Ouch!

Maybe it is just a stage that she is going through, but this girl, I think, is a hypochondriac. And it is hilarious.
For months now she has been telling people that she has an owey on her knee. She tells people all about it and points it out on her knee. However, this happened I think last year, and there is nothing on her knee anymore. Then all the sudden she upped the ante on it and started taking on ailments that other people had. When Grant went and got his allergy shot last week she started telling us all about the time that she got an allergy shot in the same place as Grant. And when Trevor's eyes were practically swollen shut this week from allergies, she suddenly had it too. And on and on.

The icing on the cake was this weekend. We were introducing our kids to the wonderful world of "Little House on the Prairie" (such a good show). In the very first episode, Charles Ingalls got a kite stuck up in a very tall tree. So he climbed up after it. While climbing across a branch, he slipped an fell. He ended up breaking 4 ribs and Dr. Baker ordered him to bed for at least 10 days. Lydia kept asking why he was dead. We kept trying to explain he was just resting in bed--hence that is why he kept talking throughout the show.
After the episode, we took a break and had the kids go get ready for bed. During our break, Lydia started telling us about how she climbed a tree, fell, broke her bones on her chest, and then died. I don't know if I should be concerned about this, or just roll with it because it sure does provide some good entertainment!

MaKade's Mission Farewell

MaKade, or Keys, had his open house tonight. Lydia was so excited to go see him. We took the camera so we could one last picture of the two. MaKade will be a great missionary. It is so funny to think about the first time I met him he was jumping all over Grant and wrestling him to the ground when he was about 7 years old. He has grown into a very stalwart young man and I hope that my boys turn out like him.

11 Months old!

Wow. I cannot believe that it is so. 1 month until she turns 1!

This month she has moved onto eating everything that is not baby food. She is a really good eater. But after having Lydia who choked on everything, anything seems like a breeze compared to that. She loves fruit, does okay with vegetables, and seems to tolerate the small amounts of cheese that she gets.

Clapping is her favorite past-time

She loves to crawl around the house, seems to be offended if any door is closed that prevents her from entering her desired room, and does not like to sit still and be held by her siblings any more (much to their huge dismay). She adores her siblings and is starting to interact and actually play with Lydia. She doesn't say much still (Mamas and Dadas are there, but nothing else). And probably her favorite thing in life is water. I have to watch her if either of the girls are taking a bath, because she'll come in and reach into the tub to play with the water. But she will reach so far that her toes are off the ground and one little slip and she would fall into the bath. She is a sweet little thing. Her smile is so contagious especially when she does her cheesy grin. I can't wait to see what her personality is going to be like.

A Work of Art

I love it when hands look like this around here. It means things are being created! I love to paint (not saying I'm good at it, but maybe someday), and I think Karmin has some of that love in her. Plus, her Nana is an amazing artist, so it really is in her blood. Sometimes I feel like Rapunzel--I could paint and paint and I'm sure I could find a spot on the walls somewhere for all the things that would be fun to paint.  But we always find places for the kids' artwork. Speaking of Rapunzel, isn't this a masterpiece?

A Rainbow Princess Party

A little girl that Lydia has had quite a few play dates with this year is going to be moving this weekend to California. So we wanted to have Lydia's birthday party before she left. Lydia has been talking for weeks about her party. She wanted to have a rainbow princess party. I decided to focus more on the rainbow part since I was inviting a boy to the party. I had so much fun decorating and getting the food together.

The kids made rainbow necklaces, played pin the cloud on the rainbow, and a few other things.  It was a pretty simple party, but it totally appeased our soon-to-be 3 year-old. Happy early Birthday, Miss Liddy-Pie!

Wax Museum

The first time I heard that the boys' school does a wax museum, I thought of Madame Tussauds and I wondered how in the world (and why in the world) they would have the kids spend so much time making wax figures of people. I'm so glad I have more than one child. Because everything that I experience with Ben, I am clueless on. Then with Trevor it is all old hat, and I don't have to wonder and worry about what is expected.

So in our school, a wax museum is where the whole fourth grade each research a person for several weeks, write a report, make a huge poster on the person, and then get ready to present the person. They have to have a whole little display of what represents that individual and dress up like the person and have a speech to share--talking like they are that person. The parents then could walk around the school and the students would  present their speeches.

Ben chose Bing Crosby as his person. I was so excited! I feel that we have taught this child well!! At his station he had White Christmas playing on a dvd player without sound, and then he had music that Bing Crosby sings playing on the ipod. Did you know Bing Crosby liked mints? I didn't either, but Ben had some laying on the table for people to enjoy. It was pretty much awesome.

I was floored with how well he did. He was so poised in his character. He spoke loudly so you could hear him (which was a feat since the whole fourth grade and all of their families were there). I was just super impressed.

Bring it on

(L-R) Niki and Ben

When the boys went on the Father and Son campout a couple of weeks back, Ben got to use an air soft gun for the first time. Of course he decided that they were the best thing ever, so he wanted to buy some. He worked really hard to be able to buy a few. At first when he started earning his money, honestly, I didn't think that he would really make his goal so I didn't really think about the ramifications of him actually buying some and I didn't realize how insanely cheap they are. But he did it. I loved the couple of weeks that he was earning money. He was so motivated to do everything. I hardly cleaned the house for several days because he did it all. He even cleaned the garage and the car. It was awesome. Friday his guns came. He was so excited. I think he now lives and breathes air soft guns. Yesterday Grant and I played with him. Yes that is me in the picture. I figured I needed to know what they actually felt like and all the ins and outs of them if I was going to let kids play with them. They don't hurt--as long as you are at least several yards away. It was actually fun. Having boys is crazy. I have learned so much: A little mud doesn't hurt, the bathroom will never be clean, every house needs a wall in the living room designated just for kickball wallball (meaning no pictures on 1 wall so a ball can safely be kicked on it without me stressing out), my beloved "Lardo" (AKA Llardo--the wedding gift from my grandparents that is probably one of my most prized possessions) should never be in a room that boys and balls are in simultaneously, and shooting guns (nerf  & now air soft) at each other is kind of exhilarating.

Oh dear.

Time to put the nail polish and makeup under lock and key. At least it matches.