Adoration

The look on Taytum's face is pure love. Ellie was in heaven being the best big sister she could be and giving everyone rides on the back of her bike. I love them. If only they would stay this small forever. And start hanging up their coats.

May Malarkey

Ellie:

• When we pulled up to Jaxxon Jensen's birthday party at the church, you exclaimed "Mom, did you know Jaxxon's party is at the TEMPLE!?"


• You opened the door and started heading outside without telling me. When I told you to "hold it!" you said "Mom, I am just going outside to enjoy the summer sunshine!"


• I yelled to daddy "What time is it hon?" You yelled back "It's 2 and 100!" I yelled back "Already?!"


• We were pretending that you were the ice cream man and I was a customer. After asking me "What kind would you like?" I asked what flavors you had. After thinking for a second you said "I only have 2. Blueberry and Rock and Roll."


• You came downstairs after sleeping in pretty late, and while stretching your adorable little body way up to the sky you said very sleepily "Mom, I just had the most awesome dream." It was A-dorable!


• I wanted to write down all of you kiddos little "comforts" that you all have had since infancy. I wanted to have it written down so I never forget. Yours is "The hair twirl." Whenever you are super sleepy, content, bored, nervous or angry you start twirling your beautiful brown hair around your finger. I remember you doing this in your crib when you were around 9 months old (not a lot of hair to work with, but you managed) and still do it almost every day. I have had to cut mammoth sized knots out of that beautiful hair quite a few times. You once got your finger stuck in it pretty good as well. I love that you have this adorable little habit that is only yours.

Reese:

• Daddy introduced you to the joy of dunking your graham crackers in milk. He said "just dunk it, count to 5, the eat it." Without fail, every time you enjoy this treat you will count to 5 before a soggy morsel hits those lips. It's presh.


• You and your sissy's calling Lasagna "Basagna"


• "Mom, when Beck grows up can we name him Zack?"


• "But mom, why won't Weeble Wobbles fall down? Why?"


• You have had a hard couple of weeks. Your still scared to get in the car since the accident, plus there was a crazy windstorm that scared the living tuna fish out of ya, so anytime there is a slight breeze you kinda freak. And by kinda freak, I mean totally lose your head. It makes me sad. Thank heavens for "magic dust" (thank you Amber! One of the many reasons I love you is that you introduced me to magic dust!) that I blow on you every time we walk out our door now. But, I know you are a brave little girl and will snap out of the "scardy-catness" stage really soon.


• While I had all 4 of you in the tub, you and your sisters were asking me about..uh...boy parts and girls parts. Ellie said "why are boys pee-pees so different from girls pee-pees. After clearing my throat and turning the shade of a radish I tried explaining it to you guys. After, you all kinda stared at me and you said, "Yeah, but girls pee-pees are better, huh?" I need to buy several books, stat.


• You love tucking your ears in. You will take the top part of your ear and tuck it into the...ear hole?? Man, I need to start consulting an ENT before I just type up any old thing. Regardless, you love showing off your Ear Trick. And on that note...


• Your "comfort" is twisting and pulling your ears. Same situation as sisters. Whenever you are really nervous, excited, tired or scared you will twist those tiny ears until I think they are about to pop right off! So, when someone asks me how to tell you and sister apart I can tell them "One twirls her hair to the point of baldness and one twists her ears so much that she is going to start looking like a wrestler with cauliflower ear." But I love it so much, because it makes you, you!

Taytum

• During sacrament, you were trying to share a Sun Chip with Beck. I kept quietly shushing you and telling you not right now, wait til after sacrament (our eternal struggle...treats at sacrament). You got your Taytum face on, thrust that chip in his face and said loudly "Here Beck, have a burrito!" I let him have it.


• Your newest obsession is Aladdin, but "not the scary pawts."


• Heathie wanted to talk to you on the phone. You huffed over, grabbed the phone and said "Heathie? What is it?!" I had no idea your schedule was so full that you couldn't say hi to your auntie.


• Beck was trying to give you a kiss and you kept resisting. I said "Tay, let him kiss you!" and he gave you quite the smooch. You pulled away, disguisted, and wiping your mouth saying "See mom, I don't like when Beck gives me snot kisses!"


• After putting dad's deodorant under one arm, and mine under the other, you had me smell them both, then said "Mmmmm, yours smells good....like Diet Coke."


• "Mom, my popcicle is cold, will you warm it up for me?"


• You watched High School Musical over at grammy's house and came home asking me "Can I watch Disneyland here too?"


• We thought we were going to have to get your adnoids removed, but once we took you to Primarys for a second opinion, we found out that you don't have to! Yeah! While at your appointment, the dr wanted to get a CT scan of your face to see why your constant cough and drippy nose has been going on for so long. So, after 45 minutes of negotiations, bribes, threats and pleading to just lay down and get a picture of your face taken, I finally told the radiologist "She's not going to budge, you need to strap her down." So, you thrashed around for another 10 minutes, finally held still for about 3 seconds and they got their shot. We found out that you have Sinus Disease, and are having to take 6 weeks of antibiotics, daily doses of Nasonex and a saline spray nasal wash. Anyone who knows you, knows that you are the most stubborn little squirt around, but you are taking your meds suprisingly well.


• Also at the Dr, he called for a Sodium Chloride test, so he could rule out cycstic fibrosis. We had to take you back in to Primary's, where they strapped you up to a machine that ran an electric current to your arms so that it would stimulate your sweat glands, wrapped your arms in gauze, then saran wrap material, then garbage bag material, then taped heat packs to your arms, then had us put on your sweatshirt, a coat and blanket and were told to make you run for the next 30 minutes to make you sweat. You were such a trooper. Daddy and I found the best way to make you run was to walk fast so that you had to run to catch up. You kept saying "Wait up guys! Guys slow down, ok? Wait for me!" which was the hardest part of the test for me. We had to wait until the next day for your results and luckily they came back negative for CF...yet another miracle Heavenly Father has sent our way lately.


• Your comfort is to rub my arm raw. When you were about a month you sucked your thumb until about 4 months old, then just stopped. You were in the market for something else to comfort you and my big ole arm got stuck in your path. You rubbed my arm every single time I nursed you or when you would get hurt and cry I would pick you up and you would immediatly calm down once the "Indian Burn Ritual" would start up. When we moved you into a big girl bed you wanted me to lay with you. I would lay by you, you would start rubbing my arm, let out 2 huge yawns, then drift off to sleep, but not without whispering "I love your arm." You are almost 3 now and still love to come and snuggle me, but pretty soon instinct takes over and you turn me into the Red Armed Bandit...but I love that you still want to cuddle me and that even though you are older I can still be there to comfort you.

Beck

• Anytime you see an animal you start growling under your breath.


• You turned one this month and we had a Super Duper Sports Party for you with lots of friends and family. More on that in another post.


• You have upped your vocabulary this month. You now say Eeee when you want to eat, Din for a drink. When we get to grammy and papas house you start saying Papa, hi. You can say Tay-Tay for sis.


• Once I pick you up, you immediatly hold you hand out, palm side up, and start urging me forward. I will stop at the door, you'll think about it for a second then choose your next destination. You have definitly started being more opinionated about where you are going.


• You love going up to sisters, gently saying "hi" and give them such a soft sweet hug and kiss. It is truly heart-melting.


• You love hitting right now...but only mommy for some reason. Maybe your true feelings are coming out about me shutting down the milk wagon?


• You still throw your fits when someone tells you no, only now you stick your tongue out while doing it.


• You were such a ham when we went to get your 1 year pics taken.


• You were such a butt-crack when we went to get your first haircut.


• Your comfort is playing with my hair...and putting it in your mouth. I will pick you up and you will grab the back of my hair in both fists, decide which fistful looks more appealing, then put that wad in your mouth. You like to slowly pull your head away and let my hair basically floss your teeth. It's bizarre and silly, but I love it.

Birthday Contentment

Nothing says Happy 1st Birthday to me like sitting naked on a four wheeler, in a a big pile of crap, while eating a sucker. Ahhh, the life.

Dance Dance Revolution

Here are my little dolls, looking like, well, little dolls. This was their final dance recital of the year, and may I just say that I am so glad that the pressure is now off. If I never see another curling iron, hot roller and sponge curler combo again I will die happy. They of course looked beyond adorable. They had 2 dances that they performed, and while Reese was pretty on point, Ellie prefered to mouth the words to the music and bust out a move or two of her very own. At one point Reese's neighbor got a little close to her for comfort, so she just ever so slightly shoved her out of her way. Between the two of them I was hysterical. For the most part the girls have loved dance, or at least the performing aspect. Their teachers are wonderful. Next year Taytum will also be in dance, so start the praying now please!

My chickies and my honey bunny!

April's Antics

Ellie:

• Calling popovers "leftovers"



• For April Fools Day, I "shrunk" your breakfast (mini box of cereal, mini bananas, mini carton of orange juice). You were so excited that you exclaimed "Did the Aprilchaun (I think someone still had St Patty's Day on the brain) get this little food from Costco?!



• In your nighttime prayer "Please bless that we'll be good and strong, and bless that we'll be good and strong...some more."
  


• "Mom, have you ever seen a sparkle rose?" When I said no, you replied "Well, I have. It was in New York City."



• "Mom, my eyes feel insane."



• "Mom, when you snip my fingernails it makes them feel so nervous!!!"



• Making a special drawing for Grandma Linda when she was in the hospital. You were so concerned for her.

Reese

• When I asked you to please eat your hash browns, you said "No thanks, I'm allergic to them for the day."



• After the car accident, I was explaining how there are important things to always remember, like wearing seatbelts. You said "Yeah, but what's really important it to watch for falling coconuts."



• Ellie was whining and complaining about having to get ready for dance class. When she said "Mom, why do I always have to go to dance?" you yelled from the other room "Because mom pays for it!!"



• You the first to remind everyone that we need to wear our seatbelts, no matter what.



• Since the accident, your very scared to drive anywhere, and will constantly ask me "Why didn't that big white truck see us?"

Taytum

• We found out this month that you need to get your adnoids removed. Boo!



• You telling me to quit sassing you at Payless Shoes, when I told you that you couldn't buy the 7 purses you had on your arms...and around your neck.
  


• You are constantly talking about Flynn Ryder. You are either pretending to be him or pretending he is your boyfriend.



• You still invite and uninvite me, your sissy's, aunt Britt and cousins to your Tangled party...in June.



• You now have an aversion to anything that might make you sticky or dirty. No honey, no ketchup, no pancake syrup.

Beck

• You, my little man, are a walking fool. Your sisters didn't walk until closer to 13 months, but you were walking at 11 months. Big boy!



• I was changing your diaper and when I lifted your onesie, a Cap'n Crunch was stuck in your belly button.



• You love holding my phone up to your ear and say "Hi" about 36 times.



• You love balls and anything with wheels.

March Madness

Ellie:

• I asked you "How come I love you kids so much?" You answered "Um, because we are cuties?"


• "Mom, my smoothie tastes ridiculous!"


• On our way to school we were talking about how baby farm animals are born in the spring. I said "Baby chicks, baby lambies, baby ducks..." and you interrupted by saying "Yeah, and baby jaguars!"


• "Mom, you shouldn't buy pepper. It makes people sneeze ya know!"


• "Mom, you bought me Crunchy Little Squares (Cinnamon Toast Crunch)?! You do love me!!"


• "My voice is a little pony." Instead of a little hoarse.


• When we had green pancakes on St Patty's Day a little bit of the green batter got on a paper towel. You looked at it for a second and cried "Ew, I think that leperachaun blowed his nose right there!"


• You said so many adorable prayers for Reese when you found out she was going to the hospital to see the cardiologist. Made me melt.

Reese:

• You braved your double ear infection and your cardiologist appointment like a champ. So thankful for that.


• While at the Dr's office you had to use the bathroom(at our Dr's office they have a child's bathroom that has a child-sized toilet.) You sat down and said "Mom, did Jesus make this teeny tiny potty?"


• When I got my haircut you kept asking if I was mommy or Heathie.


• "If you don't give me my medicine right now, I guess I'll just have to leave the city."


• You were helping me make dinner and we were making fruit salad. I opened the fruit cocktail and you asked me what it was. I said "Fruit cocktail." You replied "Mmmmm, I love cocktails."


• You told me you thought the leprachaun colored the chicks green.

Taytum

• When I asked you how you wanted to do your hair today, you replied "Like a dolphins."


• "Mom, that stinky leprechaun put my sunglasses on his face. I'm so mad at him!"


• You keep calling the chick's "Bocks"


• Calling your Croc's (shoes) "Cracks"


• You got so mad at Ellie that you just sat for a minute trying to think up the meanest thing you could say to her. You finally shouted "Ellie, your an eyebrow!!!"


• During Eye Spy, Ellie said "Eye Spy something orange." Without missing a beat you said "Is it your face?"


• You and Lily were "helping" me fold a batch of clothes. Lil's asked "Are these your brothers jammies?" You replied "Absolutely."

Beck

• You stood up in the middle of the room with nothing, and no one around you on March 21st.


• You took your first 3 steps on March 23rd.


• You love saying "Hi." You say it whenever you see my phone, or when someone comes in the room.


• You had an ear infection, croup and a cold within about 2 weeks of each other.


• Your still sleeping through the night, yay!


• When dad comes home from work you get really still and somber, then start yelling "Daaadaaaa? Dad?? Daaaaaadaaaaaa!" It is adorable.


• You've outgrown all of your jammies. On to 24 months I guess.


• Your quite the Grammy's Boy lately. You love to snuggle into her and pat her back when cuddling.