Our dumb camera is broken so I have no pictures of Christmas this year:(. But we had a great Christmas. My parents drove up here Christmas Eve night and suprised the boys Christmas morning. The boys got lots of presents and a Wii. They are probably the only kids who got math books in their stockings and were excited about it. Katherine got lots of things for her dollies and some jewlery and nail polish in her stocking. I got a new floor downstairs:). I am so happy. We also got a cheap used couch and loveseat until we can save up for a nice couch. It's fun to have my parents here. They are staying a whole week! I'm glad my dad got a new job so that he can have time off.
Before Christmas, we had fun with Tawnya and her family. The boys love playing with her boy Spencer. She is one of my best friends.
P.S. We ordered a new camera through Todd's work, but it hasn't gotten here yet.
Monday, December 28, 2009
Sunday, December 20, 2009
breakfast and savers and ESP or something
My neighbor directly behind me is Nancy, the retired single lady with a pool that Nathan is going to marry when he gets older. She is also my visiting teacher and she invited me and my family for breakfast last Thurs. morning. When we got there she had the table set with her Christmas dishes, linens, Santa centerpiece, sausage, bacon, waffles, orange juice and raspberry cheesecake hot chocolate with marshmallows! Alex leaned over to me and whispered, "she did it all fancy for us!" I told that to Nancy and she said that she wanted us to feel special. We did feel special!
What a nice thing to do for us!
*********
Nathan and Alex get $5 every Sat. for allowance. They can spend it on whatever they want, so that instead of them asking for everything, we say they can get it with their allowance. Well, they have been great savers! With Nathan's birthday money, he is now at $100! He is very excited and I am very proud of my savers boys, a skill they did not learn from me:)
**********
Todd's sister Tawnya and I are good friends. She moved to Iowa a few years ago, unfortunately, because her husband is going to school there. She got pregnant with her first baby a few months before we got pregnant with Katherine. When she came to visit, she said the name they picked out was Spencer Bradford (Todd's family are direct decendants of William Bradford). I told her the name we had picked out for a boy was Nicholas Bradford. We had a girl and she had a boy. In July when they came out to visit, they called Spencer "Bubba" and we were caling Katherine "bubba", too. She is visiting right now and now she is calling Spencer "Bubs" and we call Katherine "Bubs"! She is now pregnant and one month ahead of me, and we found out we are both having girls. When she got here on Friday I asked her what they are going to name the baby and she said, "Abigail and call her Abby!" That is what we had picked out, too. I guess we'll have cousins with the same name! Her middle name is Lynne but we haven't decided on a middle name yet, but it won't be Lynne. We have it narrowed down to a few but haven't decided yet. Too wierd, huh??
What a nice thing to do for us!
*********
Nathan and Alex get $5 every Sat. for allowance. They can spend it on whatever they want, so that instead of them asking for everything, we say they can get it with their allowance. Well, they have been great savers! With Nathan's birthday money, he is now at $100! He is very excited and I am very proud of my savers boys, a skill they did not learn from me:)
**********
Todd's sister Tawnya and I are good friends. She moved to Iowa a few years ago, unfortunately, because her husband is going to school there. She got pregnant with her first baby a few months before we got pregnant with Katherine. When she came to visit, she said the name they picked out was Spencer Bradford (Todd's family are direct decendants of William Bradford). I told her the name we had picked out for a boy was Nicholas Bradford. We had a girl and she had a boy. In July when they came out to visit, they called Spencer "Bubba" and we were caling Katherine "bubba", too. She is visiting right now and now she is calling Spencer "Bubs" and we call Katherine "Bubs"! She is now pregnant and one month ahead of me, and we found out we are both having girls. When she got here on Friday I asked her what they are going to name the baby and she said, "Abigail and call her Abby!" That is what we had picked out, too. I guess we'll have cousins with the same name! Her middle name is Lynne but we haven't decided on a middle name yet, but it won't be Lynne. We have it narrowed down to a few but haven't decided yet. Too wierd, huh??
Friday, December 18, 2009
Nathan's birthday
Nathan was so excited for his birthday that the night before he wanted to stay up until midnight when his birthday started. I was too tired, so I set my alarm and put it by his bed. He stayed up watching the time and woke me up. "The alarm went off! It's my birthday!" I don't remember what I said, but I wish I could have stayed up with him and sang happy birthday to him.
Nathan had an ice skating birthday party and 16 people were there! I'm glad he had a good turn out for his party. All of his friends from the street and all his friends from boys club (homeschool group) came. He had a Spongebob party and he wanted Daddy to make his cake instead of getting one at the store. He did wants toys on it, though. So Todd made his cake. After his party Todd took him to Build a Bear and he got a snowflake bear with a Santa suit. For his birthday dinner he asked for chips and hamburgers. Todd and I were puzzled, but Alex said, "good choice, Nathan." So Todd and Nathan made hamburgers and we had Doritos with it. He had a good birthday and he's so happy to be 6.
Nathan had an ice skating birthday party and 16 people were there! I'm glad he had a good turn out for his party. All of his friends from the street and all his friends from boys club (homeschool group) came. He had a Spongebob party and he wanted Daddy to make his cake instead of getting one at the store. He did wants toys on it, though. So Todd made his cake. After his party Todd took him to Build a Bear and he got a snowflake bear with a Santa suit. For his birthday dinner he asked for chips and hamburgers. Todd and I were puzzled, but Alex said, "good choice, Nathan." So Todd and Nathan made hamburgers and we had Doritos with it. He had a good birthday and he's so happy to be 6.
Tuesday, December 15, 2009
house project day 2
Day 2:
it's 3pm: the kids and I organized the toy closet, I swept and mopped the kitchen floor, cleaned off the counters, the boys wiped the table and chairs, the boys "cleaned" their room, and now I'm taking a break because I'm feeling a bit nauseaus (I hate that word...who can spell it?) and overwhlemed at cleaning this living room.
***
We cleaned the living room until 5 and got it mostly cleaned and then we all were just too tired to clean anymore. Now I'm exhausted.
it's 3pm: the kids and I organized the toy closet, I swept and mopped the kitchen floor, cleaned off the counters, the boys wiped the table and chairs, the boys "cleaned" their room, and now I'm taking a break because I'm feeling a bit nauseaus (I hate that word...who can spell it?) and overwhlemed at cleaning this living room.
***
We cleaned the living room until 5 and got it mostly cleaned and then we all were just too tired to clean anymore. Now I'm exhausted.
Monday, December 14, 2009
what's going on around here
For our Christmas present to eachother, Todd and I are getting the house all clean and fixing up all the broken things that have been needing to be fixed this week. Today the kids and I cleaned out the car, and now it's 4pm. Oh my goodness.
The boys got out some hangers and played with them for about 2 or 3 days. Alex said he wanted an orange hanger for Christmas. They are so creative. They made roller coasters, pretended they were swords, etc. I think we should get rid of all our toys, they don't even play with them.
All they need is their imaginations, and of course a computer to play video games.
Last week Todd and I took the boys to "A Christmas Carol" at the Hale Center theater. That is my favorite one--I love it. We go about every year. This past Sat. Alex and I went on a "date" to the Mormon Tabernacle Choir Christmas concert. Alex likes music like I do, so I thought he would like it. They only let kids 8 and up go, but I figured he's close enough. Walking from our parking lot to the building, Alex kept throwing snowballs at me:). On the way back to the car, we built a snowman. Then we went to Village Inn and got pancakes and hot chocolate. We had a really great time and he said he wanted to go again next year.
Yesterday night the family decorated stockings. I helped Katherine: I just put a blob of glue and she put a pom pom on it. I think she might have eaten one or two. We joked that she was going to get cancer. Then I put glitter glue on her finger so she could rub it on the stocking. She liked it. I'd take pictures but our camera won't work with our computer for some reason right now. Alex did the angel coming to the shepherds with Bethlehem in the background and Nathan did some abstract art.
Well, I better keep cleaning (and change Katherine's stinky diaper...again).
The boys got out some hangers and played with them for about 2 or 3 days. Alex said he wanted an orange hanger for Christmas. They are so creative. They made roller coasters, pretended they were swords, etc. I think we should get rid of all our toys, they don't even play with them.
All they need is their imaginations, and of course a computer to play video games.
Last week Todd and I took the boys to "A Christmas Carol" at the Hale Center theater. That is my favorite one--I love it. We go about every year. This past Sat. Alex and I went on a "date" to the Mormon Tabernacle Choir Christmas concert. Alex likes music like I do, so I thought he would like it. They only let kids 8 and up go, but I figured he's close enough. Walking from our parking lot to the building, Alex kept throwing snowballs at me:). On the way back to the car, we built a snowman. Then we went to Village Inn and got pancakes and hot chocolate. We had a really great time and he said he wanted to go again next year.
Yesterday night the family decorated stockings. I helped Katherine: I just put a blob of glue and she put a pom pom on it. I think she might have eaten one or two. We joked that she was going to get cancer. Then I put glitter glue on her finger so she could rub it on the stocking. She liked it. I'd take pictures but our camera won't work with our computer for some reason right now. Alex did the angel coming to the shepherds with Bethlehem in the background and Nathan did some abstract art.
Well, I better keep cleaning (and change Katherine's stinky diaper...again).
Monday, December 7, 2009
good parents
Todd and I stayed up late watching a bunch of episodes of the tv show "World's Strictest Parents." In the show, 2 wild teenagers go to a strict parent's house for a week. And in every single episode, the teenagers make huge improvements and it's really amazing. So, Todd and I decided to write down what we saw that was the same in all the strict families:
1. had the kids do hard work as part of the daily routine
2. the parents spent one on one personal positive time with each child
3. the parents had high expectations with clear rules and boundaries, and consequences for every broken rule
4. the parents stay calm; instead of yelling they use consequences instead. The consequences were usually a chore of hard work instead of going to their room or something
5. they find what the kid is interested in and use that to bond with them and strengthen their relationship
6. really open communication
7. lots of praise when they are doing anything right
8. lots and lots of family together time- work and play together
9. the parents in almost every show had the kids do service work
10. the parents don't let them run away; they make them face their problems (cool down period ok, though)
11. dad to boy and mom to girl relationship very important
12. the parents always expressed and showed love; without this the rules come across as domineering, but if the kids know they are loved, they see it as being cared for
13. be patient and consistent
1. had the kids do hard work as part of the daily routine
2. the parents spent one on one personal positive time with each child
3. the parents had high expectations with clear rules and boundaries, and consequences for every broken rule
4. the parents stay calm; instead of yelling they use consequences instead. The consequences were usually a chore of hard work instead of going to their room or something
5. they find what the kid is interested in and use that to bond with them and strengthen their relationship
6. really open communication
7. lots of praise when they are doing anything right
8. lots and lots of family together time- work and play together
9. the parents in almost every show had the kids do service work
10. the parents don't let them run away; they make them face their problems (cool down period ok, though)
11. dad to boy and mom to girl relationship very important
12. the parents always expressed and showed love; without this the rules come across as domineering, but if the kids know they are loved, they see it as being cared for
13. be patient and consistent
Sunday, December 6, 2009
Nie Nie's story
I can never, ever, never, never, ever, never, ever complain or be down--only grateful for everything I have-- after reading this: http://www.azcentral.com/news/articles/stephanie-nielson-intro-120609.html
Tuesday, December 1, 2009
The baby is a.....
To find out the gender of the baby, you have to answer a riddle. The first letter of the first name of the 22nd and 24th president of the US is either a "B" or a "G". Technically, it's his middle name, but you wouldn't know it. He was the only president to have two non-consecutive terms as president. He was president when Utah became a state.
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