Being a parent can be...

AWESOME! Like last Sunday afternoon when we didn't make any plans for dinner and didn't feel like cooking, we had crackers and cheese for an appetizer and then two huge bowls of popcorn and orange julius for dinner. It's kind of fun to be able to be the one in charge and decide what's for dinner.

DIFFICULT! Like last week when Jamison got pink eye, McKinley threw up on Tuesday night, Gavin wet his bed three out of five nights, and all three of them had fevers at different times throughout the week.

AWESOME! Like Jamison learning to feed himself and loving to eat.

DIFFICULT! Like when Jamison throws handfuls of food at you and then takes his whole plate and throws it, and the remaining food on it, as far as he can.

So as you can see from our recent activity, being a parent has its ups and downs. There is usually something exciting going on! We have a lot of fun with the kids. I love playing with legos and needed a good excuse to buy some again. McKinley, Gavin, and Jamison all like to play with legos. They make any easy birthday present (hint, hint). We got an origami calendar for Christmas two years ago and are still working on it. There is a sheet for each day. We've had fun with it. Our lastest favorite is jumping frogs. Here is a link to make your own!

http://seagrant.wisc.edu/frogs/origami_instr.html

I bring home scrap paper from work for the kids to color on. We have a drawer set just for the kids to store paper, crayons, scissors, glue, tape, stencils, construction paper, little scraps of paper that have been cut up into tiny bits, and other stuff. I get regular 8.5 x 11, 11x17, and big 36x48 sheets. It's fun for the kids.

Like I said, there are ups and downs to being a parent, but its a good thing. Kids can be really funny. Just borrow ours for a day and you'll see what I mean!

This is so sad.....

I was going to blog about something funny, not having to do with our children. I can't remember what it was. Pathetic.
That being said, I might as well say a little something while I'm here. I've been reminiscing a lot lately. Most people who read this know that I served a mission in Argentina. Lately I've been missing the experiences and people I met there. Our stake has set the goals of getting to know your neighbors and loving them. How hard it is for me to go out and meet the neighbors who live behind us!! Being in the mission field, you are constantly knocking on doors, sharing your testimony, sharing who we are. Why is it so hard now? Anyhoo, I'll get to it-on a bread making day. Warm bread should warm over any neighbor, right?
I got an email a couple days a go from a family in Argentina. He was the ward mission leader. Such sweet people!! I really want to go back when the temple in Cordoba is completed. He said it will be 3 years out. That is good news for me, not so much for them. I might have enough time to save enough money by then!! It was fun to hear from them.
My mother in law got remarried this last week to the guy she's been dating for the past several months. Kinda weird, but she is extremely happy. I like the guy. He's really good to Janean. What a surreal experience to go through divorcing parents as an adult. You never get over being the kid. If anyone ever needs to talk........
I found some fun pics to post...because I always like to look at pics...
Gavin, me, and Janean. Gavin likes to run over your shadow. Its a good game to help him turn.
These are ice crystals on our kitchen window. Sophie, you'll appreciate this picture. Matthew took it. He's getting pretty good with our camera.
Us with McKinley. She's an awesome little skier. We need to work on getting her doing Christy turns. Its nice to have a picture with both of us in it.
If you don't laugh at this, there is something wrong with you! I'm not sure what she was looking at! We have a second one where she was looking at the camera and looking normal, but where is the fun in that? Oh my! Just makes me laugh!

Three Blind Mice

Last week our renter in Rexburg called to tell us that the ceiling in our bathroom downstairs was leaking. All of our family that live up north were out of town, so we decided to make the trip to Rexburg after Matthew got off work. McKinley stayed with our neighbor, so we just had the boys. In our attempt to keep Gavin awake, we taught him a new song-Three Blind Mice.
This is how it went, over and over and over again!
Gavin: Three Blind Mice, Three Blind Mice
Us: See...
Gavin: how they run, see how they run
Us: They....
Gavin: all run after the farmer's wife
Us: Who....
Gavin: cut off their tails with the butcher's knife
Us: Have you....
Gavin: Ever seen such a sight in your life
Together: As three blind mice.
Gavin: Yahoody!! Let's sing it again! Hock a Loogie!

After about the 5th time, we stopped laughing when he said that. But it was sure funny the first time. Obviously he doesn't really understand what it means to "hock a loogie" but he's heard it before! He is such a silly kid!
Oh-and we didn't find a leak. But there is a lovely hole in the ceiling of the downstairs bathroom now!