Mamacita

That's what we call Aleeya, "MAMACITA" because she really is like a little Mommy and that's all she wants to be, pretend to be, etc. Her BIGGEST goal in life is to find a "Daddy for her to marry", not a husband. She just wants to find a man, marry him, so she can finally be a Mommy.

Oh yea, and "kiss on the boca" because she ALWAYS reminds me that she "Loooooooooooves besos!" We're CLEARLY watched too many princess shows. :)

Anyway, so Mamacita was sitting at the table this week while we had chicken wings (Brooks' mom's FAMOUS recipe of wings she makes every year for New Year's.....but the kids had it Jan. 1st and begged for it again, so I made them this week). She LOVES them, and kept asking for more. I told her she had to eat her potatoes and peas first. Surprisingly, she DID, so I handed her a bunch of wings.

After dinner, as I was cleaning up, I found this:

Sneaky little thing. (I'll make sure to remind her of it when SHE'S a mom!)

But this picture is my favorite of the week. This is during family scripture study at night. We usually all sit around w/ our own books, but I couldn't stop Aleeya, she was just too cute. So the whole time she sat there holding her baby and kind of bouncing it up and down as she rocked back and forth. Every once and a while saying, "Sh, sh sh sh".

She LITERALLY rocked her baby the WHOLE TIME!!

And what does THIS picture have to do w/ Aleeya the Mamacita?!?!?

Well, those would be HER PANTS that Emerson had on while he was brushing his teeth and JUST ABOUT READY TO WALK OUT THE DOOR TO SCHOOL!!!! I ALMOST let him out like that because I hadn't noticed!!!! AH! You should've seen how tight it was on his hiney w/ all the girly designs on it. Classic.

This is crazy.

The weather here has felt like spring!!! Today it should be 63 and tomorrow 69. Pretty sure I could get used to this. But with weather THIS nice, there are definitely more trips to the park.

(I assure you, Aleeya IS in this picture, but she's behind the little boy, Corbin, who happened to follow my family around everywhere. I mean when there's a party, better stick with it, right?)

Royce loves walking around and doesn't think TWICE about staying near me......which is FINE, because I just follow him around. But when the WHOLE family wanted to play a good ol' game of tackle football on the field by the park, well, Royce's adventurous attitude wasn't going to fly.

So once again, my husband's ingenuity came through in how to keep him close.....

Not sure if you can notice the round shape in the back of Royce's pants.......but Brooks stuck the handle of Sally's leash down there, so he was connected to Sally. You're PROBABLY thinking this is a bad idea, but you clearly don't know Sally. She will NOT leave my side for anything. She always is around me, so it was perfect......and Royce had no clue it was in there!

He would walk and sometimes Sally would go a few feet away with him.

But when he wanted to go away from the family, Sally stood her ground and sat down.

Yep, I think that's about as far away as Royce got during the whole football game. HAHAHA.

It was awesome. Thanks Sally.

WE LOVE FROSTIES!

And by "WE" I mean Iris and me.

What's that you ask? Why the WHOLE drink carrier full of frosties? You think we like them that much? Well, yes, we do, but normally Iris and I don't order that many for our little date.

You see, the past few days Brooks and I have noticed a decline in gratitude from the kids. Even yesterday when I made a huge batch of cinnamon rolls and they all devoured them....WITHOUT SAYING THANK YOU! So Brooks said, "Okay, I don't care HOW much you like something, you say thank you. So next time you don't say thank you, we'll take it back."

Lo, and behold after Bronson's basketball game, (THAT SAME DAY!!!!!) we went to go get us some free frosties and Brooks gave me the look like "Okay, here we go......."

I passed out all the frosties, spoons, napkins, etc. We drove a few blocks and I'll be darned if not ONE of my children said thank you......or GRACIAS for that matter. So Brooks pulled over, I grabbed them all back, and the rest of the ride home there was MUCH wailing and gnashing of teeth........to say the least.

However, it wasn't ALL a loss............because Iris and I sure enjoyed yourselves.

Our house has been taken over by

Beyblades.

Anyone else have this problem? Beyblades are EVERYTHING to my boys, and when they earn or get money, they buy beyblades. You see, they're basically graduated tops that battle.

The most entertaining factor for me (besides Brooks getting into it w/ them), is to see which "Stadium" they're playing with. They're always going through random household items to get their beyblades to battle in.

Exhibit A- a cookie sheet.

My personal fav to play with- a round cake pan. There's some MAJOR close action with it.

(inside the wood arena Brooks built.....but the beyblades didn't hit each other enough in it)

Beyblades LITERALLY entertained my boys for 4 hours today (and 2 of those hours before church. Beautiful.) They're pretty happy when they play them too........

Side note: if there are TWO things that gross me out more then anything, they are 1) a plunger.......I NEVER own one. They're a one-time use thing around here then they get thrown away......and 2) portable potties.

They are nasty. I bought one once for Aleeya or Emerson or something and after they used it once, I took out the cup thing and all inside parts, threw them away, and we now use it just as a step stool.

And more recently, a new Beyblade stadium.

HAHAHAHAHA. This picture makes me laugh soooooooooo hard. Just seeing my kids hover over a child's potty seat makes me smile. But it DOES make a great stadium.

Look what I found

My camera. Oh happy day......... here are some random pictures I've found

the two twins. My 2 baby boys. (snuggling in Grandma's blankey.....it goes everywhere w/ Emerson)

So there's this Nature Center/Children's Museum combined close by. And the kids LOVE the outside part (animals) best.

However ME? Well, when Emerson brings his clipboard and has to DRAW EVERY. SINGLE. ANIMAL.............it gets a little old. He was pretty adamant about it though.

Brooks has finished up his interviews now and when he had on in Virginia, we stopped by a quick pizza place and got to meet up with my brother. Asking for them to set up a table of 15?......classic.

My girls could NOT have been happier being spoiled by their older girl cousins.

And this is the part I was KICKING myself for not having my camera for our stay w/ the Henriods, downtown D.C. and Air and Space Museum w/ Tio Bug and Tia Linsey.

Bummer. Then again, it would've been a lot of pictures of Brooks off by himself reading every plaque while Linsey and I watched the kids. ;)

He's 9!!!!!

My eldest and most awesome Smith seed turns 9 this week. Brooks has an interview on his actual birthday and we would be out of town. Bronson was starting to think I was NOT going to celebrate his b-day, and the fact that I hadn't made a pinata and asked who he wanted at a party probably confirmed that. So as you can imagine, he was SURPRISED when he came home this morning and found a room w/ his family, balloons, 3 friends, cake/presents waiting for him. I wish I caught that moment on camera.

But before anything he just wanted to go in the driveway and play basketball with his buddies.

I finally had to to call them in to eat cake......they were having just too much fun. Check out the PURE joy on Bronson's face.

And having a basketball cake helped keep that smile there.

The presents were so fun (check out Camden's face in the bottom picture......he cracks me up!), and Bronson was ESPECIALLY excited over the Human Body kit w/ books and skeleton thing to make. He LOVES learning about the body, so when I saw it at Megathrift this week for 1.99, I HAD to grab it. Talk about the best 2 bucks ever spent!!!

Since I couldn't MAKE a pinata, I knew probably had to go buy one. Then my sweet friend Melissa offered me one they found in her dad's garage. Score.

WAIT. time out........Bronson's gotta wait while we move Royce.....

The candy grab. Gotta love those moments.

As fun as the pinata was, the boys all thought this was MORE fun.........taking the new football out for a game of 500........w/o the points. Brooks would just throw it and the boys decided they would do whatever it took to get the ball.

I love all the faces.......

it was pretty intense. Between each throwing, Bronson couldn't wipe the smile off his face.

Boys are awesome.

I've decided parties must get easier when the kids get older. You don't need to plan games, entertainment or anything. All Bronson REALLY wanted to do, is grab his friends, go outside and play some sports.

Love me some Bronson.

Realization

Yes, I realize I haven't posted in a while (mystery of the missing camera), but it MIGHT have something to do w/ me laughing over this article too hard.........and too long:

(Keep in mind, if you do NOT have a sense of humor, you are NOT allowed to read this..... it's not a comparison article, just pointing out the differences of the two work environments.....but holy cow, is it funny.)

http://www.babble.com/toddler/toddler-development/questions-for-parents-from-SAHM/

It just made my day.............it ALMOST made me forget that old lady giving me the meanest crusties she could muster at Walmart today. Man, do I wish I had a camera for THAT moment. Who knew faces could make that face? CERTAINLY not me.

My deserved treat

Almost my WHOLE family joined together in Salt Lake City yesterday when my parents were set apart and blessed before they go down to Brazil to be the Missionary Training Center President there! What a neat day and spiritual boost I know they all had. It is so neat hearing about it from all of them......

Then. there. was. my. day........

Actually the DAY on the whole was fine w/ having everyone home, eating football snacks, wings, etc., painting different rooms, and playing some games. THOSE parts were great. But there was a good ol' hour of the day that was hard........No, allow me to use a different word .......... TORTURE! Yep, a WHOLE HOUR OF TORTURE sitting there in the photo studio w/ Royce for his year old pictures (to match all of these yr. old pictures of the others above my bed)

It had to be a WHITE background like the others and sitting down....the sitting down part being the trickiest part. Man, he was SUCH a stinker.

The photographer was SUPPOSED to take more pictures, but since Royce kept shaking his head no to him, he decided to mark the shorter photography session on his paper "Cut short due to unruly child". Perfect.

And if you'd LIKE to feel like you were there too, here are the ones that he DID get to take and that weren't blurred w/ Royce shaking his head.....once again, telling him "no".

http://www.myonlineportraits.com/ViewSharedAlbum.aspx?ShareID=8325a1e8-a5f6-4974-a730-c6edcdb75c47

The last 6 on the first page crack me up because you can see him progressively starting to get more and more bored w/ the whole situation, until the last one when he gives the photographer a look like, "Really? Shaking that stuffed animal at me?! Do you REALLY think that will amuse me?!"...with his hand balled up in a fist, probably ready to deck the guy.

Honestly, the VERY last one he smiled big........but only because he heard me say, "Wanna go get a treat?".......and after that, we did. We went, but it was ME who got the treat. NOT HIM!

HAPPY NEW YEAR'S EVE!!!

I was talking to one of my favorite sisters this week and just asked about her plans for New Year's Eve. She laughed and said, "Going to bed EARLY and curling up w/ a book." I laughed too because that's COMPLETELY against what we did growing up with the whole:

-toast w/ cranberry juice and toothpaste at midnight (yes you read that right.....not sure why we always ate a glob of toothpaste before swallowing. Maybe all my "odd-ness" can be attributed to that one tradition. Hmmm)

-shooting of the cannon outside and waking up all those people, who like my sister, WANTED to go to bed early.

-probably blowing those little horns and making a mess.

I think I can count ONE time in the past 11 years that I actually stayed up until midnight and that was because I was at a party. The other times I think I just went to bed. I'm a party animal like that.

Then I thought, no, that's actually pretty SMART considering how much I like sleep, and how it is DIRECTLY related to how nice of a mom I am in the morning. ;) Plus if I KEPT the kids up until midnight they don't sleep in!!! They STILL will get up at 6:30, so they have less sleep and THEY are grouchy too. (not to mention for church tomorrow) I think of all the people that wake up in a daze, so sleepy, worn out and with a possible hangover on the FIRST DAY OF THE YEAR! Don't you think that's kind of an odd way to start off a whole year?!?!?

So, I'm starting the year off like how I like..........probably go to bed around 10 tonight after an awesome bath and some laughs w/ my better half. Then wake up refreshed, happy and ready to start the year on the BEST day of the year......the Sabbath, at church.

Call me a party pooper, but that sounds like MY (and my sister's) kind of New Year's Eve!!!!

December 25th

Church was at 9:30 Sunday morning w/ only one big meeting for the church day. It was full of Christmas thoughts, scriptures and music.........but I'll get to that later.

Sunday naps are a must. Then we went over to some of our fav. people's house for dinner. I REALLY was craving strawberry pie, but I was thinking out loud and said that wasn't very Christmas-y. Then Bronson said, "why don't you add Kiwi on top to make it red and green!" Genius. That kid must get his smarts from ME! ;) So we came up with this design.......they were super yummy too.

Then we get home and have a visit from the Hibbetts (couple I insisted on spending my b-day with? One of the awesomest couples ever!!!)............who basically were Santa and Mrs. Clause.

Bringing HUGE presents for everyone (yay for chocolates and clothes for me!)....and plenty of guns for the boys and babies for the girls. And if ANY of you know Iris and her dislike toward men, you'll see that this is pretty impressive.

About the music at church....

For 3 and a half years I've been the music lady for the Primary kids (ages 3-11). After all that time, I was released, so it was my last time conducting those sweet angels in song. Clearly, I cried....that was a given, but it was even WORSE because those kids were singing lullaby-ish songs (w/ a 4 year old ANGELIC boy soloist). Talk about tender.

I've loved that calling. Favorite one yet. I mean who WOULDN'T love to have a room full of kids that think you're the best thing EVER (even if you can't sing very well and crack REALLY bad jokes.....for the sake of cracking them). I would get weekly hugs, "Sister Smith!" shout-outs in the hallway, and random drawings from them.

It became my challenge to teach them songs in any creative, spiritual, crazy way I could. I loved that challenge. I loved the challenge of trying to think what would keep their attention and what would motivate them to sing and REMEMBER what they just sang!

I don't remember any lessons from Primary, but I remember almost EVERY song. That's the beauty of music. The words stick with you forever. When I got the calling the bishop then (Bishop Hibbett actually......you know, the ones that just brought us presents!), said I was the "Gospel Doctrine Teacher of Primary".

It's true, the gospel in it's simplicity can be taught (and remembered) through music. Consider a few of these lines from songs that the kids learned.....

"I am a Child of God, and He has sent me here."

"If the Savior Stood Beside Me, would I do the things I do?"

"Families Can be together forever.....I always want to be with my own family, and the Lord has shown me how I can"

"Heavenly Father, I remember now, something that Jesus told disciples long ago, 'Suffer the children to come to me', Father in prayer I'm coming now to thee"

"He speaks to me in quiet ways that fill my soul with peace. And if I listen with my heard, I hear the Savior's voice."

"Have faith, have hope, live like His Son, help others on their way."

Can you imagine hearing sweet angels sing words like these every Sunday to you?! How could you go away untouched and NOT feel the love of Heavenly Father?!?!?

The feeling I felt during some of their songs was sometimes so overwhelming (and it usually leaked out my eyes.....many times) and truly amazing.

Some of the words to the songs I just HOPED they knew that I REALLY wanted them to know that they could "Pray, He is there. Speak, He is listening. You are His child...He hears your prayers, He loves the children."

And so do I.

I was SO lucky to have been given that calling for so long