Pablo Picasso is alive and well in our home

Sharpie and a 2 year old just don't mix.

You should see the limestone floor . . . here's hoping the solution we found on google works: nail polish remover and WD-40. Seriously, this kid is just too much.

What's wrong with this picture?

So, here is my almost 2 year old out on the back patio. No, it isn't December and 60 degrees outside. It is August, and was ONLY 104! Guess that's why she insisted she needed the coat.

In other fun news today, Lane is doing great after round 2 of chemo. He stayed home "just in case", but really is up and around. He hasn't felt nausea or anything like that. Just a little "off". I am so thankful he is handling it so well. Must be cause he is so young and healthy besides the cancer. We don't love that we have to do this, but thankfully it is so far so good!

Lane tried to convince me last night that he wants to stay bald. "It is so easy!" He says. I say no way - you normally have hair - enjoy it! If the day comes that he loses his hair, then he can shave it. Until then, we'll be bald for a few months, and it will grow back and he'll have hair like he used to.

Extreme Home Makeover

That's right ladies and gentlemen - we have a new decorator in our house!  Her name is Addison, and boy can she make over any bathroom or bedroom in just a few minutes flat!  What once looked like this:

Can  now look like this!

With just a few moments left alone, our amazing and talented decorator can turn your boring bathroom or bedroom into a toilet paper/ kleenex work of art!  Call now to make an appointment for your extreme home makeover!  But hurry - her time is limited!! (with naps and all)  And spots are filling fast!

Names have been changed to protect the innocent . . .

Addison is in that fun-filled stage where they destroy everything, whine at anything and  obey nothing.  F.U.N. (not)

However, one fun thing about this stage is when they start learning more and more new words.  Addison is actually a lot slower in talking than Kayla and Savannah were.  I admit, K and S were amazing, and spoke very clearly, very early.  Then came Conner - he cured me of the absolute surety I had that all my children were geniuses just like their mother. ;)  He didn't talk in any way you could understand until around 2 or later.  He just said, "This!" to everything.

Well, Addi-bug is putting herself in the middle of this group.  Not talking early - hopefully not late either!  But, now for the story:

Addison has learned a new word:  poo poo

Yup, she will come and tell me when she is poo poo, and grabs at her diaper, which I usually will do the check down the back of her pants to see if she is right, and sure enough - one whiff and I know she isn't joking!

One thing that seems to run consistent with all children is that they choose to "poo poo" at the most inopportune times!  Such as when you are loading the kids in the car to race to the gym for the 8:30 a.m. class you teach.  It is 8:20 - we gotta go.  You throw Addi in her car seat, and she looks at you cocks her head to the side and says, "Poo poo?"  Yes, with a question mark.  Like she is asking me if she poo pooed, when in reality she knows she has, she just maybe wonders if this is a good time to tell me?  Addi - this is not a good time to poop.  She needs to be a little more sensitive to my schedule!

Oh well, she has the poo poo thing figured out.  She proved this yesterday when a certain person we will call Jane (names have been changed for privacy) was having intestinal issues.  She was sitting in a chair and decided she needed to pass some gas to relieve the pressure.  Well, it was not a silent passing.  Addi was standing there, came over to Jane and cocked her head to the side and said, "poo poo?"  Jane said, "no Addi, no poo poo!"  and laughed.  Jane next feels Addi's cold hand on her back, trying to pull her pants out at the waist.  "Poo poo?"  Addi says again.  Suddenly Jane realizes what Addi is doing - she is checking for poo just like her mommy always does!

 

6:21 - Why?

I no longer need to set my alarm to get up in the morning.  My dear sweet Addison has decided that every morning she will be my rooster - she wakes up and "crows" every morning at . . . 6:21.  And no, I am no kidding.  The last 3 nights in a row, she has woken up and cries out - I hear her on the monitor, know it is WAY too early to be up, and I look at the clock - sure enough . . . 6:21.  How does she do that?  Where is the gene that was implanted in her to wake up at this time?How does she get it exactly right every day?   Why won't she at least sleep until 7  - which is the actual time I have to get up to start getting kids ready?

Oh well, for now I turn off the monitor, pray she goes back to sleep, and get a few things done before life begins at 7.

Another Addi note - she won't eat unless she can feed herself.  This is not going over so well with mom!  HELP!!!

Halloween - Triathlon - Addi-bug!!!

So there are tons of things that have been happening here!


First let's hit on Halloween. Our ward had their trunk or treat party last night. We had the chili and cornbread, hot dogs, homemade rootbeer, etc. It was great. There were a bunch of games and things for the kids to do, and then we did the trunk or treat. The kids had a blast, and the parents had fun too! Then we went home and Lane took the kids trick or treating to the neighborhood outside our back gates - because there are only 5 families in our neighborhood so far (bummer - picture the cartoon circulating about the kids out trick or treating and saying, "Halloween really sucks this year!" because every house is dark and has a foreclosure or for sale sign out front). But . . . I digress . . .

I didn't go trick or treating with the kids because I had to get ready for my sprint triathlon the next morning. I was excited and a little nervous! You know you never sleep well the night before a race, and that was the case with me - darnit!

I hit the bed early (10:30) and had to get up at 4:30 to go pick up my friend Lezlie at 5:15 and meet a group down there to go. We drove to Coolidge to the Central Arizona College. We registered and set up all our stuff and were a little nervous. I was especially nervous about the swimming part! I haven't trained once for the swim! ugh! Anyway, I survived the swim (400 meters), ran and got on my bike and rode 10.2 miles, then put my bike away and got my running shoes on, and Lezlie and I ran the 5 K together. I did it all in 1 hr. 22 mins and 58 secs. I took 10th out of 30 in my age division. So, not too bad for the first try. I definitely learned a few things on this though! Here are the tips for when YOU try a sprint triathlon:



1) Bring goggles and a swim cap - it is much easier. I borrowed some from a lady there that I knew - thank heaven!

2) Have a mile counter and speedometer on your bike. I had no idea how far I had gone, nor how fast I was going. I could have gone faster, but was trying to pace myself, and had no idea how much farther I had to go.

3) Drink water while on the bike.

4) When running, also drink water! (It would help if the water station actually had water and not just ice! They truly were out of water! )


5) Don't drop your drawers and go pee in front of everyone if you have to go - hmm. . . course there wasn't really a place for anyone to go since we were running in a dirt field! (By the way - a lady did this in front of one of the guys who went with us!)

6) When you're done, drink more water.

7) Don't wait until too late to eat and drink. I, unfortunately only ate a banana at 6, and we didn't eat until about noon. I discovered I had maybe drank 2 or 3 cups of water through the whole thing. Can you say dehydration? I was sooooooo sick driving back to Pnoenix. My head hurt like crazy and I couldn't decide if I wanted to curl up in the fetal position in the back seat or just puke and hope that would make me feel better. Once I got some food and water in me I felt less nauseus, but I still had a massive headache, so I came home and went to bed for an hour, and woke up feeling a new woman! :)




Now that I've done it, you know I have to do another one and cut my time down!




Here's me and Lezlie with our number - we were official! I will post more pictures when my friend sends them to me.





On a side note - Lezlie came with only 2 weeks notice and did great! We finished with basically the same time - even though she has short little legs! :) You're awesome Lezlie - get ready for Anthem!!!!!!


Finally, Addi-bug has learned a new trick - how to climb through the doggie door! It is a door from the patio into a storage room where we keep the lawn stuff and Sandy's food. She watched Sandy go through . . .

Then she thought about it . . .




Then she went through . . .



And was very proud of herself!

Addi-bug!!!

So why is it by the 4th kid you almost don't know they exist because of lack of pictures? It couldn't be because every time you go to get the camera someone else has, spilled something, started crying, thrown up, peed their pants, etc. could it? If I don't shape up I'm going to have to start showing Addison baby pictures of Savannah and telling her it is her! (I could probably get away with that because they look so much alike)

Anyway, Kayla spent some "sister" time with Addison, and this is what she came up with:

Addison sure loves Kayla. Sometimes she only wants her and not me - which frankly is OK!

Addison is now running everywhere. Apparently walking just won't get her where she needs to go fast enough. The world will end if she doesn't run over to a spot on the grass, look, point and say doggie (everything is doggie) and run over somewhere else and point and look, then run somewhere else. Then she'll break out laughing for no reason - but something was hilarious and only she knows it! Dang, they are so cute you really could eat them couldn't you?

Super Addison!

Our flying Addi-bug! This is one of her positions she gets into - and I remember when each kid did! I don't know why it is funny to us, but it is! She can sit herself up and is on the verge of crawling. Life will be over then. I really don't like when they get mobile, cause they can get into all sorts of trouble! (remembering every kid emptying every garbage, etc. ugh!)

Anyway, she is a cutie!