Happy Birthday, Dr. Seuss

Emily came rushing into my room at 10:00 p.m. on the night before Dr. Seuss' birthday - begging and pleading for a costume. I really had to get creative at 7:00 on the morning of the big day. This is what I came up with.....

And of course, if Emily has a costume, Gavin needs one too.  He and his buddy, Skyler, dressed up as Thing One and Thing Two, complete with the blue hair. Couldn't be cuter!

Thank you, Dr. Seuss, and happy birthday!

District Science Fair

Tyler went to the District Science Fair on February 22.  He spent the entire day at the Davis Conference Center, interviewing with judges.  He was pretty excited to get out of school that day.  The fact that they allowed them to take treats and electronics, made it even better.

The Fair was open to family later that evening.  When we went to pick up Tyler's project, this is what we found.....

 He had won third place!  We were all so excited for him!

Congratulations, Tyler!  We are super proud of you :)

Tender Mercies

Yesterday was such an amazing, beautiful day.  The kids and I played outside most of the day.  Kate was riding her big wheel and it brought to mind an experience I had a couple of years ago.  I know this is old news, but I really wanted to record it, for my own benefit, so it wouldn't be forgotten.

Flash back to the summer of 2010.  Gavin would have been four then.  Travis was out of town, so we had an early dinner that night.  All of the neighborhood kids were out playing in the cul-de-sac.  There were probably 12 or 13 of them.  I decided to let the kids go out and play while I did the dishes.  I NEVER let Gavin out there without my supervision, but decided that with this many kids, he would be fine.  Kate was happily playing inside with me. 

As I was doing the dishes, the thought came to my mind that I should go out and check on my kids.  I quickly dismissed the thought, reasoning that I was almost done with my dishes.  The impression immediately came again, this time very strong, YOUR DISHES WILL WAIT.  GO CHECK THE KIDS NOW!  I quickly headed outside just in time to see Gavin riding on his big wheel as a car was backing out of a driveway.  I yelled at him, but the big wheel was pretty loud, and he could not hear me.  I ran as fast as I could, just in time to throw him and his bike out of the way from the vehicle.

The driver saw me and stopped.  He had no idea that Gavin was anywhere near the vehicle.  He had walked around the car before backing out, but Gavin was riding in the street, next to a car that was parked in the road. 

I remember how scared I was.  I hugged my little man and sobbed.  I am so grateful for the tender mercies of the Lord that protected my boy that day.  There is no doubt in my mind that he would have been hit by that car if I had chosen not to listen to that impression that I received.  I hate to think about what would have happened to him. 

I learned a valuable lesson that day.  It is so important to listen to the promptings that you receive and act immediately on those impressions.  I am so grateful that I did that day.

We're Going to the Zoo Today :)

I get so tired of the cold weather. Being stuck inside day in and day out, playing the same games, reading the same books, can get a bit routine. Today we decided to spice things up a little by visiting "Gavin and Kate's Fun Zoo" 

We started with a picnic with the animals. We enjoyed macaroni and cheese, hotdogs and my personal favorite, mint Oreos for dessert.

We not only went to the "zoo", but we also booked a safari tour. Gavin and Kate acted as the guides, and had a vast knowledge about these amazing animals. 

The zookeeper, Gavin, had such a passion for these animals. It was clear that he loved his job.

 Bears

"They chase at you and try to eat you. When you feed them, you just throw the food in their cages and RUN!"

"Elephants are really big and tall.  They have a  newborn baby. They eat peanuts, apples and tomatoes."

 "The penguins were born in 1965 and they live in cold weather."

* Poor little zebra was overlooked *

 "The pigs. Live in mud. Eat lettuce."

 "The bull eats tomatoes. He likes everyone. We trained him not to buck, so you can even ride him."

 "Giraffe's are really tall. One of the babies just got born. They like to eat A LOT leaves."

"The baby turtle was just born. The dad died in 1865, and although that is very sad, you get used to it.  Every time this baby turtle eats, it burps. That is where he got his name, Burpy."

"Monkeys. Crazy. They eat bananas and throw their poop at you."

"Lions and tigers. They have to be in the cages. They don't like Emily and Tyler very much, so they would charge at them. Probably because they don't know them very well."

The unicorn. 

"We had to go all the way to where the Leprechaun's live to get him. He eats oranges."

"The chickens eat cookies. Chocolate chip are his favorite. He flew here from the farm. The farmer wants him back."

The dinosaur.

"We found this T-Rex at Dinosaur Land when he was just a baby. We walk him every day."

Porcupine

"He's hard to keep track of because he always puts his spikes on us.  He eats onions, and we don't like him very much."

"Horses eat apples and other fruit.  He might sneak up on you and nip on you.  Happened to me once.  He doesn't like me, but I'll work it out with him."

So much fun today, with very little effort on my part.  Also so hard not to laugh right out loud during some parts of the safari.  I wonder why I don't do this more often?  It's pretty good for the soul :)

Lucky Boys

Every once in a while, Travis' customers will give him Jazz tickets on the second row.  Tonight he scored four tickets, so he took Tyler, Derek (my brother in law) and Cody (my nephew).  Look how lucky these boys are :)

I'm pretty sure this is a night they will never forget!

Oh, Gavin

Emily had talked Gavin into playing dolls with her.  She decided that she was going to be the doctor.  She was examining Gavin's sick baby and here's what happened:

• Emily:  "Gavin, this baby is really sick.  She is going to have to spend 21 days and 20 nights at the hospital."
• Gavin:  "GOOD!!!!"
• Mom:  "Gavin, why in the world is that a good thing?"
• Gavin:  "Then I don't have to spend any time with her."

Future Father of the Year?

Potty Training

I have been patient in waiting for Kate to be ready to potty train.  I found out the hard way with my previous children, that if they aren't ready, it is a disaster.  I have waited 37 months for Kate to be ready. I decided last night that today is the day!

We got the potty chart made, the rewards purchased and pull ups and panties waiting.  She was so excited!

She has been successful twice this morning and I really got my hopes up.  However, the third time has been a little trickier.  I have tried EVERYTHING I can think of to help her be successful.  We have read books, sang songs, counted, recited our ABCs, etc., etc.  Nothing is working.  As I am sitting there, trying to positively encourage her, my mind wanders to the countless things that I need to accomplish today.  Suddenly sitting in the bathroom, waiting, waiting, waiting, does not seem like a great idea.  But, how can I turn back now?

Any tips would be greatly appreciated.....

*An update to this post *
Not only do we have to sit for 30 MINUTES every 20 minutes to get any results, she also insists on being naked.  So basically, I spend my entire day sitting by the potty with her.  PLEASE HURRY KATE!!!