Dilemma

(This is my bathroom in different lights)



We have a light purple bathroom. Yep, just like a grandma would have. It's the bathroom that the girls use, but it's also the one that "company" uses if they're upstairs. It hasn't bothered me too much in the 4 years we've lived in this house - I think because I've always had in the back of my mind that I would eventually paint it a different color. Well, a few months ago I decided to get with it and pick a color. I always get so nervous picking paint colors because what I see on the little card ends up looking totally different on a wall. Anyway, after months of looking at 25 or so little cards in different lights (even different seasons!), I gradually narrowed it down to one. perfect. color. And I got excited. And the plan was that this week I would finally get 'er done.

I casually mentioned it to the girls on Monday that I finally decided on a paint color and that I would be painting the bathroom sometime this week. I even showed them the cute little card with the color on it. They all gasped and looked horrified. "You can't paint our bathroom! It's the girls bathroom and purple is the color for The Sisters Club. If you're going to paint it at all, you should probably paint it pink." Um, no.

So...I guess I have a dilemma. Should I respect the girls' wishes and leave the bathroom like it is (even with the froggy potty chair and ducky toothbrush holder) and realize that they'll grow up too quickly and eventually outgrow a purple bathroom and then I can paint it what I want? Or should I "be the mom" and say, "Well, that's tough because I'm painting the bathroom. You have a purple bedroom for crying out loud - isn't that enough purple for you?"

Any ideas?

How Lucky!

On Saturday as we were driving home after picking up the girls from their cousin's birthday party, Quentin and I said to each other, “Well, we’ve got the afternoon and evening free! What do we want to do?” And the girls all shouted, “Go swimming!” They have been wanting to go swimming for months, but for some reason I just hate public pools, especially in the winter. But Quentin said, “Why don’t I just take the girls, and you can have some free time at home?” I was dumbfounded. I wasn’t even stressed or in a bad mood for him to feel like he had to offer that! He said he was up for taking them swimming and told me I could have some peace and quiet at home to do whatever I wanted to do, as long as it wasn't cleaning or cooking or laundry (do I have the most thoughtful husband or what?!) Anyway, Quentin even took Kiera to Target before to get her a new swimming suit since hers was too small. They were gone for about 3 hours (!) and I had a nice, quiet time at home doing a little scrapbook prep! When everyone came home, they had baths/showers, we made pita pizzas for dinner and sat down to watch “Undercover Boss” that we had recorded, and the girls were all asleep within minutes!

Long Weekend

Since the girls went back to school after the Christmas break, I've been looking forward to this long weekend with no school. It's been relaxing and fun - we had a cousin's birthday party, we went to Bountiful High's production of "Cinderella," we visited with Grandma Johnson in the care center, and the girls played with each other and with friends. Kiera has a friend in her class that she's been wanting to invite over for quite awhile and she finally was able to come and play. This girl is Oriental, and Kiera said she moved to Utah from a place very, very far away. "China?" I guessed. "Japan? Korea?" Kiera answered, "No.... She moved here ALL the way from West Virginia!"

Yesterday Quentin also had the day off, so we took the girls to the Treehouse Museum in Ogden. We haven't been since Kasidee was born, and they all had a lot of fun. Even after 3 hours, it was hard to tear them away!


KIERA PLAYED A REAL CHESS GAME WITH A BOY A LITTLE YOUNGER THAN HER. I THINK THEIR DADS HAD FUN TEACHING THEM....

Bad Mood

This morning after Kasidee woke up and walked into the kitchen, she and Quentin began teasing each other a bit. He said, "Oh Kasidee - I'm so glad to see you woke up in a good mood!" She quickly hid her smile, pretended to frown and said in a gruff voice, "I'm not!" Quentin said, "You're not in a good mood? Oh dear - are you grumpy today? Are you mad and angry?" Kasidee said, "Yeah - I'm a mom!" (This time it was MY smile that quickly faded!) :)

Lego House

I think we're addicted to making Lego houses. We got a set for Christmas in 2009 that makes 3 different houses, and we had fun making all 3 of them. Then we got a new set this last Christmas and had fun putting it together this evening. I love that it's a puzzle that all of us can be involved in. Even Kasidee liked helping find certain pieces. Kiera ended up doing most of the actual building, while the rest of us hunted for the right pieces. It took 2 1/2 hours and it was just so fun! We'll probably have the house out for a couple of months, then take it apart and try a new house style (this set also has plans for 3 different houses).

Fun in the Tub!

I really hope my girls won't hate me for posting these pics....

The girls usually take baths/showers in their bathroom (they call it the girls bathroom and tease Quentin if he goes in there), but every once in awhile they want to take a bath in the big jetted tub in the master bathroom. This morning they wanted to do that - all together - and they thought it was amazing how many soap bubbles were made when we turned on the jets!

Snowflake Shadows

I think I have a thing with shadows on my wall. About a month ago, my mom, the girls, Quentin and I made twisted paper snowflakes and hung them on the window - the other day I saw this beautiful shadow on my wall and couldn't resist taking a picture!

Monday morning we woke up to a little bit of snow - so light and powdery! Kasidee wanted to help me shovel and she was such a good helper! I couldn't believe how well she did, and it was fun having her outside with me. Isn't she just such a cutie?

Li'l Lady

So...on Thanksgiving Day I noticed a little ladybug shell on Corbin and Nikki's driveway. I felt so sad for the poor little ladybug but continued to walk past it. Then I went back, stooped over and picked it up. I debated about showing it to Makenna, who loves animals and bugs. I thought she would think it's cool, but I worried that then she would be upset that it was dead. I picked it up and put it in a little container. Awhile later, I showed Makenna and we noticed that it was crawling around!! We ended up taking it home and researched how to take care of ladybugs. Since they eat mostly aphids (which I don't readily have a supply of in the wintertime!), we read that they can survive with a damp paper towel for water and a raisin for food. We put it in a container with a fake palm tree (Makenna's idea) and covered it with saran wrap and poked holes in it. And it has survived for 7 weeks (and counting!) under our care! The girls have fun with it, and we're looking forward to releasing it in the springtime!

Spring Cleaning

Is it weird that I've been in the mood to - and have actually started - my spring cleaning? I don't know what it is, but every year after I put away the Christmas stuff and look around at my naked house, it inspires me to deep clean, organize and get rid of stuff we don't need/love/use anymore (isn't there always something?). The way I like to spring clean takes a bit of time, and I like to have it done BEFORE spring actually gets here. That way I can actually enjoy spring and start to focus on outdoor projects. So...my goal is to take 2 or 3 rooms a week and deep clean - top to bottom, inside and out. You know, do the cleaning that no one else may even notice but I know it's done so it makes me feel good. I have a checklist on the computer for each room, and I check it off as I go. So I did Kiera and Makenna's room (it took me over 3 hours!) and the downstairs family room (that was only a little over an hour) and it just feels good. (P.S. Kasidee is such a good little helper when her sisters are at school!)

Happy New Year!

Happy New Year Everyone! I don't really start my new year until the Monday following the 1st. It's just too hard to get motivated when it's a holiday - there's too much relaxing and puttering and playing to do. So hopefully I'll be motivated by Monday (after the girls go back to school and I'm forced to get back to reality) to put my new plans in action. I've been thinking for several weeks about the goals I want to work on this year, and the goals I think we need to work on as a family. It seems I always have at least some of the same goals year after year - be a better parent, be healthier, etc. I think I have to realize that goals like those can't be an all-or-nothing type of goal. If I fail in one area (like, I still have a hard time saying no to soda pop), then I'll just try again. And again. But the point is that I'll keep trying, and hopefully I'll learn along the way. And maybe be a tad better at the end of the year.

Another thing I've been thinking about a lot lately is BALANCE. And I want that to be my theme of this year. Balance in all things. I've been to some houses that are so simple and clean - they have nothing unnecessary and nothing out of place. I long for a house like that, and seeing theirs makes mine feel messy and overloaded. But then I look at other houses that have lots of stuff and yet they feel homey and comfortable and warm. I want that feeling in my home too. So...balance. I've got to do what works for me - without comparisons. And not just for my house. I think it's dangerous for us (and I'm guilty of it!) to to compare ourselves to others (or what we THINK others are like) and wonder how we measure up - parenting styles, education, family time, etc. etc. My goal this year is to find balance in each area of my life. To have a home that is orderly, but also a home that is comfortable to be in. To be a mom that can be a "tough guy" when I need to, but also to be a mom that my girls like to be around and can have fun with. To be good to my body but not beat myself up if I eat something not-so-healthy every once in awhile. To get things done, but also enjoy life along the way!

Festivities

Here's hoping this post finds everyone happy and healthy, with good memories of a merry Christmas!! Like everyone, things at our house have been busy and crazy and fun this holiday season. I haven't posted for awhile, so I guess it's time to catch up!

I was able to help with Kiera and Makenna's class parties. Makenna's class decorated gingerbread houses, and for Kiera's class, I was in charge of a craft, so we did beaded candy canes - I was nervous that the kids might think they were lame, but they ended up having a lot of fun making them!





We had the Scootlebugs Preschool Christmas Program - isn't my class so cute? (One of my girls was on vacation)




We met Barbara, Dallin, Corbin, Nikki & kids to see the Odgen Village - lots of little "houses" with scenes you can peek into. So fun!




Kiera had her Christmas piano recital at the Centerville Library. Each student had a solo piece and a duet piece. Kiera wanted me to play with her. As a kid, I remember my piano recitals making me really nervous - and I was this time! But it went great, and it was fun to be able to play with her!




We had Christmas Eve dinner at my mom's house - this is my favorite part of Christmas! It's so warm and comfortable and inviting at Mom's house, and it's fun to have good food and hang out together!




Christmas Morning!!

Kiera got an American Girl (look-alike!) doll:



So did Makenna:



Kasidee got a jeep that she can really drive. Here's the story. Clear back in about September when we were walking to school, Kasidee saw a little girl drive one of those little cars to school and was fascinated. She kept talking about how neat it was and that she wanted one too. I said, "Well, maybe for Christmas" - thinking she'd forget all about it by then. Well, she talked about it for over 3 months and that's all she wanted for Christmas. Oh, and gum. Well, do you know how much those dang little cars are? Some of them are over 300 bucks! So we began preparing her that Santa might not be able to bring her a car, but that he would bring something that he thinks she would like. She was okay with that, but she never stopped talking about how much she wanted her own car. Well, Quentin was brave enough to go out on Black Friday before midnight, and, well, the car was about 75% off. Couldn't pass it up - and it makes her very happy!




Kiera also got a sewing machine:



And Makenna got an little monkey she had been eyeing in the store:



Plus a "real" train set! Makenna had asked for one, but Quentin and Makenna "fight" over whose turn it is to play with it!



Each of the girls got a nightgown with a matching nightgown for their doll (for some reason we didn't get a picture with all 3 girls):



And Granny (my mom) gave each of the girls a Pillow Pet (a long-desired, much-desired item, but I was too cheap to buy what I thought is a dumb thing). But now Granny is the girls' hero!



Hope everyone had a very merry Christmas! Now is my most favorite time of year - the stress of the festivities is done, and it's not January yet, so I can just relax and play with Christmas things with my girls!!

Signs

My cousin Jen did a post about this link:

http://bravegirlsclub.com/blog/?p=1411

the other day, and I (like her) have thought about it a lot. I remember in one of my classes in high school, our teacher had us each wear a sign around our neck that read, "IALAC." It stood for "I Am Loving And Caring." Cheesy, I know, but she told us that each of us is a person who wants to love and care, and who wants to be loved and cared for by someone else. Our parents, our friends at school, people we meet. But sometimes people are careless with other people's feelings and they end up damaging people's IALAC sign. She asked us to wear the sign at school for one day. Whenever we got our feelings hurt by someone else, we were supposed to rip a little piece off the sign. At the end of the day we checked in with our teacher. Some of the student's signs were still intact (they said they let nothing bother them). Others had little rips. Others were crumpled and only had one piece dangling from the string. Others only had the string left hanging around their neck. It was a visual reminder of how we feel people treat us, and how we treat others.

I think we all just want people to like us and treat us kindly, in everyday life and especially when we are hurting inside. Sometimes people can make us feel very defensive, and other times people can be our "soft place." The blog post I mentioned above is a good reminder of how we treat each other - to remember that everyone is wearing some kind of "sign," and we need to look for it and see them and treat them like our Heavenly Father would.

Letters to Santa

It has been interesting to see how different the girls are in how they write their letters to Santa. Two weeks ago, Kiera wrote 3 different versions of her letter. She picked out special paper, made beautiful drawings of Santa's sleigh, and even included a dollar she had earned for Santa to give to the poor. She began her letter by asking Santa how he's doing, then made her request, then asked him to say hi to all the elves for her. She even thanked him for all he does for all the good girls and boys throughout the world. Kasidee has had fun watching Kiera make her lists and has made colorful circles over lots of papers, telling me what each cirlce "says." Makenna on the other hand, has been pretty nonchalant. We keep asking her what she would like for Christmas, and she just says, "I don't know. Anything, I guess." We've had a hard time figuring out something she'd really like, and we had to encourage her to even write a letter to Santa. She finally did and she had lots of fun ideas - like a robot that cleans the house (shouldn't that be on MY list?!) On Friday the girls and I took their lists to the Centerville Post Office to put them in the special mailbox that is just for Santa at the North Pole. The girls speculated that a special post office worker that looks like an elf picks up the letters each night after everyone is asleep and delivers them to Santa. Oh, to be little again! That's what makes Christmas FUN!

Cuties

While I was rushing around this morning, finishing getting ready for church, I noticed the girls were awfully quiet. Thinking they were up to something, I walked into the living room and saw this - Kiera reading Christmas stories to Makenna and Kasidee. They were all ready for church except for their hair. What a sweet sight!

Stephens Christmas Party

The whole Stephens family tries to get together every year for a big Christmas party. With over 60 people, it is usually held at a church. This year, we were asked to wear "Biblical" clothes (most people wore bathrobes and dishcloths on their heads). Each family member was "taxed" a canned food item that would be given to a needy family. When we went into the Cultural Hall, we sat down on blankets and family members put on a little skit around the nativity scene, complete with simple costumes Quentin's sister had brought. Our girls all loved being angels.




After the skit, Quentin's sister and her daughter began painting white on a big blue paper. You could hear people whispering their guesses of what it was - it wasn't until they stepped away that we could see the image:




After that, Santa visited and handed out presents to everyone, then we had a potluck dinner. What a fun, special way to kick off the season and to be with family!

(Cute little second cousins Kasidee and Makenzie, just 3 months apart)

Musings

So...there is Black Friday and Cyber Monday. Now I'm just waiting for them to have an official "Remorse / Return Day."

Also, I'm wondering who the genius in the School District is that made the decision to have the last day of school before Christmas Break be December 17. December 17?! That means I have 7 whole days to try to keep my house clean and entertain my kids before Christmas - not to mention try to shop or wrap with them underfoot. Should be fun.

The Countdown...

December 1st. I guess the countdown is on. Doesn't it just seem like we celebrated Halloween about 2 weeks ago?! Anyway, we have a little tradition at our house (which was a tradition while I was growing up as well - thanks to Mom!) that starts in December. Santa's little elves watch us and leave a little treat or tiny toy in our advent calendar if we are good. Some years we have discovered a note for a new Christmas book; other years the girls have opened the doors to find a piece of our nativity set. The girls have been so excited and have tried to be on their best behavior. Last night, Kiera fell asleep with her Santa hat on, and Makenna left little notes and tiny bowls of food for the elves. This morning when they opened the advent door, they discovered a little Lego kit that makes a snowman! How cool is that?! Even though December is busy and can be hectic, it's the little things that make memories. Welcome December!