WARNING hibernating bear!

Camille is tough in the morning. From the minute I get her up, she folds her arms, stomps her feet, and screams at anyone who talks to her. This morning for example, I woke her up to get in a nice warm bath. The bath was too hot, and she refused to get in and said she hated school. It was the worst day of her life. (She said that yesterday too. I considered pointing it out to her but held back.) Then she was mad because she couldn't get her nightgown off by herself. She was upset because she couldn't get out of the tub first (Ashley was almost finished with her bath by now.) Then because she had to wash with soap. When I asked her to get out she moaned with frustration, and after she had complained about getting in. Then she was furious because she had nothing to wear. Emma's clothes didn't fit, they were too long. When I produced a perfectly clean pair of capris from the dryer, she didn't want to wear that outfit and refused to go to school. I said it was against the law for her to stay home and she said she hated the police, with her arms folded. But she finally did get dressed, and started playing with her dollhouse. At this point we have ten minutes before we are supposed to leave.
Downstairs, she got mad at me because there was nothing she wanted to eat. I made a few suggestions which were vhemently refused, so I told her to figure it out on her own or go hungry to school. She found some cereal. She obstinately put on her shoes trying to wiggle as much as possible while I combed her hair, and I told her she would have to go to bed at 7:00 tonight if she didn't start cooperating. We stomped our way to the car. After I started it up Ashley told me Camille wasn't buckled so I told her to buckle up. She screamed at Ashley for tattling but put her seatbelt on. Then she said she hated little sisters and I told her to keep her mouth shut, she hadn't said one nice thing all morning. Thankfully she did. I'd like to tell you it was an unusually rough morning, but it wasn't. It's all completely routine.

Nate is thankfully less abrasive when he wakes up. He usually snuggles who ever gets him out of bed for a minute or so, and then eats what the girls are eating for breakfast. This morning he needed more cereal and nobody was there to help so he helped himself. He laughed with us when we laughed at him and posed for me when I got the camera.

Nathan

Man, we love this kid. These are really old, but I just found them and thought he was unbelieveably adorable. He can say his name now. When we ask him what his "real" name is, he points to his chest and says "Na-san." His other name is Bubba, you have to specify which one you want.

School is Cool

I love back to school. I always have actually, but I love it even more now. My kids like school, and I like them to be in school. It is good for them and for me.

I was taking Ashley to her first day of preschool Monday morning, and she said from the back seat: "Are you excited to have one kid?" I laughed and resisted my initial response (YES!!!) and said, "I'm excited for you to have fun at preschool and I'll be happy to see you when you get home." She didn't say much to that. But I had to laugh. I hope my kids realize how much I love them, even if I am overjoyed when they go to school.

Summertime!

I am glad to have a break from homework, but I am getting overwhelmed with kids already. We just got back from a great vacation with Justin's sister and her family, more on that to come, so now after that high the kids are whiny and bored today. Perhaps I should have taken them out of the house, but who doesn't love sitting in their pajamas until right before their husband gets home every once in a while? Don't tell Justin!

Man Time

Check out Bubba taking the tackling drill to a whole new level!

It's tough to discipline when you are laughing hysterically.

dinner disaster

I have been waiting to try this new recipe for a while now. I bought the ingredients, I was almost ready to go one night and Justin ended up not coming home so I put it off.

Well, I made it today. It took me an hour and a half in the kitchen (not that the recipe was that involved, but I had to clean as I went and then the kid factor...) and I ended up with the perfect Chicken Picatta, the chicken looked just like the picture on the recipe, it was a little golden and everything was done at the right time. Perfection.

Justin called in the middle of cooking to say something had gone wrong at work, but I wasn't overly concerned about that, I could reheat it for him. Then, there was unanimous mutany at the table! Such whining and complaining you have never heard. You would think I tried to feed them road kill. Even Nate threw his chicken on the floor.

Emma was the most upset. Camille and Ashley eventually picked their capers out and ate the chicken and noodles with added parmesan. Bubb played with his for a while, trying to get some food on a fork but he didn't eat any. When I tried to feed him a bowtie he stuck his tongue out and spit it out. But Em, that girl. She dug her heels in and announced she would be sneaking downstairs at midnight to eat cereal. Then she sat and glared at me for the rest of the dinner. I offered her a couple flavor covering choices, but I'm not in the restaurant business. She got sent to her room without eating.

When Justin came home and I heated up his plate specially, he hates microwaved meat. I made it all pretty and served him up. He took one bite and looked at me apolegetically.

I'm feeling like pizza and hot dogs for the next month.

P.S. Emma had a change of heart and apologized for her behavior. In light of the total failure of my new recipe, I gave her a bowl of cereal.

time for updates

Happy Birthday Billy!

Camillly is the cutest little seven-year-old you ever saw. She has a fun smile and a great sense of humor. She loves Tom and Jerry, Spongebob, and all things High School Musical. She is a sensitive thoughtful girl, and I worry sometimes about her fragile self confidence. One of her latest things is wanting me to pick out her clothes for her. (Perhaps it stems from her getting dressed inappropriately for the weather and me telling her to change--she hates that.) She will make some man so happy some day: for her birthday she asked for BBQ brisket, sausage, and bacon. So we had them all.

She has turned into a great little reader, it is cute the way she shows me the pictures and reads me the books she brings home from school. She also is doing so well with reading the scriptures, I'm amazed sometimes at the words she figures out. She is a great little organizer. She likes to put her own clothes away, and organize the barbies in Ashley's doll house. She loves to write notes and leaves us little love notes almost daily. She is a great kid.

I love this smile.

And our little Bubb is starting to talk! Oh my, nothing gets my heart like little baby words. It is so hard to catch him on video, but I'm trying. In his vocabulary:

Mom

Daddy

Emma

Ashy (poor Camilly, he hasn't figured out how to say her name yet and it breaks her heart)

bird

doggie

woof

ba ba, passy, blanket (those three all sound pretty much the same)

mine

here you go (more like "eh go!")

please

thank you

bye bye

stuck

stinky Oh!

all gone

uh oh

and of course, ball

He also blows kisses, one of our favorite tricks.
It is my absolute favorite stage of babyhood, the learning to talk part. I finally get a little hint of what goes on in their minds and see the intelligence working, it just melts my heart.
He is such a lovey little man, he gives us lots of hugs and snuggles and pats. It is impossible not to adore him.