It's a Christmas Miracle!!

Our family is seriously lacking in any kind of family photo. Being that I usually have the camera, I am missing from most of the group shots. We just never got around to having good photos taken. Maybe it is because taking the kids for their individual photos once a year was such a fiasco that I stayed clear of trying to do more than one kid at a time.

This year, just before Christmas, Grammie (my mom) decided that since everyone was in town, we would try for a group picture. My friend, Diane Gardiner, agreed (last minute and very generously) to get her camera and see what she could do. This is a large group--10 adults outnumbered by 13 kids under 8, so we weren't really expecting perfection.

Henry was a gem. He is my best picture taker as far as behaving--although he ruined his fair share of the group shots with funny faces. I love his toothless smile (there is really no sign of those top teeth coming in anytime soon).

William had the most fun when Diane was paying him all the attention and trying to get a good individual shot of him. He is quite a stinker and made her work really hard to get them.

Regan was not the best behaved picture taker in the family. She got a couple of okay shots in the beginning and then tired set in and her patience was gone. Even Dan's bribe of $2 at QuickTrip didn't do it for her. Diane spent some time finessing her too and we managed to get some really good shots. The peek-a-boo pics were the best.

Arden was our model. I guess she always is. She loves having her picture taken and knows just how to tilt her head to get her desired effect. What a beauty she is becoming--just like her mommy!

Finally, this was our Christmas miracle. Everyone was smiling. Everyone was looking at the camera. No one was picking thier nose. No one was sulking. I don't think that I should mention that the magic word that produced all the smiles was "snot balls".

The "Bishop-Brick"

At our house we ALWAYS pray for the Bishopric. It has been so for years. At least as long as Dan has been a member of ours. It has become clear through this story that our children have absulutely NO IDEA what that concept means.

I served my mission in upstate NY at all the church history sites. While I was there, they began the massive project of renovating the Grandin Building where the Book of Mormon was published. As one of the "site sisters", I got lots of perks one of which was this brick. This is one of the original bricks that built the Grandin Publishing Building. Kind of a fun thing that has been sitting on a shelf out of sight and mind for some time.

The other day I was cleaning off some shelves. Arden came in and asked about the brick.

"Mom? What is that brick for?" I readied myself to show off one of my church history prizes and teach her a little, but before I could respond--"Oh, I know. That is to remind us of the bishopbrick."

William Gets in Trouble...Again

Two weeks ago I got tired of my long haired boys and took them to my sister-in-law, Vanessa, who is a wonder with scissors for "summer hair cuts with shape". They were fabulous! I could do the little spikey thing in front when I felt like it, and it was off their ears, and they looked like little boys!

Just this past Thursday, I found little chunks of hair on the bathroom floor--never a good sign. I didn't have to look far for the victim. William had some nice sized gouges. I went into detective mode and started asking questions. I asked William who did it and he told me Arden. Arden vehemently denied it and was supported by her friend who was visiting. I asked William again who did it and he told me he didn't know or "I forgot" or "no one". I told him he could sit in the kitchen chair until he could tell me who did it.

It didn't take long sitting in the chair for him to spit it out.

"Mom, the person who cut my hair's name starts with a W."

I thanked him for his honesty and told him that we had to give him a hair cut. He hates hair cuts so I thought this would engender fear and teach him a lesson. He was really pretty good through the whole thing and afterword, I couldn't deny that he looks pretty good almost bald. I guess his "punishment" was for mom to call him "cute" and 'hot" instead of his preferred, "good looking".

Dan thinks he looks like one of the little Ethiopian kids only white.

Henry is Usually so Good at School

I am going to let this one pretty much speak for itself. Short version, I helped out in Henry's first grade class every other Monday this past year. I am always proud to see Henry's work. He tries so hard to do his best and has a natural gift with letters, numbers and all things academic. One day I was putting their spelling tests up on the "Bravo" bulletin board and I was naturally proud of my child's 100%... until I looked at his name.

Christmas in April

Someone just came to the door and William snuck out. Our guest left and I tried to get William back in the house. He said, "No, I want to sing you a Christmas song." Then he made me shut the door.

He rang the doorbell and I opened it to a grubby faced 3 year old singing...(to the tune of Happy Birthday)

"Happy Birthday to you.
You live in a zoo.
Christmas is coming,
And you are a Christmas tree."

Ahh, Christmas in April! It would have made a great April Fool's joke if it had been a day earlier.

I was complaining to Dan last Sunday that I don't have any pictures of the kids with ME. I am always taking the pictures, so we have lots of the kids with Daddy, but Mommy is conspicuously missing. Like a good hubby he took the camera from me and snapped this little shot of me and my crew. Regan is holding the ever present "baba"--which she has finally learned to say but only if she is commanded. William is almost always smiling. When he is in a good mood, he is the single happiest kid I have ever seen and a joy to be around. When he is in a bad mood... let's just say that the mood pendulum swings to the extremes. Henry is back to wearing the eye-patch for his lazy eye for 4 hours every day. We have been pretty good this round since we have started bribing him to remember. Arden is easily distracted by shiny objects so it is appropriate that she is proudly displaying her "pet jewel".

Man! I have the greatest kids in the world. Each one is a treasure. Almost makes me want to see if we can make another one just as great... ALMOST!

Finally!!! He LOST one!

After 5 years of having teeth taken from him, Henry lost his first tooth naturally!  

He has been missing his top front teeth for some time.  The first came out when he was about a year an a half old.  Mom and dad were going to the temple and dropped Henry off at our wonderful neighbor, Joy McKnight's, house.  We hadn't even arrived at the temple yet when we got a phone call from Joy saying that Henry had had an accident and knocked his front tooth out on the bathroom sink.  Dad took Henry to the ER to make sure he was fine and Henry made it out with a fat lip.

The second upper front came out when Henry was about 4.  He was jumping on the trampoline with his cousins at Grammy's house.  Henry's face collided with Rex Cole's head and Henry's tooth snapped in half and got shoved up into the gum.  Rex was fine (hard headed little bugger).  Henry went into the dentist (they were good friends by now) and had to have it removed.  Henry was a champ and didn't mind the minor surgery because he was mildly sedated.  He even looked at me and said, "Mom, this isn't so bad."

So, at last there is some normalcy in the world of Henry's mouth.  May the rest be as painless and event-less.  We don't need any more dental bills.