Arizona Top Ten

10) McDonald's parfait incident at airport security
9) Grant throwing his shoes on the plane
8) Elizabeth finds out why you don't swim in February
7) Putting on make-up to go to the "bar"
6) Elizabeth never stops talking
5) Auntie Alison learns that Stella takes her pretend play VERY seriously
4) Find your own goat to brush
3) toothbrush in toilet = locked in a dark bathroom
2) Someday Grant & Briggs are going to be bigger than you
And #1
1) Elizabeth cries when going to bed on the last night because she doesn't want to leave Stella and will miss her so much

A Great Start

Grant seldom has pants on at home...unless we company over.  Monday mornings are no exception!

I find myslef in this situation often...it's Monday morning and we have enjoyed the weekend together as a family and the result equals a trashed house.  Brandon actually said to me this weekend, "will you move your stuff off the counter,  I have cleaned the kitchen like 5 times this weekend!"  I laughed very hard at this comment!  Welcome to my life honey!  So we got up this morning and did a little Easter craft and we were still in our PJ's at 10:00 am.  I told the kids that their rooms really needed to be picked up and the playroom was desperate for attention too.  To my surprise they seemed very keen on the idea.  They were really playing good with each other, so I decided to capitalize on the moment.  I told them they needed to clean under their beds too.  To make it fun for them I told them to use the reacher toy that we have to get the stuff their arms were too short for.  I went to get ready for the day and left them to their own devices.  I fully expected them to just play the whole time.  When I got out of the shower and came out to check on them, but they quickly told me to go away and that they weren't finished yet.  I said OK, but in my mind was thinking that this could be going one of two ways.  

 

To my very pleasant surprise they actually picked up!! Even under the beds!  I could see carpet again!  I could dust shelves and dressers!  They actually did what I told them to do...without my help, without handholding, without threats, without bribes....what a moment to treasure! I can't even begin to describe how proud I was of them.

Then I noticed Grant had fed Hot Dog enough fish food for a month!  Oh my Grant Ryan!! But their rooms look so good!! I will just focus on that ;)

Dance Party

Grant is really into dancing these days.  He also really likes to put a special outfit to do his dancing in!  They are so much fun to watch!  It doesn't take much to persuade Elizabeth to join in!

Valentine's Day

LOVE!

This year Valentine's Day was on a Thursday. I had a meeting at church Tuesday night, leaving the perfect opportunity for daddy and the kids to do a little shopping. The next day were getting ready for Joy to come over for speech and I made the comment "we need to vacuum downstairs this morning. "Elizabeth yelled  "you can't go downstairs!" (she meant the basement, I meant the main floor)  This was the moment I was clued in that something was down there for Valentine's Day.   A little later in the day I hear Elizabeth whisper to Grant something about a card and keeping a secret.   Thursday morning the kids wake up and they tell me they had something for me downstairs. (Really?!) So I stayed in the kitchen and wait for them to come up from the basement and all I hear Elizabeth say is "I can't help you with that buddy it's too heavy."   Elizabeth emerges from the basement stairs carrying a vase of flowers. They were the neon colored ones that she always admires when she sees them at a store. Very sweet! Then Grant comes up the stairs and I see that he also has a vase of flowers, however he trips on the last step and falls forward.  Luckily he was very agile and he saved the flowers. However he was very upset by the stumble and was afraid he had ruined it and was crying.   They also handed me a card where they had signed their names. Good job daddy I was very surprised!

More love!

I guess he did let me take his picture, but he wasn't happy about it!

Always smiling :)

The kids opened their Valentines and Grant promptly dropped his new light-up Scooby-Doo glass.  Instead of lighting up it was now shaking/rattling.  I assumed it was trashed, however Daddy was the hero later that night at dinner and he fixed it!

As I'm getting breakfast ready I hear Elizabeth say to  Grant "no hitting, no biting, no  pinching. Today is a day of love.  Got it Grant? Right Mommy?"  Oy!!  I took Elizabeth to school and she had her Valentine's Day party.   We had made valentines with the rainbows and a bag of Skittles (thank you Pinterest).   After school she had swim lessons. Mimi came to watch her.   Unfortunately she didn't get to see any diving board action because the high school swim team was swimming in that pool.   She did however do an awesome backstroke across the length of the pool.

 For dinner the kids helped me make chicken Cordon Bleu and heart shaped Jell-O.   As we sat down to eat this lovely dinner I was reminded of Valentine's Day 2012 where we had just sat down to dinner and Grant promptly started throwing up, as it was his turn to have the stomach flu.   This year was a much healthier Valentine's Day.

His new favorite book! Tractors and flaps!

A collection of Fancy Nancy...an instant favorite!

Special heart pancakes for breakfast

Hero daddy for fixing the light-up cup! I promise he did smile throughout the day - just not for my camera!

Brandon and I didn't really do much for each other since we had just been away the week before.

The Best Lunch

I love eating lunch at home with my kids.  Really I do!  I love PBJ's and I love leftovers and today their company was extra special.  I had bought cheetos as a special lunch side dish.  As I was putting some on their plates I hear EB say "Ohhh Grant we get scatos!"  "Cheetos, honey, these are called Cheetos." She must have asked me 10 times what they were called!  I am still not sure she has has it right.  I can't wait to see what she calls them tomorrow.

I had the newspaper laying on the table and there was a picture of a girl basketball player.  Elizabeth says, "Girls can play basketball?"  "Of course, girls can do anything!" and I am thinking to myself how badly I have failed in her the girl power department. Then she says, "But who cheerleads for them?"  She is so sharp.  "Good question...who do you think cheerleads for them?"  (my favorite tactic...answering a question with a question!)  Eb says "Boys maybe?"  I guess we need to take her to a girls basketball game.

Grant is finishing up lunch and has one bite left.  He stabs it with his fork and promptly misses his mouth and the food hits the floor.  Grant exclaims "Oh man!" I will never tired of hearing him say this, it is so cute and so innocent sounding!

I have them both tucked into bed now and told them it was a competition to see who could fall asleep first and I think they actually bought it!  Elizabeth actually told me to leave so she could get to sleep!

Recharging the Batteries and Grant's Fish

Each year Brandon and I try to get away without the little ones to recharge our batteries.  This year we were lucky enough to go with another great couple to Punta Cana in the Dominican Republic.  We are also very lucky to have grandparents willing to watch our kids while we escape.  (our many thanks!) Our vacation was wonderful and the kids had a good time too.

Grant learned that it is "not nice push" (not nice to push his sister).  Grant also got his fish the night that we left.  Hot Dog was a beautiful orange goldfish with a white tuff on top of his head.  Unfortunately, Hot Dog did not make it.  Apparently he made a pretend phone call to me "Hi Mommy (small pause) Good (as if I had asked him how he was).  Hot Dog dead."  He took the fish passing in stride.  My dad took him back to the pet store to get another one but their water system had be contaminated and all of the fish had worms so they wouldn't sell him one.  The first thing we did we got back was take him to buy a new fish.  Hot Dog II, a male beta, that kind of looks like an actual hot dog is now residing in Grant's room.  I did keep the receipt...just in case!

Grant examining Hot Dog II

Elizabeth is as expressive as ever.  She is really opening up to conversation with strangers.  Just today someone complimented her coat and instead of just saying "thank you," she added "I have mittens that match, see?"  Her favorites things to say right now are "I have no idea" (which she will say to almost anything!) and "oh yeah!" (spoken very low and slow).  Brandon said, "Let's have eggs and bacon and sausage and coffee cake for breakfast." Elizabeth's response was "Oh yeah!"  I guess it's just her way of showing excitement!

The best news is that we are all healthy and we all had a good week apart.  My mom said the kids actually never asked once about us.  We tried to FaceTime with them everyday or two.  She said they didn't even ask when we were going to be calling next.  I tried not to be hurt by this, by concluding they must have just really been enjoying their time too!

I have no idea what the boys did to make us laugh this hard, but I love this picture!

Matt & Brandon

Majestic Elegance - Punta Cana

Today it was back to reality.  Our ocean breezes have been replaced by a very chilly 40 mph wind.  Lunches by the sea have turned into PBJ's.  Lounge chairs, Bali beds and card games are now trips to Wal-Mart and Costco.  But that's OK.  We enjoyed every ounce of paradise with no regrets and we are recharged to enjoy and appreciate the special moments we get to have as parents.  After all, is there really anything better than your daughter just wanting to lay in bed and cuddle with you and your little boy grabbing your face and kissing you all over?  I think they might have missed us...just a little ;)