Character Friends . ..

A while back, Cade wanted to hang up various pictures of himself with his "Toy Story Friends" on his wall, so we printed up a few and hung them up (see below). Well, Ambree was not too happy about the fact that she didn't have any pictures of herself with character frinds (She was sick when we went to Disneyland last summer and didn't get to ge). Anyway, there were a few times that Ambree would take the pictures down from Cade's wall and try to put them on hers, or hide them all together! S000 . . . . . . . . .

Craig used his photoshop skills and made some pictures of her with one of her favorites . . . Dora!

We hung these on the wall above her bed and we haven't had any problems with her taking Cade's pictures ever since! :)

I think we have a little artist on our hands . . .

From a pretty young age, Cade has enjoyed coloring. Now he has taken up drawing. He asks for plain white taper and his box of markers and will draw whatever is in his little mind at the time. He will draw multiple times a day for like an hour at a time. Often he will be in the middle of watching a show on tv and will ask me to pause it so he can draw a picture. It is usually something pertaining to the show he was watching. He really surprises us with some of the things he comes of with. Here are a few of his recent drawings . . .

Mr. Clown

If you give a mouse a cookie

Slinky from Toy Story (of course)

Woody

Buzz Lightyear (notice the light shining off of him)
Zurg with Buzz in the back ground. And of course the smoke and fire . . .
Peter Pan (looks like he was in a crayon mood when he did this) Pirate
Lots of characters from Aladdin (his new love)!

Maybe this kid will make us some money someday with his artwork! :) Know of any good art schools that don't cost a fortune? :)

What Trenda Won't Post on Her Blog

As a followup to my personal "Biggest Loser" accomplishment from earlier this year . . .


(actual results may not be accurately depicted in the previous photographs)


I decided to train for the MS 150 Bike Ride, which raises money and awareness for Multiple Sclerosis (held on June 27-28 this year - feel free to make a tax-deductible donation through the following link) . . .

http://main.nationalmssociety.org/site/TR/Bike/UTUBikeEvents?px=6320803&pg=personal&fr_id=9532&et=k2Hl-Wnk0QhwftmpibBNbQ..&s_tafId=89812


Trenda let me spend a bunch of money on some Specialized Allez Elite Bicycles . . .



And even let me get a pair of those spandex bike shorts . . .



So I took the kids out for a couple rides myself . . .



And on the second ride we took as an entire family . . . Trenda ended up in the doctor's office




With a fracture in the head of the radius bone in her right forearm


http://orthoinfo.aaos.org/topic.cfm?topic=A00073


Since I was ahead of her when the accident happened, I'm assuming it was because she was distracted by my shorts:)

Frustrating Mommy Moments . . .

Often throughout my day things will happen and I will think, I should write about that on my blog, but I usually don't. So, Today I am following through! :) Here are a few frustrating mommy moments I have had recently . . .

1) The other day I went to Rite aid. Right when I got there I took both of my kids to the restroom so I wouldn't have to deal with it while I was shopping (I never went into restrooms in stores before I had kids, now I do almost every time I am at the store with my kids and sometimes more than once)! They both went potty and we started shopping. After getting everything we needed, we headed the checkout stand. I was using coupons and the person was taking forever ringing me up and trying to get the coupons to work. In the process of all this, Cade starts saying, "I have to go poo, I have to go poo" over and over, and then Ambree proceeds to say that she does as well. So, both of my kids are yelling that they have to go poo and the lady is in the process of telling me she needs to get the manager to help her. I am feeling desperate so I say, "well, I have to take my kids to the bathroom before they stink up your store by going in their pants . . . I will be right back". SO, I leave right in the middle of getting checked out to take my kids to the bathroom again! Anyway, very embarrassing, but not quite as embarrassing and annoying as it would have been if they both pooped in their pants!

2) About a month ago the kids and I were all very sick. After a week of sleepless nights because of coughing so much and getting up to sick kids, etc. I finally went to the doctor and took the kids with me because Craig was working. Even though they were sick, they were running all over the place, getting into everything. Finally when I went to see the doctor, he said that he would check their ears and throats too, which was very nice of him. Well, Ambree refused! She was arching her back and screaming and then started flopping around on the floor saying no, no, no! Next we went to Walgreens to get my prescription filled, which cost way more than I expected and after waiting for it and trying to entertain the kids while I was feeling awful myself, we went out to leave and I realized I locked my keys in the car! By this point I am so drained from the previous week and all that had happened I was in tears. I called Craig and luckily he was on his lunch break and was able to come help me out, but I was so done!

3) Today I put a video on for the kids, so I could take a shower in peace without them pounding on the door. Apparently Ambree wasn't that into the video because five minutes after I had gotten in the shower she came in the bathroom (I usually lock the door for this very reason, but forgot today). She had the camera in her hands and was trying to take pictures of me through the glass door! I told her to go put the camera back and to go watch her video. She left for a minute and then came back in saying she had to go potty. I told her to go by herself (which she knows how to do), but she insisted that I help her! Just what I want to do is get out of my nice warm shower while I am naked and dripping wet to help her go potty when she knows how to go by herself. Anyway, she proceeds to wet her pants and then she is standing outside of the shower crying about it! Ugh. Soon after this I am done with my shower and as I am getting out I realize she has my lip pencil in one hand and a wad of toilet paper in the other and there is lip stick smeared all over the wall. "Ambree, what are you doing"? I asked and she said, "I am just trying to clean it up before you get mad at me". Can't a girl just have a shower in peace!?

I am sure I could go on and on, but this is good for now. Hopefully if my children are raising their own kids and are feeling frustrated, they can read this and realize they did it to me too, and I know I did it to my mom! What are some frustrating mommy moments you have had lately?

Easter pictures in action . . .

Me: Alright kids, smile for a picture!
Cade: Oh no, there's a bee on that flower . . . stand back Ambree, I will protect you!
Ambree: Are you sure that's a bee?

Ambree: That's not a bee silly, it's just a fly!

Cade: Oh, ha ha, my bad!

Me: Ok, now that we have that all sorted out, smile for a picture!

Me: Uhh, I am over here . . . hello!?

Me: Ohhh, much better, thank you! Now let's get some individual shots!

Me: Ok, Ambree, can you give me a smile!?

Ambree: Oh mom, I just want to play! I don't want to pose for more of your silly pictures!

I just want to climb rocks . . .

And pick flowers . . . after all, it's such a nice day!

Me: Could you at least look in this direction?

Me: alright, that's a little better, now look at me!

Ambree: Gosh mom, you ask for one thing and when I do it you just ask for more and more!

Me: Someday when you look at these pictures you will wish that you were looking at the camera.

Ambree: I thought you wanted me to look at you.

Me: It's all the same!

Me: Alright, let's see if Cade is willing to cooperate.
Me: Ok Cade, show me your best pose!

Cade: How about my muscle man pose?

Me: That was cute, now can I see just a normal Cade pose?

Cade: Ok, how's this?

Me: Wow! That was great. Maybe there is hope for Ambree's posing skills after all! :)

I haven't done a tag for a while and I got tagged, so here it goes . . .

5 things I was doing 5 years ago:

1) I was just getting over the first trimester and bad morning sickness while pregnant with Cade.

2) Working on my last semester at BYU-Idaho . . . lots of elementary ed stuff.

3) Enjoying and adjusting to my first year of married life.

4) Trying to figure out what we were going to do for the summer before Craig would start optometry school.

5) Getting very anxious for warm weather (kind of like now)!

5 things on my to-do list for today:

1) Lots of laundry and cleaning.

2) work out

3) watch American Idol

4) Get out of the house!

5) Dress kids, feed kids, wipe kids bottoms and noses, clean up after kids, play with kids, hug kids, kiss kids, and put kids to bed. . . just like every day!

5 things I would do with a million dollars:

1) Buy new cars and a new house and pay in full.

2) Get all the clothes, jewelry, home decor stuff, etc. that I have been eyeing.

3) Save for kids college, mission, etc.

4) Invest and travel

5) Help my family and close friends that need certain things that they can't afford.

5 places I have lived:

1) California

2) Idaho

3) Utah

4) Portugal

5) Africa

5 jobs I have had:

1) Hostess at Black Angus Restaurant

2) Clothing store called Tilly's

3) Grazianos Pizza Restaurant

4) BYU Idaho Cafeteria

5) Potato Plant in Idaho

5 things I want to be doing in 5 years:

1) Enjoying a body that is more healthy and in shape.

2) I used to think I would have 1 or 2 more kids, but after today I don't know about that.

3) Living in a bigger home with a big fenced in yard.

4) Serving others

5) Feeling more confident, happy and at peace in all aspects of my life . . . Relationships, spiritual, physical, financial, mental, etc.

Ambree . . .

Ambree got a hair cut! I cut Cade's hair, and then thought I would give Ambree a trim. Well, that trim turned into about 2 1/2 inches because I kept trying to straighten it out! I was a little sad, but figure it will grow back. It is still long enough to do most of the hair styles I do on her hair, and it will probably be nice for the summer! I don't have any before pictures because I wasn't planning on cutting so much off, but I thought her reaction was funny after she saw the hair on the ground, so I took a few pictures. She just stared at her hair and said, "What's that?" When I told her it was her hair, she was very fascinated and had to look at it up close! :)

While I am on the topic of Ambree's hair, I thought I would share some of the fun hair styles I have done with her hair in the past few months. She is at the stage where she really likes me to do her hair and then look at it in the mirror. She loves wearing bows and loves being "pretty" although we try to remind her often that it is her smile that makes her pretty, not just her bows! :) A few of these are originals, but most of them I have found on various hair blogs that I have links to on my blog if you are interested.