Snow white

So we had our own "Snow white" experience over here today. We got this awesome blender yesterday at Costco with an awesome price tag attached. It blends up marbles, rocks, metal... which is perfect since that is what I typically make smoothies out of. It also blends up fruit with the skins and their seeds. The man selling the product was talking about how nutritious watermelon and cantaloupe seeds are and how great the inner most part of a pineapple is for you (the part we usually don't eat). We make smoothies at least once a day- especially Brady. He is the smoothie king and I can always count on being ready for bed at 11pm when he decides he has to have a yogurt shake. He made a big deal about it saying shakes and smoothies are his favorite all time thing and he usually isn't that passionate or opinionated about anything! So, I figured this would be a nice surprise for him (and me too since it makes bread by grinding grain and even soups!)
After bringing it home yesterday afternoon, we made our fourth smoothie this afternoon with lunch. I put in spinach leaves, flax seed, yogurt, strawberries (with stems on) and an apple. A WHOLE apple. The seeds are especially nutritious right???
So, I'm telling my mom all about how cool this blender is and all the nutrition we'll be getting now so and mention our afternoon shake. She says, "the whole apple?" I told her I at least took off the stem first. She said, "I think apple seeds are poisonous." Yeah right I think. Funny mom. But still on the phone, I google it. Google is always right.
So, apple seeds do in fact contain cyanide.
I thought this quote from the google site was fascinating, "At least within the realm of murder mysteries, cyanide is the darling of poisoners because it acts quickly and irrevocably, once a fatal dose has been ingested there is no effective antidote and death takes place within minutes."
Uhhhhh..... oppps.
Well, it said "fatal" dose. One measly gala apple isn't a "fatal" does right?
If this is my last blog, you'll know the answer. Crap. Great, another day goes by when I don't win mother of the year just because I poison my kids.
(quite the resemblance don't ya think? Of course the poision apple I offered was pureed).

Dumbo

My kids LOVE Disney's Dumbo as of late. They watch the pink elephant part and rewind it again and again cracking up laughing. I think it's weird they do that since I would always fast forward that part because I thought it was creepy scary.
However, despite serveral little issues I have with the movie (ie bird smoking, calling names, etc) I have to say what concerns me the most is Bryce running full speed and jumping off the bed screaming "ME DUMBO!!!"
Yeah, really, he did. A few times. So we've also had the talk that Dumbo flys, Bryce doesn't. A few times. He says, "Dumbo fly, Bycie not fly," but we'll see if that stops him.

Full moon

(Is it still indecent exposure if your bum is this cute?)
Bryce has been doing an awesome job using the toilet. I've been letting him run around without a diaper if we are home (sometimes with pants on, and sometimes without- as you can see). I put a diaper on him when we go out, but today it's been dry all day! What a big boy! He is 2 1/2 today actually.
We have a Elmo potty book that we read when Elmo teaches his doll baby David how to use the potty. At the end it says, Elmo's a big monster now! Bryce says now, "me a big monster now like Elmo!" Cute kid.

I knew the boys were too quiet upstairs...

Closer look...

You should have seen the walls and floor... I just thought pads on the fan were amusing.

(FYI, after a few inquiries about how they got the pads up on the fan, thought I'd update this post. Our bed is just below the fan so they can jump and stick. Or Carter is almost tall enough that if he stands on a pillow or two and on his tiptoes he can reach it. So there ya have it folks!)

Welcome Home Elder!

Ok, I'm SO behind in the journaling portion of the blog. I always tend to write these random thoughts/ideas/happenings, and don't blog events as much. I'll try to do better. So here is the first bit of news....
My little brother Matt came back from his mission in MN! It was so great to meet him at the airport. Jason and Shandra and their kids came as did our family and of course my mom and dad. I've joked calling my mom a "psycho type girlfriend" with all the letters, emails, care packages and constant thoughts for Matt.
It's been so awesome getting to know Matt now. He truly has grown and matured into a man (and not just because he's gotten buffer and taller).:)
Welcome home Elder! We've missed you and are so proud of the service you've done for the Lord these past 2 years. We have all truly been blessed by your selfless sacrifice.
(holding up signs anxiously waiting to see Elder Petersen come through the terminal gate)

(comparing 'battle wounds from similar surguries a few weeks apart)

"To be learned is good..."

But how wrong is it that I learned more from "There is No Place like Space" by Dr. Seuss than I've learned in the past 6 months plus??? For example, Jupiter, although the largest planet, is so light it could float on water?? And Neptune gives off a blue hue??? I know, you all sit there as amazed as me... don't pretend like you remember this stuff from 5th grade. (And if you really do, don't tell me).

But, I can whip up cookies, or brownies from scratch without a recipe, recite "green eggs and ham" perfectly without looking at the book, kiss away boo-boos, comfort fears, make a great el dorado beef cheese casserole (and say it without mixing up the words three times fast), sleep on a sliver of the bed because two children and a 6'5" man are in there with me, function (although barely) on just a few hours of sleep, can tell what my children want/need based on the type of cry, pack for one adult and three children for a week vacation and not forget anything, have inventive ideas to keep my kids occupied in the store, doctors office and car, teach my children manners and respect, teach them about the Lord and his love for them. Mostly importantly I can love with all my heart with complete selflessness and be happy doing it.

So what if I forgot that Mars was cold with red dust? I know other things. :)

On that note though, I can't to see what I'll learn from "Dinosaurs, the real monsters."

Parenting poll

So I have a question for all the parents out there. Actually even people who are not parents can answer. (Although I don't think many people read this blog. Maybe I'm boring, maybe I don't have many friends... or both! GASP)
Anyways... it's not that big of a deal but still something I wonder how to respond to. Here is the situation:
Carter likes to save his money and buy toys he saves for (or candy/gum when I let him). So that's the thing. "When I let him." Should I have a say what he spends his money on?
He constantly says things like, "I want to buy one for me and one for Bryce, or one for me and one for Uncle Matt or daddy or a friend or everyone in my class"- if it's candy or gum. If he does by one for everyone in class, he's spent his 15 dollars already he's worked so hard to save. Is that okay? I have a hard time letting him do it although I do sometimes.
Today he was browsing the toy store while waiting for new tires to be put on Brady's car. He saw a harmonica and wanted to get one for Bryce too. So he spent his 10 dollars on a five dollar harmonica for him and for Bryce. Here are some pics. It really is sweet and exciting for him to give gifts because gifts is one of Carter's love languages. So is it my issue I need to get over and just let him spend all his money he's worked so hard to earn? Feedback please!
Carter almost more excited than Bryce for him to open the gift he bought him).
(making beautiful "music" together)

Toddler bed update

Thanks to all of you out there who offer sympathy and/or suggestions to help my little Bryce man sleep in the toddler bed. Here is the update....
I moved all the furniture and books out and put everything else up high. No way to climb on top of anything to get to the high things since there was no furniture. All he has now is his toddler bed in an empty room. One thing I forgot...



This was behind the dresser so we hadn't put one of the covers on it that slide over when you put the plug in. He pulled his nightlight out of the original socket, tried to plug it into the unprotected one and shocked himself. I hear him crying hard, run upstairs, and see him holding his finger. He shows me his finger and through the tears says, "dat got me!" pointing to the electrical socket. Crap.
Other than that one time my son almost electrocuted himself, things have been going really well. We didn't even have to lock him in his room for the past two nights and nap time is no longer an issue- he stays put! Miracles do still happen in our day and this is the proof! :) I guess we'll keep our Brycie after all.:) I'm glad cause I really love that little guy!

Demolition men!

Brady and my dad doing bathroom demolition. Under the original flooring there was black mold, and also on the studs. Gross!
I'm SOOOOO excited to have it all clean, new and shiny! We are going to have a new shower and floor, vanity and sink! Wa-hoo! As a bonus, our closet is going to be reorganized... or maybe I should say, organized for the first time)! I'll post 'after' pics when the job is done.
Thanks guys, love you both!

Spring is in the air!

You know what that means....

WORMS are in our hands!

(Shortly after this picture, I turn around and hear, "oh no!" The worm had become two).
Bryce carried this worm around for about half an hour pushing it in his dump truck and talking to it. He'd say in a high sweet voice, "ohhh...it's o-tay wom, Bycie hab you. It's o-tay..."


(Daddy and Bryce digging a hole to make the worm a 'home'- my attempt to keep it outside).
(my attempt failed. This is the worm... now three worms on our window sill.

Happy 5th Birthday Carter-O!

(Carter eating his birthday breakfast in bed holding up how old he is. I told him he could have anything he wanted, but he just wanted "ee-oo"cereal (Life) and juice. Easy enough).
Carter turned 5 on February 19th, but we didn't tell him he was five until that Saturday when he had his party a few days later. He had a race car party at the church. We were going to have it here at our house, but 13 boys in our townhouse didn't seem like the greatest idea. Especially since we (okay I) wanted to do relays and race cars and the like. I borrowed 13 old tires from a local auto place here and set them up to play musical "tires." They had to run around like race cars and when the music stopped, they needed to make a pit stop in one of the tires. It was lots of fun. We made candy race cars, did a race car scratch craft, played "vroom, vroom, go" (AKA duck, duck, goose) with them sitting in their tires, had a relay race and of course pinata. But just before that we ate race car cake. YUM! I had a lot of fun decorating it too. Carter invited his soccer coach who was sweet enough to come for the first hour, and he invited his primary teacher who also came for the first hour. It warms my heart to see all the people that influence my sons life make such an effort to show they care about him.
We ended up getting Carter geo trax grand central station which he shares with his brother- that was the stipulation since everything seems to be "his special toy" lately. We got Bryce his own train so they won't have to fight over the train it came with.
(all the guests around the table ready do a car craft wearing their 'race car helmet' masks).
(They had to go through a tunnel, step through the tires, jump over the 'river,' go around the cones, and throw a ball into a tire before running back and tagging the next person on their team. SO FUN!)
(pinata fun)
("Happy birthday to you..." Carter later told me he was "a little embarrassed with everyone singing to him").
(Fun race track cake I made... Carter put in most of the white lifesavers in the middle. What a great helper he is!)
(After the party which I thought was a huge success, I asked Carter what his favorite part was. He said, 'getting presents and the pinata).
Carter is really into making books now by drawing/coloring on printer paper, and/or writing random letters on the pages for a "letter page." He then staples them all together to be a "book" and gives them away as gifts or saves them for the library he wants to have someday.
Carter is a sensitive little boy who loves to run, bike, scooter, and play with friends. He loves the outdoors! He loves to talk and has a great imagination. He becomes fixated on things for a while (ex. making our house into a library, or our basement into geotrax city). He is very creative and asks a LOT of questions always wanting to know how and why. He's a great big brother and he and Bryce have really started playing together well. He loves preschool! He still loves trains, planes, boats and cars. Anything remote control is "cool." He likes playing soccer and loves eating candy/gum or anything sweet. He is into working to save money to buy things he wants. Yesterday he wanted to buy more geotrax tracks and today he wants to buy a four-wheeler that kids ride.
Here are some answers to questions I've asked him:
Favorite vacation: Disney Cruise
Favorite scripture story: When Nephi builds a boat
Favorite color: blue
Favorite toy: race car
Favorite friend: Braedon, I mean everyone. I mean Kyler, cause we played together yesterday.
Favorite treat: cake, candy and gum
Favorite family activity: hide and go seek
Favorite book: leaning about dinosaurs that used to be on the earth
Favorite movie: Geo trax All Aboard
Favorite thing to do: Go with daddy places and geotrax, geotrax, geotrax!
Favorite song: I'm a child of God
We are so grateful to have you in our family sweet boy! We love you!

But HOW?

Here is the conversation I had with Carter at 10:55pm- yes, PM last night.
He comes into my room says, "I'm thinking about sad things and feel sad." I bring him back to his room, hold him and rock in his chair and ask why. Here is the conversation while primary church songs play on his CD player.
Carter: Because I'm thinking of Jesus
Me: Those thoughts should be happy thoughts because he loves you so much. Why do you feel sad?
Carter: I don't know.
Me: Sometimes when I feel the spirit and the love that Jesus and Heavenly Father have for me, I feel so happy I cry. Do you think that's what you are feeling?
Carter: Well, I know how the spirit feels, but how can the holy ghost be with me and be with everyone else at the same time?
Me: Because he is a spirit so we can feel him all the time. He lets us know when what we hear is true and when we feel good inside and happy and peaceful, that's the holy ghost also with us.
Carter: Why is he called a ghost?
Me: It's just another name for spirit. We can call him the holy spirit if you want. It just means he doesn't have a body like Heavenly Father and Jesus do.
Carter: Why?
Me: So he can be felt by everyone in the world.
Carter: But how???
Me: I don't understand everything right now, but I have faith and believe that because the spirit does not have a body, we are able to feel him with us.
Carter: Some people didn't believe in Jesus. But I believe in Him. Do you believe in Him mommy?
Me: Yes Carter, I believe in Him. I know he is the son of God.
Carter: Me too. But how cany the holy ghost be with everyone? Can you show me a scripture that talks about that?
Me: (a little stunned, feeling unworthy to be this child's mother b/c I don't have all the answers...not even close). I say, I'll find you one and share it with you in the morning.
Carter: Ok. I think the holy ghost just goes around and around in a big circle (drawing a circle in the air with his finger) super fast so he can get to everyone.
Me: Hmmmm....maybe. But I think he's with us all at the same time.
Carter: But how?
Me: It's like when someone is baptized, they get to become a member of Jesus Christ church and then receive the gift of the holy ghost to be with them all the time when they are doing the things that Heavenly Father wants them to do. If they make a mistake, the holy ghost can't be felt anymore.
Carter: We all make mistakes. Then I'll just pray and make better choices, and then he'll come back.
Me: That's right.
Carter: Good feelings come from God. Bad feelings come from Satan.
Me: (Not sure how deep to go...) Whenever we are making good choices, we feel good and the spirit can be with us. All good things come from God. That's right.
I tuck Carter in tell him I love him and go downstairs to talk to Brady and my brother Matt who just got back from serving a 2 year mission for our church. I tell them the story and ask them for the scripture. I then go back to Carter ready with my D&C 130 28-29 talking about how God and Christ have a body of bones and flesh and the holy ghost is a spirit so he can dwell in us. Feeling satisfied I've given my preschooler some scriptural knowledge and answered his question, he looks at me and says, but HOW?