Peace (I love this thought!!)

peace.
it does not mean to be in a place
where there is no noise, trouble
or hard work. it means to be in
the midst of those things and still
be calm in your heart.
(unknown)

Changes

(Beware this is a long - and potentially boring - post. But it's for my records. Feel free to peek if you dare.)

So…I hate moving furniture. Not because it’s heavy, but because I just hate changes. I like things “just so,” and it takes me a long time to decide on the right spot to put things (furniture or otherwise). Once it’s there I plan on it being there forever – pretty much. I realize that every once in awhile things must change. But I have to gear up for it, and I know I’ll feel unsettled until I find a “new perfect.”

Anyway, that was a lengthy introduction hinting that something has changed at our house. It freaked me out and yet I looked forward to it. It was something I had to think about and plan in my head, but now we're all very happy with it.

For over half of a year, Kiera has been saying she wants her own room. Kiera and Makenna shared bunk beds....




...and had a reading bench and bookshelves on the other side of their room.



Kasidee had her own room...



...with a cute little reading chair and bookshelf as well.


The problem was that Kiera and Makenna's room didn't have a closet. So they had a dresser full of jammies, underwear and socks in their room but their clothes were hung up in Kasidee's room. And for some reason when Kasidee was born, we hung up her clothes on an extra rod in our room but her jammies, underwear and socks were in her room. Confusing, huh?

Anyway, so we began discussing in earnest about Kiera having her own room. But suddenly she timidly said that she might be scared and/or lonely being all alone. She said she wasn't quite ready yet. So we began discussing other options, and somehow we got on the idea of having all 3 girls together. Kind of crazy, but it suddenly seemed to be the best option, and an exciting one too.

So are you reading for the BIG REVEAL? (Sorry the pics are kind of bad - I wish I had a wide-angle lens - and you have to realize that it makes more sense when you can see the whole thing in "real life"....)

So in the room with no closet, we have the girls' 3 beds. That's it. Oh, and a little bookshelf of special things.




And in Kasidee's old room (we call it the Reading Room now) we have the reading bench, Kasidee's reading chair, and all of the books. Oh, and everybody's clothes. Each girl gets 2 drawers (the dresser is now inside the closet) and everything else is hung up.




This set-up just seems to make so much more sense. It functions a whole lot better, and the girls are thrilled to share a room (at least for now.) It's nice having Kiera on ground level instead of way up high on the top bunk - it's easier to kiss her good night, plus it's easier for her to make her bed.

Anyway, I'm just waiting for a few more little things to make the rooms complete: a nightstand ordered from Target, the canopy to be hung above the reading bench, and (maybe) a little door between the 2 rooms - how cool would that be?! Who knows if it will really happen, but that would be so cool!

I thought it seemed funny that, out of 6 bedrooms in the house, 5 people took up just 2 of them at night. But I've always been intrigued by "Kids Suites," and I feel like we almost have one. The girls have a bedroom, a reading room, and their own bathroom - all in one corner of our house. Kind of fun. But I'm sure things will change again down the road and we'll be rearranging again!

Breath

Do you ever just glance at your child, not even thinking, and their sweetness just takes your breath away?

Ice Skating

Don't ask me what "Professional Day" in the school system is, but I was grateful the girls had the day off school today. Perhaps Quentin was jealous because at the last minute he decided to take a vacation day. We took the girls ice skating - something none of them had ever done before, and something they've been begging us to do since their cousins went a few weeks ago. Anyway, they all did surprisingly well and we all had a blast! Kiera was a natural, probably because she rollerblades a lot. Makenna was a little hesitant at first and insisted on holding the side rail and/or our hands. But after a little practice, she was going around all by herself - and pretty fast! Kasidee had fun holding Quentin's or my hands, and her feet were soon steady. She loved doing tricks like holding up one foot or only holding one hand. The session was a little over 2 hours and we stayed the whole time - we even stayed to watch the Zamboni smooth the ice. We were all tired and achy - but happy!

(P.S. Don't laugh about the helmets. We would have wrapped them in bubble wrap too if we could have!!)

St. Patty's

I guess I don't get why St. Patrick's Day is such a big deal here - most Americans are not Irish or Catholic. I guess it's fun for kids, and I've always kind of gone along with it. But for some reason, St. Patty's Day was sort of a big deal at our house this year - mainly because of Kiera. As the girls were getting ready for bed the night before, Kiera made sure everyone was wearing green. Quentin doesn't have green pajamas, so Kiera brought him one of our green hot pad gloves to wear on his hand all night long! The girls gave themselves new names (Green Girl Grace, Green Girl Greta and Green Girl Gertrude.) And Kiera made green necklaces for all of the stuffed animals that sleep on her bed and Makenna and Kasidee put green stickers on their stuffed animals. Before they went to bed, Kiera left a cookie and a note for any leprechauns that might drop by.



The next morning, the girls saw that someone had sprinkled glitter in their bedroom and left 3 little green glass rocks with a glittery shamrock sticker on them. How cool is that?! The cookie was gone, except for a few crumbs, and a picture of "Patrick and Megan" was left behind. Our milk was mysteriously turned green, and while Kiera was mixing the waffle batter (for shamrock waffles, of course - I think I posted a pic last year), the batter began turning green as well!



My preschoolers were excited to get a lucky green glass rock too, but they were spooked when our bubble gum clock hanging on the wall crashed to the ground! I was surprised about that one too, and just so thankful that everyone was on the other side of the room! What a strange day it was!

Silly

The other day, Kasidee had a treat that she usually doesn't have - Cheetos. She picked a small bag and I said, "Kasidee, that bag is just your size!" Her brows furrowed as she looked at the bag. She held the bag up to her chest and said, "No - I'm bigger!"



And this is a picture of Kasidee's grilled cheese sandwich - she wouldn't eat any more because "the rest is crust."



(Now you can see how well my kids eat sometimes!)

Friends

For reasons I just can't figure out, Makenna has a hard time with friends. When someone wants to play with her and be her friend, she doesn't want to. But then she laments about others who don't play with her, or who already have a different friend over when she calls. She says she doesn't have any friends, but I spy on her at school and she has tons of friends that like to be with her. Go figure.

Anyway, lately she and a cute girl in her class have become quite good friends and they play often. Makenna was telling me how nice this girl is. She said, "It's like if she was a human, which she is, and I was a caterpillar - well, she just takes good care of me."

Aren't those the best kind of friends?

Erg.

Why is it that when the clock says 9:00 p.m. it should only feel like 8:00 but instead it feels like 10:00...?
I
Hate
Daylight
Savings.

No Tooting

This morning Kiera decided she wanted to wear a skirt to school, but she couldn't find her tights anywhere. She asked Makenna if she could borrow hers (which, by the way, are still in the package from last Fall because she never, ever wears tights). Makenna said no. So Kiera kept looking for her own tights but kept coming up empty-handed. Again, she asked Makenna. No. After awhile, Kiera began begging. Makenna looked like she was pondering something. She turned to Kiera and said very seriously, "Okay, I'll let you wear my tights. But you have to promise not to toot in them."

Sleeping Beauties

The girls love to fall asleep in our bed. They get excited when Quentin has a late meeting or "game night" because I usually let them fall asleep in my bed. I sit by them and read and glance over at their sweet faces every once in awhile. I took this pic about a week ago. This is exactly how they fell asleep....



And isn't this a sweet pic of Kasidee taking a nap? I. love. these. girls.

Cutie Patootie

Kasidee did her own hair for church yesterday!

New Look

For over a month, Kiera has been asking for bangs. I know it's not a big deal, but I was very hesitant. I wondered if she only wanted them because one of her friends at school just got them. And I worried that she would get them and end up hating them. And well, to be honest, I like how Kiera looks just the way she is and I didn't want her cute face covered up with bangs. But I began to look at this as a learning opportunity - for her and for me. So...we agreed to let her get them, but she had to pay for half. We made an appointment with her friend's mom who has a salon in her home and Kiera began counting down the days. Today was the day!

Here's Cute Kiera before:


And here's Cute Kiera after:


She's very happy with her haircut - but it's going to be a long weekend until she can show her friends at school!

Doll-eee

This past week, Kiera has gotten up about an hour earlier than normal (without me having to wake her up!) and has worked on a project in our craft room. With scraps of fabric, glue, tape, and staples, check out what she created:



She stuffed them with her old holey socks, and even painted one of the faces. The one on the left is Strawberry Shortcake, and the one on the right is Lola, one of the characters she and her friend Ashley made up - they've developed a whole village of people on paper, and now Kiera made the first "real" one. She's very proud!

Calling All Princesses....

I have another plug for a great thing! Have any of you heard of the Princess Festival in Lindon, Utah? If not, you've got to check it out. The Princess Festival is an event where your little princess can be in an interactive adventure to learn courage and grace. We went a couple of years ago and loved it. We couldn't wait for Kasidee to be old enough to join in, and we're planning on going with cousins this June. It's an enchanting adventure (in a castle!), and THE BEST PART is that 100% of the proceeds goes to "In Our Own Quiet Way." Quiet Way helps people in Kenya have access to clean water, medical supplies, and school supplies.

Check it out at www.princessfestival.com and be sure to click on "About" and "Our Story." What's better than having a great time and helping people in need, all at the same time?!

Ji Ga Zo

We just found the coolest thing. We just happened to see it on the store shelf this afternoon and were so intrigued we had to buy it and try it. I'm so surprised we've never heard of it before because it's so cool. I know - the suspense is killing you. It's called "Ji Ga Zo." It's a puzzle, one of those sepia-toned ones that is just shades of brown but when you put it together you see an image. Cool enough like that - but what makes it even cooler is that you can take a picture (they recommend a close-up of a face), upload it, and the program will make a "symbol map" for you to follow to put your customized picture together. Then you can do another image - it never has to be the same puzzle twice! It's 300 pieces and the girls, Quentin and I had so much fun putting it together this evening. Check it out. We started with this picture (and cropped it a bit):



And ended up with a cool, customized puzzle! (Squint your eyes a bit to see it better):



How cool is that?!

Happy 96th, Butterfly Grandma!

Quentin's grandma turned 96! Instead of Great-Grandma Stephens, my girls refer to her as "Butterfly Grandma" because she loves, loves, loves butterflies. What an inspiring lady she is - she's 96 and in really good health. She's spunky, positive, and still wears high heels! She is a joy to be around and everyone she meets just loves her great attitude! Look how cute she is....

Happy Home Anniversary #4

We moved into our home 4 years ago today! In some ways it seems like yesterday, and in some ways it seems like we've been here forever. I'm amazed how we're still thrilled with our house and our neighborhood - it's a little piece of Mayberry, at least to us!

Seussical the Musical

Kiera and Makenna had the opportunity to be in their school's musical. They were in the Charlie Brown play last year and loved it. We were prepared for the long rehearsals (I figured they each spent about 25 hours in rehearsals over the last 2 1/2 months - and they didn't even have speaking parts!), but they were so stoked to be in it this year. Kiera was Gracie the Gray Mouse (one of the Jungle Animals) and Makenna was Max the Dog (the Grinch's sidekick). They performed for the school and did 2 performances for family. They got a DVD of one of their performances, a T-shirt and a bracelet. How cool is that?! The play was directed by Addie Holman, who also directs at Rodgers Memorial Theater. What an awesome opportunity, and something they'll probably always remember!

Happy Valentine's Day!

Happy Valentine's Day! This is a card the girls made for Quentin - straws and spaghetti. Cute, huh?

My girls' personalities are so different, but it seems to be much more noticeable during holidays or other "major" events. Take Valentine's Day. Kiera secretly and quietly got all of her valentines ready about 2 weeks ago, even before she got her class list. She not only did the ones for her class and teacher, but she made special ones for her grandmas, church teachers (current and last year's), and other friends. She even made her valentine box all by herself. And this morning she got up early, put on the "Valentine outfit" she had chosen a few days ago, and wanted her hair curled.

On the other hand, every time I asked Makenna to do her valentines, she would say, "No, not right now. Maybe later." All weekend long, it was the same response. So finally yesterday I told her she needed to get them done for her class party today. Same response. Finally at about 8:00 I told her they needed to get done. Nothing. So I said, "I don't mind helping you, Makenna, but I don't think it's fair that I do all of your valentines by myself." Kasidee piped up and said, "I'll do them with you, Mommy, so you won't be all alone." Heart. Melt.

I should have just told Makenna that she could go to school with no valentines, but I know her pretty well and thought of a different trick. So...Kasidee and I began doing Makenna's valentines. I wrote the names, Kasidee picked out the candy to go inside, I folded them, and Kasidee put the stickers on to close them. After just a couple of minutes of doing this, I think Makenna got jealous or something and decided to join in and help. Finally.

Happy Valentine's Day!

Brave

A couple of weeks ago, I had a dental cleaning/exam scheduled. Of all of the people I thought of to babysit Kasidee, I knew they had other things going on. So at the last minute I decided to take Kasidee with me. She sat in a little chair near my feet and quietly looked at books. She was so good - like a little mouse - and the staff was so impressed.

So when I had to go back yesterday to get a cavity filled, I decided not to even think about a babysitter and just take her with me again. As we were getting ready to go, I said, "Kasidee, thanks so much for going with Mommy to the dentist. You're going to help me be brave, huh?" And she smiled, gave me a hug and said, "Yeah, just pretend I'm your mommy."

Plug

Those who know me well or read my blog regularly know that Quentin and I LOVE live theater. There's just something about it that is exciting and exhilarating, plus it's a good excuse for a date night. It's something different, and something we can't do at home (like watch a movie). We also especially love Rodgers Memorial Theater in Centerville and have had season tickets for about 4 or 5 years. LOVE IT!! Most of you who live around here are probably aware that RMT will no longer be doing plays in their little playhouse on Pages Lane. Even though that playhouse is old and in need of repair, it felt small and intimate, and it was just fun going.

Anyway, they've been building a huge new building near Dairy Queen that will house the new theater (it's now called Centerpoint Legacy Theatre.) As we've watched this new theater being built, we've been a little apprehensive. We've worried that it will just seem big and formal, and we were "mourning" the small, intimate feel of RMT's old playhouse.

Well, a couple of weeks ago we went to an Open House for the new theater and I have to admit I'm way excited. Although the new theater seats about twice as many as the old theater, the back of the new theater has only been extended 10 feet more as compared to the old theater. It's fresh and new and modern, and the facilities are impressive: there are 7 stalls in the women's bathroom (compared to 2 in the old theater), the stage can "drop" for special effects, and the legroom in between seats is great - if you're sitting in your seat and someone needs to walk in front of you to get to their seat, you don't even have to stand up!!

Seeing familiar faces in the RMT cast and production team at the Open House made me realize that the quality of plays done at RMT deserves a more impressive building. Everyone seems so excited - like a dream come true to them - and they've been so touched by the outpouring of support from the community and local businesses. However, an informal poll showed that most people outside of Centerville didn't even realize a new theater was being built. So get the word out!

The first play we'll see at the new Centerpoint Legacy Theatre will be "Hairspray" in a couple of weeks. I can't wait! And here's my plug - if any of you out there like live theater, check out this new theater. Tickets are a lot less than other theaters like Hale Center, etc. and yet it's a quality, professional cast. LOVE IT!

Hmmm....

Maybe I'm getting old. Or maybe I'm cheap. Or maybe I'm lazy. Or maybe I'm a homebody. Or maybe, subconsciously, I like to feel in control. Maybe I'm all of that. But I've been noticing things and think maybe I've had somewhat of an epiphany - at least for me.

First of all, I love going out to eat. At least, to places I like. But I've noticed over the past few months that as I've eaten my favorite dishes at my favorite restaurants, I think to myself, "This is soooo yummy. But I bet I could make this at home." And you know what - I've tried, and the results are pretty tasty. I can make pasta that rivals Olive Garden's Capellini Pomodoro. And I have a recipe that even tops Olive Garden's minestrone. I can make open-faced focaccia sandwiches similar to Firehouse Pizzeria's. I make bagel sandwiches like Einstein's, and I can even make yummy Cafe Rio salads. Maybe it's because what I tend to order at restaurants is pretty simple. But it's what I like. And I'm thrilled to be able to make the stuff at home. It's certainly cheaper that way, and I can know exactly what goes into what I'm eating.

BUT...I still can't find the right recipe for my fave Noodles and Co. dish, and I can't find pitas big enough to do my fave Pita Pit wrap. And I could never compete with the variety found at my fave restaurant Sweet Tomatoes.

And another BUT... The downside of cooking at home is that I can't just get up from the table, walk out the door, and have someone else clean up the mess! So, there are still lots of benefits that will keep me going out to eat every once in awhile.

Anyway, the second thing I've realized.... Last weekend, Quentin and I went on a date to see a movie. We had gotten a free ticket so we thought it would be a good excuse to get out and spend some time together. The movie was okay, and it was fun getting out. But we realized how much more we like our own theater room in our own house. It's more comfortable, we can control the sound, we can pause it to go to the bathroom or get a snack, and we don't get sticky shoes.

So...like I said, maybe I'm old/cheap/lazy/a homebody/a control-freak. But I just like being home and being entertained at home. It's easier and more fun!

Dads and Donuts

Today was the first grade Dads and Donuts. It is all Makenna has talked about for several weeks. She made sure Quentin could go into work late, she made sure he didn't forget, and she has secretly sung me the songs but made me promise not to tell Daddy. Looks like they had fun!

Food for Thought

Some of the Relief Society ladies at church Sunday were discussing this article. I was intrigued, so I looked it up - pretty interesting!

(P.S. I don't know how to do that fancy thing where you just click on a word to view the article, so you'll have to cut and paste this whole thing - sorry.)

http://www.salon.com/life/internet_culture/index.html?story=/mwt/feature/2011/01/15/feminist_obsessed_with_mormon_blogs

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!