Sunday, March 29, 2009

The Modern Polkadot

My sister Kathy loves to make blog headers, cards, invitations, announcements, etc. Check out her blog at www.themodernpolkadot.blogspot.com

Saturday, March 28, 2009

Logan-isms

Whenever someone tells me they have something funny to tell me that Logan said...I'm not sure whether I should listen and laugh with them...or go find a rock to crawl under...sometimes it's both:) Here are a few funny things Logan has said recently...(or at least they were funny to me at the time)...

~Logan: (upon finding an old record) "Mom, holy cow! Check out this HUGE CD!!" (Goes to show that they are a different generation...had never seen a record before:)


~Logan: (walking into preschool last week talking to the teacher) "Mrs. Bischer, my dad is going to pick me up today...cuz my mom has jury duty...and let me tell you, she is TICKED OFF about it!!"

~Logan: (at preschool the theme that day was about the dentist and they were talking about what foods are bad for your teeth...they mentioned soda pop...and Logan stood up and said, "OH NO! My Dad drinks ALOT of Pop!!" (guess ya had to be there:)

~Logan: I have been teaching the boys the value of each coin and trying to teach them a little about money. I felt they had a good understanding and thought I'd try to show them how to make change. I said, if we had a dollar and wanted to buy something that was 75 cents, how much would we get back? Logan was obviously upset by the "making change" concept and in a frustrated way, said, "oh mom, let's forget this...can't we just use the debit card?!"

Ok, well, that's all I can think of tonight...I'm going to try to write these things down more so I can laugh (even if it is much later sometimes)

Easter/Mall Adventures

I rarely go to the actual mall...now that we have Green Oak Village Place so close, the outlet mall in Howell, and many other stores in Livingston county...I never feel the need to go to the mall. However, I usually break down and take the kids to see Santa at Christmas and the Easter Bunny at Easter...and today was the day for our Easter Bunny visit and we had a great time. The fist picture is Tanner telling the Easter Bunny all about the Webkinz he wants in his Easter Basket...next is Preston crying, Mallory squirming...and Logan missing because he was scared:) But after the Easter Bunny we ate lunch and got ice cream at the food court and then played at the mall playland which the kids loved and could do for hours. Gotta love the mall!

At MOPS this week, our speaker spoke about how Easter is not all about bunnies and chocolate and gave lots of ideas for traditions to establish in our families that help to celebrate the real meaning of Easter. I agree completely and I want to make an effort to establish Easter traditions that are about Christ's resurrection and the true meaning of Easter. So I'm wondering...do I ditch the Easter bunny? I love doing baskets, egg hunts, new spring clothes, chocolate (of course), dying Easter eggs, the Easter bunny, etc. but I'm wondering if I should scale back on that stuff to allow us time to celebrate the true meaning of Easter. I think this year I am going to have a week-long Easter celebration (the religious part of it)...then have the Easter bunny come Saturday morning, and then reserve Sunday to focus on the real Easter. I'd like to do resurrection eggs, make the hallow empty tomb cookes, make a traditional Easter dinner, have an Easter FHE about Christ being resurrected, and more. So I'm throwing out this question to any of you who may be reading...What kinds of Easter traditions do each of you have that teach the real reason of Easter? Please share....





Portrait Innovations

Here's a little shout-out for Portrait Innovations. I love this place for getting pictures of my kids. For starters, they have a lego table the kids can play at while they are waiting for us to be called. Second, they have two "studios" within the place and have lots of backgrounds, props, etc. The photographers have a camera that's not on a tripod so they are moving around to get the shots. Also, they have two people working with your kids...one to take the pictures and one to "arrange" them and make them smile. They are not that expensive...and offer a GREAT package deal for only $9.95 with tons of pics in it. YOu look on the computer and look at all the choices on a big scree. And the best part is that you get your pictures that day! They are ready within 15 minutes of when you order them. Ok, with that being said (as the disclaimer on the pictures they got from there today:) my kids were all being stinkers...gotta love picture day. Preston was crying and just wouldn't be happy...Mallory kept walking or crawling away and wouldn't smile for anything, Logan was in a mood and kept making funny faces. Tanner was the only cooperative one today. It was almost comical trying to get all four kids to look at the camera and smile...just wasn't going to happen. So the above picture was the best they could do of all four of them. (Like I said, I love this place...just hard to get all four happy and looking:) But years from now I will look at the picture and think how adorable and precious the kids were when they were little...and that's why I take them to get pictures:)





Sisterly Love!

I am loving having my sister Brenda and her friend Cori here to visit!





Friday, March 27, 2009

Happy Saint Patty's Day...

How hard is it...to get four kids to smile and look at the camera? Is it too much to ask as a mom to have your kids still still for one tiny minute to get a picture of them wearing their green for Saint Patty's Day??...apparantly so! I tried...but as you can see...it just wasn't happening:) Such is life...






ALright, I suppose I am done with my blog-a-thon for this evening:) I'm actually amazed I created that many blog posts out of nothing:)! haha Nothing too exciting... Take care everyone...and let's look forward to a beautiful spring!!

Scott and the Chittlin's

I've recently noticed that Scott is very under-represented on our family blog...mainly because he's either at work, or taking a requested picture of me or the kids:)...So here he is in his natural element...in his computer chair with all four kids climbing on him:) haha! This is post-bath, pre-bed a few weeks ago:) Nothing better than four sweet smelling sweeties!!



Matching Dresses

I know...I know...can I get any cheesier??! I got Mallory and I matching (well similar) dresses:) I don't know, maybe it's because I have twins and I'm always matching Tanner and Logan together and sometimes Mallory and Preston together...that my mind is always in "matching" mode when I'm shopping...but I saw these dresses and love black/white stuff...so bring on the cheesiness:)...here we are in all our "matchy" glory... haha!!



Brenda and Cori:)

My sister Brenda and her friend Cori are here visiting for a week from Arizona. It has been so fun to have them come. Yesterday we headed to the Hartland Pool and enjoyed some 86 degree water. Ever since the babies were born I haven't really been able to take all the kids swimming because it is basically an impossible task with four little kids....so I took advantage of the opportunity of having Brenda and Cori here to help us go swimming:) They have both been a great help to me...They babysat for us last night and will again tomorrow so Scott and I can go out to dinner...They are helping me take the kids to get their Easter pictures tomorrow (another hard thing to do with all four kids by myself:). We have done lots of fun things together and have lots more fun things planned to do together. Brenda is expecting her first baby (a boy) in June, so I passed on the tubs of baby clothes to her...I joked that in our family, the tubs of baby boy clothes are like "The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants" because they just keep getting passed around...from Tanner and Logan to Keagan, back to Preston, and now to Brenda's baby:)...Anyways...here are a few swimming pictures.... Love ya Brenda!





More Going-Away Party Pics!

This is a bit of a continuation of my last post...just a few more pictures from the Evan's going away party. I really enjoyed being able to hang out with so many wonderful friends...





Farewell My Friend!!:(

I said goodbye to a dear friend tonight:( Kirstynn is moving to Virginia Beach...so tonight at Applebees, some of us gathered together to bid her farewell and wish her luck on her journey. Kirstynn and I have been friends since as long as I can remember...I think since I was like 11 years old. Last Friday was her official going away party...and here are some pictures of us together from that:) For all who know her, knows she is a wonderful friend and puts so much effort and time into developing good friendships. She makes everyone feel like they are her very best friend. We sure will miss you Kirstynn! Thank goodness for blogs to keep updated in each others lives:) Love you!





Blog Slacker!

Ok, so the other day, Scott pointed out to me that I was slacking on my blog...that I hadn't posted anything in a while. (And if Scott said that, then I know I've really been slacking!)...My response was that there was nothing exciting to post about...March is such a long, boring month....with unsure whether and everyone is anxious for it to warm up. So tonight, I've decided to have a "blog'a'thon" and catch up on a few things. Here are some of the baby pictures I've taken recently around the house:)






Sunday, March 15, 2009

Worn Out in His Service...

"I don't want to drive up to the pearly gates in a shiny sports car, wearing beautifully, tailored clothes, my hair expertly coiffed, and with long, perfectly manicured fingernails. I want to drive up in a station wagon that has mud on the wheels from taking kids to scout camp. I want to be there with grass stains on my shoes from mowing Sister Schenk's lawn. I want to be there with a smudge of peanut butter on my shirt from making sandwiches for a sick neighbor's children. I want to be there with a little dirt under my fingernails from helping to weed someone's garden. I want to be there with children's sticky kisses on my cheeks and the tears of a friend on my shoulder. I want the Lord to know I was really here and I really lived."

I love this quote that I found on a friends blog. It expresses the feelings I have about really living my life as a Mother so in the end I have given all I have to give and I can arrive at those gates, worn out in His service. It reminds me to focus on what matters most in life.

side note: I don't mind if my toenails are painted when I get there. :)

Wednesday, March 4, 2009

Honesty is the Best Policy...

A funny little incident from today...

I'm in the shower this morning, and Logan walks in the bathroom...this is how the conversation went...

Logan: Mom, how to you spell "Lamp"
Mom: L-A-M-P...why to you ask?
Logan: Cuz I'm writing you a note
Mom: Oh, that's nice of you...what is your note about?
Logan: It's a note to tell you how much I love you
Mom: oh, thanks, I love you too Logan
Logan: Mom, how do you spell "Tip"?
Mom: T-I-P
Logan: Mom, how do you spell "Living"?
Mom: L-I-V-I-N-G....why?...Logan did a lamp tip over?
Logan: (not answering right away)...Mom, if Tanner and I did something wrong, it's better if we are honest and don't tell a lie, right?
Mom: Yes, why, Logan...did you guys knock a lamp over?
Logan: Tanner and I put on our CTR rings so we can "choose the right".
Mom: Logan, what did you guys do?"
Logan: Mom, look outside the shower...(then they quickly run away:)

So I look outside the shower and these white boards are what I see:) Too funny. Apparently the boys were playing and accidentally knocked over a lamp while I was in the shower....really no big deal, but apparently they thought it was. So they wrote these little "apology notes". I probably should have told them to be more careful around the lamps, but I was smiling inside because they were acting so cute about it...being all honest and apologetic and everything:)...and I guess that's something I want to encourage:) I was especially laughing at the way Tanner wrote my name like twenty times with hearts all over it...they are already learning the art of kissing up:)