Conversations

Brigham after pooping on the bathroom floor: I pyooped on da floh, Mom and dat was so so bad. I so so sowyee. I won't ever do dat ever again.

Brigham asleep, when I went down to pull his covers up before I went to bed: I wuv you, Mom.

Brigham after snuggling with us in bed in the morning, decided to get out and go do a puzzle, but before he did, kissed me on the cheek. That gave me joy for the rest of the morning.

Cannon whenever he walks by Stanton: Hi! Then he just keeps walking on his way.

Brigham at Shaynna's: Saynna, I don't wike dat dohg. Wiw you put him back in him's cave?

Brigham the next day, wanting to go back to Shaynna's: Mom, can I go back to Saynna's?
Me: Not today, remember, she's still babysitting that dog.
Brigham: But I wike dat dohg now. Can I go back to Saynna's?

Cannon is a total tease lately. He loves to mimic me pointing my finger while I'm reprimanding the kids. He shakes his pointer finger and says, "Da Da Da Da Da" and then looks at me with a huge grin on his face.

If you laugh at anything Cannon does (hitting his head, falling down, clapping, dancing, anything), he'll do it over and over and over again.

Me answering any random question Lily already knows the answer to...
Lily: Did you mean _________?
Me: Lily, what did I mean?
Lily: I know, you mean what you said.

Chloe's been a real delight lately. She is so mature that I rarely catch her saying anything really off the wall humorous. I've been really happy, though, with how she has been trying to reason and listen when we're giving her some counsel. She still struggles, but she's improving so much. She's been my little buddy lately and I sure love her.

Me after Stanton walked back to the bedroom from the kitchen: I was hoping you were in there doing the dishes
Stanton: I wanted to, but then I remembered I had all those bills to pay. I'd rather be doing the dishes. Do you want to pay bills while I do the dishes?
Me: No, I'd rather you do both.
I did the dang dishes. He paid the dang bills. Okay, I'm "doing" the dang dishes. Slowly...with lots of breaks.

Chloe actually read the cereal box this morning. It was so exciting, as I remembered how I loved that morning ritual (I find myself still doing it, in fact).

Brigham hunting after a fly: Mom, I found him! Wiw you get the shoo fy? The shoo fy don't bodder me?

Chloe has been taking Cannon outside every day to jump on the trampoline. It is so adorable to see them out there together. He loves to be with her -- when it's just her. He's still pretty scared of the lot of them.

Brigham put on his knight halloween costume...
Lily: Oh, Brigham, you look charming!

After church, Chloe had some candy that I told her she could eat...
Chloe: No I can't. My teacher said I had to eat it after I got home.
Me: But I'm the mom, so I can give you permission to eat it even if your teachers say no.
Chloe: No, Mom. Moms are here making a measuring gesture at about shoulder level. Teachers are up here making a measuring gesture way above her head.

We've been heavily discussing the possibility of getting chickens in the springtime:
Chloe: I'd be delighted if someone gave me chickens for my birthday.

Lily's First Day of High School

One of the great girls in our neighborhood, Allison J., invited Lily to one of her classes for an hour. It was some sort of play observation thing. I couldn't help but say yes -- I mean, who wouldn't want to observe her? It's an informative, entertaining, and blessedly uplifting experience to observe her every day.

She had such a fun time. Thanks, Allison.

I'm in a phase of really loving and enjoying most every minute with my kids and can I just say how very much I am loving it?

Conversations

Brigham in a taunting voice, seeing an older boy riding a purple bike: You wideen a gewl bike!
The next day he insisted on getting his toenails painted with the girls...

Brigham pinched his finger in the stool.
Me: We should give that chair a spankin'.
Brigham: But it don't have a bottom, though.

Me: singing I Love to See the Temple to myself while the kids were doing something around the table. I finished and didn't start again.
Chloe: Mom, will you sing that again? It makes me feel holy inside.

Brigham approximately 17 times a day: Mom, can I have peach wedder (leather)?

During General Conference:
Lily: Who's the Lamb of God?
Me: Jesus.
Lily: Who's the Lamb of Jesus?
Me: There isn't really one.
Chloe: Yes there is; it's us, Mom. We're His sheep and sheep are the same as lambs.
Out of the mouths of babes.....

Lily and Brigham were blowing their "horns" (funnels).
Me: The next person to blow a horn gets it thrown away or has to go downstairs.
Brigham blows his horn.
Me: Okay, Brig, you choose. Garbage or downstairs?
Brigham: Downstairs. He didn't go.
Me: Guys, I really want to hear Elder Holland's talk. Please stop.
Chloe: Mom, if you want to listen, then just stop talking, okay? Just ignore them.
Any guesses how many times she's heard that line? And she's right.

While coloring in her Hello Kitty coloring book...
Lily: Mom, did Hello Kitty's mom and dad die?
Me: I'm not sure. Why would you ask that?
Lily: Because I wondered.
Me: But why would you wonder about that?
Lily: I just wonder about things I don't know.
That clears that up...

School Pictures

Today was school picture day. Chloe picked out her outfit and I picked out her hair do. We were both happy with the results.

So, while I was taking pictures of the tomato juice project, Chloe asked me to take another picture of her because she didn't smile. She "wasn't smiling" in this picture:

So, I humored her and took another picture, yielding this gem:

I reminded her to smile naturally and without tilting her head and got this very cute picture:

Then I got wondering.
I asked her how she smiled for school pictures, and sure enough... this is what will be enshrined on her Kindergarten photo:

Retakes are in November, but I don't think we'll take them up on it. I like the moment captured here.
Besides, Emily's taking family pictures again soon... :)

My Own Little Sweat Shop

While the girls were at school, Brigham and I tackled the half bushel of tomatoes that were getting very ripe on the counter. Brig handed them to me while I cut out the bad parts and quartered them. We put them on the stove till they got hot and then ran them through the Victorio strainer. We were about 2/3 done when the girls got home from school. Chloe was so into the whole process and pretty much took over from the minute she walked in the door. I have to admit, it was incredibly helpful!

She ended up milling about 1/3 of the tomatoes and pouring all the juice into the jars. 12 quarts worth without a mess! She was ordering me around after she really got going and I couldn't help but love her for it. The girl is a machine when she has a project in her sights. (Lesson here.)


Continuing with the sweat shop, while Chloe and I got tomatoes finished, Lily made lunch (Brigham was hugely helpful, too, but I didn't take a picture of him).


Cannon fed himself (I think by the time today was done he had eaten a plum, a pear, an apple, and half a package of graham crackers).



We were on such a roll that, at Chloe's insistence, I broke out the box of apples we picked from my friend, Abbie's, apple tree on Saturday. We plowed through about 1/2 the box before we ran out of day. Chloe & Lily were so helpful with the applesauce (while taking plenty of breaks for Electric Company and Ruff Ruffman and playing outside, of course). Brigham helped by taking one bite out of each apple (to make sure they were okay, I suppose?). Cannon helped by screaming and eating and napping.

All told, we ended up with 12 quarts of tomato juice (that I forgot to season), 6 1/2 quarts of applesauce,



and a very messy kitchen -- evidenced by Cannon's highchair.


Other notes on today:
Brigham is getting very good at puzzles and spent over an hour doing them today -- he may turn out smart after all. Phew.
Lily surprised me by completing a 60 piece puzzle that Brigham had started and abandoned for his Cars 24 piece one. I was impressed because this 60 piece Little Miss Muffett puzzle is not easy. It stumps me sometimes.
Cannon is entering the screaming phase. I do not love it.
My girls can totally make lunch -- I ought to let them more often.
Home canned applesauce is mighty tasty.
So is home canned tomato juice.

It was a way good day.

Fashion Show Video

Photo and video editing at www.OneTrueMedia.com

It's long, but Oh, so cute.