mom, you're so pretty."

This morning, we were on the couch reading a book, and he looked up at me and this conversation took place:
"Mom, can I marry you?"
"Definitely."
"Can I be your Prince, and can you be my Princess?"
"I'd love that, Bear!"
"I love you, Mom."
(me choking back tears of utter joy) "I love you too, my Little Prince."

Oh, how I love that boy!!!

Proof you're a Mom...

I think there are just some things in life that prove you are a Mom.
Like wiping a nasty booger off your kid's face with your hand because you don't have a napkin, kleenex, baby wipe, or anything else handy.
So, boogers on hands=Mom.

Or like fibbing about how delicious and yummy those brussels sprouts are, because you really want them to eat, and because you are desperate for them to eat something other than chicken nuggets and fries now and then.
So, lying (in a nice way!)=Mom.

And then there's this:

My Ipod.

Now I know what you are thinking-
"How can an Ipod prove you are a Mom?"

Well, let me tell you.

First, I LOVE music. All kinds of music. And I generally have music playing at my house all the time. I think I have mentioned this before, but, I think I may have some secret and undiagnosed phobia of silence. Oh well.

So, I love music. Consequently, all three of my kids love music too. All of them have their own Ipods. Not because we spoil our kids, though! Only because Savannah destroyed her Ipod Shuffle that Santa brought her, less than 24 hours after receiving it, and therefore inherited mine.
And then, Colby got a new one, so I got his old one.
And then I got a new one, so Savannah got mine again, and Charlotte got Savannah's.
And then Colby got a new Ipod Touch, so I got his old one, Savannah got mine again, Charlotte got Savannah's again, and Barrett got Charlotte's.
Everyone clear?!!!

Anyway, despite the fact that all of my kids have their own Ipods, with all the music that they want and love on them, I still have music that they want and love on MY Ipod.
Why?
Because I am a Mom.
Because my Ipod will play music without headphones, and they think it's so much cooler than their's.

So, because I am a Mom, my Ipod is full. No more room.
Because it has Hannah Montana on it- and I don't even like her music.
Because it has 3 Jonas Brothers Cds on it- and I don't like their music either.
Because it has the Toy Story soundtrack on it.
Because it has the Disney Princesses CD on it.
Because it has all of the kid's music on it, even though that same music can be found on their own Ipods.

So, now my Ipod is full, and I have no more room for music that I like.
Yep, I must be a Mom.

Pleasant Valley Saturday...

UTAH: 38 UNLV: 10

Air Force: 35 Team that does not deserve to be named: 10


All in all, a great day of football!!!

Back to school for Barrett...

It is official. My kids are getting too grown up. Here it is, the first day of my baby boy's last year of preschool!!
Barrett was pretty excited, and ready to go!!

So, I really don't know why the dagger was necessary. Maybe he expects bad guys to be at school. Maybe he just likes to be prepared. Maybe he's just a 4 year old boy who LOVES guns, knives, swords, any weapon of any kind. Maybe he's just too dang funny and cute!!

After I told him that he couldn't take the deadly weapon to school, he was kind enough to smile for me anyway. Such a good boy!

At the front doors of the school. Never fear, he wasn't scared or sad.....he just didn't really want me to follow him in. He's big, he told me.
Yeah, maybe so, but, I'm still a mom, and I just have to walk you in the first day!

And inside his classroom. He is so excited to be in "the big class" also known as Pre-Kindergarten. It's a big deal, he goes to school three days a week now!
On another note, he was pretty impressed with the shirt he picked out for his first day of school.
In case you can't see it clearly, it has three trees that are mangled or injured, and then the caption below then says,
"homework kills trees....it must be stopped."

So funny!

In the minority....

I find myself in the minority about several things.

For example, I think the music of the band U2 is absolutely and ridiculously overrated. Seriously, for a band that has been around nearly 30 years, I can't think of more than 2 songs of theirs that don't make my skin crawl and my eardrums want to burst. But, it seems that most humans on this earth think their music is amazing, inspiring, great, whatever else. Not me. Yuck.

Also, I couldn't care less about what I wear, how I look, how old the clothes in my closet are, if they're in fashion, whatever. Don't care. Never have. If they are clean, and if they fit me, hurray!! I'm happy. It kinda bugs my poor sister, who has been telling me for decades that I need a major style overhaul.

But, I have officially found another area where I am a definite minority:

Oh, how I detest that place! I have eaten at Cafe Rio on a few occasions, and every time, I hate it.
I honestly think I am the the only person on the planet who hates Cafe Rio.
Bring me Taco Bell.
Bring me Del Taco.
Bring me Taco Time.

But, DO NOT bring me Cafe Rio.
Yuck.

Back to school....again!

So now it is Charlotte's first day of school. Kindergarten. Already.

I can't believe how much she has grown. I can hardly believe that my tiny baby Charlotte Renee, who came into this world 90 minutes before her due date, and tipping the scales at 5 pounds, 10 ounces, is old enough to be going to "the big school."

Charlotte is super excited to be in kindergarten. She is soooo excited to be going to school just like Savannah. Now, if we only had the bus, her little world would be just about perfect! (now don't get me started on the bus situation, though, grrrr!!)

Charlotte just before we took her to school. She is sooooo excited, you can see it on her face, can't you!!??!!
Charlotte at her "table" that is kindergarten's version of a "desk." She was slightly annoyed by that, but I think she'll get over it!

She had such a fun day, and I can't wait for tomorrow- it will be the first day of school all over again, kind of. As of tomorrow morning, Charlotte is on 'A' track, in Miss S. Christensen's class.

I AM SO GLAD!!
I think it will make a HUGE difference, and I am very happy about the change. The only thing is, now I will have a traditional school schedule preschooler, an 'A' track kindergartener, and a 'D' track 4th grader.

Totally worth it. Bring it on!!

Back to school...

Savannah has started school. Already. Blasted year-round school- I really HATE it. But, that's not important.
What is important, is that my little green-eyed beauty is in
4th grade!! I cannot believe it.
It seems only yesterday we moved into this house, and she was only 3, and just starting preschool. Here we are, six years later, and she is officially growing up. Quickly. A little too quickly, if you ask me!


She was pretty excited for school to start this year, for a few reasons.
First, she is in 4th grade now, and it's kinda a big deal! 4th grade signals "grown up kids" in elementary, apparently. Quite excited to be one of the bigger kids.

Second, her teacher is Mr. Gallagher, who Savannah may or may not have a slight crush on. I can't actually say if she does or not, because I got in trouble when I opened my big fat mouth (well, really my big fat computer....) and blabbed to the entire cosmos that Savannah has a little bit of a crush on those cute Jonas Brothers.
So, maybe, maybe not. Ask her.

Third, Charlotte will be at school with her this year. Only half the day of course, because kindergarten in (most of) Utah is just (glorified preschool) half-day. But still, Savannah is so proud to be a big sister at school. LOVE that about my dear Savannah, she is so tender and caring and sweet.

This is Savannah just before we left to take her to school. She was actually kind of nervous, but if you ask her, she is only grimacing because the sun was really in her eyes, and it was hard to smile.

And this is Savannah, in her 4th grade classroom, at her 4th grade desk, holding up her desk nametag.

After that, I promised I would not subject her to further embarrassment, and ended the photo session. Plus, Mr. Gallagher came in just then, so I was pretty much ignored anyway......


All in all, she had a wonderful first day back.
Happy 4th Grade, my beautiful green-eyed Savannah!

Oh, the things kids say....

Spaghetti.

Magic.So, what do these two things have in common?

Charlotte, of course!

Tonight, the kids asked what was for dinner. The answer was-- spaghetti and meatballs. That response brought on a full-fledged
"I don't like spaghetti" tantrum from all three of the kids.

A little later, when dinner was ready and getting dished up, Charlotte sees the plates on the table, piled high with spaghetti and
yummy meatballs.
With my back to her, I hear her adorable little voice say, in a slightly hushed and irritated tone, this:

"Abra cadabra, make this spaghetti go away."

Colby and I almost fell over laughing. Come on, Charlotte, tell us how you REALLY feel!!!

On a somewhat related note, Colby is not a huge fan of spaghetti. Something about eating it several times a week for two straight years on his mission. But, he really does love my
spaghetti and meatballs.
Come on, Charlotte- if Colby can eat it happily after nearly overdosing on it for two years, you can choke down a few bites without having to resort to magic spells to make the
dinner disappear!!!

Oh my, she is sooooo funny!

Charlotte's wonderful world...

Anyone who knows Charlotte at all knows that she is a Princess.
She loves to dress up, she loves to wear glittery makeup, she loves to wear high heels,
she LOVES to wear jewelry,
you get the idea.

On a typical day, Charlotte will ask me if she can wear a dress or a skirt. Since the weather has been so lovely and sunny and warm lately, the answer every single day has been, much to Charlotte's extreme delight, YES!

On a related note, the most effective and surefire method of punishment or discipline for Charlotte is to tell her that if she doesn't behave, or clean her room, or whatever, that I will take her dresses away, and she'll have to wear pants for a week.
Works every time.
Honestly, you'd think I was threatening her very existence.
That's how much she LOVES to wear dresses.

So imagine my shock when Charlotte came upstairs today after getting dressed.

She was wearing a simple shirt and capri pants.

Everyone, record this in your journals!! It may never happen again- Charlotte picked out and wore capris without it being a method of torture or discipline.

Oh, how I love my twirly-girly Charlotte!

In the realm of fantasy...

I like fantasy stories, don't you? I am a sucker for a good fairy tale, or a great fantasy/sci-fi story. Not really hi-tech, super-geeky sci-fi, mind you, but a good Terry Brooks novel is sure a fun read.

So, in the land of fairy tales and magic and fantasy and the like, you read of mythical creatures; or of magical objects.
Sucks that in real life, none of that ever shows up, don't you think?
In all my 30+ years of life, I have never, not once, walked down the street, and witnessed a unicorn flying through the sky.
I have never walked into a darkened room, and found a glowing stick so fraught with magic and wonder that my eyes burn from merely looking at it.

So many magical and wondrous things that I have heard of, and yet not seen with my own eyes.

But, today, I must confess, I did see something.

Colby claims that he has seen these particular things on numerous occasions. Often, he will try to point them out to me, so that I can share in the joy of seeing these elusive things.
But, alas, I have never been able to see them before.

I was afraid that I was one of those Harry Potter "muggle" types that just doesn't have the gift of sight. After all, I have read the "The Hobbit" and the "Lord of the Rings" trilogy, and I thought, quite frankly, that they were horribly, and epically, overrated. And I'm just about the nerdiest bookworm ever, so what does that mean?!?!?

But, today, I saw them!!

Colby pointed them out to me, and for the first time ever, I can say with absolute confidence that I saw them too.

I saw, with my own two eyes............

are you ready for this........

Colby has gray hair.

Maybe 3 of them, MAYBE, but he is a little bit bugged
by their presence.
His birthday this year was a bit rough for him, as well.

Honestly, he has tried to show me his "gray hair" several times in the past few months, and I never see any. Truly.

But, today, I crossed over from the land of fantasy into the
realm of reality.
The mysterious Colby-gray-hair actually does exist.

And yet, Colby is still so dang hot and handsome!!

Dinner Debate

I have always heard about how important it is for your family to sit down and eat dinner together. You know, the whole "family togetherness" and all that. It is a time to be together, talk to each other, and just connect after a long day of work, school, chores, errands, whatever.

And really, our family is able to sit down, all five of us, and eat dinner together most every night.



Like tonight.



We were able to have quite a meaningful conversation. Charlotte and Barrett were debating the difference between calling something a "peepee head" and a "poopoo head."



Charlotte feels that "peepee head" is what you call someone or something you don't like or don't understand, or that you just want to call a name. According to her, "peepee head" is plenty descriptive.



Barrett is of the opinion that "peepee head" is just not enough. He feels that "poopoo head" is much better.

They went back and forth; a five-year-old and a four-year-old trying to convince everyone else at the table that their word of choice was the best one.

I bet you are all so jealous of our meaningful and stimulating conversation. I know you're just so sad that you weren't at our house for dinner tonight, so that you could offer your opinion, and choose a side.

So, what are your thoughts? I need a vote- who sides with Bear, and who sides with Charlotte?

A Reverse Recommendation....

Just in case any of you are in the market for, or are interested in,
a home security/alarm system, I thought I might make a recommendation, in reverse.....

Avoid this security company at all costs:

Seriously, they have been a total nightmare.
If Satan himself comes to your door selling an alarm system, buy from him before you buy from Radius.

And that's all I can say. But, if anyone needs more details or information, I have plenty of Radius Security-caused "bad mood" left over, so I can rehash all of my gripes and issues at any time.

Grrrrrr.

And the winner is.....

Barrett!!!

Barrett is quite an athlete. Don't let his small stature fool you, the little dude is tough! There are many times when he and I play "football" during the day. Of course, it is Barrett's interpretation of football, meaning there is no actual 'ball' that we use. Bear's style of football is more like 100% tackle. He'll randomly shout "Mom, watch this!" and then run at me full-speed, pummel me, and quite often, knock me flat. He is a tackle maniac!

Today I was cleaning the bathrooms. Not really one of my favorite ways to pass the time, but oh well.
But, as I was in the middle of cleaning the bathtub, I hear a bit of yelling, and, assuming it is still Charlotte and Bear playing downstairs, I (kind of) ignore it.
Bad move, Dani!!

Next thing I know, there is a rushing sound, and then the feeling of a 31-pound handsome little devil slamming into me at full force!

I can now tell you exactly how Clorox disinfecting bathroom
cleaner tastes.
Yuck.
On so many levels, yuck.

The score stands thus:

Barrett: 1 million, Mom: 0

I Hate Nature...

I am not a fan of nature.
Not. At. All.

Today, as the gale-force winds were blowing, and making all the trees sway and bend and curve in a manner most bizarre and unpleasant, a terrible thing happened.

Nature happened.

In our front yard, there is a lovely, albeit small, red maple tree. In the upper branches of that tree, sits a little robin's nest.
My kids have had such a fun time this spring, watching the Mama Robin fly away to get food for her babies, and then coming back again with a beak full of dangly little worms. They have loved having the Nature Channel right in their own front yard.

Until today.

The horrific winds were blowing hard enough to knock all three of the baby robins out of the nest. Sadly, one of them did not survive the fall. The other two did.

And that presents another crime of nature. Mama Robin will likely abandon the baby birds now that I have tried to "save" them. I can't take care of them, and even if I could get them back up in their cozy little nest, Mama Robin will just push them right back out.

The defenseless, helpless, and innocent little baby robins
are going to die.

I hate nature.