Broccoli without any bread

I caught Lucy in the bath playing with her toys repeating the nursery rhyme about the "old woman who lived in a shoe" She made an addition the had me laughing.

Real Version: "There was an old woman who lived in a shoe. She had so many children she didn't know what to do. She gave them some broth without any bread. Then whipped them all soundly and sent them to bed."

Lucy's version: "There was an old woman who lived in a shoe. She had so many children she didn't know what to do. She gave them some broccoli without any bread. Then whipped them to bed."

I love her little word slips. Right now my favorite word slips she uses regularly are:

"sombrella" for Umbrella which is making things really confusing when learning her ABC's because there is always a picture of an Umbrella for the "U" and it doesn't match the sound she makes!

"Mazagine" instead of "Magazine" It is especially funny in the context because she is usually trying to be like an adult. "Mommy may I have my mazagine please?" so proper and yet so not.

"Heavenly Evening" for "Family home evening" This is one I hope she never grows out of. It really is heavenly and the funny thing is she talks about it all the time. She asks me all the time "Can we do heavenly evening this morning" after explaining that Daddy is at work and it is morning time she then asks "Well, can I still have a treat?" okay so maybe that is the only reason she wants to have FHE, but I believe she really loves it when we are all in the same room being silly and spiritual together.

Lucy's other talent is interpreting English into Spanish. You can ask her any word and say "What is _______ in Spanish?" Then she will make up a word and tell you. The words are hilarious. If I try to tell her what the real word in Spanish she corrects me and tells me I am wrong. It cracks me up. She is so confident!

Lucy is such a positive person. Talk about looking on the bright side... whenever Levi spits up on something she makes funny comments. For example, Levi spit up on the floor. Lucy's comment is "I am so glad Levi didn't spit up on my dolly! He just missed it!" or when Levi spits up on my shirt "Yay, Levi didn't spit up in your hair." I am glad I have her to remind me that is could always be worse!

Levi had been so much fun lately. He grabs everything! Loves the bath. Loves music. Loves to be outside. Hates things on his head. Shakes his head back and forth like he is saying "no" when he is tired. Still spits up a lot, but it seems like only puddles instead of buckets like it used to be. He is still huge ( he is 19 lbs right now and in the 90th percentile for height and weight) He loves tummy time and has a very flexible back. His very favorite thing is when Lucy comes and plays with him. He just lights up and starts laughing. He has very ticklish thighs. He is very social, but very independent at the same time. Loves to smile. I took him on the carousel for the first time yesterday and he loved it. He is so much fun and I absolutely love having two kids. It is so much more fun than only having one!

A Month of Love!

I learned a powerful lesson this Valentine's Day and now I am feeling like a relationship pro after only 6 years (which I am sure to look back at laughing in years to come...kind of like when you think you aren't a newly wed anymore on your first anniversary, so not true!)

Valentine's Day is usually just not very good. It usually consists of me trying to make dumb little mushy meaningful crafts for Dave which I find under the bed months later, and him being so stressed about doing something for me that he ends up doing nothing and then me thinking he just doesn't care when really he did care, but it just didn't work out. Sound familiar?

This year I had the best Valentine's Day ever and it's not because Dave surprised me with a trip to Paris, although I would be okay with it if he wants to use that idea sometime in the future. It is kind of cheezy and you have heard it your whole life, but serving others is really what makes you happy. It was a very busy day. We had to get treats and crafts ready for Lucy's valentine exchange party, and then played at the park with friends and read valentine's books to the kids. Next me and Lucy made a Valentine for Daddy as well as Lucy's friend Marcus, and a make believe Valentine to her crush Oliver from the play we were in last November (she hasn't seen him since November and yet she still talks about how she is going to marry him). Then we made the pink pizza dough and frosted the treats. I squeezed a quick photo shoot in of the kids. We visited Marcus with Lucy's valentine and then picked up Dave and made pink heart shaped pizza. We had a short Family Home Evening about loving your neighbor, delivered treats to all the neighbors and then finished with a heart hunt. Lucy found hearts all around the house until she found her valentine including nail polish, body glitter and princess gloves. Well then I made a little heart hunt for Dave and I can't tell you what his Valentine present was.

I was sooooo tired by the end of the day and yet soooooo happy. I contemplated why it was such a good valentine's day and realized I was so busy thinking of all the things I was going to do for Lucy and Dave, and the party and the neighbors that I never thought about what anyone was going to do for me. And that is the formula for happiness!!!! If you aren't concerned with what you are getting you will be so much happier. This sounds like a Christmas moral, but it hit me on Valentine's Day this year. I didn't even realize until the next day that I really hadn't gotten anything and it was so refreshing to not be expecting anything. I realized all these years (the whole 6 we have been married!!!)I have been wishing for Dave to be superman on Valentine's Day and that is not what it is about. It is about how you can show your love for others.

I feel like, duh! I mean theoretically I have always known that you should serve other people and be selfless and then you will be happy, but I guess I never actually internalized it.

Love really is a verb. It is something you do and then you feel. The more I find myself waking up thinking, "what can I do for Dave today?", the more I feel like he is the most amazing husband ever. Anytime, I have been upset with Dave it was because I was thinking of things he wasn't doing for me and I hadn't given any thought to his needs. I sure Love this adventure of Love. My favorite moments in life are when you feel like you really grow and have a whole new awareness in life. That is the whole purpose of this life right? To learn and grow and be able to Love more fully.





I caught some of the cuteness and love on camera!

Photo Shoot:






Valentine Party at the Park:


Lucy's Valentine from Marcus

Levi found his Valentine!
Lucy and her friend Emma at the party

They are so full of personality. I love it!


Lucy's hunky Valentine, Marcus!

Lucy helping me make the pizza dough.


The pizza turned out pretty cute!


Lucy wearing all of her valentine gifts the next morning. Notice the body glitter and princess gloves!

Anyway I hope your month and I guess your entire life are completely and totally full of LOVE!!!

Don't Instruct!

Lucy came up to me enthusiastically with a rock, held it next to my face, scrutinized for a second and then said as if making a completely new and thrilling discovery "This rock is just your age!"

What is that supposed to me?

Okay really I just cracked up because it was cute, but I hope I don't look as old as a rock. I may be in need of a little sleep, but come on people let's be polite!

So we pull up at our apartment the other day and Dave and I are talking. Lucy has been quiet for a little while in the back seat of the car. Then she interjects during a pause in the conversation "Don't Instruct!"

"hmmmmm, does she even know what "instruct" means," I think. I am pretty sure she doesn't, but I ask because Lucy's definitions are usually hilarious.

"Do you know what instruct means?" I ask her.

She puts on her know it all sassy face and answers "It means talk. So don't talk."

Okay...maybe she knows what it means...that is weird. I guess I do talk to much. This reminds me of the one time Lucy told me I need to share with Daddy. I was completely confused until she finally got across her point that Daddy needed to say things too. Oh Wow! Don't they say girls use 30,000 words per day and guys use only 10,000. I guess Lucy observed that firsthand.

But really on a deeper level, I probably do instruct Lucy too much. Actions are more powerful than words and I need to remember that sometimes. Besides I don't think lecturing a 3 year old has ever worked for anybody! It's okay, at least I am as old as a rock!

Gumba I dedicate this post to you, because you read them. I hope you are laughing as you try to imagine the scenes of my life!

The Latest Photo Shoot

Here are our latest happenings!

Do you think Levi could pass for a baby girl? Poor Levi, this is what Lucy and I do when Dave isn't home to protect the little guy. Seriously though, he is all boy. I don't think a bow could fool anyone!



Lucy is always begging to hold Levi and then wants a picture. Well, this one turned out cute, so I shared.



Levi is chillin' at Legoland in this picture, while Lucy is playing. He sure loves outings!


Here is Lucy getting ready for gymnastics, striking a pose. She sure loves her class!


We curled her hair for church, because the time was pushed back and we thought we had lots of time, but she has a lot of hair so we were still a little late. But boy did she look cute! (I promised Dave I would never be late again because I was doing Lucy's hair!)


And Levi got a new photo shoot... he didn't mind because he got to be naked half of the time.


Oh, nothing like little baby exploring pictures!



Naked Baby!

Levi is getting to be quite the rolly polly and can even do a few in a row to get what he wants! Look Out Mom! He loves to stand and dances if we turn the music on. His favorite activity is lying on the boppy while playing the toy piano. He is sleeping better these days and so that is why there is a blog post! Hooray!!! Don't get your hopes up too high...I said "better." It is all relative!

two times or twice?

Lucy was playing doctor with Dave and her dollies. The doll had to come in once to get her cast on and another time to get her cast off.

After Dave took the cast off, Lucy was upset and demanded:

"You were supposed to fix her twice"

Dave answered "I did."

Lucy responded "No, you only fixed her two times."

hmmmmm.......


I heard her playing with her people the other day and they were all telling their ages. The first one was "seventeen," the next was "fifteen," and the last was "eleventeen." It made me laugh.

I love hearing her make sense of the world. She has such great vocal skills, but still just doesn't understand everything and it is hilarious to hear her vocalize what she is thinking.

Rapunzel Rapunzel let down your hair!

So My sister Heidi was looking at the pictures on my camera the other day and started cracking up because I had done such a photo shoot of Rapunzel's tower. I will admitt, I am kind of obsessed with the movie. I love it and can't wait for it to come out on video (and if you know me I own about 10 DVD's and don't plan on having collection, so the fact that I want to buy it says a lot!)

So I decided to make a Rapunzel tower because Lucy wanted one. I let her help me paint and glue it. It was a lot of work and it is very not like me. I am not painty. I am not gluey. I am not artistic. I am not crafty. Wow! It turned out great. It looks artistic! There are vines. I painted bricks and vines. Maybe I am crafty. Maybe I just think that because no one else made one that I can compare it to and realize that I am not artistic. Lucy loves it and that is all that matters.

Anyway, I had to document this crafty moment.

I also wanted to say a special thank you to Cassie and Steven Daines for bestowing the small Rapunzel on us. (Steve it was soooooo great to see you and Cassie you pick amazing presents and hope to see you soon too! Cooper keep up the great work! Only 20 more years and you might be able handle this little woman!)As you can see the big doll, didn't fit and Lucy was torn up over it once I glued the roof on. I made a braid out of yarn and was looking for a little doll to glue it on, but I really prefer the real thing! We now play with little Rapunzel every day and big Rapunzel is her Mommy. It is awesome! I am so glad I have Lucy to share my Rapunzel obsession with!



Look big Rapunzel fits as long as there is no roof

Oh no the roof is on.

We can pretend the braid is hanging out of the tower. (It was Lucy's idea to put it on the chair so the tower would be taller)

Pretty much finished!

Added a yarn braid, plus put it in a magical forest!

Now we have little rapunzel! Yay! A match made in heaven! Perfect to scale!