October's Quote Collection

These are quotes mostly from October.  I collect them for awhile before I actually get around to posting them.  Hayden had so many, he gets his own post, coming soon.  In the meantime, here are things the kids said last month that I want to remember.

So, after General Conference, I started feeling like I needed to talk to Dallin about pornography.  I know that kids are being exposed to it younger and younger, so I figured, just in case someone at school or on the bus tried to show him inappropriate pictures, we should talk about it, so he'd know what to do.   We talked about how pictures of naked people is called pornography and the prophets and apostles have warned us not to ever look at them.  I told him that if anyone tried to show him pictures of naked people or women in bikinis, that he should immediately look away, and tell that person that the only woman he wanted to see naked is his wife.  To which he replied, disgusted, "I don't want to see my wife naked."  Even better. 

On a similar topic, one Saturday morning, I took the kids to the grocery store to pick out a donut as a reward for helping to clean our church building.  One of the magazine covers by the checkout stand featured the best and worst beach bodies of the season.  Dallin immediately looked away, per our discussion, but Daphne stood gawking and pointing at one of the "worst beach bodies."  Sean said nonchalantly, "Don't look at it, Daphne.  It's bisgusting."  

Sean:  Did you know you have anudder fahdder?  It's Heavenly Fahdder!

This broke my heart.  Poor Daphne struggles to understand math, and one night after beating our brains out over some 2nd grade homework, Daphne said this in one of her prayers:   "Please bless Sydney will not get my math brain when she grows up.  Bless her to get Daddy's math brain."  

Ever since Sydney was born, Hayden has reverted to his pacifier addiction.  He steals her pacifiers any chance he gets.  I eventually caved and let him have the pacifiers that Sydney rejected.  Well, he lost them both, and was very sad about it one night.  So I told Hayden the story about the day I didn't get pacifiers anymore.  I was about three when Mom finally took my pacifier away.   She bribed me with a barbie doll.  I happily handed over my pacifier for the barbie.  But then, when it came time for bed, I told mom I was ready to trade her back the doll for the pacifier.  She told me she was so sorry, but the garbage man had come that day and taken my pacifier to the dump, so my pacifiers were all gone.  I remember that I had such a hard time falling asleep, she had to rub my eyes until I drifted off.   So I offered to rub Hayden's eyes until he fell asleep.  While I was rubbing Hayden's eyes, I heard Sean sniffling in his bed.  I asked him what was wrong, and he tearfully said, 

"I am so sad about that the garbage man took your pacifiers!"  

It surprised me that he was feeling such empathy for my pacifier plight!

Sean: The clock made us late!  

(another one to add to my list of late excuses!)

One morning while enjoying some bacon, Daphne declared, 

"I like pigs because they are cute AND yummy!"  

Dallin: Mom, did you know that the song is "London Bridge?"  not "Lima Bridge?"

A conversation in the car one day went something like this: 

Daphne:  I can't wait until I'm twelve because then I get my ears pierced.  

Me:  Well, you ought to just enjoy the age you are.  
You only get to be 7 for one year, and then you never get to be 7 again.  

Sean:  Well, I love being 10.

?

Family Pictures 2010

The more people we have in our family, the more impossible it becomes to get a good facial expression on everyone at the same time.  So here are a few, just so you can see everyone with a good face.  Erin has the patience of Job.  Thanks for taking such great pictures, Erin!!!  

picture ruiners:  hayden, & dallin

picture ruiner: sean

this one is absolutely perfect.

hayden and sean

not gonna lie--I think we look pretty good together. ;)

 

oh my goodness, what are we going to do with this kid!?!

 

I love this one.  

And this one.

Me and my girls.

This one is perfect too.  What a handsome bunch of boys!

What can we say about family pictures?  It's a good thing they only happen once a year.  They are kind of a stressful time.  But we're so glad we have them once they're done!!!

You can check out more of Erin's work here: 

Erin's Photography blog

Veteran's Day

A month or two ago, Arthur and I spent several evenings over a span of a couple of weeks watching the mini-series "Band of Brothers." It was my first time seeing it, and I came away from it with deep appreciation for all those who have ever served in the armed forces.  Even those who didn't die in combat have, in a very real sense, given their lives for their country.  Their service affects them long after they return home, and I don't think any of them are ever really the same.  How grateful I am for those brave men and women who have fought and who are currently fighting to defend our freedoms.

Thank you!

You've Got a Friend in Me

Well, I'm finally getting our costume pictures up here.  Gotta say, I don't really know what happened this year, but there just wasn't enough time for all kinds of stuff that we normally like to do.  No "booing" any of our friends.  No homemade donuts and Harry Potter.  No pumpkin patch--I picked up some pumpkins at the grocery store.  And we didn't even finish carving them!  I hollowed them out in preparation for carving, but then we just ran out of time and never carved them.  So now I have two hollowed out pumpkins that will spoil any day but I haven't thrown them out yet because I keep thinking maybe we'll carve some cute Thanksgiving-ish thing into them . . .

We did do some sugar cookies, which is always fun.  

And we did do our family costume theme for the Ward Trunk-or-Treat.

  Here they are folks:

(thanks to my friends who took pictures of us!)

Halloween 2010

 I was the most worried about how Daphne's costume would turn out, but I think it ended up being my favorite.  The yarn hair worked better than I imagined.

 Dallin was hilarious hopping around on that green cardboard.

We did "Toy Story" this year--(Hopefully you can tell!)   

Sean: Buzz
 Daphne: Jesse
Hayden: Woody
Dallin: green army guy
Sydney: Hamm

Arthur and I:  Mr. & Mrs. Potato Head

Had to get a picture of all the pigs.
"Hamm" with the "3 Little Pigs"

Belated Halloween Happiness.  :)

Sydney Update

Sydney is just over four months now, and at her last Dr. visit weighed in at 13 lbs 5 oz, and is 24 inches long.  She is a champ at rolling onto her tummy, but doesn't really like it once she gets there.  She complains until someone rescues her by rolling her onto her back, at which point she promptly rolls back onto her tummy.

Her most recent accomplishment is that she has discovered how to laugh.  You will find us doing all kinds of crazy things to get her to giggle, but it's completely unpredictable, so even if I had a camera, I'm sure we wouldn't have any footage of it.  Daphne was singing her a school yard rhyme the other day that Sydney thought was hilarious.  But when she tried it the next day, it didn't make the cut.  

She also loves lullabies.  Now I've had some kids start crying when I sing to them, but Sydney LOVES it.  Her breathing slows and she looks directly into my eyes and really calms down.  Her favorite is a celtic lullaby called Baloo Balerie.  It's especially cute when Hayden sings it to her. (I have a video of it if I can retrieve it from my broken camera!!)

Sydney had a blocked tear duct for the first four months of her life, but I'm happy to report that it has cleared and she finally looks healthy!  Also, (and I'm reluctant to put in writing because I'll probably jinx myself, but. . .) she is sleeping through the night fairly reliably.  I cannot begin to tell you what a difference it makes in my outlook on life to be getting better sleep these days.  I feel so much happier!!!!

Since I've started blogging I've tried to do a little slideshow for my kids when they are born.  But I missed out on Sydney's slideshow, so here it is.  (Better late than never.)  Most of the pictures are from her 2 month "photo shoot" with Erin.  She is wearing the dress she was blessed in which is the same dress all of my sisters were blessed in.  We just love this little girl! 

1. My camera is broken.  Hence, I'm relying on friends to email me Halloween pictures of my kids when they get around to it.  I have a few from one friend, I'm just waiting on my other friend so I can post all the Halloween stuff at once.  How inconvenient to not have a camera!!!

2. Hayden has been banished to the play room to sleep because he can't handle sleeping with his brothers.  He keeps them up by climbing all over them and trying to make them laugh.  So his little bed has been moved into a corner of the playroom so he can calm down and go to sleep by himself.  You'd think since he's sleeping in the playroom he'd be up all night playing with toys, right?  Nope.  He just likes company.  People are much more tempting than toys for Hayden.  

3. i hate laundry.

4. My sister Melanie just got ENGAGED to a great guy named Jade!  We are totally excited for these two!!!  They will get married on April 8th.  

Congratulations, you guys! 

 "Ooooh, a wedding!  I love weddings!"  (name the movie.)