Valentine's Day

Amelia worked for a month on Justin's Valentine. It even has two sides! I let her use some rub on quotes from my scrapbook stash. She rubbed on "Who's Your Daddy?" as she rubbed she told me that Justin is her daddy. Now he knows. There is sparkly fabric, hearts, glitter glue, and stickers. She is a born crafter!

We had a really fun Valentine's day on Tuesday. We made a huge heart cookie to take to Justin's "ladies" at work. The kids picked out some balloons and bear for Dad, Phillip picked out a snack for himself (Reeces Pieces). The kids were beyond excited to visit Justin at work. We met him in the lobby then headed up to his office. The office was recently updated a bit so we enjoyed seeing the changes. Justin's posse crowded around the kids while Phillip passed out knuckles and high-fives. Amelia handed out some Valentine cards. Everett smiled and kicked around like a bird. The kids child-proofed Justin's office for a bit. Phillip went straight for the electronics and candy. Amelia went for the white board and markers. Everett drooled on Justin's important papers. We lunched at Pizza Hut for the fourth year. I wrote that this was the 3rd year but somehow miscounted! Time flies! The Grunig family sat next to us for a time. Phillip loves the concept of buffet style eating. He just wanted to fill plates and not eat. Once he tired of the buffet he focused his attention on the TV behind us (it was not wall-mounted). While sitting surrounded with our cute kids and exceptional husband the irony of life caught up to me. I shined a nice big smile Justin's way. It was a great time.

I hate finding babysitters. I have a hard time asking someone else to come care for my kids. Silly?! Not sure. The stars aligned and we actually got two sitters arranged to watch the kids while we had dinner. I don't think we've ever been out on Valentine's Day before. The place we wanted to go was out of reservations so we ran down the street to Dude's Steak House. We waited by the fire pit for an hour playing with my new phone and chatting. Novel idea, talking?! Our dinner was yummy. I had a filet mignon with shrimp, Justin a cowboy steak. Even though finding sitters is not so fun, going out with Justin is fun. The two even out in the end. LOL.

I think the art of babysitting is becoming a lost art. The skills and time I spent babysitting between 10 and 20 years of age are not as important anymore. I know this does not apply to all young ladies, but for the most part our society does not look positively on young girls who actually use their mothering instincts. It is better to have as few homemaking skills and get by on what your mother will do for you. I was shocked to learn that there is an entire generation who can barely sew on a button, clean decently, or tend a child. Instead of tending the kids, the cell phone or FB is earnestly attended. In many ways I feel more trapped because my trust in letting a teenager tend my kids for an hour or more is almost zero. I wish for those days when it was cool to be a woman with womanly skills. Thanks to my mom for kicking the feminist trash to the curb. She rocked my womanly education. Thanks, mom. Rampage over. Period.

PS: Phillip has grown 1.5 inches since Christmas. Amelia grew an inch. In less than 4 weeks is kindergarden registration. Heart palpitations! Time is racing by.

PSS: Yesterday we caught Phillip with a finger full of carmel dip. He was talking to his finger saying something like this, "hello! hello. Ha ha, I eat you. yummy." Sticks finger in mouth and eats the poor carmel.

Happy Valentine's Day

 

Teething Woes

We have a household of crabby kids. Everett is teething (still) probably working on "those top two teeth" as Amelia says. Phillip can be constantly found with his fingers crammed in the back of his mouth nursing his 3 year old molars. Poor kid is miserable and whiny. Friday Amelia contracted a lovely cough and runny nose. She ran a high fever Saturday night into Sunday. Early, early Sunday morning she climbed into bed with me. She said, "Mom I can't sleep in my bed. My eyes only close when I snuggle you...in your bed." She was roasting hot and coughed into my neck most of the night. We stayed home from church with three crabby kids and two tired parents. It was nice to rotate between naps and snuggling kids on the couch. It snowed Friday night to Saturday; this time a nice quiet snow! Phillip decided he hates the snow so spent an hour crying in the garage while Mia and I shoveled the driveway. He finally settled down with a blanket and bowl of chippies in a camp chair. I had a photo session for one of our Nursery kids, Connor. He is one cute little guy. Check out his gallery here. I made the cute little lens buddy to capture a busy two year olds attention. It is almost like a decorated scrunchie. Amelia chose a cute kitten as my first creation.

Amelia enjoyed a fun morning with her preschool friends out at Zane's home. Christine had a fun Valentine's party. Amelia made all her Valentine cards this year with sparkly hearts and scrapbook paper. I tried to make rainbow jello hearts but my jello mold was stupid (not me) and the jello was too watery. I wasted an entire day trying to make them. Instead I decided to contribute the leftover jello I put into a bowl, it was also in rainbow pattern. When it unmolded the entire thing slopped all over. Stink! Since I still had jello powder I made ANOTHER one today with less water and more setting time. It turned out perfect...and yummy. Phillip really, really wanted a "fun-dip" candy after lunch. I gave him one and sent him into his room to read books with me. Amelia needed me so I plopped Everett down on the floor. Soon I heard a terrible screeching. I rushed back into the room to find Everett flapping his arms and his face turning purple...with rage. Phillip gave him a taste of the fun-dip. Then ate a couple bites in front of Everett. Then Phillip loaded up the dip stick and was waving it slowly in front of Everett's face. Everett was desperately trying to follow the stick and capture it with his mouth. I. ABOUT. DIED. LAUGHING. Everett ended up with a greenish blue mouth and a very happy grin. What a sugar lush.

Justin surprised me with an iPhone for Valentine's Day. My old phone was ready for a much needed upgrade and our contract allowed for an upgrade. The timing was fortuitous! I am really enjoying my new phone. The LDS scripture application is amazing. It links up with my study notes from LDS.com so I can take notes and mark up my phone scriptures and the same notes/marks show up online when I log in. I also must admit to loving the netflix app. I can watch an adult-level TV show and nurse the baby while Amelia watches a kid show. Tomorrow we have big plans to visit Justin and his ladies at work then have lunch at Pizza Hut. This will be the 3rd year of our little tradition.

I am very relieved my amazing brother Jeffrey finally found a job. He lost his job back in July with no unemployment benefits. Our family was really worried about him losing his apartment, truck, and such. Amelia prayed every day and night for Punkle Jeff to find a job. Ever since last week she's also thanked Heavenly Father for answering our prayers. Her faith spurns me to do better and be more grateful. Jeff, we are proud of you!

Productivity is Channeled Elsewhere

 

I love to crochet. I love to sew. I also love my house clean and my kids happy. Thus...more energy is channeled towards a clean house and happy kids. My photography business is pretty slow, on purpose. I stopped advertising a while ago and now only accommodate those who know me from church or repeat customers. Valentine's day gave me the chance to sew up some shirts for the boys. I lengthened the sleeves and bottom of Mia's shirt from last year with one of my old tee shirts. It looks even cuter! See the photos of her new haircut for the outfit.

In the past two weeks I also crocheted 5 hats for my awesome family Doctor, Dr Shaw, who has breast cancer. She needed some warmth to cover her head from the cold. The kids helped to deliver the hats. Amelia was impressed that a girl would get a boy hair cut. It was sweet to watch the kids give her a hug and kiss. Amelia told Dr Shaw that she hoped her body feels better so her Rapunzel hair can grow back. Course I forgot to take photos of the hats. Gasp.

Amelia found a spare 4t shirt I was going to use at Christmas. She told me that the shirt needed a cute Hello Kitty. I was down with that idea so we trolled the image pages on google for a cute and easy Hello Kitty. We both LOVE the ballerina kitty. The shirt sleeve got smeared with some black fabric paint thanks to Everett.

About a month ago I started a dinosaur hat for Phillip. Yep, it took me a long while to get that one done. A little here and there! I finished it this morning. He was SOOOOOOO excited to wear it to the library. He approached each of the librarians and growled at them. Crack me up.

Lastly, I made a couple items for birthday babies. One little guy had a photo shoot with me so I made him a party hat and two banners. Another little girl celebrated her first birthday. The shirt ripped a hole while I embroidered the "N", shoot. It looks obvious to me and tacky, but the buyer had no idea. Gotta love that.

***My good friend Madison told me a while back that her Mother-in-Law finally figured out why she felt so compelled to have projects like sewing, crochet, etc. It was the a part of her life that when the project was completed, it stayed completed. I give a hearty AMEN to that. Once Madison voiced those words they rang true and clear. During these busy times as a mother to three young kids, those little projects I fit in are not to be supermom, rather, to give me a sense of completion in at least one area of my life.

Butched

I love Amelia's new poses! Can you tell she is taking dance? LOL!

Argh! Mia and I went to get much needed hair cuts on Wednesday. I love the guy who does my hair. He is a goof ball and always does neat tricks with my curly hair. He tried some innovative tricks he learned at a hair show last weekend on my head of hair. Never had a hair cut like that. The ways he pulled and combed and cut my hair were strange...and awesome. My hair is actually cooperating and in the end looks even and not frizzy. Hooray!

Mia was tired of long hair. She was tired of brushing out the gnarly tangles. I was tired of her whining. Her hair is so slick and straight most cute hair styles don't stick around very long. The top of her head has a patch of damaged hair from the one hair style that works. Her little friend, Lily, got a cute bob a little while ago. Amelia was inspired and begged for short hair. I wanted a cute a-line, a super cute cut with her fine hair and face shape. I instructed the beautician to cut her hair just below her neck hairline to an inch or two below her chin. Hummm, instead she got an uneven bob. Poor kid looks like a boy now. I don't want to cut bangs again so she will just wear a hat until it grows enough for an a-line. I was pleased the beautician offered to cut her hair for free when it comes time to fix it. Amelia LOVES her short hair!

Mother of the Year

Phillip giving daddy "kicks" (kisses)

You would think by now I'd learn how to think like Phillip. Alas, no. That kid evades me. He was being so sweet and cute this morning. I had a really short photoshoot (like 15 minutes) for a Valentine mini session. He grabbed a boiled egg off the counter and carried it around half the morning. He gently pocketed it, carried it with tongs, lovingly wrapped it in a blanket, and crooned sweet tenders to his baby dinosaur egg. We have a dinosaur activity book with a fly wheel showing a dino egg, the egg cracking, a baby dino emerging, then a mommy dino. He muttered this cycle over an over to his egg. It finally cracked under all the attention. Phillip was dissapointed to discover a boiled egg instead of a baby dino. Amelia took up the charade and carried a basket full of boiled dino eggs around the rest of the day. Last night Amelia informed Justin that he was taking her on a date the next day for lunch. She woke up this morning and her first words were "Did you know Daddy is taking me on a date of McDonalds." She would not be disuaded. So, she had a nice quiet lunch date with daddy. Since my studio was set up took some daddy/kids photos. I shooed the kids outside to play while I worked on cleaning the kitchen and dishes. After a while I heard a "psssst" noise coming from the garage. Oh, crap! Phillip found a can of spray paint. I painted something the night before but put the paint away in front of him, so he saw where I put it. The kid climbed up to the shelf (it is over 5 feet high) and grabbed a lovely olive green color. Then he decided the van was too plain so tagged the passenger side. It was lovely art work. Luckily, the paint was really wet so it wiped off with a rag and some paint thinner. Phillip's naughty act about gave me heart failure dreaming about Justin's reaction. I also cleaned out our blue plastic rocking horse, Cactus. He was rattling something fierce whenever the kids rode him. Took some tongs and removed a whole pile of stuff Phillip stuffed inside poor cactus.

Amelia came back from lunch on cloud 9. Phillip and I had a picnic outside. I ran inside to get a drink, leaving Everett to play in the grass. I came back to find Phillip pouring his dirt loaded monster-size dump truck on Everett's head. I'd say he dumped about a gallon of garden soil on the baby's head. Geesh. Everett was amused and loved the mid-day excuse for a bath.