A is for Apple...A...is for Aristocat...A is for Awesome!

Earlier this month Marley was invited to attend an All A's ceremony for the schools in her district. She was invited because she got all A's each quarter in school. I think she was in the top 10% of her school. Most of the kids were older as well, so she did an excellent job! She has really done well this year and improved her reading level to 3rd grade! We are so proud of her. Here are a few pictures from the event.

Sorry the quality is so poor. I thought I had it on the right setting, but I was wrong! Marley and Ms. Dixon her 1st Grade teacher Marley, hiding her toothless smile! Mac and Calliope were also very proud of Marley...say Cheese! They each got a cool trophy. Marley was quite excited and hoped it would be a "really big one". I am not quite sure what the genie lamp has to do with education and achievement, but it is still cute.

"Uh-Oh" she is on the move!

Calliope is officially crawling...climbing...and getting into mischief! She started actually crawling last week and still does a lot of commando movements sliding along her belly, but she is mobile and I guess my life has changed once again. She isn't content to just crawl around slowly she has to straighten her back legs out, like a stink bug, and act as if she is going to stand up and then proceed to crawl. It is pretty funny. She will also say "uh oh" on command, which I think is foreshadowing because I bet we are going to be saying that word quite often with her! Below is a picture of her the way I remember her (ya know, back in the day, a mere few weeks ago), all bundled, stuck, not moving in her car seat. Now are the days where she twists and turns to get out of the straps and giggles so hard holding on the couch, high chair or crib when she is standing that is starts a free for all of laughter by everyone in the house. She is so proud of herself and so are we! Our Squirly Girly, Squishy, Lilapee (Jack's way of saying her name) is growing up way too fast!

Mother Dear I Love you so....

your happy smiling face is such a joy to look at, you make home a loving place!

I joke with my kids and my Mom about how on occasion she would require that I recite this Primary song to her. I have a vivid memory of doing it in the kitchen for her once. I have repeated the tradition with Marley a few times, but it isn't as fun because she hasn't ever had to sing that song in Primary!

Since my last post honored my Dad's birthday, I figured I should do the same and honor my Mom on her birthday today. Among the few old pictures I have is the followng gem...

I love this picture because it is old and to see my siblings and I so little is always worth a chuckle. I love that I am wearing yellow and that Brady has one of those velvety (is that a word) onesies on. I love that Travis seems genuinely into having his picture taken. Maybe he is in awe at the bright flash or something. I love that we generally look really happy for whatever reason I can't remember and I love it because my Mom looks beautiful, with earrings, lip gloss and her hair all curled. Even though I don't think she is quite ready to walk out the door. It seems like she is wearing a house dress, but I could be wrong.

Even though my Mom is not the same age in this picture as I am right now, she is the mother of three kids about the same ages as I currently have. So even though for years I have admired the picture for the reasons above, today I realize I appreciate it for so many other reasons. I appreciate that my Mom took the time to make sure that my hair bows matched my dress. I often have problems finding the right bow for Marley, but I love it when she matched head to toe. I appreciate that her baby has shoes and socks on, what an accomplishment. I appreciate that we all seem really happy after getting ready for church (most likely). It is a rare Sunday morning that I haven't lost my temper with my little angels. I appreciate that someone captured this moment for me to admire, even if this moment was few an far between, it gives me something to look up to. I appreciate that I can see my baby sister's face in my Mom in this photo and it makes me happy. I appreciate that I have a mother who may physically be miles away from me, but who I can call whenever I want and talk to her and know that she will listen and talk me through any of the challenges that I might face as a mother of young children. I appreciate that at any instant my Mother can go back to the time in this picture and offer sage advice that helps me through the days, hours and sometimes minutes of raising kids.

I told someone today when we were talking about the kind of people that make good mothers, I said that I often get frustrated with my three kids, but luckily I was raised by an awesome Mom who has magically developed that kind of relationship with us where we seem to only remember the good and not the bad (I am sure there were frustrations and I am sure there was no brainwashing), so there is hope for me still. I pray that someday my kids will say the same about me.

Happy Birthday Mom!

I adore you even more today then I did in this picture!

You know, I don't consider myself a sweetheart at all. But when he says it, I believe it...

The title of my blog today is stolen from another blogger, but when I read it I couldn't help but save it because it rang so true for me and my Dad as well.

So in honor of my Dad who has a birthday today/tomorrow, I thought I would scan a few old pictures of us together and thank him for letting me feel like a sweetheart, even when I know I wasn't acting like one! Oh and also thank you for the following moments in my life...

Thanks for being my first date...

and my second date! Thanks for teaching me how to swim!

Thanks for lifting me up on your shoulders, even when you probably should not have, but you did it anyway because that is what Dads do.

Thanks for teaching me to drive. If only a stick shift was as easy as Disneyland!

Thanks for taking me to the "Wash" to learn the value of family. Thanks for letting me wear "hootpants" or "hootchie shorts" at least once in my life! I am sure I thought I was "Daisy Duke" in this outfit.

Thanks for loving ALL your girls (even your Mom in the background) unconditionally!

Thanks for letting me be one of the boys with this trucker hat and a purse!

Thanks for posing for all these pictures on your birthday so we could have fun memories of each other. I am sure we were about to eat some Grasshopper Brains dessert. Wish I could be there to make it for you this year!

Happy Birthday Dad! I love you!

Happy Valentine's Day

Just thought I would wish a Happy Valentine's Day to anyone that reads this blog. I thought this picture was appropriate since Calliope's jammies say "love" on them. What I particularly like about this photo is the fact that she has three pacifiers in the bed. What I am "loving" right now is the fact that this baby will take a pacifier!! If I could only find one when I need one!

Snow Daze...

Today we had our second day so far this year of waking up to Snow!!!

The first time the schools quickly called it a "Snow Day" so we got all the winter stuff out and dressed up the kids and took them outside to play. LaLa was here to document the excitement. This happened about two weeks ago.

This morning we woke up to snow again and this time it seemed like more than the last time, but no information about closing school on the web or the TV, so we bundled Marley up and sent her out to wait for the bus. Needless to say she is a warm weather girl since one of the first things she did was lay down in the snow, while waiting for the bus, and make a snow angel! I ran from the front room window (where Calliope and I watch her get on the bus each morning) and told her not to do that because her pants would be too wet for school....etc etc and then I ran in to get her a change of pants to put in her backpack. I guess she figured all her clothing was snow proof!

Anyway, the bus came about 20 minutes late and this time the snow melted by late afternoon. It did add a little excitement to the morning though. When Jack woke up and discovered the snow he was pretty happy and immediately tried to take his jammies off so he could go out and play in it. He was surprisingly calm when I told him that we were not going to go out in it this time (too wet). He only asked a couple more times!

These pictures are from a few weeks ago...Jack's first time really playing in Snow, Calliope's first encounter with the soft stuff, and the rest of us just enjoying ourselves and reminiscing about the snowy places we have lived and what it was like.

Christmas 2008!

Christmas 2008!

Here are a bunch of the photos that I thought friends and family might enjoy. We just put all of our Christmas stuff away last week, so to me this post isn't really that late!

Time to decorate the tree and living room for Mardi Gras!

Mac drinking his Coca Cola! The breakfast of my Champion! He will need his strength to play the Wii! Six years without a gaming system, he will need his strength!

Jack's Stuff

The Morning...Marley's stash.

Happy (i.e. recently fed and full) even without that many gifts! Too bad that will probably the last time she isn't concerned with "what she got" for Christmas.

Lightning McQueen...enough said. Well maybe we could sqeel our tires and say "Kapow Katchow"

Marley straight away changed into some of her new sparkly clothes! Thanks Grandma, Grandpa, & Aunt Mindy for giving her a wardrobe that spans across the country! She looked "fierce"!

Jack and his big truck!

Hopefully Calliope will continue to love ALL thinks sparkly and shiny as much as she did on this day!

How I looked after opening gifts and trying to figure out where I was going to put all this stuff! Just Chillin in my cute new Christmas Outfit...sitting in my Bumbo... The end of the day. All tuckered out. Tired enough to sleep on hardwood floors. (We got a tent, so this is where the sleeping bags come in) Another great Christmas...kids quiet and dreaming of cars, clothes, Nintendo DS, Wii, family and fun!

P.S. Cousin challenge...Marley wants to play some Mario Kart against you cross country sometime!