Kisses

Whenever Madison wants me to do something for her I tell her that she has to give me a kiss first. She's usually pretty good about giving me one but sometimes she throws a fit. A couple days ago she I asked her to go get a tissue and wipe her nose. She said, "First you have to give me a kiss."

Turf Toe Returns

A couple weeks after Harrison hurt his foot the boys were playing a game of football with some neighborhood kids and Parker hurt his foot. Harrison made the comment, "man maybe you have 'turf toe' too." He was just kidding but Parker took it to heart and the following morning he came upstairs and he was wearing the ugly blue shoe. It was so funny because Parker LOVES attention and tries to get it anyway he can. I probably should have made him take it off but I figured he probably needed to get it out of his system. So he wore the shoe all day at school (he didn't have a choice because he only took one shoe). As soon as he got home from school he immediately took it off and his foot was cured.

A Bad Case of Turf Toe

A couple weeks ago Harrison was playing football with some of his uncles and cousins and the following morning his foot began to hurt. I didn't think too much of it until he started limping around. He was in so much pain he couldn't even get his shoe on. He was so stressed about what he was going to do at school because he knew that he wasn't going to be able to wear a shoe and walk around without it hurting. In a kidding way I suggested that he just wear one shoe. I didn't think he would really do it but to my surprise he walked out the door with only one shoe on. I knew at that point that he must really be hurting because Harrison is easily embarrassed and doesn't like to draw attention to himself.

I called and made him a doctors appointment and we found out that he has "turf toe." It is the funniest name ever but it's actually a real thing and it's very painful, it can be more painful than a broken foot. It happens quite a bit to NFL players when they play on artificial turf. It's basically when your toe gets bent the wrong way and can be made worse when you don't wear shoes that have a good arch in them, which is exactly what Harrison was wearing at the time.

The doctor gave him a special shoe that made it so Harrison couldn't bend his toe. It was definitely an ugly shoe but Harrison was willing to wear it if it meant that he wouldn't be in so much pain. So the next day Harrison wore the shoe to school and it started to feel better after a couple days. Once his toe started to feel better he quickly reverted back to wearing his normal shoes but he stayed away from any football games for the next week.

Hook-ups

Pieper came into my room this morning and said, "Mom I have the hook-ups." I had no clue what she was talking about and then she hiccuped and I realized what she was talking about...she had the hiccups.

Primary "Taco"

Pieper had to give a talk today in primary and so I got out a short story that had some pictures to go along with it. Madison was feeling left out so I had to get one out for her to. After Sacrament Meeting Madison said, "I want to go do my taco now with Pieper."

Half a Bike

Pieper has been wanting a bigger bike for a long time. She has grown out of her smaller one and she doesn't like that it has training wheels because she can ride a bike without them. So while we were at Walmart the other day she saw the bikes and picked out the one that she wanted to buy, which is just like the one her cousin has. She wanted to get it that very second but I told her that she needed to do some work and pay for half of it and I would pay for the other half. She gave me the meanest look and said, "But I don't want only half a bike I want a whole one."

Potty Training

We (meaning me) finally took the plunge and started potty training Madison. On Tuesday we took a trip to Walmart and bought her all the necessary supplies such as a pink toilet, the kind that you have to empty, which isn't my favorite but I figured it might be less overwhelming for her, puzzles (for entertainment), two new movies, "big girl" underwear,and some treats. We got home from the store, ate lunch, and the fun began. I put the little toilet in front of the tv in my room and I sat next to her (for four hours) until she peed on the toilet. She was so excited when she finally did it that I immediately took her to the store and bought her a new doll (that goes to the bathroom on the toilet). She has only had two accidents and they were both my fault because I had to run errands and didn't remember to ask her if she needed to go to the bathroom. But so far so good. She isn't quite 2 1/2, which is the earliest that any of my children have done it. So wish us luck that it continues on forever and ever:)

Feeding the Ducks

The other night for FHE we decided to go to a local park and feed the ducks. It is one of Madison's favorite activities. Everything was going fine and everybody was happy breaking apart the bread and throwing it at the ducks and I was in the middle of telling Jeff what a peaceful night it was and how much I enjoyed doing family activities when Adriana started screaming. We looked over and realized that the reason she was so panicked was because Madison had reached over to throw a piece of bread at a duck that was in the water and she fell in. Luckily it wasn't very deep and so she could keep her head above water but it didn't even seem to faze her one bit. She was laying on her stomach (in between two big rocks)just chillin'. She didn't even cry at all. Jeff quickly pulled her out of the water and she said, "Wow that was crazy." We had to strip her down to her nothin's because she was soaking wet but she didn't seem to mind at all. Sadly enough I didn't have my camera with me because I know it would have made some awesome pictures!

No Middle Name

Parker was helping Adriana fill out a form yesterday and he came into the office and asked me the following question and he was completely serious..."Mom on here it says middle name. What should Adriana put since she doesn't have one? Should she just make one up?"

Lights

A couple nights ago Madison looked outside and made the comment, "Somebody turned off the lights outside." We didn't have any lights on outside so I assumed that was what she was talking about but the following day we were walking into Walmart and she said, "Somebody turned the lights back on today...and they turned on the hot one." She was talking about the sun.

Worms

I have been blessed (cursed) with very prominent veins that stick out on the top of my hands. Nurses love to stick me with needles because there are so many veins to pick from. When I put my hand down they get even bigger and stand out even more. The other night Madison was sitting on my lap and Adriana was sitting next to me. My hand was resting on the chair next to me, which caused my veins to really stick up. Adriana said, "Wow you have worms in your hands." Madison looked at my hands and immediately began to cry. She is so scared of worms. Adriana thought it was so funny she kept saying it. Madison jumped right off my lap and went to Jeff and she would not sit with me the rest of the night. I tried to convince her that I didn't have worms in my hands but she wouldn't believe me. She gives some amazing dirty looks and for the rest of the night I was the recipient of the mean looks.

Breakfast in Bed

I had a funny conversation the other morning with Madison that took me by surprise. This is how it went:

Madison: Hi mom
Me: Hi Madison, Are you hungry?
Madison: Yes. I think I want breakfast in bed.
Me: Really, what do you want to eat?
Madison: I'll have a taco.

It was so matter of fact and she knew exactly what it was that she wanted. So she enjoyed breakfast in bed while watching Dora.

Bunny Nose

Madison came inside the house yesterday and told me she had a "bunny" nose and needed it cleaned.

She also thinks a swimming suit is called a "swimming soup."

Madison

Yesterday while we were at church Madison said, "I want to talk my testimony." I was amazed that she knew what people were doing when they went up to the pulpit. She's one smart cookie

A couple weeks ago Madison had done something that made me a little upset and I must have had a frown on my face because she said, "Mom, smile you're making me sad."

New Body Part

This morning Harrison was limping around a little bit and so I asked him what was wrong. He said his leg hurt a little bit so I asked him where on his leg and he said his "knee pit." I wasn't sure I heard him right so I asked him again and sure enough he said "knee pit," which he went on to explain was the area behind his knee.

4 going on 16

Pieper is so emotional lately I am really getting nervous about what my life is going to be like when she's a teenager. The other night she had a melt down because she had picked out three pairs of pajamas and she couldn't decide which one to wear. This is how the conversation went (keep in mind that she was crying the entire time she was talking to me):

Pieper: I don't know which ones to wear.
Me: Wear the Spongebob ones because they're really cute.
Pieper: I know but I like the other ones too because they keep me warm.
Me: Well then just wear the warmest ones.
Pieper: But I like them all and the Spongebob ones will feel bad.
Me: Then wear all three of them.
Pieper: Then I'll get really hot.

At that point I was at a loss for words so I didn't even respond. She ended up crying herself to sleep on the kitchen floor with all the pajamas by her side. So as it turned out she didn't wear any of them.

Birthday Wishes

Adriana's birthday is coming up soon and I asked her the other day what she wanted and this was her response: "I would like a new pair of shoes...(pause for a couple minutes) and LOVE." I thought she was making a joke but she was dead serious. I asked her what she meant by love and she said, "Well Parker isn't very nice to me most of the time so I thought maybe he could show me that he loved me by making me breakfast in bed."

So I'm going to have to do some bribing in order to get Parker to show her some "love."

Craving Chocolate

Last Saturday Madison was watching Dora the Explorer and she wanted some chocolate. Right at the same time that she asked me for some chocolate the business phone rang so I went into the office to answer it. I heard Madison yelling from the other room, "Oh my crap I need some chocolate." She kept repeating it over and over until I got her some. I thought I was raising a two year old but apparently she is more like 15 or 16 years old(judging by her moodiness and chocolate craving).

Ring Around the Rosies

Today while Madison was "coloring" she began to sing the song "Ring Around the Rosies." This is her version of the song:

Ring around the rosies,
Pocket full of posies,
Ashton, Ashton, we all fall down.

For those of you that don't know my family...Ashton is my sister's little boy.

What Time is It?

Last night I was working with Parker on some of his homework and I was supposed to make up story problems for him to figure out. One of the problems I came up with was:

If you have 2 hours and 15 minutes before you are supposed to be in bed what
time is it?

Adriana quickly piped up and said, "I know, I know...it's bedtime." She was so proud of herself for getting the correct answer.

New Name

Pieper has officially changed the name of St. Patrick's Day to "Thank Patrick's Day."

St. "Patrick's" Day

This afternoon I was talking to Pieper about St. Patrick's Day and I told her that on Wednesday she needs to wear green or people might pinch her. She sat there for a minute and then she said, "So what about Spongebob day? What do I wear on that day...yellow?" It took me a minute to realize what she was talking about. She thinks St. Patrick's Day is in celebration of Patrick on the cartoon Spongebob. So she immediately began planning what color and outfit she is going to wear on Spongebob day. I love how children's minds work.

Counting

Adriana wanted Pieper to help clean their room but Pieper said she was busy wiping off the table. So Adriana began counting down so Pieper would hurry and this is how she counted...

five, four, three, two, one, one and a quarter, one and a nickel, one and a dime, one and a penny

It was the funniest thing ever and I started to laugh because I thought she was making a joke but when I looked over at her she had a very serious face.

Ya Gotta Love It!

I am in a carpool with my friend for Adriana's dance class and today was my turn to take. My friend's little girl wasn't too excited about going today and started to throw a little fit so her mom said that she would be grounded if she didn't go. Then my friend said, "Adriana's mom is probably a funner mom than me anyway." Adriana quickly piped up and said, "No, she's not at all." It's amazing how honest kids are. So I guess I'm not going to be winning "mother of the year."

So if anybody has any "fun" things that I can do with Adriana I would really appreciate it.

Oops...my bad!

I had something pretty embarrassing happen to me yesterday and I thought that I might as well share it and possibly brighten someones day.

It happened yesterday while I was picking up Pieper and Mallory from pre-school. Their teachers don't let them walk out to their parents so we have to actually walk into the school to get them. As I was walking back towards the car I got into the first black car that I saw. Pieper and Mallory were on the other side trying to open the door. I heard a lady say, "Oops wrong car" and I assumed she was talking to her daughter because she was trying to get into MY car. I looked back to the passenger side door, where Madison should have been sitting in her car seat, and got a little panic stricken because she wasn't there. NEVER did it occur to me that I was possibly in the WRONG car. Sure enough...I was. The lady was actually talking to me when she said, "wrong car." I felt like a complete IDIOT! I tried to explain to her that I had just gotten a new car and it was black as well and that I wasn't use to it yet and she just sat there looking at me like I was crazy. I pretty much felt like a fool and so I just got out of HER seat and headed back to my car where Madison was patiently waiting.

Growing Up is Hard to Do

I am having mixed emotions about Harrison growing up. I am glad that he is getting older and more independent but at the same time it makes me nervous for the future. Harrison is a stubborn boy and that stubborness (is that even a word) seems to be showing more and more each day.

Last Saturday we took Harrison, Parker, and Jordan to the movie and afterwards we went to the mall to buy Harrison a new pair of shoes. Every pair that I picked out he hated for some reason. I think I have fairly good taste and I KNOW I wasn't picking out ugly shoes but for some reason he did not like anything I picked. I finally told him to show me what he wanted and of course he picked the UGLIEST shoes ever. I flat out told him that I didn't like them and that only made things worse and after that he shut down and wouldn't even talk to me but I was not going to give up so we went to try the UGLY shoes on. Secretly I was praying that they wouldn't have his size and much to my relief they didn't. Well the dang salesman who was so efficient and willing to make a sale showed Harrison another pair of even UGLIER shoes and of course he loved them.

So I decided to give in and let him buy the shoes (after Jeff reminded me that I wasn't going to be the one wearing the shoes) but my mind was quickly changed when he told us that the price was $120. I told Harrison that I was willing to pay $60 and he could pay the rest.

He sat there for a minute and after some thought he said, "Well I don't have that kind of money and even if I did I wouldn't spend it on a pair of shoes." Wow...I guess we taught him right after all. So after looking around a little bit more we settled on a pair of Addidas that are nice looking and they only cost $60.

I would have posted a picture of the shoes but unfortunately they weren't in stock so we had to have them delivered to our house and they haven't come yet.

Pieper's "23"

Last night Parker and Pieper put together a puppet show for us and while they were practicing their parts I was listening in and it was the funniest thing to listen to. It's amazing how big of an imagination Parker has and how involved he gets when he does storytelling or some sort of a show. He definitely loves to perform in front of people. Anyway...they had decided to put on the puppet show of Goldilocks and the Three Bears. Parker was given the responsibility of being the papa bear and he said, "Oh no someone's been sitting in my chair...I'm going to go get my 22 (which is a gun for those of you who aren't fluent in gun talk...not that I am but I do know what a 22 is)" Pieper, who was playing the part of the baby bear said, "I'm going to go get my 23." She obviously had no idea what Parker was talking about but she just went with what she knew and 23 definitely comes after 22. I could not stop laughing.

Smarty Pants

Madison just recently learned her ABCs and it's the cutest thing ever. She has said it perfect a couple times but she usually gets stuck when it comes to Q,R,S because she says Q,R,X...and then goes on to say Y and Z. But if I correct her and say S she can keep going to the end. She has also learned how to count to ten in English and Spanish. Unfortunately, I can not take credit for this because it has been my mom that has taught it to her. Madison usually tags along with Pieper to preschool at my mom's house and she is such a parrot that she is picking up on everything. It is so fun to watch her improvement and listen to her repeat everything and anything that is said. She reminds me a lot of Harrison because he was so smart at such a young age. Much like Madison, he was speaking in full sentences at 18 months and he spoke so well that people often thought he was three years old. Madison speaks very well and she is pretty tall so she seems to be a lot older. I have to remind myself at times that she's not as old as she seems (at times I am reminded of how young she is and it's usually when she's throwing a tantrum on the floor).

Week Long Birthday

I have never...in my whole life...been more excited to be done with a birthday than I was this week. Pieper had her birthday on Monday and she definitely took full advantage of being the "BIRTHDAY GIRL." In the morning Parker bumped her in the hall while he was walking past and she was so upset because he bumped her on her birthday. She made comments all day like "I don't have to do that because I'm the birthday girl" or "I don't have to be nice because I'm the birthday girl." We went to visit my Grandma that night and the first thing Pieper said when she walked in the door to Grandma was, "So today is my birthday." This makes her sound like a brat but she usually is very sweet but for some reason she got the idea that on your birthday everybody has to bow down to you and you get to rule the roost. She knew that her birthday was after Christmas so the day after she woke up and thought it was her birthday and that continued on everyday until it really was her birthday. For her birthday she gave me some ideas of what she wanted and some of the items were things like her own Maceys grocery store with a big sign out front, her own house with a bed so she could play house in it with her friends, and a car to play with in the backyard. Unfortunately she didn't get any of those presents but I think she ended up having a good day besides all the "terrible" things that happened to her and she loved the presents she got. For her birthday party she wanted to invite all her cousins (which is about 25 people) and they were going to go to Circus Circus and then Disneyland and they were going to eat cotton candy. As you can see she had big dreams for her birthday and she had definitely thought about what she wanted and how she was going to celebrate it.