I've never felt so loved during a temper tantrum before

Today I played the organ at church and while I played the prelude music I let my girls color. Its a lot better than them climbing and running through all the choir chairs. Once the meeting started I ask them to pick up and sit down. Normally this goes just fine with occasional whispered warnings while I am trying to play the opening hymn but today, well we had quite the different adventure. Ariana and Alexis started fighting over which crayons to put away and Ariana with all of her three year stubbornness was not happy with how many she got to pick up (these were cool triangle shaped crayons that they can't get enough off) So as I am playing the opening song there is screaming, there is yelling, Ariana was stepping on the foot pedals of the organ and making them play while she yelled about the crayons. And of course to make it all better she was yelling right in the bishop and 2'nd counselor's ear! I always bring a snack that they can have after sacrament is passed if they are reverent and so I whispered to Ariana that she wasn't earning her snack. Ok, wrong thing to say to an already past upset three year old. This just escalated the screaming and turning it into rolling around on the floor. Un-noticed by me, Reina Gammett came up and got Alexis to come sit with her but Ariana wouldn't have it. The song finally ended and prayer began and I was RUNNING Ariana out of the church as she was screaming "I DON'T WANT A TIME OUT!" So how did I feel so loved? As I ran out I was followed by at least 5 people trying to help. They all knew I needed to play again in a few minutes and that I was by myself with my girls and realised that I needed help. One thing that touched me was it wasn't just women who came to my aide it there was also a young women and Ariana's nursery teacher who is a man. I know EVERYONE in the room had to have heard our exit but no one had to come help but they did and it wasn't just one it was many. I feel so blessed to have people who care enough to try and help when I need it most. Its hard to ask for help sometimes but it is touching when other's reach out and just offer it. That situation could have left me very frustrated, crying and wondering why I even try. Instead I walked back in loved, appreciating the wonderful people around me and feeling the spirit. Thank you...

Ariana's counting method

On our very long trip home from Utah this summer I taught Alexis how to identify the numbers 1-100 by using the mile markers on the road. It worked quite well and Ariana enjoyed it too. Over the past couple months we've tried to keep up the number recognition and one day I asked Alexis what a 4 and a 5 was. Ariana instantly yelled out "four-d-five". I was amazed, had my little three year old really caught on how to recognize numbers by just listening in on my lessons with Alexis? I had to check so I started asking Ariana about other numbers and came to find out she has a new counting system. Ready for it? See if you can find the patteren : )

number/Ariana's name for it

45/ four-d-five

69/ six-d-nine

33/ three-d-three

25/ two-d-five

15/ one-d-five (this, by the way, is the one she tells me about all the time because she see's it on the speed limit signs on the way to school and no matter how many times I tell her it is fifteen she laughs and says one-d-five again and again.)

Funny Moments From August and September

FuNnY CaMpINg AuGUst 1-8, 2009

umm...yes dirt is an acceptable trade off for sand when building castle

We had lots of fun activities to do while camping. Once I told the girls something we were going to go do and Ariana got extremly excited and yelled "!vamanos!" and ran out of the tent. (I guess they are picking up some spanish.)

Ariana and Alexis were playing house and had two very funny conversations:

1)Ariana was the daddy and Alexis the Mommy. They decided that they were going to have a baby and had a whole debate on whether they should have the baby first or get married first. They decided to have the baby first...

2) Its dinner time in play house land:

Ariana in as deep as voice as she can make:"I'm the daddy. Its time for dinner. I don't know how to make the dinner."

fUnNy WEdDinG rEcePtioN August 14, 2009

My sister-in-law Kara got married on August 14. Her reception was beautiful in her oldest sisters back yard. At the very end of the reception Alexis, her cousins Taylor and Derek and her Uncle Devin all decided to make the party a "splash" Devin REALLY made an "electric" moment when he did a flip in and his legs got caught on one of the strands or lights set up as a canopy above the pool and sent the lights into the pool and slightly shocking himself.

FUnNY ArT September 12

We are participating in a group that does "pizza parties" Its the best baby sitting exchange group. Our kids love it and when its your turn to host you take everyone else kids, provide pizza, a craft, movie and pop corn. Well last week the craft was decorating paper bags and this is what Ariana accidentally did to her bag. SOO FUNNY! When we picked the girls up Ariana was asleep and we were assured that it was not done on purpose. The next day Ariana told me about her bag and said, "I wanted a P sticker and two O's and then I wanted another P." And than laughing,"Mommy I spelled poop!"

FuNny GIrlS BeING GiRls September 17 (well and for the last week)

When ever one of the girls has to go potty the other one out "I need to go too" and runs to the same bathroom. Wow, yes going to the bath room in groups is something born into us (I guess) : )

Grocery Smarts Class at my house Saturday

I am going to be teaching a class on how to save money using coupons and the free website grocerysmarts.com Saturday August 29 @ 11am. If you would like to come or have a friend or family member that has been wanting to learn about grocery smarts e-mail me and let me know. Everyone who comes will get a binder ready to use for couponing.

I promise couponing isn't scary and doesn't require hours and hours of time. You can be organized in 5 minutes a week and save HUNDREDS a month! Check out my Saving made Simple blog for extra savings tips. : )

Good Morning Sleepy Head

It's been awhile since I've seen morning hair like this. Good morning Alexis!

Our 7'th Wedding Anniversary

Yesterday was our 7'th wedding anniversary. I can't believe 7 years have already flown by and that we have a little one ready to go to school! We tried to have babysitting yesterday but Justin ended up not being able to come home from work until 8pm so we'll have to try that again. When he got home he was very sweet, he brought me a dozen red roses and (get ready to laugh)... twilight the movie board game. I made sure the girls were ready for bed by the time he got home. They made a cake for us so we all ate cake and off to bed they went. Justin and I rarely eat dinner together on the days he works so last night we did and the house was quiet. (WOW that's a gift all by itself!) After dinner we played the twilight board game and this is the really funny part... Justin won! I don't think I'll ever let him forget that : )

Highlights of my day

I've been feeling a little "off" for a few days. I have a lot to get done in the next couple weeks with summer winding down and I feel slightly overwhelmed and sad but when I just laid down to try and sleep all I could think about instead of all there is to do were 4 highlights of my day and how grateful I am for them.

1) Justin being willing to come home because he could tell I might need it.

2) Getting in an huge hose water play session with Alexis and Ariana while washing the dogs in nothing but our underwear. (I know that sounds strange but I swear my girls run around in nothing but underwear in the morning over summer break so that's what they were in when I started washing the dogs) We sprayed each other, danced in the "rain", jumped over the stream of water, limboed under the water etc.

3) Having a "beauty" day. Alexis and Ariana brushed and "did" my hair, make up and nails. Alexis also did Ariana's make up, and I did hers. Have to admit Alexis is actually decent at make up but Ariana is awful. She insits that eye shadow goes under your eyes as well as on your eye lids. Ariana does a fabulous job brushing and combing hair. (I'm serious!)

4) Taking my girls shopping at Khols and watching them have SOOOO much fun trying on several outfits. (I didn't try on anything I just watched and helped them) Ariana would put an outfit on and than proceed to model it for several minutes before moving on to the next one. I loved watching them giggle, smile and be incredibly noisy in the dressing room and tell each other how cute they looked and which pieces they liked the best.