Hannah the Problem Solver

Yesterday Rachel was causing me all sorts of grief. First, she scribbled red marker on herself, the walls and the tile. Then she reached for the hand soap in the bathroom and emptied about half the bottle on my coffee table among other places. I yelled out, exasperated "Rachel, you're driving me CRAZY!" Hannah sees the mess, hears my response and soberly offers a solution: "Mom, I think maybe we should just get rid of her." Of course I have to burst out laughing, being the responsible mother that I am. I continued to chuckle while scrubbing marker off every household surface and removing gooey hand-soap from the coffee table. I'm still laughing about it.

And no, we will not be "getting rid" of Rachel. Even though she's super naughty... I still like her.

Snow (sigh)

Didn't I just do my "summer wrap-up" post? Wasn't it "too hot to run", like, yesterday? Didn't the kids just have their first day of school? I guess not...because today we have SNOW!!!

I know we are fast approaching our third winter back in Utah so I shouldn't be so surprised at how early we have our first real snow, nevertheless I am still not emotionally prepared for this, people! The perpetually cold feet, high gas bills, the wetness, the grayness, the ugliness, the can't-go-anywhere-ness. I hate it all. Is there ANY redeeming qualities about this cold time of year?! Oh wait, I can think of two:

#1

#2I must admit, they are pretty cute in the cold and their snow hats with their tongues hanging out, hoping to catch a flake or two!

...I still prefer summer to winter, swimsuits to snowsuits, sunglasses to snow-hats, and tiny bum-cheeks to cold tongues "hanging out". I'm just sayin'...

Last Monday for Family Home Evening we invited a few families over for some pre-Halloween festivities. It also doubled as a Disneyland protest party since several of our friends are living it up with Mickey Mouse this week. Can you believe the nerve of some people?

We started out by decorating some yummy pumpkin sugar cookies. See that blur in the middle of the picture? I'm pretty sure it's a ghost...maybe even the Holy Ghost, it being FHE and all.

We sent the kids outside to eat their "creations," ie. loads and loads of sugar which they washed down with even more sugar (soda). What was I thinking? We had some pretty hyper kids by the end of the night...except mine of course, who are always perfectly well behaved (winks).

Next we watched The Great Pumpkin (Charlie Brown), and then played some fun family games to finish off the night, including one the Fulks taught us called "Pinky-Fousty-Flatty-Cutty-Claw" (did I get it right, Jodi?)
The night was a success - the kids had a great time. So did the moms...

...and the dads! (Isn't that so cute that Cade and Tom match? I thought so, too - makes me wish I had coordinated with the girls... maybe next time!)

Special thanks to the Fulks, Kealamakeas and Haycocks for partying like rockstars with us!

p.s. Disneyland-Shmisneyland

Rachel's growing UP (seriously).

Yes...pre-boycut, I mean haircut!

This girl has been cracking me up lately. She's been talking up a storm, which shouldn't surprise anyone who's ever been around her older sister Hannah (who never stops talking...ever). Some of the cute/funny/adorable things she's said lately:

• while eating "yum,yum,yum...delicioso!" (courtesy of Dora the Explorer)
• An too-enthusiastic-to-be-genuine-but-nevertheless-it-is "Thanks, mom!" for such mundane things as changing her diaper, taking her out of her crib, putting her shoes on, etc.
• It starts out in a panic "MOMMY! MOM! MMOOOMMM!...then morphs into a sweet little sing-song-voice: "I lloovvee you, Mom."
• I'll ask her to throw her wrapper away to which she responds: "Sure Mom!" like she's twelve or something. Ridiculous.
  
• To complete strangers while pinching a lock of her hair: "Hannah cut my hair!" I guess it saves me the explanation, so it's all good. It's getting pretty old to Hannah, however: "Can we please stop talking about this now!" Um, no. Not until I'm thoroughly convinced you'll never do it again.

I figured I'd better record these little sound bytes here before I forget. My baby's growing up. Speaking of which, I took Rachel to the pediatrician yesterday, who matter-of-factly told me my baby daughter is mostly likely going to grow up to be at least 6 feet tall. SAY WHAT? I figured my boys would likely tower over me when they got older, but my little Rachel? Crazy. Cra-zy. I can't write anymore, I have a lump in my throat.

(p.s. You may want to watch your back, Hannah...or maybe your long, beautiful hair. Yes, Rachel's growing up...really, really UP!)

True Blue

Oh yes...we're "on the trail to fame and glory".

I stole this picture off of my sister-in-law Kalisa's blog (shh, don't tell).

I think this is the real reason why we moved back to Utah from Arizona! Cade is the proudest BYU football fan that I know. He would have to be dead or dying to miss a game and we have been season ticket holders for the past going-on-three-years that we've been back to this beloved state. I really could take it or leave it now that I've been out of school for the past 12 years. Yes, I've moved on, but I have to say that there is something special about being back in the Lavell Edwards Stadium watching the Cougs play football. It sure brings back a flood of memories of my college days. Of course, back then I was a single gal checking out the "guys" more than the game! The students look so dang young now...I must really be getting old! Cade has started taking one of the kids with him to each of the home games (excluding Rachel), and I go to the other two with him. He's enjoyed spending individual time with each of them and thoroughly brainwashing them. My parents and brother Brad and his wife Kalisa also have season tickets with us so it's a real par-tay. BYU football has definitely become a family tradition and one that I hope to continue for a long, long time!

Group Effort

Don't hate me because I'm beautiful...
(Do you hate that ad campaign as much as I do?)

Here's how I spent my Conference Weekend.
Apparently if I neglect my personal hygiene long enough, my kids will rally together for the good of the cause. Quite the collaborative effort, eh? I'm just glad Hannah's wielding a comb rather than scissors! Next up...makeup!

St. George

I'd like to move it, move it

Do you ever have those days when you are supposed to be doing 8 million things but because you don't even know where to start, you hang out at your computer all morning getting nothing accomplished? Just wonderin'. Not that that's me or anything. Wait, it is me. Well, maybe it will help if I have to be accountable to someone. How 'bout you? Would you mind if I just make a little list of things I need to get done? It might help. It certainly couldn't hurt. Here goes:

• clean up breakfast and kitchen
• get myself ready for the day
• get the girls ready for the day (at least I don't have to fix Rachel's hair anymore, since it's all gone)
• go to the craft store
• work on Pretty Petal stuff to get ready for the What a Woman Wants Show this weekend (I need to finish making about 200 bows, among other things)
• make (cupcake) labels for Laura's baby shower that's tomorrow
• make ribbon decorations
  
• make cupcakes
• make some phone calls
• get Hannah to preschool
  
• get Jason to Primary party
• get Tyler to soccer practice
• try and go running
• try to get on my husband's good side (I've been stressed and ornery)
  
• figure out dinner
• blog (oooh, almost done with that one!)
  

That's it, folks. It really did help to write it down and make myself accountable to someone (sweet, thoughtful YOU). Thanks for humoring me. Let's see how many check-marks we can get by the end of the day. On your mark...get set...GO!!!

Oh my HAIR!

Have you ever wondered what your kids would look like if they were the opposite sex? I always did. I used to put hair bows on my boys when they were babies just to see what a little Seeley girl would look like before I had any girls. Well, after yesterday, I no longer have to wonder. I know exactly what a male version of Rachel would look like, thanks to her big sis Hannah!

BEFORE:

AFTER:

Thanks to my next door neighbor Wendy and her scissors we evened things up a bit and now I don't burst into tears every time I look at Rachel. Good thing I have lots of headbands, beanies, bows and flowers to help girl-ify my very boy-ish looking child!

Bye-bye hair, nice knowing ya!

The culprit after some "words" about the horrific nature of her deeds.Moms, now might be a good time to reiterate to your preschool children about the illicit use of scissors. Do it now before it's too late. Let Rachel be an example...don't let your child become the next victim. Or perpetrator.

St. George

Every year for the past three years now, my Arizona BFFs and I go on a trip together and pretend that we aren't getting any older and that we don't have a care in the world because for 4 days, we aren't and we really don't, respectively. It's great fun! First it was the Oregon coast, then it was Chicago. This year we chose somewhere "driveable" for economical purposes and somewhere where we could do a little less sight-seeing and a lot more RELAXING. We chose St. George, Utah. The funny thing is, the girls all chipped in to fly me to Phoenix so we could all drive to St. George together since I'm the only one living out-of-state. So basically, I flew across St. George in an airplane just to spend the next 7 hours driving back. My husband is still shaking his head on that one. But if you are a girl, you understand that if you miss all the female bonding going on in the car-ride you might as well just stay home! It's crazy but it's true. Besides, where else can you sing Kelly Clarkson's "Because of You" at the top of your lungs except in a car with your girlfriends?

I don't have any pictures yet because Tiff was the designated "photographer" with her fancy camera and oodles of "know-how". Once she sends them to me...a-hem...I will post them.

We were lucky enough to score free housing at Jill's in-laws house. They were out-of-town so we had the whole place to ourselves including a gorgeous pool in the backyard to relax in...and we did. Besides doing nothing at the pool, we managed to fit in all the things girls do on getaway trips: eating, pedicures, eating, shopping, eating, chick flick, eating, crafting, eating, card games, eating. Did I mention all the fabulous eating?! It's going to take me weeks to shed those extra pounds, but totally worth it! Luckily we laughed almost as much as we ate, till our sides hurt...I'll call that "ab-work." Exercise...CHECK!

We also tried to season our trip with a little spiritual, and a little cultural, too:

We visited the St. George Utah temple and did an endowment session together. It was a beautiful temple and a special experience to have with the girls.

The highlight of the trip had to be this:

It was amazing! This ampitheatre is a unique experience and the production was fantastic. And yes, there were tears shed.

The trip was everything I hoped it would be, and more. I think I speak for all of us when I say I came home a better wife, mother and friend than when I left.

Can't wait for next year!

15 years ago

Aren't you so proud of my diligence in posting? I think I might actually be turning over a new leaf!

You see those two lovebirds on the 2nd and 3rd from the left? That's Cade and I and that's what falling in love looks like, baby! This was taken almost exactly 15 years ago (1994) at the top of the "Y' at BYU. We went hiking with a bunch of friends from "the Riv". Love was definitely in the air, although I don't think we had officially said "the words" yet. Tee-hee.

15 years and 5 kids later...

We hiked the "Y" again on Monday (Labor Day) as a family and I couldn't help but think about all that has changed in the last 15 years and all the ways we have been blessed.
I can't wait to see what the next 15 have in store...hopefully I'll be back on the "Y" in 2014 with my husband and kids (and maybe a grandkid or 2).
I'm pretty sure it's good luck.

(p.s. I'll be back posting on Monday after I get back from St. George. I'll miss you.)

Photo Shoot

My friend Jodi offered to take pictures of my girls last Friday with her awesome, new camera...I obliged (that was a no-brainer!) She did an amazing job in my humble, unbiased opinion.
Here are a few of my favs:

It's so great having muti-talented friends.
Thanks, Jodi!

"Eye" see you!

Someone's been playing with my camera...and they've incriminated themselves with this amateur self-snapshot. Not very smart.
Now I just need to figure out which hooligan that eyeball belongs to.
Any guesses?

A Great Partnership

I just love watching these two sisters interact with one another and develop their sweet little relationship. That's not to say that Hannah never gets frustrated with Rachel and they never fight, but Hannah loves her baby sister and I'm so glad that they have each other. They need each other.

Hannah needs Rachel:

• Rachel is one more person for Hannah to talk to. Hannah talks all day every day, so to have someone follow her around and hang on her every word is priceless (ie. you couldn't pay me to do it!)
• Hannah has a soft, nurturing heart and I'm so happy that she has someone to "practice" on. When Rachel is upset or hurt, Hannah is almost in tears herself anguishing over her sister's pain. It's the sweetest thing to watch Hannah "mother" and fuss over someone else the way she does to Rachel. If she didn't have a younger sibling, how would she ever develop this trait?
• Hannah KNOWS that Rachel loves, respects and adores her. Everyone wants to know they are loved...and by as many people as possible. Because Hannah knows she is loved by her little sister her self esteem is strong and she is growing more confident in herself every day.
• Hannah gets to call the shots...for now, anyway. Hannah wants to make all of the decisions and be in control all of the time. I have to remind her, on occasion, that I'M the mom which she is grudgingly learning to accept. However, when she's playing with Rachel, she gets to make the decisions - what to play, how to play, etc. which satisfies her need to "boss" and Rachel is more than happy to oblige. I know this will change someday and Rachel will not want to go along with everything Hannah says, but for now it is a blessing...for all of us!

Rachel needs Hannah:

• Attention, attention, attention. Rachel is the youngest of five children, so I obviously am unable to devote constant attention to any one of them, even her. Thankfully, Hannah (and her brothers) give her plenty. With the boys in school now, Rachel has a constant companion in Hannah!
• Rachel is being positively reinforced. It's become apparent to me, over the last few months especially, that Rachel is a total goofball! She is destined to become the family clown and every family has one. Whenever Rachel says or does something silly, the kids (mostly Hannah) roar with laughter until she does it again, and again, and again. She's like a performing monkey and Hannah's training her well!
• Rachel likes to be taken care of, and Hannah likes taking care! Win/Win.
• Rachel is the lucky recipient of Hannah's expertise... in all things princess, ponies, babies, Barbies, reading, writing, Dora, Diva, drawing, jewelry, fantasy and fairytale. Thanks Hannah.
  

You two deserve each other!

So, my Tyler is growing up. Last week he landed his first babysitting gig for someone other than me. He has been asking me for months if he could start babysitting. I thought it would be good for him to earn money doing something he likes doing and learn responsibility so I put a plug in for him to several friends and soon enough my sweet friend Emily popped the question:

"Tyler would you like to babysit?"

Tyler of course answered with an enthusiastic "Yes!" He was over the moon about it and began preparing for B-Day. As we were discussing basic babysitting etiquette, I began to get a little emotional about my little boy being big enough to babysit. "Where did all the time go? How did he get so old? That means now I'm old...WAAAAHHHH!!" You know the drill. I sulked while he was off on his first job and marveled at his oldness.

After an hour he returned triumphantly with a glorious five dollar bill clutched in both hands. He was so proud and I was proud too, and I fought the urge to pick him up and cradle him like a baby for old times sake (that would not have gone over very well). The moment was lost when not one minute after returning home Tyler asked if I could take him to the store so he could buy candy and soda! HOORAY! Spoken like a true non-adult, Tyler. Attaboy!

And YES, I would love to take you to go buy candy and soda!

"Another One Bites the Dust..."

On Saturday I ran the Legacy Parkway Half-Marathon. My good friend, Crystal, ran it with me (or ahead of me, I should say). It was a hard race for me. It was hot outside and running in a straight line for 13.1 miles was less than thrilling! But we did it and I beat my previous time by 5 minutes coming in at 2:06 so I'm good with that.

(I love it that Rachel is handing me my Gatorade - what a cutie! Cade made arrangements for the boys to get to their soccer games so he could watch me finish my race along with Hannah and Rachel. I get all choked up seeing my family cheering and supporting me at every race. How awesome!)

So, it was a hard race. Thank goodness we have our I-pods to keep us movin', right? For the first couple of miles, things were going good and my music was definitely my friend, playing songs like "Let's Get it Started" (Black-Eyed Peas) and "Move Along" (All-American Rejects). I felt like the lyrics were directed right at me and I pressed on enthusiastically. However, pretty soon...about mile 3...my I-pod turned on me! The messages in the songs began to get a little discouraging, to say the least. I am not kidding, these are the songs I listened to on my race:

Mile 3..........Help! (The Beatles)
Me:"I need somebody...not just anybody...how about a paramedic?"

Mile 4..........I Can't Break Away (Big Pig)
Me:"I really CAN'T break away...my legs won't go any faster!"

Mile 5..........The Hardest Part (Coldplay)
Me:"This is definitely the hardest part...wait, NOW it's the hardest part!"

Mile 6..........Take Me Out (Franz Ferdinand)
Me:"...to the port-o-potty gosh-dang-it, or this whole race for all I care!"

Mile 7..........I Think I'm Paranoid (Garbage)
Me:"I thought I passed you already, Mr. Shortstootight...I think I AM Paranoid!"

Mile 8..........Crazy (Gnarles Barkley)
Me:"...for ever signing up for this stinkin' race!"

Mile 9..........Harder to Breathe (Maroon 5)
Me:"Not!...Enough!...Oxygen!"

Mile 10........Here it Goes Again (OK Go)
Me:"Where's the next port-o-potty!!!!!"

Mile 11.........Hate (Plain White Ts)
Me:"Hate IS a strong word, but I really really really don't like this!"

Mile 12........Under Pressure (Queen)
Me:"If I don't beat my last time, so help me!"

Mile 13.........I Wanna Be Sedated (The Ramones)
Me:"SERIOUSLY!"

My songs were literally "speaking" to me, I tell ya! I think on my next race I'll re-think my playlist. Maybe then I wouldn't have such a bad attitude. Any suggestions?

Turning 2

The Great Thing About Turning 2:
It's ALL about the cupcake!!

We love you Rachel. HAPPY BIRTHDAY!

Farewell to Summer

Well, today's the day I get back to bloggin'! I know you're excited, I am too. Instead of making this post a 4 hour read catching up on the last..um...few...months, I will make a Top Ten list so you only have to read the highlights. We both win, right? Well then, it's settled!

10. The Boys Started School.

Yesterday was a little bitter-sweet to me. We've had a fun summer and I like having all my babies with me under one roof...but let's face it, it was time to part ways! I realize that it appears from this picture that I have not abandoned my "matching" propensity, but it really is just a happy coincidence that all three are color-coordinated. Tyler is starting 5th grade, Adam 4th and Jason 2nd. What good boys!

9. I'm a Runner
It's been one of those things that I've wanted to get back into for the last 10 years or so, but just couldn't quite get up the courage, if that makes any sense. I started training for a 5K last Spring and ran it with my neighborhood friends and I was hooked! I have ran 3 more races since including the Provo half-marathon and hope to continue to run. It makes me happy.

8. Hannah Solidified Her "Diva" Status
Hannah's dance recital was so cute and Hannah has decided the spotlight is a pretty great place to be! She really enjoys singing, and dancing and is so theatrical about everything. She lights up a room with her big personality and I can't imagine our family without her!

7. Tyler and Adam Conquered Another Pinewood Derby!

I'm still intrigued by the whole Pinewood Derby "phenomenon" and cannot figure out for the life of me why on earth it matters so much that my children not lose this annual "Who's Dad Cares the Most" competition. Apparently, Dad cares about Hannah, too.
...why else would he wear this hideous...er...lovely tie Hannah made for him at preschool to church on Father's Day?

6. Cade and I took a Much Needed Vacation.
2 days in San Diego, 2 days in Aneheim. No kids. Need I say more?

5. We Went to our First Air Show
We went with our friends - the Remingtons, Childs and Kealamakias. It was fun, but unfortunately the Thunderbirds performed last...about 90 minutes after my kids ran out of steam and had to go home. Bummer!
Next year, we'll come at the end!

4. We Decided Kaysville is a Pretty Great Place to Spend the 4th of July.
We get to WALK to the parade from our house, and the kids collect obscene amounts of salt water taffy and merchandise (stuffed animals, bead necklaces and neckties...yes, neckties!) Fireworks, too, are just a hop, skip and a jump away from our front door. We may never leave this blessed town simply for the fun-factor on this one day.
...Our cousins agree!

3. Our kids are definitely on "the straight and narrow"! (are YOURS?)

...AND holding to the the iron rod! We toured the Church History Museum this summer and couldn't resist this photo-op. Should I be concerned about Hannah's one-foot-on-one-foot-off stance? Hmmmm..."plant BOTH feet, children!"

2. I have a few friends now.

...and they're pretty great!

1. This is What we Did Most of the Summer

Jodi took the picture and told me it was "blog-worthy" (even though those white legs definitely aren't!) Thanks for inviting us swimming a lot..oh yeah...and teaching my daughter how to swim (no more floaties for Hannah!)

Goodbye Summer. We'll miss you!!