Have you ever seen a kid that eats paint?

Micah loves to paint, sort of! It isn't really the painting part that he likes. He likes to eat paint! Obviously, I try to discourage this, but you see that he still got several tastes this afternoon when he and Matthew found the paint brushes and convinced me to paint with them. I had hoped that he would realize that it doesn't taste good and stop, but apparently it does taste pretty good. Maybe if I painted his vegetables, he'd eat them, too.

Bryan and Thunderstorms

Bryan turns into a little kid the minute he sees lightning or hears thunder! He immediately runs outside and watches the storm. Then, gets lonely, or something and comes to get me. Before kids, we would sit outside for hours and watch the storm, but that is hard now with two one-year-olds in tow. So Dalin seems to have taken my place. The two of them are so cute together out watching the storm.

We were all disappointed last week when the weather forcasters said that the monsoons were officially over. Over or not, we sure have seen the rain and lightning the past few nights. Tonight the lightning was crazy. I have never seen anything like it!! It was jumping from cloud to cloud and had a non-stop, rumble of continuous thunder. Bryan actually had to get the video camera out it was so bizarre!!

This storm came in pretty late, so the kids were all asleep. I was able to spend some "alone" time with my husband out on our porch swing watching the storm. I know, I know, it probably doesn't sound very romantic, but it was free and didn't require a babysitter!! We'll take whatever romance we can get these days!!

Miracles do Happen!

I have always believed that there are guardian angels looking over our shoulders and miracles that happen everyday, but never have I been so grateful for them as I am tonight. This afternoon, someone tried to break into our house while I was home alone with my children. I had just come in from the garage after picking Dalin up from school and closed everything behind me. The twins came right in with me which is very unusual. (Miracle #1) I usually have to drag them in kicking and screaming!

As I walked into the laundry room and started to move clothes from the washer to the dryer, I heard and saw someone try to open the door from the garage. Thank heavens I had locked it! (Miracle #2) I don't always do that. My first thought was that I had locked Dalin out of the house. I almost unlocked the door to let him in, but something just didn't seem right. (Miracle #3) It was too quiet! Dalin would have been scared and angry and screaming at me through the door. I ran into the family room and found Dalin wondering why I was so worked up.

Trying to make sense of things, I called Bryan and headed back to the laundry room. After several minutes, the person in the garage tried again to open the door. This time I was on the phone with Bryan and screamed that they were doing it again. As I was screaming to Bryan and hanging up to dial 911, I heard the garage door going up. He obviously realized I was on the phone and that I knew he was up to no good.

Bryan was only minutes away and arrived before the police did. (Miracle #4) He happened to come home early today. As he raced to get to us, not sure of what was going on, he ran through a few street lights. He realized after things calmed down that he never had to pass a single car as he drove down a normally busy road. (Miracle #5)

It took the police almost ten minutes to get to our home. Minutes seemed like hours! By the time he got there, Bryan had already loaded us into his car and we were down the street. We went to a friend's house while Bryan and the officer made sure it was safe to come home.

They never caught the person, but did take a lot of fingerprints making a mess of our garage. I'm sure they got some good ones, but am also sure that they will probably come back as mine and Bryan's. Our neighbors have surveilence video that shows a few clues, but it doesn't point directly at our house, so it leaves a lot of details out. We may never know who did this, but we do know how protected we were during the entire ordeal. I will be forever grateful!!

Dalin has since decided that he doesn't want to be a police officer after all; it's too scarey!!

Shopping isn't what it used to be

Whoever came up with the partnership between McDonalds and Wal-mart was a genius! Some days that partnership is the only way I get to finish my shopping. Like today, for instace, I took all three kids with me to the store, so Bryan could help a neighbor. The kids were in rare form.

We were almost done, when everybody lost it. Both babies were crying and I kept yelling at Dalin, which hurt his feelings. All I needed was another 5-10 minutes, but I knew it was going to be a struggle to make it that long. So, to McDonalds, I went. After a box of nuggets and some french fries, everyone was in better spirits.

Twins Again?

Again? What are the chances??I went to curriculum night at Dalin's school last night and ran into an old friend. Her daughter was in Dalin's preschool class three years ago. When she saw me, she said, "Congratulations!" From the questioning look on my face, she realized I was confused, so she repeated, "Congratulations, on the twins!" Now I was even more confused, so I questioned back, "My boys?" And she said, "No, Dalin said they were girls this time."

Obviously she could tell I still had no idea what she was talking about. Then she looked at me again and said, surely you can't be pregnant again and far enough along to know you are having girls. Then she explained that Dalin has been telling all the other 2nd graders that his mom is pregnant again and havig twin girls. So, I'm setting the record straight. "No, we are not pregnant again, and won't be if I can at all prevent it!" We are up to our ears in babies as it is. I think Dalin wants a baby so bad because his best friend's mom is about to have baby number five. He's jealous that James will soon have a new baby and he won't. He's going to have to just enjoy the two babies that we already have.

Two Tails

Dalin said the funniest thing last week and I didn't originally post the story, but after telling it to several people realized it was definitely worthy of a post. When he got home from school one day, he went to my computer so he could check on his webkinz snake. The computer had gone "to sleep" while I picked him up from school, so when he turned it on, it pulled up the web site I had been on before I left the house which was Kamber's blog. It is full of pictures of Kamber. He scrolled down the site quite a ways before I realized what he was looking at.

He had stopped on a picture of Kamber and was looking at it closely. When he saw that I was watching him, he told me he loved this picture of her. "She is so cute with two tails." I obviously was confused and he could tell, so he repeated that "She is cute with two tails." I told him that I didn't know what he meant, so he pointed at her hair and said, "Look, two tails!" Then it all made sense; he liked her pig tails. How cute is that!! Obviously, we need to work on girl terminology. I think he is right; she is adorable with her two tails!!

A Spider Monkey? Are you Crazy?

Bryan and I have been very happily married now for 14 years. We can talk about almost anything and usually see eye to eye on things. There are a few things, however, that always seem to cause problems. Anything involving a pet is sure to cause tension! This morning as Bryan and I sat in the family room and played with our kids, Bryan, totally out of the blue, says, "I really want to get a spider monkey!" Not just a cute little monkey in a cage, but one that roams around the house and sits on his shoulder.

To tell the rest of this story and the conversation that followed this comment, I have to go back and explain a few things. Shortly after Bryan and I got married and moved into our first apartment, we adopted a stray cat and named her Spooky. When we moved from the apartment to our first house, we took Spooky with us and soon realized she was pregnant. After delivering three babies, we decided to keep one and named him Bootsy. Both cats, Bryan hated from the very start. They woke him up in the nights, ruined the furniture and left their hair all over. He was never nice to them or took care of them in any way. He was thrilled when Spooky disappeared and we were down to one pet.

When Bryan started working with the police department, he was quickly transferred to the night shift upon finishing all of this training. I could not handle the nights alone. It is too quiet and creepy without him home to be my "night in shining armor." To remedy this, I convinced Bryan to let me have a dog which we named Brandy. She was a beautiful golden retriever! Within the year, we bred Brandy with my aunt's golden retriever and she became pregnant. We were excited to enjoy the puppies for awhile and then sell them to make some extra money. When everything was said and done, we kept one of the puppies and named him Rusty. He tolerated them for awhile but never really helped to take care of them in any way. (Do you see the pattern?) The dogs were outside, so they were out of his hair, but he hated how they dug holes and chewed on things.

After Dalin turned 2, Bryan started to tell him that he'd buy him a turtle when he got bigger. I'm not sure what he was thinking, but little Dalin really believed that his "pet-hating" father was really going to get him a turtle someday. He always talked about it and told everyone about it. Bryan started to realize that Dalin really believed him and started to research turtles only to find out that they are hard to take care of and are not recommended for people with young children. We convinced Dalin to settle for a hamster, knowing they only live 2 years or so, and if he lost interest, we'd only be stuck with it for a short time. He took care of the cat, Bootsy, for six months in order to earn his own pet, a hamster which he named Skooter! Bryan hated him from he very start. He complained that he always stunk and never really took care of him in any way. (Again, do you see the pattern?)

Then came the twins and our simple little life with Dalin and his 4 pets was turned upside down!! Luckily, for Bryan, the hamster, Skooter, died just after the babies were born. One down!! Then, after many tears we realized that we could not take care of our dogs the way they deserved to be taken care of. It's a long story and this post is already long enough, but we ended up giving them to the Golden Retriever Resue to be adopted out. (They have really good homes now with good owners and seem very happy!) Two more down! The only pet we have left is the cat, Bootsy!

So back to the story! This morning as Bryan and I sat in the family room and played with our kids, Bryan, totally out of the blue, says, "I really want to get a spider monkey!" I lost it! Apparently I caught him off guard as I started to remind him of all the reasons why we are not getting a spider monkey!!

Reason #1 They wear daipers and I already change enough diapers in one day, thank you!

Reason #2 They run free through the house and get into things!
Reason #3 They are an indoor pet that is not caged...gross!
Reason #4 You (Bryan, that is) hate animals!!

Reason #5 "If you think I'm going to take care of a stinky monkey all day long, so you can play with it in the evening, you're out of your mind."

Since our little talk or "one-sided-screaming match", the topic was dropped! I can't imagine why he hasn't mentioned it since! What makes Bryan think this would be a good idea?? I'll never understand him!!

Double Trouble

Today we had quite a mix up! We bummed around the house most of the morning knowing that we had a few errands to run. So I jumped in the shower around 2 PM so I'd be ready in plenty of time. I was playing with the kids while I got ready and taking my time.

Bryan came into the room at some point and we started deciding when to leave and where we were going first. The most important errand, a trip to Batteries Plus, had to be done before they closed at 5 PM. As we realized this, we both realized it will be a miracle to get there in time. It was already almost 4 PM and we had a couple of stops to make on our way there. Where did the afternoon go?

Of course we jumped into "panic mode" and started barking orders to each other and the kids. We threw shoes on kids and ignored their uncombed hair as we started to load into the car. I ran into the kitchen to get the babies' drinks and I noticed that the clocks in the kitchen all say 3:00. Now, I was confused, so I looked around and the clocks in the family room also said 3:00. I ran to the bedroom and sure enough, my alarm clock said 4:00. The same alarm clock that the twins were always messing with.

I realize what had happened and had to stop and laugh! The twins had changed the time in our room by mistake. No wonder it seemed as if time sped by rather quickly. I told Bryan and he laughed, too. Well, at least we made it to the store before they closed!! Now my alarm clock has a new home out of the reach of Matthew and Micah!! This is why they have earned the nickname, "Double Trouble!"

Look at us!! Look at us!!

Well, Matthew and Micah are officially 18 months old. I can't believe that my babies are now wild and crazy toddlers. As happy as I am that they are older and easier to deal with, I'm sad to know that they are my last babies! (Not sad enough to have another one though. Don't get me wrong) Dalin told me tonight that he wants another baby. He said the twins are too crazy now and that they always bug him. He really loves them; he just wishes he had a sister. Me, too. (Again, not enough to have another one. I'll stick with my boys!)

They are at a real fun age where everything is fun and a new adventure, everyone is their friend, and they still love each other and do everything together. They do so many funny things each day, I just don't have time to post all of the things that I want to remember. All day long they look to me as if it say, "Look at us! Look at us!" I take pictures of everything trying to save each moment, but they are still growing up way too fast.

Micah now loves to dip his chicken nuggets and french fries in Ranch. It is so funny to watch someone so little dipping their lunch in Ranch. Dalin laughed when he saw him do it because most of the time he just licks off the Ranch and dips again, never eating the food underneath. Apparently he will fit in the family well.

Matthew loves shoes, well, I should say crocs. Dalin's friends, James and Ruthie, can never find their shoes when their mom comes to get them because Matthew has worn them all over the house. We have to hunt for where he left them. He wears his Grandma Marshall's crocs all over her house, too. Last week we finally bought Matthew his own crocs. I have never seen a one-year-old so excited about a pair of shoes. He stomped all over the house showing us his new shoes.

The other day, I had to make some phone calls to organize a playgroup. As I called person after person, I realized it had gotten very quiet at my house which is never a good sign. As I looked for the twins, I knew I was in trouble. It was just too quiet for two toddlers. I found them in their room with two open boxes of baby wipes. They had so much fun pulling them out and putting them everywhere. I had to laugh to keep from crying. They sure can get into trouble quickly. I'm really afraid for what's to come.

Sleeping Beauty

Hmmm! It seems to me that on the first day of school, Dalin was up before the sun wanting me to make sure he got to school on time. It's only day 5, and here he is at 7:30. We have to leave in just 15 minutes. It's going to be interesting trying to get there on time today. Apparently my little boy is growing up. Before long I'll be dragging him from under the covers to get him to school. For now, I think he and Bryan could use a little less late night Game Cube matches.

Mom!! We're busy!!

My little boys were so funny today! They woke up from their afternoon nap about 30 minutes before we had to leave to pick Dalin up from school. The entire 30 minutes, they raced around the island in the kitchen with their little popper toys that Grandma Mell got them for their birthday. They were laughing as they chased each other around and around.

When it was time to get Dalin, they were not very happy that I was interupting their game. To avoid two temper tantrums, I told them to bring their poppers with them. Well, they took me up on that! They were so excited to bring them along.

Then when we got home, it was back to business. They started again right where they left off. They were so funny! Thank you for the birthday gift, Grandma; they were a hit!!

First Day in Second Grade

Today was the first day of second grade for Dalin. He has the best teacher at his school again this year!! Luckily we stole her from first grade and brought her with us to second grade. Bryan and I talked last night about how second graders don't seem like little kiddos anymore. They seem so big. I don't think I'm ready for Dalin to grow up!


This year he was a little nervous. He's not only nervous about making new friends, he's afraid to leave the rest of us at home. He is our little protector and our little worrier!! I assured him we would all be OK and would pick him up right on time. That didn't settle his nerves, so we agreed to have lunch with him. Our entire family is a little on edge right now, but that is to be expected. He made it through the day and so did we. Slowly, we'll get things back to normal!

The Last Day of Summer

Well, the summer has officially come to an end. It will be hard to see Dalin head back to school tomorrow because I absolutely love having him home. He is one of my best friends! We had a lot of fun this past few months and his brothers are going to be lost without him. To end all of the fun, we spent the afternoon with Bryan's family.

We started out at a public pool near their house. I have wanted to take my boys all summer, but that is something I didn't do by myself. I knew my twins would run in different directions and Dalin would want me to watch him jump off the diving board. Diving boards are a special treat, since we don't have one, and Dalin hasn't been to a pool with a diving board all summer.

Everyone had a blast! I was right about all three of my boys and was so glad to have help with everyone. I was able to deal with the twins, but also watch Dalin only because all of my sisters and mom-in-law were willing to help and take turns watching a baby. We stayed about 1 1/2 hours, just long enough for everyone to get real hungry.

We left the pool and went back to their house to change our clothes before heading to Chick-fil-a for dinner. That is one of the few twin friendly places I can take my babies to where I know they can eat and then run around while I eat. Again, life is so much easier with all the girls that can help. They took turns taking the twins up to the top of the giant slide. This was a perfect end to the summer. Tomorrow, we buckle down and get back to school and back on a schedule!

1, 2, 3, Jump!!!

They're Back

My in-laws have arrived! When I use the word, "in-laws", most people assume that I am going to start complaining about them, but they are not those kind of "in-laws". Mine are wonderful and I love them! They just moved back after 13 years away, so it has been a treat to have them here the past few weeks.

Bryan's family moved to Colorado one year after we were married taking with them our three little sisters. Krista was 5, Haley was 3, and Tamara was 2, (I think). It was heart breaking to see them go and we almost followed them there. The girls were so little and we wanted to see them grow up. We visited and they visited for years and we all did OK being apart.

After Dalin was born, though, Grandma's heart was broken. She missed her grandbaby and wanted to be closer. If she didn't have her hands full at the time, I think she would have moved back seven years ago. But she was in the process of adding two more girls to the family. The summer Dalin turned 1, she flew to China to pick up Mariah. Then, the next year, she went back to China again to bring home Mareena.

After we announced we were pregnant again and having twins, Grandma couldn't take it any longer and they started playing with the idea of moving home. I tried not to get too excited in case it didn't work out, but inside I was jumping up and down. It took awhile to get their house sold, but finally our prayers were answered and they moved back home. Now, Krista is almost 18, Haley is almost 16, Tamara is almost 15, Mariah just turned 8, and Mareena is about to turn 6. (Their birthdays are all next month.) We love having them here again and it is so fun to see the girls all the time. Dalin loves going to see them because there is always someone to play with.

An Answered Prayer

Visiting teaching has taken on a whole new meaning lately. Now that I have three children, two of which being only 18 months old, it is not so easy to find time to make my visits. Either I go at night, frustrating my husband who has been at work all day, I go with my kids and drive myself and everyone else crazy, or I get a babysitter and spend $20-$30 to get the visits made. It has really created a problem. Since I had no money this month, I had to go with the "taking all three kids scenario". Thankfully, at the last minute, Dalin was invited to go play with his best buddy, James, so I only had to take the babies.

As I left the house, I said a quiet, little prayer that it would go well. I love the visiting teaching program and am just getting to know the sisters on my new route. I really wanted to be able to focus on them and not on my rambunxious boys. It started out OK, but the boys quickly got bored. That is when they spotted the stairs. That was out of the question in my book, so the fight was on. Matthew did OK and was easily side tracked. Micah, however, was not about to put up with me. After a minute or two of fighting back and forth, he layed down on the floor ready to throw a temper tantrum. Instead, he simply stopped moving.

My partner, Kelly, was shocked. "Is he asleep?" It was then that I realized my prayer had been answered. Micah was fast asleep! Never has he fallen asleep so quickly and easily. It was a visiting teaching miracle. One baby to entertain is easy, so Matthew and I were able to visit without any complications. After our first visit, Kelly simply picked up Micah and held him through our second visit. Luckily, that appointment was just next door and we didn't have to transfer Micah to the car and back out again. So, we survived another month. I think next month I will ask my mom or mother-in-law to babysit. I can't expect a miracle each month!

The Faith of a Child

Our children are quite amazing. I don't think we give them enough credit, sometimes. Dalin, today, touched my heart in a way that only a child can. I have really struggled with the loss of Kamberlie and have struggled to feel the peace others said that they felt. This morning, as I was trying to get the twins dressed, Dalin came to me and told me he felt happy, today. I told him that was good and he went back down the hallway. He came back a minute later and told me again that he really felt happy! This time, I realized that he wanted to talk to me. I asked him to tell me why he was so happy.

He explained that everytime he got a drink, he saw Kamberlie's picture (her funeral program was on the fridge). He said that it used to make him sad, but not today. He noticed her smile and he said that he realized she is still happy, she is just happy in Heaven. He told me that she is OK and that I could stop crying. It all seemed so simple to him. We talked for awhile about Heaven and about what the happy feeling was that he felt. It was amazing to hear all that he knows about the Holy Ghost and how it feels to him. For the first time in over a week, I felt at peace! She is happy, I know, she is just happy in Heaven!! It can't be explained better than that. The faith and strength of my seven year old boy amazed me! I forget that it was just a short time ago that he left God's side. In many ways he has a more sincere understanding of things and has a stronger testimony than I do.

This poem was mentioned by my Uncle Rich at Kamberlie's funeral and really struck a chord with me. It really has made me stop and think about my little boys.

My Day Old Child

By: Carol Lynn Pearson

My day old child in my arms,
With my lips against his ear
I whispered strongly, "How I wish,
I wish that you could hear,

"I've a hundred wonderful things to say,
(A tiny cough and nod),
Hurry, hurry, hurry and grow,
So I can tell you about God.

"My day old baby's mouth was still,
And my words only tickled his ear,
But a kind of light passed through his eyes,
And I saw this thought appear,

"How I wish I had a voice and words,
I've a hundred things to say,
Before I forget, I'd tell you of God,
I left Him yesterday."