Dropped off the face of the blogging world

We are back....we had a crazy week and weekend. The kids had 4 soccer games, Easton had kindergarten open house, a field trip to the fire department, Neil had young mens on two nights (they are playing basketball and the regular night) and to top it all off we have been working on the basement. I can't wait to finally have a finished basement. This week the task as been....the bathroom. While Addison napped this week I tried to accomplish a few tasks. Tuesday, during nap time while everyone else is at school, I painted the bathroom in the basement. (for those that don't know we are finishing the basement and the drywall guys we here a few weeks ago) Thursday during nap time I painted on a waterproofer. It goes on pink and dries red. I painted in on the entire shower/tub surround and on the concrete floor. Friday the fun began. Neil and I laid the tile in the the tub surround and on the floor. We got a late start, so at 1 am I crashed and Neil continued on until 2:30. Saturday morning Neil had to get up and go pick up food for the scout food drive. Then when he returned home we grouted the tile. I also painted the dressers for Brooke's room and some of the items that will hang on her walls. All this while entertaining kids and cleaning the basement. Oh yeah...all Friday was spent going through the kids toys and weeding out the junk. The kids were actually quite helpful and got rid of a lot. So now I am back, hopefully! We have another busy week with 5 soccer games this week, Neil out of town on business, and more spring cleaning to do. Luckily my parents are on their way today to come take care of me ! (pictures of the bathroom to come!)

Let the painting begin

We finally got Easton's room completely painted. It was quite the process...but it is all one color now! Here are some of the highlights of painting three kids bedrooms...all while one is napping. It took a lot of planning to make get painting done while she was asleep. Neil didn't think about putting on a mask while he sprayed the primer and ceilings...this is the unfortunate result. He was sneezing paint the rest of the day!

All the kids wanted to help out and Brooke did an especially good job on the cutting in.

The boys also helped....but unfortunately they can only paint the bottom third of the wall. We let them help with the first coat...and then Neil did the second coat all alone. We had a great time...but are glad it is over.

Ivins Easter egg hunt

Addison saw her cute friend Jordan (aka big J) at the beginning of the hunt. Big J is 6 months younger then Addie!

Easton and Addison right after the hunt. Because of the screwy way they do the age groups, Easton is in the same age category as Addie. He of course made out like a bandit cause he was with all the little kids. Because of the way they did it this year, I went with East and Add, and Neil went with Brooke and Cam.

Happy kids after a great hunt...went to fast and they feel they didn't get nearly enough....but a great time was had by all. No one got scared and cried! Our only disappointment....the McKellebs weren't here with us like they normally are at the hunt with us! According to the countdown only 700+ days until they return to us!

Chuckawalla Trail

Saturday we hike the Chuckawalla Trail. It was a great hike that took us about two hours....but we also stopped and had a picnic lunch under a great shade tree. The kids especially loved climbing on the red rocks....there was a great little tunnel that Camden fit through! Addison loved being outside and didn't complain once about being in the backpack....I think she like being outside so much she didn't care how it had to happen! We plan on going back and hiking a little farther next time!

Why I am a mom!

Today as Easton was leaving the room I was in I told him I loved him. He said he loved me....which started a back in forth between us...each of us telling the other one that we loved them more then they love us. It was a fun cute little thing...but he definately beat me showing me he loved me the most when he thought for a second and then said, "I love you as much as Jesus loves us"! Oh melt my heart. Days like this remind me why I am a mom!

black jellybeans

yesterday Easton informed Camden that the black jellybeans he got at school taste like spiders...I guess that is his way of saying they are yucky?!

He shoots, he scores!

Camden had his first soccer game, without ever having a practice, and he scored a goal! The first half of the game he was goalie...and did a great job. His only problem with being goalie was when one kid from his own team decided he wanted to be goalie and "helped" him stop the ball. It is so cute to watch this peewee team play. When Camden scored it wasn't an oop's shot. He set up the shot and kicked hard. The ball sailed past the goalie, who was trying to stop it. As Cam ran back down the field past us he looks over and gives us a big grin and two big thumbs up. Can't wait to see how the next game goes. Pictures to come.

Easton...loves his new room

So we have painted all three kids rooms downstairs. I will post a picture as soon as they are decorated! Unfortunately when we painted Easton's room we needed a tad bit more paint. So I took the lid to the store just like they told me to do so they could match it. We get it home and Neil paints the last two walls their second coat. As it starts to dry I tell Neil it doesn't match. He thinks maybe it is just cause it is wet. No go. So we have to paint the entire room again! We told Easton the sad new and all day yesterday we heard Easton say,"the blues are fine, I like both blues!" He wants terribly to be downstairs with the other kids...but unfortunately the blues are not fine!

DADA

Yesterday when I picked up Addison from nursery she sees me and signs and says "DaDa" and runs past me out to the hall to look for Neil. What am I, chopped liver?

Trauma, life in the ER (or insta care)

Saturday evening Brooke starts crying saying something is in her eye. We search and search and can't find anything. We end up saying just go to be and it will be better in the morning. We really hope that whatever it is has scratched her eye and that is why it still hurts. The next morning and all through church she is still complaining, eye is red and watery. After church I call our eye doctor and leave a message on his cell phone. No reply. Still complaining. End up going and waiting at instacare for 1 1/2 hours. Dr. looks around in her eye...flushes it a couple times, puts dye in it and uses a black light...nothing. Sends us home telling us most likely just scratched it and call our dr. tomorrow. Get home and our eye doctor calls and apologizes...cell phone was on vibrate. Wants to meet us at his office. We get there and he looks at her eye with his scope...for sure something still in there. Said there is like 70 scratches on her eye. Puts dye in her eye...again (although he was much better at it), hooks up the camera so he can take a picture. Brooke and I see all the scratches....very cool! And he numbs her eye with some drops. He then shows on me, so Brooke won't be scared, how he is going to flip her eyelid so he can look under it. This feels super weird. He flips her eye and uses tweezers to pull out this teeny tiny speck of something. We could hardly see it on the end of the tweezer...so he puts the camera on it and we can still hardly see it. All that trouble for that tiny little nothing. He says she should be 85% better by this morning and 100% within 24 hours...man the eye is amazing!

Fast food anyone?

Yesterday while getting ready for church Camden comes in my room and says, "mom, is today fast food Sunday?" While supressing a giggle I reply,"No, it's not bud" He says, "Good, cause I am starving"! You know, cause my 6 year old fasts sooooo much! (aka never)! Gotta love myboy!

Sushi

My cute friend Marleen has been experiementing with making her own sushi. Those who know me well know that this sushi is the closest I will probably ever come to it! I am not a fish lover! Found this great idea for a baby gift idea!
Here is how the gal says to make them....1st use a plastic take out container. Inside are six pairs of baby socks, 3 black, 3 white. All I did was roll one white sock up and roll a black sock around it. Then I secured it with a rubber band on the bottom. I used felt to cut out the fake tuna, green grass and ginger. To keep the gift in theme, I added a child's pair of chopsticks. Wouldn't this be a great baby shower gift. From first experience as a mother, I can tell you there's never enough socks. ! Hope you enjoy your sushi!

Perfection in a little yellow package!

As I sit here eating my banana for breakfast, I can't help but think of it's perfection. Why is a banana perfect? Bananas can be consumed at every meal. Slice it and put in on your bland bowl of cheerios and they suddenly become a treat. They pack perfectly in a childs lunch box...and rarely come home uneaten. They are perfect in both breads and pies. Try dipping it in a little chocolate and you are indulging yourself. The obvious is in a banana split. And how many of us have had them while camping...the famous banana boat! A banana is one of the few items at our house where everyone loves them. This rarely happens. There is nothing cuter then watching your one year old sign banana when we are at the grocery store and squeal with anticipation of eating one! Bananas are the very first item in the BRAT diet. Those with mothers know the BRAT (bananas, rice, applesauce, toast) diet is consumed when your precious dears have been vomiting at 3 in the morning! In honor of the banana I looked up a few unknown facts. 1. Bananas help with anemia. 2. Bananas help lower blood pressure 3. Bananas help boost brain power 4. When you have heart burn, eat a banana 5. Bananas help with depression Note: The banana plant is not a tree. 6. bananas are noted to help with warts...simply place a piece of banana skin on the wart (yellow side out) and wrap with a bandage 7. before reaching for anti-itch cream, rub a piece of banana skin on a mosquito bite and the inflamation and itch will begin to disappear! All this and what does perfection cost you? A mere 50 cents a pound! Bananas are amazing....my daughter even has a little ditty she sings with her cousin to honor the banana....
Bananas of the world unite (hands go over head)
Peel to the left (left arm goes to the side)
Peel to the right (repeat with right arm)
Go bananas, go, go bananas, go!(twist arms like wheels on the bus while you and your friend do-se-do)
Go bananas, go, go, bananas, go! (repeated, on the last go arms are thown up in the air)
Take a bow bananas...we love you!
(send me your favorite banana recipe and I will post it on the cupcake blog!)
By the way...a banana plant is not a tree...it is actually the world's largest herb!

great kids clothes

Love this catalog that comes in the mail...but also have a website. cwdkids.com Can't get over the adorable swimsuits they have!

Signing Time with Addie and Mommy(to the signing time tune)

After a little coaxing (I mean shoving her head) Addison finally agreed to perform. Here she signs...candy, ice cream, eat, Dad, mommy, more, baby, bath, please and thank you! (well, her versions of the signs. Enjoy!

gettin skinny

So yesterday I mentioned that Neil got into a smaller pair of jeans. Well as he was taking them off last night and emptying his pockets he pulled out a movie stub. It was from February...2001! He hasn't fit into those pants since before Camden was born. He is very excited. He also hit another milestone...he is now 199, under the 200 mark. We are still working very hard at this weight loss crud, but I am stuck at my 7-8 lb mark...just keep bouncing between 2 lbs. I am hoping it is because I am gaining muscle, right? My jeans are getting baggier on me, so lets hope! But Neil has lost about 16 lbs now! I guess he will be winning our skinny contest!

Girl Scout Leader!

Ok...so I thought I could add that little tidbit of information to my a-z list and get away without telling the full story. I guess I was wrong. Here is the scoop....in 4th grade my g.s. leader divorced her husband. She was seeing a counselor and one day while leaving his office her husband short her 6-8 times. He then went to hijack an airplane so he could go kill her parents. It was later discovered that he was like a drug dealer or something! I know what you are thinking...isn't this a storyline on days of our lives? Oh no...my lovely friend from 4th grade Kara Koerner lost both her parents that terrible day. I hear that she is now a lawyer in California, although I haven't seen her since....she went to live with her aunt. Her father now sits in Carson City at the prison trying to get out on some technicality..with so strange "girlfriend" helping him! See I am not as boring as I appear to be!

tagged, again

A- Attached or single: Attached
B- Best Friend: Neil
C-Cake or Pie: cheesecake(so is that cake or pie)
C-(had to add my own C)Coke or Pepsi:PEPSI
D- Day of Choice: any day Neil doesn't have to work and we don't have to go anywhere
E- Essential Item: sewing machine
F- Favorite Color: chocolate and blue/pink
G- Gummy Bears or Worms: bears covered in chocolate
H- Hometown: Reno, NV
I- Indulgence(s): Cadbury mini egs (luckily only available this time of year)
J- January or July: July kids are home
K-Kids: Brooke, Camden, Easton, Addison
L-Life is incomplete without: my family
M- Marriage Date: Aug 3
N- Number of Siblings: 1 sister, 1 brother=2
Oranges or Apples: apples (pink ladies, yummy)
P-phobias or Fears: my kids getting hurt or lost
Q-quote(s):Seriously?!
R- Reason To Smile: my cute hubby just fit into the size jeans he wore when we got married, now it is my turn!haha
S-Season: Spring
T-Tag Nine:If you are reading this consider yourself tagged, but here goes:Jalyn, Lindz, MB, Darleen, Marleen, Kimberly, Tricia, Missy and Noelle
U-Unknown Fact About Me: ummm...I i was a girl scout until my leader was shot and killed by her husband (totally serious)
V- Vegetarian or Oppressor of Animal: If I were a vegetarian I would starve...don't like enough veggies!
W- Worst Habit: Can't say NO
X- X-Rays or Ultrasounds: Ultrasounds-Only had those and for having babies, and only X-ray in my life was when Cam had a broken foot
Y- Your Favorite Food: hard to say...prime rib or mexican
Z-Zodiac: Aquarius

Thanks for the fun Shelly

799

the magic number! I have been waiting for the day to arrive, and it finally has. My friend Jalyn's counter is under 800! What does this mean? Only 799 more days until they graduate from law school and come HOME! Yeah! It may not seem like a significant thing, since there is still a ton of days left! But it is under 800! Yeah!

Don't see me naked

This morning as I am trying not to wake up I hear Easton saying, "Camden, it is time to wake up" Not 5 minutes later I hear him say, "Brooke go back to sleep, I don't want you to see me naked!" When asked about it he tole me he wanted her to be awake, just not to get out of bed! For some reason seeing his four year old hiney get dressed was not acceptable. My answer? Then don't run around the house naked!

paint, paint and more paint

Saturday the dry wall guys were here working on the basement....so far we are almost fully textured in the 3 kids bedrooms and the bathroom. We will do the rest of the basement after we do the backyard. Here is the problem/fun. What colors to paint. Brooke's room is zebra print/pink. Here is what it looks like...

I just want some ideas on how I should paint her room. Should I try to copy the picture? I need input. We have the comforter, round pillow, shams, bedskirt. On one wall i will be copying an idea I got from pottery barn kids. It is along these lines.... big like 5 foot by 5 foot...

any suggestions are appreciated.

Camdens room: Cowboy room, yes he chose the theme after we went to the local rodeo! Am thinking of painting it denim and faux leather. With a chair rail to separate the two. What do you think? Also am doing shelves like this...

I though on the shelves I would put Neil's tractor collection...cause tractors kind of go with cowboys right?!? But I need ideas cause I am afraid the paint treatment will be too dark.

Easton's room..baseball. I started out with the boys both in a baseball room...but only got as far as bedspreads and pictures. Now the boys each will get their own room...so I am finally going to paint. Here is the bedding for the two beds in his room...

I also have two black and white baseball prints for the walls. They are two different prints of kids from the 40's. In one the kids are in front of Yankee stadium and in the other they are actually playing ball and one kid is sliding into home. Great prints! I then have in vinyl on the wall...."don't let the fear of striking out keep you from playing the game" So I just don't know what color to paint the walls. We have to paint in the next few days...starting with Brooke's room.

Bathroom: the texture we are using is called "holey smooth" so basically it means a trowled texture. I need to paint it a base color with a glazed color over top. Let me know if you have any ideas. Thanks for any ideas you can offer!