Christmas Programs

This December has been so busy with fun Christmas activities.  We had lots of school parties and programs, Ward Christmas parties, parties with friends and Ethan's birthday.  It felt like a lot of baking and running around but it was loads of fun.

  Pictures from the Hawaiian themed ward Christmas party.

My favorite is watching the kids perform in their Christmas programs and sing in sacrament.  And again they didn't disappoint.  Ethan had three performances where they did a Charlie Brown Christmas program and sang some songs in English and Spanish.  As much as he doesn't like to sing he was belting it out with the best of them.

 Taylor's class had a performance based on the Christmas story and she was one of the angels.  She was giving it her best and, as usual, giving the evil eye to anyone that got out of line.  She looked just beautiful in her costume.

Ethan also had his first piano recital after starting piano in the Fall.  He had been practicing Jolly Ole Saint Nicholas since he started piano so he was beyond confident in his ability to play it.  I always love how confident he is.  He had been playing the song for so long that after awhile he started playing it with his eyes closed and then crossing his hands over each other to make it more challenging.  He told his teacher that he was going to play it that way for the recital.  He cracks me up.  When we went to get in the car to go to the recital he didn't have his book with him.  I suggested he bring it but he was sure he didn't need it.  I brought it anyway, just in case, since that is how I am.  It was funny to see Taylor, my "mini me" so concerned about him not having the book.  She held it on her lap and kept saying "Don't you think he should have it just in case?"  She is my child.  Even without the book he did a good job and we were so proud of him.  But he will never be my perfectionist.  He doesn't have any desire to play a song until he gets it perfect and is just always ready to move on to the next song.  They often remind me that no matter what they are their own person and I can't change that.

Ethan has been begging for a birthday party with his friends from school so we finally gave in this year. As we were deciding who to invite I started to realize that we were going to have to invite 44 kids since he wanted to invite kids from both of the two classes he interacts with and if you invite one kid you have to invite them all.  I made sure to ask for an RSVP by a certain date and I was thrilled when only about 6 kids could come by the RSVP deadline.  So we started planning what we would do and decided on a food theme where we would make homemade individual pizzas and decorate cookies and play games all involving food.  Ethan was so excited about it.  I started to get nervous as a few additional people called to RSVP after the deadline but I didn't start to panic until I was at his school and some other parents made some vague comments about how they were "probably" going to come.  Maybe I'm missing something these days but I thought asking for an RSVP would force people to decide if they were coming or not.  So I was really worried that all 44 kids could possible show up and I wouldn't have enough food for everyone.  And in my family that is a crime.  By the time it was all said and done with had 14 kids at the house and it was crazy!  They had fun but I was running around so much that I didn't have a chance to snap one picture of the kids having fun.  I was so appreciative of great friends who were willing to help me out and a great husband to help things run smoothly.  I am definitely ready to wait another 7 years before we try that again but Taylor is already making requests for her party in February.  We will see.

Conversations from the Backseat

I haven't been good about trying to keep up with all the amusing things the kids say.  But they do keep us entertained, especially when talking to each other in the backseat of the car.  They both have big career aspirations that they talk about often.  Ethan, always the logical one, plans on being an engineer and owning his own engineering firm.  He is looking forward to having regular hours (unlike his dad) and plans to hire people to do most of the work so he can have lots of time off.  He has offered Taylor a job at his company but he was very clear that it won't be a job where she would just sit around because she is his sister but that she would really have to work.

Taylor on the other hand is putting all her hopes into becoming a famous singer.  She is great at memorizing songs on the radio but, as any who has sat by us in church knows, we are all bad singers.  But she will sit back in her seat and hear a song she likes on the radio and say "I'm totally going to sing that at one of my concerts."  She will negotiate with Ethan how many concerts he will come to each week (and with Ethan's great schedule and nights off he is sure to make it to quite a few).  Taylor did mention that she can not guarantee us front row seats every time because it wouldn't be fair.  Ethan plans to make signs that say "That's my sister" to hold up at the concerts.  I just love to hear all the details that go into these plans.  As much as they fight it is also nice that they plan on hanging out together when they get older.

They love to make plans about me coming to visit them at their houses and all the things that they will do as adults on their own.  Taylor can't wait to grow up and thinks that we have way too many rules at our house.  She is 4 going on 16 with all the things she thinks are unfair and how she doesn't like us making all the decisions.  She is going to push me over the edge with her strong opinions about fashion (which is in direct opposition to my strong opinions about little girls fashions).  I think she should look like a little girl and she is pushing for shoes with heels, short skirts, and as many sequins as she can get.  Getting dressed is always fun in the morning.  At least she has finally admitted that the brown cowboy boots she has been wearing for months are too small.

My favorite backseat conversation took place a few weeks ago.  Ethan was asking about having a lemonade stand over the weekend and I was explaining how it wasn't going to happy because we had a busy weekend planned. Here is how the conversation went from there:
E: It doesn't have to be every day, just Saturday would be fine.
M: Nope, sorry.  There just won't be time on Saturday.
T: But Mom we will give you some of the money we make.
E: (in a quieter voice to Taylor) Taylor, no we won't.
T: Yes we can, Mom doesn't have any money.
E: No we can't. Don't you know we have to buy supplies. Lemons aren't free ya know.  And Mom does too have money.
T:  No she doesn't. Don't you remember she quit her job.
E:  Remember, she gets money from Dad.  And what does he give us? Nothing!

Nothing??? Really?? Holy cow that kid has no idea how much we do for him.  I just love Taylor's willingness to give me money.  She is so generous with her money and Ethan takes advantage of that all the time.  He will charge her to play games with him or make some rule that if she loses she has to pay him money.  And she is always more than willing.  Thank goodness she can't reach her piggy bank without help so I usually know when Ethan has weaseled money out of her.  And he just smiles when he gets caught.

For Ethan's birthday he bought a building set that you can use to build forts without having to pull out all the chairs from the kitchen.  I thought he would love it since he loves to build things.  I was kind of surprised to find that Abe was doing most of the building and Ethan was just hanging out waiting for it to be built.  I told Ethan "I thought you wanted to be an engineer.  Why aren't you building something?"  He didn't  miss a beat and said "Uh, Mom, engineers don't do the building.  I designed it and Dad is my builder."  What can I say to that?  He has a good point.  So I just let him go back to directing Abe around.

Today I heard them discussing how Abe wants to get a truck.  Ethan tells Taylor that we should just get one.

Taylor: "Oh no we won't".   

Ethan: "Yes we should." 

Taylor: "Not unless Mom approves it."

Ethan: "Why does Mom need to approve it? Its Dad's truck"

Taylor: "Because Mom is older."

Ethan:  "No, Dad is older."

Taylor: "Then because Mom makes all the rules."

And Ethan couldn't argue with that.

I love those two kids.  I have a feeling it is going to get crazy once Brooklyn starts talking too.  There is already not enough time for everyone to get in their two cents and from the way Brooklyn has started squealing very loudly, she has a lot to say too.  Christmas day Brooklyn decided to roll over for the first time from her front to her back.  She is just getting too big.

Brooklyn is 2 months old!

I can't believe how fast the last two months have gone by.  Brooklyn is growing and changing like crazy.  She has started to turn her head to find us when we talk to her and she loves to smile and laugh at silly sounds people make.  She loves her big brother and sister so much and lights up when she seems them.  She can be a high maintenance little girl who still likes to move around all the time and is happiest when she is snuggled tight and bounced.  She slept through the night for the first time this week and I was SO excited.  Just like all my children she hates tummy time but can already move some as she kicks those little feet while she cries.

For her eight week check up she weighed 12 pounds 10 ounces, which puts her in the 93% in weight, and 85% in height.  So she is a healthy girl who is growing just like she should.  I love the little rolls on her legs and arms and her adorably chubby cheeks.  She is just such a joy and we can't wait to see even more of her little personality come out.

We had such a fun time taking pictures of Brooklyn for her announcement.  She was such a sweetheart and so cooperative. 

Brooklyn is 3 months!

It has been so fun to see how much Brooklyn has changed over the last 3 months.  I can't believe how much she has grown.  She is now a smiling, laughing, observant little girl who always seems to be soaking in everything around her.  The other day I was watching her in her carseat as she was concentrating so hard to get her pacifier.  She leaned forward in the seat, lifting her head and chest up a little bit and finally got a hold of it.  Then she even got it into her mouth.  She is constantly grabbing at anything she can find and getting it to her mouth.  She loves to suck on her fingers and tries to get as many in her mouth as she can.  But it is never her thumb.  She loves people, especially her brother and sister, and just lights up when she sees them.  She is a very ticklish baby and will laugh and snort when Abe tickles her.  She is my first baby that sometimes just wants to be put down when she is fussy.  I always assume fussy babies want to be held but sometimes she is happiest in her bouncer with me sitting right beside her talking to her. 

 We are constantly asks if she looks like Ethan or Taylor so I'm always trying to decide myself.  Here is a picture of Taylor at 4 months (left) and Brooklyn at 3 months (right).  Brooklyn definitely has her beat on size.  I see a lot of similarities, like they both have very expressive eyebrows but Taylor definitely got the brown skin and her square jaw.   But they are both so cute in their own way.  I just love both these little (and not so little girls).