Still no pictures

Well, we got five more empty boxes last night.  We pulled out some and put it away and some of it we just condensed together.  We've been putting the boxes with books in their own pile so we can easily pull them out once we put up the book cases.

I mention this (1) because it's our excitement and (2) because as we were going through the boxes we did not run across the cords to hook the camera up to the computer.  I think we already pulled it out, put it away, and then I think the kids reput it away.

Jr2 is mostly toilet trained.  When I make him wear underpants he says, "But I don't have preschool today".  He starts in September and knows he has to be potty trained for that.  He can do it when he wants, it's just inconvenient.

Jr3 is getting closer to toilet trained all the time.  We rarely have to change a dirty diaper (just wet ones), although she thinks she should change her own diapers and wipe herself off, and that if she doesn't feel like going in to the toilet that taking off her diaper to go is close enough.  Luckily, she is starting to think the toilet is a more important part of the equation.  A few details are still escaping her.  In the interest of avoiding even more TMI I'll let those that really want to know ask about the details.

Jr2 and Jr3 are both good helpers.  Jr3 likes to help hang up her laundry (which we do to keep it separate from the dirty clothes when she decides to help clean out her drawers and her dirty clothes).  Jr2 is still good at sweeping, vacuuming and mopping.  He is also now good at pressure washing and getting better at watering the plants.  Jr3 is pretty good at pulling the big weeds.  Jr2 and Jr3 are both good at making mud.  Jr2 was very excited when he realized that you can make mud whenever you want if you mix dirt and water together.

Dinners are going pretty well, since we have a four-week meal rotation set up that I use.  (Thanks Mom for having me do it while I was out visiting and then mailing it to me when I couldn't find it to bring with me.)  I generally end up tweaking which items we have which night based on how I feel and what's going on, but it makes meal planning a lot easier.  It also helps with stocking up on the food storage, since I know what foods we'll be using and about how many.  I really don't like buying food I think we use a lot and then finding out we don't really use it that much.  Plus I can then watch for sales and take advantage of them.  I have also taken summer / winter into consideration a bit.  If I plan a soup for a meal, I try to also plan a salad option as well so we can eat whichever is appropriate.


Lunches are not going so well.  We eat penne, ramen, pb&j, cheesy toast, bologna wrapped around string cheese, cheese tortilla roll-ups and chicken nuggets.  We usually have mac and cheese for one of the Sunday meals.  I think I need to come up with a rotation for it.  Since I am usually home alone with the kids when we prepare it, easier is better.

I love IKEA bags!

Ikea bags are great.  I keep them in the back of my mini-van.  They save me from having to pay for bags at Target.  They help me carry in the groceries from Sam's Club faster.  And today we found another use.

So, we went to play group at the azalea gardens.  The kids loved walking on the paths, climbing up and down the hills, and playing with the sticks.  They didn't care so much about the azaleas, but the mother's enjoyed them.  Then we walked back by the spot with the water coming under the fence.  That was the best spot of all.  Splashing in the mud and the water; throwing the sticks in the water; even  stirring the water with the sticks.  Then Jr3 walked through the open fence and into the water waist deep.  Jr2 followed "to bring Jr3 back".  Jr3, who doesn't like a wet shirt or wet pants in the house and has to strip them off as fast as possible, doesn't seem to mind being drenched from walking out into the water.  No requests at all to strip off the clothes.

This is where the Ikea bags come in.  When we get to the car, the kids need to get into the car seats.  Jr2 was stripped down to the wet skivvies, Jr3 was jacketless, but that was it.  Out came the bags and they made great car seat protectors!  I love IKEA bags almost as much as the kids love water.  At least for today.

Happy Easter!

Happy Easter to everyone.  We did take a few pictures of Libby in her Easter dress.  Liam is in some new clothes,  but he didn't want his picture in his new Sunday outfit.  Hopefully someday we will post the pictures.

Turkey Pics

Thanks Moo!

Saying "Cheese"

Today Jr2 put the turkey shirt on himself.  He put it on backwards.  We decided it was appropriate, since it looked like the turkey was running away.

Latest News

Jr3 now says quite a few words and some phrases including "outside", "shoes on", "socks on" and "puppy".  She is also starting to assert her fashion independence.  She will bring me bows to put in her hair and pick out socks to wear (today she wore two pairs at once).

Jr2 still likes cleaning and driving the car.

Halloween

Jr2 was a cowboy / farmer this year.  Levis, a John Deere shirt, cowboy boot slippers and at the ward party he had a big silver (aluminum foil) belt buckle.  I don't think they sell cowboy hats in this state.

Jr3 was a ballerina (ward party) / elephant in a ballerina tutu (halloween).  So the elephant wasn't finished, but it was enough if we pointed it out you could tell.  I'm going to try and finally finish it in time for Christmas.

The pictures we took were somehow deleted, so I'm going to try and dress them up again sometime soon and take another picture.  (I was going to try for tonight, but Jr3 got the elephant suit dirty and it needs to be decontaminated before she wears it again.)

Belated Halloween

Here is a halloween picture of the cowboy and the elephant ballerina.