Thursday, December 31, 2015

Say What? Hilarious Kid Quotes

It is hard to believe that today is the last day of 2015!  What a year it has been.  I thought it would be fun to finish the year with some funny things the kids have said.  I have been storing these for a while.  The last "Say What" was in May. I think we have been a bit lazy at writing things down, but it is interesting to see the transition in "Say What" from mostly M to some of each and to mostly T.  It makes me a little sad to think that the funny things said will become less and less.  Hopefully this will make me more diligent to write each one down. 

Enjoy! 


At lunchtime we were telling Brandon about our morning walk. We told him that we saw some friends and Brandon asked if they were setting up the Kiwanis Fish booth for tomorrow (for a festival.
 M: What is the Iguana booth? 
-- While reading a book about a preacher I asked the kids if they knew anyone that was a preacher. 
M: Daddy 
T: No, my daddy is a passenger.
--
T's baby (doll) was crying in her crib Brandon went to ask what was going on. 
T: She wants her passenger.
Brandon: Her pastor? 
T: No, her passenger.  It fell back there (pointing behind the crib).
Brandon: Oh, her pacifier.
T: Yeah, yeah!
---M (While driving down the highway): Whoa, that police car was invisible (an unmarked police car)
--
T: These are the goodest gingerbread cookies I ever aten before. 
--
T: This is such a nice soft rug (admiring the rug in my parents bathroom).  It's like a doggie, right? 
--
M: Are there two kinds of salami? 
Me: What do you mean?
M: Well, there is a food salami and the salami that is in your mouth.
--
T: What if you had a slingshot and you could slink him? 
--
T (while eating a popsicle): Can I go to sleep with it please?
Me: No
T: Why not? 
--
T (to an egg that is cooking): Hi, fluffy birdie.  
*Note, I think it was just a coincidence, I am not sure she gets that eggs could turn into birds.
--
M: Did the ice get some water? I just looked and all of the sudden there was more in there. 
--
T: Strawberairies (Strawberries) 
--
T: Mom, I have a great idea.  How about for Halloween you dress like God.
Me: What dos God look like?
T: He has white fur. 
--
T: Stop that this instrument! 
--
M (eating chicken wings): How do they get the wings off chickens without scaring them?
--
T is often hot, or pretends she is really warm so she can undress.  She has no concept of "hot" being used to describe someone who is good looking.  Here are a few of her "hot" phrases.
T: I'm hot!
T: I'm a hot mommy, OK?
T: Take this (dress) off because I am a hot mama.
---
T (handing Brandon her corn on the cob): I don't like this because it has bone.
---
T: I have a skin rugger (a rug burn)
---
T: Who made the water- God or Hello Kitty?
---
M (while watching Mighty Ducks): There was a boy who was a really good hockey swatter who hit the pung... is that what it is called?... really hard. 
---
Brandon: I love you
T: I love you too
Brandon: I am glad you're my daughter
T: I am glad you're my buddy. 
(T often cries when Brandon goes to meetings because she misses her "best buddy.")
---
T: I lifted the slide and hurt my foot and now I have a castle on my foot like the picture of Grandpa Daryl.  (My dad did break his foot from lifting a slide.  We do have a picture of it in a photo album.)
---
Brandon: Your skin is so soft
T: That's why I picked it out.
---
T: This is me when I was a baby dog, OK? 
---
T (to Brandon after ice cubes fell on the floor): You're the best funny loser icer in the world. 
---
Me to T: Are you Chinese?
T: Yes
Me: Are you American?
T: No
Me What are you?
T: A ballerina!
---
T was sad that all the daffodils were dying.  Brandon told her that other flowers will start blooming soon.
T: Let's plant more dandelions.  They aren't dying!
---
T was talking to Brandon as he was leaving the house.
T: Give me a hug and a kiss.
Brandon gave her a hug and kiss
T: Can you give me some money?
----
M: Boo did, Boo did, Boo did, Boo did, Boo did swallow Jo-Jo-Jo-Jo (Who did?)
---
T: Where did I put the cashew register?
---
T: Those pictures are from Brooklyn Gardens
Me: It is actually Bookworm Gardens.
T: Book Warm?
---
T (to M): I saw you in the hallway at school but you were not a real M.  (She saw a picture of him.)
---
T: Siri-up (Syrup)





Wednesday, December 30, 2015

When a dream becomes reality!


Wow!!!  I have been blogging since 2008!  I have written 654 posts!  I have said for years (and years) that I would like to turn my blogs into books.  The reason I blog and post kid pictures is so that they will be able to see scrapbooks of themselves one day.  I have talked a big game.  I have never acted on my talking... until this November.  I read that Blog2print was having a 30% off sale for cyber Monday.

I decided I would go big or go home.  The deals actually ran all weekend.  I printed the first two books, but then had some questions so I messaged a consumer help person.  She answered them and gave me a 35% off coupon code.  Whoa!  I knew I would be making some big books with this code!  How thrilling! The books are not cheap and the fact that I was printing seven years worth meant it was going to be expensive.

Sadly,  every blogger in the world will try to buy books on this day making the site run like my parents dial up internet in the 1990's!  It took ten minutes to move from screen to screen.  I am not exaggerating.  I will say that most sites I was on that day were running so slowly and some parts of our area lost all internet for several hours due to high traffic.  Anyway, things were super slow.  I got frustrated with the front and back covers and just decided to print them however they were and be thankful for the incredible deal.

I learned that it is best to have your books totally ready and in your cart before a big sale so that all you have to do is purchase them on the big day.  Getting though the screens to purchase them might still take an hour, but it will be easier.

It was SO THRILLING to receive my first book in the mail.  I am a starter!  I love to start projects.  Brainstorming is one of my favorite things ever.  I stink at finishing things.  I procrastinate all the time for the silliest reasons.  To see all my words (yes, even with several errors per page) in print was awesome.  The best reward has been seeing Brandon read the photo captions to the kids in the evenings.  The photo below wasn't staged.  The both loved hearing the stories and seeing the pictures.  There were so many things I had forgotten.  I am so thankful that I wrote them down as they happened.  I am so thankful that my kids can see themselves in books.  Having the books truly has turned a dream into reality.

T and M: We love hearing about the funny things we did and said!
It makes quite a stack... and expensive, but worth it stack!  
Five books.  The best Christmas gift I have ever given myself!

I finally purchased an Essential Oils carrying case.  I love it!  It holds my oils so neatly and they don't  get messed up every single time I move them like they did in the tote!  The organizer in me could spend all day sorting by type of EO or by uses or by scent or by color of bottle... endless possibilities!

Merry Christmas to me!

Tuesday, December 29, 2015

Something (sort of) Like Chocolate Chip Cookies!


After the incredibly impressive brother/sister reading time in the morning, I was super pumped to have more brother/sister fun later in the morning.  I think I might have gone a bit to far.  I enjoy baking with M.  He is a great helper.  He is cautious and will listen well to follow the recipe.  T is quite impulsive.  When I bake with her I have to watch her and the ingredients very closely.  She loves to help and I learn to let go of perfection and let her help.  I am not sure what I was thinking, but I decided that the three of us would attempt Chocolate Chip Cookies.  For the typical American family this isn't a hard task, the recipe is on the back of the chocolate chip bag, right?  Well, for our family this involves many steps and special ingredients.  The first step was to shred the cocoa butter to make our own chocolate chips and freeze them.  Then we had to follow a very special paleo recipe.  The dough and the chocolate had to freeze for a while before we could bake the cookies.

Things started to go downhill pretty quickly.  Thankfully I am not totally nuts and I attempted this family baking time when Brandon was home.  I finally asked him to not leave the room so that he could keep an eye on them every time I turned my back.  The are so fast! We took turns adding ingredients and stirring.  With two adults and two kids I would have to say it went pretty well.

After the dough was ready we sadly realized the chocolate wasn't.  Looking back on the consistency of the chocolate I should have baked the cookies until they were almost done without the chocolate and then added the chocolate at the very end.  I didn't of course.

The cookies turned out to be very messy and look nothing like the real deal...BUT... they tasted GREAT!  I hadn't had any chocolate chip cookies since 2003 (12 years) so they were heavenly to me!  I ate way too many and didn't even care.  Yummy!!!!

Working together and taking turns is a big job! 
M: Stirring is hard work!
Wow!  We are the squinting family! 
T: Sometimes when I have to share I feel like this!  
T: Sometimes I like to share and feel like this!
M and T: We love cookie dough!!!
Fresh cookies right from the pan... they sort of fell apart when removed so it was easier to leave them on the pan. 

Monday, December 28, 2015

Our Reader!!!!


I never want to forget the joy I felt when these pictures were being taken.  It is often very hard for M and T to be in the same room together.  Every once in a while we have times of greatness.  This morning was one of those times.  M had just received some BOB books and was excited to read them.  When T came downstairs he decided he could read to her too.  They were so very sweet together.  M was proud of this reading skills and his behavior towards T.  She was impressed with M and thankful for his kindness towards her.  He read her four little books.  After reading together they played together sweetly.  I was supposed to be heading for a morning walk, but I wanted to stay to watch them together.  It is a rare thing when I want to choose the chaos of home over an hour alone on a walk.

It is amazing to see reading totally clicking in M's mind.  He is reading everything he sees these days.  T is also doing some pre-reading.  She is pointing out letters everywhere we go.  It looks like we will one day have two kids who love to read in our home.

T: M can read, for real!

T: I am so proud of M!

T: After reading I just like to lay on my brother's back. 

M: That is fine T.  It feels good actually. 

Sunday, December 27, 2015

"I love you with all my hurt."


Sometimes misspelled words speak volumes.  M's attempt to spell the word "heart" ended up being very profound. M wrote "hurt" instead of "heart."  Wow!  When our kiddos from hard places love us, they love us with all of their hurt.  It is messy friends!  I am so thankful for this picture.  In the raging and chaos I need to remember what the words on it say.  His definition of "love" is based on his hurt!

I was so proud of this sweet gesture from M.  He wrote three notes and did this without prompting.  He simply wanted to express kindness to all of us.  Wow!  I was impressed on several levels!

I wanted to include a photo in here of me wearing both kiddos.  Because they love with hurt hearts and because they hurt others because of their hurt hearts, I need to wear them both at times.  The Ergos really do help minimize the wear and tear on my back, but at times I am also physically hurting. So there you have it folks, sometimes love (earthly love that is) hurts!

M: I wrote special loves notes to everyone in my family.
Sometimes moms have to be two pouch Kangaroos.  Amazing to be holding a 3 and 6 year old and have both hands free!  

Saturday, December 26, 2015

Tis the Season for...


Another random post of December happenings. We were so delayed in getting a family picture taken this year.  We roped Charissa into taking a couple of quick shots after church one week.  We managed to get one that turned out OK enough for Christmas cards which was the goal!  Whew!

Merry Christmas 2015 
This year the kids and I tried to add a new Christmas tradition to our list.  We decided to make gingerbread cookies (sort of).  The process was so very time consuming.  I learned A LOT for the next time we make them! Gluten free dough needs to be cold at each step of the process so the dough had to go in the freezer 4 different times to achieve the cookies.  It was an all day job, but by the end of the day we had several cookies that hadn't fallen apart and that tasted a lot like gingerbread cookies! 

T: This is my Gingerbread Girl!
T: Haha I took a bite of her head!
T: Oh no, I am biting off her arm!
M: Isn't it cool that I made this Gingerbread Man?!
Some of our great friends are allowing us to use their daughter's cape and hat this winter.  T looks SO BEAUTIFUL in them.  She loves to wear them.  She is sleeping with them as I type this.

T: Now I look like a real big girl princess!
During the second half of the semester T had a new OT named Rachel.  Rachel did an excellent job with T!  It was "festive sweater day" (much nicer title I think) at the University that day.  T got to be a little festive too!
T: I am so glad I got to meet Rachel!
Caroling!!!!!  It is hands down one of my favorite Christmas traditions.  This year we really filled the bus.  There were over 60 of us!  We went to six places and sang and smiled and laughed.  It is such a bonding time for all of us.  It is a great means of connection and making memories.  I am so thankful for the time singing, the time in the bus, and the time eating at church after the caroling.

Every year after caroling Brandon has to zip home to change clothes and then head over to the jail to preach.  Every year I have to come home from caroling and deal with very tired and crabby kids.  This year I was gifted a small miracle.  The kids were very tired.  We came home and I got juices ready.  They took the juices and allowed me to do the typical bedtime routine stuff and they BOTH WENT TO SLEEP FOR ME!!!  This has not happened in a long time.  It has been years since I was able to do that and it was a huge chore then.  This time was pretty easy.  I was downstairs by 7:30 with two sleeping children upstairs.  I mentioned they were really tired, right?  Anyway, I had to brag about that because it may never happen again!

Ready to carol!
Singing at a nursing home.
T was connected to Trevor most of the night!  So special!
T got this dress from Brandon's Aunt Val.  She was not sure about it at first because it has green on it.  She eventually really like it and wanted to wear it to school.
T: Snowman Princess!
A couple of weeks ago the local Y had a fun festival day for kids.  We went with our great friends S and T.  The kids loved the bounce houses the best!  The Y has a huge tree each year.  This picture of the whole crew turned out really well!

M and T: Aww, we are so cute. Look at S and little T.  They are cute too! 

Friday, December 25, 2015

Her First Recital!


Our Sweet T was more than a little excited about her big recital.  I was able to get her to hold still for a couple of minutes to get a bun in her hair.  It did stay all night which sort of shocked me.  Brandon attempted to get a picture of her before the recital, but she never stopped moving so we only have pictures of her business.

Because parents don't observe the dance class we didn't really know what her class would do to perform.  Brandon thought they would just be playing a little game or something without actual steps.  The class is called "Creative Movement" and we didn't expect much.  We were shocked to see the kids do an actual dance with actual steps.  We were even more shocked to see that T was usually doing pretty much what she was supposed to be doing.  All the little kids were darling.  She was standing in the front of the stage, but then just before her dance she moved to the back and the far side, silly girl.

The rest of the recital was interesting.  I was sort of surprised by the relaxedness of it all. I am used to all the kids knowing all the moves and very polished routines.  This was not polished at all.  I found my spirit critical at times of the lack of quality in the dancers and the recital night.  However, after the recital the main teacher shared such beautiful things from her heart. She shared that dance is a gift from the Lord.  She said that it might be fun to learn a few new things at dance class, but they don't dance to please people.  She then asked the kids, "Who do we dance for?" and they all shouted JESUS.  Wow, wham!  I was hit with a ton of bricks.  I looked at all the families in the audience.  They were all families like mine who love their children and love Jesus.  All the moms are kind to each other.  There isn't a catty spirit at all.  The children were all wearing what they felt comfortable in, and they were all beautiful.  I was suddenly so very thankful to be a part of this dance program.  Sure, it might not produce the quality of a dancer that some of the other programs will produce, but it will produce the qualities of a human that I desire to see in my daughter!  OK, maybe I got a little deep for a first recital post.  You all really just want to see the beautiful pictures, right?

After the recital we tried to get some family shots.  We got a couple of random good ones.

T: Mommy was putting a princess bun in my hair. 

T: Once I had on my dress and tights and shoes, I couldn't stop dancing. 
T: See, more dancing. 

T: This is my favorite Prince.  His name is Daddy. 
T: Before my dance I was standing right in front of Daddy.  Then I moved.  Do you like my wings? 
T: I just had to check out something on the floor before the song. 

T: We were doing the marshmallow dance. 

T: We all put our arms out!

T: This is all the girls in the show!

T: My teacher Miss Chloe talking about me. 

T: My teacher gave me (and each child) a rose. 

T: I was so glad that Curt and Deb came to my recital!
T: This is my wonderful teacher, Miss Chloe!
M: We were proud of T.

Genuine Joy!

Our family after the show!

M: I was glad that Curt and Deb came too!

T: I just didn't want the night to end!  

Thursday, December 24, 2015

Opening her recital dress!


T had her first ever dance recital earlier this month.  I have divided the pictures about the recital into two posts, so tomorrow's post will show the actual recital night photos.  T's dress came the day of the recital. Her ballet shoes just arrived today (12/20) so we had to go the with back up pair I bought from Target.  Bummer. T was SO THRILLED to open her package and try on her dress.  Watching her was almost magical.

T: What is it mommy?  Are you sure I will like it? 
T: It is pink, what is it? 
Me: It is a real princess dress.  T: I want to try it one right now!  
T: I was a little excited when Mommy took it out of the package. 
T: My very own princess dress.  Can I wear it right now? 
T: Zip it up Mommy!
T: I LOVE LOVE LOVE my dress!!!