Bunnies, Bunnies, Bunnies!

Yesterday the kids and I went over to a friend's house to play and meet their new bunnies. We've been trying to set up a play date for weeks now, but just couldn't make our schedules click. But, when Amber sent me pics of the bunnies a few days ago, Emma saw them and put her foot down. We needed to go see Amber and her bunnies now!

So, we finally got together yesterday morning, and we had a blast. Here are some pics of the kids. I admit, if I didn't have a cat that would eat these bunnies in about 2 seconds flat, I would take 1 home in a heartbeat. I LOVE THEM!!!

Too sweet!

Great Quotes (?)

Emma:
- while watching the polar bears at the zoo, a group of kids crowded around her to see too
"Mommy, these kids are taking up all of my breathing room!"
- while discussing what to speak about in her first talk in Primary
"I think the best thing would be to talk about the thousand scrip-chin warriors."
"I want to talk about Captain Moroni and that flag he had on a stick."
"Could we talk about the guys who got burned in the fire but didn't really get burned?"
(She may not have these quite perfect, but I was very proud that she could remember the stories off the top of her head.)
- after Daddy caught her playing with Frank's um, "stuff" in the bathtub
"Daddy, I think Frank has marbles in there!"
- describing getting caught in the bathtub by Daddy to Mommy
"Daddy didn't like me playing with Frank's marbles. Can I get some marbles at the store to play with?"

Frank:
- after falling head-first out of the crib at Grandma's house
"I bonk, I bonk, I bonk." (for about an hour while rubbing his head)
- while banging Mommy in the head with his favorite car
"Mommy bonk, Mommy bonk"
- after hitting Mommy so hard in the shin with a truck that she cried a little
"I sorry I bonk Mommy." followed by hugs and kisses
(I was very impressed by his empathy, but do we see a pattern here?)
- being put in bed last night
"I need car! I need car!"
(He is such a boy! Emma takes a blanket and dolls, he has to have a car in bed with him or he absolutely can't sleep!)

Daddy:
- coming out of the bedroom at 8:00 am to find chaos in the living room and Mommy asleep on the couch
"What exactly happened here?" Uh, the kids!? Mommy sure didn't do it!
And my absolute favorite:
- during pillow-talk, discussing a show about an unwed couple about to have a baby that we were watching on TV
"It doesn't take a man to make a baby, it takes a man to raise a baby."

Winter in Arizona

There are a lot of people in this world (like my husband and you, Rachel) who believe that the presence of the 4 seasons are a necessity when choosing a place to live. I, however, am cut from a different cloth. I believe it's a lightweight cotton cloth, suitable for wear in the Arizona summers. Anyway, I just got an e-mail that illustrates why I feel the way I do about living in Southern Arizona. Many people believe that it's not really winter unless you have cold, snow, ice, salted roads, etc. I, however, believe that it's perfectly acceptable to go through an entire winter without ever wearing a heavy coat! This picture was taken at the park today. Yes, Frank is wearing a light jacket, but we took it off about 10 minutes after we got there. Both of my kids got sunburned, and we even were able to play outside in the sandbox in shorts and bare feet this afternoon. I love Arizona!

So, I already know the answer, but I'll ask the question anyway. Does anyone want to leave sunny, 70 degree Arizona for this? That's what I thought. Happy winter, everybody!
Thanks for the pics, Tahna!

My Little Mermaid

My daughter has a one-track mind. She gets latched onto an idea or memory and won't leave it for days.



Case in point:

Emma was looking through a pattern book at the fabric store last week. She saw a pattern for a Little Mermaid costume.

Ever since, she's been begging me to make her a costume with "red hair that flows just like this (making swaying motions with her hands)" and "green fabric so that my legs can be flippers."


Today at volleyball she told everyone who would listen, and interrupted the game about 9 times to remind me that I needed to create such a masterpiece for her.

We even had to watch the Little Mermaid this afternoon so that she could show me exactly what she was supposed to look like.



This was the scene I found when I came out of the house this afternoon looking for her. She was almost in the middle of the driveway, but it was the largest rock she could find to recreate the "Part of His World" scene from the movie.



Classic, huh?

I Got Nothin'

I have been thinking and thinking about what to write, and I got nothin'.

We just got back from Safford/Thatcher this morning. We got to meet our newest cousin, Camm Owen Allred, and boy, is he cute! He's Amy's newest, and that makes 3 for her. We also got our taxes done and visited all of the grandparents & great-grandparents. It seems like there would be something interesting to write about, but I've got a big blank. So, I'll just share some pics of our outing to the park last week, and leave it at that.



I'm sure that the kids will do something crazy or cute tonight as we navigate our way through dinner, baths, and bedtime. They usually save the really good stuff for when Daddy's not around!

Soccer Stars!

Circles

So I've been thinking this afternoon about circles.
We all know of a few well-known circles.

The circle of life, circles of friendship, the circle/cycle of pride. But I've been thinking of another more prevalent circle (in my household at least).

THE CIRCLE OF HOUSEWORK

By: Kris Merriman, mommy extraordinaire

I choose to think of it as homework, this job that's never done.

Even when life gets busy and we're crazy on the run.

I dust, sweep, and mop and oh, I pick up toys,

I clean so much I sometimes miss my life's little joys.

The house is never clean enough for my husband dear,

but to get it "Andrew clean", I think it'd take a year!

My favorite part of housework is finding special treats.

Like the spot on my cushion or the snack someone forgot to eat.

I love getting to do the same dishes every day,

I find joy in discovering the milk that's turned to clay.

Oh, my life is so exciting, it's always something new.

Like opening the dryer to find all the white clothes blue.

A dustpan and broom are the tools of my trade,

If I only knew how to use them, then my life would be made!

This messy house, this messy house, oh, woe is me.

A shining example of cleanliness I'm sure it will never be.

My house doesn't look good, but I don't really care,

because my kids are calling, and I will soon be there.

I choose to focus on the important things in life,

Like being a good mommy and the world's best-looking wife!

Yeah, right, you all say in loud voices oh so clear.

But ask my man, he'll tell you, if I am standing near.

I love the circle of housework that goes round in my home.

There's nothing better than picking gum out of the carpet with a comb.

But let us all rejoice, great mommys that we are.

For one day, there will be only us to dirty the car.

One day these little kiddos will be raised and gone.

And then who will we all have to blame our messes on?

Eating Woes

Anyone that knows us knows that we often have trouble getting our kids to eat. In the past few months, I've learned not to take it personally, to deny snacks and to just let them eat at their own pace. For the past few days, however, neither of them have eaten ANYTHING! Frank has literally eaten about 6 bites of food in the last 30 hours. He's still drinking, and is otherwise healthy, he just doesn't want to eat! Emma, as usual, just picks at her food and plays like a little monkey at the dinner table.

My dinnertime conversation with Emma tonight:

Mom: "Emma, you have 5 more minutes to eat and then it's bedtime."

Emma: no response

Mom: (watching Emma build a bridge from her cup to her nose with her fork) "Emma, it's almost time to get down. Can you eat a bite for me?"

Emma: no response, playing some sort of patty-cake game

Mom: (giving up and just staring at her)

Emma: "Mom, don't you like my show tonight? Don't you like my clappy feet and my clappy hands?"

Mom: BIG SIGH

Is it time for bed yet?