Where HAVE we been?!? (sorry long-winded)

The truth is, I have no idea where these past couple of moths have gone to. It's all been quite the whirl-wind. I'll try and update you as best I can. Maybe it's best to tackle this one person at a time.

Daryl - Daryl has started school this semester at MCC with a plan to eventually transfer to ASU's accounting program. He has a class Tues. evenings and another Thurs. evenings. He's doing great so far. As of last April, he has been working at a new job, running payroll and accounts payable and accounts receivable for a company that staffs doctors in hospitals. It keeps him busy, but I can tell he enjoys it. It makes a world of difference.

Me- What to say about my busy self? I It's hard to say specifically what I'VE been up to without crossing over into the goings on with the kids. And let me tell you THEY have been busy. I'll try and come back to me after I fill you in on their recent antics.

Daniel - Many of you know a little bit about Daniel's recent activities. I know I posted on Facebook about a month ago about the time when he SHOULD have been sleeping and got in to my water storage in his closet. He decided to open the gallon jugs and pour them all over his bed. Originally, I found only one empty jug, but upon further investigation, discovered seven more empty jugs hiding in the closet. His mattress and bedding were completely soaked, along with a few large patches of floor underneath the bed. (Those are still due for a good shampoo.) Needless to say I was upset.
But only SOME of you have heard the rest of the story. Two days after the whole ordeal. (We were still waiting for the mattress to completely dry.) He was in his room, again NOT sleeping, and pulled the stitching off all the way around the top of his mattress. The entire top of the mattress could be lifted off of the rest of it! I didn't have any idea this event occurred until later that day. I was getting them undressed and ready for baths and bed, when he informed me that he "broke" his mattress. He sure did.
After a week of Daniel sleeping on the floor, and finding no one I could pay to fix it, I finally caved and decided to sew it back together myself. (Keep in mind that he sleeps on a full sized mattress, not a twin.) So for the next three days, I hauled it back and forth between the living room and his bed room so I could sew it up. It took two days just to whip-stitch the top back on. The third day was spent sewing the trim piece over the top of that so it looked normal again. (And I can personally assure you that that thing will not be coming off anytime soon.) HE spent the three days doing all the chore that "I don't have time to do be cause I have to sew this mattress". He also got three good naps while I sat in his room sewing and making sure he went to sleep.. Wow, so that's where my time went.  Since then, we've changed to taking a nap some days, and reading books and laying down with a movie other days. We're still here and there with the potty training also. He is doing really good with our new sticker program. I look forward to the day when incentives are no longer necessary.

Heidi - Heidi is now learning how to sleep in a big girl bed. She actually has her twin bed AND a toddler bed in her room right now. She's been getting out of the twin bed and falling asleep up against her bedroom door at night and during nap. I found the toddler bed really cheap at a yard sale, and bought it, hoping she'd love that one more, and want to stay in it. She does like it. But not enough to stay yet. Today I've started sitting by her bed until she falls asleep. Maybe if I scoot further and further away each time she'll just get used to falling asleep right away like she used to. If nothing else, she'll at least catch up on some much-needed rest and be a happier girl again. **Crossing my fingers**
Heidi has taken a slight interest in going potty as well. She tells me sometimes that she needs to go potty and has actually gone in the potty a couple of times over the last two or three weeks. Maybe she'll be ready soon. I'm hoping things will run smoother with a little girl, but who knows.

Me Again- Well, as you can see I HAVE been busy. I also have my usual Activity Day meetings with the
8-11 year-old girls from our ward. I really love this calling. We meet twice a month, and usually at our house, which is good motivations to at least keep the bathrooms and family room clean.
I've been trying to see the good in the hectic, instead of just waiting for things to settle down. Because I know as soon as things start to calm down, the next challenge pops up to keep me on my toes.
There is Joy in the everyday doings, (and even in the NOT so everyday ones).

Arizona Republic! --Revisited--

Many of you know we have a membership to the AZ Museum for Youth, here in Mesa. We were there recently, when a reporter for the AZ Republic showed up and asked to take pictures of my kids, and my neice. He got several shots of Heidi and took down her name and age. He took several pictures of other children as well, to be included in an article featuring the newly rennovated museum. He told me that the article and photos will be published in the Arizona Republic on the 5th (tomorrow), and also at azcentral.com. He said her picture will be included in a slideshow on their website. I'm definitely going to buy a  newspaper tomorrow, and clip the article for her. As soon as I find it online, I'll post a link.

Monday, June 7th-
So I checked the paper on the approtriate day, and also the website. She wasn't there. They decided not to use heidi's picture in their article. Bummer. That would have been so cool.

Wednesday, June 9th-
I got a call from Daryl's Grandpa informing me that "A member of (my) family is a celebrity." I had to assume he meant Heidi. Apparently, the decided to run her picture in today's paper. I ran right out and bought one, and therte she was! It wasn't attatched to any article, just a caption about her and how she's learning while she plays. It IS pretty cute though. I'm still not sure if there's a link online or not.

Daniel the Builder

A couple of days ago I made the kids some sandwiches for lunch, and stepped out of the room to check on something. I came back in to find Daniel "building" something. When I asked him what it was he said...

"See dis is cow house and you put dis on, and you put dis on top. And cows go in here!

Dis is deir house and I made dis gate right here and der cows go in here on boddom. Dis is deir new house. Deir new house broken so I make dem new one and put dis on top safely."

(And I thought sandwiches were just for eating. Who knew they made great building materials as well.)

Funny Things

I've decided to move these to a post and clean up our blog a little.


11/12/09
Last week I was in the kitchen while the kids were eating lunch. I over-heard Daniel talking to Heidi when he said "You my bes friend".

9/16/09 (Wednesday)
We were listening to the radio on our way to Albertson's this morning. I flipped through the stations and stopped to hear an older version of "Life is a Highway". After a few seconds of listening, Daniel says, "Maybe dis why-keh-queen song."
"Yeah buddy, You're right! This IS a Lightening McQueen song." I swear he's got an ear for music, even as a 2 year-old.

9/6/09 (Sunday)
Daryl was out working this morning, but was able to make it to Sunday school and priesthood meetings at church. After church, he put Daniel in the car before heading to his work truck to drive home. I told Daniel, "If you hurry and get into your seat, maybe we can race Daddy home." Daryl pulled out just before we did and was directly in front of us. Then, from the back seat, I hear "Hurry momma, hurry! Run, momma, run! Ruuuun!" Then as we got to the edge of the church parking lot, Daryl turned. As I started turning, Daniel yelled "Turn, turn! Run momma, run!"

9/8/09 (Tuesday)
We were eating lunch today when I told Daniel "We are going to see Rachel today, maybe."
"Wachel?"
"Yeah mommy's friend Rachel is in town and she's coming over to see us tonight."
"Daniel Wachel."
No, not Daniel's Rachel, Mommy's Rachel"
"Mommy Wachel? Daniel use it?"
( We have had this same comversation over lots of things... books, cups, etc. but never about a person!)

Later I said" Rachel will bring her husband Ryan"
"Bwyan?"
"No Ryan, and her baby Bennett"
"Bennett? Baby Bennett? Ohhhhh how cute!"

8/19/09
I made Daniel a burrito for lunch today. As usual, he picked it apart, dumping half of the contents. While eating, he looked at his plate and asked, "What's at? Oh a bean." He picked it up and held it really close to his face. "Ohhhh, how cute!" Then he kissed it and put it in his mouth.

7/?/09
We borrowed a Fisher Price Jumparoo from Bret and Mindi recently. One day, I decided to take the seat part out and wipe it down because it had gotten dirty. When I reattatched it, Daniel said:
"Good job Mom, a fix it! Good idea! Give me five!"
It IS nice to get a little recognition once in a while, even from a 2 year-old. Thanks, bud.

6/17/09
We were sitting at the table, eating breakfast this morning when we heard some banging and scraping outside.
Daniel said "What's at?"
"It's a machine working outside"
"Sheen?"
"Yeah, a machine"
"humeer sheen, humeer." (come here machine)
Then the sound stopped
"Oh wost it!"
"You lost it?"
It strated up again
"Dere it is, I found it!"

5/29/09
I was going throught the grocery adds at the dinner table. Daniel picked up the one for Checker Auto Parts and looked it over. Then he pointed to the picture on the front of motor oil and an oil filter and said "oiyo change!".

5/27/09
Me: Daniel, go pick what you want for breakfast.
Daniel: a pancakes
Me: we ate them all for dinner. The're all gone.
(we made pancakes and hashbrowns for dinner yesterday)
Daniel: go buy some!

5/21/09
Daniel found a piece of pink yarn and was trying to put it in my hair. "Fix-it hair" he said.
"Oh, you're going to fix my hair?"
"Yeah, a broken."
(Gee thanks, buddy)

"Moving"

This morning, I was doing something in the kitchen when Daniel came in and started spinning in circles. Then he stopped and said "Mommy look... I moving". Then he did it again... spun around and stopped. And again, he said "Mommy, I moving see?" I finally replied "It looks like you're standing still to me."
The he says..."No Mommy the whole house moving!"
(I just love to hear 3-year-old perspective on how the world works.)