And another thing

I want to write down some randomness before I forget.

The boys have become quite competitive lately ... and independent, they fight over and cry over ...
Who gets to take the larger laundry basket to the laundry room.
Who gets to take out the recycling.
And yes, who gets to take the poopy diapers to the outside trashcan.

Clearly, I am using their competitiveness to my own advantage :)


Levi's dinner prayer tonight:

"Dear Heavenly Father, thank you for the day...
                                    thank you for the little girl who lives down the lane...
                                     (looks up) HA! HA!"
He thought he was so clever and funny, which he is, and if you don't get it -- he incorporated baa baa black sheep into his prayer.



I should probably make note that Seth's reading has really been taking off lately.  He just seems to be reading everything now... when we take a drive, there's Seth in the back seat ... "Old.. Navvy, Winco, Wingers..." I love that Seth loves learning.  His drive for knowledge gets me excited, and I find that I am learning right along with him.  Today I learned about the Kuiper Belt, and also, I never put it into perspective, but the Sun makes up 99% of everything in the solar system. What you can learn in a children book. And if you didn't know, Seth wants to be an astronaut when he grows up. Here's him reading "Peedie.

Random nickname... Raya at the moment is called "Baby- Wan Kenobi," like Obi- Wan Kenobi. Train of thought, I call Levi "little one," so I was calling Raya "baby one." -- which turned into Baby- Wan Kenobi. Also, I find myself singing the limp bitzkit song "Keep rollin, rollin rollin,"  and "Let me see my baby roll," (a twist from "let me see that tootsie roll"), I know totally random, and maybe even inappropriate... I don't really even know the real songs.. just the chorus and I find myself singing them to Raya when we're playing on the floor and she's rolling around.

Last Weekend

Aren't they cute??

The Melvin family came to Pullman for a visit! 

Seth holds a special place in his heart for Raelle, it's been a year since they've moved away yet he still says that she is his best friend.

And a family photo:

November was our last group shot. Sheesh.

Sleepless in Sea.. uh... Pullman

So... I guess I'll see Jeff like next Tuesday.  On top of papers, finals and presentations for school, Jeff is doing a poster for some conference this weekend... which means, he needs to present his poster all weekend and go to a bunch of lectures and dinners.  Soo.... I might be blogging more than usual :) -- I do want to mention that Jeff really is amazing and makes sure he is here for family time between 5:00ish- 7:00... Just this week and a half he'll be leaving after the kids go to bed and staying in his office until 2:00 am (not an exaggeration).  I hope he doesn't just drop while he's standing, he looked pretty tired today.. poor guy, he really does work from the moment he wakes up (6:30) until he goes to bed... which will be more like tomorrow morning.  -- oh well, life of a college student.

So... onto more entertaining subjects, My kids! (What else is this blog about?)

 I've been looking at this little girl a lot lately, trying to burn into my memory how she is like now, because I know she's going to be changing dramatically within the next few weeks.  She's becoming so active, squirmy is a better word, I think that her baby rolls will be disappearing ... well maybe not soon, but they wont be increasing :)  SO, a documentation. I want to remember how chubby my babies are.

 You see those teeth coming in? Pretty soon her gummy smile will be gone.

ahh... how chunky can a baby be?!

Some thoughts...
I've been in a very reflective mood lately.  Life, the universe, beginnings, endings, family.  Parenting is really the only topic I think will fit my audience (all 30 of you :P)

I've been asked frequently, maybe not in this exact wording, "How are you children so good, what do you do?"

When I  became a mother I didn't set out to really create Stepford children, I feel like I've always had an extra dose of common sense and in reflection I can see how certain things I (and Jeff) have done to create totally amazing children.

First, tell them that they're amazing! How much better would your life be if you were told EVERYDAY that you were ... amazing, wonderful, beautiful, smart, hardworking, can't imagine my world with out you, I just want to squish you you're so cute, the absolute best. I can confidently say that I am my children's biggest fan and I let them know, EVERYDAY. Seriously, I don't get why parents harp on their children (what good comes of it), why is it ok to say that they're terrible? (ahem.. terrible twos) And even if they are cranky, it doesn't mean that you should publicly point it out... and they can hear you.  Ah! drives me crazy.  ... and besides the fact your children are a reflection of you.

anyways, now that I got that pet peeve off my chest... I'll stop now before a write a novel.

I have a list in my head ... respecting your children (talking to them like an equal), never yelling, reading to them, playing with them, laughing with them, being honest (I really don't think I can do the tooth fairy). I can't believe how much I love being a mom.  I seriously never would have guessed, and I am sure many people who knew me as a young woman are in awe as well.

Raaaayyyyyyaaaaaaaa (like from a street car named desire, "Stella.")

umm.. blog slacker, I know. Raya's seven stinking months now.  When did that happen?!?!?!?! (?!?!?!) (?!?!?!)

Milestones and Moments

-She's an extreme mommy's girl, and I love it.  She's actually bawling at the moment because Jeff is holding her and I'm on the computer, poor Jeff.  He insists though, he takes it as a personal afront and says, "She will be mine."

-She is extremely jumpy and gets startled easily and then laughs about it. 

-She's very giggly, and once she gets going it's hard for her to stop

-She's not crawling but she's scaling the carpet

-She's 21 pounds ... she gained a pound in the week I was at my in-laws.  Crazy, I was nursing her like crazy trying to pacify her, oops.

-She has the cutest wave, EVER. and she even waves with her pointer finger.

-She's clapping

I foresee many Chinese food girl's nights out :)

Some people she met for the first time this month:

Her great-grand parents and the kids first cousin Cella!

Also first Easter and egg fight:

-
What a busy month. 

Happy Birthday Grandpa!

huh?

So not ready for this (by-the-way the poop count is up to 10 today).  But it is really exciting too!  Levi really wants to be potty trained, and I really don't want to do it.  It's probably my most least favorite thing, ever.  I shudder at the thought of poop filled underwear.  -- So my approach with Levi is that he will be potty trained in his diaper... and he did twice, he asked to use the toilet while still wearing his diaper.  So as a reward Jeff put him in underwear until bedtime.

Levi is pretty excited about them.... as you can tell.

Some firsts in the Raya department today: She rolled over from her back to her stomach and she is saying, "Mmmmm! MMMmmmmm!" which I'm taking to be "Mommy." She only says it when she's distressed and wants something.

....

make that nine.

The poop gods are frowning on me.

Update...  It's 1:00 and there has been 8 dirty diapers.  It's been three days.  it can't go on forever, RIGHT?!