Christmas 2009

Oh Christmas Tree

This one deserves a story: Once upon a time Mark and I were serving as hosts at the Creche Sat night. Caia stayed home and babysat her sisters. When we got home not only were the little girls in bed, the kitchen clean with the dishwasher running with 8 dishes in it, AND the lights on the Christmas tree hung. We have had the tree up since Thanksgiving but I couldn't find the lights. Every couple of days I'd get tired of looking at the bare tree and march down stairs and look for the lights, having no success I'd give up. On the way home from the Creche I told Mark I wanted to run to Walmart to buy more..then decided to just head home. I'm glad I didn't buy them. She did such a great job with what we had. It's the best tree ever and we all are living happily ever after!

Creche 2009

Creche: Etymology: French, from Old French creche manger, crib, of Germanic origin; akin to Old High German krippa manger — more at crib

Date: 1792

1 : a representation of the Nativity scene

Dog Tails

First up a dog wedding dress for Bastet, followed by Cooper. Our friends came to town for graduation and brought their dog for the girls. It was fun having them and what a good dog!

Public Service Announcement

After reading the "The Grinch Who Stole Christmas" I over heard the following conversation coming from my kitchen......

P/Cindy Lou Who: "Oh Santy Clause why? Why are you taking my Credit Card WHY??"

("Then that Grinch, he thought up lie, and he thought it up quick"...)

C/Santy Clause Grinch: "I'm taking it to spend THERE then I'll bring the bill back here!"

("then he gave her a drink and sent her to bed".)

How on earth did a 10 year old and 7 year old ever come up this one? Although I'm sure this would make a great public service announcement regarding staying out of debt for Christmas! Apparently my kids get the idea of credit cards quite well. Score one for Mom!!

Thanksgiving

What a fun Thanksgiving. Grammy and Grandpa, and Uncle Scott all came to spend the holiday. It was the first one we've done with family in Moscow. We spent time at Wild at Art, made gingerbread houses, and necklaces. We did LOTS of shopping, and after the girls went to bed Grammy and I worked on our Thanksgiving and Christmas signs. We finished Thanksgiving sign at 11:00 pm Thanksgiving night. At least we'll have it for next year.

Weekend Plans

So my birthday is Saturday, I'm more excited about it than usual. First my mom, dad and brother will be here. There's a craft fair, I'm planning dinner out, and I have my tickets to New Moon w/ my mom and friend Wendy. Not to mention presents, it's been stashed down stairs for 2 months now and I can't wait to use it. It also means only 1 more week to the Michael's Thanksgiving Day Sale, Cricut Cartridges 60 percent off, my mom and friend Tanya already have plans for that!

This is an E-mail I got from my friend Mimmy regarding my birthday:

"Oh, and this is what Carli had to say about that today:
Me: Saturday is Holly's birthday
Carli: We SO need to get her a presant
Me: I already did
Carli: (when I told her what I got you) Lame. I should just go get her something myself
Me: Maybe a polly pocket so she has her own to play with Payton?
Carli: that's exactly what I was thinking!
Me: Ok but you have to use your own money
Carli: Nevermind. I'll see what they have at the Dollar Store.

I have been giggling all morning about it. "

Can't wait to see what the Dollar Store has in store for me!!

Elyse Dance Class

Halloween

Happy B-day Payton!!

Peel that Carrot!

Animal Love!

From the Mouth of a Daughter

So Mark came into the kitchen this morning wearing a dark suit. It's my favorite I love to see him dressed in a traditional dark suit it works for him and me. Our conversation is as follows:
H. "Ooh you look good"
M. " Do I look like a lawyer?" as he gets a garbage bag out to collect house trash for trash day.
H. "perfect"
C. "Yeah even the janitors in his fancy building have to wear suits!"

HA I love that girls sense of timing!! I'm still laughing!!

Back 2 School!

So today was the 1st day of school. Caia started 5th, and Payton 1st grade. I was so relived that Payton was happy and excited to go back to school.
OK So first day of school: Mom; curling Payti's hair "Do you want me to take you to your class?"
Payton: "no just drop me off." Needless to say when we got there I just walked her to the door and she didn't complain she looked so happy! Poor Caia, went running to her door and her lunch that she packed broke dumping her lunch on the ground. Luckily our friend was close and helped her pick it all up. I had to run home for my checkbook and go back to pay for a couple of things. As we are leaving the school after making the payments, mind you only 40 min after the start, Elyse says. "Hey we forgot to get the girls!" Poor thing thought we could take them home already. She misses her sisters.

I didn't cry when I dropped them off, but as I drove past the cemetary today running errands,the tears came uncontrolably. Elyse is asking about Josh, as I'm thinking he won't be by to see how their first day of school was. He always checked in, just as he did sometime during his first week of school. So as the tears are flowing as fast as my thoughts and Elyse's questions, the Dance by Garth Brooks is playing on the radio! It has all new meaning for me.

Camping Trip #2

Can I just say I love having a friend willing to go on adventures with! Not just anyone would be willing to head off on a camping trip without the dad's to help. Keep in mind we do this with kids aging 10, 6, 5,4,3, & 1 1/2, years old. We are smart about it, we leave the dog for the dad's to bring up with them after work, and camp far enough from the water that we haven't had any major water problems, but close enough we can throw rocks into the reservoir when we want to. The kids left plenty dirty and tried, so I'd consider it a successful trip!
Thank you Wendy for another fun camp out!

Memories and More to Come.

So I'm on a mission to put all of my digital photos into folders by month and year. I did 2005- 2009 on my last trip to Utah. Last night I I started 2001 - 2005. 2001 being our first digital camera. I made it through 01-early 02 and these are just a few memories that make me realize how much I love my Moscow Family. The Pennington's have always been our family away from UT & AZ. And my playgroup sisters, those 2 years are hard to put into words. This was a great group and it wasn't about the kids lol! OK they weren't the last on our minds but we did it for us. Whoever's house playgroup was at provided a short activity a lesson or a book, and provided a kids lunch. Then we plugged the kids into a movie or sent them off to play, and our favorite part of playgroup started. Someone else was assigned to bring a lunch for the moms. We had some great lunches, and lots of laughing and memories were made. To this day you get the 4 of us in the same room and we are still known to laugh and close the place down. We spent lots of time in the church parking lot long after Enrichment was over " on our way home". We could say bye probably 10 times before we actually left. I'd have to say if it wasn't for these sisters I'm not sure I would look on those first years so fondly. I think just because we know we want to be a stay home that it's assumed you'll love it. But it started off tough for me, I knew it was what I wanted but it took some time to figure out how to stay home and what to do with all that time without another adult to chat with. My playgroup sisters and I all had, different personalities and trials. But facing them together, I believe, lightened our loads.

On to the rest of the pictures...

Look how young my husband looks! Not a bishop hair in site! HA HA!! Not to over look the pic. of Matt and Caia Dancing, he has always been such a good sport.

(to be continued...)

Some Real Cool Cats!

So check out the video's to the right. HILARIOUS! (Sorry the sound is bad the acoustics weren't ideal.) ONLY 40 Beehives and Darcy could ever get my husband to "go bananas" like that!! Got to love Girls Camp. Here's the basics of the skit: Each character walks up and asks the "construction workers" how to get some where. They proceed to tell them where to go. The last, Darcy, brings the bananas and ask them what she could do with them. "you can peel bananas, peel peel bananas", or you can "chop bananas, chop, chop, bananas" or you can "GO BANANAS GO, GO, BANANAS!

The pics above are from family night at Boys Camp followed by girls camp. Mark and I both went and had the best time ever. One of the highlights was when one of the girls ate a grasshopper for bragging rights. ( OK, I may have had to pay out $5.00 on that one.) She was so funny about it. She had Mark and I sign the $5 and she was going to frame it! I was relieved when I figured out who her parents were, for awhile I was worried I'd be getting a phone call! HA HA!! I can't for Caia to go in just two years!

Oh Yes She Did!

This afternoon I was sitting on my bed while Elyse is "styling" my hair. She jumps down runs to her bathroom grabs a brush, I have my head down watching TV for a few minutes, when she comes back in. I feel her playing with my hair, I hear cccrunch, and grab at my FALLING HAIR! It wasn't a brush she grabbed, it was scissors, and OH YES SHE DID! I have seen the after of kids cutting their own hair, I have read my friends complaints on facebook, Caia and her cousin had a hair cutting session at about 4 years old, but have you ever known a child bold enough to cut their mom's hair???? Seriously who does that????? Not the angel sleeping below this post. Better question am I the only mom who would die laughing over this???? (not in front of her, but now, just typing and thinking about it, I'm laughing almost to tears!!!)

Lazy Summer Day

Elyse and Payton decided to eat a snack on the lawn at the pool today. I was in front of them a couple of rows. I saw Payton get back in the pool, and Elyse still snacking, a few minutes later I couldn't see Elyse so I decided to go pick up the snack bag that I was sure would still be there, I found the bag and this......

Now that's a good day at the pool!