Friday

Just An Average Day At Our House

We have got the basics:

Purse- Laney carries this around constantly. It has all of her treasures in it such as: pet shops, blanket, stuffed monkey, and various other things that change with her mood.
Outfit- Laney dresses herself and so therefore we normally end up with some rocking color combinations.
Tights- A must have at our house. No matter what the temperature Laney is most likely sporting tights. Superhero- He comes in various forms but is always called the same thing at our house by this little guy: Superman.
Sound effects- If you get to close to where the noise is coming from you will most likely get covered in spit.

Sippycup- Could be "favorite" if the spot wasn't already occupied by Raccoon.
Love- On occasion the World is a happy place at our house.
Reality- Then the picture is shattered and you are smacked in the face by the facts. Love is nice but only for a minute then it starts to get on your nerves and you just want your siblings to get their paws off of you.

I Think I Need A Hobby

While trying to occupy my time and work with what I got...
this is what I have come up with. A whole lot of hair clips.

Better Late Than Never

I can think of a million reasons I love you.

One of them is that you gave me these little Monsters to raise with you.

I hope you had a good Fathers Day.

Child Labor

At our house we have implemented a chore chart. It seems to be working well.

We told the kids that they have to complete 4 jobs a day in order to receive a quarter per day.

Their jobs are things like: cleaning their rooms, picking up dirty clothes, setting and clearing the table, making their beds and sweeping.

Laney has gotten a quarter every day since we have started. Gavin is not quiet as diligent and has found a way to be a little more sneaky about it.

Yesterday Gavin picked up his toys before quiet time, made his bed, picked up his dirty clothes, and cleared the table.

After realizing that he had already completed 4 jobs he decided to not clean up his room before bed.

So Laney did it, all by herself while Gavin read a book.

Sneaky sneaky.

The other day the kids got to take their money to Target to buy a toy. We counted out their quarters, paid tithing, and then put their quarters in a baggie to take to the store.

I am not sure what Laney was more excited about. Buying a toy or being able to give her money "to the Prophet so he can give it to Jesus."

We have explained many times that she will not be able to give her money to the Prophet that she will just give it to the Bishop. She has told me that "I will give my money to the Prophet and then Heavenly Father will come down and get it."

It's a work in progress.

Just Trucking Along

Our days lately consist of most of the same things over and over again.
Blake has been working a lot. In between work and Youngmens I am lucky if I see him 3 nights a week.

The kids and I have just been kicking it.
Waiting for the baby to come out.
Keeping ourselves occupied.
Trying not to lose our minds and go stir crazy.

In other news...The baby will most likely be born on August 27th. Unless she decides that she wants to come out early. Which I highly doubt. She seems to be fairly content in there.

A Smorgasbord Of Usless Information

• Laney was playing with the keys yesterday and lost them. I told the kids that they were not allowed to play with any toys until the keys were found. After about 5 seconds of looking Gavin told me "we are never going to find the keys." My reply was "Well, if you never find the keys then you will never play with toys again." That must of lit some fire under him because about 2 minutes later he came prancing in with the keys declaring that he had found them under Laney's kitchen. Because that is a perfectly acceptable place to put keys.

• I am on a self imposed one month shopping ban. (Mind you: I do get an allowance. I am just forgoing said allowance.) Not having a car and still not having good friends that you hang out with is hard. Normally when I am bored I start perusing the Internet. I normally come across some deal or item...one thing leads to another...and I find myself the owner of a new pair of shoes, or shirt, or belt, or dress, or skirt, you get the idea. I have decided that being bored is fiscally straining. Perhaps my next pick up line for a friend should be "Hi, I'm Hannah. I have three kids and one on the way. My kids will outnumber your kids 2 to 1. But I am willing to give this friendship a go because...well...lets face it. Being bored is not good for my bank account. So you in?"
• In my attempt to stay busy I have found lots of things to make. Most of them being pillows. I am not really sure where I am going to put all of these pillows when I am done. I suppose I could just stack them up one right on top of the other and build a bed. Then the kids and I could play a game like "can you feel that car shoved in between the pillows?" Kind of like the princess and the pea. Only I am going to use a car or some other toy. Who wants a pea squished on their new pillows?
• I have also made a lot of hair bows.
  
• Canon calls anything with wheels a choo choo train. Which I find completely adorable.
• Our garden is growing nicely. We have had some snails eating my plants which makes me a little hostile. The other day we sprinkled slug and snail bait down to kill the little suckers. I told our kids it was to kill the bugs. I didn't have the heart to tell them that I wanted to kill the snails. They love snails, in their little shell...looking all innocent. Vultures.
• I replanted zucchini plants 3 times this year. Every time I have planted them they have died. I was complaining to my mom one day about this and she laughed at me. "Zucchini plants are weeds." Well, this girl could not get that weed to grow for the life of her. What does that say about me and my green thumb? After much lamenting about how I couldn't even grow a weed, guess what decided to finally sprout? Moral of the story, I guess I can grow a weed. I feel super accomplished.
  

Preschool Graduation

Gavin had his preschool graduation this last Friday.

They sang songs that they had learned.

They also gave little talks about what they liked about preschool and what they had learned.

It was about 30 minutes total and for that I am eternally grateful.

These are all of the kids in Gavin's class.

The girl sitting next to him is Mandy. When I went on a field trip with them once Gavin and Mandy were holding hands as they were walking.
The kid in the middle with the shirt in his mouth is Nico.
He was making farting noises with his armpit throughout the entire program.
Oh, the things you learn from having older siblings.

Baby 101

I am now 27 weeks along.

• This little girl is not a big mover and shaker. The doctor says it is because the placenta is at the front of my stomach so it makes it harder for me to feel her.
• We are hoping that the doctor will do the c-section on the 25th of Aug. Which means I have less than 3 months to go.
  
• When I wake up during the middle of the night I have the hardest time falling back to sleep. It normally takes me anywhere from 30 minutes to 2 hours. (At the 2 hour times I am about ready to lose it.)
• I think my appetite has finally leveled out. Thank goodness.
• I still weigh the same amount I did when I was this pregnant with Canon.
• My "bigger" jeans still fit, but are starting to get snug.
  
• I think I am in denial about the weight gain. I still can wear some tops but I am sure it won't be long until it is all maternity tops and pants for me.
• I am dreading the day the maternity clothes have to come out.
• Laney tells me on a daily basis that "the baby is taking too long to come out."
• When ever we mention "baby" Canon will attack me, lift up my shirt until he can see my belly and then he'll push on it as hard as he can.
  
• Gavin has informed me that I go potty a lot.
  
• We still agree on one name but aren't set on it yet.
• My Dad would like veto power for the name. I have told him that is not an option.

Memorial Weekend

I love when Blake has a 3 day weekend. Who doesn't?

The problem is when you have a 3 day weekend and people are sick. We have been passing around the pukes at our house like it is a prize.
Canon and Laney have had it, and today Gavin has got it.
I have washed a lot of laundry lately.
So this weekend we just sat around.
We did BBQ yesterday, which was good. That is...until you see chunks of hot dogs during the middle of the night.
I also managed to finish the pillow I have been working on.
Which I heart.
I also heart Lysol.
Because while it does make my house smell somewhat like a mental institution, it also makes it not smell like throw up.
And that is a win in my book.

If Only I Were Imelda Marcos and Had Millions Of Dollars

For anyone that knows me they know I love heels.

I don't think I own a single pair of flat dress shoes.

I haven't really purchased any new shoes lately. Which is odd for me.

But...

My belly is expanding so that generally means that I shift from buying clothes to buying shoes.

They always fit. No matter how much I weigh.

I just bought these shoes from Kohls for $17.

Woo hoo. I have my eye on the shoes below.

I just have to save my allowance.

Because they are NOT $17.

Now I just have to decide which ones to save for.

Hello Friends

Laney has a lot of babies.

She loves them.

She also names them.

From left to right:

Axe, Chloe, and Brown Baby.You got that right. The baby on the right wearing the pink with the blue eyes is called "Brown baby."

I don't pretend to understand.

Laney did however, let us know that if we wanted we could name the new baby "Axe"
I figure having a child named Canon and one named Axe might be a little much.

I have found her like this twice. Totally asleep...using the babies as a pillow.

Rock A Bye Baby

The snow has been coming down this morning.

When I heard a noise I figured it was the kids playing. That was until they rushed upstairs to tell me that the tree had broken.

They weren't kidding.

I am thankful that this is not my house because we don't have to pay to clean this up. To show how big the branch was I told Laney to go stand by it.

That perhaps was not my smartest parenting choice. Because right after I took this picture...I hear a snap.

I yell "RUN!"

Down comes another branch. Missing Laney but coating her in snow.

I am thankful it did not hit her.

I am, however, NOT thankful that it is snowing outside.

May Showers Bring June Flowers?

It is snowing today. No lie. Snowing.

I am about to Boo Mother nature.

Or at least give her a big thumbs down.

Hand Motions And All

The other day we were in bed and Canon started counting. Not only were we proud of him but we were also a little surprised because after every time he counted he would make shooting noises.

We still don't really understand where he got it from.

Also you may notice that the little guy that he is holding...He shoots him and then he dies. Just a little morbid.

He also is talking a lot more.

Granted his words for things are a bit off, but that is part of the fun.

I wish I could have "Beep Bops."

Huh.

How does a week go by and I not realize it? No. Seriously?

This last week I have more or less been sticking around the house.

Cleaning, taking care of the little monsters, and trying to finish some of the 900 projects that I have started and never finished.

Among the group were some hair clips. When my mom was here forever ago she taught me how to crochet these flowers. The flowers have been done, I was just waiting to put clips on them and to make some centers for them.

Done and done.

I can't for the life of me remember how I made the flowers though. I also saw a picture of these cute flowers made out of zippers.

Like so many things I think to myself "I can totally make that."

So then I buy all of the stuff that is needed and never get around to doing it.
No more.

Done.

A while ago I found this huge button. I had no idea what I was going to do with it, but I just thought it was too cute to pass up.

So I made it a clip too.

I have also been making these bibs for the baby.

And just so Laney wouldn't be sad...I made her more clips to match.

I have also been collecting green buttons for a pillow I am going to make.

I am so excited. It is going to be awesome. I hope.

I will note two things: buttons are expensive and green buttons are hard to come by.

I also added on to a dress that was too short that I bought on clearance.

So I guess my week hasn't all been lost.

Rainy Days and Mondays Always Get Me Down

When we moved to Utah I had no preconceived notions about what winter was going to be like.

I already knew.

I did, however, think that I also had some grasp of what spring and summer where like.

Boy, was I wrong.

I knew that spring time in Utah would be nothing like spring time in Vegas.

I am being honest when I say I was excited about that.

Moving to Utah meant that we could plant a garden.

Not that you can't plant a garden in Vegas (many people I know have fabulous gardens). It is just that in Vegas it is harder. You have to be "garden savvy" in order to make it work and "garden savvy" I am not.

So in anticipation of said garden I planted starts, so that when the weather was nice they could go out into the garden and we would have a head start.

One afternoon we planted our garden.

And then...

it snowed.

Since planting our garden it has snowed 6 times.

Mind you, that is all in the month of April.

My sister told us that here in Utah they don't plant their garden until after Mother's day.

Well, that would have been useful information prior to planting our garden. Surprisingly our garden has survived fairly well. There are a couple of plants that had died, so we replanted those on Mother's day.

For the last two days it has been raining.

Heavily. All. The. Time.I am crossing my fingers that it doesn't drown our poor little garden. One thing that evidently thrives in this kind of weather is dandy lions.

The kids love them.

They like to hold them under your chin to see if you like butter.

I also have my jalapenos, tomatoes, and herbs growing inside until it is nice enough to move them out.

Luckily they have a big window that gives them a lot of sun and Canon has only played in the dirt twice. I do feel a little bit like a crazy old plant lady with all of my potted plants lined up on the floor.

My Grandma Tame would be so proud.

Or just think that we have a lot in common.

Inventive

Normally our kids play pretty well together.

But occasionally there will be some screaming. I like to let them figure it out for themselves.

They are going to have to do that in life anyways...why not start now?

Today Laney was screaming...

then she came upstairs to inform me

"Gavin took my pink pony and I was playing with it first and he took it away from me."

Me: "Well, go tell Gavin to give it back."

(This is normally all I say and then they figure it out themselves...mostly)

Laney tromps down the stairs and I hear her yell at Gavin:

"Gavin. Mom says that you can't play with your Leapster for the rest of the day!"

We then had a discussion about not saying things that Mom didn't say.

Twenty Three Weeks

Oh, here she is in all her glory.

My hair is not so glorious being that we were lounging around the house.

I didn't post the 5 month pictures so the almost 6 month ones will have to do.The other day my sister gave me all of her old baby clothes.

I am fairly certain this baby won't need a single article of clothing until she is a year and a half.

I sorted the clothes into piles by age and then put them neatly back into buckets.

On another baby note:
I was thinking the other day about baby names. Then I got to wondering if people think that we name our babies strange names? I think that Gavin is a pretty normal name and Laney isn't too strange...Canon may be a little out there...
I was wondering because I have had several people comment that they are interested in what this baby's name will be.
I think we are somewhat decided on a name unless we find a better one that trumps it.
We liked the name Penny, but that was axed due to the fact that her initials would have been P.U. and lets face it, you just can't do that to a child. It is cruel.
So rested assured we will try not to make life harder for her by giving her a weird name.

(I would also like to throw this out there...In our ward in Vegas there is a family that is having a boy and naming him Canon. So it must not be all that out there?)

That's what she said.