Disney Movie Influences

I don't remember Tersa quoting movies but Mardi did, at the ripe old age of two! She would apply them to everyday incidents. Once she was reprimanded and she said "Bad Mardi, very bad Mardi"

Keddi was a movie watcher too but didn't "change it up" as often as Mardi had done. When she found a favorite, we watched it once every day for weeks at a time. (Once a day is all the same movie is allowed/day!) My favorite quote from her was when I was changing a very stinky diaper of Shinara's and Keddi smelled it and said "Ew...Yuck...Ew... I mean my goodness!!"

So yesturday we were coming home from the bus stop. We take the dog and Shinara likes to walk her home. But the bus stop is on a busy street and I worry about the dog going into the street or dragging Shinara with her. So we short leash the dog and Shar keeps her near the grass until we turn the corner into our neighborhood. Then we have to cross the busy entrance into the neighborhood until we get to the side street where Shar and I both can relax a bit. Anyway, as we round the corner into the neighborhood, Shinara and the dog are behind me and I hear Shinara in an anxious voice say "Stay on target....Stay on Target." (With the same inflection used by the man who says this in one of the STAR WARS movies.) Angie wanted to cross and Shar was trying to keep her on the sidewalk. I busted out laughing and had to call Joel before I forgot to tell him this one! (Tersa just informed me that the "stay on target" is part of the new Veggie Tales movie "The Wizard of Has". But they probably got it from Star Wars!)

Can anyone really argue that children are influenced by what they see on television and in movies?

A short reprieve

We've been sick. Well, Shinara, then Keddi, then Mardi then Shinara have been sick. But when Joel was in Houston last Sat. everyone was well enough to go to a park not too far from our house that we have never been to.
February has been a month of alternating warm and cool, cloudy weather. We went to the park with no jackets because it was so nice. The big girls stayed in a small area for dogs with Angie almost the whole time so I only got pictures of the little girls. After being there for 1 1/2 hours, it got cloudy and cooler so we went home.

Little Moments

One of the reasons I do the Blog is because of the "little" things. Even as I write that I know that it's those repetitive things that people remember so well from their childhood.

The little girls like to walk Joel out to the car in the morning. When they do, they are allowed into the car as it warms up and they ask Joel one question about the workings and functions of the car. As they leave the car he gives them a tangarine candy that he keeps in there. Keddi was sick the morning I took this picture but usually there are two small heads. They wave and yell good-bye as he drives away and then they come in to get ready for the day.

Joel's Heart

I think I already e-mailed most of the people that read this and it has more detail. Suffice it to say, Joel is going to need heart surgery. The surgeon's office will call on Friday to set that up with us. It is going to take place in Houston and will require that he be away from us for at least 3 weeks. This will be hard on the girls. (They haven't seen him since Fri. night and he returns tonight but they have really missed him.)

Not since the doctor told us to speak to a specialist have I worried one bit about this. But Joel did and it wasn't until we talked briefly about it Feb. 15th did I became concerned. Then I spent the next ten days very weepy and preoccupied. (Thanks Babe!) But I'm back to not worrying. Prayer, fasting and temple attendance will be good and whatever any of you can do will be so appreciated!! He is so admired and loved and I love that!

Oh, the picture is a roma tomato. It looked like a heart to me so I took a picture of it before cutting it up for dinner.

Valentines Day

My friend Jenny likes to do fun meals for her family on certain holidays. We joined them more than once for halloween dinner when they lived here and were served pigs in a blnket, witch fingers (baby carrots with a sliver of almond on the end) and broomsticks (pretzels with fruit foll up wrapped around the end and frayed.) along with things I have forgotten I'm sure. Anyway, because of this, I decided to have a little fun with Valentine food.

The morning began with balloons, cards and a small heart shaped box of chocolates from Joel. He started a tradition years ago of getting the girls a card as well as one for me. I love it! He leaves them in their room for them to see as soon as they get up. Keddi awakend early and was so excited about what she found that she came into our room to open her card. Joel had to leave early that morning so hers was the only reaction he got to see, but it was a good one. The card he had chosen for her was a Disney Princess one that talked!

Breakfast consisted of large, pink heart pancakes. (And an egg over- easy for those who like them.) Lunch at home was just me and Shar and I didn't try anything creative. But the schools served heart-shaped chicken nuggets and such. The girls had fun giving out Valentines and came home with lots of stuff. Shinara and I made a rice crispy treat castle for the next door neighbors and one for us to eat after dinner. (Remember my castle pan from Christmas? :)
I made Shrimp Fettuccini and made the sauce purple. I cooked the noodles in red water so they had a pink tinge. Couldn't really think of anything interesting to do to green beans but I made rolls and shaped them into hearts. We had cherry limeade to drink and after eating our fill we dug into the castle. It was fun. It was funny though that Shinara refused at first to eat dinner. Everyone loves this meal but it was a weird color and she didn't recognize it. After her first, tentative, screwed-up face bite, she was good to go!

Valentine Cards

Valentine card writing began before Valentines Day of course. Keddi was very excited about the Disney Princess cards I found for her and there were enough for Shinara to use some too. Shinara had quite a chore ahead of her since she has 37 children in her pre-school class and 11 teachers!!! She was diligent though and in four year old handwriting, (the kind that starts normal but gets bigger and starts pointing upward as the name goes on? :) she signed all the cards she needed. Then, as luck would have it, she became sick with a fever on Wed. and was not well enough to go to pre-school on Thurs.

The older girls are getting too big for cards. Actually, fifth graders are but not sixth graders in Jr, High. Mardi made rice crispy treats out of a berry cereal and put them in treat bags for her class. Tersa took what was left over for several of her friends and then also filled out cards (Pooh cards) for her teachers. Go figure.

Sleep well

I have had back problems for a long time. Years ago it seemed to be affecting my legs too and I had severe heel pain for a long time. I would wake and walk very stifly to the other room with ankles, knees and hips creaking and cracking. One year Joel surprised me with a sleep number bed. We had always had a queen and not only can you adjust the softness of the mattress but it is huge and I stopped waking every time I turned over from fear of waking Joel. (Like it ever would!! But I couldn't seem to convince my brain.) The pain in my back every morning was gone. My legs and feet were better and after I got great shoes, those pains dissappeared for good too. And as you can see, the bed is enjoyed and sometimes used by all!! Sometimes all at once!

Look what I did!!

With the help of my sister-in-law Michelle (and my curiosity in how other people do different things on their blogs,) I am now doing my own backgrounds!! Fun for me!!!!
I love to blog but I love that I can be more creative with it now too. They redesigned it so that you can add many different elements without having to learn how to write HTML.
I like sharing everyday things for people who aren't part of it and I enjoy reading others for the same reason! I know more about the families whose blogs I am able to read and have gotten to see their kids grow. I'm glad Jenny introduced me to blogging. I'm glad that so many friends and family members have one. I appreciate that people are interested in what goes on in our lives and who comment on our blog.
Three cheers for blogs and the people who spend time on them!

What the....Hail?!?!?!

Right after church today I had to do an orientation for a Sunbeam teacher and while I was driving there the rain became very heavy. I realized it was hail! It was still very sloshy and would break into little pieces as it hit the windshield, but it was what it was!! I don't think that in the almost nine years that we've lived here we have ever had hail!
Did I just say we have been here for almost nine years? Wow, that hit me funny. Remember when 10 years seemed like forever? (Remember when the four years of High School seemed it would never end?! Well, if people from my high school were on the ball, we would be having a 20 year reunion this year!) And we are in the second month of this year. My baby will be in Kindergarten come fall, my Keddi will be a year away from baptism, Mardi will join Tersa in Jr. High and Tersa will become a teenager! And it will all come to pass sooner that we think and sooner than we care for!