The "Lizard" of Oz

The kids and I had a very big day yesterday. John was unable to enjoy the weekend with us because he had to work all weekend, it's money so we're not complaining!!

Saturday morning the kids and I left Logan and drove down to Utah County. We went to lunch with the family and then bowling! Yes, I went bowling and I let my kids touch the bowling balls without sanitizing between each touch.

The kids loved it and Ryan got his butt schooled!!

Madison loved downing Grandma's drink.

I liked this picture because it looks like Ryan is picking his nose even though he's not. I think he's just deep in thought trying to figure out how to not get his butt kicked.

It's a lot more working helping three kids bowl than you'd think. We sure missed John!
You've got to love Drew's orange socks that go to his knees.

Alexis loved carrying her own bowling ball. She was carrying 12 lb balls all by herself!


Later that night, we went to watch The Wizard of Oz put on by Payson Community Theatre, and it was really good!
We had a good turn out too, most of the family was there, Grandma and Grandpa Wadley and Aunt Pam with her grandkids. They did a great job and everyone really liked it.
Drew had never been to a play before and every time they dimmed the lights for a scene change he would say: "Mom the t.v.'s not working, fix it!"
Madison was so tired by the end that she would go lay down at random people's feet and try to go to sleep. (She refuses to fall asleep in my arms, she has to be lying down.) She finally fell asleep on Ryan's sweatshirt in the middle of the aisle. Drew also fell asleep, on Grandma Wadley.
Today they were playing "Lizard" of Oz and doing costume changes and everything, it was adorable.

We saw this half rainbow on our way to see The Wizard of Oz.
(Or as the kids call it, The Lizard of Oz.)

Mom talking to Aunt Pam. What you wanted to see their faces? That requires some good photography skills.

Grandma and Grandpa Wadley with Alexis. Alexis stood in that chair the entire show, she loved it.

Ryley was really excited for the show to start can you tell?
He was clapping after a scene, but I guess he decided that he didn't really like that scene because he started booing.

Today we've been visiting with Aunt Cheryl's family and Great - Grandma and Grandpa Hakes and then we went off to visit Grandma and Grandpa Wadley, we had a lot of fun visiting our family!

Four-year old argument

I have two sick babies and one non-sick four year old. Complete with fevers, noses and general unhappy dispositions.
Yesterday Madison was reaching for a leaf on our indoor plant and out of the corner of my eye, I saw Alexis pull back her hand and swat Madison's hand. (Don't worry it wasn't hard enough to even make Madison cry.)
I immediately told Alexis that she was not allowed to hit people for any reason.
She looked at me with that look she has and she said: "MOM, SHE WAS GOING TO PICK A LEAF OFF YOUR PLANT AND THAT'S NOT ALLOWED!"
Clearly what Madison was doing is not allowed, but what Alexis was doing is an even bigger no-no.
After she'd said her bit I told her again that hitting was not allowed. Then the conversation went something like this. . . .

Alexis: But Mom she
Me: No, you don't hit people for any reason.
Alexis: But Mom
Me: No
Alexis: But
Me: No, you don't hit
Alexis: But she
Me: No, No, No, No, No
Alexis: But Mom
Me: No, you don't hit I don't care what it was for.

Then I told her to come over to me and I looked in her eyes and told her again that we don't hit people. (Mind you I'm trying not to smile and laugh at this point because it is ridiculous that we are having this conversation at all.) When I do this, it usually causes her to cry because I've hurt her feelings, but not today.
She went and hid behind the couch I was sitting on and stayed there for a couple minutes.
When she decided that she was done pouting, she popped her head out from behind the couch and said: "Do you feel better now?"
I couldn't stop laughing. Gotta love her attitude.

Family pictures

We took family pictures yesterday and it was a joke trying to get the kids to all look at the same place and smile. Grandma Wadley was trying valiantly to get the kids to cooperate but it just wasn't happening. John hasn't had a chance to touch up the pictures yet, but this week is going to be crazy so I'm putting some of them up anyway.
I was going to put my opinion of Logan and how things are going but John thinks that because he has a good paying job that should over-rule anything that I might think or feel. So, my opinion is this: John has a good paying, stable job, hooray!

Logan

We are officially mostly moved up to Logan. Although there is a rumor going around that we have sold our house, we have not. But if we all think good thoughts about selling it maybe it will happen soon! John picked a nice cozy apartment near a lot of great things. We are about a block away from the Willow Park Zoo and half a mile from a new WalMart. We must be moving up in life!

Madison loves to get into the kids' bowls after they eat. I try to get them put up before she can get to them but sometimes it just doesn't happen. When she can't get what she wants out of the bowl any more, she puts her whole face in and tries to get it, it's so cute.

Yesterday John took us up Providence Canyon to hike up to a waterfall. I forgot my shoes, so I wore flip-flops, and I made it up! John overestimated what Alexis could do while hiking and so it didn't go as smoothly as I think he'd planned it, but it worked out well. He carried Drew and Madison up and I helped Alexis. I forgot to bring their jackets so by the time we got to the waterfall they were all pretty cold. It was fun to get out and see what the kids could do and what I could do in flip-flops!

Yesterday I decided to make some home made bread for the first time. I thought it was going great until I realized that my bread wasn't rising, at all. So, today I put in some more yeast and water with sugar and honey. And amazingly, it started to rise!! It's amazing I know. But, the fun part was when I looked down and saw that Madison had gotten in to the flour bucket and dumped some on the floor! When Drew heard of this his response was: "I have to go put my hands in it too Mom!" You gotta love the honesty. I couldn't help but take some pictures. I wonder if it gives them the wrong idea though, my taking pictures of them being naughty and all. Well, Madison could not possibly just play with her hands, she decided that she needed to lie down in it and swim.

After dinner, Madison and Alexis ran outside to play in the sprinklers. Madison was of course naked except for a single shoe and a diaper. We strip her down whenever it is dinner time. She absolutely loved getting wet and running around nearly naked. Alexis didn't make it into any pictures because she fell on her knees and was in a lot of pain.

After dinner we loaded the kids into the bikes and took off. We biked up to Adam's park and played and then worked our way home. After all was said and done we'd biked 6 1/2 miles! I'm very impressed with us!

As a side note, I passed both of my summer classes with better than average grades! I am so very excited to be done with that six weeks of heck!

New Baby Waycasy

Cheryl had her little girl!! I know, it's about time. Irelynn was a healthy 5 lbs 14 oz and 18 3/4 inches long. She has cute black hair and a button nose.

I had finals the day Cheryl was induced and I figured she'd already have the baby but I could run over quickly and see her without any kids. But, she still hadn't had her, so I got to be there for the birth!! I love watching new babies come into the world. Cheryl did great and Ryan was able to deliver her!



That weekend John came home to help pack up so we could officially mostly move up to Logan. There was a great lightning storm, and we got some great pictures.

Grandmas and talking

I took Drew back to the Dr. yesterday to see if they could figure out why he is still in pain. And finally, they gave me some good things to try and help him. Dr. Knochel thinks that he has acid reflux, hence the reason he keeps crying that it hurts, especially at night. And, his tummy that is always swelling up and going down is all full of gas, so we're going to try taking lactose away and see if that is the problem. So, overall they should be easy fixes!!
Drew's newest thing is to repeat whatever Alexis says. If Alexis asks to go play with Mary, Drew will wait until I've answered her and then ask the same exact question and expect the same exact answer. It gets just slightly annoying when you have to answer the same question twice, every time. It is funny to watch his little face though, because he really expects you to answer him and not act like it's an odd request.

Alexis is such a little talker. John followed me home from Logan in his car and he took Alexis with him, at my suggestion of course. My car was relatively quiet and peaceful, John's car was full of Alexis talking his ear off. She kept saying: "Guess what dad?" And her favorite joke while they were driving was: Banana pants. No, it doesn't make any sense but she was laughing so hard it had to be funny.
Before we left Logan, Alexis told me that she didn't want to go home with me, she wanted to stay with daddy in Logan. I told her daddy had to work so she had to come with me so someone could watch her during the day. She replied with: "I'll go to work with daddy then." I erroneously believed that when I told her that they didn't let little kids go to daddy's work that she would drop the subject. Instead, she came back with: "Then go find a neighbor to watch me while he's at work and when he's done he can watch me." She thinks far too much for her own good.

Madison absolutely loves grandma's. At the 24th of July parade, we found a spot to sit, and she walked over to this grandma and crawled up on her lap. We had no idea who the lady was, but she was nice enough to let her sit there the entire time and feed her candy! And then at Wendy's the other day there were two grandma's sitting behind us and Madison kept turning around and saying hi ya and playing peek-a-boo with them, they loved it!

This week is finals week . . . hooray! I have three finals and eight quizzes. I do believe that it might just kill me. Our goal is to finish the last final on Saturday and then pack up the house and move everything we need up this weekend. HA HA HA. I dream big I know.

Don't worry, John is surviving all of this. He's actually doing really well. He's gone hiking a few times, biking, playing golf and sleeping through the night. I think he's a little pampered at the moment, but it will all end as soon as we move up there!

24th of July

It's already August, ugh. I can't believe how fast the time has flown this summer. We just had Great Grandpa Rappleye's 86th birthday celebration this week. John and Nancy came up and we all had a great time. There was a LOT of birthday cake and cupcakes followed by roasted marshmallows. We were seriously concerned about the kids being able to fall asleep that night.

Alexis was being brave during a recent trip to the Peaks and she decided that she would practice blowing bubbles under water. She was doing so well, she took off her life jacket and did it. This was in the baby pool which has about a foot and a half of water. Well, she decided that she knew how to swim. Ha. I tried to tell her that she didn't but she just wouldn't listen. She wanted to go to the Lazy River without her life jacket and I consented. When we got there she was standing on the step waiting to get in and I was putting Drew and Madison in their floaty tubes. When I realized Alexis was no longer on the stairs, I turned and saw her underwater, eyes bulging out of her head and a tube was going over her. Poor girl, when I finally was able to pull her up and sputtered for a moment and then said: "I don't know how to swim." I thought it was classic, since she didn't die or get hurt.

For the 24th of July we went to the Spanish Fork parade, then swimming at the Peaks for the day and then off to Grandma and Grandpa Wadley's to celebrate with Great Grandma and Grandpa Rappleye.

I know it's blurry, but look at her face with that tongue. I couldn't not put it in.

Here's what we get when we ask them to say cheese for the camera:

Even John doesn't know how to smile for the camera!

This is what happens to clean laundry when you have two midterms and seven quizzes in one week! I didn't fail any of them, hooray!!

This is what we found when we went downstairs to clean the toy room.
The kids love to put the barbies in a "swimming pool" and have fun.
It obviously doesn't matter what the swimming pool is as long as there is water in it!