A Couch and a Life Lesson

Long story. A couple days ago we decided to finally get rid of our old couch. It's one we got nearly 12 years ago. It wore out so we put a slipcover on it a few years ago, but it was way past its prime. Clear back in May, we got a nice, new cranberry sofa to replace it but we weren't quite sure what to do with the old one, so it sat "temporarily" (for 6 months!) behind our loveseat in the living room. It looked like a redneck seating arrangement. Anyway, there's nothing like having company over that makes you all of a sudden find a good reason to "get 'er done." Since we're hosting Thanksgiving this year, we decided we needed to make our living room look like a real living room again. So it was time for the old couch to go. Quentin and I loaded it on the trailer then loaded the girls in the van for a "D.I. Run." As soon as Kiera and Makenna saw our old couch on the trailer they gasped. "Wait! What are we doing with our couch?!" So we had The Talk - we explained that we have loved that couch but we just don't need it anymore so we'd like to give it to the D.I. so someone who might not even have a couch would be able to get it.... Well, they didn't like that idea. "Why can't we keep it? I could have it when I'm a grown up. We could buy it back." Kiera was in tears, worried that the poor couch would miss us. I knew how she was feeling. As a kid, even though in my mind I knew that THINGS didn't have emotions, I still FELT things FOR them. I remember how hard it was for me when my parents sold our old gray Oldsmobile. I didn't want the car to "feel" abandoned.

I worried that this little couch experience would tramatize the girls. But we all talked about how important it is to take care of the things we have. But it's also important to not hold onto EVERYTHING even if we don't need it anymore. It's good to give to others who may not have the things we do. That evening we watched the movie "Kit Kitteridge," which drove this point home even more. Being a kid and learning these "life lessons" can be tough. But I guess that's what life is all about!

Sleepover!

Last night the girls had their very first "friend sleepover" with their best friends Chloe and Sophie. Kiera's been wanting a sleepover for months but I wasn't sure she was quite old enough yet and frankly I pretty much knew we'd get a phone call in the middle of the night to pick her up (which would be okay). However, the moms talked about making the sleepover idea a reality and for a week the girls giggled at the very thought. Plans weren't "official," but we decided quickly that it would be okay and Chloe and Sophie ended up coming to our house for the night. It was crazy, it was loud, but it was oh, so fun. I couldn't believe how excited the girls were. They goofed around, played Wii Bowling, watched a Strawberry Shortcake video and ate popcorn, made huts, had a pillow fight, read books, brushed teeth and said prayers together and then - lights out. But I didn't hear the giggling stop till nearly 11:30 (sorry, Chloe & Sophie's mom!) Sophie and Kiera slept in Kiera's bed, and Chloe chose to sleep next to the bed on the floor in her sleeping bag. As soon as Makenna got tired, she ditched her sleeping bag and crawled in bed with me (Quentin was over at his brother's house). So all was well and we all got some good sleep till 7:45 when I awoke to lots of giggling. We had waffles for breakfast, played a little, then got things ready to take Chloe and Sophie home. What fun, and what good memories we're making!

ALL 5 GIRLS LOVE TO PLAY TOGETHER!


BRUSHING AND FLOSSING...


PILLOW FIGHT! (No, those aren't feathers flying around - just spots on my camera!)


SECRET HUDDLE


NIGHT NIGHT!

Field Trip

(DON'T YA LOVE HOW FIRST-GRADERS LOVE TO HOLD HANDS WITH THEIR FRIENDS? SO CUTE!)

Thanks to Granny for watching Makenna (AND taking her to preschool) and Kasidee for 5 hours today so I could go with Kiera on her first-grade field trip! We boarded the big yellow school busses and went to the Repertory Dance Theater and watched a dance show then went on a tour at the State Capitol. Both were very interesting and fun, but Kiera liked eating lunch at the park the best!

Magic Eraser

Okay, I realize I'm a little behind the times, but oh my gosh - I just tried the Magic Eraser for the first time. I got the inspiration from Makenna's preschool teacher. I was admiring the pristine preschool tables - no signs of paint, ink, markers, crayons, etc. and the teacher smiled and said, "Magic Eraser!" I had given up hope of "restoring" our old wood table that Kasidee drew all over with a pen. Granted, it's an 11-year-old table that isn't in the best shape anyway, but we still use it (it's got our fish tank on it) and it looks horrible with pen ALL over it. But I picked up a Magic Eraser at Walmart, came home and tried it, and wah-lah (or is it viola?) it magically came off - all of it! I am in awe. How does it do that?? Crazy stuff. Now if only I could find something that would take Kasidee's artwork off of our couch!!

R.I.P.

Yeah, it happened. Already. One of our fishies died, not even a week after we got it. When we were considering getting fish, we explained to the girls that fish don't usually live very long and that's just part of how it goes. Kiera was mortified and wondered what we would do with a fish that died. She wouldn't hear of flushing it down the toilet or even putting it in a box and burying it. She seemed okay with putting the dead thing in a pond, but we told her not to think about all that - this whole discussion happened in the car while we were bringing our new fish home! Anyway, from the beginning we noticed that one of our fish didn't eat much and seemed to be "un-energetic." And sure enough it died. Quentin found it after the girls had gone to bed and scooped it up, so at least they didn't have to see the poor thing floating around upside down. But the next morning the girls noticed one of the fish was gone and I had to explain what happened. A few tears were shed, but it wasn't the drama like I expected. I think Kiera especially is sensitive to the sanctity of and has reverence for LIFE - any life, even a fish's. (Hmmm - she'll probably be a life-long vegetarian!) We knew what we were in for when we got these fish, and I think we're all learning some important life lessons!

Our New Pet

They must have been talking about pets in Makenna's preschool class lately or something because for the last couple of weeks that's all we've heard about from her. The latest thing is that she wants a "mice" - not a mouse but a mice. Well, there's no way we'll ever have a "mice" for a pet, so we settled on a fish. We figured it was time. So we dug out Quentin's old fish tank, cleaned it up and went to Petco. Each of the girls picked out a fish - and now we have Sparkles, Molly, and Baba. The only thing is Makenna's constant questions have changed from "Can I have a pet?" or "Can I get a mice?" to "Can I hold my fish?" and "Can I put my fish in the bathtub?" and "Can I just pet my fish?" I think this has made me realize that we probably should get a "real" pet someday. I always figured I'd have a dog when I had kids, but I think the hair/pee/bad breath/dirty paws/etc./etc. kind of wig me out. But maybe giving up a clean home would be worth the joy a "real" pet would bring to the kids. Hmmm. Maybe someday.

Junie B. Jones

I am totally stoked. Kiera has always liked books from the time I began reading them to her as a baby, and she really enjoyed learning to read last year in Kindergarten. This year in first grade, I'm amazed at how she has really taken off in her reading and spelling abilities. For weeks she's been talking about the Junie B. Jones books. I guess her teacher has been reading them to the class and she LOVES them - and she thinks it's cool that they're "chapter books." She said that as soon as she gets done with the Houghton-Mifflin (?) set that is required for nightly homework, she can begin taking home the Junie B. Jones books to read by herself. So she's been bringing home 2 books of the required reading each night so she can get through them fast and get on to the Junie B. Jones books.

Anyway, she saw the Junie B. Jones books for sale the other day at the store and begged to buy some - she would even use her own money. As a compromise, I told her we could check some out at the library. So last night we did. I can't believe how engrossed she was with those books! She spent over an hour reading them and read 5 chapters (about 40 pages). I literally had to turn the light out on her at 9:30 so she would finally go to bed. I can't tell you how thrilled I am that she loves reading so much!

Hey Blue Eyes

When Ben & Jen sent Kasidee this cute dress when she was just a newborn, I thought it would be forever till she would be able to fit in it (it's a 12-month size). Well, we tried it on for church Sunday - so cute!! And I love how the denim brings out the blue in her pretty eyes!

Happy Halloween!

Well, we survived Halloween. After a month of counting down, it finally came. We visited Mom and Grandma during the day then got ready for our big night out. For weeks, Makenna talked about her Tinkerbell costume that we have in the dress-up box. But then about 3 days ago she decided she wanted to be a ghost instead. After searching for a ghost costume and coming up empty, we modified an old costume (she kind of looked like Mary from Biblical times instead of a ghost). But then, when searching the DI costume section, we found this adorable "China Girl" outfit that Makenna fell in love with. So all was well. Kiera borrowed the witch costume from Grandma Stephens, and we just couldn't pass up buying Kasidee's little candy corn costume (though she has loads of hand-me-down costumes and dress-ups).

While we waited for Quentin to get home from work (unfortunately it was his "late" night and he couldn't get home till 7:00), the girls had a blast answering the door and handing out the candy. Then when Daddy got home the 5 of us started going around the block. We didn't think Kasidee would last very long, so after a few houses Quentin volunteered to go back home and answer the door while the girls and I continued till Kasidee got tired. Then I would take her home and Quentin would take Kiera and Makenna around some more. Well, Kasidee didn't get tired. In fact, she ended up lasting longer than the other girls! We eventually went home, got Quentin and we all finished going around the block (about 30 houses). Kasidee insisted on walking the whole time and screamed if we picked her up or tried to put her in the stroller. So it was slow going, but she had SO much fun! At each door, she would pick out a piece of candy from her bucket and try to give it to the person handing out candy! She's such a cutie!

So I guess Halloween isn't really over till the candy's all gone. The girls made a pretty good dent in their collection last night, but I'm afraid some of it is going to have to "disappear." That much candy is just nasty! Hope everyone had a very happy Halloween!

Halloween Week

I don't know about you, but it seems like instead of celebrating Halloween Day, we celebrate Halloween WEEK. Between school parties and school programs and Primary parties and community events, there's just so much to do before Halloween is even here. Yesterday I was running between Makenna's preschool program and setting up for the Primary party. After school we had the Primary "Trick or Treating for Food" party - where the kids dress up in their costumes and collect food around the neighborhood to give to those in need within our own ward. I'm amazed at the turnout and how much food was donated (4 trunk-fulls!) I didn't get any good pictures of the girls except this one of Kasidee, content riding in the wagon while we collected food. Kiera and Makenna were so hyped up and kept "do-si-doing" their friends, so all of my pictures of them were blurry. But check out the pic of a kid in our ward and his cousin, dressed up like McCain and Palin. I guess it's fun having Halloween Week. Last night my mom asked me to join her at Rodger's Memorial's play "Jekyll and Hyde" - that really set the spooky mood! I'll keep you posted on how today (the actual Halloween) goes - this morning Quentin and I gave the girls the "pink witch" mini Madame Alexander dolls from the McDonald's toys we bought over a month ago. They were so psyched and have been playing "witches" together all morning. Ahhh, simple pleasures!

I'll vote for you because...

We voted tonight. As we stood in the 30-minute long line at the library, we talked to the girls about the election. I asked Kiera if she knew who the candidates are. She said, "Well, I know John McCain. That's easy. The other one is... oh yeah. Rock Obama." When I asked her who she thought I should vote for and why, she said, "Definitely John McCain. His name is prettier. And it rhymes with candy cane." Enough said. Maybe I shouldn't worry about educating myself about candidates. After all, a pretty name is worth a lot!

Bella

The other night Quentin surprised me with a movie rental - "Bella." We thought it would be a run-of-the-mill romantic comedy (Quentin secretly likes chic flicks - lucky me!) But we were pleasantly surprised that it's a different kind of love story. It is profound. Seriously. It's got that film-festival "feel" and is kind of slow and a little confusing at first. But it's clean (no swearing or sex - wow) and it's very thought-provoking. It's a must-see for everyone. So go out and rent it! Then let me know what you think.

(P.S. This isn't a spoiler, but something I thought was cool. I guess the producers/actors were tired of making Hollywood movies with little substance. They wanted to produce a movie about something they truly believed in, and the movie "Bella" was born and has won many awards since. Bravo!)

Halloween Spook-tacular

Last night we went to the South Davis Rec Center's 2nd Annual Halloween Spooktacular. Despite the crowds and craziness, we had a lot of fun and it really got us in the Halloween mood! The girls tried the Bat Cave, the Spook Alley, and all 5 of us got to go on a "Haunted" canoe ride in the 13-foot deep pool. Pretty cool!

(SORRY FOR THE SCARY RED EYES. MY FIX-IT PROGRAM ISN'T WORKING)

THE MAD SCIENTIST MAKING COTTON CANDY

Fire Station

I didn't get the best pics, but Kasidee and I got to tag along Makenna's preschool class to visit the Farmington Fire Station this afternoon. I think I was as excited as the kids - how impressive the fire station, the fire trucks and the fire fighters are!! The kids got to see Fire Fighter Jason dress in his fire fighter gear, complete with the mask that made "Darth Vader" sounds. They each got to sit in the seat of the fire truck, got to go in the back of the ambulance, and got a "Junior Firefighter" hat and badge. How cool is that?!

Castle Park

Last evening we decided to take advantage of the warm, Fall evening and went to the Castle Park in Fruit Heights. This is the girls' all-time favorite park and we all had a blast!

Out of Service

I was out of service for awhile today. Ever since I was just a kid, about 3 or 4 times a year I get what I call my "Weird Sickness." It comes without warning and wipes me out for usually an entire day. Last night I went to bed at 11:30 and at 1:00 in the morning I woke up in a sweat, feeling dizzy, my heart beating fast and my head pounding. And I threw up. 5 times in the night. Ugh. The thing is, my Weird Sickness comes out of nowhere and after I sleep and rest for the day, the next day it's like nothing even happened. Weird. It usually happens when I'm run down - I need my sleep, my food, and little stress. Otherwise it builds up and I get sick. Anyway, I was so upset this morning because I had a lot to do - help Kiera finish writing her talk, give the opening prayer in sacrament, do the rolls in Primary, help Kiera give her talk, sit with the CTR 5 class and do the Primary Presidency "thing" (thank goodness I didn't have Sharing Time today though). So yes, I had a lot to do, but if I even lifted up my head I got dizzy and needed to throw up. Sweet Quentin stepped in and saved the day. Without me even saying anything, he helped Kiera finish and practice her talk, fed and dressed all 3 girls, made piggy tails in Makenna's hair, changed Kasidee's diaper, called people to get a substitute for the opening prayer I was supposed to give, called the Primary President to let her know I was sick, packed up all 3 girls and took them to church, helped Kiera give her talk, got Kasidee to sleep, then brought the girls home after church and checked on me - and I slept sooooo good till they got home after 2:00. Now I'm feeling much better and I'm so grateful for my sweet Quentin. When we first got married, I was concerned that my parents would think that Quentin's sweetness was just for show - could he really be this nice and genuine all the time? Well, yes. He is so considerate of everyone's feelings and is always on the lookout for ways he can help. He really is this kind and his 4 girls are so blessed because of him. Kudos, Quentin!

Adam's Vantage

This afternoon we decided to join Corbin & Nikki (and their 3 kids) and Eric & Mischelle (and their 2 kids) for a hike to "Adam's Vantage" in Fruit Heights. Quentin and Corbin had done the hike several years before and estimated it to be about a 45-minute hike. It took 4 hours round-trip. But I'm not complaining. It was fun. There were parts that were a little steep and rocky and there were times when the girls complained that they were too tired or too cold, but overall it was a great time. The leaves were golden and colorful and at the top we were rewarded with a beautiful waterfall. I've always liked to hike (as a kid I used to wake up early on Saturdays or Sundays so I could join my dad on a hike), and it seems the girls have developed a love of hiking (as well as anything outdoors). I'm amazed at how nimble they were, climbing up the mountain trail!

Happy Birthday Mom!

Today's my sweet mom's birthday! I've always thought her birthday was at the most perfect time of year. My mom has always been more than just a mom to me - she's my best friend. I can't go a day without talking to her at least once or twice. I tell her everything; she's my sounding-board! I value her opinion and feel that she understands me more than anyone else. She is the most considerate person I know - she is ALWAYS thinking of others and how she can help them. She is self-less, kind, and GENUINE. We are all SOOOO blessed to have her in our lives. We love you, Mom/Granny, and hope you have a VERY happy birthday!

Perfect Fall Day!

What perfect Fall weather we are having! My sister-in-law Nikki and I decided to "seize the day" and take our kids to Gardner Village for their witch and Halloween festivities. I think everyone else along the Wasatch Front thought of the same thing - soooo crowded! But it was fun and nice to be out in the great weather. Kiera wanted to wear her witch costume, so we were able to get some cute pics! After a couple of hours there, Nikki and I succumbed to our kids' begging for more time together. So we each grabbed some lunch and took it to a park in Bountiful. Ahhh.... I just wish October could last a few more months!