Random Valentine's Snippets

We had heart shaped pink pancakes and pink milk for breakfast this morning.  I felt a bit guilty about the amount of red food coloring being ingested.  :-)  The girls were so excited, and Annie kept trying to coach Ellie, "1 - 2 - 3 . . . Best Valentine's Day EVER!!!"  Ellie usually caught on in time to triumphantly yell, "EVER!" a split second after Annie did.  They were so giggly and excited -- and hungry!  I've never seen those two girls finish off a plate of pancakes so quickly.  Apparently I should start dyeing everything pink!

The girls got their next Valentine's surprise, matching dresses.  Complete with matching doll dresses.  (I got them both on clearance super cheap last year at Kohl's and have been waiting ever since to give 'em to them!)  They were even more excited than they were about the pink pancakes.  We did a little photo shoot in their new dresses.

Isaac made out with Elmo.  (Everyone needs a Valentine.)

While Ellie was off at school, Annie finished writing all the kids names on our Valentine's posters we'd made for all the grandparents the night before for Family Home Evening.  (It involved hands and feet and red paint.  It was messy and stressed me out, but turned out to be worth it.)  Once Ellie came home, we went on a walk around the block to drop off Valentine's for some friends.  I had the baby in the sling, pushing the double stroller with Isaac and Ellie loaded in, and Annie walked along side us.  Oh, what I wouldn't give for Annie to be big enough to push the stroller :-)  Then we grabbed the Valentine's we made for Aunt Star, and drove to her work where she got to show off her adorable nieces and nephews to her team and the class she's currently training.  They were so cute and friendly, and Star assured me everyone gushed about them once we left.  Then we came home, had sugar cookies, Grandma Karine stopped by with stuffed animals for all the kids and Dad got home.  Ellie came up while I was holding Owen and he started to cry, she leaned in and in a high, sweet voice cooed, "It's OK baby, I won't eat you."  Um, OK.  :-)  After dinner the girls got their final surprise -- Cinderella pens, filled with candy.  That turned out to have a stamp in the top part AND it lights up!  Annie kept shrieking things like, "This day just keeps getting BETTER AND BETTER!" and, my personal favorite, "This is COOL!  This is freaking darn cool!"  (It's the first time I've heard her use the words freaking and darn -- I've so raised a Mormon.)  :-)  Then Annie brought up a tiny piece of paper, slid it under my mouse pad while I typed this blog post and said, "Mom, I left a surprise for you!" I pulled it out and read, "I Love You Mom.  Happy Valentine's Day!" 

Annie's right, this day just keeps getting better and better.  :-)

Here's some videos we made today too:

 Isaac's favorite book is called "Rainbow Rob".  Except Isaac calls him "Penguin Bob"

Isaac turning off his guitar, then declaring it broken.

The girls making up impromptu Valentine's songs.  Ellie kinda drowns Annie out.

Them making Valentine's videos for their out-of-state cousins.

More Christmas Day

Aunt Star with a crazy-faced Ellie

Ellie with Mom & Dad (and Agent P. and Dr. D. chattering bobble heads)

Talina and Bailey (who had JUST enough side tuft hair to try on a new gigantic bow.  And Lacy proudly displaying her present from Star.

Grandma and Grandpa with baby Bailey and the present our newly-freakishly-craft Lacy made for Mom.

How freaking cute is my niece?!

The family.

Grandma and Ellie

Aunt Star and a crazy-faced Ellie.  Again.

Annie giving Uncle David a kiss.

Random, but we have a picture of Annie wearing a Statue of Liberty foam hat.

Christmas Morning

Annie woke up coughing really hard around 5:30AM.  She was crying, because she thought she was going to throw up, so I brought her back into my bed with me (I'd been up since 3AM -- yay for pregnancy insomnia!), gave her some asthma medicine and cuddled up together to get back to sleep.  A few minutes later, we were both obviously still awake, and I asked her if she knew what today was.  She giggled, and whispered, "Christmas!  And I think Santa came already . . . we've all been asleep for awhile, and he comes when you're sleeping."  We cuddled up again, I told her to try and sleep a bit longer and we'd go downstairs in an hour or so.  After a minute or two of silence, she quietly started to sing, "Up on the Housetop" and smiling at me.  I think it is one of my fondest memories of the entire day.  She did fall back asleep (I did not), but Isaac woke up around 6:15 or so, Annie was awake again by then, and at 6:30 I was just like, "Let's go get Ellie and get going!"  So, I ran downstairs to get the camera out, and soon the girls, then the boys, came down the stairs . . .

 

The girls were THRILLED to find Bubble Tape in their stockings (and various other candies and treats, but gum was the high point), and were totally surprised to find a GUM BALL MACHINE under the tree for the family.  That Santa, always going above and beyond.

 Isaac was happy with his new train and animals, but mostly with his M&Ms.  The kid was SO congested, and still teething like 4 teeth (for over 8 weeks now, people!!) that he just dripped chocolatey fluids all morning.

 Me and the kids.

Greg with the two little ones -- right about the time Isaac hit his first wall.  Poor kid felt pretty miserable all day (Dad did too, they both got naps later that day while I was visiting family with the girls).

Then my family came over to open gifts, Greg's parents came over with a delicious breakfast and then went to Church with us, and then after Church we went to my parent's house where we got to Skype with my little brother in Uruguay (his reaction to Ellie, "She sounds JUST like Annie when I left!  She wasn't really talking much when I was still in Utah!")  Greg and Isaac napped most of the rest of the day while the girls and I went to my Aunt Judy's house, then to my Grandma's house.  Then we came home and Greg made my sisters, Mom and I yummy, fresh scones and we played card games until late.  I'll post more pictures from the rest of our day later, but I wanted to get some of just my cute little family up for now . . .

Merry Christmas Eve!

I think there are few things that make me happier than Christmas Eve and new Christmas pajamas!

Ellie & Annie posing in their coordinating pajamas

The girl cousins -- Annie and Ellie with baby Bailey

We even got Isaac smiling in one of the pictures!!
Oh, and there was a 'theme' running through the pajamas -- Annie hates footie pajamas, so we did regular two piece pjs for her . . . with red polka dot pants.  (She actually thinks she likes them, and will put them on, then wake up at midnight and demand a change of pajamas 'cause they bug her by restricting her feet.  So we don't buy 'em for her, even if she says she wants them!) Ellie then got polka dot footie pajamas with reindeer feet.  So they coordinate with their polka dots. Isaac got plain red pajamas with reindeer feet, and Bailey just happened to have reindeer footie jammies too.  I've found 'matching' three different kids of two different genders, with pajamas from three different size departments is a little tough, so we went with just coordinating, rather than matching this year.  Next year, with two girls and two boys, we may do matching for each gender.  We'll see.  :-)  If I was my Mom I could just make 'em all perfectly matching pajamas, but that ain't happening.  I may talk my Mom into doing it next year though :-).

"Look at me Mom! Ta da!"

Cute girls -- Annie, Bailey and Ellie.

Annie & Ellie (being a cheeseball) with Grandpa -- and the girls are happily showing off some of the MANY new hair flowers Grandma got them.

Amazingly, they're all in bed (and quiet, although I can't guarantee sleeping) at 8:15PM.  It helps that they actually all feel pretty crappy, with some nasty colds and coughs.  But visions of Dimetapp now float in their little heads, and I'm hoping we get some sleep around here before the big day tomorrow!  (It's been elusive the last couple nights with congested kids).

I cannot wait to see when they wake up tomorrow morning!  :-)

Countdown

Feels like life is on a bit of a 'countdown'.  Somedays that countdown seems to be the countdown 'til Christmas, and sometimes it feels like the countdown to the baby.  At least we know the date on the first one! :-)

This last couple days have been more focused on Christmas, with a trip to the mall to get my niece Bailey's first pictures with Santa.  Here she is with my sister, Talina:

I am really loving having my sister be a stay-at-home Mom with me.  Especially with her living just over a mile away from me.  It's fun having someone to run errands with me, and having someone to hang out with at home.  It's just so uber-comfortable with it being my sister -- we sit around and talk, sometimes I vacuum or do dishes while we talk, sometimes she checks her email while Bailey naps in the swing and I'm changing Isaac, sometimes she plays with the kids while I run out and shovel the snow off the steps before Annie gets home, and sometimes we both fall asleep on my couches while watching cartoons with the kids.  Yeah, social interactions doesn't usually doesn't get much more comfortable than that.  :-)
(This will probably further hinder my social life though, as I don't even feel the need to change out of my pajamas to have her come over, and I don't think I've ever fallen asleep on the couch while talking to a non-related friend.)  :-)

Monday night we also had our annual Christmas Party with Greg's extended family.  The kids had fun getting to hang out with Grandma and Grandpa, and taking in all the Christmas festivities. 

 

Isaac loved watching the train go around and around the tree.  He loved the tree too.

 Isaac and Grandma enjoying the nativity set. 

 Ellie was pretty wired (shocking, I know.)  This is how she posed for pictures.

 Isaac showing off one of his classic 'grump' faces.  He was pretty grumpy when we first got there, but totally warmed up and was dancing and playing and having a blast once he settled in.

 The kids sitting with Grandma on the couch during the White Elephant exchange.

Where I had Ellie choose one of the gifts we'd brought, just to be on the safe side :-)

Festival of Trees

My sister Talina and I took our kids to the Festival of Trees the other day.

It was fun.  We ate scones (and chocolate covered bananas, and mint brownies and cookies . . . not exactly the healthiest of outings).  Although, I don't know if I could be talked into doing it again anytime soon -- Isaac wanted to pull on and swing the white chains around the trees . . . which gets you glared out by the hostesses.  When I held him or when he was put in the stroller, he tended to scream uncontrollably.  It was a lot of Isaac-management.  I was tired when we were done. :-)

My kids favorite part had to be the kids enjoying the Christmas music performances.  Plus, it meant Isaac wasn't screaming at me, and he stayed in one general area.  And did make any old ladies glare at us.  In fact, old ladies were smiling at him.  Much better.