This Grinch's small heart grew three sizes that day

I have to admit...I've been so busy getting ready for Christmas that I just haven't been feeling all that...well...Christmasy. I even took every single ornament off our tree with Grinchy satisfaction (the kids would NOT leave them alone). *gasp*

However, after reading this, I've received a much-needed dose of Christmas spirit to do away with my Grinch-link sentiments. I'm tellin' ya now, it is well worth the read.

(blast you, Julia. I just put my makeup on and now I'm bawling my eyes out)

Random musings and semi-crappy pictures

I know that I should uber-blog about something or other...but honestly, not a whole lot is going on. I should post about Thanksgiving and the (much-appreciated) visit from the in-laws, but the thought's a little overwhelming and, frankly, I didn't take any pictures. I've been doing a lot of catch-up since I'm feeling slightly better now-a-days, but I'm not getting done nearly as much as I should be (the state of my house and laundry room can attest to that). We're attempting to sprinkle in some holiday festivities here and there, but again, not nearly as much as I'd like. Let this be a lesson to you, young grasshopper, that if you get Christmas prep done early, you can actually enjoy Christmas during Christmas (as I'm sure most of you have already figured out). Oh well, maybe next year. In the meantime, however, here's a few (semi-crappy) cookie-making pictures to hold the mutinous rabble at bay.

The girls caught in the act...

I love this look of concentration on Ezra's face. He takes his frosting very. seriously.

Obviously, it payed off. The kid pays so much attention to detail it kills me! He only got like 5 cookies done, but they all were as meticulous as this one.

The only semi-smiling pictures I got of the girls. For some reason, they just weren't into the picture-taking this time around. But, you get what you get and you don't get upset.


Spencer's ginger-Eve and ginger-Adam.
Spencer insists those blobs on Eve are flowers. I'm a bit suspicious, however.


As an added bonus, I'll throw in a video of my very favorite non-religious Christmas song of all time, Eartha Kitt's Santa Baby. Seriously, I fell for it when I was like 7 or something...back when I really did dream of a light blue convertible :)

Here's it is in all of it's original fabulosity
(feel free to skip the last half, it's just a remix)

ho. ho. ho.

Ezra spent about 45 minutes this afternoon throwing a fit because I got the wrong kind of candy canes. You know, the peppermint ones. *gasp*

He has then spent the rest of the afternoon consuming aforementioned candy canes at an unprecedented rate. Apparently, he discovered, I actually bought the peppermint candy canes that he does like, which are somehow different then the peppermint candy canes that he doesn't.

thank friggin' heavens.

Who wants fourths?

You know what has always been one of my favorite things about being pregnant?

Getting to be first in line at every food-serving function. That and the fact that nobody blinks twice when you get up for fourths. It's a lovely, lovely thing.

So...I guess what I'm saying is you'll be seeing me first in line a lot more often...up until June 23rd, anyway.

oh, and yes, we do know how birth control works.
yes, this was on purpose.
yes, I fully realize I will be having 4 kids, 5 and under.
and yes, I'm kinda, sorta a little insane.

in case you were curious

When Scarlett says the word "fork" it sounds like a very naughty swear word.

This is made all the more amusing because she sounds somewhat like Theodore of Alvin and the Chipmunks when she talks.


It doesn't hurt any that she also not-so-faintly resembles a small woodland animal.

=

Just in case you were curious.

October Catch-Up

Wow! Has it really been over two weeks already!? I feel like such a slacker. It's been a rough couple of weeks around here, but hopefully I'll get all caught up with this uber-post and then this blog can get back to it's normal, random self.

As many of you know, October is Breast Cancer Awareness Month. In honor of that, Kansas City, also known as the City of Fountains, dyes many of it's most notable fountains pink. One weekend afternoon, Spence and I took the kids for a drive and walk to see many of them. The girls, in particular, got a kick out of the pink sprays.

While we were at The Plaza, we ran into a group of hula hooping hippies. The kids thought they were super-great and the hippies thought our kids were the cutest things ever. It was a win-win all around. They were really nice and let us all give their hoops a try. It was really interesting to see how they had lots of different sized hoops depending on the person using them.

(sorry, this one is a really bad picture)

Spencer wasn't afraid to shake those hips

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On October 23rd, Ezra turned a very grown up 5 years old! He was lucky enough to have his birthday fall on a Saturday, so he got to have Dad home with him the whole day. We ended the night off at The Chinese Rest-ur-naut where he had his fave jello and meat on a stick. Here's a few pictures of the festivities...

Ezra with his loot

This may be the one and only picture in which my son's neck looks long.
Thanks G&G Lifferth for the gift and also for the genetically short neck.

yay! yay! for the long-awaited Scooby Doo movie! Ezra has insisted since August that Uncle Phillip (and fam) would be getting him one for his birthday. Thank heavens he came through for him *phew*

The first gift of the insisted-on present scavenger hunt

The end result of said scavenger hunt
(Thanks MiMi & Grandad!)

Ezra insisted he wanted a blue and green cake with an orange dinosaur.
This is the best I could do under the non-orange dinosaur circumstances.

Happy Birthday Ezra Emil!

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What would our 13 Nights of Halloween festivities (of which there were many undocumented ones, I promise) be without pumpkin carving? We braved the goopy, gross mess (which I abhor) and attempts at carving (which I also hate) to make two pumpkins into Jack-O-Lanterns for the kids.

Ezra wielding his mighty weapon. He was the only kid that kinda-sorta helped at all. Georgia just spent most of her time dipping a finger or two in the pumpkin glop and then running off to wash her hands.

A blurry, yet adorable picture of Scarlett

But, of course, the necessary close-up

Oh look, our local feral child decided to join us for the festivities too

A horrible picture of the end results, but honestly, I've gotten used to those these days

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On the 28th, Scarlett turned 2 years old! I can't even believe my baby is so big (and yet so little, weighing it at a whopping 20 lbs :P). She's in her jammies for most of these pictures, but that's because we got up early to open presents before Daddy left for work.

Scarlett with the goods

By this point in time, she's a pro at opening presents

The rare and unexpected small-mouth picture of Scarlett

Pretty sure Scarlett loved the M&Ms more then anything

Scarlett was in love with her (previously tasted) Pinkalicious cupcake...even if I was a loser and forgot the sprinkles

Happy Birthday Miss S!

Well, folks, that's a wrap! I know you were probably expecting some more Halloween pictures in there, but honestly the last post was pretty much all of them. Hope your November is going well and have a fabulous day!

The End

I give you...

I have loads of things I need to post about, but it's been one of those days. So, in the meantime, this is what you get. I give you...

The Dragon/Dinosaur
(depending on his mood when asked)

The Flapper
(brag alert: I made her costume (using this tutorial) and I love that it turned out so cute!)

The Firecracker

To my Scarlett, on her 2nd Birthday

Happy Birthday, Baby Girl! Can you even believe it's been 2 years since you entered our home and our hearts? I can't even imagine our family any other way. Little Miss, when you were a baby, you were so mellow, happy, and easy-going. I was sure you were going to be my easy one. Well...out of those three qualities, the happy one is about all that has remained. You're still my most smiley and happiest baby by a long stretch, but who would've guessed you could fit so many opinions and such a larger-then-life personality is such a tiny little body? You might've learned all that sass from your older siblings, I suppose, but I doubt it. By this time I figure I just breed sauciness in my children.


Scarlett, I can't help but smile when I think of you. I'm going to guess I'm not the only one either. As a friend once informed me, you're the cheesiest kid she knows. With that big ol' grin of yours, cheesy you most definitely are. Oh, my sweet Scarlett, y0u are sunshine to my soul. You have such a huge personality and I love watching it develop and expand as the months go by. Everybody that knows you loves you, Little Miss. I've come to the conclusion that it's pretty much impossible not to. Really, you love to be loved. I've never known another baby so eager for love and affection. Everything you do screams out, "Notice me! Love me!"


You are all girl, through and through. You love dressing up, Pinkalicious, lip gloss, and all things princess. I'm pretty sure you were born with pink sparkles flowing through your veins because you've been a girly-girl since day one. Heaven knows, you have an opinion about evvvvverrrrrything. You're absolutely convinced you're three, four, or five years old, never one (or now two). You consider my make-up your make-up, and search it out from all my hiding spots to use it as your own (much to Daddy's eternal chagrin). Even with all that femininity, you can still keep up with the roughest boys. You don't hesitate to climb over our chain-link fence, scale any counter in sight, and rough-house with the best of them.


Oh Scarlett, my baby girl, I'm so glad you're my very own. You make me smile everyday and I'm so very, very happy that you're part of our family. Honey Girl, it makes my heart ache to think how much I love you. You're like a ray of light wherever you are; you just brighten the room when you walk into it. Like I said earlier...to know you is to love you, Miss Scarlett.

Happy Birthday, Sweet Girl!

To my Ezra, on his 5th Birthday

Oh baby boy, I love you so. You were my very first baby (I know you love to hear that) 5 years ago today. 5 whole years!!! It seems like forever and just a moment all wrapped into one. I know it's cliche, but when did you get so big? You're going to preschool and making your own bed (with plenty of coaxing and threats sprinkled in)...and I suspect that pretty soon I'll be fixing your tie for Prom and bawling my eyes out at the MTC. Thank heavens you still cuddle with me nearly every day or I'd be sunk.

All dressed up at preschool

Ezzie, you are so very different then me in so very many ways. The way your bright little mind works just boggles me, my little Engineer. Sometimes I think you're a foreign country where I, frankly, just don't speak the language. Praises be that we have Daddy here for a translator. Although, I must say, I've got one on him when it comes to your very strong emotional side...I'm afraid you got that from me. I know they can be hard for you to control and make life difficult sometimes (for both of us), but I promise they can be a good thing. They allow a person to feel passionate about all sorts of different things, which is one of life's greatest blessing, in my own emotional opinion.

Showing off his artwork

You love building things, whether it's with blocks, books, blankets, or bricks (and it's been that way for years). You're my little book worm and adore being read to and cuddling on the couch in the process. You prefer to eat excruciatingly plain foods (heaven forbid there's anything remotely like seasonings or sauce). You're convinced that you and your cousin, Gavin, are twins (a brother from another mother, right?) and I think Auntie Libby not-so-secretly adores it. You love cooking and baking with me and dancing around to music. Ring of Fire by Johnny Cash, We Are Golden by Mika, and anything by OK Go are your favorites. Wearing jammies has got to be your most favorite thing ever and you'd stay in them all day if I let you. You're a great big brother and you're nice enough to let your sisters play with you and they love you all the more for it.

Ezra and his groupies

Oh, my Ezra. I love you sooo much it's ridiculous, or at least it would be if every other mother before hadn't felt the exact same way. You were my first and so you were the first one to show me it's oh-so-possible to have a big ol' chunk of your heart walking around outside of your body. Happy, Happy 5th Birthday, Sweet Boy. I love you!!

Love,
Mom

The man of the hour

ps-In honor of your birthday, I'm sharing your verrrry favorite YouTube Video (and one of your favorite songs). You refer to it as The Ball Video, ask to watch it all the time, and have tried to recreate at home more then once.

Orange Watermelons

Did you know that Spencer had Ezra absolutely convinced last year that pumpkins were really orange watermelons? Well, he did. I was all worried he'd be that kid in class who would staunchly defend ridiculous notions because "my dad told me that" (and still do worry about that, to be honest), but even I have to admit it was friggin' hilarious.

Anyway, we started our fall celebrations off with a trip to our much-loved Schaake's Pumpkin Patch (you most definitely can't beat free).

I seriously adore this place. There are multiple play areas for the kids to explore (including a kid-sized hay bale maze). Here's some proof of the action:

Scarlett got the biggest kick out of this thing.

This is pretty much what Georgia does all afternoon long in our backyard...when she's not smearing wet sidewalk chalk all over the house, that is.

Who doesn't love a giant jack-o-lantern?

Nothing like pettin' a pig's rump.

(hmmm...I realize it looks like I don't really love Georgia all that much in this series of pictures. That's because Spence had the camera most of the time and he was the one watching Biggest and Littlest)

We made sure to stop and take the mowglis' measurements
(I've included the pictures from last year for comparison):

This year Scarlett (nearly 2)

Last year Scarlett (nearly 1)
(if you'll recall, this was the best picture I could get because I was attempting to take the picture and hold her up by myself)

This year Georgia (nearly 3.5)

Last year Georgia (nearly 2.5)

This year Ezra (nearly 5)

Last year Ezra (just barely 4)

This where Ezra was chillin' while I was taking pictures of the girls. I love the fun textures and backgrounds in this shot.

After playing for a while, we headed down to pick our faves in the orange watermelon fields.

Our attempt at a hayride photo while in-route.

Gotta love that Kansas skyline.

Like Father, like Daughter, I suppose. Heaven knows she didn't get that big ol' tongue from me (Have you seen mine? It's cute and little, I promise.)

This picture makes me laugh. I was trying my darndest to get all three kids to pose by our pumpkins. First, Georgia headed for the hills, as she's apt to do. Scarlett decided to cooperate and hammed it up (although in the wrong direction), while Ezra just sat around whining that "the sun was in [his] eeeeeyyyeeees." [cue obnoxious whiny voice]

I think I can, I think I can, I think I can.
This is Scarlett we're talking about here. All 20 lbs of her actually could.

The Loot.

On a random ending note...

So, we took away Scarlett's binky last week. She's having some struggles coping with things...especially at night...when she's supposed to be in bed. She does what she can, though. Like hide in Ezra's discarded jammies and pretend to be invisible.

The End.