Layers

Dressing up sometimes involves Layering! Actually, lately, it's the most important part of the outfit. Melanie and Noelle have been layering their real clothes with the dress up clothing to get unique looks you just can't get any other way. Like this look:

She lifted her skirt and I found out she had 2 more skirts on than I had originally anticipated... That's 6 layers fokes!

Then there is this unique look. Not only is she wearing an 18 month Ariel costume, she has created a unique mermaid tail by laying 8 pairs of underroos down her legs and putting a tutu at the bottom. You can't get more imaginative and creative than that!

And before you think you have seen it all... there is this:

This look (Oliver in his sister's princess skirt) was inflicted by his father! That's right!!! BRANDON did this! He says to me "It would happen eventually, I just wanted to be the first one to do it". So there you have it!

Fun Surprises

I have had a lot of fun surprising the kids with out of the house activities lately. I find that if I don't tell them about it in advance, it is less stressful for me. I can change my mind if things aren't going well. And they are super excited when we get to a fun place that they didn't know I was considering taking them too. For example... the park (yes, I know. I'm lame and surprise my kids with the park instead of just taking them more often... but with how chaotic life has been lately, it's just how it is).

Oliver is extremely sure of his masculinity. He can ride in a pink stroller and not worry one bit. I suppose that is what happens when you have 2 older sisters.

Melanie has been going through a huge dinosaur and volcano phase lately. She LOVES dinosaurs. So, after school on Tuesday, I drove straight to the museum. She has NO IDEA. It was perfect. The girls walked around the museum and behaved so well. They stayed with me the entire time. I couldn't ask for a better trip. This is part of the new exhibit. That thing is HUGE!

This old TV is a favorite of theirs. It's fun to see them on the screen from the other end and know that they are tall enough now to be able to do it on their own. It's also a little bitter sweet. They are growing too fast.

Oliver had fun too!

I didn't let the girls pan for gold (I didn't have enough hands to help everyone), but I did let them dig for bones. They loved that!

It was a good week of surprises! We all had so much fun.

Super Oliver (4 months old!)

It's Super Oliver! He has special super powers: a super tongue that is always out when he is happy, a super giggle that is hilarious to listen to, a super voice that he uses to "speak" his super secret language, super drool... that keeps going and going, and his super roll! Yep, he can roll over!

Check it out! (And tell me, who could resist a happy smile like that?)

And there he goes!He wants to be apart of everything... and even though he isn't eating with the family, lately he has been with the family at the dinner table.

Sometimes he'll snack on his burp rag.

I took Oliver in for his 4 month visit today. He currently weighs exactly 13 pounds, is 25-1/4" tall, and wears a 16-1/4" hat. He is following in the family tradition of falling off the chart at 4 months. He didn't actually fall off the chart, but he was 50% for his weight at his 2 month appointment and is now 5%. The doctor didn't seem too concerned. I'm not sure if this is because he was concerned with my diet (I so confused... to eat dairy or not to eat dairy? It keeps going back and forth), or if he just is truly not concerned. Either way, *I* am not concerned. He is a good eater, and a happy little man. He looks healthy, and doesn't complain much. I think he is just right!

TR5K 4 Values 5k

One of my favorite people, Ms. Lybi, asked me to run in this special 5K to help support the YWs in her ward. I believe this fundraiser was to help them get to girls camp. Of course I agreed!
Originally I was going to run it slowly and the run another 12 miles afterwards, but last minute decided to run it like the 5k it was and see how I would do. I finished in 26 minutes, 4 seconds. It's the 2nd fastest 5K I have ever completed! There was no way I was ever going to place when the first person in was in my age and gender bracket (that chiqa was amazing and finished in 19 minutes, 5 seconds!), but I did come in 4th of my gender, 11th overall, and am super happy with myself.
But, alas I have fallen a little behind on my marathon training. I still plan to run it in 4 weeks; however, I'm thinking it's time to watch "The Spirit of the Marathon" to get my dedication back. It's time to "do this thing"Thank you, Ms. Lybi, for asking me to participate in today's 5K. Not only did I get to see you (which I LOVED), and run, but I really enjoyed the race. Everyone was so nice and clearly excited about the fundraiser. Remember me if they do it again.

Wedding Cake

My pictures didn't do the cake justice... but this one (taken by Elizabeth at http://www.emhlawlorphotography.blogspot.com/) truly shows how perfect this cake turned out. My Sister-in-law Amilee did an AMAZING job decorating for this wedding. I'm so impressed. Hopefully Elizabeth will provide a preview on her blog and you can see it. I'm truly at awe at the talent Amilee possess. (Amilee is also the Sister-in-law that threw my baby shower).

Johnny Appleseed

Sunday, March 18th, was the anniversary of Johnny Appleseed's (or Johnny Chapman by birth) death. I borrowed several books about him from the library, and the kids spent a few days learning a little bit about him.

Sunday, we paid tribute by eating apples with breakfast and lunch, and then (as a group), making apple donuts for dessert. (We used a spiffy donut maker that my brother gave us for Christmas. It was the first time we have used it, and it was fun!)Everyone got involved in making the donuts.

Even Oliver...

Then, the girls decorated theirs with vanilla frosting and red sprinkles, while Brandon and I had ours with powdered sugar and cinnamon sprinkled on top.

After everyone ate their donut, and got ready for bed, daddy read more books to everyone about Johnny Appleseed.

I have enjoyed learning more about this American Legend. (And eating apples!)

St. Patrick's Day

The St. Patrick's Day fun started Friday night, when we set a trap to catch a leprechaun. Leprechauns are sneaky little guys, and not very easy to catch, but we decided to try anyhow. They love green, so we baited the trap with green veggies on a green plate.

He must have liked the veggies, because he ate them all gone. Unfortunately, the trap did not work. He was too sneaky for that. Melanie woke up early and ran into my room to tell me that he left green foot prints. She was right, he sure did.Right around that trap, and then to a little gold and a box of lucky charms. How nice of him to repay us for all those veggies he took!

The girls weren't too sure of the cereal... and in the end, they decided to eat their typical breakfast (they never stop amazing me)

Conversation with Melanie on the way to pick up our bountiful basket:

Melanie: "I think leprechauns are sneaky little guys. They have green feet prints because green is their favorite color. Everyone know leprechauns really like green."

Me: "Green is my favorite color. Maybe I'm a leprechaun."

Melanie: (hysterical laughing) "no mother. you are so silly".

Hope everyone had a happy St. Patrick's Day.

On another note. Friday night I made this wedding cake for my sister in law's, sister in law's wedding (did you follow that?) I think it turned out nice. I'm hoping the bride thinks so too!

3.14: Pi Day

So, geeks know that Pi = 3.14... and Wednesday was March, 14th (3.14). I thought, perhaps, my kids could benefit from having a geeky engineer as a mom, and we could celebrate Pi day... with Pie!

For breakfast, I let my kids have apple pie! I made these little apple pies for each of them. They were both super excited.

And then after 4 or 5 bites, they both opted for cereal instead. I suppose the idea of dessert for breakfast was just a little too crazy for them.

For lunch, I made peanut butter and jelly sandwiches that were cut to "look" like pies. (They even had ventilation holes on top, because I truly am a dork!

They LOVED those!

We had a cousin over for lunch, and he enjoy

ed them too (Thanks for visiting us, Carson!)

At dinner, we had chicken pot pies. I made them individual by serving them cooked in little tea mugs. Aren't they cute?

They ended up being a little too hot, so we "poured" them onto the plates to cool them down, but I still think they were cute in the mugs.

Dessert was chocolate chip cookie pie, which the girls made. It was chocolate-y goodness! Happy Pi Day!

Some things are just...

Today I uploaded the images from my camera for the first time in a week, and found there were 97 pictures. I looked through them all and smiled. I forgot all the fun we had had in the last week. So, I don't have time to post them all or write about everything... but somethings are just...

Too stylish:

(Noelle dresses herself, and sometimes it is super cute, and other times it is super sassy... but always clever! You can't see them very well, but the picture above is complete with purple rain boots.)

Too Silly:

(yep, that is a diaper on that frog... Thanks to Melanie. And I suppose you can thank Oliver too, since it was his diaper that was donated to the mix)

Below: Melanie was suppose to be napping in my bed. When we went to check on her, we found an empty bed. After looking for her all over the house (and starting to fret), we found her sleeping in the rocking chair in Oliver's room.

A Little Crazy:

(Melanie also dresses herself... and most days, I have to veto it before we leave the house... this was one of those days.)

A New Adventure:

(Oliver got a new toy and just isn't sure what to do with it. Of course, his sisters think it's awesome... especially as they are attempting to launch him out of the thing.)

Pathetic:

(Noelle likes to pout on the floor. So, after she was mad and the pouting began, Brandon decided to pout with her... and then Melanie joined it. It was seriously pathetic. And it ended in a lot of giggling)So Sweet:

(At the park yesterday, Noelle loved playing inside this tunnel. It was too cute. She kept peeking her little face out and smiling. Then singing her ABC's. I loved it)

(This picture melts my heart. All three of my kids laid on the floor together for about 30 minutes today as Melanie drew pictures and told stories. It was so sweet.)

I'm lucky.