Regis and Kelly, you missed out!

These are the pix I would have sent to Regis and Kelly had I known they were having a beautiful baby contest- could there be a cuter baby??? Not likely! I wonder if they'd accept a late entry... Well, I know I'm not biased or anything, but cast your vote! And she is this happy, all the time!!! Love that baby!!!

Person of the Week (haha!) Hollie

Last night since my hubby was gone for our date night, I took the opportunity to have coffee with a friend since the babysitter (who is awsome, I might add) was already coming. Hollie is such an encouragement! I always love my time with her, and last night was especially sweet!! Thanks Hollie, and in Hollie fashion, "HOLLA". (I have no idea what that means)

Making Uncle Bryan Proud

It's been a while since I've posted a picture, but this one's priceless!! I don't know many people that have this ability- or, it is more likely that I don't know many people that would admit to this type of talent, but it is definitely in the genes. My brother has an extreme ability in this category that is rarely topped by anyone (except for myself, back in the day), but in my estimation, Camdyn has just stolen the prize. (I used to compete with him- until having kids and vowing never to show my stomach to anyone). I've been tempted to search for the picture that I have of my brother and his 6-months pregnant wife standing back to back and post it here, but it's somewhere deep in the oceans of unorganized pictures and I would spend all night on a search that may prove useless. The picture of my brother and his wife is etched in my mind right now- let me describe it for you. Like I said, they are standing back to back, and my brother is holding his shirt up over the top of his belly, cradling his stomach between his hands. If you could remove the "fur" from his stomach, you would be hard-pressed to decide who looked more pregnant. The really amusing part is that my brother is really proud of this uncanny ability he has. His wife, who is a bit more "reserved", endures the picture with half of a smile, indulging him in the moment and only half amused (and a little grossed out) that he is soooo good at this, and so proud of it. I suppose our family is a little odd in some ways, and Julie (my sister-in-law) and Kurt (my hubby) sometimes commiserate on these oddities, but I think deep down they have a sincere appreciation and admiration for us (LOL!!!).

My Little Reporter

This is actually from a little while ago, but we have been so busy that I haven't written anything new recently, so I pulled this up to make you laugh!
So I took Reilly to basketball practice this morning and brought Cam and Macy (two years old and 7 months- wow-time flies!). While Reilly was practicing, Cam was emptying her backpack onto the bleachers and checking out all that I had packed for her. She likes to bring things in a “purse” because Shea (6) and McKinley (4) always bring a purse with them. So I grabbed the only empty “purse” (a red mini backpack) I could find and threw a few little things in it so that she would be amused at the two hour practice. And because she was beginning to throw a tantrum about bringing a purse when I was trying to rush her out the door. I did a poor job packing, but she didn’t seem to mind. A pink baseball cap, a stuffed tiger, a baby doll bottle, a little happy meal red dog- like toy, two random little coin purses, and a notebook. No pencil or crayons. Oops. Anyway Cam was busy organizing her stuff, and Macy was still in her car seat and was pretty amused. I usually don’t take her out unless she starts fussing. I need all the free hands I can get. So she was sitting so sweetly, talking, spitting and making all kinds of cute noises. I couldn’t resist just picking her up since she had been sitting there for over an hour completely happy and I hardly get the chance to play with just her. So as I unbuckle her car seat, I notice that sweet butter popcorn smell of breast milk poopy. Oh no. I wasn’t exactly prepared for this. I wasn’t even sure that I had diapers in my purse. I did have wipes. I have wipes in all of my purses. No diaper. This was a short outing, and I had rushed out the door to make it on time, lest my son again has to sit out during the scrimmage because we were late. Well, I’ll go check the car. Sometimes I have a spare in the car. Yessssss. I’m wondering where I might change her... I really don’t like taking my two year old into public bathrooms to change the baby's diaper. I have this fear that she might touch something. Even if we wash her hands, she may have brushed up against some icky germs or leaned on the wall which everyone knows can cause all sorts of horrifying diseases. So I head back to the gym. There’s not a lot of people in there anyway, and I can be pretty discreet. Oh no. This one is bad. It has seeped through two layers of clothing, and is messy. I’m not sure how it works, but sometimes I swear she has sprung a leak, because there was no poopies inside the diaper, but plenty had somehow come out the back and run up to her neck (just about). And by the time I had gotten her clothes off, it had smeared on her legs, and she had reached with her hand and gotten some there too. Keep in mind that she is on my lap while I am doing all of this. Part way through the change, I turned myself around on the bleacher and was facing the wall. I decided that it wouldn’t be a good idea to put on a show during the water break for the 7 and 8 year old boys. They are in the middle of the potty humor days and need no more ammo to fuel the fire. In the meantime, my two year old has forgotten about her purse treasures, and is extremely interested in what I am doing, offering her help. She is trying to get the wipes out for me, and wants to help wipe Macy. She is also interested in making sure that everyone around us knows that “Macy is poopy”. She has literally gone around to the three parents that are sitting nearby and reported. “Macy is poopy.” Reporting is a very serious job for two year olds. She spoke intently, nodding her head. I was hoping that they may not understand what she was saying, but with the pointing and repetition, I’m confident that they all got the picture. There was another father that was just entering the gym with his son, and before he got very far Camdyn smiles, waves and says “hi”, immediately followed by- yep, you guessed it, "Macy's poopy!!" I kept dropping my head further and further to avoid anyone seeing my face- although that was stupid because I had already been sitting there for nearly an hour, and we still had an hour to go. I’ve since re-evaluated my choice of where to change the baby next time we have an explosion like that one…

Hudson

So if you didn't read the conversation with Shea, that would give the context for this entry. She introduced me to Hudson today, and he is NOTHING that I imagined. I had pictured this Rico Suave type kid (I don't quite know how I imagined that a first grader could be suave), with smooth moves and cool hair. Boy, was I wrong! Shea introduced us at Reilly's baseball try-out today. Hudson must be playing in a pee-wee league or something. He is the tiniest little kid, but apparently influential. There was only one girl that I saw at the try-out (actually trying out), and she and Shea were both vying for Hudson's attention. It wasn't in any suave manner, but when he ran, they both ran as fast as they could to keep up and keep their eye on him. When Hudson's parents weren't in my immediate presence I decided I would ask him about his birthday party.
"So, Hudson, I hear your birthday is coming up soon."
"Well, not really that soon."
"Oh, no? So I heard you are going to invite all of the first graders- is that true? Sounds like fun!"
"Well, all except for Tommy and Kenny. Tommy isn't nice, and Kenny doesn't brush his teeth."
Shea was chiming in with the gossip, so I cut them off. "Oh, let's not talk about that. Maybe he just ate some candy or something. So where is your birthday party going to be?"
"At Disneyland." For a moment, I pictured his mom and dad with a trail of some 120 first graders trouncing through Disneyland.
"Oh, really, and I heard you were going to have 50 cakes!!! I think I want to come to your party- am I invited?"
I think Hudson was a little uncomfortable with the idea of me (strange adult woman) inviting myself to his party. Oh well. "So what about the cakes? Is your mom making that many cakes?" Now Hudson was a little embarrassed. I really didn't mean to make him feel bad, I just wanted to play around with him. Like I said, I love conversing with kids. He just doesn't know me from Adam, so I guess he was a little awkward.
"I don't know if I'll have that many cakes."
"So when is your birthday?"
"Well, I'm seven and a half now, and my birthday isn't really that close." Dodging the question...are we?
Well, it was fun getting to know Hudson, and I no longer feel a threat to my daughter. He is half her size, after all. And he is definitely a little chatterbox, just like my Shea-girl, so they are more like bff than any of that ushy-gushy stuff- what a relief!

Home Invasion

This morning the conversation around the breakfast table was amusing me, so I thought I'd share it. The kids got to talking about what they would do if someone "invaded" our house (Reilly's been watching movies). There are some common themes, see if you pick up on them. By the way, this was a very serious conversation. Here were their ideas:

Kinley: "We can tie a rope in a circle, (I think she's picturing a lasso) throw it around their necks, make knots in it, and pull them outside!"

Shea: "We have to call 911, tell them that they have to come now, then we can throw the phone at the bad guys!"

Kinley: "We have to tie ropes around rocks and throw them at them!"

Reilly: "We can put paper bags on their heads!" I interjected, "Don't you think they might just rip them off?" to which he added, "We can tie them around with rope like three times!"

Shea: "We can hit them with pots and pans!"

Then there's my favorite.

Reilly: "We can let them play Wii, then we can sneak outside and get some rocks to throw at them!"

So, bottom line: if you plan on visiting our house, make sure you knock loud and declare your intentions and relationship upon entry. And if you're offered a game of Wii, watch your back!

Conversations with Shea

I love conversing with kids. My kids, especially. Here's a conversation from this morning, with my thoughts (m:) and Shea's (S:).
This morning on the way to school Shea was sitting next to me and began telling me about Hudson, a new friend.

"Mommy, he is going to invite me to his birthday party."
"Oh, that's nice. Have you gotten an invitation?"
"No, not yet. But he promised he is going to invite me. And he is only NOT going to invite Tommy and Ryan. Everyone else in the whole first grade is invited." (m: There's like 130 first graders, this is not likely... S: This is going to be the best party in the whole world! I'm glad Tommy's not invited, because he always sings rap songs when he's sitting next to me!)
"He said he's going to have 50 birthday cakes!" (m:How do I break it to her...I think I'll let this one fizzle... S: I LOVE cake! I'm going to hide in a corner with a whole cake and eat until I feel sick! And no one will even notice, because there will be 49 more!)
"Well, we'll just wait and see if you get an invitation." (m: not likely)
"Oh, and Hudson gave me a hug yesterday after school." (me: Umm, we don't encourage hugging boys, but I'll reserve judgment)
"He told me that he was glad that I gave him advice, and gave me a hug."
"What kind of advice did you give him?"
"Well, he said his finger was hurting yesterday during P.E., and it was the finger that he would shoot the ball with, so I told him to ask the teacher if he could sit out, and he did!"
"That's good advice, Shea."
"So he gave me a hug later and told me, 'thanks for the advice, it was good advice, Shea.' That made me feel good, Mommy." (me: sounds like Hudson is a smooth-talker, and I'm going to keep an eye on him... S: I can't wait to see Hudson today...)

Nap-time for Macy

Most babies cry when you put them down for a nap. At least they fuss for a minute or two when you first lay them down in the crib, if not a lot longer. Some child-rearing opinions say that if you don't just lay them down and let them cry it out, they won't ever learn. (learn what? I'm not sure...) Macy, however, defies all opinions and has the sweetest demeanor before naps! It is by far the most precious time that I have to enjoy with my precious baby. Here's the routine that I savor every day (I know it won't last forever!): At naptime, I carry Macy upstairs to her room and make sure the curtains are blocking as much light as possible. Then, I turn on the fan- facing away from the crib, just for noise. Once the fan is on, I begin rocking, and Macy's little face instantly burrows into my chest until she finds a comfortable nook. Not a peep, not a cry, not any complaining at all. I hum "Amazing Grace" to her as she settles down. She flips her head back and forth a couple of times, rubbing her eyes like tired babies do, but no crying. Her sweet cheeks are so soft and it's my favorite when her head is facing toward me, because then I can rest my chin on her chubby cheek and she feels so snuggly and soft... once I have hummed all four verses, sometimes more if another kiddo doesn't need me, I gently lay her down in the crib, cover her up, and walk out. She isn't asleep when I leave the room, but again, she does not cry. I treasure every moment of it, and to my shame I have credited myself for her sweet demeanor. However, today I recognized that it is the Lord's goodness to us in giving us such a sweet baby, and nothing that I have done! I want to thank Him for His kindness to our family!!

Camdyn Kya, Cam-wham, Cam-O, my big baby~Cam is such a nut! She is one funky little girl that loves to steal the show. She has no inhibitions (still), and you never have to wonder what she is thinking…she declares to all exactly what she thinks (including the nice lady in line at Costco who was admiring the girls, telling me how cute they were, when Cam declared with a furrowed brow and pointing finger, “I don’t like you!” Awkward moment…) Cam loves dress-ups, singing High School Musical songs, and keeps me on my toes with potty training (and forth-rightness in public)! She is known for walking up to strangers and hugging them or putting her arms up to be held-at a park, at church, just about anywhere! She had a pretty massive injury this year at Disneyland, falling on her face and getting a stick stuck deep in her face (next to her nose). After 12 stitches from a great plastic surgeon, a diminishing scar and a good story are all that’s left of the icky accident.
Cam is such a smart little girl and her vocabulary is growing by leaps and bounds! She is a peanut with the tiniest little legs- she sure doesn't eat much! Although she eats "epmeal" every morning for breakfast...and she "lubs" her daddy... she is such a sweet heart and loves to snuggle and be held. We love Cam!

Kinlers

Kinley-May, the MAC, Kinlerses, my biggest baby~Kinley is the same sweet happy girl with sparkling eyes and cheerful attitude. She has become an example to everyone in our family of what a servant is-she loves to serve! When Shea mentions she needs something, Kinley, without a word, brings it to her with a sweet smile. She is eager to help at all times! Kinley loves Master’s Kids (pre-school) and is the most easy-going kid. Kinley has won many hearts with her genuine sweetness and her sparkly smile. However, when I was teacher (music time) in TMK, she happened to be the leader of the giddy and silly clan which had quite a following- when I moved her to another seat, 4 kids followed her- either I’m a bad teacher, or she’s an influential leader!
Kinley celebrated her birthday for the third time (officially) tonight at church in her Discovery kids classroom, and even received a sweet gift and goodie bag from her teachers! I am so thankful and appreciative for all that they do and the efforts that the Allens put into those precious kids Sunday nights! A shout out to Steve, Susan and Sean Allen for loving those kids!
Back to the Mac...she turned five on Dec. 30, and I teased her before her birthday that I was going to make her turn back to three on this birthday-she didn't like that idea, so we just pulled out some old videos and watched her just before she turned two running laps in a diaper- literally, we counted and she ran 100 five yard sprints back and forth at our old house! It is one of the most precious videos of the kids that I can remember. How time flies!
Another admirable trait of our sweet Kinley is that she will turn down ice cream, cookies, all sorts of sweets and eat fruit instead! She turned down a cupcake, marshmallow candy, and Capri-Sun multiple times yesterday, and chose to eat her apple instead. What kid actually prefers an apple over a cupcake??? I never dreamed that a child from my family heritage would! Certainly not inherited from my side!

Our Wii Boy

Ry-man, Riles, sweet Riles~Reilly is excelling in many areas these days. He loves to play baseball with dad in the yard (I’m not sure who loves it more…) which is a routine part of the day. He is also playing basketball again, and is loving it! His team has practiced a lot since summer, and they came out with a big bang in their first game last weekend (58 to 0). He’s also started piano lessons and is doing really well. Reilly is a great big brother and loves his sissies, even though they now have cooties! We’ve entered that stage… He is also doing well in school, and loves reading. His love of Star Wars has been increasing (still!!), and his room is now decked out with 6 posters…I think Kurt would rather sleep in there some nights…
Last night we received what the kids have been calling "the best Christmas present ever"- a Nintendo Wii! I would have to agree with them. Today we set it up for the first time, and I think it was on for nine consecutive hours! Today I knocked out Ryan and Marco boxing, beat Kurt and Kinley in doubles tennis, received a pathetic fitness test score of AGE 67 (yikes!), and created the coolest "Mii"s which may have topped the list of fun on the Wii for me. You can custom create your own characters and name them, then they wander around on the screen ("plaza")- there's Grandma and Grandpa, Grandpapa, Mr. Hohn, and our entire family! You can choose from all sorts of eyes, noses, face shapes, hair styles, colors, etc. and move them around until you get the cartoon faces just right- it's amazing! Love it. But the very best part of the whole day was when Reilly and Kinley first began playing, and with every single swing of the baseball "bat" (the controller) Reilly was literally jumping up and down screaming at the top of his lungs announcing whatever small feat he had just achieved. "MOMMY!! (jump jump) I GOT A FOUL (jump) BALL!!" "I (jump) JUST HIT (jump) A HOME (jump jump) RUN!!!!!" He exerted so much energy in the first half hour, I almost collapsed for him! (Or maybe that's because I was up until 2:30 last night...)