May has been a month of Play

Big news of the month: on my 14th Belle woke up asking to have her "big bars" taken off and to have her "little bars" put on her bed.  She LOVES her big-girl bed, and honestly so do I.  She made the transition seamlessly and it is much easier for me to snuggle her and sing to her at bedtime now:-) 

Parker and Belle play in the big-girl bed every day (the bed is often an airplane, a boat, a hospital, a hiding place, a bear cave, etc.) If you have been to visit us since the 14th Belle has showcased the big-girl bed for you...at least 3 times per visit.

Belle has been very creative recently...the picture below features some jewelry by Belle.  She made a necklace for me out of a yarn string and Parker's shoe by using the shoe's Velcro straps. She brought it to me and insisted I wear it while I finished making lunch...so chic! 

Parker has evolved into a world-class climber.  Here is the sight that Belle met coming back from using the potty and looking for her snack...she left it up on the couch so Parker wouldn't get it. 

I caught him on camera on his way back down from the top of Belle's table with his prize in hand...and mouth.  He started dragging this chair around to get into everything, so for the time being we have no more kid chairs in our house.

I guess Parker likes Doritos...or the bags they come in since he has never tasted the chips:-)

As the weather has gotten warmer we have been spending more time outside:

Thanksgiving Point...chasing a duck!

The second word Parker learned was chick...he loves visiting these little guys:-)

We also checked out the splash pad a City Creek in Salt Lake 

Belle was sprinkled on once and then marched around the outside of the ring the rest of the time.  Parker went in for a closer look and taste...ewww

and he got both...repeatedly!

Mother's Day

 

Mother's Day was happy this year. Quinn woke up at 8:30 and made pancakes, the babies and I slept in until almost 9:30, and then we all ate a delicious breakfast together:-)

In Sacrament meeting the entire congregation gathered on the stand and sang to the Women.  I was wondering if Belle would repeat her front-and-center, strong vocal style from Easter Sunday and she did not disappoint...that girl steals my heart. In fact this time she was confident enough to make plenty of eye-contact with me and throw me a few winning smiles:-) After the meeting the young men gave all the women chocolate truffles...delicious!

I am very grateful for my little family and for the Mother they are shaping me in to.

I am grateful for all of the mothers/women in my life. So many good examples, so many shoulders to lean on or stand on, so many opportunities to feel needed and loved. 

Happy Mother's Day

Some Quotes from Belle

Belle's America (aka Harmonica)

Quotes:

"Daddy are you full of it?" She is referring to the orange she is pretending to feed him at their tea party.

"I will flash the world!!" She is running around the house with a flashlight.

"It is marvelous!!" She is telling our landlord what she thinks of the Air Force Uniform his is wearing.

"I'm climbing up the mountain with treats in baskets. I am the... Mama who am I? The Christmas Bunny?" She is pretending to be the Easter Bunny.

Belle: "This is my mail." 

Mama: "Did you know there is a picture of Aunt Charie in that announcement?"

Belle: "Yes."

Mama: "She is my sister."

Belle: "She is my favorite."

She has been carrying Charie's graduation announcement around the house since it arrived.

Easter Sunday; Not Our Finest Sacrament Meeting

The morning of Easter Sunday dawned bright and clear here in Lehi, Utah; I could tell it was going to be a special Sabbath day...I was not wrong.

It was a fairly routine morning with Parker going down for a nap and Belle and I getting ready for church together.  I was trying to make it to choir practice, but that was a No-Go. However, Belle and I did make it to church just in time to see the practice end, and Belle looked beautiful in her Easter dress, and her hot-pink sunglasses with the yellow lenses, and her hot-pink bunny-ears headband. Quinn was at home waiting for Parker to wake up before they would join us. 

I let the choir director know I would sing with them anyways since I had been to choir practice the previous 2 Sundays.
Seeing us arrive at Sacrament Meeting 15 minutes early, the executive secretary must have assumed I was a responsible soul, and so he invited me to offer the Benediction. I happily accepted his invitation.

Soon Belle and one of her friends, Emma, were busily enjoying the meeting with various snacks and games. In no time at all it was time for the choir to sing (no sign of Quinn and Parker), so Emma's father (Emma happens to be the choir director's daughter) came to sit with the girls while us moms went to join the choir.  A kind and thoughtful gesture to be sure.

Not 10 feet up the aisle I heard the sounds of terror erupt as I read Belle's mind, "who is this strange fellow sitting in my mother's seat?!"

What I should have done was SOMETHING; what I did do was NOTHING.

As the song begins, Belle breaks free from the confines on the pew and comes screaming (I don't only mean that she was running quickly, but also she was actually screaming) down the aisle. She looks lovely in her Easter dress and her hot pink sunglasses with the yellow lenses; mercifully her friend has stolen the bunny ears.One of my other friends does chase her down and catch her, unfortunately that friend is pregnant and she apparently values the life of her unborn child. Belle escapes again and makes it up the stairs.

What I should have done was SOMETHING; what I did do was NOTHING.

Sniffling and screaming Belle pushes her way down the line of Altos to get to me (I was standing in the most natural position for me: the front and center of the choir). I must have finally realized that avoidance was no longer possible, because I set my music down on the piano and bent to lift Belle onto the seat behind me, hoping to finish the touching musical performance with her in the seat. Unfortunately, the piano was in use at the time I set my binder on it and so, being propped open, the top was somewhat slanted. The binder holding my music would have slid off of the piano causing a crash and a terrible distraction, but thankfully my friend (the choir director) saw what was happening and caught it just in time.  

The sister standing next to me angled her sheet music so that I could basically see and continue singing. Always a planner, Belle had thought to bring along her coloring book and a few markers, so we all enjoyed several moments of peace... until the last two measures of the song when one of her markers fell to the ground and Belle renewed her sentiments on the injustice that was her life.

The song ended and Belle and I re-united and returned to our bench.  Belle resumed playing with Emma. Quinn and Parker joined us about 10 minutes later.

The closing song was performed by the Primary children (ages 3-12) and when Belle saw Emma being ushered up to sing by her mother (even though both Emma and Belle are 2 years old and attend nursery class instead of a primary class), Belle seized the opportunity to return to the stand.  As I expected both girls to, Emma stood by the top of the stairs staring at the taller children around her. Belle disappeared into the crowd.  Moments later we saw the children at the front of the stand begin to jostle about and look down behind them.  Belle's hands appeared first as she elbowed her way to the very front. She sang very loudly (the words of her own little heart) with a huge smile on her face. I felt an unexpected surge of love for my lovely, wonderful girl:-)
After the song it was time for her to come back down to us, and I was so excited to hug and kiss her.  It was also time for me to remember to go up and offer the benediction.

What I should have done was SOMETHING; what I did do was NOTHING.

Easter Parties 2012

The Easter Bunny comes to our house on Friday night, so we can have a fabulous party to celebrate Easter on Saturday and then be reverent as we remember the Lord on the Sabbath.

Saturday morning was a fabulous party with an Easter basket and an egg hunt!

The Thanksgiving Point egg hunt was more of an egg-free-for-all!

Don't worry, Belle filled her basket with the best of them:-)

After lunch and Parker's birthday party, the Easter Bunny returned to our house just to visit our kids!!! I was very surprised and a little shocked to see a 6'1'', 240 lb Easter Bunny hoping down my hallway, but Belle REALLY liked it. He delivered baskets to Belle and Parker and hoped around the house with Belle before a while until he ran out of oxygen;-) Thank You Easter Bunny!! You were the highlight of our fabulous day!!!

Belle also had a private egg hunt on Sunday at Grandpa Kurt and Grandma Janice's house...Easter is her new favorite holiday!

Parker's 1st Birthday!!

We had a birthday party for Parker on April 7th...he is one year old!!! Quinn and I stayed up late the night before decorating, baking, cooking, cleaning, and wrapping for our little guy:-)

I made the frosting and Quinn decorated the cupcakes...I was pretty impressed:-)

We spent Saturday morning at Thanksgiving Point for an Easter egg hunt and pony and wagon rides with the Hout Family . Then we had everyone (Grandpa Kurt, Grandma Janice, Grandpa Jack, Grandma Marge, Uncle Dave, Uncle Nolan, and Aunt Marjorie) back to our house for lunch, cake, and presents!

Parker was so happy and so tired by the time he took his afternoon nap that day:-)

Nana and Papa Gillespie sent Parker a sweet Dino rider/walker...it's a hit!!

Parker has really grown up during the last 2 months, going from a baby to a toddler. He started walking at the end of March and trying to say all kids of words (the only consistently clear ones are Mama and chick). He will not allow anyone to feed him- he uses his spoon himself. He loves cars and makes the "broooom" noise when he plays with them. He LOVES balls and is always throwing balls (and all round objects really) at everyone trying to get us to play catch. He waves Hello and has big, shy smiles for everyone.

We all love our little Parker bear:-)

Parker got a second cake at a joint celebration the next day. We celebrated Easter, Parker's 1st birthday, Nolan's 24th bithday, and Great-Grandpa Jack's 80th birthday!!

At dinner on Monday night Belle must have been reminiscing about the weekend because she turned to me and said, "Mama, Happy Birthday is so fun!"

Happy St. Patrick's Day

We love holidays-any excuse to have a celebration;-)

For St. Patrick's Day we made green, oreo-mint milkshakes.

We sipped them in blissful peace after the babies were in bed...here's to early bedtimes!