Sunday, December 20, 2009

Musical Fusion


 
 Kylie had her Christmas piano recital this weekend. She did a great job and we were so proud of her. She  played Jingle Bells first, and only got lost once, but figured it out and played the rest perfectly. Then she  got to play The First Noelle in a duet with her dear teacher, and it sounded awesome!
Kylie has been working so hard and has been really good about practicing. I have been impressed with how quickly she has picked up her new found talent.
The only sad thing was that her grandma and grandpa didnt get to come hear her play, being that they live so far away. I figured we would record a little clip of it for them, but it didnt end up working out. Drats.
Oh well.
WooHoo to the Moo!

Thursday, December 17, 2009

Festivities


 
 
 

Since our 2 youngest cant sit still for longer than a few minutes, we decided to switch around the older 2s Christmas programs as they both did the exact same play, just different nights, and that way we kept the younguns at home- to destroy here instead of out in public. Daniel took Monday- which was Toastys night. Apparently Ty was the spazz who almost punched the kid behind him in the face, but by some festivous miracle, he restrained himself. Of course hearing that the kid behind him kept messing with my boy, I wanted to find out who the little rascal was so that I could have done the honors. Just kidding. I'm not violent like that, but I could at least give him a really mean scowl. Nobody messes with my kid.
I took Tuesday- which was Kylies night. Sadly we couldnt see her the entire time, so I spent much of my time texting Daniel instead of watching the little play. I'm terrible, but geez- the only reason I went was to see my girl, but I couldnt see her amidst the hundreds of other kiddies, so what was the point? Nah- actually there were several kids from the primary up there, so it was kinda fun to see them and listen to their little parts.. The one show stopper- one poor little girl fell right off the stage and the very audible slap of her body hitting the floor was pretty traumatic. She lived, apparently, with no broken bones either, so another festivous miracle!

Random change of subject: we, the Jacksons, have a few little traditions that lead up to Christmas. Each night in December we do something Christmasy together, and we've been having lots of fun with it. We've done lots of Christmas crafts, Christmas baking, Christmas movies, Christmas stories, Christmas singing, and of course the Christmas gingerbread grahm cracker house decorating. We did that one last night and boy was it fun. Kylie, my sweet darling daughter, tends to be a bit of a perfectionist. She was having a melt down cuz she couldnt get it to look just right. Toast was mad that James ate the candy that he wanted to decorate with, and wacked him, which made James turn into a crying gremlin, who refused to participate anymore. Ben kept grabbing the candy and throwing it all over the kitchen, and he also kept grabbing Kylies creation, which, of course, ruined it, making her meltdowns even more fun. It was quite a  night! Oh the joyous memories we are creating!
(all pictures were taken before all meltdowns and fighting ensued. Hence the smiles as opposed to the tears and grumpy faces that soon followed)

Tuesday, December 15, 2009

The Children were Nestled...


...
All Snug in their hallway.
This is how we found these two last night.
I dont know what it is about a sleeping child, but looking at those innocent faces makes my heart almost burst.

Monday, December 14, 2009

Prophesying



My last post I told about the couple that compared my little family to a pack of wild animals- well I now have something even better.
Let me start out saying this- I am by definition a pipsqueak. There are a few kids in our primary that tower of me, and several of my nephews use me as an armrest. So I know that I'm not that big- and thats ok. Sure womanly curves would be very welcome, as would a little-(4 or 5 inches would do) added heighth, but I picked some weird combination's from the gene pool, and "you get what you get, and dont throw a fit" right? In all honesty I'm just thankful to have a  healthy body that allows me to take care of my kiddies and enjoy the many wonderful things our Heavenly Father created for us -(cue for the primary song "My Heavenly Father Loves Me" to start playing in your head.)
OK- so I am used to comments about how small I am. What I am not used to are comments about how big I am. Except when I am pregnant. and that is just because-(i've decided anyway) people can be quite obnoxious when one is expecting. And NO, this is not an announcement- although I would assume everyone(the few friends/family who read my blog anyway) knows we are trying for our caboose-(if anyone knows the secret or trick on how to have a girl- we really would appreciate any and all hints/methods!!! ;)), so hopefully that announcement will be following sometime in the new year, but this is not it. So back to my story.
This past weekend we drove up to Mesa for Daniels dear sweet cousins wedding-(which was, of course, wonderful) but had to stop at "the supersized" store for a few supplies before heading home. So we check out and get to the door where there is the guy who makes sure you're not trying to break the 8th commandment, when he looks at me and says-and I quote, "you're not hiding twins under there, are you?" ............................................................(I'm pausing here for full absorption
........................)..........................................................................................

I'm quite flabbergasted by that comment. I mean if I was supporting a little preggo belly, then yeah- i would get his "joke." But for me, the pipsqueek that I am, I am just kinda baffled. Who says something like that? I think I should start a national PSA with the little clip from Bambi cuz obviously not enough people have heard that infamous quote.
So I tell this little story to some friends at my dear, wonderful friends awesomest of awesome Christmas party, and one sweet friend tries to soften the blow by saying maybe he was having a premonition or something. Yeah- maybe if the One who sends these sweet little spirits into the world wants me to end up in the looney bin, or on some powerful anti-crazy drugs cuz Daniel and I keep telling each other were are crazy enough as it is with the "herd" of kids we already have been so blessed with.
2 more -at once no less- would definately do me in!!!!
But then I tell my dear sweet wonderful mother about that guy, and she says the same thing.
Right. Some little old man who doesnt know me from Adam, is gonna be prophesying to me that I'm gonna be carrying twins? Still doesnt make me feel better.
I think I will just chalk this one up to having a  supersized "fat" day. And I shall be burning the shirt I was wearing.

Wednesday, December 9, 2009

Really?



So Daniel and I went to the store with all the kiddies the other day. Nothing unusual. The kids were actually being really good. We were getting ready to check out and the couple in front of us turns around and comments on the stuff we are buying. And then they count the kids and say, "oh no wonder, ...... you have a HERD!" Really? Thats how they describe us, a herd? Geez. Ok- I get that 4 kids is "a handful." But doesnt "herd" classify as a large group of animals? And its not like the kids were being crazy acting like wild animals. Two were in the cart and the other two were standing right by it. No one was throwing temper tantrums or yelling or ripping packages of cookies open with their teeth, like they normally do. Sheesh.
What ever happened to the notion if you cant say anything nice, dont say anything at all?  

Tuesday, December 8, 2009

A few of my Favorite Things



"I'm OLD. I'm like the crypt keeper!" (movie trivia)
I'm officially old! Yesterday marked the 30th year of my blessed arrival into the world. And while I may still act, think and look like a 14 year old, I am no longer a "young pup." 
Daniel, having already crossed that aging line, and being the wonderful guy that he is, made the death of my youth a celebration of my favorite things. How I got so lucky to have him in my life I will never know, but I sure am grateful.
So one of my all time favorite things is the rain. I love love love rain. But we hardly ever get that wonderful force of nature in these neck of the woods. But Daniel called in a special request and I woke up to the lovely smell of rain, wonderful gray clouds, and it lasted the entire day. Pretty darn cool that Daniel has such a pull in the weather, dontcha think?
Daniel put fresh clean and crisp sheets on our bed, as thats another favorite of mine. He also took me to get my favorite lunch ever- olive gardens soup, salad and breadsticks. He brought me my favorite flowers, and even had them arranged with fresh pine as the smell of Christmas trees is yet another favorite. And he wrote me a perfectly sweet love note- can I say favorite.
He had the kids give me my favorite treats. And he made my favorite heath bar cake. And he cleaned up from the daily mayhem  so I could have a clean house for a few hours. And then he put the kids to bed, so we could spend the rest of the night together in peace- most definatley my favorite way to spend the evening.
Aging isnt too bad when one has a favorite person to do it with.