tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34300738107488500792024-03-06T02:40:05.626-05:00The NelsonsEmmahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13463911712861223684noreply@blogger.comBlogger657125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3430073810748850079.post-52628210074588103112016-03-07T23:12:00.000-05:002016-04-10T23:13:06.991-04:00Rabbit Fur HatFor Christmas, Andy gave me a rabbit fur hat. It's soft and warm and I like it, but it makes me a little sad to wear a dead bunny on my head. It doesn't matter anyway, because Calvin has taken it over.<br />
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He wears it around the house, playing video games, outside, and even sleeps in it at night. This bothers me for two reasons:<br />
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1) It makes him disgustingly sweaty. His head is like a wet mop when he takes it off. I can't even imagine how the poor rabbit feels.<br />
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2) He can't hear anything. I can talk to him for five minutes and then yell to see if he was listening. He'll see my lips moving and nonchalantly pull it off and say, "Did you say something, Mom?" Grr.<br />
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The other day when we were driving, a rabbit jumped across the road. Calvin said in his best "thug voice" (we hear it a lot around here) while petting the hat. "That bunny jumped outta the way fast, 'cause he saw what I did to his brotha." <br />
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<br />Emmahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13463911712861223684noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3430073810748850079.post-75468572635691697082016-03-06T22:59:00.000-05:002016-04-10T23:04:22.850-04:00Oranges and Belly ButtonsNicky has discovered two things he loves: oranges and his belly button.<br />
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With oranges he goes back and forth all day long, alternating between eating them, rolling them, sitting on them, and eating some more.<br />
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His belly button is just like Calvin's belly button phase (minus the belly bumping). He rubs it, shows everyone, pulls up everyone's shirt to look at theirs, and sticks his finger in it while sleeping.<br />
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I'm not sure whether perpetually squashed oranges or fingertips of belly button lint disturb me more.<br />
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<br />Emmahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13463911712861223684noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3430073810748850079.post-64760098895264038372016-03-05T21:00:00.000-05:002016-04-10T22:58:15.659-04:00Calvin's Baptism and Ice Show<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
Today was a long time coming! Calvin had a hard time deciding if he wanted to be baptized. Once he finally decided and was excited about setting a date, we had to push it back for Grandma's radiation treatments, and then we had another date set, which was cancelled when Andy had to go to Israel for work. So, months after turning eight, Calvin was really excited for his big day.</div>
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Nicky sitting reverently in the chairs we'd set up. He thought it was so great, that he forced Autumn and his bear to sit with him.</div>
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I forgot to take pictures of the rest of the house. We kept it simple
but had fresh flowers and a gold eight and pictures of Calvin set up. <br />
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Our family before the service started:<br />
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Andy and Calvin, ready for their big day! <br />
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One of my favorite things about today was that for her brother, Autumn asked if she could sing a solo. Calvin also wanted his cousins to sing, so we did a group song, with Autumn doing a solo at the beginning and end. It turned out so great. Autumn was so loud and brave, and I wish I had a recording of her doing her amazing solo. Here they are practicing before the baptism started:<br />
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Grandma and I gave talks, and the service was short and sweet. Calvin wanted to keep it small, so he handpicked his favorite people. We were so grateful they would spend the day with us.</div>
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After the service, all but a few of them came over for refreshments. It was a beautiful day, so the kids played in the backyard, we had delicious treats, and the grownups enjoyed chatting.<br />
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It was the perfect day.<br />
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And then we had part 2.<br />
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Almost a year ago, tickets went on sale for Disney's <i>Frozen</i> on Ice. I thought it would be fun, so I bought tickets, thinking I would give them to the kids for Christmas. I forgot. I would have forgotten about the whole thing completely if I hadn't put it into my calendar. So after a long morning, we drove to Salt Lake and settled in for the show.<br />
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Before it even started, the kids had talked their dad into popcorn, pretzels and cotton candy. At halftime, they got snow cones, ice cream, and another pretzel. Basically all they wanted to do was eat and buy things.<br />
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Calvin was bored before it started. About ten minutes in, he was asking to go home.<br />
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The problem with the show was that it was the movie rehashed on ice. It would've been fun if they'd used the characters to do a spinoff or something, but it was the exact same story line. Not to mention the 30 minute long intermission in the middle so people could buy more stuff. <br />
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Autumn was the only one who liked it. She was happy and loved it, so that makes it worth it. She's looking adorable in her Olaf hat.<br />
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The beginning was promising when a bunch of random Disney characters danced and sang. <br />
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And then <i>Frozen</i> live went on and on. It felt longer than the movie. <br />
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Then the reprisal. <br />
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Then we made the long drive home. That was our first (and hopefully last) experience with Disney on Ice, but it was mostly fun to spend time together.<br />
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Autumn made me this when we got home. It's her own concoction of fresh squeezed orange juice and carrot chunks. It was sweet of her, but it reminded me of what my gallstones looked like. <br />
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It was a fun, family filled day. I'm proud of Calvin. I love the kiddos, and I'm so grateful to be their mama. Days like today are too few and far between.Emmahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13463911712861223684noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3430073810748850079.post-64779814775764101502016-03-03T23:51:00.000-05:002016-03-06T23:52:50.506-05:00Hat ThursdayToday's Dr. Seuss celebration involved hats!<br />
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Here's Autumn:<br />
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Every few weeks I help out in Autumn's classroom, and I was at the school today, so I got to snap a picture of both of the kiddos together. <br />
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Calvin was trying to be Freddy Fazbear:</div>
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He was disappointed. People kept calling him Abraham Lincoln.</div>
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And, Nicky's current collection is this colorful variety of woodland creatures: <br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Emmahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13463911712861223684noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3430073810748850079.post-54689603942289951382016-03-02T23:39:00.000-05:002016-03-06T23:43:01.659-05:00Wacky WednesdayThis week at school the kids are doing weird dress-up things for each day to celebrate Dr. Seuss' birthday.<br />
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Monday was crazy socks. Tuesday was wear green. Today was Wacky Wednesday. This is what Autumn came up with!<br />
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She's most excited about her shirt being inside out and backward! Happy Wednesday, wacky girl!Emmahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13463911712861223684noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3430073810748850079.post-37976302542182289522016-03-01T23:34:00.000-05:002016-03-06T23:36:09.514-05:00Gymnastics, Sunsets, and Writing GroupAutumn wanted some pictures today at gymnastics, so here she is balancing before class:<br />
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Practicing cartwheels:<br />
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(she's the cute little green dot!)</div>
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Andy and the boys met us at Chick-fil-a, so the kids could climb around in
the play area for a bit while Andy and I tried to have adult
conversations (nothing steamy, just literally trying to be two adults
talking without constant interruptions.) </div>
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And on the way home, we saw the most amazing sunset, so we stopped to enjoy it for a few minutes.</div>
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My favorite new thing is our "Writing Group." I'm working on a book app with a developer, and it's content I've never written before, so Calvin was helping me with the plot. He said, "we should have our own writing group!" So we got together, wrote for two five-minute bursts, read a chapter in a book about writing for kids, and then shared our stories. It was so much fun! I love the imaginations these two have!<br />
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Calvin: A Lego's Life and Time Eyes (one eye sees the past, one eye sees the future)<br />
Autumn: PB&J Eating Ghost and The Disabled, Out of Control Robot<br />
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Brilliant, right? I hope it's something we keep up with, because we all loved it, and it was a fun new way to interact.Emmahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13463911712861223684noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3430073810748850079.post-63939218201088058422016-02-29T23:14:00.000-05:002016-03-06T23:15:42.880-05:00Fish Baby and Matchbox Cars<div style="text-align: center;">
He'd rather be in the tub than anywhere else. He'll stay there for hours, until the water is frigid and his skin has turned to prunes. If Autumn or Calvin try to get in with him, he screeches like a banshee until they get out. He needs his space. He needs his water. He's our little fish baby.</div>
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The collection of the week is the matchbox cars. They are in a giant Ziploc baggie that must go everywhere--to bed, in the tub, in the car. He won't let us leave the house without them. And if he's in the car and they spill, they need to all be picked up and repackaged before he will exit the car. He's a particular one, this little guy!</div>
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Emmahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13463911712861223684noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3430073810748850079.post-68528922827688832622015-12-17T02:22:00.000-05:002016-01-13T02:25:44.145-05:00Star Wars!We have some good friends who are hardcore Star Wars fans and rented out an entire theater for the new film. We were lucky enough to be on the guest list. Sadly, Andy couldn't get back from Chicago in time, so I brought my brother Jesse as my plus-one. Also sad, I apparently can't read things correctly, and we got there an hour after we were supposed to. Luckily we arrived right as the movie started, but I was sad we missed the mingling and prize drawings and all the fun they'd set up before the show.<br />
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We had awesome seats, right in the middle, and a big ol' tub of popcorn. Once we were there, we settled in and had a great time.<br />
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Since my family didn't grow up on Star Wars and has never been into it, we bought Jesse a t-shirt so he'd fit in:</div>
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We left Nicky asleep at Grandma's house, and she did Princess Leia buns for Autumn. Autumn's shirt is her dad's vintage Star Wars shirt, circa 1980-something.<br />
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She looked adorable, but she didn't last long. She asked a million questions, said it was too scary, ate half a bucket of popcorn and drank most of the soda, and then she promptly fell asleep for the rest of the movie:<br />
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But Calvin LOVED it. We really liked the movie, and it was fun to see so many of our friends after it ended. Next time we'll show up when we're supposed to, but thankfully everything worked out. <br />
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We got home at about 2am. Both kids were fast asleep within seconds of their heads hitting their pillows.</div>
Emmahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13463911712861223684noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3430073810748850079.post-1437779672392121372015-12-14T01:45:00.000-05:002016-01-13T01:48:43.135-05:00Snow Day! It's always so magical having the first huge snowfall of the season! The kids are dying to get outside and play in it.<br />
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Nicky doesn't remember ever seeing anything like it. He is thrilled! It takes about 40 minutes to dress them all in warm winter gear, and they rush out the door, happy as can be:<br />
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They take their new sleds and dive into the powdery soft goodness of the fluffy snow:</div>
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They eat snow and pull each other on sleds:<br />
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And 15 minutes later, they stand at the bottom of the stairs and sob until I come get them. <br />
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To be fair, Calvin and Autumn played for about an hour, but Nicky did about as well as the rest of them did at his age. So he came inside and we packed away all the wet clothes we'd just taken out. Hooray for snow days!Emmahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13463911712861223684noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3430073810748850079.post-27577950338818596742015-12-12T01:59:00.000-05:002016-01-13T02:06:56.847-05:00The Hoarder<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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One funny thing about Nicky is that he doesn't like to do things one at a time. He likes collections. Collections of Squinkies. Farm animals. Matchbox cars. Whatever. He puts them in buckets and carries them wherever he goes. He won't let them out of his sight--even at bedtime.<br />
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For bed, he takes whatever collection he's into at the time. His kitty and tiger. His bedtime books. And right now he's got a small collection of Christmas ornaments and snow globes sitting on top of his bucket full of farm animals. They must all be strategically placed before he'll go to sleep. Every morning, we have to unload all of it--including his pillow and blanket--right when he gets up.<br />
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Also, a few nights ago around 3am he was crying and yelling my name. I went into his room, and he said, "Pillow." He'd never slept with one or asked for one before, so I went and found one. He groggily said, "good boy, Mom," then went immediately back to sleep.<br />
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He's a quirky little kid. We love him. Emmahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13463911712861223684noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3430073810748850079.post-61828558065134131922015-11-15T04:21:00.001-05:002015-11-15T04:55:17.056-05:00Wizard Party: Calvin, Age 8For Calvin's birthday, he wanted a wizard party. We narrowed down the list to 25 kids (ugh), and we had a fantastic time! In planning the party, I learned that most wizard parties are either <i>Wizard of Oz</i> or <i>Harry Potter</i> related, so we had to be creative, but I think everyone had a lot of fun.<br />
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Luckily lots of our Halloween decorations could double as wizardy/dungeony stuff, so I just left them up, added a few things, and strung stars to the ceiling:<br />
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When the kids came, we introduced them to wizard training school, and they received a hat and wand: <br />
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They each received a training manual with several stations to complete. <br />
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A Magical Creature Hunt:</div>
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The broom flying course:<br />
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Teaching your owl to fly (Throwing stuffed owls through hoops, which kids, including Calvin, surprisingly said was their favorite part.):<br />
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Spells and Potions: <br />
They did the blow up a balloon with vinegar and baking soda trick, but we called it swamp water and ground up bones or something clever. Carrie acted as the Snape-like dark wizard and made it awesome.<br />
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Adorable wizards wandering the yard: </div>
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I love this one. Bunches of wizards looking fierce. </div>
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The highlight of the party was the real-life wizard (magician) who came to perform some spells!<br />
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Calvin being the helper. </div>
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Chasing a cloth mouse as all of the kids shrieked and squealed. </div>
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I love this picture. For one trick, the magician was opening a can of soda that had been shaken. Autumn curled against the wall, cringing and shrieking for him not to do it! After the soda exploded, she was the one who laughed the loudest, but the anticipation definitely stressed her out!</div>
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The Magician and his assistant doing their final trick.</div>
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Calvin has a cute little friend that couldn't come to the party because he'd broken his leg. Luckily, the sitting portion of the party was perfect because he could be with us. His awesome mom brought him just for the magic show.</div>
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The whole crew.</div>
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The birthday boy. We loved the wizard. He did a fantastic job and was great with the kids. Autumn asked him to come back for her birthday, so he was a hit!</div>
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After the magician, we wrapped up the party with treats and presents.<br />
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Usually we throw away a ton of food after these things, so this time we kept it simple with unicorn hair, pickled serpents, wizard hats, and dragon lips. <br />
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Nicky carrying a cupcake and Calvin's new wizard staff. </div>
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Cake time!<br />
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Tricky sparklers that kept lighting. They were a hit.</div>
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Party favors: <br />
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It was a madhouse, but Calvin was sad when it was over, and the other kids seemed to have a great time. I'm so glad that the birthday boy thought it was the perfect party.<br />
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After the party, Nicky stole Calvin's gifts (and made them into crowns) until he went down for his long overdue nap. <br />
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Calvin played with his gifts and practiced his new magic tricks.<br />
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We had a low key afternoon and evening. Calvin received Nintendo Monopoly from his grandparents (he literally jumped and squealed when he opened it, he was so excited), so we kind of played it as a family. By kind of, I mean we all started, but then Andy ended up rolling and moving for me and Autumn while we drifted away. <br />
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Nicky and I played while I should have been concentrating on Monopoly: </div>
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And then we piled onto the bed, hanging out and talking about our favorite parts of the party:<br />
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It started out a busy, stressful, magical day and ended cozy and quiet. The very best kind of day.</div>
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Happy birthday, sweet boy. I hope that your 8th year is the best one yet!</div>
Emmahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13463911712861223684noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3430073810748850079.post-80100957017619145052015-04-30T23:00:00.000-04:002015-06-25T02:32:10.283-04:00Autumn's Interior DesignAutumn spent most of the day quietly in her room. When I went to check on her, I saw this:<br />
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Sure, there's a crazy amount of tape on the walls and marker on the sheets, but she was extremely proud of her artwork and the gallery she created, so it's hard to be mad.Emmahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13463911712861223684noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3430073810748850079.post-1211871880132467032015-04-23T03:42:00.003-04:002015-04-23T03:42:47.228-04:00Dear Grandma and Grandpa:Thank you for religiously checking the blog, even though we're so bad at maintaining it. One day, I swear it will be caught up. Maybe not someday soon, but someday. Until then, here's a glimpse of the kids right now.<br />
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Calvin lost his fifth tooth this week. He's obsessed with all things Pokemon, but especially collecting and trading the cards. He refuses to eat more than half a sandwich at lunch because eating cuts into his recess time. He makes his mother angry because instead of coming straight to the car after school, he feels the need to hold the door open for all the kids. He's a sweetheart. He's very funny and a know-it-all and has matured a lot in the last few months.</div>
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Autumn is a the best big sister. She sings Nicky lullabies and plays with him whenever Calvin's at school. She is constantly begging to play with friends and is definitely the most social one in the family. This week, she beat her entire class in a rhyming game. She won a prize and talked about it for hours. She's smart and creative and sweet and helpful and a joy. She loves making people happy and proud.</div>
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This kid. Where to even start? Nicky is a Tasmanian Devil, but he destroys everything with a smile. He's such a cheerful little thing, and I would squeeze him and love on him and kiss him every second of the day if he would let me catch him or hold him long enough. He's behind on speech--won't say more than three words. He would spend the entire days outdoors, preferably wet, and he's obsessed with any type of vehicle. I wish I could keep him exactly the way he is forever.</div>
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There you go, Grandma and Grandpa. That's a glimpse into the kids right now. Just because we're bad at calling, bad at updating the blog, and bad at taking time to talk often, it doesn't mean we don't think of you often and love you and miss you! </div>
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And there's your blog post for another month. ;)</div>
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XOXO,</div>
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All of Us</div>
Emmahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13463911712861223684noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3430073810748850079.post-24665395264127687702015-04-22T23:30:00.000-04:002015-04-23T03:22:36.890-04:00Broken Cars, Rashes, and Chicken Heckling Today was one of those days. <br />
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Last night when Calvin went to bed, the skin around his eyes was bright red and his eyes were pink, so I didn't wake him up this morning. I let him sleep in, in case he was sick and needed to miss school, but when he woke up at 9, he seemed fine. The skin was still a little rosy, but he has scarring around his eye from an injury, and that was mostly the area that looked irritated, so I thought it was something with that.<br />
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We got ready, and both Calvin and Autumn were at school an hour late. As soon as I dropped them off, I ran to the post office, and then took the car into the mechanic because it's been making weird noises. As soon as I handed over the keys, Calvin's school nurse called and said that he was covered in a rash and I needed to come get him.<br />
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I put on a backpack full of my laptop and Nicky's menagerie of trucks, settled Nicky on my hip, and walked the half-mile or so to my mom's house. I borrowed her car and went to the school for Calvin. They said school policy is that he can't come back until his rash is gone.<br />
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I had to call my sister to pick up Autumn, and I spent the day feeling like I was failing at life.<br />
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I hadn't planned on Calvin being kicked out of school or the car having as many issues as it did, so I'd left my house key at home, and the garage door opener in the car, and was stranded at my mom's. There are FAR worse places to be stranded, for sure, but I was feeling sorry for myself because I am so behind on housework and other things, that I didn't have time to be stranded for an entire day.<br />
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The kids, though? The kids thought it was the best thing ever.<br />
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My mom's watching my sister's six kids because she just had a baby, so Calvin spent the day with them building forts in the backyard, having stick fights, playing wizards, and whatever else, while Autumn held hands with her cousins and frolicked through the yard.<br />
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I should have taken more pictures of their magical day, but here are a few of my favorites:<br />
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Trapping himself in a tomato cage: <br />
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Nicky's cute cousin Aby spent a good half hour with him at the chicken coop. They would stick in long grass so the chickens would come to eat it, then as soon as the chickens got close enough, Nicky would stick in his hand to pet him. He thought they were hilarious, and in the six hours we were there, I caught him sneaking back to the cages about a dozen times. He loves him some chickens. <br />
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I desperately wish I'd been able to capture this moment, but he kept throwing himself back on the grass, and then he'd do a big belly laugh at the sheer joy of rolling in it. He's a kid who knows how to enjoy all the little moments.<br />
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Calvy's face rash. I didn't take a picture of his chest, arms, and hands, but it's there, too: <br />
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Calvin and Hobbes: <br />
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Apparently I didn't get any pictures of Autumn, but I really didn't see her much. She was running full steam with her little friends. It was an adventurous day--they caught a snake, rode bikes, jumped on the tramp, and played pretend all day. Literally ALL day. My mom fixed us lunch, gave me a makeover, chatted with me and my two sisters who dropped by, and was her usual perfect hostess, even though she already had a full house and a million things going on.<br />
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Late afternoon I got the car back, but the kids wanted to stay, so Grandma kept the big kids, and I took Nicky home and put him to bed.<br />
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Calvin and Autumn are never so happy as when they're playing with cousins. It made all of the annoying parts of the day worthwhile. Emmahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13463911712861223684noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3430073810748850079.post-28663137858788618302015-03-06T12:50:00.000-05:002015-03-06T12:50:14.949-05:00Z is for ZiplineToday Autumn's class was supposed to draw a picture that started with a Z. I got this text from her teacher:<br />
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"Most kids drew a picture of a zebra on the back of their practice sheet. Not Autumn! She went all out with a picture of her family riding a super intense zip line...'on a sunny day!' So creative!!!!"</div>
<br /><br />Emmahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13463911712861223684noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3430073810748850079.post-46011167335106738572015-03-04T00:38:00.001-05:002015-03-04T00:38:40.636-05:00Bein' a DogTonight after the kids were in bed, Andy told me about the following conversation:<br />
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Calvin: All I really want to be is a dog.<br />
Andy: Why a dog?<br />
Calvin: Because then I don't have to go to school--I can just run around all day. Also, I can pee wherever I feel like it.<br />
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Andy to me: sometimes I think that kid is brilliant. And then other times he says stuff like that.<br />
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Made me laugh.Emmahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13463911712861223684noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3430073810748850079.post-47353283797066243462015-01-16T23:30:00.000-05:002015-03-01T02:40:32.067-05:00A Little Away TimeAndy's been wanting to get away for a while. I always fight it because it's hard to get the kids out of school, it's a pain to pack and wash everything when we get back, there's so much that needs to be done here... But, finally, he talked us into it. We packed up the car and got ready to spend a week in one of our favorite places--San Diego.<br />
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We got a really late start.<br />
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Andy was out of town for the week and didn't get home until 9pm Thursday. I had almost everything loaded and was trying to get laundry finished so I could pack clean clothes. When Andy got home, he was mad that I wasn't ready to go. I was mad that he was mad. <br />
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By the time we were set, it was 10:30pm. Andy wanted to cancel and leave the next day. I'd been working all day to get us ready, so I was sad. The kids were sad. So, we compromised and drove the 3.5 hours to St. George, instead of the 5 hours to Vegas like we'd planned. We grabbed a hotel, stayed the night, and left first thing the next morning.<br />
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We stopped in Barstow, CA for lunch, which got us into southern California right in time for Friday, rush hour traffic. After a bathroom emergency that almost caused a car accident, and too many hours in the car, we made it to our hotel.<br />
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We took a quick bath, got into PJs, and enjoyed the amazing view: <br />
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Watched some Pee-wee's Playhouse:<br />
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Got the kids' beds ready: <br />
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Ordered Oggi's cheese pizza--our favorite!<br />
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Then we settled in for the night. It was a long drive, but we're so glad to be here!Emmahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13463911712861223684noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3430073810748850079.post-30654929684294184722015-01-13T23:00:00.000-05:002015-01-30T02:24:23.202-05:00Grape JuiceToday Calvin and Autumn decided to make their own grape juice. This was the end result:<br />
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After a lot of hard work, they both had about a teaspoon worth of juice to drink. At least you have to give them credit for trying something new!<br />
<br />Emmahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13463911712861223684noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3430073810748850079.post-13681450981734791372015-01-11T23:00:00.000-05:002015-01-30T02:16:24.656-05:00Creeper and SteveJust another Minecraft dress-up party at our house.<br />
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Little Creeper:<br />
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Baby Steve:</div>
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The pictures are blurry--he moves too fast!</div>
Emmahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13463911712861223684noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3430073810748850079.post-27277048008097255612015-01-08T23:00:00.000-05:002015-01-30T02:08:31.653-05:00A New Perch<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Almost daily I walk into a random room or closet and find a little munchkin hiding in an unexpected place. Today I caught these gems: <br />
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Emmahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13463911712861223684noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3430073810748850079.post-66639031660319787662015-01-03T23:00:00.000-05:002015-01-27T02:20:56.047-05:00Putting Away ChristmasThere aren't many things to love about January, but one thing that I do love, is getting the house cleaned up after Christmas. Today was the big day!<br />
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I had a big helper: <br />
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Until he got too tired: <br />
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Then Trigger the trucker showed up to sweep me off my feet: <br />
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And he hauled everything back outside into storage.<br />
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I love that there are little baby ghost footprints on top of the dusty containers: <br />
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Andy kept the kids downstairs, and I got to listen to podcasts and disassemble, dust, vacuum, and shine. Christmas was wonderful, but it's nice to be back to normal. Emmahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13463911712861223684noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3430073810748850079.post-6346162702810990382015-01-02T22:00:00.000-05:002015-01-27T02:04:06.095-05:00Baby Pizzas<div style="text-align: center;">
Tonight Calvin asked if he could make his own pizza. We pulled out some ingredients, and he and Autumn whipped them up. Calvin was so proud of how they turned out, and they were pretty delicious, too!</div>
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Emmahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13463911712861223684noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3430073810748850079.post-51844334091669559862014-12-24T23:30:00.000-05:002015-01-11T02:09:13.753-05:00Christmas EveToday was a day full of <i>Home Alone</i>, games, and eager anticipation.<br />
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Working on Christmas puzzles while waiting for dinner:<br />
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The traditional Christmas Eve nachos: </div>
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This guy enjoying his guacamole: <br />
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Calvin wanted to play the candy bar game--where you have to roll doubles, pull on the socks, scarf, and hat before trying to unwrap the chocolate with knives--so we did it Christmas Eve style: </div>
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The game didn't go very well. The kids were fighting and sad that it was taking so long, so we just threw in the towel and let them rip the thing open: <br />
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After a bath, they were excited to open their new Christmas books and p.j.s.</div>
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Awaiting the big reveal:</div>
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Opening the presents: <br />
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And ta-da! New pajamas:<br />
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(I love these pjs so much. They say "Bedtime Bandit: Sneaky cute." Somehow appropriate for this mischievous little munchkin.)</div>
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Fresh family fuzziness:</div>
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Our friends gave us magic reindeer food, so right before bed, we all went onto the grass and sprinkled the food all over the front lawn to attract Santa's reindeer:<br />
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Autumn helped me put clean sheets on all of the beds, so that we could have fresh beds with our fresh pajamas:</div>
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The kids laid out cookies and milk for Santa and carrots for the reindeer:<br />
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Then they went to bed surprisingly well. Right before Andy and I went to sleep, we noticed that Santa had made an appearance: <br />
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Emmahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13463911712861223684noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3430073810748850079.post-19389917427722843392014-12-23T23:00:00.000-05:002015-01-11T01:13:12.183-05:00Counting Down<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
We're all on break from work and school, just hanging out and waiting for the big day. </div>
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Eating noodles: <br />
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Making arm extenders with empty wrapping paper rolls: <br />
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Hiding with oven mitts (and watching <i>One Magic Christmas</i> in the background): <br />
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Throwing nativity parties with loads of celebrities in attendance:<br />
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And after the kids were nestled all snug in their beds, Dad and Mom stayed up late to wrap presents: <br />
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It's been a very good day.Emmahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13463911712861223684noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3430073810748850079.post-62150389505484379352014-12-22T23:00:00.000-05:002015-01-01T03:22:16.023-05:00Santa's Reindeer and Christmas Lights<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Every year Thanksgiving Point helps take care of some of Santa's reindeer while they rest up for their big night. Tonight we went to see them. Calvin and Autumn decided that they were Dasher and Prancer.<br />
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Kids petting the reindeer: <br />
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We went inside for a minute to warm up, and a nice stranger snapped a picture of us all. <br />
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After the reindeer, we piled into the truck, and I drove while Andy and the kids sat in the bed of the truck and enjoyed the lights and music. It was FREEZING, but it was a lot of fun, and it helped get us a bit more into the Christmas spirit. <br />
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We grabbed dinner at Texas Roadhouse, where we ran into Santa, then headed home for hot chocolate. Such a great night!Emmahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13463911712861223684noreply@blogger.com0