You can take the girl out of cheerleading, but you can't take cheerleading out of the girl

My mother -Snow College 1965

My mother- Young home 2013

Forth times a charm?

Oh my children and their clothing! 

We have to cut tags out, they have to be soft, they have to be shorts and short sleeves. Shoe laces have to be sticking straight out after they are tied and not touching the ankle or they have a fit. For a while all Ivan would wear was his foot ball jersey and to be honest he looked a little white trash with his 2 front teeth missing, his messy hair all the time wearing a jersey that was too big. He doesn't have to do that anymore, thankfully, but they always have to wear something that goes with the activity they are doing. Or we have to give them a name like, "your cheetah shirt" or your "golf shorts." 

This means we are constantly changing clothes. Jack was on his forth outfit by 1:00 today. They usually want their soccer looking clothes on. So we started the day with that. Then Jack wanted to play batman so had to change into this shirt, these gloves and these blue boots. 

then Ivan and Charlie were out playing soccer so he had to come in and change back into his soccer outfit. 

then later Ivan and Micah were out playing army guys and so he couldn't wear his soccer outfit anymore and had to change into this. 

And I'm sure he's going to come in any minute now and want to put his spider man jammies on. He usually does that around 4 or 5. 

Crazy kids

Threw me for a loop

I opened the the cup cupboard tonight and noticed that the glasses with the skinny bottoms were all mixed in with the more square ones. I said, "honey, I don't mean to be obsessive, but normally I put the skinny bottoms ones in a long row along the back and then these other ones in front." His response startled me, "well I don't like those ones in the back because it's awkward to reach over all the cups to get to them. So I like them like this."

Me: speechless

I think that's the first that we like things a different way

It's great! I like a man who knows what he wants! We will be mixing the cups from now on.

Like father like son

Ive said it already, Jacks a pretty easy, happy kid. Mike likes to mention that he thinks he was a lot like Jack when he was little. Then I like to fight with him over who really gets to take credit for him :) I know one thing for sure though, he and Jack both have ginormous tonsils.

we had them removed a little over a week ago

He did great! He was a little feisty when he came out. Screaming and crying and pulling to get the IV out. But he got over it and was a little angel.  

When we got back, he laid on the couch and Ivan said, "I need to go snuggle my Jack and make him feel better" and hopped right up there with him for a bit. I love those moments.

He wasn't down much at all and was eating normal the same day

 (except sharp and hot things). We stayed at Mikes moms the night before, cuz we had to be there early and that way we could leave the other kids sleeping. So afterwards, we laid around there most the day. Plus, she's like the ultimate popsicle house.

Easter 2013

I've decided I'm going to make myself a little book of things we do the "same" each year. I just kinda take the same pictures doing the same things, but it will make it interesting to display it all side by side and see the gradual change overtime.

Balle Easter

Young Easter

Our little Jack-a-roo

He's always got some sort of bonk on the head

 or a funny smile

He was sure sick a lot this winter. 

We actually had his tonsils out last week, which I'm sure you know I'll post about it

He is  fun and easy to have around. He is so happy to play by himself and I love watching it

It seems like this last little bit he has really grown. He has been our little shorty pants, but I feel like he's getting taller. He looks really long laying there on the couch yesterday with Jacey.

Really I was just going to post what he said a second ago. I decided to find a picture to go with it and then it turned into 7 pictures and a little tribute to Jack. He surely is our sweetie pie. 

But anyway- I have some music playing right now. "Islands in the steam" by Dolly and Kenny Rogers came on. Then in the middle of the song Jack said, "huh? Ivan's in the street"? When Mike was young he thought it said, "lying in the street" so we usually sing it that way when it comes on. Now we have a new version

Silene

I thought it was the leotard that captured Maybell's attention last time, but Silene was over again, no leotard and Maybell for some reason just can't quit looking at her with this soft stare. She's got girl cousins, we tend Jacey and Lucy is our little neighbor friend. Maybe Silene is the closest to her size or something cuz she acts like she's never seen another little girl.

A day of rest

About a month ago Ivan and I laid in bed and got talking about how it would be to stay in bed ALL day. Then of course he wanted to do it. So a Saturday came and we tried it. We woke up (7/7:30ish), snuggled a bit, read books, ate breakfast, did a couple puzzles, watched tv, then about 11:30 I was starting to feel the bed sores and tried to convince Ivan we'd done it. We'd stayed in bed all day! :) He didn't buy it, but was good to quit the experiment early. 

(Mike even brought him in a bowl of water and a towel so he could wash his hands)

St George

So it's competition time in St George. 

It's like this light at the end of the wintry tunnel. I love when spring starts to take over, but it can trick you sometimes. You think it means "warm weather" yet we can still have some cold days. When I hear the word, "St George" and it kinda feels like I get to fast forward to warm for a minute. 

We don't know anyone in this little group, but I just thought it was a pretty cute little picture

I enjoy all the dancing and could stay all day and watch, however a 12 month old can't. So we had to leave between dances and have a mother daughter lunch at the mall. She has to hold her own food these days and her full sensor is broken so she'd eat all day if we let her

The boys stayed home with dad and played at Grandma Balles'

Remember that post about how similar Mike and I are? We both took pictures of the kids in front of a mirror and sent them to the other one at about the same time

We swam

We hiked

We went to Ross

and performed magic..... made her feet disappear

We went to church

The ward we attended didn't have a lot of kids. You know how older folk love little babies in cute dresses. She got doted over every which way we turned.  My ward has l80 kids in it (not counting nursery) so she just blends right in there. It was kinda fun to have her stand out a bit.

We went home

The other day Mike suggested that we start taking more pictures with us in them, with the kids,  so that in case we were to die, our kids would have pictures of us. Last night I went to dinner with a couple childhood friends and did just that. OH MY WORD, shoot me now! A quick reminder of why I DON'T take more pictures with me in them. (No need to reassure me that it's a fine picture. Some days are just better than others) 

Heather and Tera, you guys look great though.

Maybe I'll stick with more pictures like this. I actually absolutely love this picture. Jack took it, he's sitting on the couch in front of me and Ivan. I'm looking at something and Ivan is looking over my shoulder. Is that little hand just casually rested there not the cutest thing ever? I think it is. My favorite thing to do is be close with my children.