Christmas slacking

I must admit, I let the holidays get the better of me and they took over my desire to blog. I know that doesn't make sense, because, why wouldn't I want to document all these fun times we're having with our kids growing up...well, I'm a horrible mom and the camera isn't a good friend of mine, and I forget to take pictures, let alone pictures that actually turn out.

I will say though, I did take some good pictures.
A week or two before Christmas, I was headed to bed for the night and was headed towards my kitchen window to close the blinds, when I looked out my window, and was somewhat thrown off when I saw what looked like a man, looking in my window, leaning against my mailbox. Well, as I started to get closer to my window, I saw another man looking from my front step into my kitchen window. Well, these two men, were two different 6 foot fiberglass santa's from who knows where! We still don't know who dropped these huge Christmas decorations off, but rest assured, they will be resurfacing next year...so be warned. People we tell this story to, don't realize really how big these Santa's are until they come to our house and see them in person. Its funny to see everyone's reaction.



Jefferson is getting so cute! He's a very active boy. But when he hits his wall, he hits it fast and hard. He's never really had issues going to bed or at nap time. But one day before Christmas, he must have been really tired. I had fixed the two younger boys lunch then made a phone call. Not even two minutes later, I hung up the phone, and began preparing my lunch as I heard strong, deep breathing. I turned around, and Jefferson was out! He was so cute! His little arms were folded and he just laid his head down on them. I love this little guy!



I was a major slacker, and should probably be shot for not getting any pictures of Christmas! But in my defense, we did take video. The camera is so old...like three years old, that it has MAJOR delays and by the time it actually clicks, the picture moment is gone. So rather than get frustrated, I just didn't take pictures. But I will say, Jake got a "magic bike" as he calls it. Its a little mini battery operated 4-wheeler. Jefferson loves to ride this bike. He's so fascinated by the cause and effect of pushing this little button. I wish I could have gotten the pictures I was hoping for, see excuse above, but I didn't. However, these are the best I got. He is so happy with his "big boy" adventure on Jake's bike.




Anyway, there's our holiday in a very very small nut shell. I promise to be better next year...maybe I'll get a decent camera in the days between now and next Christmas. Haha!

Let's Talk Turkey

My sister-in-law sent me an email with ideas to help us have a more "Thankful" Thanksgiving. Each night, we pull a slip from our Let's Talk Turkey jar and come up with a way to express our thanks for the item we pulled out. Some of these have included being grateful for ears, grandparents, books and the like. Well, the kids know that there are two in the jar that are grateful for sisters and grateful for brothers. So Tanner and Tyler have been telling each other what they're going to do when they pull those slips. Tanner's turn was tonight, and he thinks he knows which tightly rolled up slip is grateful for sisters. Well, as he was trying to pick the specific one, I kept shaking the jar so he would just get the one he grabbed. He wasn't too happy with me for doing that, and didn't hold back in letting me know this. I just had to laugh when I opened the rolled scroll and read, "I am Thankful for my Mom!" Now isn't that just poetic justice! I showed it to Tyson before I read it to the kids and his reaction was the same. Laughter!
Well, my dear sweat little Tyler, took this assignment to heart, and quickly took a pencil to her room to write me a note. (The helpful suggestions on the paper read "Do something nice for mom! Write her a note, good chocolate, cook and clean up dinner, do the laundry, clean any room, etc.) A few minute later, she brought me a folded up piece of paper. I opened it and it read:
Mom I Love yo
I no it is hord.
I Love are famlee.
frum tyler lybbert.
I have to say, it brought tears to my eyes. Being a mom is hard sometimes...a lot of times, but these small little rewards for a hard job, make it just that much more worth it!

Wiggly wobbly woo!!

Jefferson is providing a new world of boy. Each of our boys have had different, very different personalities. Nothing bad, just different from the other. And with each boy, we've gradually been introduced to the boyness of life. Tanner was very calm and could be content just sitting and reading books all day. Climbing was not something he even tried. With Jake, he loved to scare and get people and while climbing was something he knew about, it wasn't something he preferred. Jefferson has opened new doors. The other day, he figured out that if he pulled the stove drawer out, he could hold on to the stove handle and stand on the drawer to get a better view. He loves to climb onto the table and do a victory dance showing pure delight in his accomplishment of making it to the top of the table before mom figured out he was up there. He LOVES balls. If we even mention the word he starts looking for the basketball or bouncy ball to bounce throughout the kitchen. He's also been our wiggliest. Church is more like a wrestling match and cuddle time, while it does happen, is short and sweet. Well, tonight, Tyson was trying to get Jefferson's jammies on and the two were working up quite the sweat to get him dressed. Finally, he finished and Jefferson was off to his next destruction project. When shortly after he was dressed, he started making grunting/screaming sounds. He was able to walk over to us in the kitchen, to which we realized his one piece pajamas were on correctly on the top half of his body, but somehow, in his wiggles, they were twisted in the middle and turned so him right leg was in his left legs spot and left leg was in right legs spot. It was actually really funny, but you know the thought going through both Tyson and my heads was the same...he is SO wiggly!!! The three pictures were the best I could get. He was busy trying to get to a bubble sheet to walk all over and pop with the older kids!

First Haircut

Yes, it is that time that comes in every child's life when his hair just isn't baby cute anymore. Jefferson reached that point a while ago, but time is just not something we have around here very often. So tonight for Family Home Evening he got a haircut. I have to say, all four of my kids have handled their haircuts really well. No one has been freaked out by this buzzing thing that keeps coming at their head...it could be the sucker that has them preoccupied, but we didn't even pull the sucker out with Jefferson until after the big buzzing thing was turned off. I would say he did really well. He didn't hold still so well, but come one, what do you expect from a one-year old?

Jefferson's first "real" word

I know kids say momma and dadda pretty early on, but today Jefferson said more than those two words and more than just jibberish. However, every time I would try to have him say it for someone, he would just look at me in wonder. So, I finally broke out the camera and after many attempts, he said it again. He'd say it, just not when I was recording or when someone else was on the phone. So, to keep you all from getting endless phone calls, regarding Jefferson's first word, here is the video. Oh, and yes, he is in the bathtub, yes he did get a cracker and yes, there are now cracker floaties in the bathtub.

Crazy Jake

I tried uploading this video to Facebook, but for some reason, it wasn't working...or at least it didn't look like it was working. I just couldn't help but post this. Jake was in the weirdest mood the other night. I was able to record him for a minute before he realized that I was recording him. Its too funny.


The other night, we were going through the costume box. Jefferson had so much fun trying on new costumes and wigs. His smile is priceless!!

Miss Nelson is Missing

I'm sure we are all familiar with the book, "Miss Nelson is Missing", but if you aren't, I bet one look at this picture and you'll know the story I'm talking about.

If not, here's a quick summary. Miss Nelson is a teacher and her class is very rude. They don't listen and, you know, the typical school class. Well, one day, the kids show up to school, and Miss Nelson isn't there. For a day or two, the principal substitutes, but quickly realizes these kids are out of control. The next day, Ms. Viola Swamp. Miss Swamp turns out to be every kids worst nightmare. She whips these kids into shape, so much that they won't even sneeze without asking permission first. When Miss Nelson returns, the kids are perfect. They have done a complete turn around in behavior. They are just glad to have their teacher, Miss Nelson, back.

Tanner's class read it this week and had to fill out a story summary form. When he brought it home, I was going through his packet reading the questions he was answering, and his answers. The first questions was, How can you relate to this story. Well, Tanner answered, My mom is like Ms. Swamp. She yells a lot.

Nice! I've never met his teacher, but I'm sure she thinks I'm the worst mom around. Just with some of the times Tanner will call me from school or the way we do our spelling. I'm sure Tanner has helped paint a lovely picture of me for his teacher!