A Daddy Shirt

I put this shirt on Lily today & Ella started talking to her saying things like, "Hey dad," "What are you doing Daddy?" So I asked her why she was calling Lily, Dad. She told me it was because Lily was wearing a Daddy shirt. I told her she used to wear this same shirt when she was a baby. She replied, "Was I a baby girl or baby boy?"

10:00 pm

It's 10 PM and my orders are all finished! I just have a few other projects I have to work on tonight, but I think I can get to bed early. Maybe I'll even read a book? Thanks Jami for all your help today!

She's so helpful...

...Or at least she tries to be.
I was trying to print shipping labels from my computer tonight, but Ella was sitting at my computer, and was making it difficult to get my work done, so I said:
"Let's get you ready for bed, because I can't get any work done with you sitting here."
Ella: "I can do your work"
Me: "I wish!"
Ella: "Why?"
Me: "Because I'm tired and I just want to go to bed."
Then she takes my list of things to plot, and asks "What color are we going to start with?"
Me: "Brown"
Ella: "How do you spell that?"
Me: "B-R-O-W-N"
Ella: "I'm going to get started on your work, go sit by the fireplace while I get your work done for you. I'll do your list, then work on your computer."
Me: "Okay" (How could I argue with that?)
A few minutes later she comes looking for me, she hands me a finished list that she filled out herself.
Ella: "I finished all your work and made you some money, now you can read me a book."

23 pairs of scissors & a Cupcake cake

One of my callings at church is "Activity Days Leader". We will be cutting hearts at our activity this week, so I started gathering scissors to see if we would have enough, or if I would need the girls to bring their own pair. We have 23 pair of scissors in our house! (those are just the ones I could find.) Plus, that doesn't include exact-o knives, kitchen scissors, rotary cutters, paper cutters, & etc.
I think everyone in our family uses scissors everyday (except Lily). Cutting is one of Ella's favorite things to do. I'm sure Lily will be cutting before we know it. Before she was born, Ella proudly announced several times that she would teach Lily to cut.
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We celebrated Ryan's birthday today. Trisha made this cute Cupcake cake for him. I wish I had video taped him blowing out his candles. It was the coolest way I've ever seen anyone blow out candles... Amazing!

Cookie Party

Cait had her 2nd annual Valentine Cookie Party.

Ella had so much fun!By the time most kids had their cookies all decorated, Ella had created one very tall masterpiece.
Then she ate it all in one bite.

Gift Show

Don't forget to go to the "Oh Sweet Sadie" gift show this weekend. I set up my table today, and had a little preview of all the fun stuff! I think this show is even better than the one in November! (Which was a fantastic show.)

Wonderland

It was my turn to teach preschool today. The first 10 minutes the girls had a hard time paying attention to the lesson because Lily was in the room with us. They gathered around her, and didn't hear a word I said.

Lily loved all the attention from the girls.
Finally I had to move her to a different room.
...........................................................................................
Ella asked if her cousin Katie (who is also in her preschool group) could stay and play after preschool. I told her that Katie's mom was going to come get them, and take them to McDonalds for lunch. Ella replied "We get to go to Wonderland for lunch?" I said, "I guess if that's what you call McDonalds, then that's where you are going." She was very excited to go to Wonderland.

Happy Birthday Ryan!

Ryan is charismatic, funny, smart, & entrepreneurial. When I was in High School, Ryan was only 5 or 6 years old. He got home from school before anyone in the family. One day in October I came home to find him selling pumpkins out on the front porch. He was wearing a sticker on his shirt that he had written the word "Boss" on. His friend was wearing a sticker that read "worker." I asked him where he got the pumpkins. He replied, "from our garden." He had asked my dad what he was going to do with the pumpkins, and my dad said he wasn't going to do anything with them. Ryan decided this would be the perfect opportunity to make some money. He sold a ton of pumpkins. He made enough money to buy a new bike! I was 12 years older than him. I had a job, and still I had never had that much money.
I also remember when he was in Middle School, he made enough money fixing his friends bikes, and selling marked up trading cards to buy a motorcycle. Yes a MOTORCYCLE! Not a dirt bike. He wasn't even old enough (nor would he be for a few years) to drive it yet. He would sit his skinny little body on this huge motorcycle and rev the engine until my mom made him get rid of it. I remember thinking, I wish I could afford to buy myself a motorcycle.
He cracks me up, I could go on & on telling stories about him. I hope he has a nice birthday!

Funny Bumper Sticker

I saw this funny bumper sticker, it said:
"Monica Lewinsky's Ex-Boyfriend's Wife for President 2008."
I didn't actually see this on a car, but It made me laugh.

Free Dance Classes...

...And the best part is, I don't have to drive in the snow!

Last year Ella took a dance class with her cousins Katie & Cait. Although she had fun, she was kind of cranky because it was during her nap time, so we stopped going after a few months. Lately she's been wanting to take dance again. The past few mornings, she wakes up and this is our conversation:
Ella: Mom, ask me what my dream was about.
Me: What was your dream about?
Ella: It was my dance class, and look what my teacher taught me!

Then she does a cute little dance, and proceeds to show me all the new dance moves her teacher in her dream has taught her. Through out the day, she'll do a new move, and tell me she learned it in her dream. I'm very thrilled about these "dream lessons" as they cost no money, I don't have to get her all dressed up & drive her anywhere, and she seems to enjoy them.

I wish I could have these kinds of dreams about a computer program I want to learn!

Lily's Blessing

Today we blessed Lily. I woke up around 5 AM this morning to feed her, when I looked out the window and saw all the snow, I was nervous about everyone who would be driving a long way to come to the blessing. On our way to church Tyler said, "Hey, isn't that the bishop? In his jeans, shoveling snow?" I looked over, and there he was shoveling snow in his jeans. We passed a few stuck cars on our 2 minute commute to church, then when we got to church, there were only a few cars in the parking lot, and most of them belonged to our family members. We were worried that church would be canceled. However we did still have sacrament meeting, although it started pretty late. Tyler gave Lily a wonderful Blessing. Our bishop showed up about 10 minutes before the meeting ended. He canceled the rest of church due to the snow storm. It took us quite a while to dig around our truck to get home afterwards. Everyone in the parking lot had to be dug out. It's been a crazy storm, and it's still snowing! I want to thank everyone who came out in the awful weather!

viewing

President Hinkley had such a fun personality. In some ways he reminded me of my Grandpa Atwood. Funny, nice, & calm.
I would have loved to have gone to his viewing today. It think it would have been so neat!
But, a newborn baby + cold winter snow + a stubborn 3 year old + large crowds downtown + too much work to catch up with = probably not the best idea.