Parrish Family

January

2012-02-06T09:33:00.001-08:00

January flew by way too fast. Adam had his surgery on the 19th. So far, so good. He hasn't had any episodes since and we are hopeful that he never will again. My mom came to help out with the kids for the surgery and took over 100 pictures. Here are a few.

Brandon wore a bandaid on his forehead for 3 days straight. He did not have a boo-boo.

That Jack is something else...

Ian and his cousins, Chad and Tyler.

Brandon and Jackson doing what they do best: rough-housing. Jackson has recently discovered Power Rangers, so he goes around the house saying "hi-yah!" and kicking the air (sometimes people). Brandon likes to chase everyone around with his "Dinosaur Rex." Here they are doing both to each other.

Hey, if you're going to throw a tantrum you may as well go for the full face plant into the floor style.

Ian got to go to lunch with Grandma. It was, of course, the best day ever.

After my mom left, Adam's mom came. It's been way too long since her last visit, the kids were so excited. Ian played games with her any chance he got.
One day I got a phone call from my sister Jill who said, "Hurry, walk out your front door!" I did, and this is what I saw. WOW.

Wow, finally finished!

2011-12-29T19:23:00.001-08:00

Catching up with 7 months worth of posts has taken all day, but it is done. I am proud of myself for doing it before the end of the year. This year has been pretty crazy. We were so sick for the first 6 months. Ian and I had strep over and over again. His surgery seems to have cured that problem. Hooray! Adam made more than 6 trips to the emergency room because of his heart. One while we were on vacation. Four of those trips were in an ambulance. He is having another ablation procedure in January. We are hoping this time he will be fixed for good. When he's not at the hospital he is working working working. Ian is busy with school and piano and playing with his siblings, friends, and his video games. Hailey loves to draw and play Play-Doh. Brandon likes to wander around and eat all day long. He also loves his dinosaurs. Jackson is my little wild child. He's got a great big personality for such a tiny kid and he makes me laugh all the time. He also loves to wear his "Shrek shirt and green pamps" every day. I have been teaching piano lessons. I have 3 students. I finally joined the ward choir and am still the Primary Secretary. Life is super busy. What more can I say? I am trying to enjoy this stage more than hate it, but some days the hating it side wins. My children are very demanding and young and there are a lot of them. But we survive. And they all seem happy. That's what matters right? I can very easily say "goodbye and good riddance" to 2011 and we are hoping for a wonderful new year.

PS you have to click on "older posts" at the bottom to see all of the updates.

Summer Randomness

2011-12-29T18:54:00.000-08:00

Random photos and events from the last 7 months.

Jackson went through a Minnie Mouse phase. He called it "Mickey Mouse" though. We didn't have a Mickey. He wouldn't go to bed without her. Since then he has added Barney, a Care Bear, a dinosaur, Donald Duck, and Winnie the Pooh. He has to have all of his "friends" in his bed with him at nap and bed time. Cute.

Adam's grandparents (Slama) stopped over for a surprise visit. We were happy to see them, this was the second time in one year, a record! Doesn't Adam look like his grandpa?

We spent A LOT of time at the park near the end of the summer. Especially any park with a water feature. This particular park had a small shaded sand pit besides the water area. It was a favorite summer destination.

One night we found Ian in the hall upstairs like this:

He had set up booby traps at our door and the top of the stairs. Hee hee.

We got a new gas grill on Labor Day. It is awesome. Adam is awesome at cooking on it. Yes, that is grilled corn on the cob. Yum.

My Birthday.

Jackson with his dinosaur tattoo. And blue smudge over his eye.

Jackson showing off his great fashion sense.

One day I looked in the snack cupboard and found a whole unwrapped King Size candy bar with one bite out of it.

Ian's tower.The kids on Christmas Eve.

Halloween 2011

2011-12-29T18:07:00.001-08:00

The kids loved Halloween, the twins were so cute. Jackson would say "I got it!" after every bit of candy got put in his pumpkin. Ian was a storm trooper and Hailey was Darth Vader. Hey, that's what she wanted to be. Halloween turned Brandon into a little candy monster devil child. I had to get rid of all the candy after about 2 days. My mom came for a visit that week and we enjoyed her company.

We went to the ward Trunk or Treat and then to a few houses in the neighborhood. The twins thoroughly enjoyed the whole experience.

The Four Amigos. To Ian's left is Liam Clayton, Ian's best friend.

I carved Mario myself. Thank you very much.

That week I chopped about 10-12 inches off my hair. It was over due. I love my new look!

Hailey Turns #5

2011-12-29T17:19:00.000-08:00

Hailey turned 5 on November 22nd. I really can't believe she's 5 years old!

We had birthday smoothies for breakfast.

Since her birthday was 2 days before Thanksgiving, Auntie Marianne flew in for the big day.

Dora the Explorer was the theme. I ordered this cake from Albertson's and was so happy with the results. It sure saved me a headache trying to make a Dora cake too.

The Green cousins came over for a little cake party.

Hailey got a Dora bike. She rides it around our small patio in the backyard daily.

Hailey has really blossomed recently. She has been quite a handful the last few years but is starting to become more agreeable and actually quite sweet and funny. She loves school and has a few friends in her class. The teachers call them the three amigos. She is learning to write her name and practices on every surface she can find, including the fridge. She still has many of those "special" moments, but they are getting fewer. She makes our lives interesting.

I don't have any pictures of Thanksgiving but thought I would mention that I made the turkey this year and it turned out delicious. I was very nervous about it. We had a great time with Jill's family and Marianne. On Thanksgiving morning Jill's husband, Doug, and my nephews, Chad and Tyler, surprised us with a major service project in our backyard. They chopped down all 4 of our Oleander trees and hauled away all the yard waste back there. They were amazing. They worked on it for about 5 hours and did an awesome job. We were really surprised and so so happy.

Tale of a Grasshopper

2011-12-29T17:07:00.000-08:00

Over the summer we got into making "Green Smoothies." Which are basically smoothies with spinach added for extra vitamins. The kids love them and they are quite nutritious. One day I pulled out my half used bag of spinach and, to my surprise, found what I thought was a dead cricket in the spinach. Yuck! I didn't think too much of it except that it was really gross and threw the remains of the cricket and the spinach away. But, the next morning, I found this in an empty garbage can right next to my full one:Yes, it was actually a grasshopper. And it was alive. And after thawing out in the trash overnight, it had climbed out and into the other trash can.

I felt that this grasshopper had been through enough, so I set it free in the backyard. It perked up and walked away.

And then I called Kroger and complained that there was a live grasshopper in my spinach. The woman I talked to said she had never heard a story like this and couldn't help but laugh the entire time she was taking my account of "the incident." I was reimbursed $5.

Ian the Soccer Star

2011-12-29T16:58:00.000-08:00

Since Ian was having a difficult time adjusting to school starting up again, I thought he might enjoy a little extra curricular activity. Enter, Black Eagles.

Don't they look professional?

Ian had a really good time, and it did help him to be a little happier after the rough start to the school year. He was best at playing defense and made a lot of new friends on his team. I am kind of glad it's over though. It was difficult keeping the younger children entertained during the games since they were all at a middle school (no playground). I think we will skip a few seasons till the twins are a little older and easier to manage.

First Day of School 2011

2011-12-29T16:51:00.000-08:00

During the month of July, Hailey had summer school. It was a terrible experience and I think it kind of traumatized her. We had originally thought it would help her to stay in the school mindset through the summer but it basically did the opposite, because it was at a different school with different teachers. As a result, the first 2 weeks of the regular school year were somewhat of a challenge. Hailey threw many a tantrum getting on and off the bus. One day a friend of mine told me she had seen Hailey's teacher dragging Hailey off the bus and into the classroom. Oh boy. It took her a while to readjust but is now doing quite well in school and even exceeding the teachers' and my expectations. She seems to be a happy girl again and her speech has come a long way just in 4 months. Her teachers are confident that she will be able to join the "mainstream" kids in kindergarten next year.

Ian had a little bit of a rough time adjusting too. The 3rd day of school he actually tried to escape and ran half way to a friend's house near the school before he was caught by my sweet neighbor who now takes him to school for me. He has gotten used to things and seems to enjoy second grade now.

Ian Turns #7

2011-12-29T16:40:00.000-08:00

Ian's 7th birthday was July 12th. We had cake with the cousins and took him out to Cici's all you can eat pizza. He ate about 18 pieces of pizza. No kidding.

He wanted a "4 color cake." This is what I came up with.
He enjoyed it thoroughly.

He got a new bike for his birthday.

Ian is a great kid. The first thing his teacher said to me at our parent teacher conference is "Ian's a great student." I'm a proud mama. He loves to read silly books, especially the Adventures of Captain Underpants series. He loves to play the Wii and computer. He loves to play at the park. He is very good at math and reading in school. He has recently started piano lessons and is excelling at it. And he always has funny things to say. We love him.

Ian also had a tonsillectomy in the end of July. It was a long recovery, but after having strep 5 times at the beginning of the year we felt that it was necessary. He has been a lot healthier since then. We all have.

Grandma's 90th Birthday Bash

2011-12-29T16:08:00.000-08:00

After our trip to Idaho we made our way down to Salt Lake City, Utah for a big Nelson Family reunion and my gradmother's 90th birthday celebration. Everyone in the entire family minus one grandson-in-law made it for the occasion. I think it was around 72 people! Our family stayed in a hotel with my parents, my sister Marianne, my sister Amy and her family, my brother Ryan and his family, and my brother Devin. We had a really good time. One day we went up to a canyon to throw rocks into the creek. The water was raging.

My children, of course wanted to keep us on our toes.

We left pretty quickly. We then headed to a park with a tall slide with a very tall, steep, and somewhat dangerous ladder. Don't worry, Jackson only fell off it once.

Marianne and Brandon

All the adults went to a lovely dinner at the Lion House in downtown Salt Lake. My grandma had 3 babysitters at her house to watch all of my and Amy's kids. The house wasn't burned to the ground when we got back, so we called it a success. Here are my sisters and I, Jill, Amy, me, Marianne, and Ryan's wife Renee.

We had a big party in my grandma's yard. Everyone wore party hats (off and on).

Me and my grandma Nelson. She was just so happy to be with the whole family. I'm sure she was exhausted too. I love my grandma so much, I am so thankful we could make it to her birthday. She is an inspiration to me!

Brandon and Jackson hung out at the punch bowl.

Since Jackson got his cast off just in time for this trip, we got to go swimming at the hotel pool. Hailey only tried to drown once.

Ian learned how to swim under water.

It was a very very long trip, but so wonderful to be with family and make memories. We hope it's a few years before another one like this, but we look forward to doing it again some day. I will probably do another post from this trip with the family pictures. I don't have those on this computer....

Boise Vacation

2011-12-29T15:38:00.000-08:00

In June we visited Adam's dad and step-mom in Boise, Idaho. We had never been up there for a visit since they moved there a few years ago. We enjoyed it so much we want to go back soon! Grandpa set up a fun day at the farm with a family from his ward. They own a big dairy farm so we went and saw where milk comes from. There were hundreds, probably thousands, of cows.

We got to pet a baby calf that had been born just the day before. I was surprised the kids went near it since they seem to be scared of most animals. But funny enough they seem to love all farm animals. Grandpa says Hailey was born for farm life. I think I might agree.
After the dairy we went back to the farmer's house where Hailey's dreams were made a reality.
Eeyore the horse quickly became her best friend and took her for a ride around in a circle for about half an hour. She could not get enough of Eeyore. I really couldn't believe how brave she was to sit up on that horse all by herself!

Ian got to ride Eeyore too.

And so did Jack. For about 2 seconds.

I think he was traumatized.
Brandon stayed far away from Eeyore. But enjoyed running around and watching the baby colt and its mother.

Hailey surprised us again when she wanted to be locked in the chicken coup along with all the chickens. I'm telling you, she's a farm girl at heart.

The kids and grandpa went fishing near a fish hatchery. They were convinced that this would improve their odds of getting a bite.

Where are the fish?

Oh don't worry. They're down there. Hundreds of them. Mocking you.
I couldn't get a great picture where they were all looking and smiling so I thought I'd include this silly one. I love Jackson's face.

Family Wedding

2011-12-29T15:19:00.000-08:00

In the end of May we got to go to Newport Beach for Adam's cousin, Brandon's, wedding in the Newport Beach Temple. We had a wonderful time and the children enjoyed staying in a hotel. We, the parents, had different feelings about 6 people (including 2 toddlers) staying in one hotel room.

The happy couple, Brandon and Callie Slama. (I know it's far away, bad editing)

Our family outside the temple. Notice this was when Jackson had his cast. No beach for us! :(
The kids met their uncle Devery for the very first time at the wedding. We hope it's not another 8 years before we see him again!The Evans/Parrish family minus Adam's brother, Brian.

The kids had a blast dancing at the reception. I could have watched them all day.

Evidence that Hailey and Ian don't hate each other after all. :)

Broken Jack

2011-12-29T14:50:00.000-08:00

Back in May, Jackson broke his arm. It's not an exciting story. He climbed up on top of a table in the living room and fell off. Both bones were broken right by the wrist.

Here he is when we got home from Urgent Care.

He was a little trooper getting his cast on. We picked his favorite color, green.
Having a 2 year old with a broken arm is quite the task. I was always so worried he would get it wet or dirty. Especially since Jackson tends to throw up randomly in his bed. It was a nerve wracking 4 weeks. I would put a grocery bag over his cast during meals since he is a messy eater. He got used to it.

Finally off.

I did not save the cast. It smelled. Bad.

This kid is so accident prone. A couple months later he fell on his face at the park and his whole nose area and one of his eyes were bruised. His tooth even started to turn gray but it went back to normal after a couple months. He also had a TV fall on his leg and I thought it was broken. Thank goodness it wasn't! Crazy kid!

Christmas 2011

2011-12-25T20:54:00.000-08:00

A holiday post on the actual holiday? I know, it's a Christmas Miracle! We had a wonderful Christmas. Here are some pictures:

Gifts from Santa

Each of them got their own personalized memory book from Adam's mom. They all love looking at pictures of themselves and our family. What a sweet gift!

A much needed new Sunday outfit for Ian from my mom.

Ian's village that he built right before bedtime.

The kids had so much fun and we had a blast watching them. Brandon loved playing with all his dinosaurs and eating candy. Jackson danced with his Mickey Mouse and got into everything. Hailey cooked with her new toy pots and pans and had a tea party. Ian tried out his new video games and played with everyone else's toys too. Mom and Dad tried to keep up with everybody and cooked a most delicious ham dinner.

A Letter to my Mom

2011-10-03T19:50:00.000-07:00

Mom, I am really losing it over here. Those children, they are out to get me. I know they hold secret meetings in the middle of the night to discuss how they can turn their mother into a crazy basket case. You know those shelves in the stair well? Hailey started climbing them up to the ledge that goes across the stairs. If she fell she would fall about 12 feet or more. Just about gave me a heart attack. I'm glad I caught her before she got there. Then the twins pulled over Hailey's dresser and totally broke it. Possibly beyond repair. Then Hailey threw a big tantrum for no reason and I sent her to her room. I started cleaning up dinner and heard Jackson crying. Brandon and Ian (although Ian denies it) had stuffed him and all their toys/books into that black table with the cupboards and wedged it between the couch and wall so he couldn't get out. I got him out, went up to check on Hailey. She had peed all over herself and the floor because she was mad (she even said that's why she did it) and walked all over the hallway in her pee soaked socks.
I just can't stand it anymore!! What is wrong with these children?!? Please continue to pray for me....
Lisa

One of these days...

2011-07-15T12:25:00.001-07:00

...I will get around to updating this blog! Some things I may or may not post about: Jackson broke his arm, we went on a trip and a vacation, the children destroyed various things around the house, Ian turned 7, and Jackson "broke his face" at the playground. I know, you're just drooling in anticipation.

Christmas and a snow day

2011-05-07T15:29:00.000-07:00

I am determined to have a post of Christmas. Now that it is May, here it is.

The aftermath:

Christmas gets more fun every year as the kids get older. Ian wanted to do everything just like last year. It was amazing how much he remembered. We wanted to tone down the presents this year, but the kids still ended up with way too much stuff. Ian got some video games, Hailey got a new scooter, and the twins got lots and lots of mega blocks. Plus a million other things from us and relatives. There aren't a ton of pictures because I think I was so worried about the twins getting into the kitchen and other stuff that I forgot to take very many. Oh well. We had a nice holiday even though some of us were a little sick. As we always are that time of year.

One day in January it snowed. This is a rare occurrence in Las Vegas and deserves much celebration.

Ian making a snow angel.

The finished product, haha.

Since the kids had school, they only got to play in the snow for about 30 minutes. We didn't even get to build a snowman, which was tragic. The snow melted before Ian got home from school.

Daily life around the house

2011-05-07T14:59:00.000-07:00

Some random pictures from the last few months for your viewing pleasure:

Typical Brandon.

My little leprechaun.

Hailey's first encounter with make-up.

Our first California Poppy.

A picture Ian took of himself.

These three are something else.

One of the signs Brandon is ready to be potty trained.

One day Ian decided to be a king. All the kids got into it and it was SO cute! They played nicely together for over an hour. Still probably the record.

Ian in his throne.

Cute times 2

2011-05-07T14:50:00.000-07:00

The twins are finally starting to play together sometimes. It is so darn cute!

Number 2

2011-05-07T13:27:00.000-07:00

Brandon and Jackson turned 2 back in February. Two 2-year-olds, phew!

I'm pretty sure somebody had strep that week (I have had it 4 times since the new year), so we had a pretty low-key party with just the immediate family (since we didn't want to spread germs). They got lots of clothes, which was just what they (I) wanted, and some books. It was just right for 2 toddlers. Happy Birthday Babies!

Some things you should know about Brandon:

Brandon is a little sweetheart. He wants the sole attention of his mommy or daddy and always looks for moments when he can worm his way into our laps. He says quite a few words and understands us exceptionally well for a 2-year-old. He likes to climb things, splash in the toilet, eat yogurt, take his diaper off, cry a lot, scream (whether happy or sad), eat candy, go down the slide, play outside, dump water on his own head, laugh out loud at movies, wear Hailey's dress up shoes, and skip. He can be very moody, and sometimes drives me crazy with his crying, but when he is happy he is just the sweetest little thing you could imagine.

Some things you should know about Jackson:

Jackson is silly silly silly. Sometimes I just don't know where he comes up with things! He speaks gibberish a lot, to other people and to himself. He is putting words together and saying things I don't think I ever taught him! He has a weird relationship with his pants. He will take them off and then cry because he wants them back on. Don't ask me what his problem is. He likes to run around with his older siblings, splash in the toilet, eat cereal, play outside, play at the park, beat up Brandon, pee on the floor, get into mischief, give hugs and kisses, make messes, and sing and dance. He knows the words to most of the songs on his videos and does a cute and funny little dance where he moves his hips around. This kid makes me laugh all the time, even when I am about ready to tear my hair out in frustration.

The twins are currently in the process of potty training. This has been a scary thing for me, but must be done. Jackson has shown more than readiness, and is pretty much trained already. Brandon has yet to go in the potty, but I'm not in a big hurry. Potty training twins is quite the journey, and there is no one way to do it. I figure since Jackson is more ready we will get him done and then work more with Brandon. So far, so good.

Easter and a new pet

2011-05-07T12:34:00.000-07:00

I am going to try to catch up with the blog, so I figured I may as well start with the most recent. We had a somewhat laid back Easter, including an egg hunt at a park (forgot my camera) and a few dyed eggs and Easter baskets. My mom was in town for Easter. We had my sister Jill's family and my mom over for a delicious Easter dinner.

Apparantly the eggs are kind of depressing....
Ian is at that awkward stage where he can't smile like a normal person for pictures.

Hailey has candy in her mouth.

The twins wouldn't even look at the camera, they knew they had to shove as much candy in their mouths as possible before mommy took the candy away.

For Easter, we decided it was finally time to get a pet. The only pet this family can handle is a fish, of course. The kids got the bowl and we got it all ready and went to pick out a fish. Ian picked out "Darkos", a goldfish with a little black on the tips of its fins. Ian loved him, and would tell him stories and "spend time with him." I've never seen a boy love a fish so much.
Sadly, Darkos only lasted for 4 days. I went and bought a "Darkos 2" while Ian was at school, but then I remembered that a friend had offered her fish tank a few months ago. I sent her a message and she still had it and wanted to get it off her hands. I told her we would take it, and later that day we went to pick it up. What I wasn't expecting, however, was this:

Three gigantic goldfish that were 3 years old! The biggest one was about 7 inches long. At first I thought the kids would be fascinated by them, and they were, but the fish were obviously way too big for a 5 gallon tank. So I posted them on Craigslist. I got 6 calls in 2 and a half hours and a guy came and picked them up that night. Problem solved! I cleaned out the tank and we put Darkos 2 and two new goldfish in. One of the new ones died, but we still have 2 going strong now. Oh the joys of pet ownership, haha.

The Paint Incident

2011-04-22T07:35:00.000-07:00

Every wall in our house is white. Plain, white. I don't really have a problem with this, but I wouldn't mind adding some color here and there. My sister Jill was nice enough to find me some beautiful "purple shimmer" paint for Hailey's room. I was getting excited about actually painting a room in the house, even though I had never painted before. We were going to add sparkles to it too. So pretty! Unfortunately, on March 4th, my dreams were dashed by a terrible and mysterious disaster:

The weirdest part was that I could not find a single speck of paint on any of my children. And no one would fess up to it either. I am pretty sure it was Jackson. I think the can of paint was knocked off of the DVD case I had stupidly left it on and just burst open by itself. Aaaagh! It took 2 hours, 3 rolls of paper towels, a toothbrush, rags, and half a big bottle of Pine Sol to get it cleaned up. And amazingly, I got every bit of paint off the floor and wall! So, lesson learned, never EVER leave a can of paint where children can get to it. You would think I would already know that!

My crazy life, via Facebook

2011-04-22T06:41:00.000-07:00

I thought it might be fun to post some of my Facebook statuses over the last few months. Things have been kind of crazy around here with sickness and toddlers running around (thus the lack of blog updates). Enjoy!
1/31
"Winkle winkle Hailey star, how I Hailey what you are. Up above a Hailey high, wike a Hailey in a sky. Winkle winkle Hailey star, how I wonder Hailey are." ♥ ♥ ♥
I could listen to that all night. If it weren't for the fact that she is drawing on my piano with a crayon while she's singing it!!
2/4
GASP! At Target today while I was strapping the twins into the shopping cart, Hailey ran across the front of the store and out the front door. I had to leave the twins with a very nice stranger to chase after her and found her outside, around the corner, sitting on a bench, with only one shoe, crying. I just about had a heart attack. I really hope she is traumatized enough to never do that again!!!
2/16
My babies are turning 2 on Saturday. This will be the first time we have ever celebrated a second birthday without me being pregnant. :) Now if I could just get over this stupid flu so I can make some cupcakes....
2/18
Lunch at the Parrish house: popcorn for the kids, butterscotch pudding for mom. I think we've reached a new low.
2/19
Happy Birthday to my baby boys!! I can't believe I have two 2-year-olds!
2/20
I love that my son has a best friend. I love that they are "tooth twins." I love that they practically sit on top of each other in Primary. I love that when his friend was sick for a week Ian wrote him a 3 page get well letter and gave him cookies. There's nothing better than a good best friend when you're 6.
2/23
I think I have the sickest family ever. Ian and I both have strep again. So frustrating!!
2/25
Took the twins for their well-checkups. Left with 2 prescriptions for antibiotics. Ear infections. Go figure.
2/26
Nice to have Adam home for the weekend for once. We took a trip to the Natural History Museum, and the twins walked almost the whole time! I can't believe how big they are getting and what good listeners they are! They ran around pushing all the information buttons
2/28
I pointed at my cheek for Hailey to give me a kiss. She leaned in towards my ear and whispered "go away" with a big smile on her face.
3/1
Took the twins to story time at the library this morning. Jackson cracked a couple smiles by the end, and Brandon pretended to be asleep.
3/1
Had a breakthrough today! Barbie.com --- you can cut and style Barbie's hair! Definitely a new favorite for a certain little girl in this house, and maybe now she won't feel the need to cut her own!
3/4
Yep, that's a gallon of "purple shimmer" paint on my wall and floor.
3/5
Note to self: Don't let your husband forget his cell phone when you go to Red Lobster, because one of the children might puke in his crib and the poor babysitter won't be able to get ahold of you.
3/7
Heaven help me! Jackson took off his diaper at nap time and peed on the floor. And so it begins. Meanwhile, Hailey was downstairs flooding my kitchen counter with water. I really think those two are in cahoots.
3/9
I just realized I sent Hailey off to school without breakfast. Great start off to the day. I hope those Pringles she snitched this morning will hold her till snack time at school. Oh, and Ian's home sick. Again.
3/12
Despite the sad death of our microwave, and Hailey has a very painful ear infection, and the twins have colds.... we have had quite the productive day. Best thing that happened: we now have chain locks on the front and garage doors so the children cannot escape. Hooray!
3/17
Brandon locked me in the garage this morning. No older kids around to figure out how to open it back up. Thank goodness I didn't put the extra lock on the sliding door in the back last night!
3/17
I took the plunge and bought Hailey a new dress. She has worn the same dress every Sunday for the last year and it is starting to fall apart. When she got home from school I got out the bag. "Hailey look what I bought for you!" She came over with excitement. I started to pull it out of the bag, but when she realized it was a dress, she screamed and cried at it. And now you know why she only wears one dress.
3/18
Pizza is for eating, Brandon, not for hugging.
He was also stroking it while hugging it....and brushing his hair with Crazy Bread.
3/23
I just love how Hailey spends most of the morning before school in time out. What a relaxing, stress-free way to start the day.
3/29
Two weeks ago our computer crashed :'( Today a co-worker of Adam's was miraculously able to recover the 5 years worth of pictures that were on it :) Back up your pictures, people! Don't wait!!
3/30
Why can't toddlers gain a sense of responsibility as fast as they can figure out how to open doors, climb over baby gates, and take their clothes off?
3/31
My twins discovered the joy of sprinklers this morning on our walk. I haven't laughed so hard in a while! I even saw some people driving by slow down and laugh too. Love my boys :)
3/31
I love having a printed out menu for the week, including side dishes and desserts. It sure makes my life easier! No more popcorn for dinner at this house! Well, at least not as often ;)
4/2
And I thought the "naked phase" was bad with just one toddler!
4/5
"My name is Ian. I is for I. A is for ant. N is for no." - the final draft of Ian's poem, which he cut out with "fancy" scissors and posted proudly on the refrigerator. ♥♥♥
4/7
Ian wants to have 3 jobs when he grows up. He wants to be president, a marine, and a chef. He says "if I get a day off from saving the town, I'll cook!" Have I said how much I love that boy?
4/9
Ian is following Adam around the yard as he sprays for bugs, probably talking his ear off. ♥
4/11
And the diaper war continues.....looks like potty training will commence in 2 weeks (after Grandma comes for a visit). Pray for me.
4/13
Ian will be getting his very own library card this afternoon. He is very excited to show it to the Cat in the Hat at school tomorrow. :)
4/14
Well at least one of the kids likes the potty videos....(the one who is already potty trained). She is even watching the parent tutorial right now, haha. Maybe she'll do the dirty work for me!
4/15
I hate it when it's the 4 year old who is getting up 3 times a night. Mommy is tired Hailey! Just stop it already!
4/19
Ian has strep (again) and a very bad ear infection. He has been crying all day and right now has a temp of 103.5 I am so so sad for him! I've never seen him in so much pain :(
4/20
I thought the twins were upstairs playing with Ian in his room. Noooooo. Someone had left my bedroom door open. I found them in my bathroom. They had found a bag of cough drops and were putting the wrappers in the toilet , and the cough drops in their mouths. Then spitting the couch drops into the toilet , then putting them back in their mouths! I am so grossed out right now I think I might puke!
4/20
So I go to check on the twins who are making way too much noise for nap time and find Jackson, diaperless, everything in the bed is wet including his precious blankie. Great. Now he probably won't go to sleep because I have to wash said blankie. All I can think is 'gee, I'm just thankful it wasn't more than just wet.' If you know what I mean. The day just keeps getting better and better!

gasp, huff, sigh, ugh, bleh, and whatever else

2011-02-04T18:56:00.000-08:00

So my day started when Jackson started screaming at 4am. There was nothing wrong with him so I left him there, but he cried for at least 20 minutes. He finally went back to sleep, but he woke Hailey up in the process. So I had Hailey lay in bed with me so I didn't have to get up. She squirmed for the next hour. Then I suddenly woke up around 6 to the sound of her in the bathroom doing who knows what. She came out in just her diaper saying she needed to go potty. I dealt with that and Jackson was screaming again by then. I took both of them downstairs and turned on a movie. Ian dawdled to get ready for school, Brandon cried all morning. I had to take the 3 younger ones to Target because they were having an amazing deal on diapers, which we always need, and I would rather take 3 children than 4. Hailey ran away from me in the store and I had to leave the twins with a stranger to go find her. I found her outside the building, sitting on a bench crying, with only one shoe. I was pretty freaked out. Then Brandon hit Jackson in the head a few times, and Hailey threw a tantrum at the check out stand. Once we got home Brandon continued to cry constantly. I tried to feed them lunch, but they just threw everything and anything I gave them on the floor and cried. So off to bed for a nap. A little bit of peace for a couple hours, I talked to my mom on the phone. Once the twins got up, more and more and more and more crying. Piano lessons at 3:30. I had to hold Brandon through the whole thing to keep him from screaming. I finally decided he might be constipated. Half an hour later I decided he was definitely constipated. I gave him a suppository. It worked. He seemed to be feeling a lot better. More screaming from all of them while I spent 20 minutes making dinner. I overcooked it. Ian ate, Hailey went in time out, more crying and throwing food from the twins. Jackson finally ate one hot dog (which was not on the menu). Brandon drank some water. I put Brandon to bed at 6:00. Hailey, Jackson, and Ian ran around the living room screaming and hitting each other with drum sticks. I took those away and went in the kitchen. Hailey spit water on Jackson's hair so she could "style" it. I put Hailey to bed at 6:20. Ian and Jackson continued to yell and scream and throw things. I put a movie on for Jackson to keep him quiet and assigned Ian clean up duty. Ian continued to provoke Jackson and be loud. So he went in time out. Couldn't stay quiet. I told him that because he couldn't settle down after I had told him to be quiet repeatedly he couldn't watch his favorite show tonight. He told me "I wish I didn't have a mom. You are the meanest worst mom in the whole world. I'm never going to look at you again. etc etc etc." He will be going to bed early too.

Unfortunately, lately, this is how it has been on average around here. We've also had bronchitis, strep, ear infections, and the flu for the past 4 weeks. So please excuse my lack of blog updates, or enthusiasm for life. I'm just taking it day by day, one disaster after another.

Red Eyes and Haircuts

2011-01-22T21:30:00.000-08:00

I heard noise coming from the living room. And laughing. Jackson has a certain laugh when he is doing something particularly naughty, so I knew it was trouble. I entered the room to find Hailey spraying the twins' hair with Fabreeze and brushing it like she was a hair stylist. Aaagh! It's in Jackson's eyes! So I ran upstairs to the tub with Jackson to flush out his eyes. He actually did very well and let me run water over his open eyes without too much complaint. Ok, crisis averted. As I'm coming down the stairs with him I hear (in a hushed voice) "Keep cutting Hailey!" And I see this:

And this:
She did this with kids' safety scissors?!

AAAAAAAAGH!!!!!! I know it could have been a lot worse. She could have cut a huge bald spot on the top of her head. But to me, this looked unsalvagable. She had cut at least 8 inches off her hair. I cried. A lot. She didn't. But she did have this frown on her face from the time I caught her till about an hour after we got home from the barber shop.

She had cut just the right parts to make it impossible to make her not look like a boy when it was done.

We tried putting a clip in to help it look more girlie. It helped a little, but I'm still not happy with it.

I found out later that there was another victim. Jackson had spots that were cut to the scalp right on top (like I said, at least that didn't happen to her!). I had to buzz it very short, and you can still see the bald spots. I guess she was at it before the Fabreeze incident. Maybe the Fabreeze was to throw me off! Needless to say, a certain co-conspirator will be spending the next week Wii-less. I wonder how long it will take me to be able to look at her without tearing up.

Santa

2010-12-14T21:16:00.001-08:00

I know many of you are thinking "aww, poor Jack." But what you don't know is that he started crying when he saw that he was going to be put in Santa's lap. Then his mean mom said, "We've gotta get the 'crying baby in Santa's lap' picture! So she forced him into the arms of a stranger. He was so distraught he couldn't even scream, he just buried his face in his hands and quietly cried. So yes, poor poor Jack. And I still can't help but love the picture.

Twins first haircut

2010-12-08T13:01:00.001-08:00

This happened a while ago, but I still thought it was worth posting. After a few too many questions (usually from old people) about if my twins were a boy and a girl, I decided it was time to cut off Brandons baby curls. Jackson's hair was a disaster because his helmet made it grow in weird. They were both way over due. Since I didn't know how I could cut both their hair without any help and have it look decent, I used the clippers and buzzed it off. I put them both in their high chairs and clipped away. It took less than 10 minutes to do both and they actually enjoyed watching each other get their hair cut!

I have to admit I teared up a little when Brandon's little locks fell to the floor.

Ah, the bittersweet first haircut.

Randomness

2010-12-08T12:42:00.000-08:00

This is how I get Hailey to behave during piano lessons :)

The twins' first duet.

Adam and the kids planted some seeds that Ian got from my dad's flowers last summer. I hope they sprout!

Halloween/Thanksgiving

2010-12-08T10:23:00.000-08:00

Halloween was pretty mellow this year. Since it was on Sunday we only participated in the Trunk or Treat at the church the day before. That was plenty for us. Ian wasn't even able to do the school costume parade because he got sick at school that day and had to come home early. So sad.

Brandon the monkey.

Jackson the monkey.
Hailey the ladybug, Ian as Darth Vader, and two little monkeys.
Elmo

I gutted and carved all of these myself. Yeah, be impressed ;) The middle one is Hailey's "baby monster."

On Halloween we made caramel apples and drank apple cider. The kids loved handing out candy to trick or treaters. I think they liked that more than going out themselves! I actually enjoyed it a lot too. It was nice and relaxing and the twins got to bed on time. Over all a nice Halloween.

For Thanksgiving this year Adam's parents and nephew, Nick, came for the holiday. It was great to see them and Ian had a blast playing with his cousin. My sister Marianne also flew in, the kids were so happy to see their "other mom." Jill's family came too and I got to be the hostess for the first time. Jill still made the turkey though, she's just so good at it :)

YUM

Dinner was delicious, especially the turkey and rolls which Jill made. She better never go out of town for Thanksgiving!

The kiddie table. Although my nephew Chad (right) is not so much a kid anymore! He is taller than me!

The grown-ups minus Doug who is taking the picture.

It was wonderful to have everyone for Thanksgiving. Adam and I got to get some Black Friday shopping done too since his mom was willing to babysit :)

Happy #4 Hailey!

2010-12-08T10:05:00.001-08:00

My little girl is 4 years old! Hailey had a wonderful birthday the week of Thanksgiving. On Monday (her actual birthday) she got a donut with sprinkles for breakfast. She got to wear a special birthday hat at school. And when she got off the bus after school she did a little birthday dance. "Birthday birthday birrrrthday!" What a cutie! She also got a Play-Doh cake maker and played with it for an hour before bed.

On Wednesday night we had a family party. Hailey had her first helium balloons (I know, deprived huh?) and my sister Jill and her family and Adam's parents and nephew came over. Hailey loved being the center of attention, doesn't she look soooo happy?
Hailey got some pretty jewelry and dolls for her birthday. She sure loved celebrating for 3 days.

So here are some things you might want to know about Hailey: Her favorite colors are purple and yellow. She loves cereal. Her favorite thing to do is color with markers and crayons. She loves to play Play-Doh and with her play kitchen. She is finally starting to talk in sentences, and it is getting a lot easier to understand her. She loves Cinderella and Snow White. She has recently discovered Mickey Mouse Clubhouse and is pretty addicted. She loves to play computer games (Dora, Mickey, Elmo).

Happy Birthday Hailey!

Trouble!

2010-11-05T13:12:00.000-07:00

Nothing like a one year old mocking you to realize you look kind of silly when you're getting after him for being naughty.

Something's missing!

2010-10-22T19:19:00.001-07:00

Moments after the big event:

"Can I put it under my pillow? I need some cash!"

A baby story

2010-09-23T10:19:00.000-07:00

I wrote this a few months after the twins were born but never published it because I felt like it was too depressing. I decided to publish it today because I think it might be interesting and it definitely is the opposite of the "candy coated" version. So, read if you would like:

Well, I have debated a long time about writing about the twins being born, partly because I am still upset by the whole thing, and partly because I'm not sure it would be very good reading. So I am finally getting around to it, and if you don't care to hear about it, don't read it!

I had a pretty rough pregnancy. It started out like the other two, lots of nausea and vomiting, I lost a bunch of weight and didn't gain it back till well into the second trimester. I had to hire a housekeeper because I could barely get off the couch most of the time, and a sweet friend brought dinner once a week (what a life saver!). I was due March 22nd but we knew the babies would come quite a bit early. During my seventh month I started to be very anxious for it all to be over and I hoped to have them any day. I knew that having babies early was not a good thing but I just didn't care anymore. The last week of my pregnancy beginning around the 10th of February I started to go downhill very quickly. I was calling Adam every day asking him to come home and take care of the kids so I could rest. I was getting migraines (which are nearly impossible to make go away when you're pregnant) and dizzy spells. I had been going in for fetal monitoring for the last couple weeks and had an appointment on the 19th, Adam had to go with me because I was getting to the point where I could hardly walk without help and I hadn't been able to hold anything down since around noon. My blood pressure was high so they re-checked it a few times throughout the appointment with no improvement. Then all of a sudden everyone was worried. They made me do a bunch of blood work and gave me a kit to take home to collect my urine for 24 hours (let me tell you how excited I was about that one). They said they would put a rush on the blood work and let me know as soon as they heard. So we went home to wait for the results.

When we got home I called my mom asking her to come sooner than planned because things were really not going well, and I asked my sister Jill to take the kids for the night because I was just too sick to deal with them. About an hour after we got home the doctor's office called and pretty much said "your blood work came back really bad, you need to come to the hospital right away, you're probably having the babies tonight." What?? So we packed up the kids and took them to a friend's to wait for my brother-in-law to pick them up (he actually got there at the same time as us) and ran off to the hospital.

When we got to the hospital they didn't really tell us what was going on. They put us in a room to wait and we sat there for a while wondering what was going to happen. A nurse walked by and asked us what we were waiting for and we said we didn't really know, so she said I at least needed to get changed. Once I got into the hospital gown everything happened suddenly. They were sticking things in me and getting me ready for surgery and finally someone told me that I had preeclampsia and needed to get the babies out right away. They gave me magnesium which is the worst stuff in the whole world. It is supposed to prevent seizures and stuff. It made me feel really hot, like burning and tingling and weird and sick and yuck. It felt like there was a heating pad on my pillow on the highest setting and there was no way to remove it. It kind of made me think of what it would feel like to become a vampire (hahaha Twilight). I was still throwing up when they took me into the operating room but once I had my spinal block I couldn't throw up anymore but still felt like I needed to. It was the weirdest feeling ever. The C-section was ok, I kind of freaked out because of the magnesium so they kept giving me "happy drugs" (according to Adam). Adam kept trying to hold my hand but it felt so hot I just kept hitting his hand away. What I remember the most was being so annoyed at those babies crying. And thinking that I shouldn't be annoyed because it is good they are crying, that means they are alive, but I still felt like "somebody get those babies to shut up!"

After the babies were kind of cleaned up a little they were ready to take them to the NICU and Adam got to hold each one for about a minute and he brought them over to show me. I only got to see them for about 2 seconds and then that was it. I didn't see them in person again for a day and a half. After I was all stitched up I was so messed up from the preeclampsia and the magnesium that the only thing I could do was lay there. I had no voice, my mind was foggy and blurry and dizzy, and I was still nauseated. I felt so angry about the whole thing because the only thing that got me through the whole pregnancy was the knowledge that once I had the babies I would feel better. SO not the case. For the first 2 days Adam went and visited the babies (who were doing extremely well) and would bring back videos and pictures for me to see. In the evening of the second day I finally got into a wheelchair and went down to the NICU to see them. They were each in their own incubator and we could only stick our hands in to touch them, but after about 5 minutes all I wanted was to go back to my bed. It was the weirdest feeling in the world to have just had 2 babies and care more about being in bed by myself than getting to know them.

About the third day in the hospital I finally kind of woke up. They made me walk more and take a shower (which I was fuming about, I wasn't a very good patient!). I complained the whole time. I finally got to hold one of the babies (I think it was Jackson) but after a few minutes I felt like I was going to drop him so I just went back to my room. As the magnesium finally really cleared my system I felt more and more like seeing the babies, and I could walk half way to the NICU before I needed the wheelchair again. The babies moved into a hospital bassinet (that's what I call it) together but Brandon was having episodes of his heart rate dropping so the alarm would go off almost constantly, very annoying. Jackson looked like a little alien, he had a big round noggin and a tiny little pointy face and little buggy eyes....haha. Brandon looked like Patrick Stewart (you know, Captain Picard from Star Trek), he seriously did!! They both were eating pretty well though, it was just hard to keep them awake for the feedings. This whole time they were called "Baby A" and "Baby B" we had such a hard time naming them! The nurses kept teasing me about how my babies were sad that they didn't have names. I know they were teasing but it made me feel bad, I was an emotional wreck as it was and my poor babies didn't have names! We pretty much were set on Brandon, but poor little Baby B was such a quandary. On the 5th day I was there, just before I was discharged we finally decided on Brandon and Jackson. I think we got it right but boy, I hate naming babies!

The twins stayed in the hospital for 12 days total. My doctor told me that if I over-did it trying to visit them he would throw me back in. I had really bad anemia and was still really messed up from the preeclampsia so I was pretty much useless. So I wasn't allowed to visit more than once a day, and one day I didn't go at all. I felt guilty the whole time for not going more, but they wouldn't let them come home until they felt I was doing better and I wasn't going to get better unless I rested most of the time. It was the longest week of my life. The whole situation just seemed so wrong. The babies were doing well though and the nurses really liked them. One nurse told me that Brandon was going to be my star pupil and Jackson was going to be a little hellion.....I thought it was funny, and is still true. We would always laugh so much with Jackson, he would make the funniest faces and he was awake a lot more. Brandon was just such a little sweetheart and would sleep most of the time. He would just lay there when Jackson was screaming his head off, he still does.

On the day the twins were released I was taking a nap and when I came down the stairs after waking up my mom and Adam seemed excited to tell me something. I had thought when the news came I would be so happy but when I heard that I could finally bring my babies home I just felt so overwhelmed and I felt like crying. I was starting to think that they would be in that hospital forever! It was all so weird, I had gotten used to being able to sleep all night even though I had newborns, now the real work was about to begin.

I pretty much planned on not getting any sleep at all the first night, and boy I sure didn't! We kept on the hospital schedule of feeding them every 3 hours a half hour apart. It was very difficult. At least those first couple days they still slept any time they weren't eating. After a week or so the screaming started. I am telling you, I have never heard a baby scream so loud and for so long! Jackson was so impatient, he wanted his bottle RIGHT NOW and he wanted his diaper changed RIGHT NOW. Originally Brandon was first for feedings but I quickly switched them or I would listen to Jackson scream for Brandon's entire feeding. Jackson became the center of attention very quickly, but I always made a little time each day to snuggle Brandon and enjoy the fact that he was such an easy, cute, cuddly, sweet little baby.
My mom ended up staying with us for 5 weeks! It was probably the longest 5 weeks of her life. I know we could not have survived without her and we are forever indebted to her for all she has done and still does for us. (love you mom!) She said she would stay until I was better, and that's how long it took!

The first 3 months of the twins' lives are a complete blur. I have never been so sleep deprived in my life. And I really hope I never will be again. I got about an hour of sleep at a time in between feedings at night and sometimes got naps during the day. I usually averaged a whopping 3 to 4 hours of sleep a day! It was completely out of control. Around the 4 month mark I got both babies sleeping (I wrote about that in an earlier post) and my life has been quite pleasant ever since! Having two little smiling babies who sleep and eat really well is complete bliss! (Their sister on the other hand......well, you know) I guess Heavenly Father has faith in me to raise these little spirits, but for a while there I really was starting to think He made a mistake. Now that we are past the worst of it (pregnancy and the first few months after birth) I finally believe that I can do it and life is pretty good! People ask me how I do it and I usually just say "one minute at a time, and I really don't always do it very well, but we survive." It is very difficult to have 4 children under the age of 5, but I wouldn't trade them for the world!

Back to School

2010-08-31T19:04:00.000-07:00

Ian and Hailey had their first day of school yesterday. Yippee! Ian is in 1st grade and Hailey is back in her special preschool class. It is weird to have Ian gone all day, it seems like forever! They are both enjoying it for the most part, except for the "scary bus" and the 10 minute lunch time. I don't know who thinks 10 minutes is long enough for a 6 year old to eat his whole lunch, but whatever. I am enjoying some time alone with the twins (for the first time ever!) and trying to get into a good routine. It's amazing how quiet the house is with only 2 at home.....haha.

Jackson is 18 Months Old!

2010-08-18T17:49:00.000-07:00

Sweet sweet baby Jack. This boy is just so darn cute I can't even stand it! He's the kind of baby that makes you smile without doing anything. And what a personality! He loves to laugh, he loves to be silly, he dances all the time, and he copies everything. He is increasing his vocabulary, I call him Brandon's little interpreter. Luckily they get hungry and tired at the same time because Jackson actually communicates while Brandon mostly whines if he needs something. Jackson says hi, bye bye, cheese, mama, more, uh oh, all done, and a few other words. He also signs eat, drink, more, mama, and all done. He loves to sing songs that have motions and loves watching movies that have a lot of songs like the Wiggles and Wee Sing movies. He loves his blanky and his thumb (just like big sister). He thinks his big brother is hilarious. He is a little mama's boy. That's just fine with me!! He sure doesn't miss a thing. When the gate is left open he is always the first one through it. And when I bring their bottles in the living room in the morning he runs right to the pillows and puts them out for him and Brandon to lay on to drink their milk. That makes me smile every single day.

Brandon is 18 Months Old!

2010-08-18T15:51:00.000-07:00

What can I say about Brandon? He is his sister's brother. Haha! Drama drama drama. The other day he was mad that I needed to hold both of them so he went and cried in the corner, I just about died laughing (I know, I'm mean). He is usually either really happy and wild or moody and whiney. He's got a little squinty smile like his mama and is tall like his dad. He loves to play "food" and chase the other kids around with a spoon or fork and say "ahh!" He likes to be a copy cat and it is so cute when he and Jackson give each other a high five. Brandon tries to say a couple words. Banana sounds like "ba-ba-ba" and he says "byebye." When Adam comes down in the morning Brandon gets Adam's shoes and brings them to him, this is the excitement of the morning for him. He loves his daddy. If Adam comes into the room and doesn't pick him up right away he screams until he gets his daddy hug. He has recently discovered spinning in circles, hilarious! He is a big time climber, worse than Hailey was, so hopefully he doesn't kill himself. He is such a little sweetheart.

(I had some more videos, but they wouldn't load. Sorry!)

The boys have been going to nursery for over a month now (we broke the rules since I'm the Primary Secretary now) so I am glad they will finally be "legal." Brandon seems to really like playing in nursery. Jackson has to be held by someone the whole time or he cries, hopefully he will get more comfortable soon. They are really starting to be more aware of each other. I feel like they have been kind of behind in that respect. People always told me it was around 10 months that they "discover each other." Mine have pretty much ignored each other until recently. They are SO darn cute and funny when they play together though! I am loving every minute of it and never want this phase to end (well, if I could have it without the teething and whining).

Summer Chaos

2010-08-12T17:52:00.000-07:00

As we near the start of the new school year I have to say Hooray!!! Believe me, I love my children. Every one of their round little faces. But surely, after a long hot summer of staying indoors together, you must understand that the thought of those 'darling' little children spending a few hours AWAY from ME is the only thing that keeps me going some days. Hailey, especially, has been such a joy lately. This week alone she has splashed in the toilet more than once (isn't she a little old to be doing that?), knocked the TV onto the floor, lathered her poor baby brother in bubble bath and sent him spinning in the bathtub, and thrown a few very public tantrums. I'm going to be gray before I'm 30!
I've just got to last 10 more days....

Cute Vacation Pics

2010-07-14T11:34:00.000-07:00

Our visit with my parents was a little dampened by the flu, but we did get out a little. The kids love going to all the parks in Pleasanton, there's always at least a few they haven't been to yet. We loved the colder weather there. It was a nice break from the scalding heat in Las Vegas.

Jackson riding the horsey.

Jackson and Brandon riding the horsey.
This is a long loved baby toy my mom made herself in college. Awww.

Who could resist this face?

Another cherished toy, building blocks! We used to make houses for our Cabbage Patch action figure dolls. Oh memories!

My one child that looks like me.

Jackson was afraid of my dad most of the time we were there. He seems to have a problem with men that aren't his daddy. Anyway, he finally warmed up to him and decided "Grandpa can be fun!"

Hailey wore these skates whenever she got a chance, she must take after her mom!

Hailey, the model.

I think Jackson really enjoyed the swings.
The long slide at "the long slide park."

Ah, the great outdoors.

Ian at the Farmer's Market.

Adam's mom gave Ian "real baseball stuff." He practiced a lot with my mom at the park by her house. He's getting pretty good! It looks like I'll have to sign him up for baseball this season!

Ian Turns 6!

2010-07-13T09:19:00.000-07:00

My baby boy is 6 years old! Crazy huh?

Ian's birthday party was a blast! He wanted a Star Wars theme, of course, so we did "Jedi Training." The kids made light sabers out of foam swords and duct tape, they were a huge hit. Then we practiced our light saber skills and used the force so we could destroy the Death Star. Oh the joy that lit up my boy's face :)

Here are all the partiers with their light sabers (minus Hailey)

Ian got pretty creative with his.
My dainty niece Ashlin.
"What do I do with this?"

"Ah Ha!"

"Pin the light saber on the Jedi"

The Death Star. When Ian said he wanted a piñata for his birthday, this was my first thought. Thankfully my artistic sister Jill helped me paint it, I was really happy with how it turned out!

The twinners

Ian's cake had a dark side and a light side, with corresponding characters. I thought this was a cute idea that I found online, and we really liked how it turned out."Oh yeah! This is delicious!"

We got Ian a scooter for his birthday. It was a long debate between this and a bike, but we loved that we can fold this up and take it to the park with us, and he can ride it on the patio in the backyard. He was really excited to have his "very first scooter!"

And who could resist the joyous smile a video game brings? I bet you can guess what he's been doing since he opened this one up.

Happy Birthday Ian! We love you!

Seven years and still going strong!

2010-06-29T11:33:00.000-07:00

Adam and I celebrated our 7 year wedding anniversary on June 14th. I feel so blessed to have such a wonderful husband who provides for our family, loves our children, and is my best friend. Forget the "7 year itch." I think we love each other more and more as the years go by!

We were at my parents' house for our anniversary, so we got to celebrate by going to see Wicked in San Francisco. I was a little under the weather, so we didn't get to spend the day in the city like we wanted to, but we LOVED the show and were so happy we finally got to see it!

Vacation!

2010-06-28T14:53:00.000-07:00

Let me just say, I am having a hard time blogging lately because all four kids are here all day now and I can never find a quiet moment. So this will be mostly pictures (which I'm sure you care more about anyway!).

We left for vacation a week after school got out. We visited Adam's parents first at their new house. They had just moved in, so it was really nice of them to let us invade with all our messy children! We made our traditional visit to the Monterey Bay Aquarium (Adam's mom gets free tickets from the local library, nice!). We always have a good time there, but it was a little chaotic this time around, as I'm sure you can imagine. I don't think we'll be going again for a few years.

They have a new sea turtle exhibit. I once swam with sea turtles in Hawaii, it was kind of scary actually. This was much more preferable, haha.

This is kind of blurry, but I thought it was hilarious! "The penguin's biting my bum!"
By far the most entertaining part of the whole visit. This turned into quite the splash zone, which, funny enough, is what the area of the aquarium is called.
Brandon got bored quickly with the water and moved on to shape sorting, he actually did a few by himself!
But Jackson... You can see the huge globs of water flying.

This kid was SOAKED! It was like he fell in a pool or something. We had to change both of them when they were done, it took days for their shoes to dry. Jackson was shivering by the end because the water was pretty cold. I would have let him play for another hour but Adam made me take him away from it before he got sick. At least one of us is responsible...haha.
Our traditional kids with Grandma K in the seashell picture. I love doing this, each time our kids double! I also love Ian's face. Ian and his cousin Nick. These two were inseparable during our visit. Nick was also so cute with Hailey, I wish I got a pic of them too.
Adam and his sister Audrey.
The aquarium sure took a lot out of me and the twins! I was more than ready to go home but we had promised Ian we would go to "the park with the big train engine" after the aquarium. Jackson fell asleep almost instantly in the car so we stopped at the park and let the kids play for about 20 minutes with Adam while I sat in the car with the babies. I wish I could have seen Hailey's reaction to these huge slides, definitely her favorite thing to do at any park.

These are the things memories are made of :)

Stay Tuned...

2010-06-23T10:28:00.000-07:00

More coming soon :)

Just one of those days

2010-05-28T18:30:00.001-07:00

Kids fighting.

Babies whining.

Fridge and cupboards empty.

Kids biting.

Babies screaming.

Kids crying.

Babies crying.

Mommy crying.

Children napping.

Short relief.

Kid running in the door yelling.

Baby rolling on the floor screaming.

Mommy taking headache medication.

Mommy begging Daddy to come home.

Mommy laying on the couch in agony.

Children running, screaming, throwing.

Daddy still working.

Two hours later....

Babies sleeping.

Kids quietly watching movie.

Mommy breathing.

Butterflies!

2010-05-20T10:26:00.000-07:00

When I was six years old my family moved to Pleasanton, California from Salt Lake City, Utah. It was a hard adjustment for me and because I was a weird age for kindergarten (the deadline is different in California from Utah) I got placed in Pre-First. I remember not liking the teacher and having a hard time for the first few months I was there. But in the spring, our class did a project that has given me fond memories of Pre-First ever since. We each got our own caterpillar in a jar and got to watch it grow and become a butterfly. I still remember the day the butterflies got released. So naturally, when I saw the commercial for the Live Butterfly Garden on TV, I had to buy it so I could share the experience with my kids!

When our caterpillars finally arrived in the mail we were so excited! There were 5 caterpillars and enough food on the bottom of the container to last till they changed to chrysalides. Ian had already done the whole butterfly thing in Kindergarten a couple weeks earlier, but he was super excited to do it again. I was actually surprised that Hailey was just as fascinated by it as her brother!

The kids had to check on their caterpillars about every 15 minutes. We put them up high when the twins were up, who knows what those boys would have done to them.
After about seven days the caterpillars crawled to the top of the container and hung upside down until they turned into chrysalides. Ian and I ate our lunch in my room so we could watch them without distraction. Those caterpillars are sneaky I'm telling you! We went out of the room for 10 minutes and one changed. Crazy. We never did catch one "in the act" but we did see one just finishing up. I am used to silk worms that spin a cocoon slowly, you can see them doing it quite easily. These caterpillars just decide to change, and they change. It's really weird. In this picture you can see the one changed chrysalis and 3 unchanged, hanging caterpillars.
After all 5 had made the change, we removed the paper liner that was under the lid and pinned it to the side of the butterfly habitat. One of the chrysalides totally freaked out and started shaking violently. I never knew they could do that, did you? You can kind of see the movement in the one to the far left.

Eight days later and ta-da! The butterflies began to emerge. Sorry about the poor picture quality, they were taken through the screen. This is the only one we actually saw come out.

The directions said they like freshly cut oranges and to dip tissues in sugar water so they can drink it. We found out, however, that they aren't that interested in eating anything for the first day and a half, so we kind of wasted the oranges. The most effective method of feeding ended up being a little lid with some sugar water in it. I think they would have liked the oranges if I had put them in a few days after they emerged though.

We released our butterflies into the "wild" this morning. It was kind of fun, and actually harder to get them out of that cage than you would think. But once they got out, they were long gone.

A couple of them flew straight to our oleanders and sipped some nectar before flying away.

Can you see it?

This was SO worth every penny spent. It was educational, interesting, entertaining, and the kids never got sick of it. If you're thinking about doing it, go ahead, it's so fun! We will probably do it again in a couple years :)

San Gennaro Feast

2010-05-10T10:19:00.000-07:00

On a whim, our family visited the San Gennaro Feast at the Silverton on Saturday. Adam got free tickets at work so we thought we'd check it out. It's basically an Italian themed carnival. It was a lot of walking for a family of six, but we managed. We were smart this time and made Hailey ride in a stroller, boy did that help! We let Ian and Hailey each choose 2 rides. Ian chose the giant ferris wheel, and the giant slide. Do we see a theme here?

The worker was nice enough to take a picture for us.
I know it's not the best picture, but look at those eyes!

The view from above.

Adam waiting with the kids.

I really think for $3 they should have let him go more than once. Kind of lame. But he liked it anyway.

Hailey chose the carousel and the train. She loved riding the "pretty pony" and said "Yee-Haw!" the whole time. I have never seen her so excited! Notice the pony-tail, this was the first time we have ever gotten her to keep one in, it was so windy.

We said "chugga chugga chugga chugga choo-choo!" the whole train ride. She is talking so much more these days, it's so fun!

The food was ridiculously expensive, so we settled for sharing Gelato. Ian got his own, and 5 of us shared another one. Does that seem fair? Oh well, his smiling chocolaty face made it worth it.

We didn't really know what to expect when we went, but thought it might be nice to do something different. We had fun and the kids really enjoyed themselves. Afterward we visited the mermaid at the aquarium (since we were there) and then had a McDonald's picnic at the park. My camera battery died after the Gelato picture, so sorry, no more pictures ;)

Stay-cation with Grandma

2010-05-08T12:10:00.000-07:00

Can you guess what this is??

I actually had a hard time figuring it out when I was going through these pictures! It's a sting ray, found in the Silverton Aquarium, which is a fabulous free place to take the kids!
In their Bass Pro Shop they have waterfalls and big stuffed wild animals.

And they have real mermaids!

One sting ray swam up and gave the mermaid a big hug. Crazy!

While we stared at the fish and mermaid, Jackson stared down his drink.

A scuba diver feeding the sting rays. Ian loves scuba divers!

We also made a little trip to the Children's Museum (as we usually do when we have visitors, if you couldn't tell).

Hailey is going to be a pilot when she grows up. One time there was a little boy co-piloting with her and when his mom asked him where they were going to fly he said, "to Las Vegas!" Well of course!

Nothing better than a big hug from a big carrot.

Ian's school had their annual spring carnival. Grandma lucked out being here for it! Hehe. We had a ton of tickets so Ian got to play games to his little heart's delight.

The kindergarten was in charge of the "bake walk." We donated some delicious cookies. Ian won these (not as delicious) rice crispy treats.

Hailey didn't need any tickets. She was completely content doing this:

And this:

Snow cones and popcorn for all! The twins ate at least a whole bag of popcorn, they must take after their dad.

And finally, a trip to the park.

We sure wore Grandma out!

We are finally done having visitors for probably the rest of the summer. No one wants to come to the desert in the summer! I don't blame them. I love having visitors, though, because we get to have a little vacation at home when people come. We are finding out all kinds of free things we can do around Las Vegas. Who knew "Sin City" could be so kid friendly? I still have a list of a few places we haven't seen yet. Hopefully it will be enough to keep us busy when school gets out (*cringe*).

Mom and Daughters

2010-05-08T11:47:00.000-07:00

While my Mom and Marianne were visiting, we got to do my favorite thing: go out to eat! A lot! I was in Heaven! Jill, Marianne, Mom, and I got to go to "The Crabby Shack," as my Mom called it, on one of the last nights they were here. (Joe's Crab Shack, the best place ever)

YUM!
Sisters :)

Since it's Mother's Day tomorrow, I thought I'd add that I feel so blessed to have such a wonderful mother. She sets such a good example to me, and I hope I can raise my kids as well as she did us. I love you Mom!

The last day Mom was here we (she and I) went to the Bodies Exhibition and the Titanic Exhibit at the Luxor. The Bodies Exhibit was kind of weird and very fascinating. My favorite part was the displays of all the veins in different parts of the body. I don't know how they did that! I'm glad I got to do something with just Mom. One of the perks to having Marianne come along!

Photos Grandma Took

2010-05-08T11:23:00.000-07:00

These are a few pictures that my Mom took while she was here. I just think they're cute :)

This is pretty typical.

Chef Jack

This is what Hailey looks like while she's waiting for the bus. Gotta get in that last little thumb sucking/blankie snuggling time.

My Smart Boy

2010-05-07T11:05:00.000-07:00

I forgot what it is like to have a baby that babbles, tries to say words, all the things most babies at this age do. Brandon and Jackson have been making progress, it's really funny what their first words have been. Brandon's was "tickle" and Jackson's was a phrase "all done." I guess they're geniuses since their first words were 2 syllables, haha. Hailey didn't do much of that, she was always really quiet. I did teach her some signs, though, to help with the speech delay. So I have started earlier with the twins (just in case). Jackson catches on really quickly! I have to say, I love this age. They are a lot of work, but so much fun. I love watching them learn and explore!

I haven't figured out how to edit videos properly, so I just cut out the good parts and put them on here. I downloaded some software, but haven't taken the time to play with it. Oh well...Enjoy!

Taualii Visit

2010-05-07T09:47:00.000-07:00

I couldn't decide on just a few pictures from my friends' visit, so I just put them all on here. It doesn't help that these are all from Koreena's camera, and she is a photographer. It's like taking a professional on vacation with you! So, thanks Koreena, for all the great pictures. And for the great time we had!

More pics of the boys.

We went to the Children's Museum on a Friday morning. We were quite the crowd with our 6 children.
This is the baby area (the only place I let the twins out of the stroller). Brandon likes to do laps around the little enclosed circle. Jackson likes to explore and taste everything. The little girl is Jossy, Koreena's daughter. She is SO cute!

Caged!

Hailey trying to blow a bubble.

Almost!

Me and my bubble.

This water table is always a favorite. You can put in walls to divert the water into little rivers. The kids are always soaked afterward, but it's so much fun!

Brandon patiently snacked on his sock while the kids played.

Jackson, awwww.

This is new. The little circles light up and the kids jump on them as they change color. This is Hailey's favorite, it's quite difficult to pull her away from it.

Brandon's getting a little bored....

Ian's other favorite. The green screen. He and Matty played soccer for quite a while.

Everybody jump in!

That afternoon we went down to the Strip. The Strip on a Friday afternoon, you say? With 6 kids 5 and under? Bring it on!!

As I said before, M&M World was a big disappointment. As cute as all the M&M merchandise was, most of it was breakable. I think I grew a few gray hairs in that place trying to keep Hailey under control. We went in to see the 3-D movie, hoping it would salvage the trip, but alas, they told us the movie had broken and couldn't be shown. After we were all settled in our seats with our 3-D glasses. Are you kidding me?!? Nonetheless, the kids loved picking their own colors of M&M's, and as much as we thought it wasn't worth the walk down there from the Bellagio, they had fun. And that's what matters. Right?

I just love this picture of Hailey. I don't know why.

And of course, the Fountains at the Bellagio. The kids loved it. Even the twins were fascinated with what they could peak at through the guard rail.

I love these pictures of Ian and Matty. They really were so cute together the whole time.

I couldn't control Hailey, she is such a handful. And since Adam wasn't with us, Dan (Koreena's husband) helped. He is such a good sport!

Me and Koreena. You can kind of tell how exhausted I am after such a long day!

We had such a blast, it really was a wonderful visit. I hope they want to come again sometime!

Sweet Babies

2010-04-19T13:55:00.000-07:00

Check out Brandon and Jackson's Photo Shoot! My friend Koreena did a fabulous job. Thanks Koreena!

When you're the best of friends

2010-04-14T19:36:00.000-07:00

My good friend and former college roommate Koreena and her family visited last week for a few days. We had the best time, and our sons became bosom buddies. They got along so well, I almost had to adopt her son Matty!

Here they are making "grump faces," as Ian called it.

I just love this! We went to M&M World on the strip (it was lame, don't go there). We made Ian and Matty hold hands so they wouldn't get lost. I think this is too cute (so don't read too much into it!!)

A lot of bins, a little peace of mind

2010-04-14T17:43:00.000-07:00

The toy clutter in our house, like many others, has gotten quite out of control. We finally decided to either mega organize, or trash the toys. So we invested in clear bins, divided up the toys, and stacked them in the garage. Since then my life has been quite nice! It didn't take long for the kids to learn that they have to clean up and put away one bin before they can get out another. Hailey will even clean up without being asked and carry the bin to the garage door by herself. Problem solved!

Twins

2010-04-14T17:29:00.000-07:00

I love watching Brandon and Jackson interact. Lately they have started playing together more, talking to each other, holding hands when they're in their high chairs, lounging together, etc. I guess this is what people mean when they say how fun they think it would be to have twins!

I thought this was so funny! They both had their legs crossed in opposite directions.

This boy is growing way too fast! Doesn't he look so old? Now that Jackson is walking more it is so funny to watch them both waddle around the house aimlessly. Sometimes Jackson follows Brandon around. They are quite the pair.

I guess from these pictures it kind of looks like all they ever do is watch TV. Oh well, I thought they were cute pictures.

April Fools!

2010-04-14T15:01:00.000-07:00

Jackson had his "exit appointment" on April 1st. I can't believe how fast 4 months went by. I got so used to his "hat" that he looks weird to me now. But still cute!

Every time we visited the clinic they would bring out "Jackson's head on a stick." They would use the cast of his "old head" to compare how the shape has improved. I always thought it was the funniest thing! To my great pleasure, they let us keep it as a souvenir!

One last kiss for his beloved "hat."
His little noggin has taken some getting used to. He wore the helmet all of the time except bath time, even for sleeping, so it just kind of became part of his head to me. I am not 100% happy with the results, but with how bad it was, there wasn't much more they could do. We knew going into it that he would more than likely finish with some asymmetry. I am, however, 100% happy that we did it, and I do see quite a difference. If you're interested, check out the before and after pictures! I couldn't get the pictures directly on here, so hopefully this link will work, it took forever to figure out.

Jackson's Case Study

We've Got Two!

2010-04-14T13:59:00.000-07:00

Easter 2010

2010-04-14T13:44:00.000-07:00

Ian went with his Aunt and cousins to visit Grandma in California for Spring Break, so I got to spend the week with the younger 3. I was so relieved that I didn't have listen to fighting for a whole week! That Monday one of my good friends set up an Easter Egg Hunt at the park, it was loads of fun. Hailey loved it, and we really missed Ian!

The kids were supposed to pick up only ten eggs, but the little ones who couldn't count ended up with a ton. Doesn't she look so happy?
The twins spent the whole time in the stroller. We had a little lunch after the hunt, which Hailey didn't eat because she was too obsessed with the candy. The little boys sitting on the ground are my friend Abby's kids. They were so funny, they dumped all their candy on the ground and just sat down and ate it all! I couldn't help but laugh, but she had quite the mess to clean up afterward.

We were so glad to have Ian home in time for Easter Sunday. I sure missed him! We did dye eggs, but I didn't take any pictures. Sorry. Hailey got a "Pony Car" in her Easter basket (Thanks Grandma) which she wouldn't put down for hours. Ponies are her new thing, if you couldn't tell.

Ian got the new Alvin and the Chipmunks movie and couldn't stop eating his candy to take a picture...haha.

We enjoyed watching conference that weekend. I felt inspired to become a better mother and wife and person in general. I love conference! I am so thankful for my Savior and that we can celebrate the atonement and his resurrection at Easter time and teach our kids what life's all about. Happy late Easter!

School Girl Hailey

2010-03-22T19:42:00.000-07:00

Today was the big day! Hailey was so excited about getting dressed in her school clothes and wearing her backpack. We waited a long time for the bus (it was a little late) and she was as happy as can be.

But.... when the bus showed up, she quickly figured out what was really going on. One look at that bus driver and she turned around and started running in the other direction! I had to grab her and take her onto the bus. She screamed and clung to me for her life, to no avail. As the bus pulled away I could see the little girl Hailey was seated next to staring at me with a pleading look and covering her ears with her hands. Poor little thing. I cried off and on the whole time she was at school. It was just heartbreaking! When she came home she was calling for me from her seat on the bus but not crying. Hooray! Hopefully today was the hardest day.

After school Hailey got a My Little Pony as a "first day of school present." She has been waiting for months for a pony of her own, so she was quite pleased.

I think we're all relieved we got through the first day. Soon she will be waving goodbye and hopping on the bus like she owns it. Right?

Nelson Family

2010-03-20T07:11:00.000-07:00

At Christmas time my whole family got together for a little reunion and to celebrate my mom's 60th birthday. It was wonderful to have everyone together and we got some great family pictures!

(I know it's hard to tell, so, Jackson left, Brandon right)

The whole Nelson Family. Two parents, six children, twelve grandchildren!
The 8 of us. Oldest to youngest: Ryan, Jill, Amy, Lisa, Devin, Marianne

Blog Blah

2010-03-19T13:58:00.000-07:00

I don't know why it has been so hard to update my blog lately. Sorry guys. I am still not sure when I will get any more pictures up here. I'm kind of in a blog blah. But I thought I'd at least give an update. Hailey is all set to start preschool on Monday. I am so nervous! We met her teacher yesterday, and I am sure she will love it, but I feel bad that she is going to be put on a bus and taken away without her mommy all of a sudden. The teacher said most kids cry the first few days but she will start to like it. *Cringe*!!! I'll be glad when the first few days are over.

Jackson will be done with his DOC Band on April 1st. I can't believe it has already been almost 5 months.

Ian has been doing very well in school. He is getting so good at reading! It's amazing how young they get started these days.

My little baby Brandon is becoming a full blown toddler. He is walking all over the place and eating everything in sight. The twins are starting to play together more which is so fun to watch. And they are even starting to have little fights about toys. Oh boy!

Eggs, Anyone?

2010-03-12T18:11:00.000-08:00

My daughter is so thoughtful. She always helps remind me that it's time to clean the kitchen floor. And she's teaching her brother how to be thoughtful too!

Finally, All of a Sudden

2010-03-10T08:36:00.000-08:00

Yesterday I had a meeting with a team of educators to make a plan for Hailey. This process began December 2nd, so it has seemed to take forever. She was tested by a psychologist, a speech therapist, and a nurse to evaluate her speech delay and other aspects of her development. I have been frustrated that it has taken so long, but the wait is finally over. The meeting took over an hour, but then all of a sudden they said "alright, well we're finished here, you'll get a call within a week and she'll start school right away." What??? I guess I don't know what I expected but I was a little caught off guard that she would be in preschool within a couple weeks! She just seems too little. I am so happy that she is finally going to get the help she needs and thankful that the school district provides this free program. Hooray! I am very nervous about her riding the bus though, while Ian is green with jealousy. You wouldn't believe the fit that boy threw over it. I told him he gets to ride the "Clayton bus" (the family that takes him to school) but he quickly shot back "no mom, that's a van!!" Oh well, he'll get over it. Someday he'll realize that taking the "short bus" to school isn't exactly the coolest.

Another thing that caught me off guard recently, Jackson only has 3-5 weeks left with the helmet! We have gotten so used to his "hat" that he looks weird to me when he doesn't have it on. I can't believe he is almost done and his head is looking so much better. These kids are growing too fast!

Ta Da!

2010-02-23T09:19:00.000-08:00

Happy Birthday Brandon and Jackson!

2010-02-22T09:17:00.000-08:00

Brandon and Jackson had a little birthday party on Saturday with the family. They loved their cupcakes, it was their first time really eating any sugar. They were pretty wound up after that!

Jackson crumbled his a little and then ate the pieces.
Brandon squished his into a sort of paste and then tasted his fingers. This is his second cupcake.

Opening presents is a family affair.

Seven kids opening presents = mass chaos. We had a hard time keeping track of what was from who, they all just kind of attacked!

Grandpa Nelson came for the weekend. It was so wonderful to have him here!

The twins got a Toy Story couch as per our tradition of getting the one year old his or her own little chair. Sorry boys, you have to share. I knew it folds out but didn't know about the fun sleeping bag feature! Hailey snuggled up in it later for about an hour and watched Dora.

I am so thankful that we survived this first year with twins. It has been quite the adventure. Brandon and Jackson are such little sweethearts. I sure have my hands full, but so is my heart.

Bath Time!

2010-02-22T08:39:00.000-08:00

The twins had their first bath together and without the bath seat. I thought Brandon would be all over the place going nuts. I was wrong again. Jackson sure surprised me!

Brandon is growing up!!

2010-02-10T09:22:00.000-08:00

Brandon has decided he's ready to become a toddler. Now if he could only overcome his fear of walking hands free. Haha.

The other day I realized that Jackson was alone downstairs. To my surprise I found Hailey and Brandon upstairs in the playroom. Scary!! Now every time I turn my back Hailey is taking down the gate and coaxing her brother to climb the stairs. I knew these two were a troublesome team! Looks like it's time to get a gate that's screwed into the wall.

Twin Interactions

2010-02-09T08:25:00.000-08:00

What starts out as cute toy sharing...

Quickly turns into...

Crazy Brandon!!

Peak-a-boo Brandon

2010-02-09T07:58:00.000-08:00

Brace yourself, this is pretty cute

2010-01-19T18:06:00.000-08:00

Sick

2010-01-08T10:01:00.000-08:00

I have so much stuff to post on here, but it probably still won't happen till next week. We all have come down with a terrible cold. Hailey has had it for over a week and today she is just as bad as ever....yick. The twins have been super whiney, Ian has been bored, and I have just been trying to survive it all. Adam came home early yesterday to help. Thank goodness! Today I am back on my own and the twins seem to be doing better, but I still feel quite yucky. Hopefully this won't last too much longer, I hate being in survival mode! Thanks for your prayers, we appreciate them.

Hailey at her finest

2009-12-22T21:35:00.000-08:00

I know I am a mean mommy to laugh at her poor speech skills, but you have to admit it is funny.

Hailey when she gets angry...

"I'm the actor of this movie and you're not!"

2009-12-22T21:01:00.000-08:00

10 Months Old

2009-12-19T13:00:00.000-08:00

The twins are 10 months old today!

Jackson is my little tiny sweetheart. The first few months of his life I would have never believed that he would become so easy going and sweet sweet sweet. He is quite the little chatter box too! He can say "ga ga" and "da da" and he responds when you say it to him. He can crawl quite well, but still can't seem to find the balance to sit up. Oh well, just means it will take him longer to walk. Darn. He has adjusted well to his helmet and is just so darn cute in it. He loves to eat cereal and fruit with his brother, and waits patiently for his turn while Brandon whines that I'm not feeding him fast enough. When he gets sleepy he rubs his eyes a little and yawns, I adore that! He is a thumb sucker like his sister, but hopefully it won't be as long term for him. I just love having him around, he makes my heart flutter!

Oh Brandon, what can I say? This one is way too grown up to be only 10 months old! Sometimes I don't believe they were born the same day, and I'm their mother! Brandon is my little comedian. I can just tell he thinks he is hilarious. When I come into their room after they wake up he gives me a look and laughs his little head off. Hmm, maybe he is really laughing at me. He loves to clap and he loves to get into everything! I frequently find him standing up on one of the bouncy seats trying to destroy my blinds. He has observed Ian using boxes to stand up and get to things and has tried to copy him (this is quite scary to me). He has learned that Hailey can be his partner in crime so he follows her around and waits for her to get into stuff so he can be a part of the fun. I think this one will be walking within a few weeks, earlier than both Ian and Hailey who both walked before their first birthdays. Oh boy! I love his little happy personality, he always lights up my day.
I am telling you, these two are out to get me!

A special moment in the Parrish house

2009-12-19T11:48:00.000-08:00

I might have mentioned we have all been sick this week. It looks like Jackson is the caboose of the sickness, lucky him. He has been kind of spitting up more the last 2 days. Today it seems he can't hold anything down. So this morning just as he and Brandon finished their bottles Ian started yelling "Hailey's spilling water all over!" I looked over to find this to be true. Aaagh. I was holding Jackson and set him on the floor, forgetting that he doesn't sit up as well as his brother. He, of course, fell over and started crying. I grabbed a towel, threw it on the water and quickly picked Jackson back up. He started to calm down, but then....

Let me tell you, there was more in my shirt than there was on it.... the funny thing was it ended up quite convenient that Hailey had just spilled water all over. I used the wet towel to clean the vomit off the floor! I think this might have just been Jackson's way of helping me to get a desperately needed shower (I think this picture depicts just how desperately). Or, maybe he just wanted to wear his cute snugly Christmas outfit...
And how, you may ask, was I able to get a shower with all four kids awake?

Don't look so happy to be playing computer games Ian.

So, I guess it was really a blessing in a stinky disguise! =)

Thankful

2009-12-19T08:18:00.000-08:00

For some reason this morning I am feeling so much joy and gratitude for my family, my home, and my life. It is a little weird because this week has been extremely difficult. We have all been taking turns being sick, the kids have been throwing up, Adam has been working 15 hours a day, I haven't been able to go grocery shopping so we have been eating PB&J and cereal for days, etc. Despite all of this I can't help but feel so thankful for all I have. I love my family so much. Every time I spend a little one-on-one time with the kids I realize what sweet spirits they are. Last night Ian and I played this silly game where you decide if certain statements are true or false. We laughed so hard, Ian almost peed his pants! It was bed time but we just couldn't stop turning the pages of the little book. I love when I put Hailey to bed and she has to give me about 15 kisses on each cheek. I leave the room covered in slobber but feeling very loved. I love how Brandon gets so cranky because he's tired but when I take him upstairs and he sees that I'm taking him to bed he starts smiling and laughing and patting my shoulder. I don't know if this is because he is trying to avoid going to bed or because he is excited to go to bed, but either way it's cute. I just can't stand how cute and sweet Jackson is. Sometimes he just lays on the floor and reaches for a toy and plays contently for a little while. He is so easy going (and he sucks his thumb which is so cute!). I love the moments I have with my children that bring peace and happiness and laughter in the middle of all the chaos and crying and fighting. I have come to accept that I have to do most of this alone because Adam has such a crazy work schedule, and I want to do better and enjoy more about this time of our lives when my kids need me so much. I have been stressing so much about a lot of things, but it's not worth it, they will only be little once, so why not have a little fun?
I am also so thankful that Adam is able to support our family. I have complained a lot about his job and the hours he works. It gets so frustrating at times, and at this point we have to communicate through emails because he doesn't have time to talk to me at all during the day. I am starting to feel like the murmuring family of Lehi.... I know, though, that it could be a lot worse. He doesn't have to go out of town, and when I really need him he usually finds a way to make it so he can help me. We have a wonderful home and everything we need because he works so hard, and I am lucky enough to stay home and raise our children.
I don't know if it's the season or just the good mood I was in after laughing so much with Ian last night but I am just feeling at peace with my life today. I think it is more Heavenly Father letting me know I am not alone even if I am physically. I am so thankful to know that He loves me and is helping me fulfill my responsibilities in this life. I know that it is by the grace of God, and the support of good friends and family, that I can do all that is required of me. And so I'm thankful.

But Mom, It's our castle!

2009-12-16T10:45:00.000-08:00

Maybe Old Mother Hubbord had a 5 and 3 year old...

As glad as I am that my kids are creative.....Really????

Brandon's tip of the day

2009-12-16T09:15:00.000-08:00

Don't sleep on your hand...

This was seriously the funniest thing ever! You could even see the fingernails!

Jackson's new "hat"

2009-12-15T09:56:00.001-08:00

Jackson has been diagnosed with plagiocephaly. Basically, his head is a little lopsided. We have been in the process of getting him a DOC Band for a couple months, and he finally got it yesterday. So far he doesn't seem to mind it too much, except last night he cried for a while (although that could have been for a number of reasons--congestion, hunger, missed nap, etc.). He has to wear it 23 hours a day for 3-4 months. After that his head should be a nice round shape!

He's not making this face on purpose, the band squishes his eyes in certain positions. I have been told this won't happen anymore after a week or two.

I am happy that we can do this for Jackson (and that our insurance covers it!). Life's hard enough without a lopsided head :)

Ball = Delicious

2009-12-15T09:48:00.000-08:00

Company Christmas Party

2009-12-12T14:20:00.000-08:00

Adam's company had the best Christmas party this year! It was at a bowling alley, Santa was there, and there was food and presents! Can't get much better than that! Ian was so excited to see Santa again (he was at our ward Christmas party too). He loves any chance he can get to remind Santa that he wants "Wii sports 2" (Wii Sports Resort). Santa gave each of the kids a present, all of which ended up being something we have considered buying for the kids ourselves! Sweet!

Hailey was not as excited as Ian. She had her legs wrapped around me like a little vice, she was terrified! She liked the balloon-making elf though. And she was happy to receive her present from Santa. Maybe next year she'll realize she likes Santa...
The babies, of course, didn't know what to think. But Jackson decided Santa was not his favorite part of the day.
For those of you who can't tell them apart, Jackson is in the stripes, Brandon in green.

"Mommy! This guy is a little scary!"

"I wonder if he'll scream if I pull on that hair coming out of his chin."

Ian had a blast bowling all of our games. We were so busy keeping track of Hailey and taking care of very sleepy babies we didn't get to play. I don't think he cared one bit.

All of the loot they came home with... a big "punch bag lion," Mr. Potato Head, a big pack of Play Dough, a Hot Wheels track, and a V-tech roll around light up ball thingy. I guess we don't need to get them anything for Christmas after all!

Hailey played with Mr. Potato head for about 2 hours that night. Who would have thought?

Earlier that day at school, Ian made a milk carton gingerbread house. He was very proud. He ate the candy off of it today...

My independent kids

2009-12-12T14:09:00.000-08:00

Aaaaagh!

Aaagh!
Double Aaagh!

Who said this kid could grow up so fast??

Look who can hold his own bottle!

Ian wanted to donate my whole pantry to the school's "Operation warm heart."

I convinced him to just take what he could carry...

I think the shoes help with comprehension, don't you?

Can we say "TV Junkies?"

2009-12-12T14:06:00.000-08:00

Baby Einstein, what would I do without you?

Potato Battle

2009-12-12T13:56:00.001-08:00

Our ward Christmas party was a week ago. I volunteered to make a portion of the mashed potatoes. Little did I know I would spend the whole day making 20 pounds of mashed potatoes!! It took over an hour to peel and cut all of them up (I was interrupted a few times of course).

I had to use my 3 biggest pots.

I used my KitchenAid mixer to mash them, I knew my arm couldn't handle it. Seven batches later.....

And what where the kids doing while I was making 20 pounds of mashed potatoes?

Destroying the house of course!

Needless to say, I spent the rest of the night after the party cleaning everything up. I think it would have been easier to cook a whole turkey! I'll have to remember that next time...

Goodbye Marianne....sniff

2009-12-12T12:35:00.001-08:00

My sister, Marianne, lived with us for a little over two months and left last week. We were SO sad to see her go but we know she needs to get on with her life.... On her last day we went to the ponds behind our house and spent some fun time with her. Life has been rough without an extra pair of hands but I am so grateful for all she did for me and helped me with (especially getting Hailey potty trained!!). We love and miss you Marianne!!

Jill, Marianne, and I had a sisters' night out just before Marianne left. We went to Joe's Crab Shack, so yum! I dare anyone to eat more crab than Jill, haha.

Thanksgiving....when was that?

2009-12-12T12:24:00.000-08:00

Yeah, I know, it's a little late. This year Jill deep-fried the turkey, so yummy! Their family was going to go up to Utah for Thanksgiving but we were sure happy when they cancelled and had to have it with us! Jill is a much better chef than I am :) The food was delicious and it felt so much more like a holiday with more of the family around.

Marianne's contribution: pouring the yummy drink.

Adam entertained the children....

What's Thanksgiving without a little holiday piano solo?

Marianne doing her favorite thing.

Giddy-up pardner!

I guess we were too busy enjoying the yummy food to take any pictures of us actually eating! Jill and Marianne and I went to New Moon later that day. We played pass the pigs while we waited for it to start. You can't beat that!

Funny Box

2009-12-12T10:03:00.000-08:00

Candy Song

2009-12-12T09:17:00.000-08:00

"Doo doo doo...candy"

On the move

2009-12-12T08:07:00.000-08:00

Happy Number 3!

2009-11-30T08:03:00.001-08:00

Hailey had her third birthday on the 22nd. It was a fun day, and I finally got to give her the present I had bought almost a month early....I think I was more excited than her! Hailey is a sweetheart and such a blessing to our family. She loves to color and watch Dora the Explorer. She likes string cheese and spaghetti (not together). She can draw a circle. She loves to wear "pretty dresses" and shoes. She loves blankets. She loves to give lots of kisses. She can put her shoes on the right feet and open her own sucker wrapper. She often hides randomly under blankets and will wait up to 20 minutes for someone to discover her. She can do a somersault. The list goes on and on. We love our little girl and are so thankful to have her in a house full of boys!

Hailey's play kitchen and shopping cart. She loves it! And so does Ian...

Hailey blew out all of the candles by herself!

She loves pillow cases!

Five Little Pumpkins

2009-11-06T11:24:00.000-08:00

Livin' it up

2009-11-03T08:06:00.000-08:00

We are so enjoying having my sister Marianne living with us for a couple months. She is such a saint to come help me with my crazy and wild kids. I am so glad my kids have gotten to know and love their Aunt, hopefully they will always have a special relationship with her. We have been passing a few milestones with the twins. Jackson has 2 teeth now and Brandon has one and is painfully working on a second. Brandon is sitting up like a pro and crawling, well, like a little frog. They both can clap and are just such a joy to have around! Hailey and Ian have been busy eating candy and playing together (though not always so nicely). I am glad they are finally getting along sometimes.

The proud Auntie

"Ok Jackson, you look at the camera innocently and I'll get her!"
Nothing more comfortable than a cupboard full of stuffed animals!

SO cute! These two love to watch movies and eat popcorn with their pillows and blankies.

He's on the move!

Do you have any 3's?

What a big boy!

Jackson loves to hold on to the "handle" while he jumps. Makes him feel safer.

This kid constantly has his tongue sticking out of his mouth! Always to the left, what a silly boy.

I feel like we have been way too busy lately. It seems like every where I turn there is someone needing me, I guess that's what motherhood is all about. I absolutely love this baby age, they are so curious and want to look at and touch everything. Yesterday Jackson grabbed a big handful of my sister's cupcake and Brandon learned about dirt at the park. The weather has been beautiful the last few days so we are trying to take advantage of it and get outside a little more. What a wonderful time of year!

Happy Halloween!

2009-11-02T19:00:00.001-08:00

Halloween seemed to sneak up on me this year. Somehow we still managed to get everyone in a costume and have some fun! We went over to the church for a "trunk-or-treat" and decided it was just perfect for our young kids. They had a blast, Ian must have gone around to all the cars at least 4 or 5 times. After that we took Ian down a couple streets to knock on doors. The weather was beautiful! I was so glad after a very cold and blustery week.

"Eeewww!"

Ian completely filled his bucket at the ward "trunk-or-treat." I finally started telling people to stop giving him candy! I spent all day carving this jack-o-lantern, and it looked great, but my candle wasn't bright enough to show it's true awesomeness in the dark. Oh well, better candles next year...

Hailey was a little scarecrow girl, Ian was Darth Vader (again). Somehow I didn't get a pic with the mask and light saber.

After one trip around the trunks Hailey started on this sucker and it had her entertained the rest of the night! Success!

Jackson was asleep so we just took Brandon to the trunk-or-treat (don't worry, we didn't leave Jack home alone ;) ). He was SO stinking CUTE!! He wore this costume (thanks mom!) and smiled away the whole time!

Here he is in the other costume I had for Jackson.

And here's my little sleepy head! We just took a pic of him in the costume, sad we didn't get to show him off at the party though!

Hailey got a cupcake which she enjoyed thoroughly.

And her favorite: suckers!! She was doing a little sucker dance with three Tootsie Pops when I found her in the kitchen. She sure loves those suckers!

Ian and his loot.

Hailey loves candy!

Hailey loves the Wiggles!

2009-09-17T18:26:00.000-07:00

Finally, a video where she's wearing clothes!

"Everybody clap. Everybody sing. Bow to your partner. Then you turn around. Hands in the air, rock-a-bye a bear. Bear's now asleep. Shh shh shh. Bear's now asleep. Shh shh shh."