That's What She Said!

It depends on your definition

2010-10-28T22:46:00.000-07:00

Day 5.
I'll save everyone the rant.....I left my camera and video camera in Payson when we were there two weeks ago! I realized it today, just as I was off to two of my children's class Halloween parties. Seriously, it's Hallofreakinween weekend! I mean, I spend hours getting my kids dressed up, hair done and looking fabulous for this event and I have no camera to document my self proclaimed mom of the year efforts. OK, so not really mom of the year, but you know one day when my girls are older this will go into the "look at all I've done for you over the years" file. I need solid evidence. I want to enjoy the fruits of my labor. Because, let me tell ya, getting four girls ready IS labor......If I stop now can this be classified as a lament? Plus, I'm pretty sure that somewhere in the definition of rant it says yell. And unless you live on my street, you heard no yelling.

PS. Today I am thankful for my camera, which affords me opportunities to capture moments I want not to forget.

Just give me one of those white sticks

2010-10-27T23:05:00.000-07:00

Day 4.
Today I'm thankful for glasses/contacts! I'm pretty close to blind. I believe I was in 4th grade when I got my first pair of glasses (which I then proceeded to brake with in the first week of ownership. My mom was not pleased) It didn't take me long to realize, wearing glasses did not make me any cooler or any smarter. (big fat bummer. I had conjured up all kinds of ideas of how brilliant I'd become or how good looking I'd be.) It wasn't until I got contacts in the 9th grade that I officially didn't go without either my glasses or contacts. Each year I go back to the eye doctor, my eyes get progressively worse. I always wonder at what point will I officially be declared legally blind (and what a tragedy that would be. I couldn't even get one of those seeing eye dogs. I'm allergic to anything with fur. Lame! You think they could train a pig? I hear they're quite smart.) Maybe someday I'll get brave enough for that corrective laser eye surgery. The idea of my eyes being preyed open while lasers are being used......well let's just say, it's not for me! With the help of my glasses/contacts I can see just fine and I am sooooo grateful to have them.

3 days in a row, I'm pretty sure that's a record for me!

2010-10-26T20:03:00.002-07:00

Day 3.
Today I am thankful for the convenience of email. I have accomplished much today, all by way of email. I've corresponded with teachers, confirmed party plans, received meeting reminders, received notification of a UPS delivery and was reminded it's my last chance to save and receive free shipping at an array of my favorite retailers. (but since Black Friday is less than a month away, they can not tempt me with their hallow claims of "lowest prices of the season" crap. I am no fool. I am certified in the door buster, sleepless night, rock bottom prices, bedlam that is Black Friday. Crazy? Yes. But it makes for a merry Christmas)

Who'd of guessed I'd say that?!

2010-10-25T16:53:00.000-07:00

Day 2.
Today I am grateful to have all girls. No you don't need to have your ears checked. Yes, I actually said that! Now with the changing weather (finally!) here in AZ, I'm pulling out the pants and hoodies. It's at this time I appreciate having all girls. No one, but Emry NEEDS new clothes. Now does this mean Summer, Tatum and Ava get stuck wearing all hand-me-downs? Heavens No! There are always items we simply just want and can't do with out. Plus my girls are still kids and just plain ruin things. Making it necessary to replace with new. There are very few tally marks in the plus column with having all girls. In fact, this is the only one I can think of at the moment. But I must admit sharing clothes is a perk right now. (And don't worry, I am fully aware of the future fights that will ensue over the sharing of clothes!)

PS. Eric, this is what I am thankful/grateful for today. Not you! Trust me, I know you'd gladly fork out all kinds of money just to clothe even just one boy.

Challenge extended....Challenge accepted

2010-10-24T15:19:00.007-07:00

32 days to a more thankful/grateful me. In an effort to blog more (ok, blog period) for the next 32 days I will document something I am grateful/thankful for. (And what a coincidence, day 32 is Thanksgiving day) Some will be important and substantial and others may be small and insignificant. But in the end I am blessed beyond measure and big or little it will do me good to acknowledge and remember them all.

Day 1.
Today I am thankful for friends. In the words of John Lennon ♪"I get by with a little help from my friends"♫ I love the give and take of a friendship. Sometimes you've got it together and can be the giver but we all know sometimes we're the taker. And that's ok. None of us are perfect. We all have our struggles and our friends have a way of making everything just a little easier to get through. I love that some of my best friends are family members. I love it when friends tell you "you can do it", even when you think you can't. I love having friends who are genuinely happy for me when good comes my way. I love having friends I don't see often but just thinking of them make me smile. I love friendships that inspire me to be and do better (even if it is just because they are fabulous at things I feel inferior at). I love that I have people in my life who I haven't known forever, that I don't call one of my best friends, yet still know when I'm having a bummer of a day and say and do things to lift me up. I love that I have friends who keep it real. You know, the ones who confess to having a house that sometimes looks like a crap hole, who scream at their children, who have to have a cafinated beverage just to get through the day, who don't shower everyday, who's children aren't the cutest and smartest around, who text while they're driving (despite signing Oprah's "No Phone Zone" pledge), who cook their family dinner only sporadically, who's husband's aren't the hardest working, best looking, most helpful or fantastic listener. Don't get me wrong, the importance of positive thinking and speaking is critical in life. But the brief moments when we let our hair down and speak candidly about our life is just plain refreshing. Friends know the good and the bad, they lift each other up when down, they listen without always trying to "fix it", they know the real you and love you anyway. As with life, friendships have their ups and downs, they have to be worked at, and we get out of it what we put into it.

Baby steps

2010-06-27T15:20:00.002-07:00

Yes, I am aware this is the first time I have posted something in over 9 months!.....First things first, We are no longer Eric & Bre plus 3. We are plus four and Eric and Bre plus 4 just doesn't have the same ring to it.......Thus a new blog name is a must.

Yes, I know I skipped Summer's birthday (i'll get to it, I promise) but lets talk about headaches and hurt feelings

2009-09-03T09:35:00.001-07:00

So these are my 3 rascals. And just so you know I do not believe a single picture in which all three are happy smiling and looking at the camera is in existence. It is a goal of mine to own such a picture, but at this point in my life that feat still alludes me.

Just a little 5 minute window into a Graham family breakfast:

Tatum and Summer (who should not be allowed to sit next to each other, but were) started in with the poking and touching. Yes you know what I am referring to. "she touched me" or "she poked my arm and made me drop my spoon." This goes on for a few minutes until it escalates into a shouting match. At which point I am forced to intervene. Brilliantly I move them apart and tell them to "stop, because it's only 7am and they're already giving me a headache!" Now my sweet little perfect Emry (HaHa) feels the need to throw in her two cents by saying "I wish they would just eat their breakfast quietly like me." Now the inner struggle begins, "let it go" I think to myself, but that is almost impossible for me. It's one of my faults (letting things go, not opening my mouth with a comeback) I'm fully aware and someday may even try to work on it. So of course I open my mouth to Emry saying "well, I wish you wouldn't talk so disrespectfully to me." Emry now sits there with a blank look on her face. I now feel the need to elaborate and give her a few of examples. (heaven knows I couldn't let her sit there and gloat in her self proclaimed innocence) So I start in "how about when you tell me you hate me, or the time you told me you wanted a new mom, or the time you said I just want to spit in your face" (yes she is just 5 and yes my jaw drops when I hear my "sweet little perfect Emry" say such atrocities. She is a drama queen in every sense of the term) I finish with "when you talk like that, it hurts my feelings." Emry gets quiet for a moment (you see, she is her mothers daughter so I stand there waiting for her comeback) then with a smile on her face says "well at least I don't give you headaches like Summer and Tatum. I'm pretty sure that's worse than hurting your feelings, so I guess I'm not so bad after all." I decide to stop there. I had to walk away as to not let Emry see me snickering.

What else..........but a Birthday......and better late than never. Right???

2009-08-13T13:15:00.000-07:00

Apparently I only blog for Birthdays it seems. My little Miss Sassy Pants Emry turned 5 on July 8th. For her birthday she chose to go to Chuck E Cheese. You can imagine my excitement when I heard this. Up until this point my children have been deprived of the Chuck E Cheese experience. Forgive me if I enjoy a good Barro's pizza as apposed to the cardboard Chuck E Cheese passes off as pizza. Thanks to my frienemies at Nick jr. & the Disney channel who portray Chuck E Cheese as the next best thing to Disneyland, Emry demanded the deprivation end. She must go! So of course we (and by we I mean Tatum) went and wasted lots of tokens (apparantley Tatum would snatch handfuls of tokens and just keep dropping them in the rides, even after it was already going. This was not figured out until the end of the night) But the best part of the night is when we got home and Emry said "hmmm, Chuck E Cheese sure seems like a lot more fun on TV." Classic!

A little about Emry at age 5

* is my BEST helper

* sooo honest (even when it's to her detriment)

* as SASSY as they come

* LOVES to sing and dance (still tells me she wants to be in a talent show)

* favorite tv shows right now: Scooby Doo, Sponge Bob, and ICarly

* favorite movie: basically anything scary or a Barbie movie

* meal of choice: peanut butter and Jelly (or if she's feelin' crazy...PB & honey)

* always keeps us laughing, she says some of the funniest things

* frequently colors or draws a picture and then randomly tapes it on my walls somewhere in the house

* enjoys giving talks in Primary (always volunteers) Yay for me ;)

* very dramatic, everything is a big deal and can become hysterical in an instant

* thinks hide-and -go-seek is the BEST game ever

* LOVES to dress-up

* wants to "live with mommy and daddy FOREVER" even after she's married with her own children. (once cried when I tried to convince her she'd WANT to move out one day)

* likes to swim and has become pretty good at it.

* HATES to get her hair done (cries almost every morning)

* LOVES to help cook/bake

* tells stories like no other 5yr old I know (she's very creative)

* still the pickiest eater in the house (we argue every night over how many bites she must eat)

* now has an opinion on what she wears everyday :(

* tells me, sometimes Heavenly Father and Jesus talk to her heart

L♥ve you Emry!

It's been over a month since I've posted and my last one hardly counts. So what inspired me to climb out of my anti-blogging hole you ask.....Tatum ☺

2009-05-07T13:57:00.004-07:00

This is my baby. She's 2 today. I can't believe how fast time has flown by. It seems Emry also feels the same way. This morning she said to me "I can't believe Tatum's 2 today, it's like I'm having a dream and I just can't wake up!" This is the first time I've had a 2yr old and not had a younger baby. Tatum is a crazy girl and fits in perfectly with her sisters, Emry and Summer. So here's a little about Tatum as she is today.....

*The biggest tattle tale I know.
*Words most commonly uttered by Tatum: "(insert name) did it" (most common names...cousin Preston or Aunt Kelsey. And no they do not even have to be around to get blamed)
*Loves shoes and will wear any left in her reach (including those found in cubbies at Chic-fil-a)
*Hates swimming/large bodies of water, including the bath (polar opposite from sisters)
*Loves gum! Has got a hold of entire packs and devoured every last piece
*Might actually love her binky and blanket more than Emry and Summer. (previously believed to be impossible)
*Always wants to be doing whatever her sisters are doing
*NEVER watches TV or movies. (Harkins Summer Movies should be a blast this year!)
*Throws a fit when forced to ride in shopping cart. Thinks she must push cart. (this is especially awesome when she pushes the cart into a display of shampoo and you get to see bottles fall and bust open)
*Great at saying "Thank you" and "your welcome"
*Fabulous at giving kisses and hugs. (can't got to bed without 'em)

Love you Tatey Bug! Happy Birthday.

I can't stop laughing

2009-04-02T17:33:00.003-07:00

Seriously O.b.?! I know vampires are all the rage right now, but this? I mean who is their target audience? And do you think Stephenie Meyer should get a cut of the profits? Cuz really I don't think it was Tom Cruise and Brad Pitt in "Interview With the Vampire" that inspired this ad. Gives new meaning to the term "blood suckers" doesn't it. ☺(I'll never look at tampons the same way again)

decisions, decisions...

2009-03-28T18:06:00.005-07:00

I'm in L♥VE with the swimwear from this company "Lime Ricki" They've got some seriously CUTE suits. So since it's March and in about two weeks it will probably be 100 degrees here in good ol' AZ it's time to find a new swim suit.

The best part(and there are very few if any good parts about swim suit shopping).... their prices are reasonable!

Anyway, check 'em out they've got lots more super cute suits to choose from. Now I've got some decision making to do!

I should have known Summer would be the first (and better be last)

2009-03-12T16:47:00.006-07:00

She said "I need short hair like Emry" Appearantly all of my threats I made to my girls about "ever cutting their own hair" slipped her mind.

Lets just say that little front/side ponytail she has in the above pic, no longer matches up with the length of the rest of her hair.

Ya I know Christmas was almost 2 months ago, but the guilt was consuming me!

2009-02-18T16:43:00.000-07:00

Ok I know this is soooo lame but if this is my only form of journaling then I couldn't just completely skip over Christmas. So here's a quick rundown of the season. It gets to be more fun every year now that my girls are getting older. They have opinions and can remember more. Their list was a mile long. They wanted everything! We kept busy with fun things like, Emry and Summer's pre-school program, building gingerbread houses, Guitar Hero, seeing "A Christmas Carol", going to see Bev sing with the Phoenix Symphony, Graham family night in the desert recounting the birth of our savior, of course a visit with Santa at the ward party and many more, but the thought of having to sit here and think more about Christmas overwhelms me. So that's the highlights. 2008 was busy and fun, my girls are growing up faster than ever and I'm sure 2009 will be much of the same.

Ok there, it's done! Now I can move on with my life.

Ya I know, I haven't posted in a month and this hardly counts but it sure is funny!

2009-02-13T10:31:00.003-07:00

I saw this and had to share. I'm totally cracking up right now!

Do you know what tonight is?.........Hint.... 2 words...

2009-01-13T09:45:00.007-07:00

American Idol!

I know I know, I'm such a nerd! Oh and there is a 4th judge this year. Some chic I've never heard of, Kara DioGuardia. Whatever! Simon, let the insults begin!

My aggravation & excitement today

2009-01-09T14:04:00.000-07:00

Ok so for the aggravation first. I got gas about 10 days ago at Costco for $1.41. Today I'm seeing gas has gone up about 25cents! I'm having panic attacks envisioning it going back up to $4.15. I know it's only a quarter but I'm seeing a trend each day of it creeping up again. At the peak it cost me $140 to fill up my suburban. When I got my gas the last time, I filled up for the bargain price of $42. So sorry if I seem a bit whiney but I am really enjoying my $200 a month raise (and that doesn't even include what Eric saves with his car). My food storage has really benefited from the extra $. Which brings me to my excitement for the day. Fry's is having what they call their "case lot sale" Basically just lots of essentials for cheap. I get almost giddy with joy when I stock up and save. I spent $60 and saved $60. WooHoo! I know for all you couponers out there you probably could cut that in half again, but for me it's a good deal. And it subsided my displeasure with the gas prices. Oh by the way, how long do you think 20 jars of peanut butter will last us?

Fiesta Anyone?

2009-01-07T21:11:00.008-07:00

I know, I know I haven't even written about our Christmas or New Years festivities but I plan to.

Now onto the Fiesta....

2 hours in the car to get there

$30 for parking

$8.50 for a personal size pizza

$8.50 for 3 chicken strips & fries

$4 each for a small Coke - no lid, no straw

Put these together and what do you get?......

Oh Ya it's the Fiesta Bowl!

Thanks to an awesome SIL Jessica, Eric and I along with his brother Brent and his wife Jessica partied like it was the collage days.

Ok, See that little circle?..... that's the hottie of a Texas Fan Matthew Mcconaughey!

So Texas has a dramatic last minute win, making for a great bowl game. Now it's off to see if we can find our car in the sea of thousands of vehicles UOP Stadium tries to pass off as a parking lot.... I like to refer to it as a Rat Trap! They lure you in to this one way in/one way out trap with their fancy games, charge you $30 and pack you in like sardines. The parking lot is striped with parking spots but they devised a brilliant plan by having everyone park perpendicular, thus making lots more money. And then for the topper, the nice people who so kindly guided us into our make-shift spots are now gone! We had heard rumors of others attending events at UOP Stadium having to wait 2 hours to get out of the parking lot. But of course that would never happen to us! ...... Ok well it sure as heck would have if my genius of a husband didn't believe we were in our suburban. Lets just say, after waiting 45min in one of the 7 lines that then merge into one, with out moving an inch Eric sees a few other "trucks" and "SUV's" taking an alternate route which involved a ditch with gravel and a curb. Did I mention we were in our Camry?

So this is Eric and Brent pushing the Camry up over the curb. I was dying laughing! But in all fairness this little incident did get us all home a lot earlier.

IT'S THE 23rd ALREADY??!!!!!!

2008-12-23T08:15:00.005-07:00

I can feel the Christmas noose starting to tighten around my neck! I have a to do list a mile long and not enough time to do it all. Wish I could share more, but I'm off to the depths of HELL (wal-mart with all 3 kids two days before Christmas) Oh, and thanks to our good neighbors the Olsens and Julie's amazing, fantastic and ever delicious chocolate and nut covered toffee, guess what I had for breakfast..... Her toffee is like a drug to me!

30

2008-12-17T15:25:00.005-07:00

Ok so today I considered making a "30 list". You know..... like 30 accomplishments or 30 reasons why birthdays close to Christmas suck, or 30 wishes, or 30 goals, or 30 reason why depression isn't all bad, ie: you have an excuse to sleep a lot, eat a lot, and slack off on your responsibilities (cuz I think 30 is when you should for sure be a grown up, or at least act like one. So I'm pretty positive that will lead to depression, you know because it's one more thing I've yet to accomplish) But instead I have decided to use the 30min it would have taken me to create such a list, to lock my kids up, go relax and watch a Tivo'd re-run of Seinfeld. "Serenity Now!" (gotta love Frank Costanza)

Eric's Birthday

2008-11-22T10:50:00.005-07:00

Yesterday 11/21 was Eric's Birthday. And woo hoo for him, he didn't have to work. I had intended on getting up early, making a nice breakfast and letting him sleep in. But peer pressure got the best of me, hence I did not get to bed the night before until 3am. Needless to say I was dead to the world and did not even notice when he got out of bed. I kind of feel bad the day was pretty boring and even though it was his birthday, he cleaned the kids' room, took them to the park and made lunch. Thank goodness for Guitar Hero or the day could have been a total loss. That evening we did go out to dinner and see a movie of his choosing (the new 007). He thought the movie was awesome and looked over to tell me so, but I guess I was asleep. Next year for Eric's birthday I plan on going to bed at a respectable time so that I can be a better Birthday Hostess. Eric does so much for our family, we'd be a wreck without him. I'll share some reasons why......

*He is the bath giver at our house, I rarely bathe the kids myself
*He always reads the bedtime stories
* Does the dishes almost as often as I do
* Will do his own laundry
*Is up with the kids every morning, gets them their milk and sometimes breakfast, All the while letting me sleep until he comes to kiss me goodbye at 7:50 to be off to work.
*Thanks me for making a yummy dinner when all I've made is cheese crisps
*Tries to figure out what to make for dinner when all I've planned is ..... nothing.
*Always cleans the kids' room
*He's the "nice one" Our kids know it and take advantage
*Always makes an effort to rush home from where ever he is, so he can come home and be with us
*Aside from setting out their dresses and doing their hair, he does as much as he can to get the kids ready on Sundays
*Always lets the kids follow him around when he's doing yard work and tries his best to involve them
*Makes our bed more often than I do
*Never stays mad very long
*Pays all the bills and then hands everything else over to me
*Tells me and my girls he loves us multiple times a day
*Calls me everyday from work to check on me and the girls
*Will see something that needs to be done around the house and just do it.
*Eric likes it pitch black to sleep, but will put up with me watching t.v. or reading by a light so I can fall asleep easier
*Always has and still will get up in the night when one of the kids are crying.
*Good at and always the first to say "I'm Sorry"
*Always lets me go out with my friends or sisters just to have fun
*Always supportive of getting together with my family
*Asks for very little, It doesn't take much to make him happy
*L♥ves us unconditionally

What the H%#@?!

2008-11-10T08:14:00.005-07:00

Over the weekend 99.9 KEZ started their continuous Christmas music! Not that I'm a big 99.9 listener, but seriously we still have loads of Halloween candy. I don't need another reminder of how far behind I am on my Christmas shopping this year! Thanksgiving is still almost 3 weeks away! ONE HOLIDAY AT A TIME PEOPLE! All in all, I just think it's too early! So just a word of caution, STAY CLEAR OF 99.9! At least until after Thanksgiving, then it seems ok.

For all you Twilightaholics.....

2008-11-07T08:11:00.004-07:00

'' I do not feel alone with the manuscript. And I cannot write when I don't feel alone. So my goal is to go for, like, I don't know, two years without ever hearing the words Midnight Sun. And once I'm pretty sure that every one's forgotten about it, I think I'll be able to get to the place where I'm alone with it again. Then I'll be able to sneak in and work on it again. "

This is a direct quote from Stephenie Meyer. She was recently interviewed by Entertainment Weekly. You can read the interview in it's entirety HERE. So for all of you who read Midnight Sun on line and are dying for more, I guess there's hope. I haven't read it. I figured "what's the use of reading half a book?" I'd just be frustrated when it stopped.

How is it possible?

2008-11-06T21:04:00.004-07:00

"Mom, how can I be everything? You know.......... a friend, a neighbor, a cousin and a sister? How can I be all those things?"

Thanks for always making me laugh Emry!

(for the record, I know she was serious but it's really hard not to laugh at the things she says sometimes.)

Our Happy Halloween

2008-11-02T19:32:00.004-07:00

This is Eric's masterpiece

Ridin' in style! In their super hot Radio Flyer. (Oh to be young again. While looking completely adorable, have some one chauffeur you around whilst others bestow handfuls of treats to you.)

So this is the first year my kids (except Tatum) had a preference as to what costume they would be donning.

Emry has been obsessed with watching Scooby Doo lately and insisted on being Daphne. I wasn't sure how easy this would be to find, but thanks to ol' reliable (Target.com) Emry paraded her Daphne ensemble and orange hair around with style.

My animal loving (well.....to be more accurate, anything that moves, so to also include but not limited to bugs, fish, and reptiles) Summy Bunny initially wanted to be a baby lamb. I soon realized most baby lamb costumes were meant for infants. So we compromised on Little Bo Peep. She was happy. (notice the baby lamb on her apron)

Poor Tatum had no choice but to be my little Piglet. I was quite impressed. She kept her hooded ears on most of the night. She caught on to Trick-or Treating so quickly. I suppose the idea of someone dropping candy in your bucket just for knocking on their door seemed like a dream come true for her.

Eric and I are clearly dressed up as ................ ummm well ................ awesome person 1 and 2. Ok but for the record I at least made a slight attempt and wore a Halloweenish shirt.

All in all we had a fab night. We went to my parents neighborhood for trick-or-treating and a super fun block party. Eric and I lucked out. Emry tired out quickly and was ready to be done after about 15 or 20 houses. Summer on the other hand was in usual form (the energizer bunny, hence her nick name Summy Bunny) She ran from house to house and would have kept going for who knows how long. Here are what the kids considered to be the two highlights of the night....

A: cotton candy (a personal favorite for my kids) at the block party.

B: The QT...... um I mean house with all the full size candies where I know they took more than one.

Can't say that I blame them.

Fun In Payson

2008-10-30T10:57:00.002-07:00

Eric's family got together in Payson last weekend. My kids always love to go up there. They can run, scream, eat junk, get totally filthy dirty and be with cousins. What's not to love? Pop and Grandma Bev had tons of fun things for everyone to do. There was never a dull moment. So here's a quick run down... Bad Mitten, pumpkin decorating, bean bag toss, horse shoes, marshmallow shooters, doughnut eating contest (with no hands), camp fire with S'mores, hay ride, playing in the creek, bobbing for apples, tons of yummy food and or course the ever popular swing (it's usually the first thing they run to when we get there) Pop made for the grandkids. Oh and in the top and bottom right hand corners you can witness Kelsey and Eric "believing" they have some sort of super human jumping powers. ( that show Heroes has really gone to their head!)

(click on collage to make it bigger)

Note To Self...

2008-10-21T16:45:00.002-07:00

When a child asks you for a towel, do not assume it is because you told her to wash her hands a "couple of minutes ago" and she may need a towel to dab the water off her arms...... It may because the "couple of minutes ago" you thought it was, was in reality 10 min ago and a lot can happen in 10 min. Because 10 min in kid word is like an eternity when it comes to opportunities for disaster. For example: your child might have put an obscene amount of toilet pater in the toilet, and since it wouldn't go down the first time (instead of coming to get mommy) she might flush it several times. All the while every time she flushes the toilet it overflows again and again. So again let me reiterate; NEVER give a child a towel unless you're prepared to follow her and over see it's use, because sometimes a hand towel is just not going to do the job. So 7 large bath towels and a little PineSol later my bathroom floor sparkles. Thanks for encouraging me to clean the bathroom Summy!

Another tid bit what I've been up to

2008-10-20T22:07:00.008-07:00

So what do you do in St. George? Enjoy the scenery? hike around Snow Canyon? See a show at Tuacahn ( a pretty cool out door amphitheatre featuring shows like Les Mis or Sound of music)? Uuhhhhh NO. Well maybe you do, but I go to Tai Pan Trading!

It's Huge! I spent 4 hours there, and wished for more. My mom and I pulled up and it was like the mother ship was calling me home! Needless to say I stayed too long and spent too much, but loved every minute of it. We totally need one here in AZ. I think I'll start a petition. Any one want to sign?

Ok on to the next little bit of fun....Look familiar?

If you're in the dark ages and do not recognize this scene, it's from MAMMA MIA. My mom, my sister Kelsey and my dad (He likes ABBA. Though I believe he thought, him and his friend Ben Franklin could have had a better time el$e where) went to see the show in Vegas. I loved the movie and loved the show even more. My only complaint was Sophie. I thought her voice was kind of whiny. Oh and what a difference it made to listen to Sam Carmichael's character played by someone other than 007. Sorry but Pierce Brosnan may be good with a gun, women, fast cars, and saving the day but the singing......not so much!

So here's me before the show

being a total dork.

And I'm ok with that.

We sang the whole way through and of course had to stand up and dance at the end. And just in case your wondering... yes that first picture along with a few others were taken illegally by me with my camera during the show. Gotta love the Zoom. I smuggled it in. And yes with a minute left some one came by and caught me. Luckily he was nice and just sternly said "put it away!" That's ok, it was worth it and I'd do again.

We only stayed one night in Vegas so my gambling time was limited. Really we just went to the show, visited a few of the fun Hotels, and ate yummy food.

Oh and on a side note. If you ever go to Vegas, it is imperative that you visit the Paris Hotel and get a little piece of Heaven. Also known as a Crepe from the La Creperie. They are the most divine teat I have had the pleasure of tasting. My mouth waters just thinking of them.

My Blogging Sabbatical Is Officially Over.

2008-10-13T22:58:00.002-07:00

In a few days it will have been a month since I've posted anything. I'm not exactly sure what got into me but all of the sudden I felt like I was back in high school. It's so stupid but I felt like I had an important homework assignment due. And in true Breanna like high school fashion, I kept procrastinating. It kept weighing on my mind, like I better get started, but I just had other things to do and I'd get to it later. Finally it had been so long, I didn't even know where to start. It's like I had a 12 page paper due and I had not even a single page of notes let alone picked a topic. So at this point I'm going to take things slow. I'm not going to cram a month's worth of info into one ginormous post. I'll do a little here and a little there until hopefully I can get to the point where I do not feel like detention and or an F is looming over me.

So part of what kept me away was that in fact I was away for 5 days. My grandma Jenkins passed away on Sept. 28th. Though death is never a joyous occasion, she had been sick for quite sometime and the relief death brought her was at this point acceptable. Her funeral was to be on Oct. 6th in Salt Lake City. My sister Kelsey and I hitched a ride up with my parents. We left Friday the 3rd and came home on Wednesday the 8th. Ok so did you notice the word "I"? Yep just "ME" the one and only hitched a ride. No kids. Eric took time off work to stay home and watch the kids while I was gone. 5 days is the longest I'd been away from my kids. But they had the "nice" and "fun" daddy to take care of them. So I knew they were in good hands. I did as much planning ahead for them as I possibly could. I made sure they had the Dad essentials ex: Mac N cheese, hot dogs, cereal, PB&J, you get the idea. I hesitate the to share this next bit of info, only because I've been ridiculed soooo much about this in the past but hey, It works!

That right there is a basket full of individually packaged days of clothes (with one extra, in case of emergency) for each one of my girls. They are clearly labeled and noted as to which ones are acceptable for school. Mock me if you will (I'm pretty sure I've heard it all. Eric and his brothers keep asking me "who's going white water rafting?") but I know how things go. If I were to have just set them out, the potential for unruly madness would have been inevitable. Perfectly matched tops and skirts for the individual children could and most likely would have been haphazardly knocked over creating total confusion for Eric. Emry would end up wearing belly shirts (really a shirt meant for Tatum) And Tatum would be wearing Summer's Shirt, all the while Eric assuming it must be a dress. And let's not even mention the subject of mismatched outfits. You know, a cute pink skirt with a green and orange shirt. So to save Eric from such pandemonium, I thought ahead. Thus, all the Ziploc packages of clothes. I did let him pick out their panties everyday. Nice huh?! I did all I could, but could think of nothing to save my girls hair from looking like a homeless child. I tried to show Eric how to put a little elastic band in their hair before I left. But I saw the glazed look in his eyes. There wasn't much hope. As it turns out they ended up with a single barrette in their hair each day. Better than nothing I suppose. The one bullet I dodged is that it was General Conference weekend. So yep you guessed it. Eric did not have to get them ready and take them to church. All this being said, Eric did an amazing job with them while I was gone. They called me each and every night before bed to talk about their day. He took them to the store, their tumbling, their cousins, and school. He played with them a ton. (more than me I'm sure.) And to top it off the house was perfectly clean when I got home.(bathrooms scrubbed, floors vacuumed, beds made, bedrooms clean, dishes done, need I say more?) (I'm convinced he's trying to show me up, you know... to say "I can do all this plus keep the house all clean" ) But really I do owe him a big THANK YOU! He never complained to me even once and supported me 100% in going to my grandma's funeral.

I do have to admit, it was a nice break from the normal every day life of kids and home.

I got to spend time with my family

I got to see Utah at my favorite time of year
And pay my respect's to my Grandma Jenkins, who will be dearly missed but with the knowledge and understanding I will see her again.

We did manage to fit in a few fun times in the midst of sadness, But as I said before "little bits at a time". A little here and a little there. So more to come.....

My walls will soon be thanking me

2008-09-16T15:24:00.001-07:00

I'm no design expert by any means, so when I saw this tip I fell in love and thought I'd share. Maybe some of you will be saying Duh, I've known this trick forever (and if you are then shame on you for not sharing) but this is brand new information to me. I often change my mind. And not just about my decor but that's a whole other post. I'll buy or make something new and move things around frequently. So this "Secret To Hanging" (I lifted from HERE on a fun fab blog) will be a super time saver. Not to mention all of my mistake holes I make as I attempt to make sure things are level. Anyway check it out and happy hanging.

Hanging Secret
First, take some scotch tape and place the tape at the very top of the frame and run it along the top so that it measures from end to end. Be sure to be as accurate as possible so once you put it on the wall you will have a good idea of where you want the top of the picture to be and how to center it.

Once you have your tape secure and lined up, take a pen and mark on the tape where the nail or screw would go on both ends.

Once both holes have been marked, take the tape off the back on place it on the wall at the proper height you want. Remember, the top of the tape is the top of the frame.

At this point, you can either use a laser level guide or I used a ruler to make sure each hole was 27.5 inches from the bottom of the molding to ensure I have a straight line. When all else fails, it never hurts to eyeball since most walls are not straight from top to bottom.

Place your nails or screws on the two holes making sure you are putting the nails/screws at the same angle for both.
Hang your picture up and make sure your picture is straight. Then remove the picture and pull the tape off. If you're lazy like me, you can just leave the tape up since the picture will completely cover it! With this little secret, you can hang stuff in a matter of minutes!

Appearantly I need this

2008-09-08T10:13:00.003-07:00

Watch video first before you read!

So this morning I'm in my room doing my makeup in front of the TV. Emry walks in while this commercial is showing. Just as it finishes she says to me "mom you should get that". Now I'm expecting her to tell me, she has noticed some wrinkles and or lines beginning to appear on my face, so this product would be just the answer. (because what you can't tell from this clip; Jennifer Garner is peddling a Neutrogena anti-aging product) So I indulge her comment and ask her "why?" She then replies "so you won't be so mean" Ok at this point I'm a little appalled by her answer and totally confused. So I ask "what to you mean?" She explains "well that girl said it helps you to not be a "bad girl". So when you're mean that's bad. And sometimes you're mean, so you should get it."

If only there was such a simple solution for bad behavior! Little does Emry know if there were I would buy it in bulk and slather my kids in it daily! Oh, and a big thank you to one of my children for making feel like the "mom of the year" once again.

Our Long Weekend

2008-09-03T13:43:00.003-07:00

Our weekend started Thursday night. Eric had Friday off. (WooHoo!) While watching a movie, we couldn't help but notice the light show outside. So we had to hit pause and go check it out. It was a crazy light show! Constant rumbles of thunder and lightning like a strobe light. Gotta love the AZ monsoon season.

Friday, Eric, Emry and Summer did yard work in the morning while Tatum and I had a glorious time shopping. Can I tell you how amazing it is to shop with only one child!? Much more delightful than the sideshow of a crew I usually travel with.

Saturday night, Eric and I went to the Diamond Backs Vs. Dodgers game. I consider myself to be a Diamondback fan. After all I have lived in AZ 12 years now. Eric on the other hand has the Dodger Disease. Baseball is a sport I enjoy but to be honest I was just excited to go out with just my husband and NO kiddos. (Thanks to Kelsey for babysitting) We've been to Dodger vs Diamondback games before and have never been disapointed. I don't know what it is about Dodger fans but they're always good for some extra entertainment. Let me enlighten you as to what kind of company a Dodger fan keeps

Allow me to enter into evidence exhibit "A" .....

Woman being hauled away after storming the field. Apparently she needed more attention than her skin tight hoochie dress could provide her.

"B" This man has what some may call an inspirational motto to live by.....in case you can't read his motivational tattoo it says "F everything" (aaahhhh, words to live by) Like my home made scribble?!

Alas I must give them credit where credit is due. They are quite inventive. I mean how crafty is this guy? He can take a spirit inducing BEAT L.A. sign meant for a DBack fan and turn it into what I consider contraband but what he may see as a hand crafted Dodger collectible.

Dodgers won. An especially good night for Eric.

Monday we just did some swimming and a little Wii Look closely at Summer. Eric and I are amazing lifeguards don't ya think?! (Ya that's her fighting to keep her head above water. I guess she fell off the step.)

Tatum spends most of the time walking around trying to find stuff to throw into the pool. Little Taty Bug is not a fan of swimming.

I blame Eric. Maybe this will tell you why.

Eric thinks he's the master bowler! But Emry is creepin' up on him.

I love long weekends. I love my family. So put them together and I'm lovin' life!

Happy Birthday Summer!

2008-08-25T15:36:00.003-07:00

My crazy Summer girl is 3 today! She has been anticipating her Birthday coming since it was Tatum's birthday 3 months ago. Almost daily she would ask me when we could go pick out her cake for her party. She wanted to go bowling for her birthday. So that's what we did. It turned out to be fun times for all. None of us had been bowling in ages, so it was fun for everyone.

Now that she's 3 here's a little about Summer!

*Runs almost everywhere she goes

* Must get a drink at every water fountain she sees

* Her favorite color is White?? But colors everything black??

*A great eater. She'll try anything (a pleasant opposite from Emry)

* Awesome sleeper. Asks to take naps

*Loves to snuggle

*Quite stubborn and can cry for hours

*Loves to read books

*Can dislocate her hips on command (it's pretty freaky!)

*Loves any song with the word "Summer" in it and believes it was made just for her

*For some odd reason now loves Crickets (she's sooo excited when she sees one. She'll pick it up to go show everyone and then tell us "I love him, he's my friend") Totally weird, I know!

*A total water lover

*Great at saying Sorry

*Loves lip gloss

*Favorite show: Max & Ruby

*Loves playing hide and seek

*Must be right up at the counter if there is any cooking or baking going on!

*Loves hugs and kisses (especially at bed time! She wants kisses and hugs about 17 times)

We love you Summy Bunny! Hope you had a great Birthday!

Too much TV or just an impeccable memory?.... You be the judge.

2008-08-22T16:32:00.002-07:00

Recently on two separate occasions I have received a sales pitch/infomercial from my little Emry.

First Product, Cash 4 Gold

You may have seen this commercial. Apparently they show it frequently on Noggin/Disney/Nick. It's simple really, you request a kit, you send in your unwanted jewelry (not only gold, they also take silver and Platinum!) then they send you back cash, in the form of a fan (according to Emry). So our conversation went something like this...

We're at TJ Max

Emry: Mom, isn't this purse pretty cute?

Mom: Yes

Emry: I really want it

Mom: uummmm, that's a Coach purse. And although it's a fraction of the original price, I'm not going to spend $150 on a purse for you.

Emry: $150, Is that a lot?

Mom: Yes

Emry: Well you should do "Cash 4 Gold" You just look through your box full of jewelry you never wear and then you send it to Cash 4 Gold and they turn it into (this is my favorite line) cold hard cash. You can send it in and then get money the very next day. They said it's safe and reliable.

Second product, Roll n Grow

We were in the car driving through our neighborhood, when Emry made a comment about how beautiful someone' s flowers were in their yard.

Emry: Mom don't they have beautiful flowers

Mom: Yep

Emry: We should plant flowers like them

Mom: Ok. We'll tell our Yard Boy. AKA: Daddy

Emry: Well I was just thinking...... You should get Roll n Grow.

Mom: What's that?

Emry: Well gardening is such a pain. It's a lot of hard work and it makes you tired and get cramps. So if you get Roll n Grow it's a garden in a box. You just roll it out and then the flowers pop right up. They said it's like a miracle or something.

Ok so I'm no Mom Of The Year. But I swear my kids don't watch that much TV. I'm convinced those stupid infomercials embed hidden messages in them for kids to go tell their parents. I mean why else would they show them on Nick/Disney/Noggin? Parents don't actually sit around and watch these shows. I put them on so my kids will stay in one place for 30min while I do something productive. So who the heck do they think their target audience is??? Clearly they're doing their job though. Emry has been brain washed/programed to pass their message along quite well. She has almost convinced me to be the envy of my neighborhood with a "miracle garden in a box" and to pawn my jewels for some "cold hard cash".

A side note for some, but a reason to scream and shout for others

2008-08-15T17:34:00.006-07:00

The sixth Harry Potter movie, Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince, has been moved from this Thanksgiving to next summer. So what? You ask..........That's right—Twilight will be released three weeks early. In theaters November 21st! Let the merry-making commence!

A Secret Addiction

2008-08-15T15:00:00.007-07:00

Ok to some of you this is not so secret but to others you may be appalled by this confession. My spunky little Summer will be 3 in a week and yes, I still let her have a Binky. Technically the rule is, she's only allowed to have it in bed. But this little sneak, is a master at finding one. Summer would walk around with it all day if I let her. Just in case you're wondering Yes, I do realize it's time to "pull the plug"! At this point I'm trying to gear up for the "event". Because that's in fact what it will be; an "event". At our house my girls have not enjoyed the experience of having the tooth fairy visit. You see, at our house we have a "Binky Fairy" visit. Emry was elated at the idea of a visit from a fairy. Summer on the other hand has now told me "I hate fairies". Allow me to explain. Apparently at an age and stage in my life that I deem appropriate, we gather up all the Binkies put them in a cute little basket and while we are all deep in slumber, the Binky Fairy flies to our house. She takes the basket of Binkies (so that she can take them to all the new babies who need them at the hospital, Duh!) and she leaves a most delightful surprise for the Binkyless child. How enchanting, I know! If only they knew it was their mother who is the brains behind this operation and for that matter many various night visitors who may bestow gifts to my children. (good thing my girls can't read my blog or read at all for that matter. I'm sharing such "top secret" information that could foil so many of my plans for not only the Binky Fairy, but maybe the Tooth Fairy, Easter Bunny and dare I say it... Santa!) I really had intended on taking the Binky away long ago. Clearly you need more than intentions in which to carry out such a task. I do believe I'm getting really close now. At this point I just need to find a surprise so divine, Summer would never want her Binkies back at the risk of loosing her precious gift. Then of course I'll need to explain to Emry why she may need to sleep in the guest room. I have every reason to believe Summer may cry her self to sleep for a few nights. So wish me luck! And encourage me not to back out this time. I really don't want to embarrass myself by writing "A Secret Addiction" (take 2). OK there it's out! Now you all know my children's ability to sway my decision making. Go ahead let the condemnation begin.

This is my favorite! She thinks if she closes her eyes, we can't see her or the Binky in her mouth!

First, I want to thank....DVR. With out you.... my groovin' experience may have never been possible

2008-08-08T00:07:00.011-07:00

Ok, I must know is there anyone out there who is a devoted watcher of "So You Think You Can Dance" that actually watches it live? If such people exist, please tell me how you do it. Now I have deemed myself a fan of the show, but If I had to endure two hours of listening to every word uttered on this program (namely Mary Murphey) I might have to be committed. Plus who has two hours of uninterrupted time to sit on the couch? I suppose I would consider myself to be a speed watcher. It takes me about 45min to watch SYTYCD. FFWD Kat and Mary and you've saved your self 30min right there. (not to mention obnoxious high pitch squeals that could only be compared to.... an all too familiar and frighteningly recognizable sound for me, my sweet and ever so lovely "Tatum the Screamer") I get enough of that sound all day long. So forgive me if I don't feel the need to voluntarily subject myself to it in my "free time" (I use the words "free time" loosely) All in all I must say I have enjoyed the season. I am positive I will watch it next year and the next. I have to say I was a Katee and Chelsie fan, both of whom did not take the honor of "Americas favorite dancer". In the end it was Joshua, who I must say could rock the house! So here's to yet another satisfying season of SYTYCD and to wishing Mary would develop some sort of vocal chord paralyzation! (I'm pretty sure that's a real ailment)

Another Baby?

2008-07-27T09:18:00.004-07:00

I believe I've said it on more than one occasion.... Tatum is my last baby. Eric and I have been in total agreement on this. But sometimes life can throw you a curve ball or two. You see, on the way to dance last week Emry informed me that we need a new baby in our family and she is just the person for the job. I then proceed to tell her we already have a baby and mommy isn't wanting to have another one and further more the last thing we need is another girl. Now this conversation is far from over. Allow me to elaborate.....

Emry: I want to be a baby again

Me: Why would you want to be a baby? I love how big you're getting!

Emry: Babies are cute

Me: Well you're cute just the age you are, 4.

Emry: But I don't want to be a grown up anymore

Me: Well if you're a baby you wouldn't be able to go to dance class, or talk or go to school and you'd have to wear diapers and drink baby formula and sleep in a crib

Emry: Don't worry I'll grow up later so I can talk and dance. And I love cribs and bottles

Me: Well we don't have another crib for you

Emry: Tatum could just sleep on the floor or something and I could have hers

Me: Won't you miss being able to talk

Emry: Well I'll just cry and then you'll know what I want

Me: Sweetie I don't think I could make you into a baby even if I wanted to.

Emry: Maybe I could eat some baby food and then that would turn me into a baby

Me: Honey I don't think that would work either

Emry: Then why don't we find a wishing well and then I could throw money in and I would wish to be a baby

Now by this point we've arrived to dance and my only escape from this downward spiraling discussion is to tell her we'd talk about this later. I should have seen the signs. Apparently some supernatural, unexplained phenomenon occurred when she turned 4 less than a month ago. Since then Emry frequently talks like a baby. And now loves to pretend to be one. When her and Summer would play house Emry was always the mom and she'd tell Summer she was the kid or dad or dog etc. Now Emry is the one crying asking for a bottle and blanket when they play. I'm positive it's just a phase but in the mean time don't be too shocked if you stop by and Emry is taking her nap in the port-a-crib. It is truly a sight to see.

MAMMA MIA

2008-07-23T21:02:00.004-07:00

After seeing Mamma Mia last weekend, I can not get all the songs out of my head! I've been singing them all week. Who knew I was such an ABBA fan?! I know it's received mixed reviews, but I thought it was cute. It was pretty cheesy, but I didn't expect anything less. Oh and I really want to go to Greece!

Fear Factor Home Edition Anyone?

2008-07-21T22:42:00.005-07:00

Eric was doing yard work over the weekend and found a surprise. Seriously, I think my home is being invaded! Snakes, Scorpions and now this roach beetle thing! What next?!

Over due Payson Pics

2008-07-21T22:17:00.001-07:00

Happy Birthday Emry

2008-07-08T06:00:00.004-07:00

As I was purchasing a birthday gift for Emry, the cashier commented that she liked my selection. I then indicated that it was for my daughters room. She then says "What? ... you have a daughter? ... Wow! In my mind I'm thinking is she implying that I "look" too young to have a daughter or that I must have a sorted, maybe somewhat promiscuous past? Then I thought to myself who cares! She thinks I look young. (quick take note as to what I'm wearing and how my hair and makeup are done, so I can recreate this look again and again) I still find the need to reassure her I'm 29 (forever I might add) She then proceeds to tell me that I look her age. "And what might that be?" I ask. "20" she replies. Wow, this chic is a horrible age guesser but I decide to take the compliment and be on my merry way. Now what does this have to do with Emry's Birthday? (besides the fact I was buying her a birthday present) Children have a way of making you feel older, and every time they have a birthday I get reminded of how old I'm getting. But I decided that's ok. Because I love having my girls and wouldn't trade any (yes any) of the moments I get with them for all the money in the world! So Happy Birthday to my Emry Bemry!
A little about Emry...
*LOVES to dress up like a princess
*Is sooo Sassy
*She's as honest as they come (she rats her self out daily)
*A fantastic fit thrower (she can become hysterical on a dime)
*Has a fetish for purses

*loves to color
*An awesome story teller
*A wonderful big sister
*An incredible fetcher (she'll run and "fetch" most anything I'm in need of)
*Loves to sing and dance
*Loves to talk on the phone
*She's the best tattle tale around
*Recently loves broccoli and cauliflower (YEA!)
*Would eat plain noodles with butter and salt for every meal if I let her
*Loves jewelry
*She's the best at saying sorry and giving hugs and kisses
*Has an remarkable memory
*Never lets us forget to pray

We love you Em and look forward to what this next year brings!

Are you sure change is a good thing?

2008-06-30T15:38:00.014-07:00

Recently Eric and I both received new church callings........ You see where I'm going with this? Eric I'm sure has a different view of it all than I do. He got called to be 1st counselor in the young mens. He's probably just happy to get to be back around all the boys and do boy stuff. I was called to be the Enrichment Leader. Now some of you may be thinking "Ya SO?" And if you are then you probably have amazing talents and some sweet crafty skillz! Now I do have a skill or two but some how I don't think they qualify me for Enrichment Leader. Allow me to share some examples...

*Diaper changing
*Always knowing what "there, their, they're" or "your, you're" or "to, too" to use. And have an overwhelming desire to correct it when I see the wrong one used.
*The ability to take 3 crying kids to Costco and still get everything on my list
*Eric and I are awesome at Scene It, the "Friends" edition. We can beat almost anyone.
*Just recently moved from easy to medium on Guitar Hero (I know, I know it's hardly anything to boast about. I'm very aware you're on expert Kelsey. WHATEVER!)
*Stain removal (I have the "Queen of Clean" book)
*Maneuvering a double stroller through tight spaces without knocking over merchandise. ex: Kirklands (has a lot of tight spaces)
*Reciting almost every line from "Grease"
*I can paint my own toe nails
*I've only had one cavity so far
*I once removed a non working dishwasher and installed a new one all by myself and it worked!

Does my wide array of skillz and accomplishments astound you? Yep, I think with that list I'm right up there with Napoleon Dynamite! Truth is, that it's hard for me not to think of sooooo many others who I believe are so much more qualified for the job. So I hope and pray I can rise to the occasion and do as well as the others who have gone before me. I believe in inspiration and believe we serve where we need to be. As I sat there waiting to get my new calling, I already knew in my heart what it was. I heard the words before he said them. So wish me luck. Clearly I have some things to learn and do.

The 411

2008-06-19T13:41:00.012-07:00

So I've been a slacker lately with blogging. So here's a run down of what we've been up to. We've been to about 5 birthday parties. My kids don't think there are ever enough of these. We enjoyed fathers day with Eric's Dad. We had yummy enchiladas and the kids had fun swimming. On the 16th the day after, we celebrated with my Dad. He had just got back that day from a fishing tournament in South Dakota. He told us a few fish stories and then opened his gifts. A new ipod and accessories! Woo Hoo!

Emry and Summer have been taking Tap this summer and seem to really enjoy it. I think they just like to wear the shoes. They even asked to wear them to church.

They also have been taking swimming lessons everyday. Summer cried just about every time for the first two weeks. (and yes she cries the whole 30min) Hopefully the remaining two weeks will be better for her. It's kind of strange because Summer is my water LOVER. But apparently she does not like to be told how and what to do in the water. Emry is doing great. She told me "mom I drowned like 4 times today" after a short conversation I realized that she thinks "drowning" is every time she goes under water.

And of course we can not forget the fact that I may be on drugs (or at least crazy pills) each Tuesday when I take my 3 girls to the Harkins Movie fun. If any one is hard up for some entertainment, come sit behind us sometime and enjoy the show (and I'm not referring to the movie)

Sunday night I found a big fat scorpion in my bathroom! So I screamed like the girl that I am and had Eric come take care of it. Only problem is... he used MY shoe! Luckily he was home though. Last time I found a scorpion in my house, it was in my hall bathroom and I just took a glass cup and put it over the scorpion closed and locked the door and then waited 5hours until Eric got home from work.

And last but not least....

The much anticipated Hobby Lobby on Greenfield and Baseline has opened up. Once again I was taking crazy pills and took all three of my lovely girls with me. I only got through half the store before I figured I better leave so that I don't end up having to purchase an item I did not intend on buying. But I did find a little something.

Suzanne found this paper towel holder for me.
Can't you just picture how great it's going to look
once I get it mounted under my cabinets! I'm excited,
one less thing I have to keep on my counter!

Emry's Princess Diary

2008-06-05T13:21:00.008-07:00

The following are excerpts from encounters overheard at a local Chik-fil-a play land .....

Scene one- round up Princess'

"Do you want to play princess' with me?" (to about a dozen girls, about half agree)

Scene two - there must be a prince

(She walks up to a 7 or 8 yr old boy) "Do you want to play princess with me? .... Don't worry you can be the prince." (His look was priceless! He then just smiled and politely walked away)

Scene three - 2nd attempt to find a prince is a success, now time for the Royal Ball

Apparently the Ball was in full swing to begin with but it's believed the prince was unfamiliar with his roll. (Perhaps he has not watched Cinderella and other princess movies 900 times as Emry has.) Emry now takes things into her own hands and says "You are not being a good prince Mister, get out of the Ball" at this point he still stands there not understanding what makes a good prince. So Emry repeats herself once again (with her head bob and the pointed finger) "leave the Ball now Mister, you're not a good prince!" The poor dejected prince leaves the play room all together and goes to find his mom.

Scene four - A young girl dismayed as her royal Ball begins to disperse

Emry made the mistake of following the prince to the door, so between her leaving the "Ball" and her conflict with the prince her fellow princess' have now gone on to other things. She now comes to her smiling mother crying "No one wants to play princess' with me." Mom says "why were you upset with the prince? You weren't speaking very nice to him." Emry reassures me he was at fault "He was singing CRAZY, and a prince isn't supposed to sing all crazy!" (just so you know this scene is quite dramatic, there is a very high pitch whine going on here coupled with real tears!)

Final Scene - Mom diverts young girls attention

"Let's go to Target and pick out a cool toy from the dollar section" (diversion a success, Emry agrees)

And they went to Target "Happily Ever After"

Weekend

2008-05-27T14:22:00.011-07:00

I thought long weekends were supposed to be filled with fun and excitement?! Saturday was still a little gloomy that morning so we stayed inside and ended up cleaning most of the day :( My house was happy I'm sure. We did the good deep clean. ie: vacuum in the couch cushions and under the couches, lots of dusting, moving the table and chairs out of the kitchen to mop, and other organizing. I do owe a big thank you to Eric. He did more than his fair share. At one point Emry asked me who was coming over? ... Can you believe the nerve of her! Was she trying to imply that this is abnormal cleaning activity? Or that we only clean this good when we are having guests?! PUUULEEEEASE!... Ok she knows me too well. (if there are those of you snickering because you do this frequently and on a regular basis then keep your comments to your self and try not to judge me too harshly) Sunday of course was church. And I must confess something ... we were in such a hurry to be on time to church (for anyone who knows me, knows how important it is for me that we be early for church ... ok I'm afraid of being struck by lightning right now, so just kidding) But really we were on track this time to be on time and the only thing holding us up was Emry's left white church shoe! (black would just not have gone with her spring outfit) So in a moment of weakness I grabbed Emry a pair of flip flops! (see previous post on flip flops at church) Ok but in my defense they were new and still looked nice. You should have seen the look on her face! I told her don't ask questions just put them on. And just so you know we were totally on time and were sitting in the nice cushioned pews. That night my sisters came over (except Karis, who is in St. George) and we watched Cloverfield. ... I know I know not exactly church material but none the less we all have our free agency. Right?! And seriously, we hardly ever do it. ( I feel like I'm confessing too much at once in this post). So Monday continued right along with the uneventful lack of excitement. Eric did yard work and the kids and I just hung out in the morning. Later I ended the day with a little shopping. (I needed something to lift my spirits and what better than shopping. ) I have nothing to confess for Monday, I didn't steal any thing while shopping, I didn't have any traffic violations, I wasn't the least bit rude to the people who rang up my purchases even though the lines were ridiculously long! I do have to say, even though our weekend was not exhilarating or spectacular it was nice to be together and have Eric home an extra day.

She's only 3 for heavens sakes

2008-05-17T21:36:00.003-07:00

This morning I gave Emry her clothes to wear for the day and apparently she did not like the way I spoke to her. Because her reply was "Mom you don't need to talk to me that way, I'm practically a grown up!" Oh my Gosh ! Seriously who is this girl and where did she learn to talk that way!? ..... Don't answer that.

Jammin

2008-05-16T08:57:00.004-07:00

What do you do when strawberries go on sale? Make Jam of course. My friend Brandie and I got together and made an afternoon of it. I'm hoping we have enough to last us until next year. I'm not sure though, because my kids LOVE PB&J. I think it's a hit, because they keep asking for more. No more high fructose corn syrup from Welches! Yea!

Flip Flops at church?

2008-05-13T12:10:00.006-07:00

So a couple of months ago we were at church and Emry noticed a little girls wearing flip flops and she turned to me and said "mommy that girl is wearing flip flops at church, I bet Jesus is so mad at her. " I thought this was funny especially because we had never had a conversation about wearing flip flops to church. I had never said anything one way or the other in rearguards to wearing them to church. Now fast forward to last Sunday. Emry had her dress on for church and was told to go get her shoes. She came out with flip flops and Eric told her to go get her white church shoes and Emry responded "It's ok if I wear my flip flops to church, Jesus can't be mad because he won't be there. He's at the temple, we just saw him at the Easter Pageant." So clearly we need to have more family nights on how all this stuff works :)

Tater Tot, Tatey Bug , Tatoe, Tatum is 1

2008-05-11T21:33:00.017-07:00

Well my baby turned 1 this last week on May 7th. Yet another reminder that my baby is growing up and there is nothing I can do to stop it. We had our family over for some birthday fun, Pigged out on tons of cake and ice cream and then wondered why Tatum was still wound up at 10pm. (she's usaully in bed at 7:30) Apearantly this kid is a party animal.

Emry and Summer opened most all Tatum's prestents. And I think they were more excited about Tatums gifts than she was.

I loved this cake! I didn't even want to cut into it and mess up her cute little face.

This Girl LOVED her cake! She ate TWO big pieces.

We've been found!

2008-05-02T16:22:00.004-07:00

So Eric and I were up til probably 4 in the morning with Emry and Summer. They each took turns puking! Then just as we'd finish cleaning up the mess and start to fall asleep... "mommy ... daddy" Yep, you guessed it. Clean up time again. So here's to a better tomorrow with more sleep and hoping the stains come out of my carpet! (note to self, if there is any inkling your kids are getting sick to their stomach ... don't feed them watermelon or strawberries.) The lovely shade of red in my carpet should help to remind me.

Should I be HAPPY about this?!

2008-04-29T15:44:00.008-07:00

I look at her sweet face and think she will be my baby forever! Once the walking starts a baby is quickly labeled a "toddler". I don't need another toddler. Technically I still have two more of those. As fun as it is to see her learn to walk my heart sometimes sinks with the thought that my baby is growing up. And before I know it she will be telling me things like ... "mom, I have two words for you!" ... "I am so mad at you!" (quote courtesy of my darling 3yr old "toddler" Emry) Needless to say I do understand growing up is a part of life and it can not be stopped. And as sad as it is for me to watch my baby mature and grow, I do know I am not sad enough to have another one.

Dresser Re-Do

2008-04-22T08:19:00.004-07:00

So I did this dresser for Emry and Summer's room a while back, but I've have some people request to see some pictures of it. The dresser was just an extra one we've had that someone gave us. I wish I had a picture of the before. I was a white washed light oak color. So I painted it black, then took some fabric I liked, cut it to fit , Mod Podged it on, then did probably 3 coats of a clear coat over it just to protect it from my perfect children who would never ruin anything.

Who does she think she is...

2008-04-18T17:01:00.002-07:00

This was yet another attempt to get my kids to help ME clean up THEIR room. As I'm so lamely singing the clean up song, Emry sits herself down and says to me "mom, I just want to sit here and watch you clean up our room. It's more enjoyable this way" Nice try Emry!

"Do I look beautiful?"

2008-04-16T17:12:00.003-07:00

That's what they actually asked me after they stamped up their faces! It looks like they have a disease. Well time for a bath.

Weekend

2008-04-14T21:18:00.004-07:00

Saturday my sister-in-law Suzanne and I took the kids to the Gilbert Global Village Festival in the morning while our men were helping their other brother Brent move. I've never been before but my kid's highlight was the Kettle Corn :) Later that afternoon, we went to a Dobson Ranch Celebration (Eric's parents live there) They played in the park, got their arms painted, got balloon animals, played on the bouncy things, watched Charlotte's Web on a big screen in the park and then watched fireworks to end the night. Needless to say we were wiped out by the end of the day

checkin out the fire truck

Summer LOVES animals!

Making some sort of slime??? (AZ Science Center Booth)

Daddy and Tater Tot

Fun in the bouncy thing???

lovin the slide

beautiful painted arm

Eric and his bro Cody Jousting

How the HECK could this happen?! I demand a recount!

2008-04-11T08:35:00.009-07:00

So I just watched my tivoed American Idol from last night. I was horrified! Michael Johns voted off??? It can't be true! But It is. I'm sure of it because I rewound it 5 times just to make sure I wasn't loosing my mind. Ok seriously I know he's not the best, but he's better than a lot of the others left. For goodness sakes he's never even been in the bottom three before! First of all he's dang good lookin' and second off his foreign accent is so magical and thirdly did I mention that he's hot!? In case you're wondering yes, I do realize those aren't reasons to win a singing competition, but let's be honest you have to have appeal and looks to make it (usually). Alright enough about American Idol, I suppose I need to get back to my REAL life. I have 3 kids screaming for breakfast!

Field Trip

2008-04-10T16:13:00.007-07:00

So Emry's Pre-School had a field trip today. We went to the dinosaur Museum in down town Mesa. My girls had lots of fun checking everything out.

Ok funny story about this jail cell that Emry is in. What you can't see is just to the left of the sink is a toilet. So there is a hall with probably four cells and Emry was checking this one out. I had my back turned messing with Tatum and when I turned around Emry had her pants down about to relieve herself on the non-working toilet! I could barley stop laughing long enough to tell her she couldn't go here. She just said "but mommy I have to go potty real bad!" Needless to say I yanked her pants right up and we took off to find a REAL toilet. So thanks again to one of my children for yet another lovely display of embarrassment.

Mexico

2008-04-03T14:04:00.003-07:00

Mexico

2008-04-03T13:45:00.002-07:00

Ok so here's a quick run down of the trip....
First on the agenda get into the ocean as fast as possible! Then anything goes. Bringing young ones isn't as relaxing as we'd like it to be but you just have to make the best of it. The water was great! Not too cold. Most every one got burned the first day :( My sis Breck got stung by a sting ray on her foot. Emry wanted a fake tattoo since Kelsey got one. Bought some fake designer sunglasses. Lots of fishin! But only Dad and Kelsey caught some. Off to Gamma's for a fish taco dinner. Next, stop and got some fireworks. They boys LOVED this. Then some thing else wanted to join the fireworks festivities... A Rattle Snake! So my dad just ran it over with the car. That solved that problem. Breck wanted something to remember it by so, yep they cut off the rattler! We also had some nice bon fires until the last night when my dad threw some fire crackers in and something flew out and hit Breck in the chest. So now she has a nice big burn to show off as a battle wound. We relaxed in the hammock. We played some pool. We watched a move or two. And lastly we collected enough sea shells to start our own shop. (ok not really but at least enough to decorate a dozen bathrooms)

Easter Sunday

2008-03-27T09:53:00.008-07:00

So it's now Thursday and I haven't posed about Easter Sunday yet. So here's a quick summary. Eric(uhhhh, I mean the Easter Bunny) woke up at 6am to make sure the eggs were hidden by the time the kids got up. They were up by 7:30. We let them hunt for their eggs and basket. Then it was off to church. That afternoon, Eric's family all came over for a yummy dinner and of course another egg hunt.

Poor Tater Tot was asleep while the girls found their baskets and hunted for eggs. Oh well.

Everyone looks so Happy don't they!

I don't think I can get a picture of all three of my girls looking and smiling if my life depended on it.

Easter Saturday

2008-03-24T12:53:00.000-07:00

We got together Saturday with my family (the Jenkins). This was the first hunt of the Easter weekend. The kids had lots of fun and got lots of loot. Emry asked "How does the Easter Bunny know Nanna?"

Cute Little Tatum with her cousin Cole.

Little Pink Piggys!

Immidiatly they have to check each and every egg for its content.

Tatum hit the jack pot! She found the CANDY!

A "Good Friday"

2008-03-24T10:38:00.000-07:00

Our Weekend started on Friday. Eric had Good Friday off. So that morning I took Emry and Summer to see Horton Hears a Who while Eric stayed home to watch Tatum. Emry really liked it, Summer was more concerned about her treats and drink. Then we came home for my much anticipated time of the day... Nap time!

Once the kids woke up it was time for coloring the eggs with their cousins. It's always a huge mess, but they sure love it.

Then from there it was off to the Easter Pageant. (But first we must stop at In N Out for some dinner to take along.) I'm still not sure why I thought I'd be able to enjoy it since we brought out kids. They messed around through almost all of it until the very end. Emry was so excited to see "Jesus Flying" It was 10pm by the time we got home, so of course we all crashed.

Hair Cut 3/20/08

2008-03-23T00:06:00.001-07:00

So I took this pic with my phone. Emry is always asking to get her hair cut. Maybe it's because I take her to such a fun kids place Lollilocks.

9 Years

2008-03-22T22:57:00.001-07:00

So March 20th was Eric and I's anniversary. I can't hardly believe it has been 9 years. Sometimes you may hear me complain that our life is boring. Looking back over the last 9 years, I can't think of any outrageous tales to tell, talk about any super amazing places we've visited or remember any big adversity we've weathered. There's been no big drama surrounding our family. But the more I reflect on things the more I realize that sometimes I just forget that it is the little things that can make life sweet. So maybe we don't have any jaw dropping stories but we have each other, and what more can you ask for.

Ok, so we did go out kid free (this needs to happen more often) to probably our favorite restaurant Maggiano's over in Scottsdale and saw 10,000 BC. Dinner was great as usual. And when they seated us they had a little message waiting for us that said "Happy Anniversary to the Grahams" (Eric said that when you make reservations they ask if it's a special occasion, so that's how they knew). The movie was pretty good. The plot line was a little slow for me but the special effects they can do now days is amazing. And a Big thank you to Kelsey for watching my rascals for us.

Unwelcome Visitor

2008-03-17T15:26:00.000-07:00

So yesterday we had just go home from church, I was chatting on the phone not really paying much attention to what I was doing. I opened the oven just before I was about to pre-heat it and flopping around inside was a SNAKE! I think it was on the top lip of the oven door by the handle and when I opened it, he fell in. So of course I start to scream and then my girls run over to see what's going on and they start screaming. It was just a little guy, probably only a foot or so long but I was shocked that there was a snake in my house. So Eric put on some gloves, grabbed the snake , put him in a bucket and then drove it over to some desert area near by. We still can't figure out how it got in. (not that there is any scenario that makes me feel better) I just hope we don't see anymore. Oh and by the way I have know idea what kind of snake it is. I'm sure I can look it up on the Internet, but I clearly haven't gotten around to doing that yet. All I know is, that it's a snake and it doesn't belong in my kitchen!

Embarrassing

2008-03-15T16:04:00.000-07:00

Lately when I'm out shopping with my kids, Emry has apparently become the "girl or Boy" police. When she sees someone she is unsure of she says (very loudly I might add) "mommy is that a girl or a boy?" (and of course she is pointing right at them) If "boy" is my reply and he has long hair and or earrings she will reply "well he looks like a girl to me, doesn't he know earrings and long hair are for girls?" Or if "girl" is my reply she will say "well their short hair makes them look like a boy!" (just so you know ignoring her, only makes her talk even louder and if I try and talk quiet then she will tell me "say that again mommy, I can't hear what you are saying") I've had a talk with her at home about it, but she still feels the need to ask. I'm sure it's just a phase, but until it's over I'm going to start walking really fast through the stores.

Fun Project

2008-03-12T08:38:00.000-07:00

Just wanted to show a pic of a cute project we did for enrichment the other night. It was so easy, I want to do some more.

2008-03-05T10:10:00.000-07:00

How long ago was my last post praising Summer? A little over two hours ago! Well my high hopes for today have already been dashed. Yep she just peed her pants while I was in the shower. Oh well, accidents happen. She's still doing great.

Progress

2008-03-05T09:03:00.000-07:00

WooHoo! Summer officially had one accident free day yesterday! I'm so proud of her. She loves wearing her panties and feels like such a big girl. Someone gave me the idea of using a gumball machine and letting her put the penny in and get a gumball every time she goes potty. She has LOVED it! Summer loves gum and money, so put the two together and it's a win win situation. Hopefully the days ahead will be just as great as yesterday.

Twinkle Twinkle Little Star

2008-03-04T09:56:00.000-07:00

Recently Emry was singing Twinkle Twinkle Little Star, when she stopped in the middle of the song and said "mommy listen to this"... she proceeded to sing me the song and stopped after the first "how I wonder what you are" then she says to me "why the heck do they say how I wonder what you are? We know what it is. It's a star! Duh! Why don't they know that?" Kids say the funniest things, I love it!

Latest Endeavor

2008-03-01T21:35:00.000-07:00

It's about time! Summer is 2 1/2 and we've finally started potty training. I had Emry done a month after she turned 2. It's not that Summer didn't show signs of being ready, I think I just wasn't ready to go through what it takes for the week or so. Anyway, she's doing pretty Good. She tells me she has to go ALL the time. So I'm pretty familiar with the bathroom right now. You would think with as much as she sits on the toilet she wouldn't have any accidents. But of course, she does. I was at Target the other day and we had to walk back to the front of the store to take her to the bathroom 4 times in the hour we were there. (she only went one of the four times). If I stayed home more it would speed up the process. I'm so proud of her for doing as well as she has though. "Good Job Summy bunny!" Hopefully next week will be a slow week and we can get her totally done. Wish me luck.

No longer just a Blog reader.

2008-02-29T14:53:00.000-07:00

So the phrase "every one is doing it" is so appropriate here. I did not intend on having a blog, but needless to say here I am. I just got to thinking about the importance of journaling and just documenting the little, yet important things that go on in our life. I'm already forgetting things about my girls and Emry is only 3! I've seen how some people have taken their blogs and through various websites they turn them into a book/journal. So hopefully I can do the same and preserve my families memories and thoughts. Plus, "every one is doing it"!