Dear Easter Bunny, Please come late!

I just realized NOTHING about Easter was posted here!  And here I am, a month behind-- again.

We're a pretty traditional family so we dyed a dozen hard-boiled eggs for Family Home Evening.  The girls thought this was awesome.  I love that they're still small enough it seems like a new thing every year to them!  All in all, very successful.  Lydia pretty much just dyed the same egg over and over again.  She definitely had a monopoly on the pink.  But you know, I think her egg was my favorite at the end of the night!  The dipping and re-dipping and dipping again gave it a beautiful color! 

 And sadly, as with many holidays, Tim had to work on Easter Sunday.  Something about everyone liking to be with their families and out boating that day....  So the girls and I wrote a note to the Easter Bunny.  We knew that Daddy would be sad if he wasn't there when the Easter Bunny left goodies... and frankly, Lydia, Brooklyn, and I were NOT down with the idea of a questionable bunny leaving treats without someone here to protect us. 

 
But to get ourselves prepared, and in the Easter-egg-hunting mood, I created what I think, is the best game EVER.  I took a pack of glow sticks, broke them, stuffed them in easter eggs and hid them around the house.  Then we turned off the lights and the girls went looking.  It. Was. AWESOME.  Seriously, something you should try.  We will probably be making a tradition of this one.  And the best part was that I only had to do 12 eggs.  Then the girls just kept hiding and re-hiding them for each other.

So even though the Easter Bunny didn't come Easter morning (thanks to our handy sidewalk-chalk note), the girls still wore their Easter dresses to church.  But before you send your "ooohs" and "awwws" my direction, this is all thanks to Grandma Heaton.  These dresses were actually made for Uncle Christopher and Aunt Camille's wedding which would happen a few weeks later, but they doubled as Easter dresses, and they were a hit! Talk about feeling like a princess.

Luckily, Daddy made it home late Easter Sunday night, just in time for the Easter Bunny to apparently dump EVERYTHING he had leftover from his other house visits. 

If I'm being completely honest, it was really hard to celebrate the Easter Bunny part of Easter the day after the actual holiday.  I don't know why.  I know it shouldn't matter.  But for some reason it did.  But in hindsight, I guess it might not be a bad idea to let Easter Sunday be about the true meaning of Easter, and leave the Bunny for the next day. 

I Love to See the Temple

As you know from the last post, we were in Salt Lake.  And I totally could have posted this picture on that last post, but felt like it deserved it's own post.  Because this screams "I love to see the temple" to me.  In fact, I might have it framed with the wording.  This is one of Brooklyn's favorite songs, and she is forever asking "can I go inside too?!"  Someday Brooklyn :)

"I love to see the temple, I'm going there someday!"

A Hop, Skip, and A Jump Away= just 10 hours

Several weeks ago we were able to head up north, just 10 hours or so, to see family and be in the temple while Tim's first nephew was sealed to his beautiful wife.

We were lucky enough to be able to spend a whole week up there, and we found lots to do.  Visiting family, checking out the Hogle Zoo, playing with cousins, shopping, showing the girls Temple Square (because how could we miss out on the "pointy temple"?), and swimming at the hotel pool.  Not to mention the amazing sealing and reception.

We're lucky to have such great family that let us pop in whenever, and stay for days.  They also feed us (well, I might add), entertain us, and displace their children to give us a bed.  If you aren't a member of the Shurtliff family, you're missing out.

Here are a few of my favorites from that week.

Is this amazing or what? The animals at this zoo are so close you could touch them (if it weren't for the 6-inch thick glass wall of course).  This tiger and gorilla were RIGHT there!!!

Swimming at the hotel pool was definitely a highlight for the girls

Temple Square was awesome

Photo Booth

I've been seeing more and more "photo-booths" for party ideas, activities, and even wedding receptions.  And most of them aren't even with fancy backgrounds or cameras.  This is great.  Because even I can do it!

So that's not why these pictures were taken.  I just found them on my picassa program and realized how cute they were.  And figured... the world should see these.  But it did make me think, I should do a photo-booth for something.  Because why not?  It's fun.

The girls thought posing for pictures while I wouldn't move from the couch was awesome (yes, sheer laziness on a Sunday afternoon). They got a kick out of posing, and then checking out their pictures.  Giggles galore-- it was lots of fun.

 

 

I totally did not mean to give Brooklyn horns in this picture....

Bedtime Routines

Bedtime routines.  They're important.  I really do think they help the kids get settled and ready for bed.  But do you ever feel like the bedtime routine takes so long you need to start it right after lunch?!

From baths, to putting on pajamas, brushing teeth, reading scriptures, singing songs, telling stories, saying prayers, and finding every last "necessary" stuffed animal toy before actually getting in bed...

That's how it was getting around here.  And honestly, I don't mind most of it-- it was the hunt for every animal and baby that was starting to take longer and longer and longer.  Finally, we had to put a stop to it.  Because if I'm being really honest here, and I am, I can't remember WHICH baby is named "Nala," which is "Sister," which is "Lydia"... which stuffed animal is "Noku," and "Leela."  Which baby needs her blankie, and which one needs her bottle.  And don't even get me started on WHERE they're all supposed to be laying in relationship to each other.  I simply don't  have enough spare brain cells for this kind of bedtime routine.

So you'll be happy to hear that we've downsized.  One glow-worm, one baby, and one animal.  That still seems like more than will fit comfortably in the small crib, but it's definitely an improvement.

Now we just have to start the routine mid-afternoon, not at lunchtime.  :)

Blog lags

I know I'm really starting to lag behind on these posts.  And yes, it's because I'm super busy.  But sometimes too, I think, "Really... does anyone even READ these things?"  Not that that's why I post.  I'm really supposed to feel satisfied by my own personal accomplishment of journaling about our family.  At least, that's what I tell myself.  But if I can get a laugh out of someone else, and they actually enjoy reading my posts, then hey, the little extra motivation doesn't hurt! 

So I lag along, not posting for a month or so, and then someone comments about liking to read our little family blog, and missing seeing posts, and I think, "You DO care!  I love that you love reading about my insignificant epiphanies and experiences!"  And then I'm back.  So here I am.  Thank you, Susan, for liking to read our blog.  :)  The next stretch of posts is most definitely because of your interest. 

Adult Conversation

Sometimes when Tim is out of town for days on end I realize how lonely I get for "real" conversation.  You know, with someone who has at least graduated from kindergarten.  Not that I don't love talking to my kids.  I do.  But there's just something about an adult conversation...

So when I get lonely for that "real" conversation, sometimes I think about calling a friend, sibling, parent, etc.  And then I get nervous.  I mean, I've gotten so used to talking to my kids I'm afraid of what might come out of my mouth if I all of the sudden jump into an adult conversation.  Randomly, or deserved, because of the situation/person I'm talking to.  Worst case scenario, I probably wouldn't even notice it was a childish comment made in an adult conversation.  *sigh

A few things I'm afraid I might say...

Is that YOU that stinks?!  Whew.  When was the last time you took a bath?!
or
Is that YOU that stinks?!  Whew.  Are you poopy? 
Honestly, didn't anyone clean you up after you ate?
You're so stinkin' smart/cute/funny! I love you!!!  (note: spoken in high-pitched, ridiculous voice)
Do I need to spank you?
Who wants a SNACK?!
You'd better say you're sorry.
I'll give you to the count of 3!  1....2... (fingers included)

Because let's face it-- this is mostly what I say during the day.