What level can you get to?
Anthony and Trevor both got to level 6 before they really even started to think about it.
20100531
20100509
The Mother's Day Cake
It was a rainy morning and rather quiet for a Saturday. Trevor was at a birthday party, Michaela was at camp certification, and Jeremiah was at school. We really needed something to do so I suggested to Anthony and Natalie that they make a cake for Mother's Day. They jumped at the idea and with me monitoring and supervising they soon had the "saucy apple swirl cake" in the oven. It cooled and came out of the pan perfectly so the next step was to mix up the glaze to go on top. After the cake cooled some more Anthony and Natalie each took turns drizzling powdered sugar glaze on their masterpiece. The cake looked so beautiful and delicious and Anthony and Natalie were quite proud of themselves.
Anthony, Natalie, Abigail, and Emersynne each got a taste of the leftover glaze and we talked about how yummy this special cake was going to taste when we enjoyed it tomorrow. I then hurried upstairs to change Emersynne's stinky diaper and get her down for her nap, leaving Abigail to finish her lunch. Halfway though the diaper change I realized that it was really quiet downstairs and started having visions of Abigail choking on her apple. Feeling like a terrible mother for leaving her downstairs alone to finish eating, I quickly got Emersynne in her crib and headed downstairs to find Abigail.
Why do children always have that look? That look that means they have been doing something they knew they shouldn't have been doing. Abigail had that look on her face and had her hands tucked behind her back.
"Are you ready for your nap?," I asked
"First I have to wash my hands." she said.
Abigail then pulled her hands around to the front and they were covered in a sticky mess. When I asked her what it was from she paused and then said, "it from the cake."
The masterpiece that Anthony and Natalie had worked so long on was ruined!
I guess Abigail couldn't resist the yummy taste of the glaze and when we had all gone upstairs and left the cake unguarded she climbed up on a chair and using her fingers, licked off all the glaze and even went as far to sample a bit of cake. There was a big chunk missing!
There was no way to salvage the cake. Abigail's germs were all over it! Gross! This is the child that has just gotten over diarrhea and four days of fever. The cake was dumped in the trash as we explained to Abigail that she had ruined the cake and now nobody could eat it.
Abigail was sent to bed crying. She knew she was in trouble. She knew mommy was upset with her. She knew Anthony and Natalie were mad at her for ruining the cake they "spent hours working on" (as they will point out).
It makes me wonder what was going through her little head. Did she think nobody would notice that the icing was all gone? Did she think nobody would notice that there was a big chunk of cake missing? It reminded me of the time my mom bought a flat of strawberries to make jam with. I really wanted to eat some but my mom said "No!" I remember standing in front of the flat of strawberries and thinking with my three year old brain that if I took a strawberry to eat my mom would know one was missing. So I came up with the brilliant plan to take a bite out of each strawberry and nobody would ever know. That was when I realized that my mom was really smart. Somehow she knew what I had done and I got in BIG trouble! Don't really remember what my punishment was though.
Poor Abigail wouldn't get any cake if another one was made. Harsh punishment, but seemed like a good way to follow through.
This afternoon while Abigail, Emersynne, and I were napping Jeremiah and the kids made a scrumptious chocolate cake from scratch with tasty chocolate frosting. They topped it off by serving it with cherry pie filling. Abigail was talking about how yummy it looked so I reminded her that she didn't get any. I was expecting a big screaming fit but she handled it quite well. She chose to sit up at the table with us while we had cake and just when I thought she was taking it all so well she quietly said, "my tummy really hurts, so.....I guess I need some cake to help it feel better." We all laughed but she didn't get any cake.
Abigail survived the ordeal and doesn't seem scarred for life by her punishment of not getting any cake, Anthony and Natalie now laugh at the story of their sister ruining their cake, and I was reminded that my own mother is really really smart. Maybe some day my own children will think that of me!
Happy Mother's Day!
Anthony, Natalie, Abigail, and Emersynne each got a taste of the leftover glaze and we talked about how yummy this special cake was going to taste when we enjoyed it tomorrow. I then hurried upstairs to change Emersynne's stinky diaper and get her down for her nap, leaving Abigail to finish her lunch. Halfway though the diaper change I realized that it was really quiet downstairs and started having visions of Abigail choking on her apple. Feeling like a terrible mother for leaving her downstairs alone to finish eating, I quickly got Emersynne in her crib and headed downstairs to find Abigail.
Why do children always have that look? That look that means they have been doing something they knew they shouldn't have been doing. Abigail had that look on her face and had her hands tucked behind her back.
"Are you ready for your nap?," I asked
"First I have to wash my hands." she said.
Abigail then pulled her hands around to the front and they were covered in a sticky mess. When I asked her what it was from she paused and then said, "it from the cake."
The masterpiece that Anthony and Natalie had worked so long on was ruined!
I guess Abigail couldn't resist the yummy taste of the glaze and when we had all gone upstairs and left the cake unguarded she climbed up on a chair and using her fingers, licked off all the glaze and even went as far to sample a bit of cake. There was a big chunk missing!
There was no way to salvage the cake. Abigail's germs were all over it! Gross! This is the child that has just gotten over diarrhea and four days of fever. The cake was dumped in the trash as we explained to Abigail that she had ruined the cake and now nobody could eat it.
Abigail was sent to bed crying. She knew she was in trouble. She knew mommy was upset with her. She knew Anthony and Natalie were mad at her for ruining the cake they "spent hours working on" (as they will point out).
It makes me wonder what was going through her little head. Did she think nobody would notice that the icing was all gone? Did she think nobody would notice that there was a big chunk of cake missing? It reminded me of the time my mom bought a flat of strawberries to make jam with. I really wanted to eat some but my mom said "No!" I remember standing in front of the flat of strawberries and thinking with my three year old brain that if I took a strawberry to eat my mom would know one was missing. So I came up with the brilliant plan to take a bite out of each strawberry and nobody would ever know. That was when I realized that my mom was really smart. Somehow she knew what I had done and I got in BIG trouble! Don't really remember what my punishment was though.
Poor Abigail wouldn't get any cake if another one was made. Harsh punishment, but seemed like a good way to follow through.
This afternoon while Abigail, Emersynne, and I were napping Jeremiah and the kids made a scrumptious chocolate cake from scratch with tasty chocolate frosting. They topped it off by serving it with cherry pie filling. Abigail was talking about how yummy it looked so I reminded her that she didn't get any. I was expecting a big screaming fit but she handled it quite well. She chose to sit up at the table with us while we had cake and just when I thought she was taking it all so well she quietly said, "my tummy really hurts, so.....I guess I need some cake to help it feel better." We all laughed but she didn't get any cake.
Abigail survived the ordeal and doesn't seem scarred for life by her punishment of not getting any cake, Anthony and Natalie now laugh at the story of their sister ruining their cake, and I was reminded that my own mother is really really smart. Maybe some day my own children will think that of me!
Happy Mother's Day!
20100421
Birthdays, birthdays, and more birthdays!
We've just been partying around here and loving every minute of it! Monday was Trevor's birthday and yesterday was my birthday. What a fun way to start off our spring break.
Yesterday was a great day and the best birthday present of all was the fact that Jeremiah took the day off and was home with the kids and I.
I started off my birthday by going to the gym to workout and then came home and played a few games of tennis with the kids. We are really loving our new wii!
Jeremiah and I then went out to breakfast without kids! I love having an at home babysitter. After breakfast we decided to pack a little picnic lunch and go for a walk on the Rail Trail. Emersynne loved riding in the wagon and we all loved enjoying the beautiful spring day.
I even got a nap while the little ones were napping and then Jeremiah got out the BBQ for the first time this season and we had delicious hamburgers for an early dinner before Michaela had to head out to mutual for the youth temple trip.
The evening was a little hectic with Michaela needing to be up at the church so early to get her ride to the temple and then Natalie and Anthony needing to go up later in the evening for Activity Days and Cub scouts. Jeremiah took the kids up and after I got the little ones into bed I played with wii fitness that I got for my birthday. We've already had lots of fun trying it out and now the kids are excited to get set up so they can try to beat daddy and mommy's best scores on the games.
I almost forgot to mention my triple chocolate-chocolate cake that we ate last night. The last of the cake is still sitting in the fridge tempting me.
It was a wonderful day!
Yesterday was a great day and the best birthday present of all was the fact that Jeremiah took the day off and was home with the kids and I.
I started off my birthday by going to the gym to workout and then came home and played a few games of tennis with the kids. We are really loving our new wii!
Jeremiah and I then went out to breakfast without kids! I love having an at home babysitter. After breakfast we decided to pack a little picnic lunch and go for a walk on the Rail Trail. Emersynne loved riding in the wagon and we all loved enjoying the beautiful spring day.
I even got a nap while the little ones were napping and then Jeremiah got out the BBQ for the first time this season and we had delicious hamburgers for an early dinner before Michaela had to head out to mutual for the youth temple trip.
The evening was a little hectic with Michaela needing to be up at the church so early to get her ride to the temple and then Natalie and Anthony needing to go up later in the evening for Activity Days and Cub scouts. Jeremiah took the kids up and after I got the little ones into bed I played with wii fitness that I got for my birthday. We've already had lots of fun trying it out and now the kids are excited to get set up so they can try to beat daddy and mommy's best scores on the games.
I almost forgot to mention my triple chocolate-chocolate cake that we ate last night. The last of the cake is still sitting in the fridge tempting me.
It was a wonderful day!
20100419
Happy Birthday Trevor!
It's hard to believe that my little guy is not so little anymore. Today Trevor is six years old and after coming so close to losing him to the river when he was seventeen months old makes me really stop and realize how blessed we are to have Trevor in our family.
Here is a look at Trevor through the years!
Trevor had a great birthday and I think the highlight of his day was knowing he didn't have to do his chores!
Here is a look at Trevor through the years!
Trevor had a great birthday and I think the highlight of his day was knowing he didn't have to do his chores!
20100417
Arrrrr matey!
Today was the day Trevor had been waiting for. His first "friend" birthday party.
We decided on a pirate theme and had a great time decorating, making the cake, and planning games. The party was a big success even with our wet weather that forced us to have an indoor treasure hunt.
Here's the group of pirates in front of our Jolly Roger flag.
The kids had a great time trying to pin the eye patch on the pirate. Michaela spent a lot of time putting this pirate together and I had to laugh when one of the boys at the party said, "Hey, that looks like a leprechaun pirate!"
We decided on a pirate theme and had a great time decorating, making the cake, and planning games. The party was a big success even with our wet weather that forced us to have an indoor treasure hunt.
Here's the group of pirates in front of our Jolly Roger flag.
The kids had a great time trying to pin the eye patch on the pirate. Michaela spent a lot of time putting this pirate together and I had to laugh when one of the boys at the party said, "Hey, that looks like a leprechaun pirate!"
Jeremiah did a great job converting our buried treasure game into an indoor scavenger hunt. The kids had clues that lead them to different areas of the house and pieces to add to their treasure map. When the treasure map was full it would lead them to the treasure. At one point I had 8 little kids in my tiny downstairs bathroom looking for the clue. I never would have guessed they would all fit in there at the same time!
Trevor officially invited Abigail to his party and she was so excited to be included with the big kids! She really had a great time.
Yummy! Yummy!
Trevor officially invited Abigail to his party and she was so excited to be included with the big kids! She really had a great time.
Yummy! Yummy!It was a great morning but also a relief to have it done. We've spend the last few months shopping around for ideas and supplies. I have to say that the biggest hit of all were the pirate sticker books my sister saw when we were at the dollar store. I grabbed a stack to use for party favors and handed them out at the end of the party. Several of the boys sat down right where they were and started working in their books. Thanks Julia for noticing those!
20100406
Utah trip
So I'm a little late in getting this post up but I still wanted to write about my trip to Utah last month. Better late than never right?
When my sister's baby died the end of January it was very hard being so far away from my family. I really wanted to be there but knew I couldn’t leave my own family. Jeremiah encouraged me to go out for a visit and rearranged his work schedule and took vacation days so he would be home when the kids got home from school during the week I was gone. I know it was a long hard week for Jeremiah and the kids but it was really great to spend time with Julia. Since Emersynne still flies for free she came along with me. We spend a lot of time with my sister and Bridgett and Aaron but also got to see Grandma and Grandpa Christensen, Grandma Vicki, Nannie and Papa, Grandma Wendel, and my parents.
Grandma Vicki coaxed Emersynne onto her lap with the big bucket of animal crackers. When nothing else works food will usually get Emersynne away from mommy.
Emersynne was a trooper during our trip. She didn't really like being around all the people and was extra clingy but as long as mommy was around she did great.
Our visit with Grandma Wendel
Towards the end of our trip Emersynne was starting to get used to being around Nannie and Papa and even sat briefly so I could take these pictures. I had to be quick though because she wasn't going to stay there long. I think she was afraid I would walk out of the room!
When we first arrived in Utah my mom was out of town but Emersynne quickly warmed up to her Grandpa when she saw Aaron and Bridgett playing with him. These next few pictures of my dad and Emersynne are definitely keepers!
Emersynne never really had a chance to warm up to Grandma Cindy because we left two days after my mom got home but she sure did like being with Aaron and Bridgett!
While my sister and I spend a lot of time doing the normal mommy things that come along with taking care of kids we were able to have some great talks, cries, and bonding time during nap time and when the kids were in bed for the night.
Emersynne was happiest when she was with her cousins Aaron and Bridgett.
We had a cleaning day and all three of the kids were great helpers.
We took flowers to Colette’s grave, picked out silk flowers to make an arrangement for her grave, and looked over Colette’s memorabilia. It has only been two months since Colette’s birth and death and I know my sister still has many hard times ahead of her but it has been amazing for me to see her strength as she has fought for the peace and comfort in dealing with this loss. What an amazing blessing it is to have the gospel in our lives and know that we can be families forever!
20100404
Truly, He is risen!
My children all wanted to congregate in Mommy and Daddy's room this morning, so we checked out some videos on youtube. Here's some of what we found.
Happy Easter, friends. May the love of Christ and the glory of His resurrection fill you with wonder and joy.
Happy Easter, friends. May the love of Christ and the glory of His resurrection fill you with wonder and joy.
20100321
Happy Birthday Anthony
(I started this post on March 3rd and never got it finished but still wanted to get it up.)
Today is Anthony's 10th birthday. Wow! That seems like such a big boy age. Anthony had a great day and is so excited to be 10. He took cookies into his class, loved not having to do his chores, enjoyed his birthday dinner of chicken cordon blue, mashed potatoes, and peas, and had a fun family party in the evening.
I'm so proud of Anthony and all his hard work this past year. He made a goal to read the entire Book of Mormon before his birthday and even though he slacked off during the summer he picked it up again, stuck with it, and finished with a week to spare. He was so excited when he finished and then asked me, "What do I do now?" Not sure what he thought of my answer which was, "start again!" He decided to take the week off and start again after his birthday and read a page a day.
Anthony has been working hard in cub scouts and at a recent Blue and Gold Banquet he was excited to receive several awards and is very close to finishing up his Webelos. Not sure how he turned out to be such a hard working boy and it has been fun to see him set a goal and go for it!
Anthony got lots of cards in the mail and carefully took the time to read each one.
Trevor was excited to give Anthony the Lego star wars activity book he picked out.
Michaela came up with this idea for Anthony's cake. The lego set is new which Michaela bought for his birthday present and did the cake as a surprise. Anthony was so excited when he saw the cake. Wish I had the camera going when he came downstairs and saw the cake. He gave Michaela a big hug!
Jeremiah captured this shot the other night. Such a peaceful sleeping boy who still likes to snuggle with his soft baby and gorilla.
Today is Anthony's 10th birthday. Wow! That seems like such a big boy age. Anthony had a great day and is so excited to be 10. He took cookies into his class, loved not having to do his chores, enjoyed his birthday dinner of chicken cordon blue, mashed potatoes, and peas, and had a fun family party in the evening.
I'm so proud of Anthony and all his hard work this past year. He made a goal to read the entire Book of Mormon before his birthday and even though he slacked off during the summer he picked it up again, stuck with it, and finished with a week to spare. He was so excited when he finished and then asked me, "What do I do now?" Not sure what he thought of my answer which was, "start again!" He decided to take the week off and start again after his birthday and read a page a day.
Anthony has been working hard in cub scouts and at a recent Blue and Gold Banquet he was excited to receive several awards and is very close to finishing up his Webelos. Not sure how he turned out to be such a hard working boy and it has been fun to see him set a goal and go for it!
Anthony got lots of cards in the mail and carefully took the time to read each one.
Trevor was excited to give Anthony the Lego star wars activity book he picked out.
Michaela came up with this idea for Anthony's cake. The lego set is new which Michaela bought for his birthday present and did the cake as a surprise. Anthony was so excited when he saw the cake. Wish I had the camera going when he came downstairs and saw the cake. He gave Michaela a big hug!
Jeremiah captured this shot the other night. Such a peaceful sleeping boy who still likes to snuggle with his soft baby and gorilla.20100316
She's home!
| Oops, and there's my timer for the laundry, which I managed to mostly finish before Tamara got back. Poor Tamara--most of the kids ran out to the car screaming, "Emersynne! Emersynne!" "What about Mommy?" "Oh, hi, Mom." |
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