Who knew?

Last Saturday we had pancakes for breakfast and since I usually have to triple the batter I had a small pile of them leftover. I'll leave them out on a plate for whoever wants to nibble on them later. 

LITTLE DID I KNOW that they would be so priceless!!!!!!!!

2 hours after breakfast my griddle was still out....and the spatula. (don't judge!) Well, Royce and Iris just grabbed some cold pancakes and played with them on the griddle. Flipping and flipping and flipping.

And STILL going......

45 MINUTES LATER Aleeya decides to join in and then they continued to play for 45 minutes MORE!!!!

HELLO?!?! DID YOU HEAR ME?!?!? That was a whole hour and a half playing with 2 spatulas and three pancakes and a cold griddle!!!!!!

Seriously, who knew not cleaning up from breakfast would prove to be so beneficial?!

I think I'll do it more often..... ya know, not because I'm lazy or anything......I'm only thinking of the kids.

FIRST DAY!!!!!

Here is my big 5th grader, 3rd grader, 2nd grader and kindergartener right 

before heading out the door to IHOP for breakfast w/ dad on the first day of school. They had to wake up at 5:45a.m. to make it happen so Brooks could make it to work on time and Bronson could make it to "Safety Patrol" at school. They were all so excited.

I wasn't sad on the first day of school for Aleeya. I was emotional on Sunday when Brooks gave her a School Priesthood Blessing but seeing how BEYOND excited Aleeya was to go to school all week, I just couldn't help but be excited for her too. She would seriously start randomly squealing because she was so excited!!! I'll admit it's weird not having her around since she's never been to preschool or away from me, but man, is she ever ready!!!! (In K5 here they don't allow backpacks.....just "totebags" so she was so excited when I gave her a princess castle one with her name on it)

This is them AFTER IHOP and ready to walk out the door to school.........Emerson had to change his shirt because he spilled syrup all over his other one (NO SURPRISE THERE!!!!)

Bronson left early (for safety patrol) but it was so cute to see the other 3 walk off to school together. Aleeya sure is lucky to have 3 older brother to look out for her in the same school.

Aaaaaaaaaaaand, then there were 3.........THESE 3.

I realize they look like trouble but don't you worry, this week I thought of everything! I spliced these two pictures together so you can see the hallway into the kitchen. This picture makes me so so so so happy and feel this odd sense of peace.

Not only is there the trusty gate going into the kitchen but now ALL 3 of those doors (my room, Kellyn's room and the bathroom) have child-proof knobs!!!! That means no waking up Kellyn prematurely! No sneaky money and candy from my room!!! No messing up my pillows!!! No putting on my make-up!!! No playing in the toilet!!!! It's really such a beautiful scene.

None of the 3 at-home kids can open the knobs and now that I put one on the front door, Royce will no longer be gracing our neighbors with his streak-show as often. I feel so liberated.

It's not to say that the first day of school Royce didn't cut a chunk out of Kellyn's hair and that I didn't have worms hanging out by the sink though......

First day of school was a huge success for all of them. According to Aleeya: "Best day ever!"......I may have worded it differently considering I found her wandering around the back of the school by herself before she was allowed to leave the school though. She thought the teacher told her to go and her poor brothers were looking for her to walk her home. Buuuuuuuuuut, it's taken care of now and yesterday was a big success.

Sneezy Snake?

Not quite sure how to combine this post so "Sneezy Snake" works for me........

Last week Brooks took the boys and Aleeya to go frog-catching. This was his first time taking them (and probably his last time I will send him!!!!). They came back with 6 frogs and this 12 inch snake.

I'm brave/tough/tolerable-of-animals/etc. but for some reason this thing gave me the willies.

The kids loved it. 

I guess Aleeya saw it first and screamed and started running down the trail and Emerson actually caught it. So it was "his". He played with it all morning after he woke up.

He even let it play in his toy tank...........

and that's when the snake crawled in a teeny hole and got stuck. Couldn't. get. out.

The boys grabbed all Brooks' tools and got the part open that had his body stuck but the head was still stuck under the big thing and it really was impossible to get out.

Pretty soon the little thing stopped moving.

and Emerson didn't take it so well.

I DID feel bad for Emerson and for the snake (sort of)..........

but I'm kinda glad he's not around anymore. (In my defense I never would've let it be brought home in the first place!) I know, I'm bad.

and moving right along.........

Iris' friend is OBSESSED with "Sneezy" from Snow White. So when her birthday came around I wanted to find something Sneezy. Aaaaaaaaaand, that's not so easy. (I'm a poet! I'm a poet!)

Along w/ stickers and candy we ended up making these 2 shirts w/ freezer paper. It's been years since I've done it and I forgot how fun/rewarding it is.

Here's the before-the-paint after I cut out the designs and ironed them on:

Here are the after-shots. I think the face one turned out cool!

One more Quickie

Our dear friends asked us to go to their lakehouse again. The kids were SO excited.

Right after we got there they caught these 8 fish and they were pretty proud of themselves.

It is SO beautiful at this lake. Like paradise actually. There was a storm coming in and the dark purple sky made the water look dark green. It was pretty cool.

Emerson.........with his cast wrapped in a trashbag and duct tape. Yes, I'm married to a doctor, why do you ask? Don't ALL doctors do that?

Royce and Iris were NOT so successful in the fishing area, but it did NOT stop them from trying.

It really looks like Aleeya isn't going to make it to the water and fall on the platform, but trust me, she made it.

Few things warm my heart more then "big brother" pictures.

Brooks just chatting with Mr. Harry and Ms. Brenda. Kellyn HAD to be had in the deathgrip or she would b-line it for the water. Thankfully she was only outside for 1 hour and then went in a REALLY dark room and took a nap for 4.5 hours. I will take it.

ANGEL.FACE. He just is always pure happiness.

Don't mess w/ the kid on the right, he'll karate-chop you w/ that cast.

I promise I feed my kids..........although the rib-pokeage-out does not help my case.

Big Mable is just as fun when she's parked. Talk about hours of entertainment.

And in case you were wondering, Iris DID infact find someone to leach herself to. Ms. Brenda had a perma-shadow.....but when you call Iris a "beautiful blue mermaid", of COURSE she'll stick around to hear more of that kinda talk!

Aleeya's first on Big Mable. The boys and Brooks all smiles.............Aleeya crying (I don't think they noticed so I told the driver to stop). haha

Brooks was ready to come out champ once Aleeya got off though. I knew Camden wouldn't be the first off because he was in the middle. I had my money on Bronson falling first........

Good thing I didn't bet.

Little Camden didn't hold his weight so when they went through "the washing machine" on Brooks' side he couldn't hold up his weight and Camden's for those gazillion spins. 

Bronson was SUPER excited.

We ate and remembered Kellyn (I actually had to WAKE HER UP!) and then left.

Like Father Like Son

One morning this week I heard a bunch of laughing upstairs mixed with some wailing and gnashing of teeth.

When the boys came downstairs Camden said, "I'm SO going to get dad for this!!!!"

Bronson told Camden that he saw Brooks sneak upstairs at 4a.m. before he left for work and painted Camden's toenails. I started laughing just thinking of Brooks' smile as he rode his bike to work thinking he is just soooooooooo funny. 

I texted something about him being quite the nail polish artist because upon inspection I realized that Brooks REALLY stinks at putting on nail polish.

Later when he got home from work he asked what that text was about and Bronson just busted up laughing. 

I knew RIGHT then what had happened............Bronson had done it.

But I didn't question it at the time because quite honestly it WOULD be something Brooks would do!

Party time

For Camden's 9th birthday party he took a few friends bowling. (He picked bowling over a pinata as "long as there were treat bags after". I told him it was a deal.)

 He obviously had a great time.

The kids all wanted to pick cool names for their bowling name.

 Dark Maul- Camden

 Luke Skywalker- Jaret

Darth Vader- Cannon

Owen-.......was um, Owen.

Winner- Bronson (however he was NOT the winner)

No Idea- Isabel 

(when asked what name she wanted she just said 'no idea' and acted all shy. So I just put in that.)

Gorilla - Emerson

Job of the Hut- Me

In MY defense, I was trying to be all cool and going along with the whole "star wars" theme. I knew there was some blob named that and that it would impress the kids that I knew that. 

Apparently his name is NOT spelled like that and more like "Jabba the Hut." I DIDN'T KNOW THAT!!!! I was teased mercilessly.

Emerson started REEEEEALLY breaking down and crying when he realized he was in last place.......after a girl even.

I think Camden really had a great time.

 It was a solid showing from all the kids (Luke Skywalker with the 107) but THIS "Job of the Hut" totally creamed them all.

And the fact that I was gloating after beating a bunch of 7-10 year olds is pretty sad.......

Love it

A few things I love:

1) that Kellyn now likes baths and water

2- that when Kellyn is tired she'll lean her head and snuggle her siblings

3- that I found my most favorite drink in the whole wide world (unfortunately it's a Brazilian drink and well, I live in the USA!!!) at some random store for 50 cents a piece.

So yes, I bought 12 2-liters. :) YIPEE!!!!

I also haven't opened one. I'm worried to drink them because then they'll eventually be gone and I'll be sad. Wow, that is SO backwards. Either way, they are sacred to me.