Bella Dancerella

This ballet barre, mat and dvd was Amy's have to have item for Christmas a couple of years ago. Kristen, following in the footsteps of her sister, loves to listen to and follow the dvd now.

From Chris' Blog

I plagiarized this post from Chris' blog. I don't know who reads his blog and who doesn't but I thought he had some great ideas:

Growing pains. Today at church our ward (geographical congregation) was reorganized with new boundaries. They did a 3-for-2 split because we'd grown so large that the primary (kids group) was over 200 and was breaking fire code. While growing up, I can't recall more than perhaps one such boundary realignment. Yet since I've lived here, this is my third one. Guess that's both good and bad.

Ever since word got out last week that things were changing this week, there's been a buzz of speculation on what the new boundaries would be. You see, a ward for LDS folks is very much like a surrogate family. Therefore, messing with the boundary lines can be quite traumatic. We knew that since a division was about to happen (as someone said today, like cells multiplying) we would undoubtedly lose some friends on the other side of the new lines. When the new maps were released this afternoon and we saw what was to happen, it quickly became apparently that while we're keeping many close friends in our new ward, we're losing many longtime buddies as well.

But, as one friend pointed out, "it's not like you're moving away! You just happen to go to church at a different time!" Good, simple wisdom. We do tend to blow things a little out of proportion, yes. Yet it's nice when you're forced to bump into friends at least weekly in the halls at church. You smile, shake hands, and rub shoulders. It's good. We're often too busy to make it happen otherwise.

To all my friends who have done so much for my family over the last seven-plus years, I thank you warmly. You are definitely my extended family. You'll never really know the impact you've made. Like most folks, my family has weathered some pretty steep ups and downs, and I honestly don't think I would have made it so easily without you. I have enjoyed every minute of serving with you. I have absolutely cherished watching the achievements many of you have made in your own lives. You are some of the most amazing people I've ever been among. Really.

I have also absolutely enjoyed the chance for the last 18 months to teach Sunday School. What a totally fun calling! Best ever. There's nothing better than getting together each week with dear friends, laughing, recharging one another's batteries, and walking out feeling better than when we came in. Complete therapy. Will I get to keep doing this fun stuff? Time will tell. (For those not familiar, we don't choose our assignments or callings, they choose us...)

The good news is that, in perhaps several more years, I'll very likely be saying the same thing about the new ward and its boundaries. Anyone hear Lion King Circle-Of-Life music in the background right now?

The bad news? Two words. 1pm church.

Funny Things I Said

So the girls were remembering some of the funny things I said last week. Somehow they let me be in control of the remote. I turned the volume all the way down. When they asked me what I was doing, I calmly replied, "I'm just browsing thanks."

We were all sitting at the dinner table laughing and Kristen said, "You should put that on your blob."

Amazing Family

My family is amazing. I have learned so many things from the thoughtful service within the walls of my own home. Without going in to too many details, I had surgery on the 20th. I have been overwhelmed by the love, patience and Christ-like service of my husband as he took care of me, my children, his job, and our home. I don't remember much from Friday until about Tuesday, except for glimpses of their service. Amy would softly take my hand and help me walk around, Misha was quick to offer extra pillows, and Kristen would play quietly nearby.

Thanks to friends and family for watching my children and calling me. Mom and Dad, you truly buoyed me up.

How Did I Not Know?

That today was a snow day. I'll agree I have been completely out of it since last Friday, but I was starting to come around. We did all the usual morning stuff and got the kids out the door on time. Ten minutes later another mom drops them off saying there was no school today. Woohoo. The first big snow of the year and it is March 26th.

My sister-in-law Lori had been visiting for a couple of days and was originally scheduled to be leaving right about now. We were smart enough to realize flights might be delayed and changed her flight to leave late last night. We should have figured something would be up with school.

Disney on Ice

My girls thoroughly loved Disney on Ice. Amy said, "This is the best night ever." I thought that was amazing since earlier in the day she was a little disappointed that Hannah Montana wouldn't be skating. Kristen was enthralled for the first half. This was how she sat on Christopher's lap for most of the night.







Misha had her hair cut before we left and was looking so cute.

Progression of the Teeth

I just noticed the other day that Amy's teeth are coming together nicely.

Before Braces:



After Braces in January:



March:

A Tribute To St. Patrick

My children rather enthusiastically celebrate any and all holidays. Today was no exception. They think I am the coolest Mom in the world when I join in the celebration. My specialty--green eggs and pancakes.

Outside the Box

I was helping Amy with her homework last week. She was being too literal about figuring out the answer to a problem, so I told her to think outside the box. She obviously had no idea what it meant to "think outside the box." She drew this picture after pondering her problem, handed it to me, and said "I am close to the box--very close, but I am still outside."

A Few Comments

The layered look is in. Kristen got herself dressed this morning. Stylin'.



This is how I find Misha so often--absorbed in a book. In fact, I had to ground her from reading Calvin and Hobbes the other day because she wasn't doing what I asked. You'd have thought I cut off her toe! We go to the library once or twice a week, come home with loads of books and she just devours them. Misha reads at a fifth grade level. Amy reads a lot too, but not quite so voraciously. She's got art to do and walls to plaster with pictures.



We had pictures taken for a family picture directory at church. Chris and I look great--my girls look like goofs!

Amy and Misha

Amy, as the oldest child, sometimes comes on a little strong with her attitude and opinions. A couple of nights ago, I was putting Kristen to bed upstairs while listening to Amy and Misha downstairs. I had to shake my head at Amy's comment to Misha, "Let's play a game. It's called, 'I don't want to hear your voice anymore.'"

Amy has been on a bit of restriction lately (interpret as three weeks of grounding from friends, tv and computer--tv and computer didn't really stick). We are trying to instill a sweeter attitude and greater effort toward treating Misha with kindness. (Anybody else deal with this with their oldest?) She's kind of trying but her superiority complex often sneaks into conversation. Like this morning for example. She and Misha were discussing the game of Four Square at school. This was her comment, "I played it when I was in third grade (she was only in the third grade for a month). I moved on."

Misha

So Misha just said to me, "Mom, if I was a Munchkin, would you still love me?" Crazy kid.

It's Too Much

So my sweet little almost four-year old is usually quite a trooper on follow through. You ask her to go get her pajamas on, forget that you asked her, and five or ten minutes later she shows up with her pajamas on. She'll make her bed, put clothes in the laundry basket, pick up her toys.... UNLESS her friends have been over. If such is the case, her bedroom is mayhem at its best. And she cracks under the pressure. The overwhelming mess is just too much for her. I try to get her friends to help clean up before they leave, but you can guess how well that works. She'll whine and cry for an hour that it is too hard and that she can't do it. So pitiful. Then I go in pick up a few of the big things so that the destruction isn't quite as bad, give her a specific job like picking up all the Barbie stuff, and sometimes she'll pull herself together enough to get the job done. Or she'll do like she's doing right now and sit down in the middle of it all and keep on playing. The fact that she hasn't had any lunch is forgotten.

Another note about her little friends. One of them, who will remain nameless, but who's name rhymes with Stacy, told me the other day that I looked like a Grandma. RUDE!!!

Letters

Kristen is having fun with spelling and writing her letters. And, of course, her portraits are always fun.

Mormon Ads

Chris came up with a fun idea for Family Home Evening. We ordered three packets of Mormon Ads from the LDS Distribution Center and decided to choose a different Ad each week to talk about with our daughters. Last night we had a conversation about Honesty.



When we were "wrapping up", Misha blurted out, "If you are going to lie, lie with authority." NO. That's not the point (fortunately she was just kidding).

Rascal Flatts

So my brother, Mitch, sent me a link for getting some "free" Rascal Flatts tickets. It was a little short notice, but Chris and I had never gone to a concert together before and thought it might be fun--especially since we both like the music. The first bunch of times I kept getting my not-so free tickets up in the last row of the arena (I say not so free because they ended up being about $7.50 each, but who can complain about that?) What fun would it be to watch a bunch of specs from the nosebleed section? Tickets on the second row of the club level just slightly behind the stage finally came available and after a little contemplation, I decided to get the tickets.

Turns out it wasn't such a bad place to sit. Probably four or five seats to the right would have been better, and obviously lower and more central would have been ideal, but it was great. The stage was huge and covered much of the stadium floor so there was always something to see.



Until.....

The annoying lady sat down in front of us. I wouldn't have expected her type to be a groupie--she was kind of granola-ish complete with a fanny pack sitting on her tummy. But as soon as the music started she stood up. She was sitting in the first row of the section so it wasn't as if anyone was blocking her view--she was just getting into the moment. BUT, her butt and torso completely blocked my view. Her boyfriend's view was completely blocked, but she didn't seem to mind and he seemed to be along in the supportive I-don't-really-want-to-be-here-but-I-love-her role.



I was ducked down in my seat trying to see around her when all of a sudden she grabbed her jacket and spread her arms out wide. ARE YOU KIDDING ME? Can you spell insensitive? L-A-D-Y--W-I-T-H--T-H-E--F-A-N-N-Y--P-A-C-K! Chris finally asked her if she would sit down when she turned around and sat on the railing, still blocking our view, not even watching the concert. Fortunately she stayed seated for the remainder of the concert because Chris kept telling me, "Just give her a little nudge."

Fun Activity for a Day Off

The girls had Friday off from school. They got a little bored and decided to turn my living room into a race track.

Library Books

You know you've found a winner when you select a book for your daughter in the morning and when you stop at the library again, she picks a book in the same series. What book did I so fortuitously choose? "Walter the Farting Dog." What book did Misha pick? "Walter the Farting Dog Banned from the Beach." At least we don't have a Walter.

Gotta Dance

I like to dance. I'm pretty good at free style dancing, but ask me to do a choreographed aerobic, line dance or kick boxing routine and I'm am woefully uncoordinated. I mention those three because I've tried them and am pitifully unskilled. Some people come to this world with rhythm doing a tap dance on their hearts. Amy would be such an individual...and she likes to dress the part.

Trampoline for Sale...Like New

It has been a little windy around here lately. Fortunately this trampoline is not ours, though we had our wind and trampoline moment a couple of years ago. One afternoon my next door neighbor called me and said, "Would you like me to tie your trampoline to my kids' play structure?" I tentatively respond though somewhat confused, "Well, no, but maybe...just a second" I then take a quick peak out the window and to my shock our trampoline is sitting upright in their back yard in perfect position to be tied to their play place. "...yes, please do."

Chris was working at home that day and I ran upstairs to his office, interrupted his phone call and said, "You need to look out the window." He looked, quickly ended his conversation and headed over to the neighbors to help tie the trampoline down until it could be moved back to our yard. What is amazing is that in order for the trampoline to get into our neighbor's yard it had to become airborne enough to be lifted over a five foot vinyl fence. We're not sure if it was lifted up like a UFO or if it tumbled. The fence was perfectly intact, the trampoline was unharmed and no animals were injured.

Our trampoline is now staked firmly and deeply into the ground. I imagine that if the owners of the above trampoline ever get a new one, they'll find a way to protect their assets.

Anti-nap Propaganda

Kristen was getting out of the bath this afternoon and inadvertently let out a big yawn. "Oh my goodness, does that mean you're tired?" I asked. She replied in the negative. "But," I continue, "A yawn usually means you're tired." Her response, "Not in Spanish."

The Children's Museum

After an enjoyable evening at the Arrowhead Manor in Morrison, we met our children, Grandma, and Molloys in downtown Denver for an afternoon-o-fun at The Children's Museum. The last time we visited was probably four or five years ago sans Kristen. We started with a quick lunch at McDonald's, a goose chase around downtown following Christopher's GPS' instructions (it seems to get confused sometimes), and finally arrived to a packed house. Seems as though we weren't the only ones who thought the museum would be a good idea for a day off from school. Still there was plenty to keep the kids mostly occupied--there was a lot of sitting around time for parents. Thanks heavens for Chris that he has his Blackberry!







Watch out when you get in front of a fire engine!!





I stayed with Kristen in an "Under 4" area while Chris went upstairs with Misha and Amy where they got to create stuff out of recyclable material. It was pretty funny because I think there were more Dads than kids at these stations...and some of the Dads stayed to finish up after their kids left to do something else.






Some of Kristen's favorite activities were playing in the grocery store, dancing and basketball, but most of all painting.







The sad part of the day came when the girls had to say goodbye to Grandma so she could make her flight. Hugs all around.

Grandma's Visit

Grandma Ball came for a short visit this past weekend. The girls loved having her come and all the fun stuff she brought: Wii Ski, Valentine plates and cups for a special dinner, and chocolate Valentine trays for making their own chocolates. They were thrilled last night as they realized Grandma had hidden Valentine Tootsie Rolls all over the house before she left--so much fun.

Chris and I made good use of her offer to watch the girls and went on a date Saturday evening and then a one-night get away Sunday night. Each Valentine's Day, our Stake hosts an adult dance. Chris freely admits that he isn't in to dancing that much, but he graciously conceded to go with me this year if I wanted to. I did. In twelve years of knowing my husband, I have never really danced with him.

I made reservations at Pinocchio's in Longmont, invited a few friends to join us, and both of us dressed up for a night out. Sadly, no pictures. We did have six other couples join us and had a great time. And yes, we danced. One thing I realized was that my husband is so tall, that it was difficult to do much more than wrap my arm around his waist. Still it was great. He probably won't readily admit it, but he had fun too.

Second Grade Music Showcase

Misha had her Musical Showcase last week. I really like that the school holds these showcases on a grade by grade basis. It cuts down on having to sit through an hour of listening to kids you don't even know. Still, there were three 2nd grade classes and the gym was packed. The school staff seemed to have learned with Amy's grade and had the kids up on the stage. We weren't close to the front, but at least we could see Misha. She did a great job singing, following instruction and smiling throughout. She is fun to watch...and we got to hear great masterpieces such as Bubblegum and Skidamarink. Gotta love hearing that one over and over.

P.S. Misha is fifth from the left on the top row.

On Another Misha Note

I was attempting to tidy the stack on my desk and came across Misha's Christmas letter to Santa. I thought it was pretty sweet.

dear Santa, I was thincking mayeb you could help some other poor people to make ther Christmast. Thank you Santa.

From, Misha

Misha....always my tenderhearted soul.